Open Your Heart - Chapter Fourteen
By the time Daiki Arioka heard the news and rushed into Kota Yabu’s hospital room, Kota had already received his stitches, and had just finished listening to the doctor explain some technical details regarding his wound, such as when the dissolvable stitches would fade, and when to change the gauze that was newly wrapped around his hand.
“Kota! Are you alright?! What happened?!” Daiki yelled worriedly as soon as the doctor had left the room.
“I’m fine, Daiki. It’s just a couple of stitches,” Kota laughed. “It not a big deal.”
“How many?” Daiki asked uncertainly.
“Five,” Kota replied casually.
“Five is plenty!” Daiki retorted. “But seriously, Kota, what happened?”
“Well… I kind of got really… frustrated. So I kind of just… punched the wall… really hard… to let my anger out.” Kota smiled sheepishly at his own mistake. “But I guess I didn’t know my own strength, because I cracked the bathroom tiles and drew blood.”
Daiki stared in disbelief. “What the heck made you so frustrated?!”
Kota didn’t answer. His gaze drifted downward to his hands in his lap. One bare, one bandaged.
“It was Kei… he told me he couldn’t like me back, because… because he already has a boyfriend,” Kota mumbled miserably. “The worst part is that he said he returned my feelings, but he still can’t like me… because of his boyfriend.”
Daiki looked on sadly at his dejected best friend. Sighing, Daiki put a hand on Kota’s shoulder, and with a resolute expression on his face, he spoke sternly. “Kota, I’m just going to ask you this one question, how much do you really like Kei?”
Kota stared straight back into Daiki’s eyes and whispered his response, “I love Kei.”
Daiki drew back his breath, anticipating his answer. “Then you have to be willing to wait for him. I don’t know how long it’ll take, but if you truly love him, then you must wait for him. I am sure that one day, he will love you back… in fact, he may already.”
Kota smiled hopefully up at Daiki, but his heart sank when he remembered. “But what if Kei doesn’t come back next week… his paycheck I gave him only tied him to this week… if he doesn’t come back, I might not ever get to see him again.”
~~~
Yuto Nakajima waited patiently for his boyfriend outside the park across the street from his house. Yuto knew why Kei had called him, asking him to meet him here. Yuri had already benevolently informed Yuto of his boyfriend’s change of heart.
It was here that it started… where Kei met Kota Yabu, and where he was first offered that job as a maid in his household… It’s ironic that it is here that we will end. After today, he will no longer be my boyfriend…
Watching Kei approach the park, Yuto stood up to greet his boyfriend for one last time. Unfortunately, he was unable to, as Kei spotted Yuto, then instantly ran over and embraced him, rendering Yuto speechless.
“I’m sorry,” Kei murmured softly. “I know that you saw what happened…yesterday…”
“Kei,” Yuto savored his boyfriend’s name one last time. “Do you want to break up?” Yuto’s voice faltered as he spoke into Kei’s ear.
Kei pulled away slowly, avoiding Yuto’s gaze as he nodded forlornly. Yuto closed his eyes as he sighed, relieving all his inner turmoil and frustration in the process. It’s really over between us…
Yuto pulled Kei into his arms one last time as he whispered lovingly, “I’ll miss you. I’ll miss you more than you will ever know… but I wish you the best. Do me a favor and be happy with Kota… Kei, please know that I’ll still always be there for you… as a friend.”
Kei beamed, his heart touched by Yuto’s encouraging words. You really were a perfect boyfriend, just somehow, not perfect for me.
Remembering the strikingly different circumstances they had been in the last time he had said his next words to Yuto, Kei smiled softly, “Thank you, Yuto. I don’t know what I would do without you.”
~~~
Daiki Arioka gently closed the door behind him as he waved goodbye to his injured friend.
“I’ll be out soon, I just need to check with the doctor about one last thing, then I’ll get to go home,” Kota had reassured him. “Don’t worry. It’s not really that bad, I’ll be okay.”
Laughing quietly to himself, Daiki remembered the last time he had broken his leg, and he had said similar words to Kota. They had only been ten years old at the time…
“Daiki?” A timid voice piped up as soon as he turned the corner.
Looking up at the sound of the voice, Daiki smiled widely. “Ryoko! It’s good to see you. Are you here to escort Kota home?”
Ryoko nodded.
“So do you feel better now, after what happened yesterday?” Daiki asked concernedly.
Ryoko nodded shyly again. “Thank you, Daiki, for being so nice to me yesterday… I guess I just needed someone to talk to or something, but I felt a lot better after I listened to your advice.” She smiled genuinely. “It really meant a lot to me that someone was actually there for me. Even though I hadn’t expected you to be the one by my side when I was feeling at my worst, I’m kind of really glad it was you,” Ryoko could feel a slight warmth growing on her cheeks as she spoke, the words coming from the deeply hidden crevices of her heart.
Daiki nodded, his happiness swelling in the process. “I’m really glad I was able to help you, too, Ryoko. And if you ever need me again, don’t hesitate to ask; I’ll always be there for you.”
Ryoko’s breath caught as Daiki smiled encouragingly at her. Daiki… How could I ever show you how much this means to me? Then without thinking, as if by random impulse, she leaned over and delicately touched her soft lips against Daiki’s cheek. Pulling away quickly in embarrassment, Ryoko noted his cheeks were quickly encrimsoning as well.
Daiki slowly put a hand to his cheek, surprised by Ryoko’s sudden show of affection, as he felt himself grinning and blushing back stupidly.
~~~
When Yuri Chinen walked past the park on Saturday, one of her few days off from work, she was instantly struck by the memories that had taken place there the day before. I hugged Yuto, and begged him to not cry, while I, like an idiot, started sobbing myself! Yuri laughed at her own foolishness. Way to go, Yuri. You totally were able to help Yuto out a ton… she smiled bitterly, sarcasm dripping from her thoughts.
“Hi, Yuri,” a cheerful voice sounded from behind her.
Yuri turned and smiled, “Hi…” then stumbled when she saw who it was. “…Y-Yuto,”
“I just realized I never properly thanked you for yesterday, so when I saw you walk by, I just followed behind.” Yuto paused. “So, thank you, Yuri,” he smiled.
“I didn’t really do anything…” Yuri mumbled timidly, feeling her face warming slightly.
“But you were there for me, and for that, I can’t thank you enough,” Yuto explained. “Oh, and all those sweet words you said were also an added plus,” he grinned.
“Yuto… they weren’t just sweet words…” Yuri whispered under her breath.
“Did you say something?” Yuto asked, smiling lightly.
“I was being completely honest yesterday,” Yuri continued, raising her voice a little louder so Yuto could listen to her words. “I really do care about you, Yuto… so, so much… I’m sorry, I know your heart must still be hurting from Kei, and it hasn’t fully healed yet, but I just need to tell you… I love you!” Yuri winced automatically after shouting out those last three words. She looked away from Yuto’s large, round eyes, fearing rejection.
A blithe laugh interrupted Yuri’s thoughts of regret for confessing, and the sensation of the warmth of Yuto’s arms surrounding her stole her breath away.
“It’s true; I’m not really ready to love someone else yet…”
Yuri’s eyes cast downward. Her worst fears had been realized.
“…But once my heart fully mends, I promise, Yuri, your love will be the first to fill it.”
Yuri’s eyes lit up with hope as Yuto spoke. As she then rested her head on Yuto’s chest, Yuri smiled in contentment, hearing Yuto’s steady breathing beside her ear, and his heart beating in sync with hers.
I’ll wait for you to open your heart to me, Yuto. No matter how long it takes, I’ll stay by your side…