Realistic or Modern (Koicomi) Life Expectancy

[Trystan1295]

"A heart-pounding romance between the scion of a family-owned hospital and a terminally ill VTuber blossoms amidst the chaos of two schools merging into one!"

(AI-generated with NovelAI Image Generator)​

~~~~~~~~

Cast:

QuirkyAngel as Yun Okumura
Trystan1295 as Keiko Takahashi
Ehb as The Almighty GM

Character Sheets can be found by clicking here.
Check out the Hub Thread and links to other KoiComi 1x1's by clicking here or on the big banner at the top of this post.

~~~~~~~~

Backstory/Synopsis:

Yuzu High wasn't always a school for both boys and girls. Originally, two schools stood in its place: Teijin Boys' School and St. Kisai Girls' School. When both schools were bulldozed over to make room for warehouses, students from both institutions were mixed together into what is now known as Yuzu High. In order to quell the resulting chaos, smooth over the rifts between the boys and the girls, and convince the student body to rally against the bigwigs' intentions of bulldozing over yet another school, the principal instituted a group of seemingly-random students who'd take the roles of emissaries of peace between both genders. This extracurricular association was appropriately dubbed the "Gender Relations Club".

Keiko Takahashi, better known by her online VTuber alias "Tako-chan", has suffered a crushing heart attack after realizing she's gone Trending on Twitter! It turns out that the metaphorical smoking gun is held by none other than her concerned friend and fellow Gender Relations Club member, Yun, who'd been desperately looking for a heart transplant donor after finding out Keiko's arrhythmia prognosis has been worsening fast. Determined to save the life of the woman he loves, Yun had started a quest to look for a potential donor on social media, but a group of trolls from the seediest corners of the Internet chose to interfere with his plans by leaking the details of Yun's intentions to Tako-chan's massive fanbase. Now, Keiko awakens in the ICU of Okumura Hospital, with a failing heart and a broken spirit. Her biggest regret? She won't be able to go to her club's American-style dance with the man she loves.

---

Keiko Takahashi

Spoiler: Now Playing: Caged Heart ~ Katawa Shoujo

~~​

Keiko did not want to open her eyes. She knew exactly where she was, and it was the one place she hated to see the most. The constant, shrill beeping of the electrocardiogram she’d been hooked up to, the stifling smell of the steamy oxygen mask strapped to her face, and even the steady dripping of IV fluids spilling into her bloodstream through the protruding veins in her bony right hand… There was no doubt about it.

Keiko had landed in the ICU.

In other words, the moment she’d open her eyes, she’d wake up in the very hellscape she chose to walk into herself. “So, this is it, huh?” she thought to herself. “I’m not getting out of here.” A wave of regrets and “what-ifs” washed over her, flooding both her head and her tear ducts with painful memories that she’d considered the best moments of her life just a day prior.

From participating in the three-legged race at the Sports Festival to building a huge photo collage with her clubmates… even her virtual concert at the Culture Festival. Keiko had made a lot of memories that most girls her age would remember fondly until their old age. However, for all Keiko cared about, she was already at the end of her life. She might as well be old already. Knowing she’d be leaving everyone behind just as they were about to celebrate their goals being met made each of these otherwise priceless memories feel like individual daggers jabbing her in the back. “I should have figured it’d happen sooner than I’d want to. I should have known I’d end up getting cut short and left behind wanting more. I bit off more than I could chew… I’m truly an idiot.”

Just thinking those last few words to herself was enough to break Keiko’s facade. Tears began pouring out from both her eyes, and her sniffles of agony echoed throughout the otherwise lifeless, white-walled room.

One of the nurses arrived shortly afterwards to check Keiko’s vitals. Judging by her uniform, Keiko could tell she’d been admitted to Okumura Hospital. If her current emotional state was a metaphorical ice cream sundae of despair, knowing her life--or whatever sliver remained of it--was going to be spent under the care of the family she wanted to marry into someday was the heartbreaking cherry on top. The nurse noticed Keiko’s state of emotional anguish and rubbed the crown of her head a couple times. If Keiko had the energy, she would have swatted the nurse’s hand away. Instead, she tried glaring at her. Of course, with her eyes so weak, swollen, and teary, it probably didn’t come out the way she wanted it to.

The nurse called out to someone else outside of her field of view; presumably another nurse. “Call the cardiologist,” she said. “She’s awake.”

Keiko couldn’t really say she wasn’t expecting this to happen. It’s all part of the protocol--been there, done that. She wondered who was in the waiting room, sitting in a sea of anxiety, constantly bugging the service desk workers for updates on her condition. Her parents? Probably, albeit only to save face. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they just left me alone and unconscious in the ambulance again… Even knowing I’d passed out in their own house.”

At this point, Keiko questioned why she bothered to call the ambulance herself, knowing she could have just as easily left herself to die on her bedroom floor in the middle of the night. It was almost as if she had something--or someone--she wanted to live for.

“Yeah… He always did say he appreciated when people give their 100% to something. I wonder what he’d think of me if I told him I’ve given up on life. He’d probably hate my guts. All I wanted was one last dance with him, and nothing else. I guess that was too much to ask for…”

As the doors swung open and the sound of hurried footsteps grew closer, Keiko shut her eyes again and heaved a ragged sigh. “Here goes nothing.”

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Yun Okumura

All thoughts of asking Keiko to the American-style dance escaped his mind when Yun heard that his friend and fellow club member suffered from yet another heart attack. So it was true. Her condition was worsening. Severe Arrythmia. Ventricular fibrillation. Heart failure. Potential cardiac arrest at any time. All medical terms that Jeff, the cardiologist in charge of Keiko Takahashi, shared with Yun as he divulged Keiko’s worsening prognosis.

He didn’t regret quietly searching for a heart donor. It would save her life. That was the important thing.

However, as sniffles of agony emanated from the ICU, the 16-year-old boy felt his heart wretch and he silently cursed the internet trolls that leaked the details of his search to her fanbase too soon. Certainly, the truth would’ve likely came out eventually—when Tako-chan disappeared from the online world—but Keiko was the sort to take her condition with her to her grave. She didn’t want her friends and family to worry about her. She wanted a normal life. If Keiko had it her way, she would just quietly disappear from the world after creating some fond memories in the Gender Relations Club.

Yun wouldn’t have it.

Whether it aligned with her wishes or not, he wouldn’t let her fade away without a fight. If her “Suction Cups” were what kept her alive for this long, if they were important to her, wasn’t it better that they knew the truth? Maybe they could help with the search for a donor. Yun Okumura never thought himself an idealist. He’d always been the practical sort. Having learned from his parents and visiting hospitals for a good portion of his childhood, he knew how depressing hospitals could be. He knew that, as many lives has his parents had saved with their skills and knowledge, there were times when they had to let go of life as well. Maybe Yun hadn’t been as prepared for the emotional rigors of the medical field as he’d thought.

