[Haruto's POV: ]

I had no idea how long I was out.

The last thing I remember is how something pierced my back before my consciousness began fading away. I heard a gunshot from behind which meant either Kazuko was able to retract his gun from the officer or he had a secondary weapon with him.

Well planned, he was.

The last thing I remembered was how Akira was in a panic and approaching me as her life depended on it. I felt sad at seeing such an expression of hers. It reminded me how I have only given sorrow to her.

It was disheartening.

"Why are you crying, Haru-kun?" I heard the familiar voice of the only girl I have come to love.

Her voice was too real to call it my hallucination. I tried parting my eyes and was able to grasp my surroundings for a bit.

The first thing my eyes were greeted with was a white ceiling. The strong smell of drugs assaulted my nose but it wasn't overbearing so I somehow held my nose from scrunching.

I didn't try moving my limbs since my body was still too exhausted to even lift my eyelids properly.

"Don't move yet, Haru-kun. You haven't healed completely."

I turned my head to the right from where the voice was coming from. If anything could put my anxious heart to rest then it was no one else than Akira.

'Ah... ' Inwardly, I sighed.

How many times I see her face, it never fails to make me admire her.

Akira has always been a girl who could captivate many just by doing nothing. Her crimson eyes have always allured me to look into them like there was no tomorrow. Even when I saw her in the mansion after so many years, above all my guilt and nervousness her gaze invited me to look at her shamelessly.

However, soon my heart sank as I saw the dark circles and red marks under her eyes. She hasn't slept for who knows how long and has been weeping because of me, wasn't she?

"Sorry, Akira..."

"Don't be, Haru-kun. Nothing that happened was your fault nor my current state is your responsibility to take. I just wanted to be on your side and be the first person whom you see that's why I skipped some sleep."

She's perceptive enough to notice my gaze and understand the unspoken words. I wonder if I could do the same.

Even now, I don't know what she's thinking but for sure she was dead concerned about me.

"What about Kazuko...?"

I was barely able to talk but somehow uttered those words regarding the culprit who took the law into his hands just because of his love for Akira.

How severely he destroyed his life by taking such a decision makes ms feel pitiful of him. I did try pursuing that guy but nothing worked.

"That..." For some certain reason, Akira's eyes turned emotionless like she was thinking of some disgusting thing. It felt more like she doesn't even consider Kazuko a human anymore.

It was only an instance before Akira's eyes turned normal as she warmly informed me, "Don't worry about him, Haru-kun. Now he nor anyone else could harm you."

The way she held my hand and assured me, spread a sense of warmth across my chest. As I said, only this girl can both, make my heart restless and put it back to rest.

"What about your family? Are they still here?"

Slowly yet surely I was able to converse a little better than before as I asked something which was concerning me since the time I was abducted.

For some reason, hearing my question, Akira sighed and tilted her head to the left as she brought my hand in between her shoulder and cheek.

It felt good.

"Sometimes I feel that I don't deserve you, Haru-kun. How considerate and attentive you could be for a family who didn't even completely accept you before. Seriously, I must have been some kind of saintess in my previous life to gain someone like you."

That should have been my line Akira and in the first place, one day I would also belong to the Takahashi family as well so it's better if I try to close our distance.

But for Akira, it seems my concern relating to her family matters a lot.

"Sadly, they had to leave since it was already over three days and they had their work to handle."

My eyes slightly widened hearing that it's been already over three days since that night.

"It means...you haven't slept for three days?!"

I couldn't help but exclaim and as I thought Akira wryly smiled before replying with something ridiculous, "I am taking pills so..."

"Are you an idiot, Akira?! Why are taking medicine to remain awake? Don't you care for yourself even a little bit? What would-cough! Cough..."

"Haru-kun!" Akira panicked but since it was just normal coughing because I suddenly began scolding her, I calmed down soon.

"Akira...right at this instance...go and take some sleep...or I won't talk to you for a month..."

"That...! That's unfair!" Akira retorted with a droplet of tears already visible in the corner of her eyes.

I didn't want to pressurize her with the warning but I have got no other option left.

Akira tried convincing me but I just closed my eyes and played ignorant. It continued for a whole five minutes before she surrendered.

"Fine....baka! I will go and sleep but I would set the alarm for four hours and the very moment you feel anything I am going to come here, alright?"

I happily nodded at the sweet girl who despite being a little stubborn at times, listen to my requests.

Akira glared at me for once before she got up. She has already told me where the emergency switch was so I could call the doctor. She would inform a (male) nurse as well to remain around my room to check up on me from time to time.

"Haru-kun..." Just as Akira was about to turn it seemed she remembered something before she called out for me. I just raised my brows before she continued.

"I...informed your parents about the incident and they are waiting outside to meet you..."

"..."

*****

A/N: - Drop a comment~