Glasses and red scar-Chapter10

I stared up at the faded colours…or was it down? Left? Right?
I had no idea.

All I knew was that I was floating. I had always been floating, no beginning, no end, either.

I blinked a few times, and then realized that I had no glasses on. Well, all the same, not like it really mattered, there was nothing to see here.
I waved my arms around, trying to see what would happen, but nothing changed. I was still floating in a world that I've never been before, and also felt like it had been here the whole time.

The entire space was empty except for faint clouds of fog. It wasn't dark, so that must mean that there was light, but I couldn't see where the light was coming from.
How did I get here? Why am I here? Where is this place? Am I supposed to be here?
These questions did not matter, or rather, I was too tired to think.

Was I?
I tried, but my brain will not function. Maybe I had forgotten how to, but it felt more like I had no memories.
Yes, it really felt like I had forgotten something.

Calculus, geometry, physics of the universe, chemical formulas, computer formatting codes…I remembered them all, then what was I forgetting?

Something was burning. After a while, I realized it was my curiosity. There was something that I really wanted to know.
What could it be? What didn't I know? What could I, Kururu, the smartest Keronjin there is, not know?
Kuku, looked like I still remembered my name, even though it felt like such a small matter at the moment.
Everything felt like such a small matter.

After a while, I realized that I was floating upwards slowly, but getting faster and faster. I looked up, and found that it was where the light was coming from.
I wondered what was up there? Will that give me the answer? Will whatever or whoever's there tell me what I wanted to know about so badly?
I guess I will think about it then.

I heard a small voice.
I looked around, but there was no one around, or at least I couldn't see anyone around. Everything was so foggy.
The voice repeated itself, and then I realized it was in my head.
Was it my voice? I had forgotten what my voice sounded like, and I was too lazy to speak.
Whatever, it's probably not that important.
The voice got a bit louder, as if it was arguing against that thought, but it still wasn't loud enough for me to hear what it was saying.

How long did I have to keep floating like this? I didn't remember when it started, so maybe it will never end. Maybe I will stay like this forever.

No, I was going towards where the light was. I didn't know what was there, but it was calling to me without making any sound. Some kind of life form was waiting for me.
I didn't know how long it will take to get there, but again, that didn't matter. Besides, the passage of time didn't seem to exist in this space.

It was getting brighter and brighter, I guess that meant I was getting close.
I twisted my head a bit, and saw the light source.
It was a really big gate, floating in the air with no support what so ever. The light was coming behind it, blinding my vision. There was a white figure in front of it, but it was just as bright that I could only see its outline.

I floated towards the gate, maybe I will find the answer of my question there.

The white figure stood still, waiting for me.
Then, I heard the voice in the back of my head again. It was much louder than before. For some reason, its voice made me not want to approach the gate any further.
I stopped in mid air as I heard what it said.

"I'll tell you when we get out of this place."

That voice…I recognized it.
That's right, Giroro Senpai hadn't told me yet. I had to go back.

The white figure reached out to me as I realized how close to it I had become. I struggled to get away but there was nothing to hold on to.

"No! Don't touch me!"
I yelled, and kicked harder, attempting to get away as fast as I could.

Struggling…struggling…

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I opened my eyes and finally something solid came into view. It was a gray, dark ceiling with square bricks.

As my vision came back, so did my senses.
The right area of my chest and shoulders really hurt. I soon realized that my entire body was lacking so much energy that I could barely move. My head was hurting, both inside and outside.  There was also something covering my mouth, giving me oxygen.

What happened?

As a few seconds elapsed, my vision became more and more clear, but I was well aware that my glasses weren't on my face, at where they used to be.
I searched for them, and saw them on the small table beside the white bed I was lying on. I reached out carefully with my left arm that I could still move, but had many tubes attached to it.

After putting them on, I started studying my surroundings, hoping that something will give me some explanation.
I was clearly in a hospital. Everything around me was white. Computers surrounded me.
I had bandages on my chest where it was hurting, and there were many other small but obvious bruises all over my body.

