One Despicable Guy by FriendlyMushroom

Chapter 18: Walking Side by Side

April 1, 99 days to deadline.

"I don't want you to push yourself too hard, understood?" Yahiro added while he and Megumi shared a table at the hospital both he and Kei were currently staying at. He was even in a wheel chair, which was a view that wounded Megumi a lot, almost as much as it wounded her to see him blind. "Sleep as much as you need to sleep. I spoke to Akira earlier today, I asked her not to arrange your schedules so abruptly." But there was something that wounded her more than seeing him blind, or in a wheel chair.

"Please don't worry about me." She would say, and Yahiro would immediately cover his ears in pain. "Sorry!" She would continue after noticing she had hurt him, and Yahiro would once again cover his ears. Megumi's voice was destructive no more, but her voice was still a danger whenever she was nervous. That plus the fact of Yahiro's ears working much better to cover for his lost eyesight, earned Yahiro severe ear pains whenever Megumi spoke out.

"It's fine... don't speak for the time being..." Her voice was her treasure. Since she was a little girl, she had been acting as a mute girl in favor of protecting her voice, unwillingly turning it into a deadly weapon. "It will take me some time to get used, but it's not your fault." But Megumi couldn't help it but sob. She knew Yahiro loved her voice, she was even sure her voice was what helped him to fall in love with her. But now, her voice was a pain to him, since his ears worked now better than ever. "Just promise me that you won't push yourself too hard."

"I... can't promise that..." She added in a whisper, so she wouldn't hurt Yahiro's ears. "I'm sorry... but... this is my turn to try my best... so please... don't ask me to take it easy..." And Yahiro was about to speak, but decided to stay in silence. "I want to do my best... don't stop me..."

"...I understand..." And Megumi smiled, but upon noticing Yahiro couldn't see her smile, she took both of his hands. "What is it?" He wondered, and Megumi just giggled a little, and placed both of his hands at her cheeks, forcing a warm feeling to run through his hands. "Megumi?"

"I... want you to feel... that I'm smiling..." And Megumi moved his hands to the corner of her mouth, and allowed his fingers to run through her lips, drawing the line of her smile so Yahiro could see her with his hands. That feeling, forced Yahiro to blush hard.

At the distance, both Hikari and Kei also shared a table. Just as Yahiro had been doing, Kei had been explaining to Hikari about what she needed to do in favor of her replacing him. Yet, Hikari had been spacing out from time to time, not because of her tiredness, but because she felt sort of envious of the relationship both Yahiro and Megumi had.

"Seriously... thanks to Yahiro I let out a very important detail... serves me well for not thinking about it carefully..." And Hikari faced her groom with curiosity. "Hikari... I'm afraid I will have to change my mind. There is no way you can replace me in my functions. I'm sorry to have asked." And Hikari felt a vein popping at her forehead.

"How come I can't?" She added out of annoyance, and Kei moved his head in negation. "You are underestimating me, Kei!" She added and then blushed at the mention of his name. "Never mind that. I know the situation, and I know you two are doing your best. But I am capable of doing this! I'm your rival!" And Kei breathed out in defeat.

"Hikari... you don't understand... I was tired..." And Hikari bit her lips out of annoyance. "I wasn't thinking straight. Different than you, there is something Megumi can do that you can't. My investments are made under the Takishima name, and afterwards, Yahiro and I arrange an equal benefit by sealing profitable deals between our companies. But I can't seal a deal under Yahiro's name." And Hikari didn't seem to understand it. "Hikari... you are a Hanazono." And Hikari gave it some thoughts.