A few hours before, December 26th, Kamiki's penthouse
The front door of Kamiki's penthouse shuts with a loud thud, the last rays of the setting sun dipping Ruby's face and the surrounding world in an orange glow.
"It will all be fine, Kana, I'll take care of you. Your wound is probably not so deep anyway."
Ruby looks down at Kana, who lets her head hang low while leaning against Ruby. The consolation attempts are met by silence.
"Come on, Kana. We need to make it like a tree and get out of here."
They walk over to the elevator and ride it all the way to the ground floor. Ruby peeks her head out and looks around. Only a few people are walking on the other side of the road.
Ruby deliberately positions herself in front of Kana while pulling her head back into the elevator.
"Okay, Kana, we can probably slip out unnoticed. Keep your head low and follow my lead."
Both step out of the elevator after taking a deep breath, Ruby leading the way while supporting Kana so she doesn't fall.
"Okay, you need to be strong now. I can't call an ambulance, they would get suspicious…"
They take a few more steps down the road. The cold air is hitting Kana's face, making the wound burn, but she doesn't flinch.
"It's Okay-"
Kana's voice sounds raspy and quiet. Her sudden words startle Ruby a bit, but she instantly catches herself again.
"You're right, it will all be okay. It's not far anymore."
They continue to walk down the road. The crowds continue growing as they head further north, yet nobody seems to notice or care about their situation.
"Okay, Kana, if you get asked what happened, just say you were attacked. When they ask for more details. Don't reply! You don't have to tell them.
They turn around another corner. The hospital is just at the end of the block. But Ruby can feel the way Kana's body becomes heavier and starts to drag more.
"No, No, No. Kana, stay with me now…. We are almost there."
Ruby picks up the pace, bumping into some people while shoving aside others. Her eyes are only fixed on the hospital, coming closer and closer.
They bust through the front door of the hospital. The entry area is filled with various people standing in lines, with 2 receptionists doing their best to keep up with the vast variety of problems presented to them.
"PLEASE… SOMEBODY HAS TO HELP MY FRIEND!"
Ruby's words come out in intervals, her voice sounding completely exhausted. The entire room turns its eyes towards Ruby and the barely conscious Kana. Some faces are filled with annoyance, while others look surprised or shaken.
She starts marching forward, towards the receptionists. Each step feels heavier than the last, but she keeps pushing. Some people make space; others she pushes out of the way, using her dwindling strength.
The receptionists have by now gotten up from their chairs, one of them calling for backup.
Ruby finally reaches the front of the line, her legs giving out under her right on cue. Making her fall onto her knees, Kana falls right down with her, but Ruby, with the last strength she has left, and the help of a man who was standing right next to Kana, breaks the fall.
"Please…- she was attacked… She is barely responsive-"
…
The next few minutes were a blur for Ruby. The voices around her felt distant and muffled. Kana was taken away from her, and she was led to a seating area, where she was given a bottle of water.
After a few minutes, she can hear the distant voices coming closer, coughing, a crying baby, talking men… She sees a packed waiting room, filled with various people, around her, as her eyes regain focus.
Ruby tries to stand, but she can feel her legs give out beneath her weight, so she quickly sits back down. A minute passes, in which she chugs the water bottle down, trying again after setting it down, this time she can stand, and is even able to walk slowly.
She makes her way back to the reception, this time patiently waiting at the back of the line, so as not to cause more trouble. A few minutes pass by, and it's finally her turn.
"My friend, the one I came in here with a few minutes ago. How is she?"
The receptionist barely looks up as she replies.
"I am not allowed to give out the status of our patients."
Ruby almost punches the plexiglass between her and the receptionist, catching herself at the last second…
"Please… I just want to know if my friend is alive…"
The receptionist finally looks up from her documents on the desk.
"I should call security right now. But… I won't…"
The receptionist looks left and right before talking again, with a lower voice.
"From what I know, the cut was deep, but the bleeding had already stopped. The reason she passed out was probably just exhaustion. You haven't heard this from me though."
Ruby sighs in relief as she steps to the side, making space for the next patient. Quietly thanking the receptionist as she walks towards the exit.
Once outside, Ruby sits down on a nearby bench on the opposite side of the road, just next to the entry of a small local park. The sun has set by now, so the only light comes from a nearby street lamp.
After sitting for a moment, she pulls her phone out of her pocket, calling Miyako.
The phone rings just once before she picks it up, the line stays silent for a few seconds.