Or maybe, Keiko was just different.

The way she smiled when she showed him how to edit the fake videos that’d been part of their Gender Relationship activities. The way her eyes shone in determination when she struggled through the 3-legged race with him even given her heart condition. They didn’t win of course. Yun had insisted on their forfeiture when it seemed she was pushing herself too hard and helped sneak her away to the Nurse’s office before returning to the Tri-City Sports Tournament. However, Keiko had earned his respect that day…and in the many days to come. He hadn’t thought much about her before the Gender Relationships Club. She’d just been another patient at his family’s hospital. He’d thought all girls around his age to weak, frivolous, and squeamish at the sight of blood.

Not Keiko. She was stronger than any other girl he knew…probably even stronger than him. Yun didn’t know much about VTubers or virtual caricatures. However, he knew the optimistic girl that put up a brave face despite knowledge of her imminent death. The girl whose metaphorical sunshine had wormed its way into his clinical heart. Yun disliked liars. Yet Keiko was the exception.



She was always the exception.

It just took him a while to realize it.

Perking up from where he’d sat hunched, head lowered in thought—after having already spent hours pacing and demanding Keiko’s condition from the service workers—Yun watched as Dr. Jeff Nishima, their best cardiologist, arrived with a nurse and a clipboard. He jumped to his feet. “Can I see her now, Jeff-Sensei?”

“You can, Yun-kun” Jeff sighed. “Just don’t cause her anymore unneeded stress and elevate her heart rate.”

Yun nodded seriously before walking to the ICU room at fairly (very) brisk pace. He took in the sight of his frail-looking friend laid on the hospital bed, hooked to the electrocardiogram and oxygen mask on her tear-streaked face without a word. All communication tips he’d learned in the year he spent in the Gender Relations Club flew out the window. He didn’t know what he should say. Smile? Make a joke like any of their other every-day conversations in Yuzu High’s Nurse office? Whichever the case, he didn’t want to do anything that would stress her out.

Therefore, Yun simply pulled up a stool and sat beside her, gently dabbing away some of the tears with the facial tissues he’d found in the room as he spoke softly.

“You’ll be alright, you know. My parents know some of the best heart surgeons in the world…”

Yun didn’t know if he was trying to comfort Keiko with his words or himself. “…I won’t let you die.”

Trystan1295

 

[Trystan1295]

Keiko Takahashi

~~​

Keiko didn't know how to feel, let alone how to respond to Yun's words of intended reassurance. There were so many things she wanted to say to him… some would come out as hurtful, even.

She'd come to know Yun's habits in the short time they spent in each other's presence. How much of a stickler he was for his own health and that of everyone around him, how absurdly high he'd placed his standards at, and more than anything, how he always gave every ounce of effort he could offer to solve a goal once he's set his mind on it. She knew it'd be futile to try to sway his resolve, especially with her throat so choked up. In her head, she cursed that headstrong determination she'd admired so much.

"It's an unspoken oath for VTubers to avoid settling down with anyone," she remembered telling herself. "As crazy as it sounds for someone my age, we live exclusively off establishing parasocial relationships. All my Suction Cups… I doubt they'd take it well if news ever got out that I'm going steady with anyone. Especially since they know my face, where I live, and where I study. I've made a terrible mistake."

Even with that in mind, Keiko still couldn't shake off her feelings for Yun. Even on her deathbed, he was the only thing she could think of. She'd sworn off dating for the sake of her passion, but she figured that if her passion was what ruined her life in the first place, then she should make an exception out of the man who gave it meaning again.

Yun was the exception. He always was.

She harkened back to the week-long cram session she'd been a part of. Even then, she considered that meaningless discussion about the cutest boys in her class to be the second most embarrassing moment in her life… next to getting doxxed, of course.

~~​

"You know, that first-year who always hangs out at the nurse's office… You ever heard of him?"

"Oh yeah! He's a bit lanky for my taste, but he has a face straight out of an idol anime. If he put on a bit of muscle, he'd definitely be a ten. I wonder if he has a girlfriend…"

Keiko remembered her face going beet-red as soon as that last word got mentioned. She could still hear herself laughing uncharacteristically loud and going, "That's silly! Yun-kun doesn't have a girlfriend."

"Yun-kun, huh…?"

The way the other girls teased Keiko while leaning in closer and putting on their most telling smirks said it all. She’d been caught in 4K.

~~​

Looking back at it, Keiko realized the whole thing shouldn’t have been that big a deal for her, but ever since the doxxing incident, there had been a few things she’d kept under serious lock and key about her personal life. This particular secret she’d entrusted those classmates with should have been guarded with her life… at least, for whatever that was worth. This realization came like a punch to the gut for Keiko. Ever since her discharge from the hospital that first time, she’d vowed to live her life to the fullest and enjoy herself to the greatest degree she could before her time ran out. However, before she knew it, she’d begun living life for the sake of someone else.

“He really is the exception, huh?”

As the words crossed her mind, Keiko couldn’t help but break into ugly sobs again. With misty, red, swollen eyes, she turned to face the young man sitting at her bedside. He wasn’t wearing that composed, dashing smile she’d grown to fall in love with, and she hadn’t seen his face so sweaty since the Tri-City Sports Festival. There were so many things she wanted to say to him, but she wasn’t even sure if she had the time to pour everything out.

As another tear streamed down her cheek, Keiko reached out to her friend with her free left hand.

“Yun-kun…”

She managed to force his name out. With a weak voice and a hoarse throat, but it went through nonetheless. As the “-kun” honorific left her lips, Keiko wondered if he ever liked it when she called him that. He’d always refer to her by her family name, but had no objections otherwise. She always figured he approved of it, but knowing how concerned he was about appearing courteous to women… Was she really the exception she expected herself to be?

“Please… let me go.”

The next words to leave her mouth were as concise as she could make it. The amount of lines she wanted to send his way, from blatant lies like “It’ll be okay,” to thinly-veiled lies she wanted to convince herself were truths, such as “I’m a lost cause.”

At the very least, she wanted to give him a sarcastic excuse like “The best surgeons in the world have patients who have lives that are actually worth saving,” even if it meant breaking the mood.

At the end of the day, though… Could she blame him? He was being selfish, and she was aware, but she was just as selfish too, deciding to live the rest of her life for her own enjoyment. Keiko knew that just as she wanted to enjoy her last days with Yun by her side for the sake of her own happiness, Yun wanted to keep her alive for the sake of his own happiness.

