ANTI-ROMANTIC | OOTORI KYOYA

7

and i know, such a sweet love song
and promises to stay true,
changes in an instant,
to losing that someone–

—WHILE KYOYA OOTORI REUNITED with the Host Club, Mei found herself once again by her grandmother's side. However, this time, her grandmother's condition had taken a turn for the worse. Mei could see the toll that a tough week had taken on her beloved grandmother, and the spark that once lit up her eyes seemed to be fading.

Mei had always believed that as long as her grandmother's eyes held that spark of life, everything would be okay. But these days, that spark was diminishing, no matter how hard Mei tried to keep it alive. It troubled her greatly, especially because she dreaded when her grandmother eventually did… Well, she never allowed herself to think of that. Still, Mei put on a smile. She had become adept at hiding her worries behind a cheerful facade. It was a mask she wore well, even in the face of heartache.

One evening, as Mei sat next to her grandmother's bedside, her grandmother turned to her and asked a question that caught her off guard. "If I were gone by tomorrow, would you have any regrets?" Mei's immediate response was a mix of shock and denial. "Oh come on, Grams. Don't say that." She exclaimed, trying to dismiss her grandmother's thoughts.

But her grandmother persisted, her voice barely a whisper. "I'm sure you've felt it too, Mei." Mei's heart shattered into a thousand pieces at her grandmother's words. She knew deep down that the time they had together was slipping away. The weight of that realization crashed upon her, and tears streamed down her cheeks, her voice trembling as she tried to respond.

"It... It depends," Mei managed to say through her quivering voice. "Are you excited to see Gramps again?" Her words were choked with emotion, and she struggled to maintain composure. Her grandmother's weak smile in response only intensified Mei's anguish.

Her grandmother pondered for a moment, her gaze fixed on a distant memory. "Hmm... It depends as well," she replied, her voice barely audible. "Will you be ready once I'm gone?" Mei's tears flowed freely now, her sobs threatening to consume her. She reached out and took her grandmother's frail hand, clinging to it as if her life depended on it. And to some extent, maybe it did.

"Grams, please," Mei pleaded, her voice breaking. "Nobody's ever ready for their loved ones to pass away." The weight of her words hung heavily in the air, a testament to the pain that coursed through Mei's heart.

Just as their conversation grew heavy, the nurse entered the room, breaking the poignant silence. The nurse served Mei's grandmother dinner and administered her medication, signaling that it was time for Mei to leave. Mei's grip on her grandmother's hand tightened, not wanting to let go, not wanting to face a reality that seemed impossible to bear.

"I have to go now, Grams," Mei said, her voice filled with a mixture of love and sorrow. "I love you." She added, her words choked with tears. Her grandmother's eyes crinkled at the sight, bidding her dearest granddaughter goodbye. Reluctantly, Mei soon released her grandmother's hand and turned to leave, her heart shattered into fragments.

As Mei made her way out of the room, her back facing her grandmother, she couldn't hold back her true feelings any longer. In a broken whisper, she uttered words filled with emotional rawness. "But if you're tired, Grams, it's alright. You've done so, so much for me. Thank you." Her voice cracked with grief, and her tears fell like a torrent, their weight combining with the burden of impending loss.

—

At roughly two in the morning, her father banged on her door, and said the four words that made her heart sink. "Mei, it's your grandmother." Bewildered, tearful, and seemingly fresh from work, Miyahira Shuji rallied his daughter down the stairs as they rushed to the hospital.