Sora & Fumiko

Chapter Twenty

"Fumiko?!, Fumiko?!,
Fumiko?!....please wake up!" I heard Sora's voice saying as I regained consciousness and my eyes slowly reopened with a flutter.

It took me a moment to get everything into focus but when I did I realized that I was staring up at Sora. Judging by the way I felt I must have been out for about a few minutes or so. My legs we lying across the floor of the porch while my head rested on Sora's shoulder as he was beside me. As I blinked back again I came to realize what had happened and where I was.

"Fumiko, you're alright" Sora said as he broke down in tears. In that instance everything around me fell silent as I watched him shed tears while sobbing and gasping in relief. I was greatly taken a back because I had never seen him cry before.

Do I really mean that much to him? Is he hurting so much this time that he can't even hide it?

My entire body grew weak as I continued to watch him sob. I felt so broken as I had a crushing pain in my chest and I felt as if I was going to crumble. I couldn't handle the sight of him crying, it was too much to the point I felt I would break down too.

Why do I have to make Sora so sad? He already has so much pain in his life and now i'm burdening him even more. I can't even imagine what he must be thinking.

"Fumiko, I was so afraid." He sobbed trying to hold back his tears.

He was... afraid?

"If anything had happened to you I -" he squeezed his eyes shut and bit his lower lip as more tears streamed down his face.

I almost couldn't believe it, that Sora cared so much about me.

"Sora, please don't cry" I whispered almost falling apart. "I was only out for a minute and -"

"A minute?" He said shaking his head, "Fumiko, if you're hurt for even a minute I'll never be okay. I was so afraid when you fainted I felt that I was going to die. Fumiko, how could I live if I knew you weren't okay!?" He said pulling closer to me unable to hold back his tears, his eyes sparkling with an unknown light.

At that moment I was speechless.

"I've always lost the people I care about... Fumiko I can't lose you"

I didn't know Sora cared so much for me. I didn't realise that I had this much importance in his life and I don't understand why he's hurting so much.

I only wish he would open up to me.

Then I began understanding his situation.

Aside from Mr. and Mrs. Saito, Sora was alone.

He had always been alone.

He hadn't anyone to share his Sorrows with until I met him. I know this because whenever I stared into his eyes I saw all the pain he had bottled up in his heart that he would try to hide behind his smile. He was slowly breaking everyday and he needed a friend.

I was his only friend.

The friend who wanted to know why he was hurting so much.

The friend who wanted to help him.

The friend who wished he could love her the same...

The one thing I didn't understand though was this;

If Sora had so much sadness in his heart, how was it that I only felt happiness when he smiled at me?

But whatever it was, Sora needed me.

"Sora" Mr. Saito said putting a hand on his shoulder. "I think she'll be fine"

"But you need to take her home" Mrs. Saito remarked also while stepping in. "Her parents will need to know what happened"