Fragments Of Past - Forgotten Promises

Chapter 15 - underlying spark

Point of view changes (rina)


I sat at my desk, gripping my pencil so tightly that my knuckles had turned white. The pencil tip hovered over the page, motionless. I stared down at the blank space in my notebook, but all I could think about was that empty desk—Yuki’s desk.

How is he doing now? My heart twisted as I imagined him lying there, pale and fragile. I tried to push the thoughts away, but they kept coming back, like a wave I couldn’t stop. Only if I could be with my dear Yuki...

I glanced around the classroom, my eyes darting to the clock, then to the teacher’s monotonous scribbling on the board. Time was crawling. Every minute felt like an eternity, and it was driving me insane.

What if he’s worse than we thought? What if... something bad happens?
My throat tightened, and I swallowed hard. I shook my head, trying to push the thought away, but it stuck. 

“Rina?” Ryoichi’s voice broke through my thoughts, pulling me back to the present. He was sitting across from me, his usual carefree grin slightly softened. “Don’t worry too much. Yuki’s tough. He’ll be fine.”

How can you be so calm? I wanted to snap at him, but instead, I forced a weak smile. “How could you be like this when your friend is in a state like this?” I muttered under my breath.

Ryoichi blinked, looking a little taken aback. “Rina, come on. I’m just saying, stressing won’t help him. Besides, the doctor said he’s resting, right? He just fainted. Happens to people sometimes.”

“Just fainted?” I echoed, my voice rising in disbelief.

“Ryoichi, it’s not normal for Yuki to collapse like that! And you think I can just sit here and act like nothing’s wrong?”

He sighed, leaning back in his chair and scratching his head. “Yeah, but what do you want me to do? Burst in there and drag him out of the health center? He needs rest.”

“I... I know that,” I replied, my voice softening, but my heart wasn’t any lighter. I slumped in my seat, resting my chin on my hands. “But it’s Yuki...”

Ryoichi looked at me, his expression turning serious for once. “Rina, I get it. You care about him. We all do. But you’ve got to trust that he’ll be okay. He’s probably just tired or stressed, like you said earlier.”

It’s not just stress... I clenched my fists under the desk, biting my lip.

What if something worse is going on, something none of us can understand?

The thought gnawed at me, making me more anxious by the second. My mind wandered back to the moments earlier today, his pale face, his limp body. The image wouldn’t leave me alone.

Ryoichi leaned in a bit, lowering his voice. “Look, we’ll check on him after class, okay? He won’t want us to worry too much. Yuki’s not the type to let us fuss over him.”

I hesitated, then nodded slowly. “Yeah, I guess you’re right...” But even as I said it, my mind screamed otherwise. I didn’t care if Yuki wanted us to fuss. I needed to see him. I needed to know he was okay.

Suddenly, Shota spoke up from behind us, his voice calm but firm.
“Rina, Ryoichi’s right. You’ve got to stay focused for now. We’ll go as soon as the bell rings.”

I glanced over at him, taking in his steady expression. Shota was always the level-headed one. His calmness should’ve comforted me, but all it did was remind me how much I hated waiting. My heart wasn’t calm. It was pounding, urging me to get up and go to Yuki now. 

But before I could respond, the bell rang, loud and clear. My body reacted before I even had time to think. I pushed my chair back, the legs screeching against the floor, and in one swift motion, I was on my feet. 

“I’m going now,” I said, determination surging through me. Without waiting for a reply, I darted toward the door, my feet carrying me toward the entrance. That’s where the health center was. That’s where Yuki was.

“Rina, wait!” Ryoichi called after me, but I didn’t stop. I heard the shuffle of chairs and quick footsteps behind me. They were following me—of course they were. But I couldn’t slow down.

Just hang in there, Yuki. I silently pleaded as I rounded the corner, my heart racing as fast as my feet. The health center wasn’t far, but every second felt like an hour. Please, just be okay.

I skidded to a stop in front of the door, my chest heaving from the sudden sprint. I could hear Shota and Ryoichi’s footsteps catching up behind me, but I didn’t wait for them. I pushed open the door, my heart pounding as I stepped inside.

The room was quiet, the kind of quiet that made my pulse thrum even louder in my ears. I scanned the beds, my eyes locking onto the figure lying under the thin, white sheet.

Yuki. He looked... better. At least he wasn’t pale and lifeless like before. But seeing him like this, resting with his eyes closed, still sent a shiver through me.

I stepped closer, my heart heavy with relief and worry.