Needless to say, her death would not make him happy, but she was scared.

She didn’t want to live in a world where the man she loved would be hounded at every corner by trolls and angry simps who’d blame him for not getting a chance to make their fantasies a reality. She was giving up and hiding, like the coward she was from Day One. She knew this would still be his fate; perhaps worse due to him not being able to save her. She was well aware this wasn’t the ending either of them were expecting when they set off on this journey together, but the ship they’d been sailing on had been sinking since before they’d set off.

QuirkyAngel

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Yun Okumura

“Not a chance,” Yun reached out to take Keiko’s hand in his. They felt small and soft, as they always did, but strangely limp as well. As if she had simply given up, there was no resistance. Like holding onto a wet noodle. “Neither I, nor our friends in the Gender Relations Club, will let you go. Not after all we’ve been through.”

As calm as his words were, so as not to agitate her, Yun’s grip on her hand was firm as well; Trying to make up for the strength she lacked. They’d been through a lot together, after all–joining the club, making friends, saving the school. A year might not sound like a long time in the grand scheme of things, but to a high schooler who had undergone many new experiences, who had grown in ways he didn’t think possible, it felt like a lifetime.

All thanks to her.

How could he let things end like this?

“...This isn’t like you at all, Takahashi.”

It really isn’t. Hearing Keiko’s broken sobs, it was as if the confident and cheerful girl he’d grown to care for was nowhere in sight. As if the figure before him was a husk, a shell of its former self, ready to crack at any moment. Not even when Keiko had pushed herself to perform at the Cultural Festival, or when tripped up at the Tri-City Sports Tournament, had he seen the tears streaming down her face as much as they did now. But, perhaps, he’d never seen her. Perhaps he’d never tried pulling apart the layers of masks she wore, despite knowing she was only human and dealing with terminal illness. It made Yun ashamed. It made him tempted to pull Keiko into a hug, but he held himself back.

What if it worsened her condition?

What if she didn’t feel the same way?

So he tried for a joke instead, a teasing smile spreading across his face. Something to keep their conversations lighthearted and casual– like always. “You’re an internet idol, aren’t you? What would your Suction Cups think if they could see you like this?”

Frankly, Yun forgot he wasn’t very funny.

Trystan1295

 

[Trystan1295]

Keiko Takahashi

~~

​

To be brutally honest, no, Yun wasn't funny.

In fact, something about his last few comments actually irked Keiko quite a bit. A wave of unnatural frustration swelled up in the pit of her gut, sullying the pool of sadness that had settled there just minutes prior. Her face went red, and tears began streaming as she heard the man she'd decided to dedicate the last days of her life to imply he, their clubmates, and her fanbase were the ones who'd decide whether or not she lived or died.

"When I decided to reject spending the rest of my life in a hospital bed, I did so because I wanted to take control of what little life I had left," she thought to herself. "Why is it that now, the one time I decide to gather the courage to put aside my insecurities and place my undying trust in someone I was sure wouldn't throw it away, I'm getting punished for it?"

Keiko did not start loving this man any less, but the comments hurt her deeply. She had good reason to not act like herself--or rather, the strong, ray of sunshine, hard-working facade she struggled to keep up for Yun's sake. She knew he wouldn't like her the way she does him if she gave him any less than what he wanted, so she forced herself past her limits...

...and now here she was, strapped to an IV unit and a heart monitor, begging for the sweet release of death to wash away the sea of regrets flooding her pitiful heart. She regretted forcing herself to please others, Yun especially. She rejected taking up the mantle of Tako-chan once more, knowing everything that she'd gone through just weeks prior. Most of all, she regretted ever leaving the hospital in the first place. "Had I known things would end this way... I wouldn't have bothered."

That being said, as much as she wanted to bring herself to say it...

She could not convince herself she regretted falling in love with Yun Okumura.

In fact, she could no longer imagine a life in which she'd passed away alone in a hospital bed without having known of his existence. "That's a painfully funny thing to think about. Even before the merge, I was here at the hospital. I could have run into him at any time had I chosen to stay, but fate chose to have us cross paths at Yuzu High..."

Mustering a sliver more of her strength from somewhere she had no idea she could draw from in the first place, she intertwined her fingers with Yun's and began squeezing tight. Her honey irises glazed over to meet his. She noticed his eyes were white as sheets and not a single tear had dropped from them, but she couldn't bring herself to dwell on this observation too much. The implications were far too hurtful to even let cross her mind. Thinking back to what he said about him and their friends from the club "not letting her go," she cleared her throat and asked him flat out while trying to fight off the urge to sob.

"Why can't you just let me choose for myself?"

A futile question. As tough as she wanted to act, Keiko was just a child at the end of the day. The decision as to whether she should sign an informal DNAR order in the case of her falling back into cardiac arrest was up to her parents, and she knew that it was not in their best interest to let their niche Internet microcelebrity and cash cow of a daughter pass away if they could help it. The best-case scenario for Keiko (if you could even call it that) would be for her heart to fail so spectacularly that Dr. Jeff would have to declare her resuscitation physiologically impossible... but by that point, she'd be long gone either way.

It felt terrible, like she was trapped in a time loop that she couldn't control.

She added to her question by voicing her biggest concern. "The Suction Cups... no, not them. The stalkers and the trolls are relentless. I don't..."

She stopped to inhale as much oxygen as she could through her mask. With tears still streaming down her cheeks, she whimpered and added, "I don't want to live to see them ruin your life the same way they did mine... It's a fate worse than death."

QuirkyAngel

​

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Yun Okumura

Yun stiffened, eyes widening in panic when Keiko’s face turned red, tears once more streaming down the hospitalized girl’s face. Had he said something wrong? His words had been meant to reassure her, to ease her tears, not make them fall harder. The fingers that shifted, intertwining tightly around his own, gave the boy a brief sense of relief, but it didn’t last long with her following question.

Why can’t you let me choose for myself?

The words stung. Did she actually want to die? Yun’s grip on Keiko’s hand tightened, but he closed his eyes and forced himself to sort through his thoughts so that he could give her a proper answer. So that he didn’t end up yelling at his friend like some idiot who hadn’t learned proper communication in the Gender Relations Club.

Why couldn’t he let her choose? The answer should’ve been obvious. He didn’t want to let her go. He wanted her to remain in his life and assumed their friends felt the same way. That she felt the same way. But would that be selfish of him if she wanted to die? If she wanted to leave him? The thought that Keiko might actually want to die had never crossed his mind. All his life, Yun held high expectations of himself and projected those expectations onto others–mainly the people he cared about (like his sisters, Keiko, and the friends he’d made in the Gender Relations Club ). He pushed them too hard and got frustrated when things didn’t go his way. Was he doing it again? “I–”

Keiko’s following words baffled him and Yun blinked before letting out an exasperated sigh. It was just like her to worry about him even while strapped to a hospital bed, but using him as an excuse to choose death was too much. “...and you think I’d rather live to see you die?”

