イタズラな KISS ~3 ✔

One Shot-15

One Shot-15: Life in Kobe (Part 5)

While I was waiting for the last train, my phone keeps on ringing. It was Kotoko. I sighed, she sure hasn't changed a lot when she knows that I will be going home. She's so typical.

"What? Have you made something for dinner? I guess I should buy rather than we'll suffer from your garlicky--" I paused for a bit, eyes went shocked when someone else's voice has answered the phone. "Dare ka desu ka? Why are you answering Kotoko's..."

Then... does it mean that...

"Ano... the owner of this phone got into an accident, can you perhaps come to the hospital where we took her?"

"Accident?" That clumsy woman always got into an accident. "W-what happened? Where is she now? Is she fine?" Literally, I am not in my right mind to ask this. "In Kobe no byouin? I'll come there quick,"

I called a taxi driver and gave him shortcut directions to Kobe hospital.

.

.

.

I saw Kotoko, beaten up like a dog. I can't even pull the curtains wide, I lost all my strength when I confirmed it was her.

"Are you related to her?" The doctor told me to settle down. I looked at him, still unable to find the right words to ask. "Yes," I am her useless husband. It took me long seconds to answer. "H-how is she?" Oh God, what happened to her? The doctor glances at me, "She's feeling awful. She must have run away when she sensed that someone is following her. She went hard on the triple downstairs near to Kobe Hospital,"

Kobe? She was around in Kobe Hospital?

Alarming messages have flooded my mind. I should have... I should've known. I checked my phone, blame was like an arrow pointed directly at me. I should have answered it like it was the most precious thing in the world. She's... more than anything... she's...

"I know it's just sudden to you but... she broke her ribs badly, she hit her head too... the fall was very high, we will examine thoroughly about her condition. We'll inform you once it's done."

I nodded. I don't know if I can be credited as her husband when I led her to be like this. Would she hate me? Would she still forgive me? Kotoko's love for me where that exact measure of her kindness. I know, there's a chance that she would forgive me... but if that will come true, I will come and pray that she wouldn't. She should hate me... because I didn't do anything to show that I actually care for her.

"Irie-san." someone called me while I sitting beside the sleeping Kotoko, I can't even afford to touch her hand. I stood up to see who it was, long hair guy, his height was the same as mine. "I am the one who found her and the one who called you. I saw her in the university she transferred, and I have been seeing her in the hallways, talk to her a little bit... and then bit by bit, I know everything about her." he introduced. This guy is from the university... and Kotoko already met him? This is not the time to speculate everything about this guy but... even if he's the actual stranger between us... he did what I failed to do to Kotoko and that is... to protect her. "Thanks for everything, if it wasn't for you, she will never have been brought to this hospital," I said.

"Are you her husband? You shouldn't let her be alone at night, especially she's waiting for you. If you really love her, then you should at least give her some attention." he said. I thought that I always give Kotoko the attention she deserves... she doesn't see it... but I know, I love her as the intensity of how she loves me. But now, I see the difference. Kotoko would jump in extreme to prove how she loves me while I can't. I shook down, for the first time in my life, I admit I was wrong. I love her, but I can't even protect her from the danger of this world. For short, my love is just nothing compared to her... it's one of the useless things in this world that should be tampered with and abhorred.