The moment I pushed the door open, my heart still racing, there he was—Yuki, standing beside the bed with a blanket in one hand, looking clumsy as ever. My breath caught in my throat. He had that same awkward, slightly dazed expression he always had when waking up from a nap. But something felt different this time.

Maybe it was because I’d been so worried. Or maybe it was the way his face changed the second he saw me.

For a split second, I thought I saw relief flicker across his face. But was it real, or was my mind playing tricks on me? My feet froze, my body stuck at the entrance. All my thoughts about running to him, checking if he was okay—they just... stopped.

Behind me, Ryoichi dashed forward, failing to stop in time after our quick sprint. He nearly bumped into me, but I didn’t care. My eyes were locked on Yuki. 

He smiled, but it was one of those fake smiles—those ones he uses when he doesn’t want anyone to worry.
Typical Yuki,
I thought, feeling a mix of frustration and warmth. My heart pounded harder in my chest, louder than before.

I took a deep breath and stepped forward, moving toward his bed. Just ask him how he’s feeling, I told myself. But before I could even get the words out, Yuki interrupted, as if reading my mind.

“I’m good,” he said, standing a little straighter, though his voice sounded far too casual for someone who’d fainted earlier. “Really. I’m getting back on my feet.” He stepped toward me, but—

“Yuki—!” I started to warn, but it was too late.

The blanket tangled around his foot, and before I knew it, he stumbled forward, tripping right toward me. 

Everything seemed to slow down as I reached out instinctively, trying to catch him. My heart practically leapt into my throat. Is this really happening? 

In that split second, all I could think about was how close he was. The next thing I knew, Yuki had fallen right into my arms, and I was left trying to steady him—trying to steady myself, too.



In that moment, as Yuki fell into my arms, time seemed to freeze. My heart was already pounding, but now it felt like it was trying to break free from my chest. I couldn’t tell if it was from the surprise or from something else entirely.

He’s so close… I could feel his weight against me, his warmth. For a second, I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to hold on tighter or let go, but my body had a mind of its own. My arms wrapped around him, steadying him. It wasn’t the first time I’d been this close to him, but this... this was different.
I could feel the fabric of his shirt brushing against my skin, his breath shallow as he regained his balance. My mind raced, and every possible thought seemed to tumble through it at once.

Why am I shaking? Is it because I was worried? Or... something else?

Yuki’s face was so close, his hair just brushing my cheek. I could smell the faint scent of the school’s detergent clinging to his uniform, mixed with something that was just... him. My face grew warm—no, scratch that, my entire body felt like it was on fire. I hoped, really hoped, he couldn’t feel the way I was trembling.

Get a grip, Rina, I scolded myself, but my heart wasn’t listening. My feelings weren’t listening. It was like everything I’d kept hidden for so long—everything I’d buried—was suddenly right here, crashing over me all at once.

How long have I waited to be this close to him? And yet, I couldn’t even savor the moment. All I could think about was how I wasn’t supposed to feel this way, not when he was hurt, not when he was clearly struggling.
But... I couldn’t help it. There was something about the way he trusted me, about the way he leaned on me—even if it was just an accident— that made my chest swell with something warm, something tender.

Does he feel it too? I wondered, biting the inside of my cheek. Is he as flustered as I am right now? Or am I just being silly?

Yuki regained his balance, and for a brief moment, his eyes met mine. That small, awkward smile was still there, but now... there was something else. Something softer. My breath hitched.

Was he embarrassed? Or was it just me, overthinking everything like always?

“I-I’m sorry,” he muttered, stepping back. I immediately missed the weight of him, the closeness that had disappeared so quickly.
I laughed, but it was shaky, and I hoped he couldn’t hear how nervous I was. “Yuki, you need to be more careful,” I said, my voice softer than I intended. How do I sound so calm when I feel like my heart’s going to explode?

He looked down at the blanket, scratching the back of his head in that awkward way he always did when he felt embarrassed. “Yeah... my bad.”

My bad? That was all he could say? After nearly giving me a heart attack?

I wanted to laugh, to cry, to shake him, but all I could do was stand there, my arms still tingling from where I’d held him.
I glanced down at my feet, trying to hide my red face, but inside, it was chaos. My thoughts were spinning. I knew I cared about Yuki, more than I probably should. But now, after this... I couldn’t deny it any longer.
I’m falling for him. Or maybe I already had. Maybe I’d always been in love with him, and moments like this were just reminders of what I’d been trying so hard to hide.