A quarter minutes have passed at nakalabas na sina Sebastian na buhat si Ciel sa kanyang mga braso. Paglingon nila sa company building ay may naaninag silang anino ng babae na papalapit sa kanila. Nakasaklay pa ito at tila tinitipid na ang kanyang energy para sa nais niyang mangyari.
"Help! Wait for me." pagmamakaawang sabi ng babae sa dalawa. She looked like she needed to combat her inner weakness in order to catch up with the gentlemen in front of her.
"Are you Ciel Phantomhive from the famous Funtom company?" tanong niya sa kanila at napatumba na lamang ito sa sobrang pagod. Tila sinabuyan ng asido ang kutis porselana ng babaeng kausap nila Ciel na dulot na rin ng itinuturok sa kanila na "meth" sa bogus na clinical trial.
"Indeed... I'm the one you are looking for." seryosong tugon naman ni Ciel. Sebastian lends his hand para may masandalan ang babae upang makahinga siya ng maayos.
"Are you alright my lady?" tanong ni Sebastian habang inaalalayan ang may sakit. Sobra ang galak na nararamdaman ng babae dahil after months of quarantine ay may makakausap na siyang matino ulit.
"Yes, but I may not last long. Thank goodness at may naabutan pa ako rito." naluluhang bulong nito sa kanila and a sign of relief was shown on her face for the first time.
"What the heck has happened to you?" nag-aalalang tanong sa kanya ni Ciel. Hinayaan na lang muna niya na magsalita ang babae to her heart's desire.
[Claire Yazawa…]
I was really happy that time nung nakarating ako sa Amerika ng ligtas at matiwasay. My ultimate goal sa pagsali ko sa foreign exchange program namin noon is not just about studies but the major factor is also my health issue.
Every year na lang ako pinapapunta sa ospital para magpacheck up sa kalagayan ng failed kong kidney. My brother was also waiting for me at the boarding house niya dahil napakaswerte ko na matched ang aming kidneys for transplant operation. That was a great success until we were doomed by the COVID virus.
I experienced drastic anxiety and depression lalo na't hindi ko magawang kamustahin si Mitsui dahil sa hirap ng telco services nila rito na kung minsan ay mistulang ginto ang halaga kung ba- bayaran mo ang expenses every month and most of the time ay tila ginigipit kami sa signal dahil sa sobrang bagal ng internet service provider namin.
In lieu of my previous predicament, I didn't let my friends know about my condition, even my lover from home. I know that was such a shame for me to hide my illness and I guess it even made me feel worse that I could also feel I'm no longer the woman he used to love as we grew up apart.
The moment that he always talks about Hillary over the phone was kinda logical from a few years ago right after I landed here in the USA. I knew that there would come a time when he would also eventually fall in love with my best friend kahit hindi niya iyon napapansin o sinasadya. Ako man ang una niyang minahal but Hillary can still provide all his needs which money couldn't buy.
Mitsui is not a cheater but when he feels alone, most likely I understand why he would betray me for his own sake kahit masakit sa kalooban ko. Masyadong advanced ang moving on stage ko para masanay na akong walang karamay.
Ganyan naman madalas kapag inuuna ang career sa love. Workaholic ang peg every single day para masave ko ang expenses namin para sa future, yet I still failed miserably to complete his world.
I let myself fall into the abyss and wala akong sinisi maski sinuman sa mga taong malalapit sa akin. It was just I'm more than ready to accept that love is not a fairy tale especially in our case.
Now that I need to face my own death, I felt nostalgic sa mga nangyari sa amin for the past years bago ko sila iniwan for abroad. Bumabalik lahat sa isip ko ang pinangako namin na forever at naguguilty na ako sa pagsasarili ko sa aking problema.
I just look at Phantomhive's state of awe for me and I'm not sure kung hallucination ba ang nangyayari sa akin. Napapanood ko ang duo nila sa anime and yet narito sila kasama ko sa aking huling hantungan.
Ciel Phantomhive might always be portrayed to have an icy glare but it doesn't change the fact that they saved me from the constant hell that I had experienced for the past months.
"I'm Claire Yazawa from Kanagawa Prefecture of Japan." pagpapakilala ko sa kanila. "When my brother discovered prominent researchers that reside within miles away from our boarding house, he pleaded with everyone from that company to help us get immunity through their vaccine developments. The sad part was he got involved in an accidental crash at the intersection which cost his life." paliwanag ko sa kanila habang isinisiwalat ko ang katotohanan even in my last breath.
"How come you were inside this facility?" The butler curi- ously asked me for the other details. I exposed everything that I know about the illegal research activity that happened.
"At first I don't trust anything in relation to vaccines or meds that are still undergoing numerous tests before they can be consumed by the public but as the rumors spread drastically to them, they forced me to participate in the said trial experiment. As a result of my current situation, it only proves that they are trading meths across the borders of the country and disguising themselves as a pharmaceutical company."
Pagkasabi ko nun ay bigla nalang sumikip ang dibdib ko na para bang wala ng katapusan ang paghihirap ko. I almost have an asthma dahil na rin siguro sa usok na galing sa nasusunog na building sa tapat namin. Lubos ang kasiyahan ko sa mga oras na iyon dahil may dalawang lalaki na pinagmalasakitan ako kahit sa huling sandali ng buhay ko.
Ramdam ko na hindi man kami personal na magkakakilala ay malinaw sa akin na mabuti ang puso nila. Yet somehow, I felt their presence broken as they saw me miserable. Nakapatong ang ulo ko sa binti ni Sebastian base sa pagkakarinig ko sa pangalan niya kanina sa building. I'm not even sure why the way they looked at me soothes me and lets me have peace in myself.
"Don't you even think that we are babysitting you because of pity." seryosong sabi ni Ciel at medyo nagulat ako nung nakita ko ang pangalan ni Mitsui sa listahan niya sa Funtom company.
Nahulog ang papel na iyon sa tabi ko at hindi ko expect na empleyado pala niya ang aking love. "Hey!" I made sure that I caught their attention.
"If you ever visit Japan, please let Mitsui know that I sincerely love him and I will always be by his side." Nasabi ko na lang ang gusto kong sabihin base sa aking emosyon.
This is it. Last shot ko na at hindi ko na mapigilan ang luha ko sa pagtulo. I always felt guilty for leaving him behind for my dreams. I was so emotional to the point na para akong namamalimos ng atensyon sa kanila.
"You were quite the stubborn one, weren't you?" Sabi ni Ciel sa akin at nakuha pa ni Sebastian na magbiro.
"The efforts you have dedicated will not be going to waste. Do you have any final words to say, Milady?" Sebastian asked me calmly nang hinawi niya ang buhok ko para makita niya ako sa aking mata.
I took a deep breath and let my emotions leave my body. "My Love, Hisashi, your happiness is my own healing. Please take care of yourself and don't let Hillary harm herself again. I love you for eternity..." I relay my message to Sebastian habang inaalala ko sa pamamagitan niya ang alagang pinaramdam sa akin ni Mitsui noong malakas pa ang pangangatawan ko.
◄ ⏱End of Flashback⏱