Who Is She?

4. haruka and layka

"Haruka, you know you can't -- Rose -- you can't talk to him.." Haruka hunched over the bathroom counter, staring at the person in the mirror. The person with a black mask, and straightened hair. The person with brown coloured contacts. The person that wasn't her. "You can't contact him. You'll put him in danger, you'll put her in danger.."

The two people I care about are more distant than ever, Haruka ruefully thought, finishing with a dry, humourless chuckle. She never knew sleepless nights like these. Ones where, if she closed her eyes, she'd see Shuichi, instead of Takeshi. She'd see the memories she had with him.. She'd see the future she could've had with him, with Layka. Happy. It kept her awake.

Before Haruka knew it, she sobbed. Tears dripped down her cheeks, and she pulled off the mask, running a hand through her stupid hair and taking a heaving breath in. It was three in the morning. If Layka heard her.. "Shuichi.." She quietly said his name, wondering idly if somehow he might hear her. If somehow, from across the world, he might know she was still okay.

Another sleepless night. She backed against the bathroom wall, easily sliding down and crying into her knees on the floor. And, before she could stop herself.. the room darkened around her.