Yawning, I woke up from my bed, feeling grateful for another day.
I stood up and opened the curtains of the window, pulling them wide as I inhaled the fresh air, letting out a sigh of relief.
"A date with Kichiro~"
It's been two years since Kichiro and I started dating, and now we're about to graduate... and head to the same college.
"Kyahh~" I squeaked like a little girl, giddy at the thought.
I grabbed my phone and called him.
No answer... geez!!
Again, he's probably been up all night playing games... I specifically told him to stop staying up late with Yukito-kun.
I sighed, taking a deep breath before putting the phone down and standing up once more.
"Well... since he's invited me on another date, I can't stay mad. But I'll definitely give him a little scolding," I hummed as I walked out of my room and headed to the bathroom for a shower.
After showering, I started getting ready, humming a sweet tune as I dried my hair and applied my makeup.
"Mhm, he'll love this~" I smiled cheekily to myself before grabbing my shoulder bag and leaving the house.
"Bye, Mom, Dad! I'm heading out!" They bid me goodbye, reminding me to stay safe.
...
I followed the usual path to Kichiro's house, but still, no replies or calls from him.
Seriously, he's going to get an earful from me later. Hmph.
I walked along, my phone in hand, scrolling through my Instaverse feed.
As the traffic lights turned green, signaling it was safe to cross...
Honk! Honk!
The blare of a truck horn shattered my focus. I looked up too late.
The truck slammed into me. My body was thrown, my vision spiraling out of control. A sharp, searing pain exploded across my face, everything happening so fast I couldn't even scream. My mind struggled to comprehend the force, the cold asphalt scraping against my skin as my body fell.
Then, everything went black.
---
The pain... it consumed everything. I felt like I was drowning in it, the sharp sting on my face unbearable, and my limbs... they didn't respond. I could barely focus, but I could hear the soft murmur of voices around me, growing louder, then fading away.
I was being moved... the shift from one place to another felt like a jolt, but the fog in my head kept me from fully grasping it. Everything was blurry, and it felt like the world was spinning, my body swaying like I was nothing but a rag doll.
Then came the soft beeping. It was constant, unnerving... like a heartbeat in the silence. My parents' voices were the only things breaking through, and even though I couldn't move, I could feel their presence, feel their worry pressing against me like a heavy weight.
"Miyuki! Miyuki, stay with us!" my father's voice cracked through the haze. It sounded like he was shouting, but it felt far away, muffled as if underwater.
I wanted to respond, wanted to let him know I was there, but the pain kept me locked in place, my body refusing to cooperate. The edges of my mind were fading, slipping into darkness, but I heard him again.
"Please, don't leave us, Miyuki... please..."
I felt a tear roll down my cheek, the sting of it intensifying the pain on my face. It was almost too much to bear.
I need to see Kichiro...
The thought barely reached my consciousness, but it was there, sharp, desperate. I wanted him... I wanted his warmth, his reassurance. I wanted to tell him that I was still here, still fighting... but the only thing I could do was silently scream in agony.
I could feel it now—my face, swollen and bruised. The feeling of it… It hurt so much. But I couldn't move... not even an inch.
"We need a doctor for my daughter please!" I heard my father tell someone, his voice trembling, but firm. "We need to know how bad it is!"
How bad is it?
The question echoed in my mind, but it didn't matter. I couldn't even answer it. My body... it didn't work the way I wanted. The pain was all-consuming, filling every inch of my thoughts.
And as I lay there, feeling utterly helpless, I could only wish for one thing.
I just want to see Kichiro..
I passed out once more.
When I woke up, everything hurt. My head was spinning, my body felt numb, and there was a burning sensation on my face. I could feel a steady beeping in the background—a heart monitor, maybe? But I couldn't move. My limbs wouldn't obey, as if they were frozen in place. I tried to lift my hand, but it was like trying to move through water.
I could hear voices in the distance—familiar voices, but they sounded muffled, as if I was underwater.
"She's waking up," I heard my mom's voice, filled with worry.
My heart raced, but my body didn't respond. It was as if my limbs were uncooperative, paralyzed by some unseen force. Pain flooded through me again, sharp and unrelenting. My face... it hurts so much.
I tried to touch my face but couldn't. I couldn't even move my fingers. The pain on my skin felt like it was burning, as if someone had set it on fire.
"Mom… dad…" I whispered weakly, but the words didn't come out right. I could only hear the sounds of the hospital around me—the beeping, the soft murmurs of people talking.
"She needs help! Call the doctor!" my dad's voice echoed in the distance, frantic.
I wanted to tell him it was okay, but the pain was overwhelming. I could barely keep my eyes open.
In my mind, I called out for Kichiro. I wanted him more than anything, to feel his comforting presence, to have him beside me and make everything better. But... the pain was too much.
