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6

You were so frantic with your movements you missed it when Todoroki messaged you back. Your heart beats a million beats per second, you bet it could pass the momentum of when Todoroki touched you. 

"Where?" You had wrenched from your throat, then again, "where?" Your tears making your throat dry. 

"Kirigaya Hospritol, wher ein the east wing!" Hikari shouted from the other side of the phone. Panic hit you once again and you ran back downstairs, clutching your phone with way more strength than necessary.

"I'm coming... what," the question seeped down into your core as if you truly didn't want an answer to it. But you ripped open your throat and drug it out, "what happened?"

"...I don't know," how did he not know?! He was there wasn't he, it should be obvious by the state he's in, God you didn't want to think about that right now. 

"What do you mean you don't know–

"I think he has cancer." Your tears came more freely after that and you felt yourself break into a sob. Aoi was one of your best friends, how could this have happened without your knowledge? Was that why he missed the sports festival today? Was that why he had been missing school the past few weeks? 

Yeah, the school had barely started back up for its new year, but Aoi had only been to, you counted on your finger, about one week in total. He'd missed a full week of school and he'd only gone the first Monday, the first Tuesday, he disappeared, then popped up again on Friday, the second week began and he had only gone one day that week, now this week he had gone on Katsuki's birthday, the 20th of this month. A Wednesday. He hadn't been at school yesterday or today. 

What the hell was he doing all that time? You felt your heartache again, how could you not have noticed, in all that time how could you not have seen straight through him? Now that you think about it, he'd seemed more sluggish this school year, slower, he couldn't keep up in PE as much, oh my god, you thought you were going to break down right there. Your Mom came hurdling into the living room and up to you by the stairs, taking you in her arms and asking what was wrong.

"So much," you responded, so much had gone wrong. "Hospital, we–I need to go."

"Okay honey, do you feel sick?" Yes, you felt sick to your stomach, like you might throw up and all you wanted to do was go see your friend.

"It's," you took in a deep breath to calm your crying, but when you said his name everything just came down, "Aoi." 

You were nervous, but even more so: scared. Was Rin here? Did he know too? Where was Hikari? And when you stepped into the room, all the thoughts you had a few seconds ago were blinded by your friend's presence. You wanted to call out to him, but you couldn't work your mouth properly. He hand his head bandaged up, it looked pretty well, but it also made you want to cry even more.

He smiled at you, something you just couldn't take right. now, was that look, the look that said he had accepted his fate a while ago, and the fact that you weren't part of that journey hurt you even more. You wanted to scream, to hit him, to take your frustration out on anyone and everyone. Why was the world like this? Why did it take people you cared about away from you? First Katsuki and now one of your best friends? Another one of your brothers?

"Why?" Wobbled out of your mouth. Your tears were dry, but you felt a new set coming.

His smile wavered a bit, but he padded the chair next to the bed, you assumed his mother was sitting a few moments ago. You looked at your parents, they nodded and drug Katsuki out with them.

"Why?" You asked again when you were sitting, you couldn't bear to meet his eyes again, for fear of him giving you that look, that smile again. You didn't trust yourself to not cause a scene and you didn't want to get Aoi in the midst of crying either.  His black hair and his blue eyes once shone with passion, joy, and determination. You'd seen the same glint in Katsuki's eyes.