“Yukimura-kun, please wait here a moment,” The nurse said as she ushered the boy past a row of benches, “I need to get some medicines and I will be right back.”

The blue-purple haired boy nodded as he watched the young nurse disappear into the building. He randomly chose a bench, sat down, and aimlessly looked around the garden. Everything was calm, but he wasn’t, the anxiety was bothering him again. He had told his team members that he wasn’t afraid of the surgery, and that he was fine. But he wasn’t, he was scared, he wanted to live, but… even though he was getting used to these occasional panic attacks now, Yukimura’s hands trembled as he dropped his head in resignation.

“Are you okay?”

Yukimura looked up and stared into a pair of bright brown eyes. He was prepared to deny everything, he wanted to say nothing was wrong, but there’s something about this girl’s glance that was so honest, so truthful that he couldn’t bring himself to lie, and so trustful that he felt obliged to tell her everything.

“I have been diagnosed with a deadly disease, and if the surgery is not successful then…”

“Are you scared?”

“No…I mean…yes…I…” Yukimura felt her piercing gaze and couldn’t help but to reply honestly, “…yes…”

“Don’t be,” The girl’s eyes softened as she sat down next to him, “There’s nothing to fear but fear itself. I’m sure you will be back in perfect health in no time!”

Her voice was so clear, so sure that Yukimura couldn’t help but nod. He felt as if a weight has been lifted. Perhaps he just needed someone to talk to, someone to confess to, someone who would look at him as a person instead of the captain of the Rikkai Dai tennis club. A stranger perhaps…

“ !”

The girl’s head turned toward the stressed voice coming closer in the distance and sighed. She stood up just as the older woman stomped across the grass, crossed her arms in front of her, and sent a dirty look at the pair. Yukimura sent a questioned glance as the woman handed the girl a glass of water and three pills in a small clear case.

“You didn’t take your medicine yet!”

The girl accepted the water and swallowed the pills in one gulp. She made a face at the after taste and something clicked in Yukimura’s mind. There was something about the image of those multicolor tablets shaking in a case…something unpleasant…

“Are you…?”

“I’m sick too, but I’m not afraid.” The girl named answered his questions as she handed back the glass to the older nurse, “Life is too short, so I’m going to fight to make the best out of it.”

“ , we need to go and take your blood pressure.” The nurse ushered as Yukimura recovered from his stunned silence, “You shouldn’t even be out here in this weather.”

“Hai,” sent an apologetic look back as she started to follow the nurse in the direction of the long term residence wing, after a few steps, she paused, turned, and stared into Yukimura’s eyes.

“Let’s both fight okay?”

“Yukimura, you look happy.” The nurse returned and found the boy with a smile, “Did something good happen?”

“Yes,” Yukimura replied and was not inclined to say anymore, his mind was elsewhere, pondering about the girl named .

In the next few weeks, the boy and the girl were always seen together in the garden. He would tell her about his tennis, she would tell him about her artwork. The two would walk past the pond and admire the goldfish. He would pick her flowers and she would recite poetry. And occasionally, they would go a bit too far beyond the grounds and both of their nurses would chase after them with medicine in one hand and a coat in the other.

“,” Yukimura whispered hesitantly, “My surgery is tomorrow and if…”

“If…?”

“If it’s successful, I want us to be together always.”

smiled shyly as a blush appeared on the calm boy’s cheeks. She put her hands in his and pulled him into a hug.

“Of course.”

Yukimura slowly opened his eyes. He felt an unusually lightness as he sat up and cleared his head. He opened the curtains and a bright ray of sunshine entered the room, showering his face with warmth and light.

“Congratulations, Yukimura-kun!” The nurse entered with a smile, “The doctor said you just need a few more days to recover and you can be released from the hospital!”

It was over, the surgery was over, and he was still alive. He has to go and tell her the good news. She has to be the first one to know. He has to go and find her. Yukimura didn’t even bother to grab a jacket as he left hastily to find .

Every step was quicker than the previous and it didn’t take him long to find her room. He paused a moment to check his appearance in the reflective nameplate and pushed the door open.

The room was empty, the sheets were stripped, the curtains were closed, and she was nowhere to be seen. He panicked, where could she be? She must be in the gardens or something. He took a step back and saw her nurse rounding the corner.

“Where’s ?”

His voice was desperate, and the old nurse shook her head. Something was wrong, why wasn’t she here, where could she be?

“She passed away last night.”

The nurse said simply before leaving the boy to stand alone in the doorway. He was shaking as he took few steps back into the room. How could she leave me? She said we would always be together. She promised…

He opened one of the drawers of the night table and found an envelope bearing his name. His trembling hands opened the seal and drew out a letter, written in her hand:

His eyes were blurred as he read that simple sentence over and over again. He was desperate, this must be some kind of joke, there must be something else there. He was so absorbed that he didn’t even notice the footsteps that came behind him.

“Yukimura,”

He turned and found his teammates standing in front of him. Yukimura’s face was shadowed by the room and no one could see the distressed look on his face. He did not reply, he did not trust himself to speak, and an awkward silence befallen the group.

“Buchou, we heard your surgery was successful and you can be back with us in a few days!” Kirihara said, breaking the tension , “We will win the nationals!”

“Yes…” Yukimura’s mind started to clear slowly, “We will win the nationals…”

“Welcome back!”

The rest of the regulars all rushed to great their captain, but Yukimura stood very still as thoughts ran through his head. He understood her message, he knew what he has to do. Yes, he was going to win the nationals. For , he will fight…for her…

Written by Amiya
March 8, 2008