A bit of sarcasm was injected in the rhetorical question, but Yun couldn’t help it. He was a bit angry as well. It was as if she was pushing away all his efforts, and the efforts of all those trying to save her, by wanting to die. By wanting to leave him.

Yun continued to dab the tears. “Takahashi…please calm down and listen to me. You don’t have to push yourself to respond. Just listen. I’ve helped prevent a corrupt politician from bulldozing our school, dealt with angry teenagers,” one of which who punched him “chased a pair of twin terrors in a butler uniform, survived milk getting poured over my head in front of the whole school, intend to get into one of the most challenging medical schools in the US once I graduate, and you think I can’t handle some internet trolls and stalkers? I don’t know why you think they’d target me specifically…” Out of all her other friends/acquaintances. “but I’m not scared of them and you, who are so much stronger than me, who are dealing with more important matters,” like fighting for her life. “shouldn’t be either. If you don’t like them, then cut them from your life. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”

Except live. The irony of his statement wasn’t lost on Yun.

In fact, Yun would prefer she wasn’t an internet idol–since, as impressive as her singing was, he didn’t like the idea of others ogling her with dirty thoughts–but he wouldn’t stop her from doing what she wanted to do…except die. He assumed she liked it. That her “Suction Cup” viewers were important to her and that she was clinging onto life for them. However, if they caused her so much distress that she wanted to die rather than face them, he preferred she go for the non-lethal option . He would be saddened, maybe even a little disappointed, if she chose to give up a passion of hers but it wouldn’t change his feelings either way. Tako-chan wasn’t the girl he’d fallen in love with.

It’s the heart patient strapped to her bed, bawling her eyes out, Keiko Takahashi.

He brushed away a stray strand of hair from her face. “What’s the worst they could do? Rumors are just rumors. It’ll die down eventually…and even if they don’t, we’ve fought against rumors before. If they attack you, we can take legal action. My parents are loaded.” His family’s wealth wasn’t something Yun liked to talk about, but if it was for Keiko, nothing was too much. He was partly to blame for the entire fiasco of her identity being exposed to the public anyway. It hadn’t been his intention, but the results occurred because of his actions. Because he hadn’t been careful enough. Yun could acknowledge that much. “Your life is ruined only if you let them ruin it. I’ll be with you every step of the way–along with all the others that care about. I refuse to believe all your followers are the same as the stalkers and trolls. If they really like you, they’ll remain with you regardless of who you are behind the screen. If they don’t like who you really are, you don’t need to give a damn about them either. ”


Yun continued to list reasons for her to choose life, employing every tactic he learned in the Gender Relationships Club about communication and persuasive argument. This was the biggest battle in his young life after all--the one with the highest stake. “Life isn’t easy, it never is, but there’s so much more to look forward to. The dance. The future. I wanted us to spend more time together. I had no intention of giving up on you. I was going to be the best cardiologist in the world to cure you after we saved Yuzu High. You set me on that path…I made so many plans for myself…for us…so when I heard about your worsening condition, I panicked.” Yun swallowed as he admitted his part in her trending twitter. “Dr. Jeff said there’s a way to save you so I searched the internet for a donor. I wasn’t careful enough. I know the procedure itself is risky, I know there’s only a slim chance of it working out, but I took that chance anyway. I wanted to go to dance with you…and all the dances afterwards. You know how I am.” Yun chuckled dryly. “When I want something, I go at it with everything I’ve got. I just don’t know when to quit…but you’re right, of course.” Blue eyes glistened. “This isn’t about me and I didn’t consider your feelings at all. Why couldn’t I let you choose? Because I was scared of your answer. Because I’m a selfish bastard that fancies himself in love…but it’s your choice in the end. I’ll make sure of it.” Or rather, his parents would. The love confession flew past his mind, amidst all other confessions, and he glanced away, so she wouldn’t see the tears fall as he choked out the final bit. “I-I won’t push you any further so please stop crying and please, please, don’t make a decision when you’re like this.”

Yun was a pre-med student for crying out loud. He knew the sort of pain those living with a terminal heart condition endured on a daily basis. He was asking her to endure more. Surgery carried with it a myriad of risks as well. He kept lying and convincing himself it was all for her sake. What was love really? Turned away, he could see–through slight blurred vision– Dr. Jeff patiently waiting outside for him to finish. Yun stood to leave. The longer he occupied her time with his ramblings, the longer he delayed her treatment. Or, perhaps, he was just running away again. The pain in his voice was obvious. “...Think carefully about what you really want, and, once you’ve made your final decision, I’ll support you no matter what you choose Takahashi.”

Trystan1295

 

[Trystan1295]

Keiko Takahashi

Spoiler: Now Playing: The Place Where Wishes Come True ~ Clannad After Story

~~​

Keiko could only watch in a starry-eyed daze as Yun turned around and hobbled out of the room. "He's a selfish bastard who fancies himself in love…" she repeated Yun's words to herself. The inherent implications behind that phrase were not lost to Keiko's head. She just couldn't wrap her head around how happy it made her feel. Also, was that hesitation she felt in his voice? She closed her eyes and heaved a dreamy sigh as she sank into her blankets. "Somebody pinch me…"

The feeling of Dr. Jeff jiggling the needle attached to her IV unit wasn't exactly a pinch, but it was a suitable facsimile.

"Oh, don't mind me," said the doctor. "I'm just checking to see if the nurses hit the right blood vessel."

Keiko squinted at him. "Don't think I can't see you grinning from under that mask, Jeff-sensei. I don't remember consenting to you running your mouth to third parties about my condition."

Jeff's pupils widened. He probably hadn't realized he'd broken Japanese personal privacy laws until just then. "A thousand apologies, Takahashi-san!" he exclaimed. "I just couldn't help but develop a personal investment in this case. When Yun—pardon, Okumura-kun approached me, expressing interest in the case, his confession really moved me. I'm willing to accept any form of legal responsibility for my actions."

When he put it that way… She couldn't help but feel pity for the good doctor. Even if his actions indirectly resulted in her having this last heart attack in the first place… Keiko would rather not dwell on the situation too much.

She let out a sigh. Whether it was of defeat or contentment, not even she could tell. Thinking to herself, she convinced herself this wasn’t worth fussing about. "I suppose the ends justify the means…"

Like hell they did, but she couldn't afford to stress too much. Not while so much was at stake. She closed her eyes, and for the first time in what felt like forever…

Spoiler: Protect This

Keiko smiled.

