Even so, we are living in the present

Chapter 38 – I Want to Be With You

Several minutes following Yuu’s report, both police and ambulance vehicles arrived roughly at the same time.

The red drops that had not thoroughly soaked through the sleeves were drenching the concrete in front of the entrance in multiple layers.

Finally, they’ve arrived…

Those few minutes of waiting seemed remarkably prolonged.

His arm, which was bearing the knife, was shrieking with fatigue.

Okino Yuka did not release her grip on the knife until the very instant she was apprehended in the act by the police officer.

When Kyosuke was eventually freed from the culprit, he maintained his consciousness as he addressed the paramedic’s questioning, and proceeded to the ambulance with the blade still lodged in his arm.

Yuu, who was on the verge of tears, followed him into the ambulance, struggling to contain his tears.

All around them, residents were wondering what was going on, amidst the lights and sirens resounding in the distance.

Some even went outside.

Out of hatred against these types of people, Kyosuke cast down his eyelids and heaved a sigh.

Shortly after, the ambulance departed for its destination, loaded respectively with the parties involved.

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It was unlike before.

In fact, it was contrary to that time.

“…”

Here was Nitta General Hospital.

This was the hospital where Yuu was transported to after the Sonohara family was implicated in the accident.

And now, Yuu was standing petrified before the emergency room.

Did Kyosuke feel this way as well at the time?

The anxiety and tension threatened to crush him.

Even so, he drew a deep breath to refrain from shedding tears.

The person who had protected him was wounded.

He didn’t know what kind of emotions he ought to be feeling.

He didn’t understand what he was supposed to be contemplating.

Kyosuke…

Being stabbed by a knife is bound to require a corresponding amount of medical treatment.

He would probably have to undergo surgery.

Eventually, the door opened and a group of nurses hurriedly transported Kyosuke, who was lying on the bed, to the operating room.

I knew it…

It was as if fatigue had taken its toll on Kyosuke, whose eyelids were down in an unconscious state. The situation unfolded just as Yuu had anticipated. Even though the doctor explained the surgery to him, there was little he could retain. Following the nurse’s guidance, he headed for the surgery waiting room.

“…”

There alone in the waiting room, sitting on a sofa against the wall, his back reclined against it.

Amidst the overwhelming quietness of the room, the scene from the moment he was grabbed by the shoulder to the moment they were taken to the ambulance kept replaying in Yuu’s mind, indefinitely recurring in his memory.

How would it be possible for him to forget it?

While praying for his safety, he slowly let go of his consciousness, consumed by uncertainty and nervousness.

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“Mr. Sonohara, Mr. Sonohara.”

“…”

At the gentle call, his slipping consciousness swiftly surfaced.

Although he rarely got aroused, perhaps the tension that now seemed to be hanging by a thread had been stimulated within him.

When he eventually snapped into focus, the sight of a female nurse staring at him with concern was before his eyes.

“Are you not feeling well? Would you like to have a bed?”

Upon the question, Yuu shook his head quietly without expressing a word.

“The surgery was successful, are you able to walk?”

At these words, a slight glint returned to Yuu’s eyes, and with a nod, he silently rose to his feet.

The nurse smiled softly as if relieved at Yuu’s condition, and turned on her heel to lead the way, saying, “This way, please.”

With a sense of urgency, he followed her to the patient’s room.

If his arm is immobilized then…

Despite this uneasiness, he was guided to a four-person patient room.

At the back of the room, partitioned off by curtains, Kyosuke was apparently in bed by the window.

“Please excuse me.”

When the other party bowed, Yuu also lightly gave a bow. The two beds near the door were covered with curtains, preventing a glimpse of what was going on. Walking slowly and quietly, he peeked at the bed with trepidation.

“… Huh?”

No one is here…?

Beyond the corner of his sight, an unoccupied bed awaited him.

A faint apprehension clouded his expression.

“… Yuu, over here.”

“!”

When a whisper called to him, he turned around, his shoulders jerking. There, Kyosuke was sitting on the bed with bandages on his left arm.

He was smiling at how Yuu mistook the bed for his one.

“… Kyosuke…”

More than he expected, he looked the same as ever.

With a mixture of astonishment and relief in his eyes, Yuu walked up to his partner as if he were being invited.

“I guess the surgery wasn’t too complicated because I lost less blood than I thought. I won’t be able to play kendo for a while, but I’ll be out of the hospital in no time──”

In the unchanged tone of voice, his voice suddenly trailed off, and his eyes widened while his lips closed. Without a word, he wrapped his unrestricted right arm around the other’s back, feeling the warmth of the person he embraced, and stroked him tenderly, as if to soothe him.

“Yuu… sorry for making you worry.”

“…”

While nodding at the other person who apologized calmly, an emotion that he could not be honest with silently trickled down his cheeks.

In an effort to endure the sobs, he exerted strength in both arms that embraced him.

“…”

With a silent response, Kyosuke kept stroking his partner’s back. Without ever trying to get him to let go or look at his face, he simply waited quietly for him to settle down. A warm drop of blood, identical to but different from the one he felt at the front door, slightly wet the back of his nightclothes.

After a while, once things had stabilized, Kyosuke spoke up, caressing the other’s hair delicately with his right hand, which had been stroking his back.

“I’m hungry.”

After hearing the words spoken again as he was about to go home, Yuu nodded and replied to him.

“What do you want to eat?”

“…”

When Kyosuke asked, he was met by a mute response. Even without observing his face, he could tell that if Yuu opened his mouth, it would likely result in him bursting into tears so he was afraid to let out his voice.

“Maybe I’ll have some pudding.”

“… Heh.”

This time, a subtle burst of giggle escaped from his partner’s mouth, something that he would not have expected to hear from Kyosuke. The corners of Kyosuke’s mouth lifted in an attempt to avoid being exposed.

“Thank god, I thought you were asleep.”

“… Ngh, I didn’t fall asleep…”

To his joking remark, Yuu reacted with a muffled voice. The thin arms embracing him moved incongruously, presumably because he was wiping away his tears. After that, once Yuu’s tears had dried up and they ate a meal together, things would be restored to their original state. With this thought in mind, he cannot help but love the person who was hugging him like this.

“… I am glad…”

His partner’s fragile voice, oblivious to his state of mind, conveyed his relief. Although he would have to suspend club activities for a while, Kyosuke himself was not that depressed, as long as he can still share his time with his partner.

“I’m glad you’re okay too, Yuu.”

“… Ah.”

He had no idea how anxious Yuu had been. But now, instead of mentioning it, more than anything else, being able to embrace each other and express their feelings was what brought him the utmost bliss. The two of them spent some peaceful moments together until a police officer came to question them.