The world around Haruto blurred into a haze as he knelt beside Miyuki, her fragile form crumpled against the ground. His hands trembled as he gently shook her, calling her name, but she didn't respond.
"Miyuki! Miyuki, please... please wake up!"
His heart was racing, pounding in his chest as panic surged through him. This couldn't be real. She couldn't be slipping away from him, not like this. She had to wake up—he had to do something. Anything.
Her skin was cold against his touch, and her breathing, shallow and erratic, felt like it was slipping through his fingers. A dizzying sense of helplessness washed over him. Miyuki was fading, and he was powerless to stop it.
"Miyuki, please... please don't leave me."
He held her close, his arms trembling as they wrapped around her fragile body. She had always been so strong, so determined, even in the face of her illness. But now... now she was so weak. The once vibrant girl he'd fallen in love with seemed so far away, her life hanging by the thinnest thread. He was running out of time.
Her eyes fluttered open for a moment, faint and glassy. Her lips parted, and a soft, almost inaudible voice reached his ears.
"Haruto... I'm sorry... I never... wanted to leave you like this..."
His breath caught in his throat as the words she spoke shattered him.
"No, Miyuki, no!" He cupped her face in his hands, willing her to stay awake. "Don't talk like that. I'll get help, I'll fix this—just hang on. You're going to be okay, I promise."
Her eyes looked at him, but there was no recognition in them anymore—only exhaustion. Her chest rose and fell unevenly as she struggled to breathe.
"I... love you..." she whispered, her voice barely a breath. "I'm... glad I met you... even if... it wasn't enough..."
Tears blurred Haruto's vision as he pressed his forehead against hers, feeling the coolness of her skin. "No... no, please don't say that. We still have time... We still have... so much to—"
Her breathing stilled, the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest suddenly halted. Haruto's heart skipped a beat. He pulled back in panic, shaking her again, more urgently this time.
"Miyuki! Miyuki!" But her eyelids remained closed, her body unresponsive.
His mind went blank. His body screamed at him to do something—anything—but there was nothing left to do. He could feel the weight of the truth pressing down on him.
"No... please, Miyuki. Please don't leave me."
Frantically, he fumbled for his phone, his hands shaking so badly he almost dropped it. He dialed the emergency number, his voice cracking as he spoke.
"Please... please, hurry! She's not breathing—Miyuki... she's... she's..." His voice caught in his throat as he tried to explain. He felt the crushing weight of the situation, but he could barely get the words out.
He could hear the operator's calm voice on the other end, instructing him to stay calm, to try to revive her, but it was too late. She was gone. He had failed her.
Minutes felt like hours as he desperately tried to help, but his hands were numb, and his heart felt like it was breaking with every passing second.
When the paramedics finally arrived, they rushed to her side, working quickly, their voices drowned out by the sound of Haruto's frantic breathing. But even as they tried to revive her, there was no miracle. The doctors' faces told him everything he needed to know.
"I'm sorry... we couldn't save her," one of the paramedics said gently, his voice barely audible above the deafening silence.
Haruto's world came crashing down. Miyuki was gone.
He stumbled back, falling onto the cold ground, his chest tightening as if he couldn't breathe. He couldn't grasp it—he couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that she was really gone.
"Miyuki..." he whispered brokenly, looking down at her lifeless form. Her face was pale, her lips parted in a way that only deepened the hollowness in his chest. She was gone, and he hadn't been able to save her.
How had this happened? How had it come to this? The girl who had been so full of life, the girl who had given him everything, had slipped away without a single chance to fight back.
He couldn't understand. It felt like he was drowning in a sea of guilt, regret, and loss.
The paramedics moved her body, preparing her for transport, and Haruto barely registered what was happening. His mind was numb, the reality of the situation seeping into his soul like a poison.
As the ambulance pulled away, Haruto remained by the lake, standing in the spot where they had shared so many of their moments together. The lake, once a place of solace, now felt like a cold reminder of everything he had lost.
He hadn't been able to save her.
His heart shattered as the weight of his failure settled over him. The beautiful, fragile girl he had loved with all his heart was gone, and there was nothing left but emptiness.
Haruto stared out over the water, his mind consumed with images of her—her laugh, her smile, the way she had looked at him when they were together. He had loved her. He had given her everything. And now she was gone.
All he had left were the memories... but they weren't enough to fill the void she had left behind.
As the sun began to set over the water, Haruto sank to his knees, unable to hold back the sobs that wracked his body. The pain, the heartache, it was too much to bear.
He had failed.
And now, there was nothing left.
---
As Haruto knelt by the lake, his world shattered, his phone buzzed once again. It was a message—one he hadn't expected.
Sakura: Haruto, I... I don't know what's going on. But I just got your message. Please, tell me you're okay. I'm coming to you now. Just please don't do anything.
His hand shook as he read the message. He couldn't keep running from the truth anymore. He had failed everyone. And now, there was only one way to make it all stop.
But then, another message came through.
Miyuki: Haruto, I'm sorry I couldn't be stronger for you. But know that you made me feel more loved than I ever thought possible. I'll always be with you, even if I'm gone.
Tears filled Haruto's eyes as the weight of Miyuki's words crushed him. He had to say goodbye to her, to both of them.
Without thinking, he typed his final message.
Haruto: Sakura, Miyuki… I'm sorry. I couldn't save her. I couldn't save us. It's too late now. Goodbye.
He pressed send before he could second-guess himself.
The tears fell freely, and he stared at the water. All he wanted was to be with her again. All he wanted was to escape the pain.
---
Meanwhile, Sakura rushed to the lake, a sense of dread pulling her faster than she had ever run.
She couldn't comprehend what she was reading in Haruto's message. She tried calling him, but it went straight to voicemail. The message was all she needed to hear: he was at the lake, and he was saying goodbye.
The fear that gripped her heart was unbearable. She had to get there, to reach him before it was too late.
She arrived at the lake to find the fading light of the sunset casting long shadows across the water.
"Haruto!" she called out, panic rising in her chest. Her eyes scanned the area, and then, finally, she saw him—kneeling by the water, his face stained with tears. His back was to her, and he didn't respond to her desperate cries.
She rushed to him, her heart hammering in her chest, but when she reached him, her breath caught in her throat.
Miyuki... Miyuki was gone.