Chapter 5 - "He who hates germs"

He opened his eyes and his sudden movement made me kiss his lips indirectly to his mouth.

Both our eyes grew and my heart started to race. I quickly moved away from him. I felt my cheeks burning. I turned to look at him and saw his ears turning red. "Why did you move!?" I shouted.

He stayed silent and turned the other way. He took some disinfectant. He sprayed it everywhere. I threw him the box.

"What is this?" He asked.

"It's a gift. I wanted to put it on you myself but you moved. It's not a kiss okay!? It's not counted." I defended. I stood up and turned to the other side. 'What have I done? Did I kiss him? Is this counted? My heart's beating so fast. Does that mean I like him?' I thought.

"I didn't say anything. Why are you so defensive? You just contaminated my mask." He said as he opened the box. He saw a black mask he placed it in his palm examining the mask I gave him. It has a personalized patch on the side, it's a germ.

"Do you like it?" I asked. He didn't answer instead he hid the box inside his bag. "Oh.." I whispered. 'I guess he didn't like it.' I thought 'Oh well, the design is a bit childish after all' I added. My face turned into a frown.

He stared at me. "I hid it because I didn't want to wear a mask that I didn't wash myself, idiot." He said. He stood up and look up the sky. "The sky's pretty so, where do we go next?"

"You still want to continue?" I asked. I thought he'll excuse himself to leave because of the accident.

"I promised. Didn't I?" He raised me a brow.

"Okay then, let's check my old ward!" I suggested. We walked to the said ward but, stopped when we saw a familiar guy. "Oh!" I pointed to the man. "It's Mr. Clown! It's you're father Saku-chan!" I cheered happily.

I ran towards his father. "What are you doing here Mr. Clown? Are you sick?" I asked. I was smiling the whole time without even noticing that the color in Sakusa's face are gone. I turned to him. "Sakusa..??" I called.

"Omi..." His father called.

"I think I must put this tour to an end. I'll go." He said as he turned his back while his hands are on his pockets.

"Omi! Let's talk please.." His father begged. I saw the pain in his father's eyes. I ran towards Sakusa.

"Hey what's wrong with you? Your father's calling you!" I tried to reach for his arm.

He took a step back. "Don't touch me! I got nothing to say to a germ. If he wants to talk to me, he needs to stop being one." He shouted. His eyes, I can see them. They're in so much pain.

"Ack- Omi...." His father called as he tried to ran towards his son but, eventually tripped himself.

"Mr. Clown!" I shouted as I ran towards him giving him a support.

"Sakusa!" I called him again. He didn't even bat an eye instead he just continued walking. I saw both pain in their eyes. It seeks for help. It feels like they're drowning and no one can hear them.

I helped the poor Mr. Clown stand up and guide him to his own ward. He asked me to sit down beside his bed and I did. "Please don't hate Omi. He's a good child." He pleaded as he reached for my hand. "He's the best child I could ever have. He's just in pain and he don't know how to handle things the way they are right now." He added.

I nodded. "I know that Saku-chan isn't a rude person." Upon saying that I was reminded of the way his eyes looked a while ago. The pain and agony it shows. It made me wanna ask why and how did a young boy acquired such sorrowful eyes.

"I don't mean to be rude but, may I ask what turned Saku-chan into that kind of person he is now?" The old man's eyes grew and he sighed.

"He really don't like other people knowing this but, I think you'll be able to help him. This is my only favor, please don't use his weakness against him. He's still a boy and he's the only one I have left." I nodded in response. He started narrating what happened.

Flashback (12 years ago)

NOTE: The flashback will be viewed in the P.O.V. of Sakusa to be understood better.

Sakusa's P.O.V.

I was very fond of my mother. She's the light in this house. I favored her more than my father. Whenever she comes home I'll run to her and give her a kiss. She always tells me to clean myself and don't let germs contaminate my beautiful skin.

"Omi~" My mother shouted from the kitchen.

"Coming mom!" I shouted as I skipped to the kitchen.

She bended on one knee to match my height. "Do you want to go the Park tomorrow?"

"Can we?" I asked for reassurance.

"Yes!" She patted my head. "But, I want your room cleaned and you, to be smelling good before I finish cooking lunch okay?" She commanded. I nodded in response and got inside the shower immediately.

After my shower, I ran towards my mom only to see her sprawled in the kitchen. My eyes widen as I saw my mother in pain and I don't know what to do. I cried for help.

"Papa!" I shouted but, he isn't home. He's working during this time of the day. "Anyone please!" I screamed and cried. No one heard me. Until, I felt my mother caressing my back.

"Omi..." She whispered. "Get my phone and I'll tell you what to do okay?" She smiled even though she's in pain. She's trying to reassure me that everything's going to be alright.

I did what she commanded me to do. After half an hour an ambulance came rushing in. I watched them carry her inside the mobile.

They didn't let me tag along due to my young age. I held on my mother's hand before they took her away. "Hey buddy! Everything will be alright." She said.

The night of the incident, my dad came rushing to me. "Omi! Are you okay?!" He asked as he checked my body. Making me turn around a few times. He hugged me right after.

I cried. As a kid, I was shocked. I didn't know what happened to my mom. I was nervous. "What about mom? Will she be okay? She's alone in the hospital, dad."

"I know you're worried. Let's go there, okay?" My dad said. We're about to head out when I stopped for a second.

"I can't papa." I said as I looked down.

"Why? Don't you want to see mama?" He asked.

"Mama said that I can't go anywhere if I'm dirty. It'll make her sad. I don't want to see mama sad." I said.