“I’ve decided, Jeff-sensei.”

Dr. Jeff looked at his patient, expectation in his eyes. “He’s like a little kid…” Keiko thought to herself. The idea of someone like him being one of the world’s most gifted heart surgeons felt hilarious enough to her to make her giggle, even in the face of death.

“I’m going to go through with the surgery. I’ve given it a bit of thought and looked back on what I said all those months ago. More than anything, I wanted my life, or what little I thought I had left, to feel worth it. A world where I left behind Yun-kun at the mercy of the trolls and the stalkers is not exactly what I’d call worth it. In fact, just leaving Yun-kun hanging is not the way I want to go. I’m aware his actions and his wishes were selfish, but so were mine in wanting to die and leave him behind. The Suction Cups’ Love reduced me to nothing, so I thought Love meant nothing, but now I met Yun-kun, and his love is everything to me. With such a wide sample size, wouldn’t you as a scientist agree with me that Love means Anything?”

Keiko was not expecting Dr. Jeff to tear up, but when she looked back up at him, he had long since been drenched in his own tears. “Y’know, Takahashi-san… You should really consider taking up a job as a motivational speaker when you graduate. Like I said, I’ve developed a personal interest in your case, so I’ve gone above and beyond my calling as a doctor to follow your case. The way you managed to mobilize so many people for the noble cause of supporting a school you weren’t even sure you’d live to graduate from… I wouldn’t be surprised if someone writes a novel out of you someday.”

Keiko giggled. “I’m sure whoever writes that novel would be pretty angry you’re breaking the fourth wall, Jeff-sensei. But thank you. I’m beyond glad I was able to leave a mark on so many people with my actions. I’m tired, so I’m heading to bed. If you see him before I do next, could you please relay this information to Yun-kun?”

Realizing what she’d just told Dr. Jeff, she scrambled and took back her words. “J-Just the part about me choosing to go through with the surgery, I mean! I… I want to be the one to tell him the other part.”

Dr. Jeff smiled and stood up from his seat. “Understood. Rest assured, your heart will be in the best hands. Err… your new one, at least.”

As dark a joke as that was, Keiko couldn’t help but laugh harder than she should have.

QuirkyAngel

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Yun Okumura
Splashing water on his face cooled Yun down some and washed away the tears, but it did little to ease the red staining his cheeks. The boy groaned. After a thorough analysis of his words, he’d realized that somewhere in his messy impromptu speech, he’d admitted his feelings for Keiko. That hadn’t been how he’d wanted to confess at all. One by one, all of his plans were falling around him…but it couldn’t be helped. He’d said everything he wanted to say. Maybe he should’ve stuck around to hear her response, his actions being the equivalent of a blushing girl that confessed and ran away before listening to an answer, but he wanted to give her time to think. He didn’t want his pushiness and ‘feelings’ to be what interfered with her choice…

…and he wanted to be prepared in case she told him she wanted to leave early.

Everyone died. Yun aimed to take the same path as he parents, to save lives, but he wasn’t blind to the fact that they were only prolonging the inevitable. Not everyone saw things the way he did.

Exciting a nearby bathroom, Yun returned to the waiting room to see Dr. Jeff exiting the ICU with a clipboard. “Welcome back, Yun-kun.”

“How is she, Jeff-sensei?”

“Keiko-chan is doing very well. You missed her response, by the way. Truly, I’ve never met a more determined girl. She attacked me with Japanese Patient Privacy laws you know–”

“Well??? What did she say??”

Sighing at the impatience of teenagers these days, Dr. Jeff pulled a piece of paper from the clipboard and handed it to Yun. “This is all I’m allowed to tell you.”

Taking the paper with shaky hands, Yun read through quickly. “This is…a surgery date?”

“Indeed it is! She has one final battle ahead of her and it will all be over. I’ll be informing her parents as well.”

“...it’s in three days…”

“The sooner the better,” Dr. Jeff responded blithely. “Your fervent efforts have already obtained us a satisfactory donor. Besides, don’t you kids have a dance to attend or something? I've been hearing a lot about it.”

“I can’t ask her to the dance. There’s post-surgery rest. Rehab. She’ll need time to settle with the new organ. And–,”

“That’s up to you two. It generally takes 3 to 6 months to fully recover from a heart transplant, but she's young and everyone’s different, especially when they have something to look forward to.”

“I’ve already caused her heart to nearly stop once with my carelessness…I can’t do it again…” Yun’s eyes dropped to the floor. What kind of would-be doctor caused someone to nearly die?

“True...But you’re also the one that got her heart beating again.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ll understand it when you start actually dealing with patients, Yun-kun, but there’s more to saving a life than numbers and medicine. The body and the mind are intricately connected. As doctors, we do our best to repair the body and assist with survival, but it’s the patient that does the actual fighting. I’ve seen the will to live create miracles. At the same time, I’ve seen patients die a day later even after a perfectly executed operation. Your speech, awkward as it was, gave her a reason to live.”

Yun swallowed. “Still, I don’t want to push her…dancing is probably too much…”

“It probably is,” Dr. Jeff agreed, placing a hand on Yun’s shoulder. “But whether it’s dancing across the auditorium floor, past rehab, or through the trials of life, she’ll need a strong frame to support her if she’s going to shine. A cheerleader, if you will.” Leaned over, so his lips were close to Yun’s ear, the doctor continued. “Besides, if she becomes Mrs. Okumura, all the privacy law infractions I've been making wouldn’t matter~”

It took a moment for the words to fully register in Yun’s head, but once it did the boy’s eyes widened and his face turned red. “Sensei!”

However, the cardiologist transferred from the US was already walking away towards his next patient, hands in his lab coat as he whistled. Yun shook his head. Marriage? That was too far ahead. He didn’t even know if Keiko felt the same way he did. Were all Americans so forward? Not that it mattered. There was only one thing that mattered to Yun at the moment. Folding the sheet of paper with the surgery date and instructions into his pocket, Yun quietly slipped into the ICU room where Keiko rested. Visiting hours were nearly over, and he’d missed his opportunity to have a lengthy conversation with Keiko, but he wanted to remain by her side for a little while longer. So Yun pulled up a chair–the one he’d been using earlier– beside the hospital bed where he would remain until the nurses eventually kicked him out.

“Thanks, Takahashi.” Yun whispered.

For taking the gamble that might let her live with him for a little while longer.

For joining the gender relationships club.

For everything.

No matter the outcome, he wouldn't regret falling in love.

