Miracle's Dream (Epilogue)

Summary: A young girl who seemed to have no connection at all to any of them are the one who brought them together and drove them apart. She’s the one who shows them the real person they could be. 

Chapter Word Count (Total): 1,023 (27,234)
Rating: PG-15 in later chapters due to PDA and sensitive issues

Disclaimer: I do not own people... Mentioned people in this fiction belongs to themselves and their professional self, belongs to Johnny's Entertainment

Warning: Character Death

Gradually Nishikido could accept Catherine’s passing. It took him more than one week to return back to himself. Yasuda although he never showed a sign of mourning, he became a little more reserved and distant. Although, it took Nishikido about five minutes after reading the letter for him to apologize to Yasuda.

Yasuda sat alone with his guitar strumming away softly during their break from rehearsal. “0i, Yassan daijoubu ka?” Nishikido’s voice called from behind. Yasuda just answered him with a nod without even looking at him. “Let’s go for lunch.” he said.

“I’m not hungry. You guys go ahead.” Yasuda answered simply with a smile. Nishikido knows enough not to bother Yasuda when he is with his guitar.

Nishikido just nodded. As soon as he was out the door, Yasuda went through his notebook once again. He glanced through the set list one more time and the skit script. Yasuda sighed as he felt a dull throb in his head. The concert would be held in about a week time and he the time was definitely wrong for him to get sick.

A figure sat down beside Yasuda and sighed. “Headache again?” Shibutani questioned. Yasuda just nodded as he smiled. Without any further question, he began to massage the younger boy’s temple. Yasuda closed his eyes and smiled. “Shota, you have a slight temperature. You should take it easy a little.” he said.

“I’m perfectly fine, Baru. Just a little tired.” Yasuda spoke quietly. “Take a look at this.” He said as he hands Shibutani his notebook. Shibutani shook his head. He knew Yasuda is a perfectionist, but he was going a little too serious by changing and organizing for each and every day of the concert. They usually just have the main flow and improvise as they go.

“You know that all of us are here to listen if you want to talk right?” Shibutani said. Yasuda just nodded. “Minna is waiting. Let’s go.” Shibutani stood up, Yasuda followed suit. Suddenly Yasuda grabbed Shibutani’s shoulder as his vision tunneled. “Eh, daijoubu?” he questioned.

Yasuda nodded. “Maybe I stood up too fast.” Yasuda said taking a deep breath. Hand in hand, the two boys walked together towards the stage.

“You look a little pale.” Okura commented. Yasuda just smiled. “You’re fine. I know.” he mumbled before Yasuda could even open his mouth.

Yokoyama explained the next song briefly and they began to rehearse the dance. Everyone notice Yasuda is a little off step and lethargy. It was on the last turn Yasuda blacked out and fell. “Yasu!” Okura’s loud voice boomed.

*******

“It’s just exhaustion. Nothing serious.” Yasuda said as he sat on the bed with his arm connected to an IV bag.

Maruyama widen his eyes at the younger boy. “You have blood sugar of 2.5 and blood pressure of 55 over 85, when was the last time you eat or even sleep. I don’t mean a nap. I mean sleep.” he said seriously.

Yasuda shook his head. “I can’t remember.” he answered truthfully.

“You didn’t eat dinner yesterday, and you skipped lunch. Did you have breakfast?” Maruyama questioned.

“This morning?” Yasuda questioned. Maruyama did not bother to answer the question. “No. I just had coffee before going to the dome.”

“Oi, yesterday too you just had coffee and smoke for breakfast. Yasu, are you trying to starve yourself to death?” Shibutani said loudly.

Yasuda just shrugged. “I don’t feel like eating. I don’t feel hungry.” he answered. Nishikido neared him quietly.

“She was right wasn’t she. You would wollow yourself in work to forget about the sadness and pain of losing her. It hits you hard. But you were holding on to your strong facade for us.” Nishikido spoke. “You’re always there, when any of us were in trouble. We’re here for you too you know. You don’t have to bear the pain alone.” he spoke gently. Yasuda smiled yet he avoided every member’s eyes.

“This was supposed to be her first concert. She was supposed to come for the opening and closing.” Yasuda said as his hand meddled with the guitar pick that uses to be around Catherine’s neck. “Since she passed I haven’t been sleeping properly or eating properly at all. I still see her every time I close my eyes.”

Maruyama rolled his eyes. “What do you mean you haven’t been eating properly?” he spoke. “You haven’t been eating at all. Your last meal was lunch day before yesterday.” he complained.

*******

“Minna. As you all know before this concert started, we lost a member in our group.” Yokoyama said at the beginning of the MC portion of their first concert. “I would like for us to observe a moment of silence to commemorate her passing.” he continued. Yasuda turned his back to the audience as Okura went to embrace him. Nishikido let his tears flow freely without feeling embarrassed. For about twenty second the huge dome went from awesomely loud to gravely silent.

Murakami was the one who broke the silence. “Ryo-chan, Shota. Sakura and Yamapi have something special for the two of you.” he said as he pulled the two boys to see the big screen. A short video of about five minutes in length was played. It was the happy and great memories all of them had together. An original song sung by Yamashita and Catherine and few video clips and pictures of them. At the end of the clip was a hand written ‘arigatou’ in hiragana by Catherine.

The spark that was stripped from both Yasuda and Nishikido was miraculously restored. Their spirit as if were being restored by the health image of Catherine on screen. It was the way she wanted to be remembered. Both of them, Yasuda especially would do nothing less than to comply to it.

“She would want us to be our best for this tour. Hime, if you’re watching over us, this is for you.” Yasuda said as his right hand held tightly on the guitar pick that used to be around Catherine’s neck, ending the MC part with a song that Catherine, Nishikido and himself composed and wrote.