Hey, What took you guys so long?" Shirogane asked as the two boys sat down at their table.
"Uh... Yea… sorry." Daiken said nervously.
"Ok?"
'Wonder what happened earlier. He looks kinda scared.' Shiro said internally.
'Love, addictions, and obsessions go hand in hand [(In hand) three hands XD]. Which can be very harmful if they are over human control. "Love is like a drug, it can kill." I have heard this phrase many times in the nineteen years that I have lived on this Earth.
"Welp, bout the suits…. Ken"s father called and said that he has a lot of suits in this color so you guys can keep it."
"What no- I can't take it like that. It was hard enough to ask, there is no way I am going to take them." Daiken said, snapping out of his nervousness.
"Ichi's right we can't take the suits like that," Shirogane said, backing up Daiken.
"Nah, it's… wait. Senpai, did you just call Daiken - Senpai by his nickname?" Kenichi said looking up from his game.
"Oh ho, Nicknames are usually given as a form of expressing affection… Anyone who heard it would think you guys are lovers or something."
"Kuni, don't say anything," Kenichi said quietly without looking at Kunimichi.
"Huh? What do you… mean…" Kunimichi looked around and stared in shock.
He saw the most horrible faces that he has ever seen. Faces of disgust and hate. The customers of that ramen restaurant who were office workers probably on their break gave loathsome faces and whispers amongst themselves. The whispers became quite loud and the talking had died down. Shirogane had hidden his face with his hands and Daiken put his head down.
'Ah…it is homophobia.'
"G-guys ca-can we leave? Please…" Shirogane said in an unusually soft voice that had pain mixed with it.
"Yea sure…" Kunimichi and Daiken stood to leave, Keichi already left to the cash register to tell them that they were going to cancel their orders.
"Well… me and Ken are going this way," Kunimichi said, pointing in the opposite direction of the restaurant. "Dad called me for something."
"I'm heading home. Imoto needs help with something." Daiken said emotionlessly.
"I'll be going back to the hospital," Shirogane said with his head still lowered. "Anee-San's suffering so I have to check up on her. See you guys later."
Leaving first, Shirogane stepped into the depressing hospital once again for the second time of the day. But this time he too was gloomy and had a depressing aura around him. The sun had already set and the street lamps were starting to light up. The shops around had their flashy, attractive lights switched on.
"Shi..to... Hey, you ok?" Kousaki's uncle from earlier stopped the boy from moving any farther.
"Oh yeah. I'm good. Came to see how Anee-San was doing." He replied looking up and trying his best to put on his usual smile.
"Uh-huh? If there is anything you would like to talk about I would be happy to listen." He said, smiling eerily.
'Sometimes I can tell when someone is being overly nice to me. Probably to get information out of me. When my mother used to take care of me, her advice would come up at the most random times. One of the things I remember most times is "People will always try to find your weakness and put you down. It is always at your lowest moments." Other times it's the person's spirit which talks to me.'
"Sure. I'll let you know if I need someone to talk to."
'But this time it's my gut. This man has no spirit with him which is weird. Ever since I was a kid I ever trusted him neither do I do now.'
"If you're looking for Uehara-San's room, it's 603." He said walking Shirogane to the room.
"Thanks, uncle Sasu for all your help," Shiro said, cringing in his head.
"Haha, you are always welcome to ask for help. I am your uncle." He replied with a creepy smile that made his eyes look smaller.
"Haha…"
'I. DON'T. WANT. TO. BE. NEXT. TO. HIM.' He screamed internally.
Walking over to Uehara Anee-San's room, Uncle Sasu leaned on the door frame as Shirogane went over to his sister's side. Caressing her cold, blue hands Kousaki kept praying for recovery.
"She isn't in critical condition but it's not good either. There has been a concussion to her head so she might get headaches and memory imbalances now and then so it's best to stay by her side. You can leave her in my care until she can leave the hospital." Uncle Sasu said, still leaning on the door frame.
"Nah… It's fine." He smiled weakly. "Uehara Anee-San has done so much for me so it's best I do the same for her."
"Ok if you need anything you can press the nurse's bell that's on top of her bed." He replied with an eerie smile before he left Shirogane alone in the room with his sleeping sister.
"Ne, Anee-San… Please be ok again." Sobbing he held her frail hands tightly as if she were to turn to dust and fly away. " You are the only one I have left. Please, I need you."
As he kept crying beside the body that never heard a word he had said there was a small knock on the big white hospital door that was closed. The sound wasn't that loud and could barely be heard.
"Y-Yes?" Shirogane said, opening the heavy door revealing a thin tall nurse in white.
"Oh… well you must be a guest for Ms. Uehara." She said smiling. "It's time for me to change the I.V fluids."
"Ahh yes." He said opening the door for the small lady to come in.
"If I may ask, how are you related to Ms. Uehara? Doctor Sasu said that she doesn't have any relatives."
"I'm her brother," Shiro replied, staring at how the nurse changed the I.V bag.
"Brother? Woah I didn't think that she would have one." Surprised, she began to examine Shiro from the corner of her eye.
"Yup." He said nervously.
"Well, that's done. I'll take my leave now." She said to Shiro who stood at the doorway and bowed as she left.
"Huh? Shirogane?" Said a familiar voice from outside.
"Aoi-San! You are here too?" Shiro replied with a genuine smile.
"Haha yeah, Nishihina and I were visiting my mother." He replied, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Nishihina here's too? That's great, at least you aren't by yourself." Shirogane said, patting Aoi on the back.
"Heyyy, come oooonnnn I'm hungryyyyy." whined a little girl that had long blue hair in a high ponytail who was speed walking to Aoi.
"Speak of the devil."
"Ehhh… Shirogane Senpai? What brings you here?" She said coming to a stop.
"Hello, Nishihina-Chan." He said with a smile. "How are you doing?"
"I'm doing great. Thanks for looking after my clumsy cousin for the past three years." She said pointing to Aoi who stared in disbelief.
"Haha, Nah… I should be the one thanking him for putting up with me for all these years." He replied, dimming his smile.
"Have you eaten yet?" Aoi cut off Nishihina from saying anything about him to Shirogane.
"Ahhh… Nope." He chuckled.
"Want to join us?"