Keep on living dear

Final chapter

Ready? Remember to make sure you scroll all way to the bottom when you finish this story so that you don't miss anything because it might look like it's finished when it's not. There's still something past "END." <3

Akane and Yashiro make their way to a park bench and sit themselves down underneath the shade of a willow tree.  Akane pestered her to sit rather than stay in one place, notwithstanding her efforts to get him to tell her right off the bat what he was referring to when he brought up, 'a little mermaid.'
Yashiro:"So, you said the story of a little mermaid?"
Akane:"That's right." He leans his chin on his palm.
Yashiro sits back and watches him intently.
Akane:"Lets say modern Ariel wasn't successful in trading her voice for her legs."
Yashiro:"Modern?"
Akane:"The tale most children know."
Yashiro:"Oh."
Akane:"So instead she had to find another way. The other way is quite complicated ." He shakes his head.
Yashiro:"Akane kun..."
Akane:"If you know the original tale, when Ariel would dance for the prince, she felt like she was stepping on shards of glass."
Yashiro:"I don't understand." She creases her forehead.
Akane continues.
"So lets imagine that instead of Ariel stepping on shards of glass, she was having the same pain as one who's taken a knife to the chest again and again but, only when she was around him. Similar to curse.
She hid it though because her acting skills were amazing. But, by herself, she'd probably show that she's suffering. Who knows, she probably cried too."
Yashiro:"Mm."
Akane:"But she was selfless. Stupidly selfless and would dance for the prince despite her suffering because she loved him like an idiot. How dumb is that? But actually, I may have done the same thing for Aoi myself."
Yashiro:"Akane kun I-"
Where is he going with this?
Akane:"And then one day, she fell and couldn't dance anymore because she'd suffered enough but, she was very much okay with it because at least the prince was satisfied."
Yashiro holds her chest.
This doesn't feel right. Why, why am I feeling so much dread?
Akane:"So that's the story."
Akane turns back to her to see her face looking glum.
Akane:"Should I stop?"
Yashiro:"N-no." She gulps. "You said this applies to real life so..."
I need to hear the rest even though it's sickening.

Akane:"The honourable no.7 is an idiot."

Her eyes widen and before Akane knows it, she's running back in the direction of Kamome high school.
She might be interpreting this all wrong but she wanted to make sure that her elucidation was untrue.

The sky darkens as quite some time has passed. Perhaps, she had already wasted enough time. And the rain commences again, but the weather is not her biggest concern.
She just wanted to find Hanako, after all he said he'd see her tomorrow but she couldn't wait that long.

She is being rebellious again-climbing the gates of Kamome high school but, it isn't the good kind like when she, Kou and Hanako twisted the rules a bit.
...
The hallways are pitch black and silent-
Unsettlingly silent, except for her hasty footsteps nearing the old girls bathroom before she bursts in hysterically.
Yashiro:"HANAKO KUN!?" She shouts, looking hurriedly to her left and right.
Hanako:"Y-Yashiro!? Are you okay? You're drenched! And your hands are-"
Yashiro collapses onto her knees.
Hanako:"Yashiro?" He goes crouches down to her level.
"What happened?" He says calmly.
Through her filmed eyes, Yashiro hesitantly presses his chest, only applying a small amount of pressure.
Hanako:"Y-Yashiro you can't be here..."
He stutters.
Yashiro:"Are you in pain? Have you been in pain all this time? Was it even worse when you were around me? Tell me it's not true." She whimpers.
Hanako:"Yashiro I-" He puts his hand out but she rejects his touch.
Yashiro:"So it's true then, and you've been making the process worse through your contact with me." She sobs. "You've been letting yourself be in constant pain so that I could live." Her mouth tremors.
"And instead of taking breaks away from me, you hid your pain by freezing up didn't you?"
Hanako:"Why do you-"