"Okay, papa will wait here. Go ahead and do your thing." He said. I quickly ran to the bathroom to wash myself, take a brush and change my clothes. After, I'm done I ran to Papa. He was sleeping in the corridor. 'Papa must be tired' I thought.

I ran to mama and papa's room. I took some blanket and put in a bag for papa to use in the hospital. I ran to papa to wake him up and we took a cab to the hospital.

Upon arriving, papa asked the Desk for my mother's ward. We ran towards the ward immediately. There's mama she's sitting there like nothing happened. She was reading a book.

"Omi~" She called out. She opened her arms for me to be engulfed in her embrace. I ran towards her, climbing her bed as I engulf myself to her warm embrace.

Ever since the accident mama stayed in the hospital. She still taught me about cleanliness and it's importance. She reminded me everyday.On the other hand, my dad needs to work to pay the bills.

I learned to commute to the hospital after school during her stay. One day we got to talk about germs again.

"Hey mom isn't it normal to caught germs?" I asked. " I saw in a commercial that disinfectants only kill 99.9% of germs. What happens to the 0.01%?" I added. She caressed me my hair as I sat on her lap.

"Germs don't last that long Omi but they leave damage sometimes, for example they might harm your health and make you sick." Mama said.

"That's just sad, mama. No one asked them to be a germ, right? But, they were born to harm others without their free will." I said. "They're like you mama!" I added.

"What makes you say that Omi? Is mama a germ now?" She giggled.

"Yes, mama's a germ. I heard the doctor said to papa that you won't last that long. You're like a germ and you're hurting Omi and papa here." I pointed to my heart. Tears came streaming down her face as she heard those words, so did mine.

"Oh my~ Omi! I'm so sorry! Mama didn't want to leave you so soon! If I go soon please don't cry and instead look at the sky and say 'Mom, I'm okay', alright?" She hugged me and we hugged each other as we cried our hearts out.

~~~

A month later, my mom is still confined to the hospital but, I heard the doctor say that she's getting better that's why I bought a cake on my way to celebrate. I used my hard earned money to buy this.

When I got there I saw people running towards my mother's ward. They we're all shouting "Code blue! Code blue!"

I saw my mom's bed being carried away to the emergency room while a doctor was on top her giving her CPR. I dropped the cake on my little hands. "Mama!" I shouted.

I waited and waited outside the emergency room, until my dad came and he was panicking. He's trying his best to stay strong in front of me but, eventually failing to do so.

After a few minutes a doctor came out. He goes straight towards my dad and shook his head. "I'm sorry sir." He bowed his head as he removed his cap.

My dad lost it. He got down on his knees and hugged me. I let go from his embrace and ran towards the doctor. I punched his leg. "I heard you say my mama's getting better! Did you really do your best?!" I shouted. The doctor got down on one knee.

"I'm sorry, young boy but we did our best." He said.

"No! How are you so sure!? Did you really try everything!? Like everything!? Cause' if you did why isn't she here!? Why isn't my mama here!?!" I shouted as tears came streaming down my face as I tugged the doctor's collar.

"Omi!" My dad reached out for me. "Stop. Mama's gone. She'll be sad to see you like this." he said.

"Papa! Why are you like this aren't you upset?! Mama's gone because they couldn't do anything! They're useless papa!" I cried.

"Omi! Stop it already!" My dad shouted. My eyes grew. 'No! This can't be it! I can't accept this.' I thought. I ran away from Papa. I ran away from the doctors. I ran away trying to forget what just happened. I sat on a bench under a Sakura tree.

"This is just a dream...." I thought. A young girl sad beside me.

"This is not a dream. This is reality. I wish I could give my life to whoever made you like this just to see you happy." She said as she looked at the sky. I looked at the band on her wrist where her name is written. '(y/n).. I wish you could give her your life.' I thought.

~~~

At the day of her funeral. I stayed at her grave. I lay down next to her while I stared at the clear sky. "Mama, I really hate germs now. You've become a germ. Maybe you were one from the start." I said. "I'll never let any germ near me again."

Flashback End

(y/n)'s P.O.V.

"Ever since then, he became a germophobe." He said. I wiped the tears streaming down my face. I never knew he undergone such pain. "He hated people around him who gets sick. He hated germs. He calls everyone a germ. I can't blame him though. I can't tell him to stop. Maybe it's his way of protecting himself."

"How about you Mr. Clown? I mean Mr. Sakusa. When did he started acting this way towards you?" I asked.

NOTE: When you call elderly in Japan. You use their last name to show respect.

"It's when he found out my illness." He sighed. " Ever since his mom passed away, I drove away my sadness through overworking. Eventually, the consequences of my actions came and this is it. He thinks that everything's happening all over again. He can't take it." He added.

"I didn't know this was the reason to his phobia." I said. The old man cupped my hands.

"Please take care of him. I'll make sure get better but, until then can you please take care of my son? I know this is too much for me to ask." He begged.

"I'll promise to try and take care of your son!" I pledged. He took out a jar of Umeboshi (pickled plums).

"Please give this to him. I bought this a while ago in case he visits. It's his favorite." I cupped the old man's hand and assured him.

'I will pay my debt by making that boy happy! I swear to the name of Kami-sama!' I pledged in my thoughts. I walked out of the hospital.

"Sorry Sakusa, I'll pay the debt twice this time." I whispered.

TO BE CONTINUED.

NOTE: Everything that has happened here didn't happen in the manga. This is just a fanfiction. I REAPEAT THIS IS JUST A FANFICTION.