Because You Cared

Chapter 8

Narrator

11:58am

(Y/N)'s eyes opened slowly as she just regained consciousness for the first time since the attack. She blinked a few times to adjust to the brightness in the room. The girl looked around the small hospital room to see a man in a white coat. He was looking at some files before he turned around and met her eyes.

Irie: "Ahh, I see that you have awakened. I'm doctor Kyousuke Irie but you can just refer to me as Dr. Irie. How are you feeling?"

(Y/N): "Still in pain, Doc."

Irie: "Well since you are up, I'll just tell you about your condition."

The doctor flipped through the papers on the clipboard and adjusted his glasses.

Irie: "You've taken a real beating but nothing too severe. Despite getting hit in the head multiple times, you are just suffering from a small concussion but it doesn't look major. You have multiple bruises on your arms, torso, and face but they should heal up with the right treatment. No fractured bones, no rupture organs, and no brain damage. You are really lucky, kid."

(Y/N) sighed in relief.

(Y/N): "Has my brother been here?"

Irie: "He stayed overnight but he left for work. Also, a detective should be visiting you today to ask some questions."

As if on cue, a knock was heard before the door opened, revealing an older man with a black shirt and red tie. He greeted the doctor before walking up to (Y/N).

Ooishi: "Good afternoon, Ms. (L/N). I am detective Kuraudo Ooishi and I am investigating your attack. I have to ask you a few questions."

The detective pulled out a notepad and pen.

Ooishi: "Do you know what happened last night?"

(Y/N): "I was attending the Cotton Drifting Festival with my friends. One of them had gone missing and I was looking for them. While I was trying to find him, I saw a figure in the forests. Next thing I knew, the figure was running towards me and I ran. Eventually, I fought back with the figure and I guess they banged me up a bit."

Ooishi: "Banged up is an understatement. Their intent was to cause some serious harm to you. What did your assailant look like?"

(Y/N): "I couldn't see their face. They were wearing a red oni mask and they had on a black hoodie."

Ooishi: "Did they say anything?"

(Y/N) thought deep back at the events last night. She tried not to think too hard in fear of straining herself. The events flashed in her mind and the words started to clear up.

(Y/N): "'Die.' 'She's mine.' 'Not yours.' I have no idea what all of that means though."

Ooishi: "Who did you go to the Festival with?"

(Y/N): "Shion and Mion Sonozaki, Rika Furude, Satoko and Satoshi Hojo, Rena Ryuugu, and Keiichi Maebara."

Ooishi: "And who were you looking for before the attack?"

(Y/N): "Satoshi."

Ooishi: "That should be all for now, Ms. (L/N). If you have any more information, don't hesitate to call."

Ooishi gave (Y/N) his card before bidding her a farewell and left the room. (Y/N) glanced at the card before placing it on the table and laying her head back on the bed.

(Y/N): "What the hell is going on?"

Shion

2:15pm

"Miss Sonozaki, (Y/N) has awakened."

I speed walked my way to the hospital but not before stopping at the store to grab a bouquet of flowers. Once I reached the hospital, I asked the receptionist the location of (Y/N)'s room. She pointed to the door at the end of the hallway on the right. I thanked her and made my way to the room. I knocked and opened it to see (Y/N) asleep. I closed the door quietly and made my way to her sleeping form. When I got closer, I placed the flowers on the table and sat down. Her injuries were very visible. Bandages were wrapped around her temple, arms, and torso. Her face displayed a few bruises and cuts. Her neck also had bruises and a large bandage covered it. The scene itself brings a new level of sadness to me. Unconsciously, I caress her bruised cheek and hand. I could feel tears threaten to form from my eyes. I scooted close to the bed and laid my head on it.

Shion: "I'm here, (N/N)."

(Y/N): "Shion?"

I looked up to see (Y/N) awake and smiling at me, despite her condition. I immediately hugged her and she winced, causing me to refrain from hurting her.

Shion: "I'm sorry. I'm just..so glad that you are okay. I thought that I had lost you for good."

(Y/N): "Calm down, Shion. Everything is okay now."

Shion: "Everything is not okay! I almost my only-

I stopped myself from continuing that sentence and tried to calm myself down. (Y/N) looked at me concerned and placed a hand on my arm.

(Y/N): "What were you going to say? You can tell me anything."

I couldn't contain my feelings and I decided to let (Y/N) know how I really feel about her and the truth that I manage to avoid telling her about.

Shion: "(Y/N), I am in love with you and I haven't been really truthful and up front with you. Since I was born, I was considered an outcast to my own family and we never got along. To my family, I'm not supposed to be here. Because there is a tradition where the youngest twin was supposed to be killed or left for dead in order to save face in the Sonozaki family. I don't know what happened but I guess that something changed and it is the reason that I am here today. My own grandmother hates me and the only person that ever treated me like family was Mion. When they shipped me off to St. Lucia, I thought that things were just going to get worse from there. You know how terrible that place is so you understand when I say that the place was hell on earth. I felt so empty."

I paused.

Shion: "But then I met you. When I met you, I knew that you were different from the other girls at the school. You weren't completely brainwashed by what the school was trying to make us out to be. When I was with you, I felt like I could be myself and that I didn't have to put on a mask around you. The more I hung out with you, the more I realized that I finally found someone who didn't treat me like anything less than human. But then my feelings towards you changed. I went from wanting to be your friend to wanting to be something more than that. I began to fall in love with you and I wanted to tell you that but you left that day. Believe it or not, but I felt like I couldn't function without you. That I grew dependent on you as a whole. I thought that I was losing my mind and that you were gone forever. I couldn't live with that. What I'm trying to say is that you are the most important person in my life and that I don't know what would've happened to me if I didn't meet you. You are the reason that I am even still living at this point. I am madly in love with you."

(Y/N) looked stunned at what I just unraveled.

(Y/N): "Shion...That's a lot to take in."

Shion: "I know. I'm sorry."

(Y/N): "No. It's okay. I'm glad that you trusted me enough to share this."

Tears started to spill from my eyes as I clenched onto (Y/N)'s hand. It felt right to let (Y/N) know that side of me and for her to still accept me made me love her even more.

Shion: "I don't want to leave your side, (Y/N). I don't want to leave in fear of you either vanishing again or dying. Please let me be by your side."

(Y/N): "Okay, Shion. You can be by my side."

(Y/N) scooted to the side, freeing up some space on the bed for me to sit next to her. I wasted no time and inserted myself beside her, wrapping my arms around her and holding her close. She wrapped her arms around me and we stayed in this position.

Shion: "I'll never let you go, (N/N)."

(Y/N): "I'll never let you go either."