Standard disclaiming is applied here.

He made his way through the hospital corridors to a room, panting because he had run all the way from the airport.

He had dodged all the security officers who had tried to stop him, knowing that if he left, he would never see her again.

He had cancelled his trip from Vienna to spend her remaining moments with him.

He took a deep breath, and entered the small, white hospital room.

When he caught sight of her, it felt like his heart stopped.

She was lying there, attached to beeping machines. She was stick thin, her pale face showed pain and exhaustion.

"Oh God, is there anyway for me to take her place?" He had prayed whole heartedly.

"She's living in hell every single day. I just want to lighten her burden."

When she caught sight of him, she smiled. Smiling looked like such a hard job for her to do, though she did so without hesitation.

He felt great pain just by looking at her lying there, near death.

A tear trickled down his cheek, and he wiped it with his sleeve.

He went over where she was lying, and sat on the chair beside her.

"Hey," she whispered to him, clearly tired, and it seemed to take her strength away just to say that word. "What happened to Vienna?"
"I cancelled it for you." He murmured to her, on the verge of tears.

"You shouldn't have," she whispered back. "I'm dying anyway."

"Shh…..please don't argue. I'm here now, and nothing else matters." He told her quietly.

She was silent for a while, mulling over what he told her. "I don't want you giving up your dreams just for me. I want you to be able to face the world, knowing you accomplished everything you wanted to accomplish."

He took grasp of her hand. It felt strangely brittle and fragile, like it was going to break like glass that was dropped on the floor. It was hard to believe that these were the hands that used to play such beautiful music for him, for everyone.

He touched his forehead to that hand, trying to compose himself.

"You promised me I would never see you cry," she accused him, too tired to adapt that playful voice she used when accusing someone.

"Forgive me for breaking that promise," he answered, still crying silently.

She was quiet. Everything she knew was so far away. What happened to the cold Len she knew before? The one she had met; the one that cared for nothing but music? She lifted her other hand and rested it on his head.

"I wish I could just make it go away." He murmured repeatedly to her skin.

She closed her eyes, tears streaming down already. She couldn't bear to leave him, but what could she do? Her life lay in the hands of God. She didn't have a choice anymore. It was a matter of life and death.

"I'm sorry, Len."

He looked at her skeptically. "What are you apologizing for, Kaho? You didn't do anything wrong."

"I know, but still……." She couldn't finish her sentence.

"Remember this Kaho. You will never be alone. I'll always be here for you. Always," he added when he saw her unsure look.

He gently caressed her face with his thumb, while she savored his touch.

"I love you," he murmured to her.

She smiled. "I've always loved you."

They stayed in that position, touching and caressing each other, but never kissing.

"This is absurd. You deserve to live and go out and marry someone and live a happily ever after. You don't deserve to die."

She smiled sadly. "You deserve that too. But we can't change that can we?"

"I'd have understood it more if I was the one lying there. But you, what did you do to have to lie here, being tortured, slowly dying?"

"I guess it's just my time to go already."

"I'd have given anything in this world just to go back and prevent this from happening."

"But you can't, can you? You just have to keep moving forward and move on."

He was silent as he let this all sink in. How could she be so optimistic and positive even when she was dying?

He looked at her beautiful, yet sickly face. Her eyelids were a pale lavender color, tears streaming from under them.

They were right, and he refused to believe them.

He refused to believe that there was no hope of her living for as long as month.

But it turned out to be true.

Sadness washed over him, and he had to focus on trying to calm himself down.

When he looked up, she was watching him.

"I never meant to hurt you all those times"

Then he leaned over and kissed her on the forehead, and breathed in her scent.

When he finished, she took his hand in hers.

"Promise me, you'll chase after your dreams."

He shook his head. "What are you….?"
"Just promise me. Please."

He sighed. "I promise."

And he caught her in a gentle hug, trying to keep his tears from spilling.

Exactly after that, she closed her eyes, and a last tear trickled down.

The heartbeat machine began to show a straight line, and all other machines started going crazy.

"Doctor!" he screamed, his eyes spilling over with tears. The doctor started to come in, and he ordered the nurse to try and resurrect her.

Unfortunately, they failed.

"Kahoko Hino, died today at 4:43 pm."

He cried. He let his heart loose. He breathed her scent one last time before they took her away.

Later on, that night, he booked another flight to Vienna.

"I promised you Kaho, that I would chase after my dreams, and I will. My last promise to you. This is for you."

I'm so sorry I'm not updating my other stories yet because Chinese kills off the ideas in a person's mind. :(

Please review!!

Anonymous reviews are also allowed!