on love

fairytale : qianru

oikawa didn't get it. how every story ended with a happily ever after. every romance book that qian owned always ended with the heroine getting together with her true love by the end of the book.

"qian," he said one time out of the blue.

"hm?" the girl in question hummed in response as she turned a page.

"do you believe in happily ever after?" he asked.

she stuck a bookmark between the pages and closed it shut. she faced him.

"of course i do," she answered, "don't you?"

it should be true, right? that everyone would get their happy endings no matter what.

"i guess so," he replied.

this night was a cooling one. the stars glittered and hovered above the city in the night sky. occasional lamps lit up parts of the street, and some cars flashed by. a light breeze blew, sweeping their hair along.

qian took a sweep of her phone to check the time.

"thank god," she said.

"thank god what?" oikawa asked.

"the bookstore isn't closed yet," she answered.

he looked on ahead, spying it in the distance. she loved to visit that same bookstore and pop in to buy a book or browse around.

she spotted the shop as well, and she nudged him with her elbow. he looked down at her.

"race you!" she exclaimed.

"oh, you're on," he said.

the two ran down the pathway, laughter dissolved into the endless sky. she ran off the grovel path and across the road.

a car flashed by.

screeching brakes reverberated into the sky.

a slam.

his eyes widened as he stopped in his tracks.

she landed with a deafening thud. crimson liquid oozed out and gathered into a pool around her limp body. the stench of burnt tyre and blood rose into the air.

his legs propelled him forward and he scooped her up into his arms. her breathing was ragged, but nonetheless still very much alive. passers-by began to gather.

"stay with me, you'll be fine," he said as he pressed her bleeding head onto his shoulder as tears began to brim in his eyes, "someone call the ambulance!"

one or two people took action as he held her tighter towards him. he had a crazy thought which was if he let her go, she would just disappear before him.

"h-hey, tooru...?" qian's weak voice croaked out.

"don't speak, save your energy," oikawa muttered, tears falling, "you'll be okay."

"p-promise me one t-thing," she whispered, "take care of yourself when i'm gone. o-okay?"

"that's stupid, you won't die," he said, "you'll be okay...!"

she shook her head slightly, "promise me."

he let out a sob, not wanting this to be real. his eyes must be playing tricks on him.

"okay."

she mustered her last ounce of strength to force her lips to curve upwards.

"thank you."

her breathing slowed down gradually, until he couldn't hear a sound from her.

he screamed and tears fell down from his chocolate orbs at rapid speed. all this while, he held on to the hope of thinking he could have a happily ever after with her, just like in the fairytales she read.

happily ever afters were lies. lies that people believed in and wished to happen to them. happily ever afters never happened.

because this life isn't a fairytale.

word count : 559
date published : 080817