I Will Always Be By Your Side

Chapter 23 (part 2)

Jurina was seating on her bed with a sketch pad on her hand. She didn't notice but the face that she's been sketching turned out to be Rena's.

"Those eyes..." She said to herself as she looked at her drawing. "It's full of loneliness." Jurina stopped. Somehow she felt like this has happened to her before. She stared at her sketch and her head started to ache. "Argh!" She winced in pain as she held her head. The memories from her past came in rushing to her mind like a movie.

"Oi! When she said that she doesn't want to come with you, you should've let her go in peace!"

"Rena. I'm Matsui Rena."

"Argh! I-it hurts!! Argh!!" Jurina is now curled up to a ball as the memories continue to play inside her mind. The pain inside her becomes too much and before she knew it, her vision slowly starts to fade.

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Rena is already packing her things when she heard a knock on her door. "Come in." She said as she neatly placed her clothes inside her bag.

"I see, you're already packing your belongings." Rena looked back and saw Inspector Takahashi standing at the door.

"Yeah." Rena replied briefly before returning to what she's doing. "Right after the released papers are done, we will head straight to the headquarters. I just want you to know that." Inspector Takahashi said before she went out of her room.

"Ah. Inspector. Good morning." Yuki greeted as she bowed down to the police officer. "Good morning Kashiwagi-san." The inspector greeted back before on her way to the nurses station.

"Hi." Yuki greeted as she entered Rena's room. "Hi."

"So, you have really decided, huh." Yuki said as she pulled a chair beside Rena's bed. "Yeah. You already know about it, why are you still surprised?" Rena asked.

"Well, maybe because lately I can see that you are enjoying Jurina's company even though she hasn't regained her memories. It's as if nothing happened." Yuki explained. Rena sighed as she zipped her bag and sat on her bed, facing Yuki.

"You can't lie to me, Rena. I've known you long enough to be able to read you through your actions and I know that you enjoy being with her and you wished that it could continue for so long."

"Maybe you are right but as of this moment, I have already decided. I know that she'll be better off without me. She can return to her normal life and she won't be in any danger anymore."

"But have you ever considered her feelings? What if she regained her memories? You know that sooner or later, she will go looking for you whether she gets back her memories or not."

Rena was taken aback by Yuki's words. But then, she calm herself and she took an envelope from the drawer of her side table and handed it over to Yuki. "If she will look for me later, can you hand this over to Jurina?"

"So, you won't really say a goodbye to her before you leave?"

Rena just shook her head with a bitter smile on her face.

"You really are hopeless." Yuki said. "But don't worry. I will give it to her. I hope that you will not regret your decision later on." She continued.

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"HAHAHAHA!!!" The sight of Rena beating the Yabakune students like crazy that day, has made Jurina frozen on her spot making it hard for her to process what she's been witnessing.

"You were bothered, right?" Jurina stopped and looked back to Yuki. "You were bothered by what you just witnessed yesterday."

"Rena-chan is not a monster!"

Jurina opened her eyes. Her whole body is covered with sweat. She found herself lying on her bed, with the nurse checking on her. "Oh, you're finally awake, Matsui-san." The nurse said but Jurina didn't even bother for there is only one thing - or rather one person in her mind right now.

"Rena-chan." She muttered as she tried to get up but the nurse tried to stop her. "You can't get up now, you're still not fully recovered yet." The nurse said as she is trying to prevent her from getting up. "Move away! I need to see Rena-chan right now." Jurina said as she pushed the nurse away. She removed the dextrose connected to her arm and she get down on her bed. Suddenly, she felt dizzy but she just shrugged it off. "You still have a fever, you need to rest!" The nurse shouted but Jurina ignored her and went out of her room.

"Oh! Jurina! Where are you going?" Mayu asked when she met her at the corridor. "I'm going to meet Rena-chan." Jurina said before continuing her way towards Rena's room. "But," Mayu said but Jurina has already left. "She's already discharged." She only managed to say to herself as she was left standing there.

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"Rena-chan!" Jurina called as she entered Rena's room but to her dismay, she saw nothing but the neatly folded sheets on her bed.

"N-no... It can't be..." She said as she turned around and run outside of Rena's room. She run towards the nurse's station. "Excuse me." Jurina said as she catches her breath. "Where's the patient at room 46?" She asked. "Ah, Matsui Rena? She has already been discharged just almost half an hour ago."

"What?"

"Jurina!" Yuki called on her as she run towards her. Jurina, on the other hand, stood there in daze, unable to believe that Rena has already left.

"Rena-chan," she muttered.

"Jurina?" Yuki called once again, this time shaking Jurina to get her attention. Jurina finally lift her head and looked at Yuki with tears on her eyes.

"Yukirin-san..." She said then felt her head heavy and slowly everything went black.

"Jurina!!!"