One girl, one boy, one love. Chapter 15 : Is this Good-bye? (Author - Misao)

After a hertic week, the Shohoku team decided that it was time to go home.
" Bye!" the Dojo kids called out.
" Oi! Sakuragi! Have you learned how to hold a bamboo sword?" Yoshi called out while Yutaro snickered.
" Yoshi! I want you to mop the Dojo 100 times today!" Sayo instructed.
" 100 times?!" Yoshi gasped.
" Sanosuke will make sure you do that," Sayo went on.
" Aww...come on... gimme a break!" Yoshi pleaded.
" Who asked you to open you big mouth in the first place?" Sayo snapped.
" Hai,hai..."
" Bye!" the Shohoku members waved as they walked towards the train station.
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" Did you enjoy the trip, Rukawa-kun?" Sayo asked him on the train.
" Yeah..." Rukawa replied absent mindly.
" Is that the best reply?" Sayo asked him again.
" Sorry, Sayo-chan,it's just that my mind was on something else," Rukawa apologised.
" It better not be another girl," Sayo teased him.
" Of course not," Rukawa stroked her hair and kissed her forehead.
" I still don'' know weather to stay with you or stay in Edo," Sayo sighed as she rested on Rukawa.
" Think about it," Rukawa smiled.
" I know, is just that i don't know weather to stay with my Dojo students and brother or to stay here with you," Sayo smiled at him.
" I get it..." Rukawa pondered over that thought for a while.
" Darn, Rukawa-kun,you make it so hard for me," Sayo pretended to be angry at him but failed.
" Don't worry, i may even decide to go back with you to Edo..." Rukawa teased her.
" If you did, it would be perfect for me," Sayo leaned to kiss Rukawa.
**************
Rukawa sat and thought about what Sayo had said. Maybe he shold let Sayo go. But then again, he loved her too much.Rukawa felt like he was a cage, and the bird inside was Sayo.
" Darn, what should i do?" Rukawa sat in his room deep in thought.Then Rukawa chose the horrible path for himself.He would let Sayo go.
**************
" Sayo, i need to talk to you," Rukawa called Sayo over to the rooftop so that he could tell her his decision.
" What hapened to hte Sayo-chan, Rukawa-kun?" Sayo teased him.
" Shoot.Sayo is making it so difficult for me... i can't bear to leave her,but..." Rukawa struggled on the thought.
" Nani? You wanted to tell me something?" Sayo asked Rukawa.
" I..i don't want to see you anymore," Rukawa quickly said.
" You're joking, right?" Sayo asked him sadly.
" No,leave me alone," Rukawa shrugged as Sayo lightly touched his arm before turning around.
" It's happening again,"Sayo started sobbing." Everyone whom i loved except onichan( brother) has left me..." Sayo sat on the rooftop and began crying.
Rukawa saw her and his heart melted. How could he hurt her until lake that? How was he supposed to know that Sayo was so troubled? " All those whom i had loved except onichan has left me..." Those words echoed in Rukawa's head.Then, it started to rain. As Rukawa headed for the door to the starcase, he looked back at Sayo one last time and saw her crying on the floor. Rukawa reluctlently turned around and shut Sayo out of his life.
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" Hey, did you hear? Sayo won't be attending school anymore cause her terbucolosis worked up again after yeasterday..."Rukawa heard a student say.
" No way! What caused Sayo's terbucolosis to act up?" Another student asked her.
"I heard that it was because Rukawa broke up with her..." The student started.
" Poor girl..."
" Yeah, she told me before that she was so happy with Rukawa because all those whom she loved had left her...except her brother," The first student shook her head as she said that.
" Poor girl,let's go visit her in the hospital later," the second student said.Rukawa was nearby and heard the entire conversation. His heart felt heavy as he thought about Sayo, her smiling face...everything.And because of him,her diesease struck.
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" Ok team! Sayo has fallen ill again, and we're all gonna visit her today!" Ryota called out over the din.
