The school was silent, a chilly breeze sweeping through the schoolyard, December starting in just a few days. The bell tolling for the end of lunch in just minutes as two people stand in a courtyard, a boy and a girl. The boy, his brown hair in a buzz cut with sharp eyes focused intently on the girl whose blonde hair was cut in a short but objectively cute bob cut, framing her face easily as she glanced around.

The boy inhaled then spoke cutting through the tension between the two.

"I love you." An intense confession from the bottom of his sharp black eyes. The girl's amber widened in shock as her mouth attempted to move but failed to for a good few moments.

"Wh- uh... What?" A blush rose up, a red tint flushing her pale skins and freckles.

"I... I love you." The boy repeated himself only causing the blush to intensify. Though this only seemed to drive him further as he continued, "Ever since you transferred... I haven't been able to keep you off my mind."

The passion only grew in his eyes, though his face was impassive his eyes certainly weren't beholding a fire. Finally, after a tense minute, she replied.

"I...-"

/[]/[]/[]/

'...And then the bell rang but they still hooked up.' He recalled absently laying on the carpeted floor with a pillow to cushion his head. Running a hand through his messy short black hair he closed his eyes trying to imagine what those two would look like now.

'Obviously not together... they broke up after the grad ceremony in our last year there.'

That memory was back in high school and he was their third wheel for the entirety of his high school career. Something he remembered so vividly because he was so invested. His phone rang which if the apartment was any more fragile would have rattled it like an earthquake centered on it. Sitting up, he reached and pulled over his flip phone, flicking it open. A click and the person on the other side spoke as he muffled a yawn.

"Hello is Mr. Marcus... Yukimura here?"

"Here and speaking," Marcus replied rubbing his eyes, trying to recall what the place he had gotten the phone number from.

"This is a representative from Shigechi Automotives and we have to politely decline your application. Thank you for your time." Marcus sighed as the click and silence deafened the apartment for a moment before he went back to laying down.

This was the... nineteenth job he had been called and denied from. Another twenty-two if you counted the ones that just didn't call him at all.

And then his phone rang again. Rolling his eyes he sighed, 'Guess we'll get this rejection over with fast.'

Picking up the phone he preemptively spoke.

"Beep. Leave your message after the beep so when I get back I can call you back. Be-" A laugh cut through his beep as he blinked. As per what logic would dictate, this wasn’t that normal. Yet somehow it felt familiar...

"Things never change, do they? Especially with you." Marcus blinked in realization before sighing in exasperation as he could practically hear the grin from the other side of the call and her speaking in English didn’t hide her identity.

"Neither with you, Kyouko." He shot back in the same language, crossing his legs as he put the phone to his ear.

"..." A pause. "Well, just a bit. Thankfully you're still using the same phone number... Could you do me a favor?"

"Already? Jeez, you sure still are as energetic as ever." Marcus laughed, how long has it been since he had spoken to her?

She laughed herself but it was short-lived, "You know where the Tekazawa Hospital is right?"

"Yeah, why?"

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

"Could you head over and ask to visit Room 212?" A weight filled his stomach as his intuition kicked in.

"...Yeah sure." An audible sigh passed over before a new voice spoke.

"Miss Smith, it's time for your medication." ...And that cemented the weight and promptly tossed it into the ocean called his guts.

"Ah...!" She let out a surprised noise before speaking, "Uhm, please, and I'll see you then." With that Kyouko hung up.

Marcus looked into the phone number, wondering what had gone on in the two years he hadn't seen them seriously. Not making any headway he stood up, slapping his cheeks. Deciding to think about that after, he headed out of his apartment building and unlocked his bike.

Pedaling, Marcus made way to the hospital.

/[]/[]/[]/

Skyscrapers that towered in the distance slowly came closer as the urbanization of Tokyo did the same. Marcus lived on the outskirts due to housing being cheaper there but it came at the cost of less work. His legs burning with a familiar sensation, one he felt nearly every day due to this being his main mode of transportation. Soon the hospital came into view, a red cross dotting the rightmost part of the building with its logo and title right beside it.

Pedaling into the parking lock, he locked up in a hurry before practically flying into the building. A few moments later the door to room 212 slid open as Marcus stepped in, his chest rising and falling noticeably.

Her bed was situated near the window, the dark gray wispy clouds covering the sun so not much light streamed in. She looked much different then she had seven years back, her platinum blonde hair falling down, spilling across the pillow, her button nose no more yet her amber eyes stayed the same-- caring and warm.

