How to be Happy Segment #1

Chapter 22: Grievance

      I arrived at the hospital, a day after they had rushed Rhed here. I walked in and saw Akira, asleep in the waiting room. As I walked over to her, the nurse walked into the waiting room.

"Is anyone here for Asu Rhed?" 

Akira woke up, and ran to the doctor, as I followed suit.

"What's wrong with him?"
"Well, he's stable. In a stroke of luck, he landed on a mattress two workers were transporting out of the building."

Akira began tear up, as I held her in my arms.

"But his friend, however, wasn't as lucky. He managed to land on some concrete bags, but suffered a broken left leg and has a piece of rebar stuck in his thigh. Pulling it out may result in breaking a blood vessel, so we won't try pulling it out until we have a safe way of doing so."

"Thank you, ma'a-"
"May we see him?" Akira asks, as the nurse looked worried.

"Hmm.. I'll sneak you in." She says, as me and Akira followed behind her.

We entered his room, as Rhed lied there with bandages around his head and arms. His heartbeat monitor was loud, but Rhed seemed alright for the moment. Akira sat next to him, as I sat next to her. 

"Yuki.. what if he never wakes up? He looks really beat hurt.. I'm scared."
"Don't worry, I doubt he'd just give up a leave us. He'll wake up, I promise."  I said to her, as she looked back down on him.

"What about this friend of his? The one he told us before he jumped?" I asked her.

"He never told me their name or anything about them." She said, as I leaned back.
It was silence for 3 minutes, but it felt like 30. She stared at Rhed, as he laid there, barely able to hear us.

"Most of my life, I've been told I was a mistake. I was supposed to be a boy, but I was born a girl. I've been so ashamed of being a girl I tried dressing myself as a boy rather than accepting the gender I was born with. Then Rhed came along and helped me. He told me to be proud of myself, and accept what I've been given. And now here he lays, on a bed with a needle in his arm." She said, as I was struck silent. I never knew how troubled she was, and how much of an impact Rhed had on her.

"You're not alone. I'm sorry for ranting, but I almost killed myself before someone stepped in and helped me. I almost committed suicide because I thought I was a burden. I realize now that I just needed someone to talk to and vent my issues out on, and that's what Okawa is to me. And that's probably what Rhed is to you." I said, as she looked up at me. She began to tear up and let it all out, as I comforted her.

Eventually, Kamaye, Shizuka, Okawa and Fruity all walked into the room, and all were shocked by Rhed. Kamaye comforted Shizuka, as Okawa just stood there. 

"How's he doing?" Fruity asked Akira.
"He's stable for the time being. Doctors said he'll wake up in about a month or two."

"He was a real friend to all of us. He's a reliable, unstoppable force, with a rabbit's foot in his pocket, an Omikuji in his hair, and the luck of a four-leaf clover everywhere he goes. I hope he wakes up soon." Kamaye said, as we all nodded.

"Okawa, you got any words to say?" Fruity asked, as Okawa stared at Rhed blankly.
"How could he.."

"Okawa?" I asked, as he rushed out.
"Don't worry, I'll check on him. You guys just stay here, I'll be right back." Fruity said, as he followed Okawa.

"Alright.. how about you, Shizuka?" Kamaye said, as Shizuka began to scribble.

"Why don't we tell some funny stories we've all had with Rhed?" The notepad said, as Akira chuckled.

"I remember this one time: he woke up in a sweat one time, and told me about a memory he had with Kamaye. He said Kamaye and Rhed used to breakdance, and only stopped because Kamaye sprained his wrist." She said, as he all laughed and Kamaye

"HE KICKED MY WRIST WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO?"

After a while, we got hungry, so Kamaye went out to get food. 

"So Shizuka, what do you think of Kamaye?" I asked, as she looks down at her notepad.
"He's so energetic and so cute all the time, he's adorable! Despite that, he's a beast when fighting others. It's really scary for his enemies to see a white-haired kid run at them like a madman, so I tell him to relax sometimes. But most of the time, I love my goofy idiot." The notepad said, as we all chuckled.

Suddenly, Fruity busts into the room, bloodied and bleeding. Kamaye enters after him, looking bruised and kind of burnt.

"Oh my god, what happened?" I asked, as Fruity sat down, slumped. Shizuka ran to help the two, as Fruity began to speak.

"I'm alright.. I think. I'm bleeding quite a bit though."
"What happened?!" Akira asked, as Kamaye coughed a bit.

"KKGH! Ouch.. Okawa did this to us. We tried stopping him but he steamrolled passed us." He said, as I looked over at Fruity.

"Listen, Yuki. Me and Kokoru were the ones to send the note." Fruity said, as me and Akira stared down at him.

"But I thought it was Okawa's ex-"

"Does that mean he's at..?"

"Yeah, it does."

"Okawa's going to fight Kokoru at the Yamagashi tonight."