A Hanbun no Tsuki fanfiction – Greenery Day

Disclaimer: I don't own Hantsuki.

Genre(s): Friendship/General

Character(s): Yuuichi Ezaki/Rika Akiba

May 3rd, 7:00 pm—

Yuuichi sighed and he pulled himself up from his bed, hands holding one of Tada-san's porn magazines collections. He stared at the picture of a woman in a bikini blankly; thoughts were far away from the bikini girl.

Just yesterday, doctor Natsume told him about Rika's condition. He couldn't deny it; Rika was going faster to her own death. Her condition was becoming worse. Yuuichi hoped that he hadn't heard the conversation between Natsume-sensei and Rika's mother yesterday night.

He hoped that he just locked himself in his room, not sneaking out from the hospital like he usually did.

He wished that doctor Natsume would come to him and tell him that he was lying. That he wasn't telling the truth.

He threw the magazine away and he put his pillow above his head. He heard his door being opened and Akiko's loud voice broke in.

"Hey, idiot kid!" Akiko pulled Yuuichi's blanket off from his body, hands on her waist. "Your medicine! Get up!"

Yuuichi didn't move. He wasn't in a mood to exchange fun banters with Akiko like they usually did. Akiko frowned at this and she softened her tone, "Yuuichi?"

"I don't want to talk to you," Yuuichi muttered. "Leave me alone."

Akiko blinked. This wasn't the usual Yuuichi. Yuiichi wouldn't act and say things like this.

"Yuuichi, what's wrong?" Akiko put her hand on Yuuichi's shoulder. "Are you feeling not well?"

No answer came from the maroon-haired boy.

"Hey, you know, you can tell me if you're having problems," Akiko sighed. "Stop sulking around and get up now, Yuuichi!"

"Just leave me alone."

Akiko was stunned at this and realisation suddenly downed into her. "It's… Rika-chan, isn't it?"

Again, Yuuichi kept silent. Akiko took it as a 'yes'.

"Hey," said Akiko softly, placed herself on the edge of Yuuichi's bed, "you can't stay like this forever, idiot. Don't only thinking about your very self. Think about how Rika is feeling now, with her knowing her own condition."

A few minutes passed by. Finally, very slowly, Yuuichi moved and he pushed away his pillow from his head.

"It's not fair," Yuuichi growled, hugging his legs. "Rika's just… just turned seventeen! She… she didn't deserve this! Can't they do something to save her?"

Akiko smiled as she patted Yuuichi's back. "Of course it's not fair," she nodded in agreement. "But who said if this world is fair? People come and go; people were born and died. It's always like that. But, hey, look, kid. God gives us lives; He gives us deaths. But He also gives us chances. And chances are always coming every time."

"What do you mean?" Yuuichi looked up to the orange-haired nurse, perplexed.

"Tomorrow is May fourth," Akiko winked. "Greenery Day! Can't you do something for Rika-chan?"

Yuuichi shrugged. "But both Rika and I are not allowed to go outside."

"Well then, tomorrow is the only exception," said Akiko, grinning. "I will help you. How do you think? Take her to the hill nearby, at the south of the city. Do you know that place?"

Yuuichi nodded. "Yeah."

"I'll give you and her about… half an hour," Akiko decided. "Do you think you can make it?"

"Yeah… I suppose," replied Yuuichi slowly, still confused. "But what should we do…?"

Akiko punched the boy's head, "Idiot! What do you think people do on Greenery Day?!"

"Ow! It hurts!" Yuuichi wailed and he backed off, hands grabbing his head.

"Served you well as an idiot," Akiko grumbled. "Then. Have fun! Tomorrow. And get dressed up!"

"It's not a date!" Yuuichi grouched as Akiko made her way out from the room. Akiko stopped at the door and she smiled, "Well, who knows if Rika thinks like it?"

Akiko chortled as she slammed the door behind her closed.

"What a very weird woman," Yuuichi grunted, cheeks blushing. "... What about my medicine...?"

May 4th, 10 am—

Rika hummed happily as she looked at her reflection on the mirror. That early morning, Nurse Akiko gave her that dress and long white jeans. The dress was with long hand sleeves, with yellow and blue flowers embroidered on it. Akiko also gave her a wide straw hat with a soft yellow ribbon circling it. She giggled happily.

"It's been a very long time since my last Greenery Day!" she chimed. She grabbed the spade Akiko also gave her earlier. "Planting and sweeping and polishing local areas! I can't wait for it any longer!"

The next moment, a knock tapped on her door and she groggily answered, "C-come in!"

Her door slid opened, revealing Yuuichi at the threshold. Rika held her breath back at the sight of Yuuichi gave her.

"Yuuichi…" she whispered in awe.

"H-hi," Yuuichi shrugged, cheeks flushing at Rika's appearance. "You look… er… beautiful."

