Few weeks later...
It was a cool afternoon when Haruto met Miyuki at their usual spot by the lake. The air felt heavy, like it knew something was coming, something that neither of them were ready to face. Haruto noticed how Miyuki's movements were slower today, her steps quieter, like she was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders.
Over the past few days, Miyuki had been distant. Her smiles were rare, and when she did smile, they seemed forced, like a mask she was struggling to keep in place. Haruto had tried to ignore it, not wanting to face the truth he was beginning to see—her health was getting worse. But it had become too much to ignore. Her faint tremors, the way she would suddenly look exhausted, the way she seemed to pull away from him—it was all too much. He could feel it in the pit of his stomach.
As he waited by the lake, the familiar rustling of leaves in the trees above felt more ominous than usual. When Miyuki arrived, her eyes were red, as though she had been crying. It made his heart tighten in his chest.
"Miyuki," he called softly, his voice breaking the silence between them.
She looked at him, and for a brief moment, he thought he saw a flicker of the old Miyuki—the one with the quiet strength, the one who loved life and lived it fiercely. But then the flicker was gone, replaced by something softer, more fragile.
"Haruto…" She whispered his name like it was a secret she could no longer keep. "We need to talk."
The words sent a chill through him. He swallowed hard, trying to push back the dread rising inside him. "What's wrong?" he asked, though he already knew the answer.
Miyuki took a deep breath, the weight of her decision heavy in the air. "Haruto, I… I've been thinking a lot lately. About us."
He took a step forward, reaching for her hand, but she pulled it away gently. Her eyes were filled with sorrow. "Miyuki, what is it? Whatever it is, we can face it together."
She closed her eyes briefly, gathering her strength. "I don't think we can, Haruto. Not anymore."
The words hit him like a punch to the stomach. "What do you mean? What do you mean, we can't face it together?"
Miyuki stepped back, her face clouded with pain. "Haruto… my heart's getting worse. I don't have much time left. And I decided I don't want you to be there, watching me fade away slowly."
Haruto's breath caught in his throat. He had known that her condition was getting worse, but hearing her say it so plainly, with so much finality, shattered something inside him. He stared at her, his mind reeling.
"You're not serious, right?" he asked, his voice trembling. "Miyuki, we can fight this together. There has to be something we can do. We can go to another doctor, find another treatment, something—"
Miyuki shook her head slowly, her voice quiet. "It's not that simple, Haruto. There's nothing else to try. The doctors said… it's just a matter of time."
His chest tightened with panic. "But I don't care about that. I care about you, Miyuki. I can't let you go. Please, don't leave me. You're everything to me. I love you Miyuki."
"I know you do," she whispered, her voice breaking. "That's why this hurts so much. I can't ask you to watch me suffer. I can't ask you to spend what little time I have left with me, knowing I'm just going to fade away. I love you too much to put you through that."
Haruto took another step forward, his hands shaking as he reached for her. "No, Miyuki. I don't care what happens. I don't care about the future, I don't care about anything but being with you. You're not alone. You'll never be alone. I will always be there for you."
Miyuki turned away from him, her eyes closed as if she were trying to block out his words. "I love you too, Haruto. But I can't let you watch me die."
His breath hitched in his throat, the words stinging him deeper than he could have imagined. The thought of losing her—of seeing her slip away from him—was unbearable. But Miyuki's words echoed in his mind, repeating over and over again, drowning out everything else.
"I'm not asking you to watch me die, Haruto. I'm asking you to live without me. I can't keep holding on to you when I know it will only bring you more pain." Her voice was barely a whisper now, her body shaking with the effort of holding herself together.
"No," Haruto said again, the word slipping from his lips as if he could will reality to change. "I can't lose you. I can't—"
"I have to go, Haruto." Her voice cracked, the tears spilling down her cheeks. "For you. For both of us. You deserve someone who can be with you, someone who won't break your heart with every passing day."
Haruto stood there, frozen, his heart shattering with every word she spoke. He didn't know how to fight this, how to convince her to stay when the truth was staring him in the face. His world was slipping through his fingers, and he couldn't stop it.
"I'm sorry," Miyuki whispered, turning her back to him. "But I have to say goodbye."
Haruto's body felt numb, his mind racing, trying to grasp what was happening. He couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't speak. Everything around him seemed to blur, fading into nothingness.
"Miyuki," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "Please."
She didn't turn around. Her silhouette was swallowed by the dimming light as she walked away, leaving him alone by the lake, his world falling apart around him.