“Chisato. I like you.”
“Heh?” Chisato turned her head towards Takina with her mouth open.
“…Chisato, I like you. Please date me.” Takina looked down at her lap. “Did I get this right? I think this was how it went with the manga you lent me.”
Chisato blinked at her multiple times in confusion. The two of them sat at the bench in front of the cafe at night after discussing about Majima’s infiltration in Chisato’s safehouses.
“Wh- What do you mean?” Chisato also looked down at her lap where her bag was it. She gently touched the dog keychain she just hung on it.
“I want to always be with you, and often times I only think about you… Kind of thing?” Takina continued to stare at her lap. “I thought maybe, that’s what it is.”
“That’s pretty serious, Takina-san…” Chisato felt her own blush creep up her face, but she knew what she had to do.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t return your feelings.”
Takina looked up and turned to Chisato in surprise. The look she gave her hurt Chisato, too, but she knew what she had to do. It was what had to be done.
Suddenly, they were overcame with silence. A bicycle passed by, soon followed by some plates inside the cafe.
“M- May I ask why?”
“You may not.”
“I- I see.” Takina turned back to her lap. “I’ll be honest and say that I wasn’t sure how it was going to go, but this was outside my expectations.”
“I’m sor–“
“Please don’t apologize. You are, by no means, at fault, Chisato.” Takina smiled at her. “…I hope that you know, that you are loved.”
Chisato smiled back at her. “…Thank you, Takina.”
Just as how Mizuki always praised how Takina could just turn off-on her switch emotions, it still surprised Chisato how after a few minutes from a failed confession, she could still scold Chisato and tell her to go to her medical exam.
For Chisato, it was an impossible thing, and she will definitely carry it in her heart for a long time.
Followed by the events with the nurse, and the revelation about the deal with Mika and the Alan Institute, Takina asked Chisato if she could stay over with the worry of what if something happened to her.
“It’s her time left to live. She only has two more months left to live.”
Chisato and Takina sat next to each other in a new safehouse’s couch.
“…Was this the reason you turned me down?”
“Mm… Yeah, pretty much.” Chisato looked at the turned off TV in front of them.
“You…” Takina turned to Chisato with a complicated expression on her face. “You’re just giving up like this?”
“…Yeah.” Chisato smiled at her wryly. “I always knew I didn’t have much time.”
“…That’s too… cruel.” Takina turned away as she looked at her lap. Her hair covering her face as she clutched her own skirt with both of her hands. “You…”
“…I guess.” Chisato breathed out.
“…You taught me how to have fun. How to experience all these things, together. When you lent me that manga, at first, I couldn’t believe that maybe I had grown feelings for you.” Takina held onto her skirt as she stared at its patterns. “At first, I thought maybe it was just an admiration for your overwhelming kindness, your explosive positive energy, and your smile.”
Chisato frowned as she looked at Takina’s shaking shoulders. She wanted to reach for her, tell her that it’d be okay, but she knew that she couldn’t. There were no guarantees. It would be… as she said it, cruel.
“Then… as days passed by I grew more and more curious. What’s Chisato doing at this time? Maybe she’s eating all those unhealthy snacks again?” Takina closed her eyes as her breathe hitched, her tears falling onto her skirt. “…To think that time wasn’t on our side… For the first time, I felt pain that was unbearable.”
“T- Takina…” Chisato really wanted to reach for her, hug her, and comfort her but she knew. She knew that she had no right.
“We had three years ahead of us, and now it’s been shortened to two months…”
“…I didn’t want you to hold on to me. I knew I couldn’t offer you what you could give me.” Chisato reached her hand towards her before taking it back. “I knew was being selfish, but I thought that if I didn’t accept your feelings, you could just forget about me, and move on.”
“Forget about you?!” Takina suddenly turned to her, those tears continuing to stream down her pretty face. “What I thought was small admiration had grown so big… I don’t think I could live without it anymore.”
Chisato gritted her teeth as she looked into those pained, but pretty purple eyes as they shed tears.
“You impart so much love to everyone, but why won’t you let yourself receive more…?” Takina sobbed as she turned back to her lap, wiping away her own tears as they continued to fall. “Two months…”
Chisato turned the opposite direction as Takina as she rested her elbow onto the arm rest, her jaw onto her palm as she closed her eyes. “…I’m sorry…”
“Why are you apologizing?” Takina spoke in between her sobs as she tried to stop her falling tears. “…Thank you for teaching me to love people. However, forget you, and move on? Aren’t you being selfish?”
Chisato furrowed her eyebrows as she quickly turned to look at Takina. “I just didn’t want to take other people’s time because of me–“
“…Don’t decide how a person spends their own time!” Takina glared at her, those purple eyes, looking at her, Nishikigi Chisato, with genuine anger in them. She inhaled and exhaled deeply before opening her mouth again. “I will spend my days, until the end of my life, thinking of you. Loving you, Nishikigi Chisato. No one in this world, not even you, can decide that for me.”
Chisato looked at her with widened eyes. Maybe she was taken aback by the fact that she was right… That she was dictating how others spent their time… or more so maybe she was even more taken aback by the fact that Takina actually looked genuinely angry at her.
Takina wiped away her tears with her hands as she stood up. “I’m going home for today.”
Chisato stayed silent as she looked down on her hands.
“…I have one question.” Takina turned to her before she walked towards door.
Chisato looked up at her without saying anything, waiting for the question.
“…Did you love me too?”
Chisato frowned as she broke eye contact and looked away, her lips tightly sealed.
“…I see. Even now, you still wouldn’t tell me.”
Chisato looked at her again. “Sor–“
However, her voice just couldn’t come out to even apologize, or say something to make her stay. Because as she watched her walk away and leave, she knew she had nothing comforting to say to those lonely looking shoulders as she left.
