Unfated Lovers

Chapter 13: Compounding Symptoms

Yumi clutched her backpack tightly, each step toward her classroom feeling like it weighed a thousand pounds. Her chest ached, and a sudden wave of dizziness left her gripping the nearest desk for balance. She closed her eyes briefly, waiting for the world to steady itself. Yumi knew her condition was getting worse, and her doctor's recent suggestion of hospitalization replayed in her mind with a hollow echo. But she pushed the thought aside, just as she'd pushed aside the symptoms each day, determined to make it through.

The bell rang, pulling her attention back to her surroundings, and she took a shaky breath, straightening up as she made her way to her seat. Yumi glanced around the room, catching sight of Hana at her desk up front. Hana's usual composed demeanor looked frayed, the sparkle in her eyes dulled. Yumi's heart ached seeing the toll the breakup had taken on Hana, yet she reminded herself why she had to keep her distance. Her own health struggles were a burden she couldn't let Hana bear.

Hana, meanwhile, was struggling to keep her focus. Lessons that once brought her joy now felt hollow, and her students' voices blurred together as she tried to push through the fog in her mind. No matter how hard she tried, Hana couldn't erase the image of Yumi's tear-streaked face from that painful night. Yumi had ended things so suddenly, shattering Hana's sense of stability. She had thrown herself into work, hoping the distraction would help, but the wound felt as fresh as ever.

Taking a deep breath, Hana attempted to ground herself in her teaching. She glanced around the room and noticed Yumi sitting near the back, her posture slightly hunched, her expression distant. Something seemed off, but Hana dismissed it, brushing it aside as her own worry rearing its head again. After all, Yumi had chosen to leave her, and she had to respect that, even if every fiber of her being wanted to reach out.

The class ended, and as the students filed out, Yumi stood up slowly, waiting for the wave of dizziness to subside before heading toward the door. Hana caught a glimpse of her swaying slightly but hesitated, fighting the urge to follow. In her mind, Hana reasoned that she couldn't overstep her boundaries, that she had to accept Yumi's decision and move on. But her heart clenched, and she found herself silently willing Yumi to turn around, to look at her, to offer even a small sign of reconciliation. Yumi never did.

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Later that afternoon, Yumi found herself alone in the school library, clutching her head as another bout of lightheadedness took hold. She sank into one of the chairs, her breathing shallow and uneven, the pounding in her chest becoming more frequent. The exhaustion weighed heavily on her, yet she couldn't bear to let anyone see her weakness — especially not Hana.

In her mind, she justified the secrecy, telling herself that Hana didn't need another reason to worry. But deep down, Yumi knew she was afraid. Afraid that once Hana knew, she'd refuse to leave her side. Hana's loyalty and strength were traits that had drawn Yumi to her in the first place, but now they felt like a double-edged sword. If Hana knew the truth, she'd give up everything to care for her. Yumi couldn't let that happen.

After a few moments, Yumi forced herself to stand, swallowing her discomfort and the ever-present fear of collapse. She slowly made her way to her next class, hoping to make it through the rest of the day without another incident. She could feel the weight of her own decisions pressing down on her, the loneliness of her secret slowly growing into something unbearable.

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Hana walked briskly down the hallway, her thoughts drifting back to Yumi again and again. No matter how hard she tried to focus on work, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. She replayed their last conversation, the hurt and confusion that had marred their goodbye, and found herself questioning Yumi's reasons more and more.