“Yo.” Marcus raised his hand in greeting as Kyouko waved back.

“Hey!” Her voice was a tad different as well, before comparable to a mouse now… a cat he guessed? A note of trepidation in her voice was very noticeable though.

“How’s it going?” Asked the rather tired man.

“Er, good.” She laughed scooting up in the bed so her back rested against the metal frame. Marcus moved and pulled a stool to her bedside, lifting himself up onto it with a grunt of effort.

“What happened?” Attempting to keep any inflection of emotion from his voice he asked, one finger tapping his knee. A nervous tick he picked up and couldn’t get rid of.

“Oh, you know…” Kyouko trailed off looking up at him hopefully probably trying to keep it simple, “This and that, I got a nice job at this small cafe.”

“And that’s got you bedridden?” Marcus’ eyebrow rose without amusement.

“Not really…?” She was dancing around the elephant in the room, shoulders tensing up as she continued, “I just wanted to talk to you!”

Yet there was no way he could take that for an answer… “That’s it?”

“Y-yeah,” She grinned, her smile as pretty as always, Marcus’ eyes stared into Kyouko’s own for a long moment before she sighed, smile falling off her face.

“Sorry, I’m just nervous and all,”

“Same, it’s been like, what? Five years?”

“Six actually,” Her shoulders relaxed slowly as their conversation went on. They talked about what happened since they had last seen each other. He deigned to leave out that his job as a waiter was expired by two months as he tried to make his life not seem like shit. Though Marcus knew she probably saw through it, his outfit wasn’t really what you’d call good either. Though neither touched on why she was laying in a hospital bed.

A thought crossed Marcus’ mind as he spoke it, “Hey, what if… you could go back in time? When would you go?”

She gave it a thought, her eyes closing as she exhaled thinking for a long moment.

“Back to high school maybe.”

He blinked before replying, “Why’s that?”

“Well I want to see him again, you know?” She shrugged, “I mean it’s not like I have long to live- Ah.” She put a hand to her mouth a sentence too late as she realized what she said. A poignant pause comparable to an hurricane in terms of intensity took the room. Finally, it was broken as Marcus spoke.

“...Why?”

She exhaled shakily, “It’s my legs— I can’t use them anymore.” Kyouko gave a shaky laugh as she pushed down the blanket covering her lower half and sure enough where her legs knees down should have been was gone, her hospital gown flattened to prove the point further.

“I see.” An eternity passed in his mind.

‘What the hell have I been doing the last five-six years of my life?’ Marcus thought to want to bash his head in right then and there. He hadn’t been doing anything. He told himself that he’d live a fulfilling life but all he had done was stagnate, bumbling around Tokyo like an idiot.

Taking hold of her hands Marcus gave a smile, “This’ll definitely be out of nowhere,” She blinked not knowing what he was doing-- the heavy atmosphere wafting away slowly, “Definitely will, but I just want to say sorry.”

“...I’m sorry as well.” She replied smiling back. “W-when I get out of the hospital…” She paused as if waiting for a response.

“Yeah?”

“Buy me something sweet, alright?” She prodded him in the stomach, causing him to lurch back instinctively as he gave a small laugh, the weight of what just happened sliding off. Rubbing his reddening nose he grinned.

“You betcha!” Glancing out the window, stars started to appear in the clear darkening sky. Standing up off the tool, he pushed it back into place.

“I’ve got to get going, when do you get out of the hospital?”

“In two weeks.”

“Then I’ll see you in two weeks.” Saluting with two fingers he waited for her to wave before he left. He wasn’t crying on the way home. He wasn’t shouting at people who asked him if he was alright as he locked his bike up.

Slamming the door shut and locking it, he sighed slowly the silence of his apartment taking hold. Only bothering to take his coat off he stumbled into his futon, eyes shutting in the darkness. Though he was dead tired his mind was still thinking. For the next few hours, he was muttering to himself before shouting and slamming his hand into his futon.

“God da-” The darkness turned to light as his hand smashed into wood. “Mi- ah it!” He barely contained his scream as pain came in waves from his hand.

Holding his hand he squeezed his eyes shut, noticing a sound. Cooking? The sound and scent of bacon sizzling was the most noticeable even through the pain.

Opening his eyes he found himself not in his apartment but his bedroom.

‘What the fuck?’ Marcus thought, blinking before a voice pierced the sizzling.

“Get up Marcus! I swear to god if you’re late for school again!”

...It took a moment to process what his mother said.

“What the fuck?”