Trystan1295

 

[Trystan1295]

Keiko Takahashi

~~

​

Keiko was none the wiser to the presence of the intruder who'd snuck into the ICU after visiting hours. Hearing her beloved Yun's voice made her cheeks glow bright red and her heart skip a beat, but the sedatives had such a tight grip on her that not even that could shake her off her groggy dip into Dreamland.

She heard Yun thank her and call her by her last name, but without a conscious brain to process the meaning behind his comment, the most she could do was crack a soft smile and mumble something to herself.

"Yun-kun... Fine, I guess you are my little pogchamp."

~~

She would not utter another word until after her surgery.

~~
​

Keiko woke up in a cold sweat. She could feel it in the air: she wasn't in the ICU she'd fallen asleep in. The change in environment shocked her, but even more terrifying to her was the uncanny feeling of inner peace she felt after realizing she'd been surprised without her heart acting up on her. It took her a moment to realize, but the reason her heart had stopped acting up was because she was no longer wearing the heart she'd fallen asleep struggling with. If this wasn't the case, just the shock of waking up somewhere she didn't expect to be in would have pushed that weak heart to its limits at the very least.

At her bedside was a button labeled "Press to Call For Nurse". She hesitated for a moment, but after taking a moment to gather up the courage, she pushed it with her quivering finger. A soft chiming sound echoed throughout the room, and within seconds, the door to her room slid open.

"Looks like someone's awake. You sure took your sweet time, didn't you, Takahashi-san?"

Keiko's eyes shot wide open. "Jeff-sensei! I hope I didn't leave you waiting too long."

"I'm not going to head into specifics, but there's more coffee running through my bloodstream than actual blood," said the doctor. "I still have to get used to the pressure of these high-profile cases..."

"Ah, I'm sorry..." Keiko muttered. "Did the fanbase do anything to you?"

Dr. Jeff chuckled. He reached for Keiko's wrist and began checking her vitals. "Don't be silly. I couldn't care less about a bunch of stalkers and internet trolls. The Okumuras, on the other hand..."

Just the mention of their names made Keiko's new heart skip a beat. "Yun-kun's family? What about them?"

"Those guys are crazy. In my entire history as a medical professional, I have never seen a single hospital bend over backwards this much to protect the well-being of a single patient. You should have seen the way the nurses treated you while you were sedated. It was like that funny Spider-Man meme." He chuckled at his own joke. After turning back to Keiko and spending a few seconds of awkward silence staring into her unamused gaze, his chuckle weakened. "You know... Careful, She's a Hero?"

Keiko sighed. "If anyone's a hero, it's Yun-kun. I'm just a sickly, lovestruck cheerleader who wants nothing but the best for him."

"Oh yeah, speaking of," said Dr. Jeff. "He should be in his parents' office right now. I should probably send him over. Maybe then he'll try falling asleep for once."

Dr. Jeff stood up from his seat and slid open the door. By the time Keiko had gathered up the courage to ask him how much time she'd been out cold for, he was already long gone.

QuirkyAngel

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Yun Okumura
Pogchamp?

Pogchamp??? Like the Twitter emote?

Yun was only mildly ashamed at having to google the meme because social media had never been a strong focus of his…until the Gender Relationship Club, that is; He’d always been too focused on his own world, his studies, his goals (medicine), to care about what idiots said online, or all the things trendy and popular these days. He didn’t have zero online presence (who did these days?), and made small effort to keep up to date with worldly matters (especially in medical and certain gaming communities), but Tako-chan hadn’t even been on his radar–just another internet idol–until Keiko revealed herself to be them ( after which he learned everything he could). Between the raunchier definition and the meaning behind the meme, Keiko calling him ‘my little pogchamp’ in her sleep had his face turning beet red.

Of course, it could’ve just been sleep talk. It sounded like a joke and, frankly, when she was in her sunnier disposition, she tended to tease him quite a bit. Either way, Yun could get clarification later. While Keiko battled for her own life in the hospital bed, he had his own battle to finish. The irony of one of the few contents he’d posted in a private forum, in what was meant to be a quiet search for a heart donor, getting tweeted and retweeted wasn’t lost to him. Naturally his parents found out about it. How could they not? Like Tako-chan, Okumura Hospital had also become a subject of scrutiny for housing the virtual celebrity. News reporters had to be blocked from the door. It was impossible to escape having to explain the situation to his parents…so he told them everything.

The best way to deal with trolls and internet stalkers was to leave them be. Yun knew that. Responding to them only gave them fuel for more fire. However, he couldn’t let them keep getting away with it, especially after seeing Keiko crying and nearly dying because of it. Yun wasn’t the sort. He fought fire with fire. Therefore, with the help of some computer experts in the Gender Relationship Club, his parent’s money, and the managers of the Twitter platform, the identities of the trolls and stalkers that started it all were uncovered.

“We can sue them for the defamatory comments,” His father proposed casually. “From actions that endangered the life of an Okumura hospital patient to cyber harassment, and the intentional spread of what was meant to be private information, we have enough leverage to take them to court”. His parents had enough money and influence to make the case happen and win, but…

“I don’t know if Keiko would want that…” Yun glanced at his hands. “...she just got through a transplant surgery and I doubt she’d be happy to find herself the subject of a legal battle…”

A lawsuit Tako-chan’s name would be tied to even if she had nothing to do with it. As much as he desired to punish the trolls and stalkers for what they’ve done–and continued to try and do–taking things to court might be a bit excessive. At worst, it turned the fanbase against them over a bit of negative gossip. “Threatening them with it, and making them realize they aren’t as protected behind the screen as they would’ve liked, might be enough to make them stop. Thanks for that, by the way…and sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused.”

“Think nothing of it, Son. People important to you are important to us too. Besides, she’s an important patient in our hospital” a well known patient currently trending on Twitter. “and it’s the first time I’ve seen you try so hard to save someone.” His father grinned. “Saki and Saori seem to like her as well so make sure you introduce us when you get the chance. Your mother and I would like to get to know her better–beyond just the racy pictures from a certain three-legged race, I mean.”

Face turning red, Yun opened his mouth to protest when Dr. Jeff came in to let them know that Keiko had awoken from the transplant surgery. The boy immediately stood and rushed out the door, though not before grabbing the flowers and get-well cards he’d compiled. Days before the actual surgery, he’d gotten in touch with her fanbase and did what he could to calm them down by doing what he did best–openly communicating with them, explaining Tako-chan’s hospital situation, and requesting their support during this critical time for her. As expected, the internet would always have their fair share of haters and trolls, and Yun couldn’t do anything about the people losing interest or disenchanted by their internet idol being an actual human behind the screen, but he managed to gather words from people across the world who genuinely cared about her.

