Unspoken Definites

02 Consoled

THE fateful day of their first meeting was Yuna's saving grace. After that, these two young souls became inseparable.

The tale as to why and how it came to be seemed oblivious to both of them. Somehow, they strangely found solace in each other. When the girls in her class learned that she had gained friendship with Yuzuru, they started befriending her, too.

However, it took her long to actually make friends with a Japanese girl. In particular, Azami Kyoko, had become her friend after Kyoko transferred at the beginning of the third term of the school year. They found the same footing and decided to be just friends. She was Yuna's first friend in her class. Life in Sendai eventually became bearable and Yuna seemed to have finally found home.

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"Let's go change and meet by the creek after." Yuzuru told her before they separated to go home one afternoon at the beginning of the classes in April as 6th Graders.

Yuna nodded and went home. They lived in the same village. They would often spend their afternoons playing by the creek that separated their houses.

Yesterday, Yuzuru discovered his fascination towards dragonflies when their teacher introduced it to them in their class. Today, the boy wanted to catch one or a few. So after class, he asked Yuna to play with him.

She had never mastered the art of saying no to people asking her favour. Hence, Yuna agreed, provided that they had to go by sundown because she still got homeworks to do.

"Where are you going, Yuna?" Her mother asked as soon as she changed her clothes and headed for their front door.

"The Creek." She said. "Yuzuru and I will catch some dragonflies."

"Go home by sundown."

"Yes, Mother."

"Take care."

Yuna kissed her mother in the cheek and ran for the creek. When she arrived there, few children were already playing around. She waited for Yuzuru.

Half an hour had passed and it was almost sundown but the boy with a mushroo head did not arrived yet.

nstead of waiting for another half hour, Yuna treaded back home. Maybe, Yuzuru lost his interest on the flying insect quickly.

Yuna went home like she had promised her mom. She did her homework and right after eating dinner with her family. She had slept for an hour or so but was awaken in the middle of the night when the loud screaming siren of the ambulance passed by their house. She had trouble sleeping and her thoughts crossed the creek and traveled back to her friend.

---

The next day, the news arrived at her breakfast table that Yuzuru had been taken to the hospital last night.

He had gone home and discovered that their family's dog of 10 years had died of old age. He was so devastated of its passing that he cried all night, forgetting about the dragonflies he promised Yuna to catch.

He was taken to the hospital because of the troubled breathing he experienced while lying on his bed. His parents decided to take him there to be given proper medical attention. The attending physician in the emergency room suggested that he stayed over night. His mother told him that he would be subjected for tests the next day.

It was his first time sleeping in the hospital. The white walls of his four cornered room made him feel suffocated. Thanks to the medicines given to him, he was able to sleep. He did not have to cry himself to sleep with the death of his dog coupled with the guilt of not being able to catch dragonflies and stood up Yuna who had always managed her time to play with him.

The next day, he woke up with a thunderous familiar-sounding voice. "Yuzu has woken up! Saya, Yuzu has woken up!"

When he opened his eyes, he was expecting to see the face of his mother but instead, he saw Yuna standing by his bed. She wore a pink dress and her hair was tied in a loose ponytail. A look of worry was plastered on her face. "Hey! What happened to you?" He heard her ask.

Yuzuru knew that by now, Yuna already knew how he got here. She was, after all, a blabbermouth more than a smart girl.

"Yuna!" He said her name weakly. "What brings you here?" He asked looking around the room. He wondered where his parents could have been.

Yuna chose to answer the question he did not utter. "They were outside." She said informing Yuzuru of his family's whereabouts. "Mom suggested visiting you." She finished. It was a lie. She pestered her mom all morning to accompany her in the hospital to visit Yuzu.

"Do you feel okay, now?"

"I guess so."

Yuna wanted so probe more but she chose to keep her mouth shut. Maybe Yuzuru was already too tired or feels too sick. It seemed like the boy though, heard her subconscious.

"Quilt's death made me feel sad." He said quietly. "I lost my friend." He pouted.

Yuna was so frustrated with Yuzu. She couldn't just hit him while he's in the hospital bed right? So she leaned close and squeezed his cheeks.

"Ouch!" Poor Yuzu cried. "What was that for?" Yuzuru was caught by surprise with her act. His cheek hurt and turned red. The look in her eyes said that she was mad. Yuzuru felt her stomach twist. Yuna becomes an entirely different person when she is mad. Yuzuru swallowed as Yuna opened her mouth to speak.

"You still have me, you idiot." She said out of annoyance.

A day later, the test results run over Yuzuru revealed that he had accumulated asthma.

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'Thank you for your friendship. It means a lot to me.'