Clouds
⌤
Forever
Standing on the edge of the pier, she overlooked the wide horizon spreading its beautiful colors of the calm waters of the ocean. Her pastel blue tinted hair gently floating on the summer breeze as her sky-blue topaz eyes watched the sun going down. The voices slowly ebbed away into the distance, going back to their own homes where their families awaited their return. Having made food for them while they were at it so they could immediately dig in, filling up their bellies with the warm and nice food. The mere thought of this made a smile appear on her soft peachy lips.
A husky voice called out to her from nearby, saying her name bittersweet: ”Anna”. Her head turned into the direction of the male with the jet-black hair and chocolate brown eyes which anyone could melt into. Muscles were faintly outlined as he looked at her. The male who had robbed her heart from the day they met, her hero. Amusingly enough his name was in fact Hiiro which couldn’t have suited him better. Pushing herself up from where she was seated so she was standing right in front of him now. The feelings lingering in the back of her heart as she had already decided to keep this a secret. A faint laugh appearing as they both walked back to where their friends were waiting. The silence already being disturbed due to them as they were a loud bunch of people, nonetheless they were her most precious friends. Slender fingers intertwined with the girl called Asami who had just as dark hair as Hiiro, reaching her hips with ease. Fair skin complimented by olive green eyes which were considered to be rare in this day and age. She was a true natural beauty as she wore the bare minimum of make-up on herself. Another male had died his hair blond, skin tanned from working in the sun the entire summer and sparkly hazelnut brown eyes. He was called Kento, the liveliest of them all and always up for some trouble. Plus, he was the official boyfriend of Asami despite them quarreling almost all the time.
These four met in their first year of high school and couldn’t be separated from then on with the necessary fights which only brought them closer together. Soulmates as their fellow students called them to be.
They made their way back to the small vacation house they got to use from Anna’s grandmother. It was also the perfect place to be for those with vacation jobs. A holy combination. Grandmother had gone on vacation herself since last week, only coming back over a few days when the four of them would already be back in Tokyo. It was sad to see that it ended so fast yet they made precious memories which she would never forget. The hundreds of pictures were the very proof of it. Opening the camera on the laptop, Anna started to shift through it all. Some were way too blurry which she deleted, then there were those that were so badly timed it was hilarious so she kept those. Seeing the picture of Kento who tried to stuff an entire hotdog in his mouth made her chuckle as it was quite a sight to behold. She never thought he would have actually managed to do it! She was disgusted and in awe at the same time. Hiiro leaned over her shoulder all of the sudden which made her jump ever so slightly. The earthy scent of him gentle caressed her nose of which nutmeg and orange were the main notes. Unconsciously she leaned into his shirt before catching herself in the act.
Cheeks flushed a dark rose tint which she tried to hid behind her locks of hair. ”This one is my favorite!” He exclaimed as he pointed towards the one with the fireworks, his voice full of excitement which only proved his point. They all stood together at the viewing point just behind where the festival took place, giving a great outlook on the firework. Vibrant colors and beautiful shapes exploded in the night sky, illuminating the night for one last time this summer. ”Mine too.” She responded as she remembered it all too well. Feeling saddened by the fact that they had to leave tomorrow again to start their remainder of their senior year in high school.
”Mhm~ So you two finally got together?” Asami nearly shouted as she saw the two of them being so close together. Hiiro immediately shifted away and told her to shut up while facing the other way. Were his ears getting red? No, no! She was probably mistaken… And even if it was so, she couldn’t be with him… ”Asami…” Anna muttered in embarrassment. She knew she was being teased but still, she could only take that much before showing a reaction. Hearing her own heart thumping in her ears as her mind repeated the words couple. She patted her cheeks before closing her laptop and stuffing it back into the bag. Dragging it over to where all the other luggage was placed. Everyone had packed up most already so they wouldn’t need to do much more tomorrow.
The rest of the night went by fairly well. They chatted over some kind of random movie they put on. Anna feeling the slightest bit of jealousy when Kento and Asami started to show their lovey-dovey side, sitting close to each other on the couch with their hands intertwined. ”How nice…” Anna muttered under her breath which Hiiro managed to catch. He scraped his throat as he didn’t know what to do with himself anymore so he just watched the movie in the end. Around midnight, maybe even later, they went to bed in their respective rooms. Anna was sleeping in her grandmother’s room while the couple took hers which had a big bed, Hiiro sadly enough was appointed towards the guest room.
-
A month passed since their summer vacation, yet there was something different about the atmosphere around him. Nobody could lay their finger on what had changed however which made the other students wonder about it even more. Anna was sitting behind her desk, having taken out the lunch she brought from home while being surrounded by the others. The aroma immediately making her think of her mom who put so much effort into it every day. She was truly thankful for that. Today there was chicken meatballs, crab salad, egg, broccoli and some fruit in it. A grin forming on her lips as she munched on it happily. ”You really like broccoli don’t you Anna?” Kento said with a laugh, nudging Hiiro in the side who huffed. ”It’s healthy so I don’t see what’s wrong with it.” He muttered back in defense for Anna. Their eyes locking for a split second before he immediately looked somewhere else. As that happened Anna looked in confusion. She didn’t know what to say or do. Did she do something wrong? But she couldn’t remember doing anything like it. Hoping that it was nothing, she continued her meal.
