Are all that matters.

=9=

After Subaru unintentionally alerted the whole dorm with his loud shout of Yume's name, Yume has been in bed unconscious for the past few days. When Subaru found Yume on the ground with her heavy breathing and flushed cheeks, the first thing he did was to check her temperature.

Her forehead was incredibly hot, indicating that Yume was having a severe fever, probably due to the fact that she hasn't eaten in the past few days. In other words, malnutrition. Noticing that she was covered and filled to the brim with injuries that had reopened, he called Koharu up in order to treat her injuries.

He would've liked to treat Yume's injuries himself, but he respected her privacy. His blood was boiling when he left the room for Koharu to do her thing. Knowing that someone, or perhaps more than one was hurting a human being like that.

And to add on to that, I doubt she even did anything to them!

Does this mean...

With that thought, he went off to find help.

~

"Yume... I'm sorry..." The boy- no, Subaru apologized.

This was the first dream I had after I met Subaru! These were my memories that I forgot...

"Why are you apologizing...?" Yume apologized.

Subaru looked hesitant with his next words. He opened and closed his mouth several times, trying to choose his words. He didn't want to upset his closest friend, that was the last thing he wanted to do. He didn't want to see a sad friend if it was the last thing he would see before he leaves.

Was he trying to tell me back then?

That he was going to go?

Subaru shook his head and smiled bitterly, lying to Yume for the first time, "Nothing much, I just ate your bun. That's all."

Why do you have such a smile on you?

"That's why I couldn't find it! I was really hungry you know!" Yume started chasing Subaru around, with her cheeks puffed out and trying to get her revenge.

Subaru ran off laughing while being chased by his friend, and Yume was doing the same. Just with a bit more shouting and pouting, but that was all Subaru wanted. For Yume for stay happy and smiling.

The scenery blurred out and the settings changed. Now, Yume was sitting at the dining table with both her parents sitting there eating dinner together. Yume was happily eating her food while her parents looked nervous and kept exchanging glances with each other.

"Ne Yume, we have something to tell you."

"Hm?"

"Yuuki-kun... he left." Yume's mother said it the simplest way possible.

It was all too visible, the bright smile that Yume had worn every day and second vanished the second her mother had finished her sentence. The spoon that she was holding to drink her soup stopped in its tracks, her arm slowly placed the spoon down and gave the exact same bitter smile that Subaru had last shown her.

"It's... it's... al..."

Tears began spilling like a waterfall, she kept repeating the sentence, wanting to say "It's alright." but the sentence was never completed. As a child, they were still so innocent and pure, children didn't know what it meant to hide their feelings. They weren't a citizen of what the society would call the 'real world'. Her emotions were shown to everybody who was watching her, it was only then she began her journey to the 'real world', when she took her first step.

For the rest of dinner, the dining room was only left with two adults, eating in silence as the awkward tension filled the room.

~

The door which was kept slightly open with a door stopper had a visitor for quite some time. To no one's surprise, the visitor was Nozomi. She had been standing in front of the door, trying to decide when it would have been a good time to go in and deal the last blow to Yume who was currently defenseless.

When she finally decided to wait no longer, she knocked on the door and went in because she knew that Subaru was inside. Subaru have been by Yume's side since he discovered her on the ground, in a terrible state. He refused to do anything else except for the sake of his own personal hygiene and health. After all, Subaru wasn't stupid, he knew that he needed to be well or he wouldn't be able to look after Yume.

That on its own, was the very obstacle that was blocking Nozomi from carrying out her final blow to Yume. The very person that she was fighting over for with Yume, which of course, only added onto her anger.

"Hm? Hoshizora? What are you doing here?"

"I thought I'd tell that lunch is ready and you should eat something. I know you didn't eat your breakfast and I'm worried for your health." She said, with a forced smile.

And I need you to leave the room for a bit, Subaru-kun.

Subaru looked a bit hesitant in leaving Yume alone in the room, so Nozomi "suggested", "I'll watch over Yume-chan for you!"

After sitting in that chair for a while longer staring at Yume's face, he stood up from the chair and left the room reluctantly. Before going down to grab his lunch, he mumbled something to himself which shall be revealed later.

The moment Subaru left the room, Nozomi's personality and vibe took a 180-turn. She sat next to Yume to pretend as if she was looking after Yume so that no one would assume anything. She sat there for around half an hour watching the clock on the wall before she decided that she has waited long enough and was about to harm Yume.

"Blame yourself Nijino Yume, this is all your fault."

It was then that the door was slammed wide open, scaring the living lights out of Nozomi, stopping her in her tracks. The person who slammed the door wide open was none other than Yuuki Subaru. Anyone could tell that he was extremely suspicious and was angry.

"What were you trying to do to her?" He asked.

"I- I- It's all her fault!" That was it, Nozomi had finally blown up and was digging herself a grave with each word she spoke.

"She kept being by your side when it's supposed to be me! And you wouldn't pay any attention to me!" She reasoned with Subaru, but it only sounded like childish whining to him.

"Is that why you spread nasty rumours about her and got other students to be violent against her? Is that why you hurt her all over?" Subaru asked, his teeth gritted.

Nozomi felt cornered and started to think of excuses to get herself out of this situation. Using the most cliche last resort, she said, after scurrying up her last bit of courage and asked, "Subaru-kun, do you have proof that I attempted to harm her? I was just looking after her for you, you know."

"If you're talking about proof, I've got a whole file worth of it. I didn't get enough time to ask every single student, but I'm sure I got 90% of the student population down." A voice said, stepping in the room.

Mahiru walked into the room with a smirk on her face, obviously happy with the accomplishment that she's done. Mahiru showed her phone screen to Nozomi, whose face turned into one that was on the verge of tears when she saw what was on the screen.

"I also reported to our Principal, and it seems like you have a meeting with him right now Hoshizora Nozomi." Mahiru said excitedly.

"It's game over for you." Subaru declared.

[To be continued...]

Written on: 4 December 2019

Sorry for the late update, I'm currently on holiday and I didn't get enough time to finish the chapter. I hope you'll forgive me, I don't know if I'll be able to upload on time this week as well, so I'll let you guys know if I can't upload on time.

Next update: 7 December 2019