He wanted to make sure she didn’t regret choosing to live.

As he stepped into the hospital room carrying a bouquet of flowers and a stack of get-well cards, Yun took in the sight of his open-eyed friend with relief. The actual surgery had only taken 8 hours, but she’d been knocked out 3 days prior to the surgery and remained, fluttering between conscious and unconscious, for the following 3 days in the ICU before being transported to her own room at the hospital. During that time, only Dr. Jeff, his mother, and the rest of the surgical team involved in her operation had seen her. His father had been busy driving away reporters and threatening to call the police for invasion of private property grounds.

His parents hadn’t let him anywhere near the ICU during that time as well. Apparently using his status as the hospital owner’s son to acquire a keycard, as well as pestering Dr. Jeff about the condition of a patient, wasn’t very ethical. His being a family friend mattered not.


“Welcome back, Sleeping Beauty.” He set the stack of get-well cards on a nearby table before handing her the bouquet of flowers. “You’ve been napping for 6 days now, but Dr. Jeff assures me that your body is simply recuperating from the surgery. Congratulations for a successful battle! How are you feeling? Do you need me to get you anything?”

The words at the end came out a little rushed. There were so many other things he wanted to ask her…like what she meant when he called him ‘her little pogchamp’ in her sleep, or whether she was up for the American-style dance that was a week away…but those were all selfish desires. All his life Yun had been selfish. Pushy. Goal-driven. Even if he told himself his actions were for the health and well-being of others, they’d been ultimately for himself. How were his feelings any different than that of an obsessive stalker’s if she didn’t feel the same way? The love of his parents, driven by their mutual desire to reform Japan’s healthcare, gathered like-minded individuals, built hospitals, and saved lives. His childish feelings almost caused her heart to give out. He didn’t know if it was his ‘feelings’ were driving her in a corner and forcing her to live as well–just like how the ‘feelings’ possessed by her Suction Cups seemed to weigh her down.

Still, he made a promise to himself that, if Keiko survived the surgery, he wouldn’t bottle them anymore. That he’d ask her out properly and receive her answer like a man. That, regardless of how she answered, he’d make her happy to be alive.

Trystan1295

 

[Trystan1295]

Keiko Takahashi

~~

​

"Glad to see you, Prince Charming."

...That's what Keiko would have said if the butterflies in her stomach had allowed her to process this information rationally. She'd been used to being flirted with and teased by Suction Cups and simps alike on stream, but she knew Yun was in a league of his own.

For a second, just as her eyes fluttered open and met his, Keiko found herself frozen in time. There were so many questions that needed to be answered and so many concerns to be voiced about her situation...

But Yun's smile took priority over all that.

Keiko couldn't help but smile back and uttered, "Hey, there."

Reality hit her not long after, prompting her smile to fade. Her eyes widened and her new heart started pounding. Her voice dropped in volume to a panicked whisper as she asked "Wait, what the hell are you doing here!? Visiting hours are over! You could get in trouble if you get caught."

She said this like she had no idea, but she did have an inkling. She just assumed it was too good to be true.

"A-Actually, never mind," she told him. "I know you well enough to understand you've already weighed in the risks... and you still chose to sneak in. Least I could do for your troubles is hear you out."

Keiko leaned back and pushed a button on the side of her hospital bed to have the back of the mattress bend upward. Grimacing, she told him, "Six days, huh? I guess I'm missing the dance. I hope you have fun, at least."

There were so many things Keiko wanted to confess, and so many sweet nothings she could send Yun's way. She couldn't bring herself to say it, but she couldn't begin to fathom the idea of Yun asking someone else to the dance. She wasn't dating him, nor did she hold some sort of exclusivity for him by any means, but she'd been the one person who'd been closest to him through both of their thickest and thinnest. Yun was the only person she felt enjoyed her presence more as Keiko Takahashi than "Tako-chan IRL", and she felt nothing less than admiration for him.

And now, he's standing at her bedside, having tossed aside the rules set by his own family just because he couldn't wait to see her. Thinking about it rationally, of course he would. If he had something important enough to tell her, he'd exhaust every possible option, ethical or otherwise, to try and get to where is right now. If so, that just begs the question: "What in the world is on his mind?"

"I guess missing the dance can't be helped," she said. She let out a sigh before adding, "I'm more concerned about you sneaking in here after visiting hours. What's so important that you have to tell me now instead of waiting for me to recover, Yun-kun?"

QuirkyAngel

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Yun Okumura

Yun blinked, not expecting that response. “Didn’t Jeff-sensei tell you he was going to send me over?” Pausing to consider his own question, the 16-year old rolled his eyes. “Actually, since it’s him, I wouldn’t be surprised he hadn’t…”

He checked his phone. “Guess it is a little late…”

Yun held the bouquet out for a little longer before remembering that Keiko just had a heart transplant a couple of days ago and was probably still feeling a little weak. He drew the flowers back. His mother wouldn’t even let him see his classmate until the anesthesia completely wore off and she was transported to her own, private recovery ward–something, something about a young, adolescent girl and young, adolescent boy being together in the same room while the girl was unable to defend herself not sitting well with her. When she put it like that he couldn’t refuse. Though slightly indignant at the lack of trust his mother had of her own son, Yun too didn’t want the answer to his question given while Keiko was still tired or drugged up on anesthesia either.

And her health was more important.

“I wanted to be the first to greet you when you finally woke up, but I guess that only happens in fairy tales,” He answered while setting the flowers in a vase. “The nurses know I’m here. They're just giving us some privacy, so if you’re worried about security, don’t be. The hospital staff have been informed of your situation…” Hard not to be with the trending name on Twitter. “...and you’re normally informed of any visitor before they get to surprise you.” Yun gestured to the intercom pad beside the hospital bed before winking. “I’m just a bit of an exception.”

His eyes traveled the walls of the hospital room, which had a bit more color to it than the ICU; Calming colors to promote recovery. “I used to come here all the time as a kid to watch my parents work, or just shadow doctors and nurses whenever they allowed it, so no one really bats an eyelash when they see me anymore. This is one of the main hospitals in the Okumura Health Group, after all.” He shrugged. “And I’m technically here with my dad, so unless you file a complaint, I doubt I’d get in too much trouble…that said, if you’re tired, let me know. I don’t consider what I have to say more important than your need to rest…”

He left that option hanging for a moment before grabbing a seat beside the hospital bed. “As for the dance, that’s my fault as well. I’m the one that pushed for the transplant surgery, after all…so I intend to take responsibility.” She hadn’t even started her cardiac rehab program yet and it took the average person 4 to 6 weeks to start walking again, let alone dancing. That said, depending on the progress of her new heart, discharge from the hospital itself could be a lot sooner. “Do you remember what I told you 6 days ago? I meant every word. I wanted to go to dance with you, but seeing as that’s no longer possible, would you consider being my girlfriend instead?”