”Ah, now that I remember. Didn’t you get confessed to today? Wasn’t it the popular guy from class 3-B?” Asami said in a mischievous voice. ”I-I… I don’t even know him! Besides I’m…” Anna cut herself off before she could even continue the sentence. Hiiro stared at her in disbelief while the other two were looking on in amusement. Looking down at her bento box she refused to say anything more which was a bad call. Hiiro upped and muttered something about having to go to the toilet. Anna looked at him in shock as he watched his leaving back. What just happened? Her mind was racing as she clenched the hem of her shirt. Why did it hurt so much to see him act that way? She barely managed to finish her meal before class started. Hiiro didn’t come back until the last minute too. Sighing as she rested her head against the cool wooden desk.
The following days, Hiiro seemed to gone back to his usual self for a while but it was only for a short time. The other two seemed to be knowing what was going on but refused to tell her about it, saying: ”It wasn’t up to them to tell you about it.” This made her grow even more worried as the last thing she wanted was to see Hiiro walking out of her life. But then again, maybe that was for the best? Torn between the emotions raging inside of her fragile body, she barely slept for weeks. Pondering and pondering about what she could do to fix things between them but nothing came to mind.
-
The behavior of Hiiro seemed to become worse as if he was trying to take his distance from Anna without her even knowing why. She didn’t even know what to talk to him about anymore as she only received short responses. It was almost Christmas now! During this period of time Anna had been missing from school every now and then due to sickness. Her mother just stated that her immunity system had always been bad so it wasn’t unusual for her to be sick so often. It just became worse with time. Her friends had gotten worried about her but since they knew about her situation, they didn’t say anything. After three days of absence, Anna came back to school. Her complexion was pale with dark circles underneath her eyes from the lack of sleep. She took in a deep breath while clenching the shirt before her heart, opening the door with one swing. Immediately attacked by Asami and Kento as they had missed her which soothed the pain her heart. She didn’t even expect for Hiiro to do this anymore, he merely greeted her and welcomed her back just like today. He didn’t even budge from his seat this time. Despite being surrounded by such good people, this made her feel lonely inside.
Forcing a smile on her lips once more as she nodded into his direction, taking her seat next to him. It was silent unlike in the past where they whispered to each other or wrote everything down on paper so they could answer each other. The class just went by with the ticking of the clock. History finished, then did English class with Anna not having paid any attention at all. The bothering feelings welling up inside the more she got ignored by Hiiro. And then, lunch arrived once more, the time Hiiro fled Anna’s sight as soon as possible as if breathing the same air as her was harmful. Staring in front of her with a blank mind, she got tapped on the shoulder by Asami who had a worried look in her eyes. ”Anna…” Anna just looked up at her with teary eyes, not being able to utter another word. Slowly standing up from her seat and leaving the classroom as well to take some fresh air outside. Her hunger had already seized to exist a while ago.
Slender fingers brushed against the bark of the tree, letting the bit of sunlight caress her cheeks ever so gently. Yet the warmth was nowhere to be found. Her hand slid into the pocket of her sweater, taking out a small white plastic box which rummaged lightly. Filled with pills, she took in her daily dose out of sight from everyone. Gulping down some water from het bottle so everything went down easier. Leaning against the old tree as she looked up to where her classroom was. Seeing that Hiiro had come back now that she was out pained her even more. So, he was definitely avoiding her. As she thought back on the words of her mom who said that she should live without any regrets, she felt the stinging pain once again. Swallowing the tears with force as she swore to go after him after school and so she did.
The last bell of the day had rung and she sprinted after him as fast as she could. Having managed to catch up to him the moment he was about to leave the courtyard. ”Hiiro!” She shouted, tightening her grip on his arm, not ever wanting to let go anymore. ”What did I do wrong?” Tears filling her eyes yet still looking him directly in the eyes. ”I don’t want to be like this anymore. Hiiro!” Her voice trembled as it was getting harder to speak, her entire body shaking due to the overflow of emotions that came crashing down to her. Hiiro bit his bottom lip as he watched the broken state Anna was residing in. ”Anna, if I’m with you nothing good will ever come from it… Let’s just stop doing this.” He said, trying to keep himself strong in front of her. Pushing her slender hand off of him. Anna stood there in shock, processing the words she heard him say as she saw him leaving… With one more spurt of adrenaline she shouted his name ”Hiiro!”
As she set a step forward, her balance was off. Wobbling on her feet as her vision got dark followed by her senses numbing. With a thud she touched the ground, making people gasp at the sight. ”Anna!” Someone called out to her. Was it Hiiro? She didn’t know anymore. Her energy was already completely depleted as if falling into slumber.