"You look good in those clothes…" Rika slowly said, tightening her grab on her spade.

Yuuichi's eyes widened in slight surprise, "Er… thanks. You… too."

They stared at each other awkwardly for a moment until Rika broke off the silence, "Well… shall we go?"

"Ah, yeah!" Yuuichi quickly responded. "It's getting late… we better go now."

Rika nodded and both of them walked away from Rika's room. As they walked on the corridor to the back exit door, Rika asked doubtfully, "Yuuichi… are you okay?"

"Eh?" Yuuichi glanced at Rika confusedly. "I'm okay. Why?"

Rika cast her eyes away to the ground. "No… I'm just thinking… Akiko-san told me that you got another fever yesterday night. This time… Akiko-san told me to watch after you."

Yuuichi opened the door and gritted his teeth at the cold breeze. He tightened his jacket around his body, zipping it.

"I'm fine," finally Yuuichi answered, smiling. "It's me who should take care of you. Are you cold?"

Rika apparently became a bit cheerful at Yuuichi's answer and she shook her head happily, "Not really. This dress and this jacket are so warm on my body!"

Yuuichi nodded and they began to walk. People loaded the local parks and areas; many of them were sweeping and cleaning up the city. After twenty minutes of walk, finally, they had reached the said hill.

"It's beautiful…" Rika laughed softly. She looked down at the town spread over below them. She stretched her arms, taking a deep breath. "I haven't seen the whole city like this! It's just like a paradise!"

Yuuichi set their tools on the ground and he joined Rika. "Yeah. But look…"

"Eh?" Rika turned back, looking at Yuuichi. "Why?"

"There aren't much of trees anymore here… looks like it, isn't it?" Yuuichi mumbled. "I wonder… why don't people come here and planting trees here again? None of them remembered this place anymore… yet this place is the most beautiful spot you can find to see the whole city…"

"You're right…"Rika sighed. And then she smiled, "Very well then, we should get on our moves now! Planting trees!"

Yuuichi nodded and he opened the black plastic bag, pulling out of little trees and flower seeds.

"Can you do this?" asked Yuuichi, putting off his gloves and grabbing a spade.

"Hmm… I don't really know how," Rika admitted sheepishly. "It's been a very long time for me…"

"It's ok," Yuuichi nodded again and he began to dig a small hole. "Watch me and follow me. Today you will be following what I say, do you understand?"

Rika rolled her eyes but she replied mockingly, "Roger that, sir."

"Dig some small holes like this," Yuuichi told her. "Don't dig it too deeply."

"Ok!" Rika too grabbed her spade and together they dug some small holes. Yuuichi reached some small trees from the bags they had brought along and he started to put them in the holes they had made.

"You put them like this and get the soil covering the trees and the seeds," Yuuichi told Rika and she nodded in enthusiasm, doing like she was told to, watching his example. For the next twenty minutes, they were busy with their tasks.

"I'm done!" Rika exclaimed happily, rubbing her forehead. Her cheeks were pink. "Waah! Hey, Yuuichi, I can do it! See? I can do it!"

"Ah… I'm done too!" Yuuichi stretched his arms and he laid his body on the ground, panting slightly. "Are you tired, Rika? Are you okay? We should take a rest."

"I'm completely fine, don't worry! I'm only a bit tired!" Rika exclaimed, laughing. And she was right. Rika looked very healthy, with her cheeks blushing pink and her lips red. She wasn't pale like before any longer. She followed Yuuichi lying down on the ground. She raised her hand, her index finger pointing to the sky, "Today… is very beautiful, isn't it? I'm so happy that actually, I can do something like this. I was always thinking that I would never be able doing kinds of these kinds of stuff ever again… but I did today. Yuuichi, thank you so much for taking me here and helping the Earth. At least, the last thing I did before I go was helping the Earth to regain its composure back."

"Stupid," said Yuuichi slowly, resisting the urge to cry now. He blinked to prevent his tears out, his eyes were hot. "Don't make it sounds like the end of everything..."

"Doctor Natsume told me that he told you about my condition," said Rika softly, closing her eyes. "Yuuichi… because of today, I fell no longer fear of death. I'm not afraid anymore. And I will not regret it. I am very glad and happy that you are my friend. Because of you, I understand… about life and death. Because of you, I could feel about having friends. I am very grateful that I met you."

Yuuichi clenched his fist tightly. This wasn't right. Rika wouldn't say things like that. Like she did now. The Rika he knew would definitely order him around; giving Rika her drinks; telling him to get her foods.

But she didn't.

Rika was dying. That was the truth.

