Bittersweet Love

Heartstrings Intertwined

I sat across from Kaito, my heart pounding in my chest as I recounted the horrifying encounter with Haruki. Tears welled up in my eyes as I relived the fear and desperation that consumed me during those terrifying moments.

"He...he tried to force himself on me," I whispered, my voice trembling. "I never thought he could be capable of something like that."

Kaito's face turned pale with anger as he clenched his fists tightly. His protective instincts kick into overdrive, and it was evident that he was seething with rage at what had transpired.

"I can't believe he would do something so despicable," Kaito growled through gritted teeth. 

But even after a week had passed since that harrowing incident, fear still lingered within me. The thought of ever encountering Haruki again sent shivers down my spine, making it difficult for me to trust anyone fully.

"I don't want to see him ever again," I confessed, feeling a mix of sadness and relief wash over me. "I'm scared of what he might do next."

Kaito reached out and gently took hold of my hands, his touch offering a sense of comfort amidst the turmoil swirling inside me.

"Take your time to heal from this experience. He needs time, too. He said he will change." Kaito said softly but firmly. "You don't have to make any decisions right now about whether or not you'll see him again. Your safety comes first."

His words resonated deeply within me once more – reminding me that healing wasn't linear; it required patience and self-care before anything else.

"But what if...what if part of me still wants to forgive him?" I questioned hesitantly, uncertainty clouding my thoughts once again.

Kaito sighed heavily but maintained an unwavering gaze upon me. "Forgiveness is a personal journey," he replied earnestly. "Only you can decide if and when you're ready to forgive Haruki. But remember, forgiveness doesn't mean forgetting or condoning what he did."

I nodded slowly, absorbing his words and feeling a glimmer of hope amidst the darkness that had enveloped my heart.

"You're right," I murmured. "Forgiveness will take time, just like healing from this trauma. Thank you for being here for me, Kaito-kun."

A small smile tugged at Kaito's lips as he squeezed my hands gently. His unwavering support and understanding continued to be my anchor through the turbulent aftermath of the encounter with Haruki. His presence provided a sense of safety and reassurance that helped me slowly rebuild my shattered confidence.

~~~~

The next day, on my way to school, I saw Haruki at a distance - lost in his thoughts. I wanted and didn't want to meet him at the same time. Gradually, some friends from my class gathered around me saying, "Good Morning" to me. 

Sora started saying something that began like, "Yesterday, this guy came and...", but I wasn't paying attention. My total attention was on Haruki, whom I was staring at furiously and calmly. After some time, I saw him picking up a phone call, and he just ended it by saying, "I don't wanna talk right now, Kaito." Kaito? Kaito? Why did he call Haruki? That too, when they were going to sit in the same classroom after some minutes? Why? It felt like my mind would explode in a few minutes.

Suddenly I heard some screaming in front of me. I had been walking at my own pace, half blind because of it, separated from the group of Sora and others. Apparently, Haruki had passed out, and lay there, unconscious. Haruki's friends had gathered around him and proceeded to pick him up. I realised that my whole attention was on him, a few moments ago and yet I couldn't do anything for him. Kaito was missing there. Maybe he had reached school early.

I started running towards the crowd, which contained Haruki at its centre; I recognised some of his friends - Yuki, Takada and Chiyo - with whom I had gone on that extraordinary trip to Kyoto. Kyoto was the place where our (Haruki and me) bond started falling into black holes. Haruki wasn't able to breathe properly, so Takada initiated CPR by compressing his chest continuously. As Haruki coughed weakly, I had already picked up my phone to call 119 (emergency call to ambulance in Japan). Then I proceeded to call Kaito and as he picked up, I shouted, "Where the fuck are you right now?"

He replied, with a croaky voice, "Why, what happened?"

I shouted at him again, "Didn't you just call Haruki a few minutes back? Why did you.." But I couldn't complete the sentence. 

Kaito coughed and replied, "I am sorry, Sachi-chan but I'm not at school today. Down with a cold. B-but tell me - what happened?"

I didn't know what should have been the answer, so I just hurried bye though I knew Kaito needed care, I prioritized Haruki over him and a feeling of regret also flickered within me. Haruki was carried to the hospital by an ambulance I'd called. I had to attend school but I skipped club practice just to meet Kaito as well as Haruki.

First, I visited Haruki to see his condition. His mother was sitting there and as I walked into the crowded room, heart heavy with sadness, I forced a smile onto my face. I asked her whether I could meet Haruki right now. With her lips sealed, she nodded, and I proceeded to meet Haruki, to see his condition as I had ignored him. Opening Haruki's room, I saw him, he looked asleep but I knew he wasn't. Entering the room, I sensed the tension gathered within it, and I just loudly shouted, "Eight months are enough for me to tell whether you are asleep or not."

"Ughh."

"What do you think I am, huh?"

"Oo, you are the cute cupcake", he said with a laugh. 

"Shut up, noodlebrain."

Haruki silenced and just muttered under his breath loud enough for me to hear, "Thank you for coming."

My mind didn't seem to function properly at that time. Why was I even there? Not long enough, this boy only tried to force himself on me, and today here was I, meeting him at the hospital. Why was I there?