2 Chapter 2: Sakura Miyamori

"Hey! Haruki! Pull yourself together!"

Isla and I panicked as we saw Haruki fell to the ground.

"Brother!"

"Did he just fell asleep?"

I said as Haruki started snoring.

"We worried for nothing. Ha ha"

She just casually laughed her worry away.

"Let's play even if its only the two of us. My worthless brother isn't a worthy opponent."

You almost peed yourself after seeing him fall to the ground heh.

As if I can say that.

"I-is that so…"

"...but let's put your "worthless" brother on his room first"

"Yeah, sure,"

She said as he kicked Haruki's feet.

We dragged the snoring Haruki like a bag of rice on the way to his room. His room is unexpectedly clean, unlike how messy Isla's room is.

"Heave-ho. Heave-ho."

"It almost looked like we're hiding a dead body, doesn't it?"

I jokingly said.

"We're now partners in crime!"

We both laughed.

"Hey, big sister Sakura, let's play something!"

"Yeah sure."

We played all sorts of board games in her room, we were having so much fun that I forgot about the time.

"Oh my, It's already dark. I should be going now."

"Wait, big sis!."

She handed me over a dice shaped key chain.

"Here, I forgot to give you this last time. Look we have matching ones!"

She raised her phone with the same key chain attached to it.

"Thank you, I'll cherish it!"

"I'll send a mail to you when big brother wakes up. See you!"

"See you!"

In the end, she didn't send a message.

When I got home, I went to my room and immediately got asleep. I heard a faint voice but there's no one there. I couldn't move my body as if its frozen. I felt a warm touch wrapped onto me.

Rushia! Rushia!

The faint voice slowly got clearer and clearer as time passes. I couldn't see anything, my eyes won't open no matter how much force I put into.

"You're s-silly as e-ever. My wounds a-are fatal, I'm not gonna make t-this."

What? Is this my voice?

What is this feeling? It feels like I'm descending deep down into a pool of darkness, my mind is slowly escaping my body.

"I…love…you…"

What was that?

I heard the cry of several firetruck roaming the area. Sirens echoed in the whole neighborhood as if it was a pack of armies going to the demon lord's palace. Out of curiosity, I checked where are those sirens coming from. I looked out of the veranda of my room as the chilly wind hit my face and I saw a light similar to that of a candle light being blown away continuously.

[Ring]

I checked my phone and saw a voice message from Isla.

[B-big s-sister, h-help me.]

My heart raced as I heard her struggling voice.

[What are you doing?!]

[beep]

I heard an unfamiliar voice in the background before the voice message got cut off, I assumed that it was just a prank or something so I went back to sleep and ignored the loud sirens.

-Sunday morning.-

The morning sun shone through the gaps of the curtains of my room, my body feels so refreshed as if I went on a journey. The chilly wind brought a scent of mom's cooking, it smells so lovely I might want to eat some. I went downstairs to check what it is when I saw my parents in front of the television looking like they have seen a ghost.

I looked at the tv and saw an unpleasant news.

[A family of four has been caught up in a fire accident. Three of them perished and identified as sla Tachibana (15), Toriko Tachibana (46) and Haruhi Tachibana (46), Haruki Tachibana (18) is still confined in a hospital and is still in critical condition]

"That can't be true…"

My tears overflowed as my legs lost its strength.

"This can't be true."

I ran as fast as I could to go on Haruki's house to confirm that wasn't true but it is. My heart clenched as I stared at their houses that is reduced to ashes. I couldn't take the heartache anymore so I went home.

"Sakura…"

"Mom…"

I sobbed like an infant whose toy is taken from it. I couldn't help but cry, if only I noticed the message sooner…

"Haruki's still hanging in there, let's visit him."

"Uhm."

"Don't cry okay? Your snot is all over the place."

"Mom…"

We went to the hospital where Haruki is in.

"I'll go alone."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

As I went in, a doctor accompanied me at Haruki's room. As the door opened, a terrifying view has unleashed. Bandages are all over his body, his skin is almost non existent, severe burns covered his whole body.

"Haruki…"

I'm in awe at looking at him, my heart is in so much pain imagining how much pain Haruki has gone through.

"He's badly burned and we all did what we can. He's in a coma and the chances of him surviving is low."

Said the doctor who is accompanying me.

"Don't say that…"

I told the doctor teary eyed.

"He'll survive this! He�� gotta… survive… this…"

"Calm down miss Sakura, we did anything what we can."

"I'm sorry."

I couldn't take the heartache anymore, the more I look at Haruki, the more painful it gets. I'm such a coward.

We went home not less than half an hour visiting Haruki.

Everyday for the past month, I've been visiting him. The doctors said that he's recovering at a rapid rate, his burns also healed. His almost non existing skin from before has almost looked like the fire didn't happened.

"Hey, Haruki, I haven't told you this but I love. Everyday for this past ten years, I've always loved you. So don't you dare dying on my arms."

I've been talking to him like this the whole month I've visited him but there are no responses. His vitals also stabilized, but he still wouldn't wake up.

I held his hand as I drifted asleep.

"Sakura…"

"Sakura…"

I saw Haruki holding my hand as I opened my eyes.

"Ha… Haruki!"

I hugged him tight out of excitement.

"Haruki… you survived, I'm glad."

At that instant, my eyes became overflowed with tears. He also hugged me gently.

"Where am I?"

He asked as he looked at me closely.

"We're in a hospital, Haruki."

Suddenly, Haruki's colored eyes changed its pigmentation.

"Hospital!? This isn't good! I got to save Isla!"

Haruki jumped at his bed but he lost his balance and fell to the floor.

"I got to save Isla!"

His voice screamed and trembled at the same time and it seemed like he's about to cry.

"Isla is…"

"Isla is what? Is she back?"

Haruki held my shoulders as he speak to me.

"Isla is gone, Haruki. It all happened a month ago."

My tears finally burst out.

"Gone? What do you mean by gone, Sakura? What do you mean by that?"

I held Haruki with both of my hands to comfort him.

"Oi, Sakura…"

His voice cracks at every words he says, he's in total mess right now.

"She's dead, Haruki."

Haruki lost his grip and his face dropped on my chest as if he lost his remaining strength.

Chapter 2

End