Haru gasped awake, his chest heaving as his eyes snapped open. The blinding lights of the hospital room burned his vision for a second before everything slowly came into focus. His body felt like lead, stiff and sore, but it was his mind—the whirlwind of thoughts—that overwhelmed him.
I remember...
His heart raced as fragments of his past life flooded his consciousness. Memories of Sakura, of the life he had before everything changed, rushed in like a tidal wave. The pain. The regret. The things he had done—and the things he should have done differently.
"I remember everything…" Haru whispered, his voice barely a hoarse breath as the realisation hit him like a punch to the gut.
"Haru?" Aoi's voice was filled with shock. "You're awake! Oh, my god—hold on, let me get the doctor."
"Doctor?" Haru asked in confusion. Then it all came back to him. A bright light flashed when Haru opened Kei's diary–then he couldn't remember anything after that.
"Did I collapse?" Haru asked, his voice strained.
Aoi nodded quickly, his face tight with worry.
"You collapsed two days ago and…you've been in the hospital ever since."
Haru's eyes widened in realisation.
Wait…Kei! Kei remembers everything. He has to. It's all in his diary! Haru thought.
"I'll get the doctor," Aoi said.
"No." Haru croaked, his eyes hardening with determination. He didn't need a doctor. He needed answers—and the only person who could give him those was Kei.
"I need to find Kei," Haru said firmly, pushing himself up despite his weakness.
"Kei? Why?" Aoi asked, frowning in confusion.
"I just… I need to talk to him," Haru muttered, almost absentmindedly.
"He's... busy," Aoi lied quickly, not wanting to mention that Sakura was in the hospital now too.
Haru's eyes narrowed. Aoi's hiding something.
"I'll get the doctor," Aoi insisted, but Haru wasn't having it. He was done with waiting.
"No, let me go to the bathroom first," Haru lied, voice weak but firm.
Aoi looked confused but didn't protest. "Fine. I'll help you."
As they walked down the hallway, Haru's body wavered slightly, but his mind was elsewhere—focused entirely on finding Kei. He had to see him. He had to talk to him.
When they reached the waiting area, Haru halted in his tracks. His eyes locked on Kei, Mia, and Ren, deep in conversation. His heart skipped a beat.
Aoi, noticing Haru's sudden stop, asked, "Are you okay?"
"Ssh, I'm trying to listen," Haru whispered, gesturing for Aoi to be quiet.
"Kei," Ren's voice was sharp, the tension evident in his tone. "What do you mean by 'what Mia did to Sakura'?"
Wait… what's Mr. Suzuki doing here? And why's he talking to Kei? Haru thought, his mind racing.
Mia's name caught his attention, and Aoi suddenly understood why Haru had stopped. His gaze shifted to Haru, who was completely focused on the conversation.
"At a mixer Mia and Sakura went to—or shall I say a setup Mia planned—Sakura was feeling extremely uncomfortable and even cried, and Mia couldn't care less." Kei's voice was biting and unforgiving.
"What does he mean by a setup?" Haru wondered, his stomach sinking.
"That's not true," Mia's voice came, panicked and defensive. Haru could almost hear the tremble in her words, and it only made his stomach churn more.
"If it's not true," Kei pressed, his voice cold, unforgiving. "Then why did Sakura call Haru crying in the bathroom? I was there when Haru answered the phone. So don't try to deny it. We even ruined your little plan for Kenji to do something indecent to Sakura when her drink was spiked."
Haru's stomach twisted in disgust. And to think I was going to marry this woman.
Haru's hands clenched into fists at his sides, the urge to confront her burning in his chest. But he couldn't tear his attention away from the conversation unfolding in front of him. He had to hear more.
"My drink was also spiked," Mia blurted out.
"You spiked your own drink to make it look like you were a victim too," he continued coldly, "but in truth, you were planning to sell Sakura to Kenji all along just so you could get a picture of her with him and send it to the entire university," Kei replied.
Haru's face drained of colour. It somehow managed to become even paler than it was already.
"All of this… all of this was Mia's fault," Haru whispered petrified. "Everything that happened to Sakura it was—"
Then something clicked in his mind. His breath caught.
If Kei remembers everything, what if Mia does too?
"I-I don't what you're talking about. I didn't spike my drink!" Mia stammered, her voice rising in panic.
"But I found the powder in your handbag," Kei shot back. "And I heard the phone call with Ryo, planning the entire thing. Sakura was assaulted and sexually harassed because of you!" Kei's voice rang out, filled with outrage.
Haru's head spun. Wait… Kei knew? He knew all this time and didn't say anything?
"How could he?" Haru gritted his teeth, a mix of disbelief and anger swirling inside him.
"He's—he's lying! Mr. Suzuki, you've known me for years! You can't believe this!" Mia stammered, but her words rang hollow.
Haru could hear the fear in her voice now, and it made his blood boil.
Ren's eyes, cold and distant, locked onto Mia. "Does Sakura know about this?" he asked, his voice steady but filled with sorrow.
"I finally told her the truth today," Kei replied, his voice unwavering.
Ren's cold glare never left Mia. "I need to hear what happened directly from Sakura herself," he said, his voice a low growl. "Then, I will handle it from there."
As the conversation settled in, Haru's heart sank. Mia remembers too. She remembers everything… and this is all because of me. His mind started to piece things together—the jealousy, the cruelty. She had hated Sakura all along, and it all started because of him.
His face twisted in shock. She did all this because of me. She hated Sakura because I left her at the altar. I—
Aoi was stunned by the revelation as well, his face pale as he looked at Haru. His gaze flicked between Haru and the coversation. "She was behind everything…" His voice was barely a whisper. "You were right about her all along. No wonder... no wonder you couldn't stand her."
Haru's chest tightened. He hadn't wanted this. He didn't want to believe that Mia was capable of such malice, but as the pieces fell into place, he realised it was all true. His eyes hardened with the weight of it. It's my fault. Mia did this because I broke her heart. I left her... for Sakura.
As if on cue, a scream echoed down the hall.
"Haru! Haru! Help me!"
"Sakura?" Haru whispered hoarsely, his voice weak.
Without thinking, Haru stumbled forward, but his body gave out, and he collapsed to the floor. His vision blurred as his body shook with exhaustion, and Aoi rushed to his side.
"Haru?! You need to lie down—what happened?" Aoi asked, panic rising in his voice.
But Haru barely registered him. He closed his eyes, his mind reeling. I need to find her... I have to make this right.