『Entangled Stars』;「運命」┇akane a. x aoi. a au

chapter xiv: winter solace

14: "Winter Solace"
冬の癒し

Her purple galaxies watched the falling snowflakes. The cold ice in intricate details that could only be brought upon by nature. Outside the window, there was a view of the lands blanketed with white snow. It was the season of frigid ice. Winter.

It has been three days. The things she had remembered about the world seemed very far back in the past. Well because. . .she had woken up at the future.

Everything around her seemed strange. The white ceilings and walls with the scent of isopropyl alcohol lingered around the room. She sat quietly in the middle of the hospital bed. Under the clean blanket, her body looked different. Signifying that she did grow older. 10 years in the future, everything had changed. But the memories she had were only when she was 16.

Her vision traveled around the room until it stopped on the figure with locks of silver and teal at the very tips of her hair strands. She grew taller yet her sense of style remained. Yashiro Nene. She was the first face that Aoi saw after regaining consciousness.

Despite the shock of the people in the room and the panicked murmurs of the nurses and doctors. Aoi asked one question that made the echoing chaos slowly die down. "Where is Akane-kun?" Aoi tried to stand up but she felt her body ache so much.

Yashiro looked at her with worry, carefully stopping her from what she is trying to do. "Aoi, why don't you rest first?" Yashiro tried to help her lay down again but Aoi refused.

"N-No, where is he? I have to see him." Slowly, Aoi noticed that her voice sounded different. She looked around.

The face of the girl in front of her was also familiar yet some features looked as if they have matured. But the moment her indigo galaxies gazed at the tallest figure in the room. A man with a confused expression, his hair shiny in golden hues. A familiar piece of earring hung loosely to only one of his ears. C-Could he be?

"Y-Yashiro-chan and Kou-kun? Please help me find him!" 

Why do they both look older?

"I'm confused, Nene. Why does she keep looking for herself?" The tall blond in the room questioned.

Somehow, she felt a shiver down her spine. Her whole system is bombarded with a rigid feeling. The corners of her eyes start to heat up. Visibly, she started shaking.

"I-I just think it's the result of shock. The doctors will check your condition, Aoi. Don't worry, we'll just be outside the room." Yashiro calmly said. She was about to go near Kou when Aoi pulled her arm all of a sudden. 

"What's wrong, Ao—"

"Where is he, Yashiro?! Where is Akane Aoi? Please tell me his room number!"

She pleaded as her tears continuously fell. But suddenly she felt Yashiro being taken away from her grasp. The golden-haired male pulled the girl behind his back, his tall stature in a protective stance. That was when she realized again the three of them weren't the only ones inside the room. But the unpleasant feeling never left her system.

Aoi felt like she wanted to run from something. Something that would hurt her forever. Something that would crush her to pieces. 

To run away from
something that she might
never recover from. . .

It was the truth.

"Miss Akane, there is no other Aoi Akane in this hospital. Moreso, a man with a similar identity for the past 10 years. We've also checked the records to assure you that you are the only patient here with that name."

The Truth. Everyone said that the truth will set you free. All along she realized that what she was running from was the truth. The one that would always chase after her. In her case, the truth trapped her in what is supposed to be. The fate of her existence where her happiness will be nowhere to be found.

Maybe she wasn't meant to be happy. 

This is really her fate.

"T-That can't be! He's probably admitted to a different hospital. Yashiro and Kou, we all knew him. We used to be classmates back in Kamome Academy. He was even our Student Council's Vice President. He was the partner of your brother, President Teru, Kou." She spoke. But male only shook his head as if to say that not everything she had said was right.

"You're right my brother used to be the President of Kamome Academy. But Teru served in the Student Council alongside Yari Ishimiya not. . .not Akane or whoever you're trying to say." Kou explained.

"Believe me, Kou. They were partners. Yari Ishimiya didn't join the Student Council because she got her hands busy with the Photography Club. Teru and Akane were the ones that were actually partners. They were even best friends. Why don't we ask, Teru?" She pleaded.

"I don't really know where you are getting this from, Aoi-san. But we can't disturb Teru-nii. My older brother is very busy at the Science Institute. He got his hands full for whatever experiment or project there. He's very difficult to contact even right now." Kou explained.

"I'm really sorry, Aoi. But we don't know any Akane or Aoi besides you." Yashiro gently added.

"Miss Akane, you're memories must still be jumbled especially since you've just woken up. We will be checking your—"

Slowly, Aoi's breathing slowed down. A ringing sound flooded her sense of hearing. Everything turned blurry and blurry until it all went black. 

---

That was all that happened three days ago.

Yesterday. Yashiro Nene revisited her. It was also time the silver-haired female told her everything that had happened in the past.

Nene told her that her grandmother reported the dreadful incident to the authorities and that she got forcibly taken by her crooked relatives. The arrival of the authorities in the temple also caught the suspects in time but the sight of the victim was painful. They saw her lying on the ground with bloodied cuts on her skin, looking almost lifeless. It was as if her body would just be discarded after the ritual led to failure. Nobody wasted time rushing her to the hospital.

Years go by, her life remained stable because of the machines in the hospital. There was no assurance that she might even wake up but her grandmother still did not give her up. The old lady kept praying for her and watching over her. Until her beloved grandmother's very last breath, she wished for the safe return of her granddaughter's soul back home. . .here in the real world.

Back to the present. Aoi exhaled heavily, her purple galaxies caught a glimpse of the view outside the window again. She moved quietly, trying to get out of the hospital bed. Her gaze was fixed on the sleeping figure on the couch. Yashiro visited her again and was taking a nap inside her room. Making sure that she doesn't wake up Nene until she tiptoed at the door.

The cold floor collided directly with her feet as she wore the white knitted scarf around her neck, her white hospital gown hugging her body as she closed the door.

With all her energy, she ran to the only place that will keep. . .

both her mind and heart in solace even for just a little while.