The Pain we Share || Aki Hayakawa

Deceiving Skies

Sprawled across your bed, you stared up at the ceiling of your room, losing focus as your thoughts overtook your attention.

Another week went by, nothing had changed other than your mother's worsening condition. You would go to school during the day, and spend the evening's by your mother's side in her dimly lit hospital room. The hours went by slowly, every minute the beeps and murmurs from the machines attached to your mother grew louder in your mind, driving you closer and closer to insanity.

It became increasingly difficult to mask your distress throughout your daily routine. The students at school would quietly pity you from a distance as your bubbly personality dissolved into lethargy. And although they cared for you, your school friends grew watchful of their words, often leading to an uncomfortably hushed lunch hour.

Even at home, dinner with your father was silent and rushed. The food started to taste like nothing, despite making some of your favourite meals.

The skies seemed to become permanently grey as the winter settled, coldness embracing every inch of your body, no matter how layered up you dressed.

You often wondered if you would see Aki and his brother again at the hospital, remembering his warm smile and comforting personality. But at the same time you hoped that his brother would heal and never have to set foot in the hospital ever again.

No sad stuff, his voice echoed in your head. Next time I see Aki, everything will be ok.

You rolled onto your side and reached over to your bedside table to shut off your lamp. Your eyes immediately darting over to the small pendant Aki gave you.

Good luck charm eh? What a load of bull. I'm gonna punch that kid next time I see him. You thought to yourself, chuckling at the thought.

You fell asleep, Aki on your mind.

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The snow crunched under your feet as you waddled your way through a shortcut to the hospital from the train station. You shoved your hands into your coat's pockets and aimlessly stared at the sky, which happened to be blue for a change.

You fiddled with Aki's pendant in your pocket, as your gaze fixed on the clouds that adorned the blue sky.

From your lack of awareness, you clumsily slipped on an ice sheet, stumbling sideways into a bush. Bundles of snow atop the bush slid off the greenery and plopped onto your head as you rolled onto your bum.

You hastily got up, and looked around to make sure nobody saw you embarrass yourself. You sighed and looked back at the bush, noticing that you had fallen into a pink camellia bush.

———————————————————

"I snuck these in for you" you told your mom as you placed 2 camellia flowers on the nightstand beside her bed. "They're so strict about having flowers in the hospital... something about people allergic to the smell or something... I don't really know why..." you murmured.

You held her weak hand in yours. It felt warm but so cold at the same time.

You remembered Aki's warm hand and immediately stood up. "Oh right, I got you something else mom. You know that friend I used to see around the hospital?" you said as you made your way to the coat hanger. "He gave me his good luck charm to hold onto... Although so far i'm not convinced it works" you chuckled as you reached into the pocket, pulling out the small circular piece of metal. "I know you can't look at it right now but I'll leave it beside you, right here" you said and gently placed it beside the flowers.

You looked at the piece of metal with confusion "Oh wait a minute, that's just a coin" you giggled in embarrassment.

Panic washed over you as you emptied your coat's pockets, Aki's pendant nowhere to be seen.

You sighed "I must've dropped it on the way here, you know how clumsy I am... I'll be right back mom, stay put".

You threw your coat on and made your way back outside, the cold air filling your lungs as you paced through the shortcut. I must've dropped it close to the bush when I fell.

———————————————————

You rummaged through the bush frantically. A few minutes had passed and your fingers grew numb from the cold. Aki would kill me if he knew I lost his pendant this fast... Stupid Aki had to have such a tiny stupid pendant.

You kicked the dirt under the bush out of frustration, causing the dirt to smack the bush and emit a rattling sound.

You looked down at your dirt covered shoe, and saw a speck of gold sitting where you had just kicked the dirt from. Relief surged through your veins as you reached down and scooped the pendant into your hands. You tucked it into your pocket and zipped it shut.

But that relief was short-lived.

An unrecognizable sound suddenly screeched through the sky, causing you to collapse in fear, desperately pressing down on your ears to escape the sinister sound waves that attacked.

A gust of wind tugged forcefully on your coat and pushed your hair in all directions.

What the hell is going on.

When the wind subsided, you slowly got up and stared into the sky. The sky was grey and you couldn't see any clouds. Your eyes began to sting, it was thick smoke.

Confusion, anxiety, fear, and a million other emotions shook you to your core. You knew in your heart that something was terribly wrong.