Feel My Heart Beat

Chapter 13: Trouble

By the time Akihito had deemed it safe to head back to his scooter and head home, he only had time for a few hours' sleep before he was up and off to the police station. He had carefully cleaned out the wound on his hand, it wasn't too deep to need stitches but it hurt like hell and ran across the top of his palm, just under the joints of his last three fingers on his right hand. He had patched it up as best as he could before grabbing what little sleep he had time for. The trip to the police station had been uneventful, the photos were enough evidence to issue a search warrant on Kikkawa's properties to try and get enough concrete proof to put him away for good. The officer at the station had warned him to lay low for a while as Kikkawa was not going to be happy about being caught and Akihito was inclined to agree with him. He had mentally promised not to lose his guards for a while and take a few safer commissions until it all blew over. His editor was exceptionally pleased with the photos he had taken, the ones that the police had cleared to go to press, and had promised him a big bonus for such a scandalous scoop.

He was now sitting outside a hospital taking photos for a magazine commission. He had worked with this particular magazine regularly for a while now as their main photographer, it was a small scale magazine with its focus being on soulmates. They included any new scientific research in that field, lots of speculation and many personal stories both heart-warming and heart-wrenching. Once again he was working on a much sadder story. Now having his own soulmate, these stories struck a much deeper cord with him. He aware just how lucky he was to have even met Asami and that they are able to see each other regularly. He fidgeted with his camera, the wound on his hand pressing against it in a painful way. The poor girl in front of him was starting to cry already, barely having begun her story and he snapped off one last picture before lowering the camera, not wanting to be rude. No doubt the photo that would be used would be the one with the tears for maximum heart-wrench though.

"I work here in the emergency room as a nurse. He was in a car accident and was brought in by ambulance." She paused to take a shuddering breath before bravely ploughing on. "He was barely conscious and there was so much blood. The doctors were desperately trying to hook him up to fluid and oxygen and I just reached out and grabbed his hand, trying to offer some comfort you know? He was so scared. That's when it happened." She had to stop for a few minutes to get herself back under control. "Our c-chests lit up and like, flashed. He seemed to be less scared while I held his hand. It was like time stood still for those few seconds and I heard him whisper 'thank you'. After that time suddenly went double time and he was whisked away to the operating room. H-he... He d-died on the table." Her sobs renewed and the interviewer sat down beside her and gently gathered the girl into her arms and rocked her while she cried.

The interviewer was an older lady by the name Mae, whose goal in life was to find her own soulmate and record the joys and sorrows of other people's soulmate stories. She was the owner and head editor of the monthly magazine. It was just her and Akihito for most of the interviews and while she was always incredibly comforting to the criers, he was always left standing off to the side feeling incredibly awkward. The girl finally quietened down and sat back up, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue, Mae always came with a pack handy; people were just as likely to break down in tears of happiness as they were in sadness.

"Do either of you have soulmates?"

Mae shook her head, "I'm still searching; maybe one day I'll find my other half."

Akihito hesitated before answering with a soft yes. Mae looked at him in surprise, he had forgotten to tell her seeing as it had happened after their last shoot. "I only just found him recently, it's been a few weeks now."

"What's it like?"

He sat down on the girls other side. "Uhh, well... It's been kinda crazy. It's like nothing's changed and yet everything's changed. The first week was like a dream. I think if something had happened to him then, I would have just laughed it off as one big, crazy dream and been fine. But now... It's only been like what, three weeks? Yet it feels like months already. I feel like I'm in too deep and it's terrifying and yet somehow I still manage to not feel scared." Akihito paused for a minute and tried to gather his thoughts. "We are very different. I don't know him that well yet but he's very possessive and controlling and filthy rich. I'm the complete opposite," He barked out a laugh. "I'm rebellious and reckless and I care more about my freedom than any amount of money in the world. We've just started to butt heads and I'm pretty sure I'm in trouble after disobeying him yesterday." Mae looked at him with raised eyebrows and he ducked his head in embarrassment, mumbling; "I don't like being told what to do."