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Mistuba was in the hospital. He was going to be fine, but he'd have to recover for a few days. It hurt like hell. Why would Teru do that to him? How was he going to tell Kou?
It has been one week since Mitsuba had come back to life. He had evaded media attention although a few people at school had noticed his return. One of those people was Teru Minamoto, who Kou had not told about Mitsuba coming back to life, let alone their romantic relationship. Mitsuba had seen him in the corner of his vision, just watching him. This wasn't completely unusual, as some people who had knew him and then heard about his death thought they had seen a ghost but when Mitsuba left their line of sight they just assumed it was nothing. Although, as the week went on, Mistuba would start to see him more and more, Kou being none the wiser. Due to the way that Mistuba snuck in Kou's house the day of him coming back to life, he didn't recognize Teru. On Wednesday, Mistuba came to the conclusion that he could be an exorcist too, and he might have thought Mistuba was a ghost wandering the halls. So, that day, Mitsuba set in motion a plan to explain him coming back to life, or at least to clear things up. He started with a letter on his desk that morning, which seemed ominous, but as good at getting people's attention. They were to meet that Friday after school by the pool. Mistuba hoped it would go well, Teru had other intentions.
Kou sat at home on Thursday evening not doing much. He had been down lately. Him and Mitsuba hadn't talked much since Sunday, which shouldn't feel like a long time, but for someone who just found love (let's be honest with ourselves, very few of us have /j) it's an eternity. He had been with the other 2 members of the toilet trio, although Hanako seemed weakened after the ghost was vanquished from the near shore. Kou would later learned that he was Hanako's brother, and that had made him feel bad, but Hanako seemed to be relived, along with Yashiro. When he asked why it got very awkward. They tried their best to move on from that topic, but Hanako eventually fessed up that he had killed him.
"I kinda wish I hadn't asked, now"
"Well, Kou, there's a reason I gotta do time on earth before I'm allowed into heaven,"
"It was either the slammer, or a full-time job as head of the supernatural in this school", Yashiro said mockingly. The mood improved from there. Now, back to Kou moping.
I don't want the spark between us to die out. And when I think about that it makes me feel jealous, and that just drives me crazy. I've got to do something about this. So, Kou thought of something to do about that. After awhile of think, he decided that he would pay Mitsuba a visit, and surprise him with something. Then he remembered, Mistuba had talked about sounds during the time they spent together on Sunday. About how they had interested him after everything was fuzzy during his time as a ghost. Kou had decided, since he had saved up his birthday money over the past few years because he kept misplacing it in the same spot, and then he had all this money that he had no idea what to do with, he was gonna buy Mistuba a real good high-end record player. So Kou set out into the evening sun to pick one up and bring it to him.
It was a little before 9 before Kou knocked on his door. Mistuba's mother opened the door,
"Oh! You're the boy that brought my son back to life"
"Well if you wanna phrase it like that..." Kou blushed. Kou wen inside and Mistuba's mother called him into the room. Mitsuba looked tired but immediately perked up when he saw Kou with the package. "I brought you something!". Mistuba's face lit up.
"What is it? Match earrings like the one you have?". Kou laughed,
"I'll show you in your room". Mistuba was dazzled, by the equipment, and Kou had brought some speakers since he only realized when he got to the store that the speakers would have to be bought separately. they turned an empty, yet very large bookcase over to place the player on. It looks surprisingly well, and was just big enough to store records. AND THEN IT EXPLODED.
(Just playing with you, I know this isn't incredibly interesting, and I've got to keep you engaged somehow). Kou had one record for him, and it's very obvious to as what he picked, although Mitsuba had never heard of it.
"What does this sound like?" Mistuba asked Kou. Kou grabbed his hand and said simply,
"Us. It's the sound I feel when we're together, when I am able to be with you." They sat there speechless for awhile, taking those sentences in. Kou left after that after they hugged, and promised to meet him tomorrow.
"And remember, keep yourself safe!" Kou said as he walked out the door.
"I will!" Mitsuba smiled.
The next day after school, Mitsuba went to meet Teru. Teru was looking off into the distance when he arrived. It looked like he was expecting Mistuba to come from that side, even if it wasn't the way the school was. Maybe he just thought he looked cool. We may never know what Kou was thinking in those moments. Mistuba would later recount this as happening a few days after this incident.
"I went up to meet Teru, I was gonna try to explain to him that via Kou's love, some form of karma I built up from the universe, the destruction of this ghost related to the 'top dog' of ghosts, or a combination of all 3, I had been brought back to life. I opened my mouth to say something, and then I felt a sharp pain in my lower right leg. I fell to the ground, and then I heard somebody scream. I was conscious for most of the event, so what I think happened was someone at the school forgot something near the pool, and then witnessed Teru doing whatever he did to me."
The witness to this event was none other then a certain Yashiro Nene, who called police shortly after which caused Teru to flee the scene. Teru tried shocking Mitsuba with his staff, but to no avail since Mistuba was no longer a supernatural. Mistuba was rushed to the hospital, the doctors did the best they could, and he was going to be ok after that incident. Kou went into Mistuba's room as soon as he could, and he looked as though he had been crying for hours when they saw each other.
"Hi Kou," Mitsuba said weakly, "They say I'm going to need crutches for a few weeks, and I'm going to have to stay here for awhile, but that I'll be out and walking in about a month."
"W-who did this to you?!" Kou's sadness had turned to outrage over who could have hurt his boyfriend in such a cowardly way.
"You're not gonna like the answer," Mistuba sat up, "It was Teru".
"No! No, No, No nononononono", Kou couldn't accept that he had done this to Mistuba. It felt as though he had been stabbed, metaphorically of course, directly through the heart. He put his hands over his eyes and sat down.
"It's gonna be okay, baby", Mistuba smiled softly at him. Kou laughed a little,
"Baby". They thought of anything to make them laugh in the moment. Mitsuba then looked more gloomy than he had been when Kou entered the room and said,
"I wasn't able to protect myself. I feel so weak, what if it happens again? What am I gonna do?" Kou put his arms around him (the best he could with him laying down) and told him,
"It's okay, man, I'm here for you, you can let it all out," Mistuba cried in his arms for awhile before he said,
"I don't know what I'd do without you,"
"At this point, same"
"I feel like I've failed you"
"By being stabbed? If that's what failing is, then I've got an F in the class of love, y'know, I might as well have been failing this class since day one".
"We're both flunk-outs when it comes to relationships"
"Well, I for one still believe in you," Kou said with a smile, tapping him on the nose, "Just don't forget to study"
"Ight, well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow,"
"I love you too, Mistuba"
"Wait. I've got one more thing to tell you"
"Yea?" Kou walked over to Mitsuba's hospital bed.
And with that they kissed. Even with Mistuba's life on the line, him knowing he wasn't supposed to be here, let alone alive. On how Kou had been patient with him adjusting back to normal life, it filled him with hope.
Because nothing could stop their love. Nothing they couldn't handle, at least.