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Sometimes at night, thinking about him, I’d wonder how Kou Minamoto would die. I had no reason to, but it was one way to try to get the more romantic images of him out of my head.
Maybe… He’d die protecting me from an angry supernatural or sacrifice himself. Something heroic, that's for sure.
Little did I know how far, far off I was.
.
.
.
It was early winter, with a light, sweet dusting of snow on the ground. It could have been easily removed with kitchen salt.
I’d been running a little bit late to a ‘date’ with Minamoto-kun. Scrambling to find a cute outfit (Obviously not to impress him) and my coat, I’d left home without my phone—big mistake.
I wonder what would've happened if I hadn’t been rushing…
I scurried off to the corner street we always met at, only slipping on the icy sidewalk a little as I sped past houses and cars.
“Hey! Minamoto-kun!” I managed to shout over to the other side of the crosswalk in between my little gasps for air.
“Huh?” He looked up from his phone and quickly shoved it into his pocket, “Oh! Hey Mitsuba!” He cupped his hands together into a cone to project his voice, “I’ll be over in a sec, hol’ on!”
I giggled. His outfit looked as stupid as always: a black T-shirt and jeans, a small thin green coat, and his signature lame-ass-traffic-safety earring. He never went anywhere without that earring; only took it off when he slept.
He waited till the sign changed to the ‘walk’ symbol and started to rush over across the road, twirling his earring and probably hoping I wouldn't see the blush on his face (Too late for that). He had this goofy, sweet, warm smile that I wish I could forget. It was so bright that it’d taken me a few seconds to realize what’d happened.
Wait… Wh-why is…
Before either of us had the chance to react, a huge outta’ control semi ran through the red light.
Everything was happening too slow, yet way too fast. The truck slammed into Kou and… a-and sent him abruptly soaring through the air. That stupid, dumb idiot’s smile faded into something more grim as he skidded across the grainy road. The sound his head made when he hit the ground was the worst part. Even worse than the dark deep red and the chunks of his flesh and bone splattered across the pavement.
Although his head never broke open, or ran over by the semi, the left side of his face, (around to where the middle of his cheek was), was skinned off. Even scarier is the fact that the opposite side of his body suffered from severe bone shattering. His ribcage snapped. His neck snapped. His hands on both sides were ripped off. And yet, he was still alive and in severe pain.
The driver of the semi hit a light pole somewhere near Kou’s body and died in the process.
And my dumbass didn't even have my phone. Not that I would’ve been able to call a 911 dispatcher through my sobs, gasps, throwing up, and incoherent screaming.
Not that they would’ve understood me blabbering, “H-he needs his s-stupid earring… Wh-where’s his earring!? He needs his earring!”
Someone in a car rushed out and called through. I just bent over his not-yet-dead body, sobbing and freaking out.
“S-ous-ke… do-n… Cr-ry,” he gave his best attempt to console me while he was the one literally dying.
.
.
.
I don’t know why his brother let me stay at their house that weekend.
Kou was… He… He wouldn’t ever be able to cook for them again, would never tuck Tiara in for bed, or make sure his brother slept.
He’d never bring me back to his place for a sleepover where we’d watch a stupid movie and make out. He’d never do anything ever again.
But still, his brother told me that if I needed anything, I should go to him.
Maybe he felt bad that my mom was out of town and that I’d just witnessed my best friend and my boyfriend die. Maybe he felt obligated, as that was Kou’s dying wish, apparently. Maybe he let me stay because he needed someone who understood the pain.
But… I let him die, right in front of me.
I didn’t even touch his bed. I’d never be able to touch his bed without feeling a gaping hole where my stomach and heart should’ve been. I just sat on his floor holding one of his shirts in my hands.
I held onto it like it was him. I breathed it in, cried into it, let myself imagine a sick scenario where I saved him. Where I got hit instead. Any possible outcome that resulted in him living. That's how I survived that night.
The next night was harder. Chaos ensued in the Minamoto residence. People coming and leaving, donating food and clothes, and offering to watch the two living residents. Once Teru finally put a sign on the front door that said in bold red letters, ‘Don’t disturb. Shrine worship for kou & Sleep time for Tiara’ the people stopped coming.
I left the room at 2:06 am. While I was walking over to Teru’s room, I contemplated on how to ask to use his phone to call my mom. I almost knocked before hearing weak, soft crying coming from his closed door.
“I cou’ve,” Sniff, “Saahhveed hiim… I-It’s my fault… I shoul’ve been stron-nger…”
He sounded pathetic. That was something I never thought I’d be able to say about him.
Sure, his brother was-Used-to be a pathetic, lame baby…
I almost threw up on the spot, the mental image of Kou on the pavement scarring my brain for life. I burst out of their house, stumbling to the school in the dark, dangerous, cold night.
I was honestly pretty surprised once I made it there unscathed.
If only Kou had been as lucky.
I’d heard stupid rumors before, talking about apparitions that could grant wishes. I’d never needed one before now.I’d had everything in my hands: I’d had Kou, my friends, my mom, my passion, everything I needed.
I worked my way to the old high school division building, up to the third floor, my legs burned as I trotted to the third stall in the women's restroom.
“P-pardon my intrusion,” I sighed, wiping my forehead from sweat that had accumulated from my sad little depression driven workout.
I let out one last sigh as I let my icy, red knuckles hit the matching red stall door three times.
“Hanako-san. Hanako-san. Hanako-san, are you-you there?”
I waited three minutes before I started sobbing. My knees hit the rough-textured, gross floor.
Through my choked sobs, I heard an oddly masculine voice, “I am Hanako-san, and I will grant your wish. However… You know I have to take something reaaally important from you to grant that wish.”
His voice was snobby and idiotic. He was clearly trying to make himself sound larger than he really was. In all honesty, he might have thought I was a girl.
“I know,” my voice caught him off guard. It became clear as day to me that he 100% thought I was a girl. “I don’t have anything to give, other than myself, really.”
His eyes widened. Even in the dark, it was easy to see him. He was definitely a boy (unlike what the rumors said. Ew, what a pervert), he had brown hair and wide circular honey-like yellow eyes, in all honesty, he seemed like he could've been my type if he wasn't a pervert (Yuck) and ugly (Double yuck).
“Really? Well… What wish do you want granted-and please, if ya’ trying to get help for a love confession, just beat it.”
I batted my eyes. Ew.
No, you came here for a reason, Souske! Don’t let this creep stop you!
“I want to switch spots with my boyfriend… I want him… To be alive.” I looked at the floor as I spoke, tears threatening to escape my bloodshot eyes.
“Wh-what?!” I looked back up to see the ghost- Hanako-san, shaking, eyes even wider. “Y-you, you know that you would like… Mess up the entire timeline and like space continuum?!”
My throat tightens, and I nod.
“D-damn, you must be down bad for this guy. But, if I grant this wish… - you may never meet.”
My heart skips. That would make it even better. He wouldn’t even long for me like I am now.
“PLEASE!” I begged up until the ghost boy sighed loud enough for me to stop.
“Fine… But… You’re going to have to help me in your next life…”
“That's fine… As long as Kou Minamoto Lives.”