"Thank you," Rika whispered, tears starting on her eyes, "thank you so much for being my true friend, Yuuichi…"

Rika sat up and she looked at Yuuichi. Yuuichi slowly followed her. The emotions within him were overwhelming; he suppressed the urge to cough, but he failed. The next moment he opened his mouth to speak, a sequence of coughs was the only one that came out and his body shook violently with the bout.

"Yuuichi!" Rika cried out, terrfiied. She held Yuuichi's shoulders firmly. "Yuuichi, are you okay? Can you hear me? Yuiichi!"

But Yuuichi's coughs didn't stop. Instead, Yuuichi started to feel lightheaded and his vision blurred; his body was very cold. He blinked and attempted to speak, but his breaths caught in his throat.

Rika briskly grabbed a bottle of water from her bag, trying to give the liquid to him. Only a few of it that went through his throat, the rest were spilt out by his coughs.

"Rika…" Yuuichi gasped, his hands grabbing Rika's tightly, "I…"

"Yuuichi!" Rika tried to keep Yuuichi awake by hugging him, trying to give him the warmth he needed now. "Yuuichi, please, stay awake!"

"I… like you…" were the words formed on Yuuichi's lips even though there was no sound came from it. Rika's eyes widened in surprise as she saw Yuuichi finally closed his eyes.

"No! Yuuichi, please!" Rika cried harrdr, pulling the boy tightly into her embrace.

I… like you too, Yuuichi…

May 5th, 2:00 pm—

Everything around him was dark when Yuuichi started to awake. He opened his eyes.

He was in his room in the hospital.

What happened? He thought, bewildered. Oh, yeah… I was on the hill with Rika… then where is she?

He bolted up on his bed and looked around. Where is Rika? Is she all right? He swung his legs down but something was suppressing his hand.

Ah. His hand was hooked to an IV.

Suddenly his door opened with Rika and Akiko at the threshold.

"Yuuichi!" Rika exclaimed and she rushed to the bed, hugging him tightly. "Thank God, you're awake! Are you okay?"

"Are you okay?" Yuuichi asked back, still confused. Rika pouted and slapped his head playfully.

"Aw! It hurts!" Yuuichi whined. "Stop hitting my head!"

"I'm the one who should ask that!" Rika put her arms on her waist, eyes narrowing. "Yuuichi is stupid!"

"... What?"

"Well, well," Nurse Akiko sighed and she walked closer, putting her tray on the desk beside the bed. "As you see now, Rika-chan is completely fine."

"Er… what happened?" demanded Yuuichi, looking at Rika.

Rika crossed her arms in front of her chest firmly. "You passed out."

"Cold and fever, I guess, I think your body couldn't tolerate the cold air and breeze outside, you've been out more than 24 hours," said Akiko quickly, injecting a liquid to his arm. He cringed at the sharp prick, "What, you're still not good at doing this! Please be more gentle, Akiko-san!"

"Are you saying that I'm not capable of doing this?" Akiko hissed and Yuuichi jerked away.

"No," the boy mumbled, resigned.

Finally, Akiko finished her task and she collected her tools and the tray. "I will leave now. If you're not feeling well, call me immediately. You better to stay on that bed if you don't want me to barricade your door again. Do you understand? Doctor's orders! I'll leave him to you, Rika-chan."

"Okaaay!" Rika raised her hand enthusiastically, grinning. Akiko chuckled and she left the room.

"Yuuichi," suddenly Rika became serious, she set herself on the chair beside Yuuichi's bed. "About what you said yesterday on the hill…"

Yuuichi's eyes widened in anxiety. He remembered what he had said... Stupid! What a fool he was!

"Just… just… just forget that!" Yuuichi abruptly said, cheeks blushing. "I… I… I'm sorry!"

Rika stood up suddenly as she yelled, "Stupid Yuuichi! I like you too!"

Yuuichi's mouth fell agape. Rika saw this and she quickly backed off.

"Rika?" Yuuichi carefully called out. "Are you… serious…?"

"Well, I am!" Rika resisted. "How about you, huh, Yuuichi?"

Yuuichi stared at his lap. Suddenly he pulled Rika into his embrace, "I don't care if you're dying, Rika. I don't care. What matters for me is who you are. I like you just the way you are. I… I'll be beside you when you want to."

Rika's body stiffened in surprise at this. But slowly, she relaxed at this and she hugged Yuuichi back, stroking his hair, "Stupid Yuuichi. I know that... just don't make me scared like that again..."

Yuuichi smiled as he continued to share the warmth with Rika. "It's okay, Rika. I'm here."

Rika nodded and smiled too, "I know, Yuuichi, I know. I'm not afraid... because you're here. We're both here, still here..."

"Still here," Yuuichi whispered, "yeah... still here."

ah, well, I watched this anime again I ended up loving it again. as usual, feedbacks, reviews, and comments are much appreciated. tell me whether this is good or not; so please do leave what you think, thanks for reading!

~zephirus