"Yes, I know them. Why do you ask? Are you getting interested in them?" Lili asked, Lucy waited with her answer for a few seconds before she nodded.
"Can I ask about Haku?" Lucy asked, deep in thoughts. Lili nodded, took her phone, and sat on the bed next to Lucy.
"I'm not Gami, so I don't know details about them, but there are some things I can tell you…" Lucy nodded. She knew Lili was Atiny, that was the name of the group Ateez. So she assumed that Gami was the name of the fandom of GoCHU.
"He is Japanese. His full name should be Miura Haku, and I think he is twenty-four." Lili started and spent the next half hour explaining to Lucy, with the help of the internet.
The more Lucy knew, the more she liked them. Actually, some of the videos they watched were hilarious and their personalities were really something to like. And the songs were just amazing.
"So, why did you suddenly get interested in them? I remember you said that you never want to have anything with idols." Lucy nodded. Yes, because she once interpreted for this arrogant a-hole. And he spoiled everything from that industry for her.
"Do you remember that I've told you that my father was once consul in Japan? And that I was there during the summer holiday?" Lili nodded, getting what part of her life was Lucy talking about.
"I told you I met a friend there and that…" Lucy's voice just betrayed her and she had to breathe to calm herself down. Lili patted her back and waited for Lucy to finish.
"Actually, we got really close. But my father went back, and I had to leave with him. Apparently, Haru was really sick and I remember that he was in hospital when I was leaving."
It was a bit different from what she told Lili. It was nowhere near a peaceful scene, and now she was ashamed of what scene she made.
It was her third summer in Japan. The third summer she had known Haru. The first year she spent learning Japanese, and after that, she had a somewhat fluent conversation with that boy.
They were both thirteen at that time. Nowhere near being kids. And even now, when Lucy remembered the feeling she had for him, it could be described only as first love. Her puppy love for a handsome boy.
But it didn't end well.
"Haru, Haru, what happened to you?" She ran to the room and halted her steps next to his bed. He was all white, his black hair emphasizing his paleness even more than usual.
"Calm down, Lulu," he said faintly, but patted her head, calming her down that way. She really liked his voice and the way he smiled. So handsome.
"What happened to you?" she asked once more, but now a lot calmer. Haru looked behind her at her father and nodded as a greeting. But Lucy ignored him. She was only here for Haru. Otherwise, Japan for her alone would be pretty boring.
"Nothing, I just had a high fever…" he smiled at her. Lucy knew something was off.
"Don't try this. I'm not stupid. You could have just taken meds if you had a high fever. No need for hospitalization." She narrowed her eyes in suspicion. Haru looked confusedly around, seeking help, but then chuckled
"Maybe it's different in Japan and in Czech…" That made sense. But that didn't completely satisfy Lucy.
"Have you told her already?" The low whisper hadn't escaped her ears. She was always very sensitive to sounds. Lucy heard a lot more and now she could hear the conversation between Haru's and her father.
"Shh, so she won't hear you. I haven't told her yet… She would be… distressed." Lucy winced. Her eye twitched because of the weird feeling she had. Something bad was going to happen.
"Michal, you need to tell her. Haru… will leave soon. You need to take her back home…" Lucy held back her breath when Haru grabbed her arms.
"Don't listen to them!" he exclaimed, and started coughing. It scared Lucy so much. She immediately grabbed the glass on the table and, before anyone else could do it, she helped him drink some of it while caressing his back. When Haru stopped coughing, Lucy saw his grateful smile and forgot about everything.
"Lulu, I need you to listen only to me. Look into my eyes and ignore what they are saying. Do you want me to tell you a story?" Lucy shook her head. She couldn't hear their parents' conversation anymore and it would be hard for Haru to talk. She only sat on the chair next to the bed and took his hand in hers.
"Promise me, you will be okay…" she whispered and laid her upper body down on the bed, while still holding his hand.
But he was quiet. Lucy knew he never could lie to her. Now, he only watched her with glassy eyes and bit his lower lips. And a red crescent mark appeared on the pale lips.
"Haru, promise me... Promise…" tears were falling down her eyes. As he looked at her and nodded.
"I will be alright," he said faintly. But Lucy's tears didn't stop. She started crying even more. She was always a cry baby and now, she feared something might happen to Haru.
"Dad, I will stay here. With Haru. Until he is better." She turned around and stared at her father. But he only shook his head.
"Lucy, we are catching a flight home. We can't stay here… We should already be at the airport." Lucy turned to Haru and squeezed his hand even harder.
"I'm not leaving," she exclaimed. But her father's hand appeared on her shoulder.
"Lucie, this is not something you can control. We are going." He was calm speaking Czech, totally opposite to Lucy, who was wildly shaking her head.
"I won't leave Haru, he is sick! I need to be with him! I like him!" she exclaimed once more. The dead silence that hung upon the room was penetrated by Haru's movements. He shook off Lucy's hand and looked at her. He had tears in his eyes, but smiled through it.
"I'm honored. But you need to go home. We live in different countries and not even mobiles will help us stay together. You will find someone you like as much as you have liked me. Don't worry…" He smiled. That didn't help. Lucy's crying became even worse when her father lifted her up and carried her away from Haru's room like a bag of flour.
She could only hang from his shoulder, shouting and crying, watching as Haru's face became distorted with pain and tears rolled down his face.
Lucy could hear two words he mouthed almost silently. And Lucy knew this was the last time she saw him.
"Goodbye, Lulu."