Miyako: "Ruby… is this you? I actually just wanted to call you, and ask when you're coming home today? I had less work to do than I expected, so I'm already home and wanted to ask if we should maybe eat dinner together, since I've been coming home so late the past few weeks. Anyways, why did you call?"
Ruby: "It's because of Kana…"
Ruby's voice sounds off to Miyako. The call remains silent for a long moment.
Miyako: "Is everything alright?."
Ruby: "No… Not at all… Kana was attacked by some guy, it's bad… really bad… I brought her to the hospital… but I don't know what to do."
Miyako: "Ruby, you have to tell me which hospital you're at."
Ruby: "It's the Red Cross Medical Center in Shibuya, I think-"
Miyako: "Okay Ruby lis-"
Ruby: "I just don't understand it… Why… He said that Kana deserves this for leaving B-Komachi… Why do humans have to be like this? Why couldn't he just be happy for Kana? She just started a new chapter in her life, that should be something happy, not sad."
Miyako, who was interrupted, is now listening to Ruby while grabbing her car keys from the counter. Her heart is aching as Ruby asks questions with no answers.
Miyako: "Don't cry baby… I'm already on my way… Is Aqua with you?"
Ruby: "No… Aqua is… wherever, I don't care about him."
Miyako: "Don't say stuff like that, he is your brother… Look, Ruby. I will have to hang up now, just stay stronger for a little while longer. I love you, Ruby."
Ruby: "I love you too."
Ruby wipes her tears away as the call ends, stuffing her phone back into her pocket and leaning back. Her eyes wander up towards the sky, void of any stars, only the vast emptiness of the universe staring back at her.
…
Ruby is still sitting on the bench in the same position when Miyako drives into the parking lot of the hospital 20 minutes after the call had ended. Yet Ruby doesn't even notice it, only moving once she can hear quick footsteps approaching her.
She can't even react before she is pulled onto her feet, right into a tight embrace. Miyako is silently pressing all the air out of Ruby's lungs. At first, she tries to fight the hug, but the longer it lasts, the better it makes Ruby feel.
"Thank you… Thank you for being there for me."
Miyako uses her sleeve to wipe over her face, loosening her hold on Ruby a bit.
Ruby: "But I'm mostly fine, just a bit shaken up… Kana is the one…"
Miyako: "You're right… My emotions just got the better of me… We should go and check on Kana now."
Miyako holds Ruby for a few more seconds before eventually pulling back and taking a few steps towards the hospital's entrance.
"I don't think we can."
Ruby doesn't show any intent to follow after Miyako, who has by now stopped again.
"Visiting hours are long over, and I also think that Kana is currently being operated on, so I don't think we can see her right now."
Miyako turns around and takes a few steps towards Ruby.
"There has to be something we can do, anything. Ruby, we can't just do nothing."
Ruby turns away, looking at the bright entrance of the hospital.
"It's no use, even if we could see her, we wouldn't be much help, all shaken up… Also Mem deserves to know about this too."
Miyako makes a long pause before replying.
"I suppose you're right… We can't do anything here… You text Mem-Cho and tomorrow we come back here together."
Miyako takes a few steps towards Ruby, who is still intensely staring at the hospital entrance.
"Come on, let us get back to the car…"
Miyako places her hand on Ruby's shoulder. She's facing away from the door, while Ruby is still staring at it, her head falling a bit.
Ruby: "It just feels so wrong… I should be with her."
Miyako: "It's not your fault, Ruby. Life can be cruel for no reason at all."
Ruby looks up at Miyako and opens her mouth as if she wanted to say something before closing it again and starting to walk.
"You're right. I am not the one at fault…"
…
The car ride back home was silent; neither Ruby nor Miyako felt like talking or had anything to say that would've helped in this situation.
Ruby is lying on her bed; every light in her room is turned off.
It's not my fault that this happened. It's his fault, it's all his fault for not letting me help, for not trusting me enough. I can't believe that Aqua would go this far. It's almost like he isn't the same person that I once knew anymore…
What made you change like that? Was it really Mom's death? Why did you dummy turn out like this when I am just fine?
Well, it's not like it matters now, what's done is done. He has shown once more that he doesn't trust me one bit. He changed into something unrecognizable.
… Now that mom is dead, and the doctor is dead to me… Why am I even doing this? Why did I want to be an idol again?
"Oh right…"
Ruby turns onto her other side, her thick blanket exposing her leg for just a moment, long enough for the cold air inside her room to send a shiver down her spine, as she grabs her phone.
"I still have to text Mem."