PS: Sorry about that forgot to upload again. Life got real busy is all.
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On the way from Haneoka to Rabbit House, Togawa Sakiko felt like crying more than once.
Why would someone like her deserve such kindness?
She was the one responsible for Haru's injuries and hospitalization. By all rights, Tomori should have scolded her harshly like Anon would, yet instead she had been treated with gentleness so overwhelming that Sakiko no longer knew what to do.
Whenever she recalled the selfish words she had once spoken to Takamatsu Tomori, Sakiko was filled with endless guilt and regret. She owed her far too much, and such a debt could not be repaid lightly.
But now she could not even find the words to thank her. All she could do was hold that feeling tightly in her heart.
"…I have to go to the hospital and see him too."
Yes, she could not let herself sink into despair.
Tomori was right, she had to visit Haru.
He had thrown himself in harm's way to rewrite her fate of being struck by a truck, only to suffer those terrible injuries himself. And when he awoke, without a thought for his own pain, the very first thing he did was worry about her safety.
Yet before he saved her, she had said such cruel words to him…
Why did he save her?
A storm of conflicting emotions surged within her heart. Every time she thought of it, the pain cut through her chest like a blade. Guilt consumed her mind, and with it came an unshakable resolve.
Today, she would go to the hospital. She would apologize to Haru in person.
At the same time, she could not betray Tomori's concern. Sakiko carefully pressed small bandages against the wounds on her wrist and knee, then tucked away a slip of paper with Haru's room number deep inside her bag.
"…"
She rubbed at the redness around her eyes, fists clenching unconsciously.
"Vice Manager, it's almost closing time, you know?"
The lively words landed in her ears like an incantation, yanking her out of her self-absorbed haze. Sakiko snapped her eyes wide open, staring in disbelief at the smiling blonde girl beside her at the Rabbit House counter.
A chill shot down her spine, cold as a snake's scales pressing against her back. Sakiko froze, unable to move.
"You, you…"
"Vice… Vice manager? Are you alright?"
The blonde waitress with braided hair flinched in confusion. Sakiko's sickly pale cheeks had no trace of color as she pulled out her phone with trembling fingers.
When the glowing screen showed "December 10," fear and tension ebbed from her like a receding tide.
"…Was it just my imagination?"
"Vice manager? Vice manager?"
Sakiko murmured at her phone, lost in thought, while the waitress waved a hand in front of her face. The once cool and strict vice manager showed no reaction, leaving the younger girl flustered.
What should she do now?
Maybe the assistant manager was becoming a little unbalanced from not seeing the manager for so long?
"…Sorry, I was a little distracted."
Sakiko rubbed her temples, her voice tinged faintly with relief.
The countless repetitions of time's looping had scarred her more than she realized. Even now she still had reflexive reactions, and noticing it left her weary. The strain between tension and exhaustion drained her completely.
If time really did loop, would she be able to undo her mistakes?
"…What am I thinking."
This was not a dream, but reality.
Placing her hopes in something so fleeting, clinging to the idea of a time loop to erase the sins she had committed with her own hands… wasn't that just like what Chihaya Anon once told her?
Wanting the things she had done to vanish as if they had never happened.
A trace of bitter self-mockery flashed in Sakiko's eyes. She shook her head and said, "That's enough for today. Fujita, tell everyone to go home. I'll close up by myself."
"But, vice manager, are you really okay?"
The blonde part-timer bit her lip, speaking nervously. "You don't look well today. You were spacing out before, and there's still a lot of work to do. Maybe I should ask the manager—"
"No!"
Sakiko's sudden outburst startled her.
Realizing she had overreacted, Sakiko softened her expression and explained quietly, "I'll handle it myself. Don't tell the manager."
"…Alright, I understand."
The blonde girl nodded quickly, fear in her eyes, then fled from the room.
Sakiko's already strained nerves sagged with exhaustion. She slumped into a seat at the counter, blue strands of hair falling to her chest as a sigh escaped her lips.
She felt like an utter fool.
"I need to finish closing quickly… I still have to go to the hospital."
She forced herself upright, but with no sleep the night before, dizziness swept over her as her vision darkened. Startled, she caught herself on the counter to keep from collapsing.
The door chime jingled. Someone had pushed open the glass door.
Without lifting her head, she spoke automatically.
"Sorry, we're already closed for the day…"
But as she raised her eyes and saw the figure at the entrance, the words caught in her throat, refusing to come out.
It was a blonde girl.
She wore a black cap, her golden hair swaying down her back like firelight. A pair of sunglasses hid much of her face, but even half concealed, her beauty was unmistakable.
A face Sakiko could never forget, no matter how much it was hidden.
"…Uika?"
Her eyes widened in disbelief, her voice no more than a whisper.
…
The sunset spilled across the sky like burning silk, orange-red light scattering through clouds. Warm rays filtered through the café's windows, falling across the wood-grained table.
In front of the blonde girl sat a steaming cup of coffee. She had removed her cap and now stared at the table with a downcast gaze. Across from her, the blue-haired Sakiko sat pale and stiff, as though she dared not even breathe.
How had it come to this?
She could not look directly at her. She could not find the courage to speak.
Why was Uika here? How did she know?
The silence stretched until Uika finally lifted her lavender eyes, a shadow of bitterness softening her beautiful face.
"I came to see you today, Sakiko, because I wanted to apologize."
"…Apologize?"
Sakiko blinked wide-eyed. Of all the reasons for Uika's visit, this was the last she expected.
"I heard everything from Mutsumi. About what happened yesterday… I never thought my actions would hurt you, or Haru, so much. What happened was my fault alone."
"No! That's not true!"