Face turning a bit pink as he finally popped the question, Yun’s eyes found the ceiling as rubbed the back of his neck. “You know my interests, don’t you? Volunteering at my family’s hospital counts as clinical experience that’ll only help me in the long run when it comes to applying to the school I want. I’d much rather spend the evening assisting my girlfriend with her rehab sessions, bringing her heart vitamins, or even chatting with her like usual than watching other couples dance all night…” If it weren’t the Gender Relationship Club’s last event, Yun wouldn’t even show up at all. Alas, given all the preparation that had gone into the event to bring boys and girls together, his sense of responsibility bade him to at least show his face and ensure all went well before ultimately ditching the event to be where he really wanted to be.

Yun met her eyes. “...but only if you’re okay with it. My being your boyfriend, that is."

Trystan1295

 

[Trystan1295]

Keiko Takahashi

~~​

Yun's proposal didn't surprise Keiko in the slightest. His behavior struck her as a little strange, but if there was one thing Keiko knew about him, it was that once he'd set his sights on a goal, he'll give it his 100% effort to see it fulfilled.

"There's the bold side of you that all the girls hate so much," she joked. "You're coming over with flowers and giving me this monologue on the pretense that I've already fallen head over heels for you."

She leaned back on her bed once more and let out a dreamy sigh before continuing. "I know you, Yun. You're the most meticulous planner I've ever met, and that's saying a lot. For you to come up to my hospital bed and talk to me like I'm putty in your hands means you know you've already won my heart. We were playing a drawn-out game of 4-D Chess where we both knew I'd lost from the first move since the game started, and you waited until now to say checkmate."

Keiko looked at Yun in the eyes and lost herself in them for a while. "I won't beat around the bush any longer," she said. A heavy blush washed over her face as she added, "I concede. I might have not had this heart for a week, but right now, it's beating because of you and only for you. I couldn't be more grateful."

She took her new boyfriend's hand in hers and told him, "You know, this situation kind of reminded me of the time I collapsed after the three-legged race at the Sports Festival. As embarrassing as it felt getting princess-carried out of the court with everyone watching, I wouldn't have traded that moment for the world. That was the first time I'd felt the warmth of a man's embrace... my father not included, of course... and I've longed for it ever since." She let out a nervous giggle before adding, "It'd be kind of awkward right now, since I'm strapped to a hospital bed, but I want to be in your arms again. More than anything in the world, actually. With all these trolls and stalkers trying to scurry into my personal life like leeches... You're the only man that makes me feel safe. I want to keep it that way."

Keiko's gaze met Yun's once more. Nervousness took over her soon after, and she turned away. "Look at me, rambling on and on like this," she said. "Funny you should mention fairy tales, too. All my life, I've been both the princess locked away in a tower and the wicked witch trying to slay anyone trying to save her. Out of all the men who've been fawning over Tako-chan since I started my streaming career, I should've expected my Prince Charming to be someone who hadn't admired her."

Keiko gulped down and winced. Mumbling to herself, she said, "This is so embarrassing. I've never said this to anyone and meant it. I didn't even have time to rehearse this..." She turned to Yun and told him. "Um! I... I love you, Yun Okumura! With all my new heart, I love you!"

She stopped for a second, breathing heavily, as if she'd just finished lifting a heavy load off her shoulders... a literal one, that is. "There... I said it."

QuirkyAngel

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Yun Okumura

Listening to Keiko’s speech, Yun felt his eyebrow rise in the beginning of it and his heart soar towards the end of it, but didn’t interrupt until he was certain she was done. He simply watched her as if entranced. Every movement of her lips. The way she sat up, leaned down, and looked him in the eyes. How she blushed, looked away, giggled, and breathed. Yun simply took it all in–the sight of the girl he couldn’t be 100% certain he would see with opened eyes again–and memorized every detail. The soft hands that took his in hers felt warm. Alive.

Truly, nothing else mattered.

When she finally finished, he pulled her into a hug, face buried in her hair. He chuckled. “Meticulous, am I? I suppose I am.”

However, the recent week had shown him that, even through all his planning, there were things outside of his control. Her heart had been one of them. If only the game of love, and life, were as simple as 4-D chess, he wouldn’t have to hide the warmth of his face from her eyes nor the tears that threatened to burst forth. Breathing in her scent, he waited for his own heart to settle before speaking again. “If you wanted me to hug you, you should’ve said so. Awkward or not, I’ll do it as many times as you want–especially now that I’m your boyfriend.”

Funny how simple titles that he’d never cared for suddenly became so important to him. Love did funny things. Whether or not she had agreed to the relationship, he intended to “take responsibility” for his actions, but it was much easier to do so now that he was officially her boyfriend. He could visit her as much as he wanted without others–like her family–looking at him funny. He now had an excuse to stay by side. More importantly, now that she was exclusively his, he was in a relationship where he had pogchamp responsibilities to uphold. What did it mean to be a dating couple? Where would it lead them 2 years…10 years…down the line? As much planning as he could do to prepare for the future, Yun didn’t know. What he did know was that their “game” wasn’t over. Not by a long shot. He’d gone through great lengths to make sure it didn’t, after all.

Lifting his head, Yun met Keiko’s gaze seriously. “I promise you won’t regret this, Fair Maiden. I’ll protect you and your new heart. I won’t cheat. I’ll slay any witch that tries to tempt me into dancing with vicious words. I’ll shield you from any foul trolls or stalkers that try to harm you. Fight your entire fanbase to the ground if I have to…because I love you too, Tak–Keiko.” He wasn’t sure if he had ever really said it directly, though it had been heavily in his speech before the surgery. “So don’t worry about anything and just focus on getting better. Once you do, a whole new world will be waiting for you.”

One where she wouldn’t have to worry about collapsing from a mere three-legged race.

One where she would be happy and healthy, living out her dreams and having fun like any other girl her age.

One where he could introduce her to his friends and family as his girlfriend…and possibly more. Life was full of possibilities. Yun was the sort to plan for the future at the expense of the here and now. He was a high idealist, with high expectations of himself. He’d thought people were stupid for seeking momentary pleasure at the cost of future happiness. However, here and now, at the moment, he couldn’t be happier. Life was fleeting. Things didn’t always go as planned...and there was much joy to be missed if he didn't stop and take the time to look around him. To take chances. The club may be over, the school saved, and Keiko had acquired a new heart, but their lives were still only just beginning.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~THE END~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Or is it?

Trystan1295