" What? Sayo's sick again?" The team asked each other.
" Poor girl," Ayako clasped her hand over her mouth.
**********
At the hospital, the doctor showed them the ward Sayo was in.
" You can't enter," The doctor said. " Only a few people are allowed to go in at a time," he explained before hurrying away.
" Would you like to go in first, Rukawa?" Ayako asked him.Rukawa was anxious but he didn't want to show it.
" Whatever," Rukawa shrugged befor entering. Inside the ward,all the kids including Sano and Shanti were crowded aroung Sayo.Suzumi and Ayumi were crying.
" Rukawa!" Shanti exclaimed as he walked into the room.
Suzumi and Ayumi were crying non stop saying, " Don't die sensei...please don't leave us..."
Suddenly, Sayo took hold of their little hands and whispered," I'm trying very hard to live the fullest of my life...so don't cry and smile for me..." Sayo wiped their tears with her finger.
" Sensei..." the kids whispered.
" Sayo won't die yet," Sano declared.
" Sayo... please live..." Shanti whispered with tears in his eyes.
" I'll try hard, onichan..." Sayo whispered before continuing. " But...i feel as if the end is really near..." Sayo smiled with tears in her green eyes.
" Don't worry," Sayo promised them." I'll live... i have a reason to live,and you all must have a reason to live too. Don't throw your life away,nei?" Sayo asked her students.
" Hai!" They cried out. Then, Sayo started coughing so hard that blood spilled onto the oxygen mask.
" SENSEI!" All her students cried out.
" Get the doctor!" Sano called out.Sakuragi heard him( they were all at the doorway) and ran to get him. Sayo was wheeled into the operating room.
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" Listen up! Sayo won't be joining us anymore. She has decided to go back to Edo," Ryota called out.It was a month after the incident and the team were shocked at why Sayo wanted to leave.
" Ssstt...Rukawa," Ayako motioned for him to go over.
" What?"
" Rukawa, Sayo is on Train 18 ready to go to Edo, if you want to go change her mind, you better leave now," Ayako whispered.
Rukawa thought for awhile.He thought about all the fun times they shared and Sayo's constent smiling face.He remembered Sayo's smiling face when he broke up with her and started to get angry when ha suddenly remembered the words Sayo had said." Smiling helps me to lessen the pain,"
" So she was in pain when i said that to her.. damnit.I'm such a freak..." Rukawa felt like hitting himself.
" Thanks," he said to Ayako before rushing out of the gym.
************
" Sayo..." Rukawa ached to hold Sayo in his arms and make everything all right again.
There she is! Rukawa spotted Sayo in the crowd and rushed to meet her.
*************
" I wish Rukawa was here..." Sayo thought as she waited for the train.Suddenly, she felt a hand grab hers. Sayo turned around and saw Rukawa.
Sayo blushed and avoided meeting his eyes. Rukawa sat down next to Sayo and said to her," Sayo, i'm sorry.I have been such a big jerk. While i was wrapped up in my own life, i didn't even notice how sad you were,will you forgive me?" Rukawa asked her.
" I for give you Rukawa...but i...i have decided to go back to Edo so i can forget the past,of how you left me...about how i fell ill..." Sayo smiled sadly.
" I know i hurt you and i'm sorry," Rukawa pleaded.
Sayo suddenly turned around and hugged Rukawa with tears in her eyes." I'm so happy you said that, but i need to get away from here awhile, and i promise that i'll be back some day," Sayo kissed Rukawa tenderly and cried on his shoulder as the train came.
" Some day..." Rukawa thought.
" I'll come back to you some day," Sayo said. " I promise."Sayo boarded the train and watched as she laft the station where her loved one was.
" Some day..." Sayo thought.
" Sayo will come back to me," Rukawa thought.
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That's the end! Sorry this Chapter took so long...it was the last! ( heh heh... my brain ran out of juice...)