Survivor

Part 14~ The last dream- a painful farewell

"Chii... Open your eyes."

Chinen slowly comes to his conscious. The initial blurry sight becomes clearer now. Three familiar faces come into the picture.

"Ryu... Keito... Kusano-kun..." Chinen mumbles. Keito helps the confuse-looking boy to sit. Chinen looks around. There is nothing but white. Even he is dressed in white, and so the other boys.

"Were you having a bad dream?" Kusano asks. Chinen nods, staring at Kusano without blinking.

Kusano smiles. "Daijyobu, you won't have those dreams anymore. It has ended."

"Really?" Chinen looks at Ryutaro and Keito. The two boys nod meaningfully.

"But where are we?" the petite boy grabs Ryutaro's hand. "It's too bright in here? Weren't we on an island? Where're the others?"

"No Chii, we are not on the island anymore. To be exact we are not in their dimension anymore," Ryutaro answers.

Chinen frowns. "I don't understand. Why are you so serious Ryu? This is not like you."

"We are about to enter the other world," Keito explains. "Do you see that?"

Chinen looks at the place pointed by Keito. Vaguely in the foggy atmosphere he can see a huge silver door with a gold frame. No walls, no guards- just the door standing by itself.

"That's the gate to the afterlife."

"Does that means we are.... Dead?" Chinen looks at Keito straight in the eyes. Keito gives his gentle smile.

"We are, but you are not," Kusano tells Chinen. "You are going back to them, to your family."

"To our family," Ryutaro cuts in. "To JUMP."

Chinen's eyes start to get tearful. "Why don't you come back with me? You don't have to enter the door. Ne! Let's go back together!"

"I drowned Chii- I hit the rock when I fell down the cliff and pass out immediately," Ryutaro sits on Chinen's right.

"And I have brain death," Keito lands on Chinen's left. "I loss too much blood, and my body couldn't cope with it. They tried to resuscitate me but I guess it has been too long since my brain gets enough oxygen."

"Gomen, it's entirely my fault," Kusano looks at the ground.

Keito shakes his head. "Don't blame yourself Kusano-kun. You were ill. You didn't know what you were doing."

"I'm not sure about that," Ryutaro raises his eyebrow. "Somehow I want to see the doctors write his name in my 'cause of death' column. Why did you go to the cliff at the first place? Doesn't anyone tell you that those kind of place is dangerous?"

"Ma ma... He regrets it isn't it?" Keito tries to calm the situation. "After all he saved Chii."

"I know, I know..." Ryutaro seems to cool off. "And Chii, in case you don't know the police officers shot him together at once after he shot you. How many bullets do you get Kusano?"

Kusano counts with his fingers. "Ten, may be fifteen if you want to count the bullets that went through my head."

"They should just shot you with M-16 you know!"

"Yeah...whatever! I'm dead, that's what matters."

Chinen stays silent throughout the conversation. Bit by bit the memories come back to his empty mind. The vacation, the storm, the tragedy, the shot... It is clear now. He turns to look at the three boys. How can they talk about their death as if nothing happened?

"I guess I have no choice than to get along with you since we are going to be together from now on. Right Chii?" Ryutaro gently pushes Chinen's shoulder by his own, but the boy remains quiet. "Chii?"

"Let's go back together," Chinen's tears begin to fall. "All of us! Let's go back together! Onegai!!"

Keito grabs Chinen's hand and slowly pulls him into his arm. "No one can go against their fate Chii."

"I can't leave you here! No... I don't want that... I don't want that..." Chinen sobs.

"You are not leaving us, we are sending you off."

Ryutaro scratches his head. "Doesn't those two have the same meaning?"

"Similar, but not the same. It's how you look at it. Be strong Chii. Don't worry, we'll see you again in the next life. And we'll make a lot of beautiful memories together ok? We promise," Keito kisses Chinen's forehead.

"But I don't want to go camping anymore," Chinen wipes his tears. "And I'll tell Yuto that you kiss me."

Keito chuckles. "It's ok, you can tell him. Also tell him that I love him so much and I hope he can forgive me for leaving him too soon. Tell him to buy the Chihuahua we saw at the shop last week, make him name it after me. I'll always watch over him- always.... Can you help me with that Chii?"

Cruel. This is too cruel.

"Yeah... Tell Bakaki he can have all my video games," Ryutaro gives his message. "And tell him not to sell them. If he does then I'll haunt him all his life!!!"

Chinen nods in tears.

"Ano.." Kusano gets nearer. "I was mean to your friend, but I hope you can help me."

"Anything."

"Please send my apology to JUMP. They can hate me, I don't mind. But please don't hate Kei-chan. He is the nicest person I've ever meet, this crazy man's only friend. Please tell Kei-chan that I really appreciate everything he did for me, and I regret to put him into all this trouble. Yabu-kun, Hikaru-kun, Yuto-kun...they are all my friends. I love them all..."

"And we love JUMP," Keito adds.

"Always... I'm glad that I get to know all of you," Ryutaro agrees on Keito. "Take care of the others ok?"

"Tell Yu-chan that I love him. And tell my parents I love them so much too."

"Tell Bakaki he's the brother I never had."

"Tell Hikaru-kun he can always come to my house and train with my father."

"Tell Yabu-kun I'll always miss his cooking."

"Tell Inoo-kun he needs to graduate with first class honour."

"Tell Yama-chan to lose some weight- but keep the cute chubby cheeks."

"Tell Dai-chan he's the coolest among all, and I appreciate him helping out with my homework."

Chinen's heart feels like it is being torn apart. He knows he won't be able to see Keito and Ryutaro anymore. This is the last time he will see these faces.

This is the only nightmare Chinen doesn't want to end.

Slowly the fogs become thicker. Keito and Ryutaro let go of his hand, beginning to fade in the white fog.

"Take care Chii!! We love you!!" Keito's voice comes to his ears.

"Tell Kei-chan that I love him!" Kusano yells from somewhere.

"Don't miss us too much ok?" Ryutaro shouts. "Make a memorial day for us! Compose a song! Put our names in the lyrics! Chii!!!!!"

Chinen could tell Ryutaro is crying, and so is he.

"And Chii!! Happy Birthday!!!!!"

Keito... Ryu...

Don't wake me!!!!!!!!!

~to be continued~