Despair of the heart

Chapter 3 - Rush

Chapter 3: RUSH

Usagi’s POV

‘uh… why does she have to be so loud… can’t she see that I just woke up’

Aikawa just burst into my room yelling about some deadline or something. I think she said that it was a week past its due date.

‘How many times do I have to tell her that I’m busy… How annoying’

It was around 3:00 pm when she barged into my room. I have decided to take a nap after Misaki had left with Takahiro at around 2:00 pm. My nap was interrupted though by one annoying, screaming Aikawa.

Now I am sitting in the living room hearing her going on and on about how irresponsible I am, and how I had to be more considerate of her efforts, and that I should be focused when it comes to work.

I toned her out and took out a cigarette from the cigarette box on the table in front of me and lit it up and took a deep breath.

Misaki had left earlier with Takahiro to go visit their parents graves. I hoped that I could go with him to comfort him. I know how he tends to hide his feeling when he is upset and that he didn’t want to bother his brother with them. I remember when Takahiro told me that Misaki blamed himself for what happened to their parents. He thought that it was his fault because he asked them to hurry home in that rain. I also remember him telling me that Misaki stopped talking about it knowing that everyone would just tell him that it wasn’t his fault.

He refused me going with them saying that he didn’t want his brother to suspect anything; although, I knew that he didn’t want me to be there because I always could tell when he was feeling upset and on the verge of crying.

“Usami-sensei? Are you even listening to what I’m saying here?” Aikawa yelled.

I looked at her and said nothing. She sighed and said “will you please just finish the last few chapters? I can’t keep postponing the deadline forever you know”

At that moment I was thankful that the phone rang. I got up from the couch and headed to the phone. Leaving Aikawa reading over what was finished from the manuscript. I picked up the phone hopping that it was Misaki.

“Good afternoon, Usami-san?”

It was not the voice I wanted to hear. It was some woman; her voice was cracking like she had been crying. I recognized the voice of Takahiro’s wife, Minami.

“Minami-san? What’s wrong? Are you ok?” I asked confused. What was going on? Why would Minami call me?

“Usami-san… I’m really sorry to have bothered you. I know you are busy, but I don’t know what to do? I don’t know how to help him….” Her voice lowered towards the end as she started crying again.

At that I started to panic. Help who? Who is she talking about? “Minami-san, please calm down. What happened? Who are you talking about?”

Her voice was low, she was still crying when she said “M-Misaki… He won’t stop c-crying…I don’t think that he is even hearing what I’m saying to him…”

My mind was going wild now. Misaki? Why is Misaki crying? Why is Minami crying? What in the world is going on?

“Why is he crying? Minami tell me what’s going on…NOW” I was starting to get angry. Just tell me what is going on already.

Aikawa stopped reading and looked in my direction confused not knowing what is happening.

Minami took a deep breath to steady her voice then started talking “I’m not sure…They were on their way to the cemetery…They were waiting for the traffic light to change…I just… ” she trailed off again.