Before My Memories With You Melt Away in Tears - Episode 62
“Kyoya-kun! Kyoya-kun!!”
Had Ayaka’s shout been heard? Teachers rushed in, panic in their steps.
“What happened!?”
“I… I don’t know… We were just talking like normal a second ago, and then… now…”
She desperately tried to explain to the homeroom teacher, but Ayaka herself had no idea what was happening. Just moments ago, they were chatting, and now Kyoya was lying still, not moving at all, not even speaking. What on earth had happened to him? She wished she could understand what was going on.
“We need to get him to the hospital!”
The ambulance, which was originally called to take Ayaka, now carried Kyoya.
“Kyoya-kun…”
The ambulance doors slammed shut with a heavy thud, and the loud wail of the sirens echoed. Ayaka could only watch, standing frozen.
After changing her clothes, Ayaka headed toward the staff parking lot. The school nurse was waiting there and helped her into the car.
Her hands shook as she fumbled with her seatbelt, unable to fasten it properly. The worry and anxiety over Kyoya’s condition clouded her thoughts.
What had happened to him? Had he regained consciousness? Could it be… he was… gone?
As she struggled with the buckle, she felt the nurse gently place her hand over Ayaka’s.
“Ikeda-kun hasn’t regained consciousness yet, but he’s still breathing on his own, and his heart is still beating,” the nurse reassured her.
“Really!?”
Ayaka looked up quickly. The nurse met her gaze with a calm, direct look.
“Okamachi-san, are you okay?”
“I… I was just a little out of breath, but I’m okay now,” Ayaka responded.
“Good to hear. We’re all worried about you too, you know.”
“Worried about me…?”
“Yes. I think it was Tsukizawa-san and Usami-san who came to the nurse’s office, asking ‘Is Ayaka okay!?’. They were really concerned about you.”
“Shuri and Fujino…”
The nurse went on to tell her just how worried they had been, how Fujino had cried after hearing Ayaka was okay, and how Shuri had sent message after message asking about her condition.
Ayaka had known they were worried about her, but hearing just how deeply they cared took her by surprise.
“I see…”
“You have wonderful friends.”
“…Yes. They’re my precious best friends.”
Ayaka pulled out her phone, which she had left in her uniform pocket. She scrolled through the messages from Fujino and Shuri, each one filled with concern.
“Thanks for worrying about me. I’m fine, they’re just making me go to the hospital just to be safe.”
Even though it was during class, both messages were read almost immediately.
“I’m so glad!! Really, I’m so glad!!”
“You took so long to reply! I was so worried!”
Shuri’s worried message and Fujino’s slightly annoyed reply (perhaps to hide her embarrassment) both made Ayaka smile. The way they were, so true to themselves, made Ayaka feel a warmth in her heart.
She had people who truly cared for her—real, genuine friends. This was something the old Ayaka, who only smiled on the surface and worried about what others thought, could never have imagined.
It was clear that Kyoya was the one who had changed her. Without Kyoya, she probably wouldn’t have been able to express her feelings so honestly like this.
But Kyoya wasn’t the only one. It was also because Shuri and Fujino hadn’t given up on her, because they kept standing by her and caring for her, that Ayaka had been able to change.
“I love Fujino and Shuri.”
Ayaka typed out the message, feeling more confident than ever. She hit send, and the checkmark indicating it was read appeared.
But there was no reply.
She wondered if they would think she was being embarrassing or if they were surprised by her sudden message.
The old Ayaka might have worried about what they’d think and tried to cover it up with some kind of excuse. She might even have deleted the message.
But now, this was what she truly wanted to say. No matter what they thought, she didn’t care. She just wanted them to know how she felt.
If they could feel how much she cared, that was all that mattered.
A vibration on her phone let her know a message had come through.
Ayaka looked down at the screen.
“I love you too! Actually, I love you more!”
“Thank you. I love you too, Ayaka.”
The car pulled into the parking lot. With the nurse by her side, Ayaka entered the hospital.
Where was Kyoya now? What was he doing?
“Kyoya-kun, are you okay…?”
No matter how long she waited, there was still no checkmark next to her message.