Until my Final Breath (Shikimori's not just a Cutie fanfic)

Chapter 8: Reminiscence

"Dude, tell me more about your illness!"

"Inuzuka-kun, you're being a bit too excited there..."

"Does your chest hurt? Do you feel it is getting heavier?"

"Well... A little bit, yes..."

"Do you feel nauseous? Stomachache? Runny nose?"

"That's a bit much for me, don't you think...?"

Today's lunchtime is the same as always. It's still the hot weather, but it is getting a little more humid since summer is getting closer, which comes along with our semester test. The sky is coated in bright blue, with the scent of fresh air lingering around the area. Just as always, we are sitting under the shade of a cherry blossom tree to have our lunch, having some kind of "boy talk", while the girls are chatting about different subjects that I cannot comprehend what they are.

"Do you have any trouble breathing? Do you feel like you're suffocating?" Inuzuka-kun is still throwing questions at me about my health condition. I find that pretty annoying, but I cannot ignore him, nonetheless.

... It has been such a long time, hasn't it?

A few weeks ago, my life changed completely. I found it hard to breathe, I coughed out blood, and I even blacked out from exhaustion and blood loss. And before I knew it, I was diagnosed with lung cancer. I used to think I would live my whole life with that disease, carry it all by myself, without anyone knowing a single thing about it, because of my thought of not wanting anyone to carry this burden like me. That was what I did for the following days, hiding away from everyone, putting up a fake smile on my face to tell them I was alright...

... Well, at least until my girlfriend came...

"... No, it's not great, at all. It took me quite some time to make him say it out. I even almost injured myself from that..."

I overhear the conversation between Shikimori-san and the girls, and this makes me smile nervously, but happily. She must be talking about when she found out about my health condition.

Yes, that time was very... rough. Shikimori-san was suspicious about my action when I came back to school from the day I received the diagnosis. She did everything to find out about it, from "investigating" Kamiya-san to "trapping" me inside her home to make me speak it out. It was hard to witness her emotion that day. I know she can be a bit short-tempered, but that was the first time I had ever seen her that furious. However, this also showed her caring side, which I appreciated a lot.

Shikimori-san has been more than an ally to me, someone I can depend on, someone standing by my side. To be honest, without her, I don't know where I would be going today...

"Hey bro, don't worry!" Inuzuka-kun's words brought me back to reality. He wraps his arm around my shoulder and beams a smile. "If you ever feel down or find life difficult to live, just remember that I also have your back, alright?"

"... Thanks, man. I definitely will..."

I turned to him and let out a smile on my face. Without Shikimori-san, I don't know if I would get a chance to talk normally to my friends, my pal like this. Without Shikimori-san, I don't know if I would be able to smile naturally like this. And without Shikimori-san, I don't know if I would realize that I have always had friends that have had my back since day one, who I can depend on.

Damn, why does it feel like I owe her a lot...?

I look back to the girls' side, only to find out Shikimori-san has been staring at me for quite some time, without me noticing. This sudden image makes me blush slightly and smile uneasily. She is placing her elbow on the table while using her hand to support her head, which is tilting a bit aside. She is also having a small smile on her face, with a tint of pink blush visible from my view, brightened by the noon sunlight.