Purotekuta

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

It's been a week since the incident at the KKS, and we're all recovering fine. It's not at all surprising that Ikari's group survived without a scratch on them, but the others weren't so lucky. Luckily the worst injury that occurred during the whole experience was a gash on Father's face. None of us were too badly hurt, and I'm very thankful for that. The person that I'm worried about the most is Akio. He barely got a scratch on him, yet he is taking this the hardest out of us all. I've tried to ask him why, but he won't tell me. I'm starting to get worried about him. Everyone has tried to talk to him, but he won't open up to anyone. I'm the only one that has a real chance, but I don't want to force him to talk. At the moment, Akio is in our dorm room lying in bed trying to get some rest. I've been leaving him alone for the most part, not wanting to be a bother, so I am hanging out with everyone in the common room between the two dorm sides.
          "Hey, Hajime?" I look up and grunt at Himari in acknowledgment, not feeling like talking right now. "Any luck with Akio? I'm starting to get worried about him." I look down, letting my hair fall into my eyes, and shake my head. The whole mood of the room just shifted, and I know that everyone feels it. Himari's face falls, and everyone goes silent. I get up from the couch, and head to the main kitchen to put my glass away.
          "I'm heading off to bed. We need to wake up in the morning, right?" It's an easy lie, but I can tell that nobody believes a word of what I say. Either way, I head down the hall to the room at the very end and open the door. At the sound of the door, Akio launches up from the couch where he must have been trying to fall asleep. As soon as he sees me, he sits back down. Not a word is uttered between us as I walk over to the couch to sit next to him. As sit down, he flinches slightly. He's been like this from the moment we got back to school after the incident. It must have brought back memories that he had buried a long time ago. I pull him into a hug, and he tenses up. After a few seconds though, he relaxes and breaks down crying into my shoulder, wrapping his arms around me tightly.
          "I'm sorry, Hajime."
          "For what? There's nothing to be sorry about, Akio." He looks up at me, his tear-streaked face pulling into a small smile.
          "For ignoring you and everyone else." My eyes widen slightly, but they're full of kindness. Akio looks down again, more tears falling from his face. "I'm also sorry for crying so much; it's so childish and weak." I look at him with a look that's not filled with pity, but sorrow.
          "You know, My mother told me this once. When one cries, it's not because they're weak; it's because they've been strong for too long." Akio looks up at me, a new light in his eyes that wasn't there before. That look of sorrow and isolation that he had before is gone, and now it's filled with the same light as the time we first got our dorm room. We've only been here for about a month, and already this place holds so many memories.
          "Thank you, Hajime." Before I can respond he's already leaning on me, fast asleep. He must not have gotten any sleep this past week. I sit there for a while, just soaking in his warmth. At one point I must have covered us in a blanket because I find myself falling asleep on the couch with him. My eyes flutter closed as I revisit the memories I made with him. Eventually, I drift off into a warm, dreamless sleep.

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I've never been a late riser, so when I wake up the next morning I find Akio still fast asleep on my shoulder. I don't want to wake up Akio, so I carefully lay him down on the couch as I get up to make breakfast today. It's a weekend, so we don't have school today. I take a look at the kitchen clock, and it reads 7:15 am. Wow, I woke up later than I normally do. I normally wake up around 6:00 am. I look back at Akio sleeping soundly on the couch and smile. As I cook, I think about life and where I would be without my classmates. Before I came here and met Akio and the rest of my classmates, I had no reason for living. I could have just killed myself and been done with it, but I didn't. Something was driving me forward, and I don't know what it is, but I'm sure glad that I stayed alive because now I know my reason for living. All of my classmates in 3-A, and Akio. Akio is driving me forward, and pushing me to do my best. I want to protect him, so I stay alive. Akio is the main person tying me to this earth; he is my tether. I finish cooking breakfast, and the smell must have awoken Akio because I find him already sitting at the kitchen table. Groggy, but still here. I smile at him and place his plate down in front of him. I walk across to the other side of the table so I can sit across from him. Before I can even sit down, he has already started on the eggs. He swallows and looks up at me.
          "I'm sorry for acting as I did. That whole experience just reminded me of how my father used to treat me, and I guess it just spooked me." I nod at him and take a bite of toast. After I finish chewing, I meet his gaze and smile.
          "It's all in the past now, Akio. There's nothing to be sorry about." Akio smiles, the doubt leaving his gaze, and returns to eating his food. I'm so glad to have you back, Akio.