*Beep* The clock only managed a single protest before I smashed my fist down on it. I wasn't particularly asleep anyway. My mind was still in a whirl after the events yesterday.
 
"Emi..." I muttered, depressed. Had I really been pushing my luck? I really wanted to be there for her, and I wanted her to know that. Which part of that was wrong?
 
I sighed, and forced my anger level down. It was never good to lose my temper, seeing as that was a primary cause for our break up.
 
I lay back in bed and pondered. It was pretty pointless to go back to the track after having such a horrible parting yesterday.
 
"Fine, be that way."
 
Those words resounded in my head longer than they should have. Annoyance gripped me when I remembered the attitude in which she treated me with. It was with that feeling in which I got out of bed and dressed for school.
 
"Heeeey!" That voice could only belong to one person. And as I looked up, there she was, complete with her trademark pink drills.
 
"What is it, Misha?" I replied, in barely any mood to respond.
 
Misha turned to Shizune and began a hurried, almost violent, flurry of signing.
 
Misha then said, "Shizune asks for the reason for your antagonistic behavior today."
 
I wanted to believe that it was a serious question, but one glance and Misha's grinning face was enough to make me think otherwise.
 
"Can I not answer that question?"
 
"No," came Misha's unhesitant answer.
 
I groaned, and conceded, "Some things happened."
 
"Argument with Emi?"
 
"If you know, then why bother asking?"
 
"Well, it seemed polite to."
 
Misha and Shizune had another discussion and then Misha advised, "You know, being angry never works. In relationships, the girl is never wrong."
 
"Sage advice, indeed," I didn't mean for it to come out as sarcastic, but it just did. I realised that as well. "There you have it, nothing that comes out of this mouth sounds right."
 
To my surprise, Misha laughed. "It's just a matter of habit. I've noticed something, actually. You tend to sound more mature when talking to others than you actually are."
 
I never thought about that. Emi meant the world to me, so I thought that by being firm, by being like a fatherly figure, yes, that's the description, she would open up to me more.
 
What the hell was I thinking? We are equals, and I definitely haven't treated her with the due respect she deserves. And what's worse, I got angry because of that.
 
"I see now... I have to apologize. Help me tell Mutou I'm sick!" I pleaded urgently and rushed out of the classroom.
 
"Now you owe me a favour!" Misha yelled behind me.
 
I changed into my gym uniform and rushed to the track. As usual, the frigid morning air never failed to give my brain a supercharge. It was like I only truly woke up when I stepped onto the track.
 
In that aspect, Emi and I were about the same.
 
I chuckled when I thought that, but a sharp pain through my heart immediately followed as I saw a familiar figure running her hardest around the track, oblivious to the fact that there was someone staring at her.
 
Or at least, I thought so. Her eyes flicked to me and back, as though my existence was a mere speck which could be easily overlooked. I tried my hardest not to display any emotions and went to run as well.
 
First two laps were nothing now, since the training Emi put me through. I began to breathe using my mouth on the third, however, and I was heavily breathing on the fourth. Finishing all six, I stopped and began to cool down. I then noticed something: Emi never passed me.
 
Was our relationship to the point that she would even sacrifice her desired speed in order to not even get close to me?
 
No, I told myself. This only means that I still have a place in her heart. "I will do this," I muttered. I noticed Emi stumbling in pain towards the school grounds afterwards, and I followed shortly.
 
I entered the Nurse's Office, and saw that Emi wasn't there.
 
The Nurse said cheerily, "Oh, hi, Hisao."
 
I replied, "Yeah, hey there. Say, where's Emi?"
 
The Nurse's grin faltered. "You mean, she wasn't with you?"
 
I rubbed my temples. "Don't tell me she's trying to avoid letting you know that she's in pain again..."
 
The Nurse frowned. "You gotta drag her here if you have to, Hisao! You must stop letting your girlfriend get infections! One day it will not recover, and her leg might be amputated further."
 
I replied, "I would do that, if she was still my girlfriend."
 
