Our Last Moments

5. Please don't go (Shida Manaka POV)

Lately, Shida Manaka got a trouble sleeping. Just when she managed to go to sleep that night, she was woken up by a phone call, right in the middle of the night.

"What is it?" Shida picked up the phone with half of her consciousness. A bit grumpy, of course, for she was still very sleepy and tired.

"I'm outside, you need to come with me."

Shida scrunched her forehead, it's late, she thought. She got up and looked outside the window. A silver Honda that her best friend Watanabe Risa owned was parked right outside. 

"Where to?"

"Hospital."

Risa got no time to explain what happened to Shida, but she knew Shida would want to go there as soon as possible. This was about someone that Shida really cared about, and it was about that person losing her life. 

By that time, Hirate was already gone but Shida didn't know it yet. In the car, Risa could only say that Neru found Hirate attempted to kill herself, no other details. Risa also didn't let Shida to check her phone, because she knew Shida would explode.

As they got there, they quickly ran towards where Neru directed them to. At the end of the isle, they could see Neru, sitting alone, their manager from the academy, and a couple of police officers. 

"Neru!" Risa put her arms behind Neru, comforting her.

"Where is she?" Shida asked while panicking after seeing the situation.

Neru couldn't speak, she could only pointed to the room where they were taking care of Hirate's body. 

"She's still alive right? When you found her you could still feel her breathing or hear heartbeat, right?" Shida bluntly asked to devastated Neru.

"Manaka, stop," Risa understood why Shida was reacting like this, but she also need to comfort Neru; she was the one who found Hirate and brought her here. She didn't want Neru to feel any worse. 

"I want to talk to her," Shida said.

"You can't," Risa answered her carefully.

"Why?"

Neru who couldn't take it anymore stood up and yelled towards Shida, "She's already dead!"

When someone experience a loss, the first thing that happens to them is denial. That was exactly what Shida felt. One day she was chatting pleasantly with Hirate facing the beautiful sunset, and then one day, she lost her. It took her time until the truth hit her, and Shida froze.

"You knew about this, Risa?"

"I'm sorry, Manaka," Risa now moved from Neru to Shida and offered her a hug.

In Risa's arm, Shida finally felt the pain. She cried into Risa's shoulder, begging the universe to tell her that this was only a dream. 

~~~

"Oi. What are you doing here?" Shida asked the short haired girl who came to visit her at her apartment.

Hirate walked in with a mischievous smile on her face. She didn't tell Shida that she was going to visit. But Hirate who regarded Shida as her big sister couldn't just sit down when a news that Shida was getting sick reached her. Hirate's arms were full with goodie-bags and a bouquet of flowers.

"..and what in the world do you have there, kid?" Shida was astonished by Hirate's behavior.

"I brought you some fruits, cereals, and various kinds of flavored tea, I know you're too lazy to shop for those. Also, your apartment looks kind of dull, so I brought some flowers to give it some colours!"