Sakiko shot up in alarm at Uika's bowed apology, shaking her head furiously like a child's rattle, her eyes full of guilt.
"It was my fault! If I hadn't recklessly pulled away from Haru, he wouldn't be lying in that condition now!"
"This isn't your fault. I was the one who stepped between you two."
Tears shimmered in the blonde girl's eyes. Only then did Sakiko notice the tremble of her lips. From the very beginning, Uika had been burdened with guilt, insisting on carrying all the blame herself.
Her words left Sakiko stunned, unable to answer. She could only whisper in exhaustion, "No, it isn't like that… it isn't."
"The truth is, I already knew you were working here. I saw you by chance before, entering the café."
Sakiko flinched, blurting out without thinking, "If you knew, then why didn't you come in to see me back then?"
"…Because Haru stopped me. He didn't want me to say anything."
"Haru?"
Her amber eyes widened in shock.
In just a single day she had learned so much from Tomori and now Uika, all about things Haru had done behind the scenes for her. How much more had she failed to see?
How much did she truly owe him?
Sakiko's eyes brimmed as she clenched her fists tight. How could she ever have said those cruel words to him? Right now she wanted nothing more than to slap her own face.
"To fall for the one my friend loved, it was entirely my fault."
"But I don't regret it."
The blonde girl lifted her head with a look of self-reproach, her long hair shimmering in the sunset like fine silk.
"Even if you end up hating me, Sakiko, I will never regret it. Because I truly, deeply love Haru. I've already fallen so far I can't pull myself out. For him, I would give up everything I have."
"Uika…"
Sakiko had no words. All she could do was sit there as the most ordinary listener.
Why had she never realized before that Uika's love for Haru could not possibly be any less than her own?
"No matter how much you blame me, I don't want to leave Haru's side anymore. But I also don't want to hurt you, Sakiko, because you're my best friend too."
"Sakiko, you really… can't accept anyone else?"
Her lips parted, thoughts rushing into her mind.
She suddenly remembered how Wakaba Mutsumi had once earnestly tried to persuade her, before she even met Haru. And then Takamatsu Tomori, who grabbed her hand so tightly. Both of them had said something like what Uika was saying now.
But back then, Sakiko had refused to listen to anyone.
She ignored Tomori, ignored Uika, ignored even Mutsumi's sincerity. Just like in those dreams, she had been selfish and thoughtless, blind to anyone else's feelings.
"Uika, I… I have to go see Haru now!"
…
"This is so good! As expected of you, Umiri, peeling apples yourself."
Haru lay in the hospital bed, chomping happily as he raised his bandaged left hand. His thumb stuck out stiffly, round like Doraemon's paw.
Sitting at his side was Yahata Umiri, face expressionless as always.
After yesterday's incident, Ave Mujica's scheduled training had of course been canceled. With no rehearsal and no mercenary jobs for the day, Umiri had the time to visit him.
"You still have the energy to joke like that. Looks to me like you didn't learn your lesson."
Wearing her black leather jacket, the cool beauty frowned faintly as she sliced the apple with swift precision, peeling, cutting, and shaping it into a little rabbit. Her practiced skill almost looked professional.
Haru only smiled at that, offering no rebuttal.
He simply enjoyed the quiet moment of being fed, the room filled only with the soft rasp of the knife against the fruit.
"How's Sakiko doing now?"
The question came suddenly from Umiri.
Umiri's hand froze for just a second. After years as bandmates, Haru could read the faint chill beneath her otherwise blank expression. Anyone who knew her would notice her mood darkening.
He hesitated, then said, "I messaged her after I woke up yesterday. But it's still unread. Still, I think she's alright…"
"That's not what I meant."
Umiri brushed back a loose strand of hair, her metallic earring flashing coldly. Her dark green eyes, clear and merciless, locked on him with a sharpness that froze the air.
"She hasn't replied. She hasn't even come to the hospital to see you. That doesn't sit well with me."
Haru knew exactly what she was feeling. In fact, her reaction was only natural.
If he hadn't restrained Taki yesterday, Taki would probably have stormed Haneoka by now.
But Haru couldn't let Umiri direct her anger at Sakiko. He waited until she finished speaking before replying gently, "Sakiko's just confused. And she didn't know my room number. Not everyone can calm down after something like that and act right away. Don't blame her too much. This isn't her fault."
Crack
The knife stabbed into the apple, making Haru flinch.
"And you don't think you need to reflect? Throwing your life away for someone else like that…"
Her eyes pierced his face like a blade. The pressure was overwhelming, like the weight of a brother pressing down, but Haru had endured her icy glare enough times before. He could handle it now.
He let out a long breath, his dark eyes steady.
"If it had been you there, Umiri, I would have made the same choice."
The air froze for a few seconds.
Then she pulled the knife free, cut another slice, and fed it to him. Before he could praise her, she leaned down.
Hot, burning.
The kiss lingered, long and heavy.
When she finally pulled back, her cold features had softened just a little. The still green of her eyes rippled with feeling, a faint trace of helplessness between her brows.
"I don't care what you think. Next time, before you do something like that, you'd better think of the people around you."
Her words were merciless, but her strong bassist's hands betrayed her. They slid into his sleeve and clasped tightly at his wrist, magnetic, unyielding.
Haru raised an eyebrow, a smile tugging at his lips.
"Did I ever tell you, Umiri, you've become cuter since we started dating?"
"…"
She stared at him coldly, her green eyes flashing with steel.
"When you're discharged, I'll come find you."
"…And may I ask, is that to support another band?"
A bad feeling stirred in him.
Her gaze sharpened, then shifted into a faint, knowing smile.
"You'll find out soon enough."
"And one more thing… This time, you won't have any excuse to run."