𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐩┃alltake。

EPISODE 34

EPISODE 34 [⎷]
p a g e  t h i r t y f o u r  :  B L I S S

"grandma. am i ... not allowed to be happy?"

chiyo paused, the paper cup of coffee stilling against her pale lips. she slowly moved her eyes at the boy lying on the hospital bed.

the boy had his face turned and facing the transparent wall where he could see both the clear blue sky and the city below. the air condition was their only source of noise inside the spacey room.

"do i really ... deserve all the loneliness in the world?" the blond's voice curled and became weaker. "i'm not asking for anything. but every time i'm genuinely happy ... everything would get all sad again."

"i hope ... i'm not being selfish. i know that my whole life, i always get whatever i wanted. i've been living a life of luxury. grandma, i'm grateful for everything you've done for me. but ..." chiyo puts her cup of coffee down the nightstand next to the hospital bed as the blond slowly turned his head.

chiyo watched the stream of tears run down her grandson's cheeks. "grandma ... why did my parents leave me?"

"am i l not worth the time?" tears rolled yet his face appeared to be nowhere near hurt or in pain. takemichi was smiling warmly. "grandma, do you feel like you're wasting your time on ... me?"

chiyo sat there emotionlessly. hiding behind her stoicism was the way her heart clench and her stomach tighten at each and every word, each and every tear that the boy showed.

"grandma ... izana, kaku-chan, and i are talking again." chiyo perks up at that yet she remained silent to let the boy pour out all the things he's been bottling inside. "grandma, do you think ... our friendship would last long?"

"do you think that soon ... they'll leave me like how the others did?" it wasn't a question that needed to be answered, chiyo knew that.

she knew that takemichi could answer that had he not been in this kind of emotional state.

"i'd gain friends but whenever i become comfortable and be myself around them, they would ... change their minds and leave." chiyo averted her gaze, staring at her coffee that now have gone cold because of the cold temperature of the room.

"grandma." chiyo hesitantly looked back, the life beneath her irises getting lost in a pair of deep blue eyes that slowly, gradually lost its sparkle.

"do i really ... have no place in this world where i can be completely happy?"

chiyo slowly grew suffocated. her heart stopped. and everything around her fell silent.

"ran ... rinrin ... and haru. do you think they ... feel burdened by me?"

chiyo gradually squeezed her eyes shut. she don't want to speak. any thing that comes out of her might end up being the tears that she so much held back.

"grandma, i'm sorry. for being a misfortune." the blond swallowed, turning his head slowly to face the grey ceiling that was out of his reach. "i didn't mean to give you another responsibility. i'm sorry if you had to carry the burden of a child like me."

"but grandma ..." he called. chiyo bit the inner skin of her cheek as she reluctantly looked up, blue eyes as blue as the day outside bore right into her own.

"when i opened my eyes, i saw you."

chiyo could feel her stone heart break at the watery tone that spilled happiness and relief coming from the boy's mouth.

life started to come back into the boy's eyes as it sparkled. a smile broke the boy's blissful face.

"when i thought that i'd wake up all alone, you were there." takemichi showed all his teeth as he smiled at his grandmother happily. "thank you."

"so i'm not alone after all. i'm glad." takemichi lets out a breathy laugh.

"i don't think i'll ever leave you. you will have to take care of me till i grow up into an adult." takemichi reaches out a hand, reaching for chiyo. "grandma, if the friends i have now leave me, please don't do the same."

"stay with me, grandma." takemichi begged, the smile on his face wearing out into a thin, quivering line. "you're the only one i have right now."

takemichi felt his reaching out hand crash with chiyo's wrinkly hand, before he felt his body be pulled in a tight embrace. he felt his heart tighten just as tight as chiyo's arms around him.

yet it wasn't suffocating.

he felt all the air come back to his body as his life swirled in pure bliss.

"you've done it now, brat. you're not allowed to leave me." chiyo clutched the hospital gown her grandson wore.

she felt guilt wash over her like a bucket of cold water. the memory of her lashing out on her 10 year old grandson who had no clue of the words she was spouting while she let the effect of the alcohol play with her rationality. the memory of her deciding to leave the little kid alone at a park with no plans of returning. the memory of her crying herself to sleep due to her daughter leaving another responsibility at her doorstep.

the memory of her 13 year old grandson running to her, traumatized, after his friends played with him and left him in the woods. rambling how relieved he was to get out of the woods which happened to be the one surrounding the musashi shrine.

"it must've been scary going through all that." she whispered as she lets a hand comb the blond curls of her grandson. "you ... you don't deserve those."

"i was scared. but, grandma, you're here now." the blond laughed bubbly. "maybe i am dependent on you. but i don't care now. sorry, grandma. i got tears and snot all over you."

chiyo only held him tightly, not caring if her position hovering over the bed and hugging the blond was awkward. not caring if her back pain's acting up. she could feel herself tremble vulnerably at the soft, comforting pats takemichi's delicate hands are making on her back. "don't cry, grandma. i feel better now. i think i'll get discharged soon."

chiyo let herself dwell into the warmth that her grandson always brings with him. maybe ... just maybe

this isn't the timeline for someone as pure as you.

S O Y A
ᵗᵒ ᵇᵉ ᶜᵒⁿᵗⁱⁿᵘᵉᵈ