The next day, Chisato thought that Takina had already hated her, but she suddenly invited her to a date. She knew that Takina had decided to go back to the DA, and she was genuinely happy for her. She finally was able to return to where she wanted to be.
Without even finding time for her own emotions, she received a call from Robota and immediately rushed to where Yoshimatsu Shinji was being held at, finally being able to reunite to her other father, and resolving their familial issues, Chisato’s phone rang.
“Fuki?” Chisato answered the call while escaping with Mika and Shinji.
“Chisato, Takina’s been shot.” Fuki’s calm and cool voice rang inside her head.
Takina? Shot? Where? Where is she?
“Where? Where is she?” Chisato turned to her two fathers who only nodded. She started running forward, not knowing where to go. “Fuki!”
“In the specialized hospital. Go.”
Chisato panted as she arrived at the hospital’s emergency room and hurriedly looked around to find her. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw a black haired girl in a second lycoris uniform.
She immediately jogged and saw Takina. One of the nurses pressed a hand at Takina’s stomach where blood was dripping out as they wheeled her into the operating area. Chisato was then stopped by a few nurses as she couldn’t go in further.
With a new found intense feeling of anger, she clutched her first as she angrily tried to storm out of the hospital but had her wrist pulled by Fuki.
“What!? F- Fuki.”
“…It’s done. We’re done.” Fuki patted Chisato’s shoulders. “All we can do now is wait for her.”
The news of Takina’s successful operation was given after a few hours. Chisato immediately tagged along as Takina was wheeled into the ICU. She watched what the doctors and nurses did like a hawk.
“Please press this button or call for us if something happens or if you need anything.” The nurse bowed and left the room. Chisato bowed back before pulling a chair next to Takina’s bed and holding her hand.
“Takina… I heard from Fuki.” Chisato smiled as she clutched her hand. “You saved her from a bullet and got shot… She said she was surprised that someone like you would save her… Fuki really has no eyes for people.”
There was no response, only the beeping of machines, and Takina’s heart monitor.
“I also did my best and saved Yoshi-san!” Chisato grinned. “He said he’ll do his best in the Institute, and would give me another heart so… I really want you to wake up soon so I can tell you, because my treatment is going to start as soon as they approve it.”
Chisato knew that the surgery was fresh, and that there was no way Takina was going to wake up soon. They said it could take a day or two, but Chisato knew that she might not have a day or two.
“…I’m sorry, for everything.” Chisato brought up Takina’s hand to her mouth as she gently kissed it. “…I love you, too, Takina. Please wake up soon, okay?”
Takina woke up a few days later, and was told that Chisato wasn’t anywhere. Her heart sunk after hearing it, and she couldn’t do much as to she would have to stay longer in the hospital until she could fully recover.
However, after some time, she was allowed to walk around with a portable iv drip stand, and she didn’t know what or why, but she felt herself being drawn to the hospital’s garden.
It was weird how a lycoris specialized hospital could have so much peace, surrounded by all these pretty flowers. She noticed someone sitting on a wheelchair looking through the horizon.
She had white hair, and a notable striking red ribbon. Takina blinked as she tried to hurry over with her iv drip.
“Chisa…to…?” Takina blinked. She swallowed as she saw the wheelchair turn around to face her.
“…Who are you?” That knowing voice asked.
“Eh?”
“Sorry! I’m sorry! I’m kidding! I was kidding! Please don’t cry!” Chisato immediately wheeled herself towards Takina and held her hand. “I wasn’t sure why I thought it was going to be funny.”
“You are an idiot.”
“…Ugh… I am…” Chisato hung her head in guilt as she squeezed Takina’s hand. “Are you okay? Let’s find a place to sit?”
“Okay.” Takina nodded as they awkwardly held hands towards a shaded bench. “…Did you get… a new heart?”
Chisato grinned at her. “Yeah. Yoshi-san said I might have to continue my mission if I want another one in ten years, but I’ve decided.” She squeezed Takina’s hand. “…That I’ll do my best, to be able to live longer.”
“Chisato…” Takina looked at her with a warm smile.
“…So, well, my motivation for that is, you know.” Chisato blushed as she scratched her cheek. “Uh… I don’t know how to start.”
Takina only looked at her in confusion.
“I- If you still have feelings for me. No, that’s not right.” Chisato agonized as she scratched her head. “How should I say this? Uuuughhhhhh.”
“I got shot in the abdomen, doesn’t mean it changed my feelings for you, you know?” Takina smiled. “…Chisato, I still love you.”
Chisato grinned at her. “Ehehe, it sure does feel embarrassing hearing that a second time. I guess it feels more embarrassing this time.” She wheeled herself in front of Takina as she held both of her hands. “I love you, too, Takina. Would you please date me?”
Takina only stared at her, emotionless.
“P- Please?” Chisato looked at her worriedly.
“With pleasure.” Takina smiled at her.
“Yaaaaay~”
“What’s with that? We’re still both in the hospital, you know?”
“Hospital dates!”
“You sure are hyped up for this…”
“Because after all these time of being unable to return your feelings, of being unsure of everything, I’ll do my best so we don’t end up here again! The food are so bad…”
“I thought they were fine.”
“I want your cooking, Takina.”
“…I’ll do that once I can.”
“Yaaaaay.”
“Stop that.”
“You should do it too! Yaaaaay~”
“I can’t I might open my wound.”
“Then I’ll do it for you–“
“You might open your wound.”
“Right. Darn it.”
“Ahaha, ow-ow. Stop making me laugh.”
“No promises!” Chisato grinned at her. “…Because from now on, I’ll be focusing on making sure that you would no longer shed a tear.”
(See You/END)
