Prologue:

As I looked outside the window, I could see bright, luscious petals floating off of the cherry blossom trees. Although they were falling rather rapidly due to the slight breeze, I swore I could count them one by one as they drifted downward. The sun was setting, and as it did so, illuminated the sky with a beautiful red, orange tone that seemed to compliment the pink petals, causing them to glow a bright magenta when the sun's rays passed through them. As I wondered how it was possible for me to absorb this much information about a rather mundane scene that was taking place outside the window, a firm tug on my right arm and a loud sob quickly brought me back.

It all started about two months ago when I began to have headaches during summer break. At first, I figured I had just come down with something or that it was just the summer heat getting to me. After that, I figured I just had chronic migraines. I mean, that was a fairly common issue and I'd had migraines before. The next time I went to the doctor's office for my normal checkup, I described what was going on to him and he prescribed me some migraine medication which worked surprisingly well. It all but completely relieved the headaches that were tormenting me and keeping me holed up in my room for the latter half of the summer. He also referred me to an oncology center to have a test done, noting that there probably wasn't anything seriously wrong but that it was better to be safe than sorry. Well, there was something wrong. Terribly wrong.

"Onii-chan…" whispered Komachi weakly as she clung to me. I embraced her with my other arm and began rubbing her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. As I glanced away from her, I took a look at my more immediate surroundings, only now fully aware of the fact that I was sitting in the consultation room of an oncology clinic. Unlike one might expect, the interior wasn't plain, gloomy, drab, or somber as the situation that I was currently in might have them believe. The room was painted a light blue and the walls were lined with glass bookshelves and metal railings that gave off a modern vibe. If I had to guess without knowing where I was, I would've said that this room looked like an office. Hmm… Now that I think of it, the consultation room was probably just an extension of the lead oncologist's office. However, this wasn't really something I should've been fixated upon given the current circumstances.

I still had yet to process the predicament that I was in. I was paying full attention when the lead oncologist took me, my mother and my sister into this room and gave the unfortunate news that I had been diagnosed with some incurable brain cancer. "Glioblastoma multiforme" it was. I distinctly remembered that term, but I couldn't remember most of the words spoken after that. Something about how I had approximately 15 months left to live and that it was most advisable for my family to make the proper insurance arrangements before I passed. I think. Despite the fact that I was literally being handed a death sentence, I didn't feel anything. Fear was absent. Sorrow and sadness were absent. I sure as hell wasn't happy, but I was… I think the right word to describe it would be numb. Who knows? Maybe I was still in shock and the wave of emotions would hit me soon after. Maybe hearing that I was about to die soon rendered me permanently unable to feel anything. At this point, I couldn't tell the difference between the two. As my mind continued to wander, I could hear the lead oncologist talking to my mother and sister about the details of my terminal ailment.

"...unfortunate that this would happen to your son, Hikigaya-san. It's actually rare for cases like this to happen in children and teenagers, although it's not completely unheard of. Most cases that we see occur in middle-aged…"

As the oncologist continued on, I locked myself away in my own thoughts, completely disinterested in the details. I began to think about the Service Club and how they would take it when I told them. Despite the fact that I was originally on not-so-friendly terms with them, we had grown rather close in recent months given developments that took place in the club itself. However, all the rants I had given, the cynical thoughts I had about the people around me, the changes I noticed taking place in my life and the lives around me… None of that seemed to matter anymore. It was all temporary, just like my life was and would be shown to be (even if sooner than I would've liked). As I raised my head again, I noticed that Komachi was still looking at me with grief-filled eyes and my mother was still listening to the oncologist go on.

"…Your son was a relatively healthy person with a rather conservative lifestyle. We haven't confirmed it yet, but the most likely culprit for this case is rooted in genetics. Your son's case is probably a Classical subtype, where we've noted a higher than normal expression of epidermal growth…"

Ugh. All this seemed like alien talk to me and I honestly didn't want to think about it. I was exhausted and I just wanted to go home and sleep. Soon after this thought entered my mind, the oncologist led us out the door we walked back out into the parking lot. Before I knew it, I was lying in my bed, hoping to wake up in the morning to a different reality where all that had just transpired was only a dream. If only it were that easy...