Itazura Na Kiss- Eternal Love Story

#38 Lost Soul (part two)

(General POV)

A gloomy morning arrived. But it was welcomed with warm embraces from the Irie family as they were desperate to see their loved ones. Kotoko was the first one to wake up so they went to meet her.

"Irie-kun... Is he okay? Where is he?" She asked as soon as she saw her family.

But they remained quiet not knowing the answer, so instead Mio answered her who had a routine check-up on him earlier.

"He is fine. He is still asleep and recovering."

"Recovering? From what?" She asked as she didn't know about Naoki getting injured due to the storm.

"Ohh... umm..." Mio felt loss of words as he totally forgot that she didn't know about that part.

"Well you see..." He tried to come up with something to cover up immediately but Kotoko knew him better.

"Mio... What happened to Irie-kun?" She asked in an unexpectedly calm voice which made Mio to blurt out the truth.

"He was injured yesterday when he went out into the storm." At this Kotoko widen her eyes and tried to get up from her bed but he pushed her down and added "But they weren't serious injuries. He is fine." He skipped about his leg.

"What? What did you say?" She stared at Mio open-mouthed.

"He was exhausted mostly." He added. This wasn't a lie at all.

"Irie-kun..." She mumbled.

"Kotoko, what happened yesterday... to you both?" Mr. Aihara asked finally what they all wanted to know.

Kotoko looked around at all of them. They were looking very exhausted. She felt so guilty and started to tear up. Lately that's the only thing that she seems to be doing. Either she cries or she made her family cry for her. She should already just die and spare them all from all the hurting she was causing, she thought.

"Kotoko please... Naoki didn't talk to us yesterday. Please child, just tell us what happened. We can help." Mrs. Irie told her kindly slowing running her fingers through her hairs.

"It's... umm... the accident..." She sobbed.

"Accident? Which accident?" Mr. Aihara asked.

"Before my treatment started... I..." She stopped not knowing how to break this to them knowing it will hurt them too much.

Realisation hit Mio when he heard Kotoko utter those words. She was talking about the accident due to which he and Hana met her for the first time.

"He found out and you didn't tell him about that either? What the hell is wrong with you Kotoko?" Even Mio felt bad for Naoki and mad at Kotoko which he thought was never possible.

"I don't know what I was thinking. I shouldn't have hid anything from him in the first place. But once I started, one thing led to another and in the end, I didn't tell him anything at all." She sobbed in her hands.

"We still don't get it." Yuki mumbled dreading the answer. He could guess what was coming and he hated the feeling.

Mio sighed looking at his friend who looked so helpless and weak. He decided to help her out and explained everything that took place during the time of her accident. The room remained pin drop silent when he finished. It nearly even made him gulp in fear since he felt like the culprit as he broke the news to them. He just looked from one to another.

Everybody else was staring at Kotoko who has her face hidden behind her palms as she was sobbing on them. A long silent followed after Mio was finished talking, partly because no one knew what to say. They were all flabbergasted. Also partly because they were thinking, trying to remember the time. They couldn't believe something this big happened right in front of them and it missed their eyes. Four sets of eyes!