-
One week later.
Eyes finally started to open themselves as she woke up from her slumber. Disoriented, she tried to figure out where she was laying. One hand was gripped, letting her eyes slide over the person’s features, realizing that it was her mother. A bit further, her father was asleep in a chair, his head pressed against the cold white walls of the hospital. The scent of medicine crept up on her not long after. Several tubes were attached to her transferring the medicine into her body for some relief. Due to the movements of Anna, her mother had started to wake up, relieved to see her daughter awake, she embraced Anna with all her love. Her father woken up from the sobbing of the mother, going to sit at the other side of Anna to clench her free hand into his. ”Anna…” He whispered in pain, not being able to say more than just her name which was enough. The three of them sobbed for a good while until the tears had dried up.
With a raspy voice, she asked about Asami, Kento and Hiiro. They all stopped by every day after school since they were told what was truly going on with Anna. The whole school knew now probably. Ah… how bothersome. She thought to herself. She had thought she could at least go on until her graduation but life seemed to have other things in store for her. How unfair this world was. A bittersweet pill.
As the clock ticked 7 o’clock, the door of her room opened, revealing 3 all too familiar figures. They busted out in tears as they flocked around her, even Hiiro. ”I am so sorry! So sorry!” He apologized over and over to her as he clenched onto her. Anna just felt relieved that he talked to her again. A real smile followed suit as she gently caressed his hair which was soft to the touch. ”It’s going to be fine, you’re here now.” She whispered softly as to comfort him. The couple were standing next to window near her as they watched her closely while sobbing into each other’s arms. Anna laid her head back down into her pillow as they all went on like this for another while just like she did with her parents. If she hadn’t cried with them back then, she would have done so now. But somehow, she already seemed to have accepted her faith.
Upon closing hour, the three were send back home with difficulty. Her father was now the one who stayed behind with her for the night.
-
A few days later it was finally Christmas and she had caught up with everything from her friends. They rolled her around the hospital and sometimes even into the garden when the weather got just a little better. It felt nice to spend her days like this. Today was different though as they had finally gotten permission to take her out of the hospital as she had gotten better, feeling better too. Snowflakes were whirling down, coating everything in a pretty white blanket as if it came straight out of a fairytale. She would be spending her last Christmas outside with the people she loved. Dressing up nicely with the help of her mother. A simple black dress with ruffles at the bottom, black knee socks and boots together with a warm woolen dark blue jacket. Her make-up was done rather simple as she didn’t need more. Her lips slightly glossier than normal. Her hair was slightly curled before being put into a high ponytail. Silver accessories were put on to finish the complete look, making it seem like she popped out of a magazine.
With that, she made her way to the festival with her friends who were awaiting her at the entrance of the hospital. She was only allowed to go out for three hours before she had to return. And she surely was going to make the most out of it now everything was back to the way she wanted to. Well, close to. They all chattered to their hearts content, munching on the snacks they bought and of course they couldn’t forget the fireworks which were the last treat. They had lost track of Asami and Kento at a certain point which Hiiro didn’t mind, it actually worked into his favor. Taking Anna to his secret spot where they could view the fireworks the best. It reminded her of the time in summer. ”Asami…” The explosive sound was too loud to understand Hiiro, making Anna tilt her head in confusion as she couldn’t hear him. ”I…” Once more. Instead of explaining it with words as the noise was just too loud, he pulled her in close, gently pressing his lips on hers. Making her entire flush a bright red.
”I love you.” He whispered into her ear which made her reply the same. ”I love you too. I always have.” She answered with tears rolling down, leaving a trail behind. Hiiro wiped them away as he stared deeply into her eyes. ”Forever.”
Afterwards, they had to go back, even giving her a piggyback ride as she had gotten tired. Feeling as if she had everything in the world, it was no wonder she could feel at peace now. Hugging Hiiro tightly until the bitter end of them parting ways. ”See you soon.” Hiiro said before closing the door behind him. ”Goodbye Hiiro, my hero.” She breathed out in her hospital bed, her smile couldn’t have been more beautiful than then.
The next morning Anna was announced to have passed away.
-
”Papa. Who is this? A squeaky voice asked, holding the hand of her father tightly as she stared at the tomb stone in front of her. The male - who was nearing his thirties - smiled and answered in a soft-spoken voice: ”She was someone I loved very much.” The child’s eyes opened wide. ”Like mama?’” The child asked. The male nodded: ”Just like mama.” The child grinned and clapped her hands together, bowing in front of the grave. ”Thank you for having loved papa!” Satisfied, she looked at her father who was surprised by her behavior. ”Let’s do it together!” She repeated the action of clapping her hands together followed by a bow and so did her father. ”Thank you for loving me, Anna.”
Anna Hakone, 17 years of age, terminal cancer.
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s e v e n