And then, I saw a red figure by the window, looking at the view outside. It seemed like morning had just arrived shortly. The sky had a beautiful violet colour.

"Sen…Senpai?" I called out, but it barely made any sound due to the little energy I had.
Surprisingly, he heard it and turned around. There was shock written all over his face, and also a bit of relief.

"Ku…Kururu, you're awake."
I looked at him in confusion. What had happened?
"What happened to me?"

Senpai looked down on the ground.
"You…you almost died, because you were trying to pr…" the rest faded to a low murmur that I couldn't hear.

"How long has it been since that fight?"
"Well, you've been sleeping for over two weeks. I thought you would never wake up."
Two weeks?

"Good thing is that everyone else's wounds weren't as serious." He continued, and walked back to the window, "after the Viper lost his crystal, he was pretty much useless. We took him down easily."
I looked at him in wonder. Although he had his back to me now, from what I saw of his expression before, it didn't seem that he was getting a lot of sleep.
"We all returned safely, Garuru and everyone else were treated right away, and--"

"Senpai, why are you here?" I cut him off.

A piece of silence filled the room. When he started talking again, his voice sounded a lot different.

"I…I was supposed to protect you, and…but…instead, you…you…"
I lied there looking at him.
"How could I…how could I let my comrade die like that?"

"Comrade?"
"Yes. I failed as a soldier, making my teammate suffer for my own mistake…"

Comrade? Teammate? Was that all I meant to him?

"What you said last night, did you..."
"Kururu, I, I don't want you to…"
"Um, Kururu, I don't think you understand that actually, I…"

I didn't understand? So this is what he meant, hun? I was being foolish, self centered, and thought that what I hoped for was true? Comrade, teammate, that was the deal?
Then what was all that? Why did he make it look like he cared? Out of pity? PITY?

I felt something hot rising up, maybe I was embarrassed, but it felt more like anger and hatred.

"Kururu? What's the matter?" He turned around, wondering why I was silent for so long. It seemed my expression was scaring him.
I sat up on the bed.
"Does your chest hurt?" He walked over to check my wound.

"Don touch me!" I yelled at him.
"What's th--"
"Shut up!"

I never felt this mad.
Who does he think he is, trying to pity ME? Does he think I couldn't live without him? Does he think it really mattered that much? Does he think that I'm that weak?
Fine! Go ahead a love your stupid red head Pekoponjin! Just don't think of me as a crying baby that needs your care all the time! And don't pretend to be the good guy, and act like it's so hard on you or something! I DON'T NEED YOUR PITY.

"Kururu, why are you--"
"I ALREADY TOLD YOU TO SHUT UP!" for the first time, I snapped. "AND GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!"
"What's with you?"
"YOU JUST DON'T GET IT, DO YOU?"

He looked at me in confusion. That just spurred me on even more.
"YOU'RE ALWAYS LIKE, OH, I NEED TO PROTECT YOU, AND OH, I CAN'T LET YOU DIE, DO YOU EVEN KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT IT?!"
"What are you talking about? I just didn't want you to get hurt."
"SHUT UP! I'M NOT SOME WEAKLING THAT CAN'T TAKE CARE OF MYSELF! STOP PITYING ME!"
"But I wasn't--"
"SHUT YOUR MOUTH! I DON'T NEED THIS! I DON'T NEED THIS AT ALL!"

My mind was burnt by the anger, the hell with this, I just wanted to be impulsive.
I pulled the oxygen device off my face.

"No! Kururu! Don't take it off! You need that!"

I did not comprehend his sentence. The lack of oxygen and that yelling had spent me out. My head started to hurt like hell. It was so dizzy that the world started to spin, I couldn't tell which way is up or down.

All I saw was the floor getting closer and closer to my face. With a loud bang, I heard Senpai yelling out my name, as everything went dark.