Crushed (Part 1) [Hatoful Boyfriend: Yuuya x Hiyoko]

Awakenings

Hiyoko gasped for air, wide eyes blinked open to reveal a void of darkness.

"Ryouta? Nageki?" she cried out, looking around. But she saw nothing, and her heart began to race with panic.

"Hiyoko, over here!" Ryouta's voice hollard from the darkness.

She looked his way, but still saw nothing.

"Follow my voice," Ryouta urged.

Hesitantly, Hiyoko took a cautious step. She steadily made her way through the darkness, dragging her feet along the surface that seemed to be flat thus far.

Eventually, somehow, she found herself waking up again, that time being engulfed in the glow of florecent lights. Saving her vision from the glare by putting her arms up, and Ryouta's figure caught her eye from the side.

"Ryouta, there you are!" Hiyoko dove to her friend for a solid hug.

Surprised, Ryouta hugged back.

"Good morning, you two," a serious sounding voice greeted them from the other side of the labratory-looking room they were in.

"Sakuya!" Hiyoko lunged at Sakuya too, pulling him tightly into her Hunter Gatherer arms.

Unlike Ryouta, Sakuya didn't hug back, for he was filled with fear for getting his bones crushed by her strong embrace.

"Oof!" Sakuya got the wind knocked out of him as he just let it all happen.

Eventually she did let go, and Sakuya gave them the rundown of what Ryouta and Hiyoko had just gone through.

"Everyone is waiting outside to see you. It's been a whole year and they're all excited," Sakuya finished explaining.

"Everyone?" Hiyoko felt a flutter in her gut realizing what Sakuya meant.

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Outside, at the front of the campus, a crowd of familiar faces were anxiously waiting to see the two students who seemingly returned from the dead. When Hiyoko and Ryouta exited the doors, cheers were heard throughout the lawn as many gathered to give hugs and well wishes to them both.

While they reunited with friends and family, Hiyoko seemed at a loss. She looked around desperately at the faces in the crowd, but none of them were who she truly wanted to see. But suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, a glimpse of blue caught her attention.

Far from all the comotion, Yuuya stood, watching from afar. As she locked eyes with him, she caught him tensing up and biting his lip.

A smile stretched acrossed her face, and she booked it over to him, only to stop at his feet.

"Yuuya!" She shouted with glee.

"Hiyoko...," Yuuya was stunned, unable to believe his eyes "I-I got you these," Yuuya took his arms out from behind his back, handing her a bouquet of red roses.

"For me?" she scooped the gift in her arms, taking in a whiff of the fresh flowers as she did "They're lovely".

Pushing through the awkwardness that was spinning in her head, Hiyoko intentionally broke the ice for her own sanity "I'm so sorry Yuuya, you know, for apparently being gone for a year".

Before Hiyoko could say more, she was stopped by Yuuya's sudden embrace. Holding her new bouquet of roses at her sides, she quickly reciprocated his tender touch. The longer the hold went on, Hiyoko could hear Yuuya sniffling over her shoulder.

"Oh Yuuya, don't cry," she pats his back slightly "I swear I'm back for good, I promise".

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The two walked off campas and into a nearby park, hand in hand. It was getting too hectic with all those people around, and Yuuya was looking anxious because of it.

"Yuuya, you're acting so unlike yourself," Hiyoko pointed out "What happened to the smooth talker I met?"

"I know, I know," Yuuya rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand "I just... I just need to tell you something, but I'm a bit nervous to say it".

"Alright," Hiyoko dragged him over to a park bench, urging him to sit next to her "Sit down and lets discuss".

Reluctantly, Yuuya sighed and sat beside her, having trouble making eye contact as she leaned in to listen properly.

"So, about what happened to you-" Yuuya explained everything. How he was working for the dove party as an undercover agent, and how Dr. Shuu Iwamine was working with the Hawk party and had to work beside him for work. Which lead to the Charon Virus killing you via Ryouta's presence, and how Yuuya assisted in all of that. He even went on on how he continued helping the doctor despite everything had done. He explained too about his brother and how he was being blackmailed by the doctor to keep his secret, only to be put out of commision before he could complete his mission.

H

iyoko looked at the stone path at her feet, taking all of what Yuuya said in, nodding.

"In short, it's my fault you were in all that mess in the first place," Yuuya continued "I understand if you can't forgive me- I can't even forgive myself".

"Stop that," Hiyoko deadpanned, cutting him off.

Yuuya turned to her, a puzzled look on his face.

"You think all of this was your fault?" Hiyoko shook her head "Yuuya, you're a hero".

"What?" Yuuya's brows furrowed.

"You spend so much time making your own life miserable just to benefit others. My death was not your fault, the doctor was going to kill me anyway whether you were involved or not. You continuing your mission was the strongest thing you could have done, especially if it was for your brother's sake".

"I-I suppose," Yuuya gulped nervously.

"What happened sucked, it really did," Hiyoko continued "but at the end of it all, Sakuya is okay. I'm okay, and we're okay," she put a reassuring hand on his knee.

Yuuya looked at her, his eyes welling up with tears. Hiyoko took her hand and wiped them away, and then Yuuya brought his hand up to hers and held it tenderly against his face.

"You're so smart, Hiyoko, that's one of the many things I love about you," Yuuya shut his eyes "But I still think I need to make it all up to you. I'll do anything, just name it".

Hiyoko is taken aback "Anything?"

Yuuya opened his softened eyes and nodded her way.

"Hmm," she thought before snidely giving a suggestion "I want you to promise to always be more open like this, and to think of your own happiness instead of trying to protect me with secrets".

Yuuya chuckled at her whole hearted request "As you with, my dear".

With that, the two leaned in for a soft and sweet kiss to lock in the promise, right as a gentle snow began to fall.