The Nurse caught on quickly. "And I thought you two made such a good pair."
 
"Yeah, it was pretty unexpected." I fell into a deep thought.
 
The inter-school running competitions were arriving soon. If Emi had an infection then and was forced to drop out, it would affect her psyche considerably. Was there anything I can do...?
 
The next morning, I went down again to the track, but was shocked to find Emi sprawled on the ground, face contorted in agony. I ran over in concern and asked, "Emi! What's wrong?"
 
She looked at me and spoke, trying to grit her teeth and speak at the same time, "What, Hisao, trying to be the hero again? I'm fine... Leave me alone!"
 
The last three words struck me with such animosity that I stood up, shaking in anger, and turned my back on her.
 
Emi asked, "Wait, you're really leaving me here like this?"
 
I ran off in response, running laps around the track, with Emi watching me in confusion.
 
I quickly finished my normal six laps with my anger fuelling me. My heart began to pound heavily, but I continued to run. On finishing my seventh lap, I felt like I was about to pass out, but I ran nonetheless.
 
Emi shouted out to me, "What are you doing, Hisao? Your heart can't take this many laps!"
 
I yelled in response, gasping for air in the process, "Emi, watch... this! This is my... runner's determination! If you can't run any more... I'll run in your place! I will shoulder your pain! I wish to be there for you, with you, and not to save you... or anything!"
 
Amazingly, I finished my ninth lap, but collapsed, heart pounding furiously, the pain forcing me to slowly black out. The last thing I saw was Emi calling for help panickedly, and I knew... she couldn't escape a visit to the doctor this time. That brought a final smile to my face.
 
I opened my eyes. "What... I'm dead?" was the first thing I said.
 
A voice beside me replied, "No, you aren't, dummy. If you were, I'd never forgive you."
 
I glanced at the source, and was taken aback when a pair of eyes glared at me like a hawk going for the kill. Emi sat beside my bed in a wheelchair, scowling, and I realised I was in the Nurse's Office.
 
I breathed in deeply. This was now or never.
 
I told her, "Emi, there is something you must know.
 
I used to hate running.
 
The first day which we had to run was like torture for me. I didn't even want to get out of bed.
 
But you changed me. You showed me how fun running could be. You showed me the determination that you had, as a person, as a runner.
 
I fell in love, Emi, with you.
 
Your resilience was beautiful. It showed me how weak I was, how useless I was.
 
I'm sorry, Emi. I wanted to prove that I wasn't useless after all. My liability made me blind to the fact that you did not need my support, and yet I tried to force you to rely on me over and over again.
 
It was my own weakness that drove us apart, and I know I'm asking for too much but...
 
Emi... Will you forgive me?" I finished lamely.
 
Emi's piercing gaze remained hard. But after awhile it softened and she shook her head, saying, "Of course I forgive- No, it wasn't even your fault to begin with. I was too headstrong, too stubborn. You only meant well and yet I failed to see that. I'm the one to apologize, not you. And... to think that I almost lost someone again..." She ended with a frail whisper.
 
It broke my heart to see her this sorrowful. I forced a smile and said, "Still, I have to apologize for robbing you of the chance to participate in the run."
 
Emi grinned her normal happy grin and replied, "It's fine, it's fine. I can always get another chance, right? A runner's determination, that's what you taught me."
 
Her face turned into a frown. "But seriously, what were you thinking? Running that much for you is plain suicide!"
 
I answered, "It was the only way I could think of to get your attention."
 
She commanded, "Never, ever, do that again, got me?" I looked at her and she threw me her puppy eyes. I lost completely.
 
"Okay," she clapped her hands. "Now that you've come clean with me, I suppose I should do the same. After we recover, I have something to show you. It'll take some time for me to actually tell you everything, but you'll be patient, right?"
 
She smiled at me. I returned it, and we embraced each other.
 
I felt that no matter what she had to show me, I would take it gladly as long as it meant that we could be together.
 
End note: The story then concludes with the Finale of Emi's route, at the visit to the graveyard. How was it? Please leave your comments!