The moon was still hanging low when they finally left the park. Haruka pedaled slowly, savoring the quiet. Yume's arms were wrapped around his waist again, her chin resting on his shoulder. Every few seconds, she'd squeeze just a little tighter, like she was making sure he was still real.
"Haruka?" she murmured against his back.
Yune: "Yeah?" "Don't overthink much, okay? Saito and others, including me, already have plans for your gift."
He laughed softly. "Okay, madam."
The road home was familiar... same curves, same flickering streetlamps. The rain from earlier had left everything slick and reflective. Haruka felt lighter than he ever had. For once, the Chrono Split in his right eye was quiet. No glitches. No extra layers. Just them. But it did twitch once pretty hard. But Haruka ignored it. He was focusing on the moment.
Yume shifted, her voice playful. "You're still thinking about the ice cream, aren't you? Creep."
"Guilty," he admitted.
"But only because you looked cute with chocolate on your lip."
She pinched his side.
"Shut up."
He grinned. "Make me."
She leaned forward and kissed the back of his neck...quick, shy, perfect. His heart stuttered. The bicycle wobbled for half a second before he corrected it. "Yume!-"
"Eyes on the road, idiot," she teased, but her voice was softer now. "I know I don't care much about death, but I would hate to die after I confessed, c'mon, dumbass, learn to understand girls."
Haruka's Chrono split suddenly started to flicker; it flickered so hard that his right eye started to bleed.
Haruka winces in pain, almost losing control of his bicycle.
Yume notices the blood as it rolled down from his right eye towards his neck.
Yume: "Haruka, w-what is happenin-"
Headlights flared ahead.
A car is coming too fast around the bend. Tires screeching on wet asphalt. The driver swerved... straight towards them as if he were in a hurry. Busy or not, he was familiar either way.
Haruka yanked the handlebars hard. Too late.
The impact was sudden and sickening. Metal screamed. The bike flipped. Haruka felt himself airborne for a heartbeat, then asphalt met his back. Pain exploded in his ribs, his skull. He rolled, skidded, stopped.
Everything spun.
"Yume-!"
Even at the moment when his ribs were crushed, and his skull was broken... All he cared for was Yume.
She was a few feet away, crumpled, necklace chain snapped, and glinting in the headlights. Blood was already pooling under her head.
Haruka crawled. Glass cut his palms. Rain started again—cold, relentless. "Yume… please…"
He reached her. Pulled her into his arms. Her eyes fluttered open—glassy, unfocused, but still hers. "Haruka…" "Don't talk. Help's coming. Just hold on."
Sirens wailed in the distance. Too far.
Yume's fingers found his cheek. Weak. Trembling. "It was nice… knowing you all along." Her voice cracked. "The staring… the promises… the confession you gave me… on your birthday… thank you… for loving me like that."
A tear slipped down her temple, mixing with rain and blood. "I love you… too…"
Her hand fell limp.
Haruka's scream tore out of him... raw, broken, animal. He rocked her body against his chest. Rain soaked them both. Headlights washed over them in white waves.
Then pain bloomed in his own chest... sharp, spreading. Ribs punctured something vital. Breathing became wet rattles.
He coughed up blood.
Whispered into her hair: "Don't...die."
His heartbeat stuttered. Slowed. Stopped.
The sirens arrived too late.
Nobody knows who called the ambulance.
They were both taken in the same ambulance.
Haruka opened his eyes...
Maybe it was days or hours... he doesn't know it. His vision is blurry. He looked right. On the bed beside his was Yume.
Half of her face was missing, and her lips were missing as well.
Her face was torn in the crash.
Haruka's eyes are teary. He couldn't speak. There was a growing ache in his chest.
Haruka: "Y-yume..."
Yume's eyes were open too, but she wasn't as cheerful... as before... of course, she wasn't.
She smiled a smile that looked beautiful even without the lips. Haruka didn't even want to imagine what she looked like under that. But he is damn sure she is still as beautiful as ever. No matter what, nothing will change her beauty.
Yume: "Well... maybe... The gift can wait?..."
The doctors were rushing, they checked the pulse, it was growing slower... at one point... a straight line.
Haruka couldn't hold back any longer; he screamed, only to realize his lungs ached even more.
He was coughing up blood again.
His vision got blurrier....the ache in his heart increased.... he remembered the promise they made... they said they would die together... so why did she leave first?
Haruka was too weak to move. With the last bit of his strength, he tore off the saline pipe that was attached to his left hand.
He tore it off... the pain he felt wasn't enough to make him wince now.
The doctors came rushing.
Before they came, he took the knife from the nearby table, which was basically used to slice apples.
He hit his eyes without a second thought...He can't let those eyes exist with whom he could have used to save Yume, but he was too slothful to do that.
He at last stabbed himself in the stomach.