I cried out silently in my mind, my heart breaking at the thought of him not being here. It hurts so much...
Everything felt so cold, but my body wouldn't move, and wouldn't respond.
I tried to focus on the voices, on the sounds of the hospital, but the pain... it was too much.
I want to see kichiro..
The hours dragged on, each moment feeling like an eternity. I could hear faint voices, footsteps, and a commotion outside the room. My mind was a tangled mess of thoughts, but it all blurred into the background as my pain remained my sole focus.
Then, the door slid open, and my heart skipped a beat.
Ah... Kichiro...
I wanted to speak, to call out to him, but all I could manage was a whisper. The pain was still too much, and my voice felt so... broken.
His gaze landed on me, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I saw something different in his eyes. It was disbelief, yes... but there was something else. Something that made my chest tighten in ways I didn't understand. His face was unreadable, and for a moment, I thought he might turn away.
Is it really that bad?
The thought hit me like a punch to the gut. Did I look that terrible? Was I so hideous now that he couldn't even bear to look at me?
I tried to lift my hand, tried to reach out to him, but my body wouldn't listen. My fingers were stiff, uncooperative, and the weight of my own helplessness crushed me.
"K-Kichiro..." I managed to rasp, my voice so different now, so weak. It didn't sound like me anymore. It was barely even a whisper, a broken thing.
For a moment, his eyes widened in shock, his lips parting like he was about to speak... but then, he turned away. He left the room without another word, without even a glance back at me.
No...
I felt my heart break all over again. Why? Why did he look at me with such a cold, disappointed gaze? Was I really that awful to him now?
"M-mom..." I could barely form the words. My throat felt raw, tight, and I struggled to ask, "Can I see a mirror?"
My mother, still by my side, hesitated for only a moment before nodding. She slowly reached into her bag and pulled out a small, cracked mirror, holding it in front of me.
The moment I saw my reflection, it was like a slap to my face.
Is this... really me?
My once beautiful face was unrecognizable. The smooth skin I had always taken such care of was now swollen, marred by bruises, and raw in places. My lips were cut, uneven, and swollen, like they'd been stitched back together hastily. My eyes, once bright and full of life, were now swollen and bloodshot, barely open, and framed by dark circles.
My cheeks were bruised and puffed up, and I could hardly see my jawline anymore. It was like looking at a broken doll like something that had been shattered and put together again, but never quite the same. My face was a ruin, a hideous, stitched-up version of the one that had once been admired by so many.
Like a broken mirror.
I couldn't breathe.
I felt my heart sink, and tears welled in my eyes. I wanted to look away, but I couldn't. I couldn't escape the truth. The face staring back at me wasn't me anymore. It was... something else. Something worse.
And as I stared at my face of broken reflection, all I could feel was the overwhelming emptiness, the sorrow, and the ache in my chest.
After a few seconds of staring at my face, the door slid open once more, revealing...
"Yukito-kun," I whispered, my voice weak, the last person I wanted to see me like this. I didn't want him to leave me the way Kichiro did, looking at me with disgust.
I turned my head away, hoping he wouldn't see my face, tears streaming down, and my heart aching.
It hurts. Everything hurts.
Suddenly, I heard my mom and dad's voices fading as they reluctantly left the room. "Auntie, Uncle... can I have a private moment with Miyuki?" Yukito's voice was soft but firm, as if he had already planned this moment.
They left, likely hoping he could lift my spirits, but the only thing I felt was emptiness.
Yukito sat in the chair by my hospital bed. His presence was quiet, calm—yet there was a tension in the air that made me want to disappear.
"Go away," I said, my voice shaky, barely a whisper. I couldn't even give it the strength of a cold tone, not with the pain that flooded every inch of my body.
"Miyuki..." His voice was tender, but it still carried that weight I couldn't escape. "Could you look at me?" he asked gently.
I was scared. Scared of seeing his disappointment, scared of his pity. "What if he leaves too?" I thought.
But there he was, waiting patiently, his tone soft, pleading. "Please, just look at me."
Reluctantly, I turned my head, meeting his gaze.
"W-what... ugly, right?" I stammered, crying, sniffing, my heart pounding. I probably looked like a mess, and it hurt so much, both physically and emotionally.
"Ugly?" Yukito's expression shifted from concern to something else—soft, kind... loving. He smiled gently, his gaze warm and steady.
"All I see is still you," he said, his words simple but profound. "And that's all that matters."
He reached for a tissue, wiping away the tears from my bruised face with the gentlest touch, as if he knew the weight of every movement. His eyes never left mine.
He paused for a moment, then added, with a hint of the quiet wisdom only he had, "Sometimes, it's not about how the world sees you, Miyuki. It's about how you see yourself when everything feels broken."
His words sank in slowly, and for the first time in a while, I didn't feel so worthless. He wiped my tears once more while, sniffing softly.