Shinsuke Tanahashi I : The Truth

"Shin, hang in there! Shin!"

A worried Yuuki accompanies Shin while they are rushing Shin to the emergency room. After a while, Shin finally made it into the emergency room to treat his bleeding head.

Yuuki opened her phone and texted everyone in the group chat, "Guys! Shin is in the hospital!"

Itsuki quickly responded, "What happened?"

Yuuki replied, "He suddenly collapsed and blood is coming out of his head."

Nise chatted, "I'll be there."

Itsuki followed suit, "I'm going as well!"

Sakura replied, "I'm with Miu right now! We're going there!"

Yuuki closed her phone and started praying, "Please. Let Shin be safe."

After a few minutes, Miu, Sakura, Itsuki, and Nise arrived at the hospital.

Itsuki asked Yuuki, "Where's Shin?"

Yuuki pointed at the emergency room, as she continues crying. Sakura quickly comforts Yuuki, as she hugs her, "Everything will be fine, Yuuki."

After some time, the door to the emergency room opened. Dr. Minoru came out, as well as a nurse and Shin, who is still unconscious.

The group quickly approached Shin, "Shin!"

The group followed Dr. Minoru and Shin in a hospital room. They all entered the room.

Yuuki asked Dr. Minoru, "Dr. Minoru, is Shin fine?"

Dr. Minoru quickly looked at the nurse, "Leave this to me, Miss Nurse."

The nurse left the room. Yuuki asked again, "Doctor, is Shin fine?"

Dr. Minoru explained, "He's fine. He will be admitted here in the hospital...but."

Dr. Minoru stopped and Yuuki suddenly became worried, "But?"

Dr. Minoru continued, "He doesn't have much time left."

Yuuki broke down in tears, "No way."

Itsuki asked, "What do you mean, Doctor?!"

Dr. Minoru looked at the group, "I guess he hasn't told you guys about it."

Nise worryingly asked, "What do you mean he hasn't told us?"

Dr. Minoru stopped for a bit and explained.

"Shin...has cancer."

Yuuki just dropped to her knees. Sakura quickly helped Yuuki, "Yuuki!"

Yuuki started crying again, "No way. Shin."

Itsuki asked, "How long has he had this?"

Dr. Minoru sat down, "I guess I need to explain everything to you guys. This going to take a while, so prepare yourselves."

The group prepares themselves mentally for what they are about to hear. Dr. Minoru started explaining.

"I met Tanahashi when he was five years old in his hometown of Fukuoka. His parents and grandmother were loving people and they truly adored Shin. At that time, I just became a doctor."

"One day, Tanahashi suddenly got sick with a really high fever. He was rushed to the hospital. I did a manual check-up on him but I started realizing that something is wrong with him and I asked his parents if I can look more into it."

"I looked further into Tanahashi's condition and the results were something that I hadn't expected. The results came out and it's stage three cancer. I told his parents that the possibility of him making out of it is slim."

"But, his parents and grandmother didn't give up. They know Tanahashi will recover from this."

Itsuki asked, "Then, where are Shin's parents?"

Nise followed with another question, "Are they back at Fukuoka?"

Dr. Minoru shook his head and continued explaining.

"His parents and grandmother died a long time ago, in an accident."

The group was surprised by it and couldn't believe what they heard. Itsuki just couldn't wrap his head around it, "Shin..."

Miu suddenly started crying and Sakura tries her best to comfort her also.

Dr. Minoru continued talking.

"It was Christmas Eve. They were about to go to the hospital since Tanahashi's health is getting better than before. His cancer went from stage three to stage one. They wanted to celebrate Christmas at the hospital but they ended up in a car crash with a drunk truck driver."

"The three of them were rushed to the hospital but his father and grandmother already passed away. His mother, on the other hand, was hanging in there but she already knew she won't make it in time and she gave me her final words. Her final words we're..."

"Tell Shin that he can do it. Tell him to hang in there."

"Those are her final words. When Tanahashi heard the news, he couldn't accept it. At an early age, he nearly killed himself by jumping off the window but I told him that his parents and grandmother wouldn't be proud of it. I told him don't give up the life that they have given to him. I told him to survive."

"After the funeral of his parents and grandmother, there was no one willing to take Tanahashi into their families. He doesn't have any relatives anymore. He is the last one of his blood. I felt bad for it and I took in him."

"While getting his treatment, he went to school. Everyone knew that he has cancer because he is losing hair from the treatment."

"He often gets bullied because of his condition by his classmates and tells everyone that his sickness is contagious. "

"Because of that, he's usually alone by himself."

Nise couldn't help but feel bad, "That's horrible."

Sakura followed, "He has already lost everything. Why do they have to do such a thing?"

"Before he met you guys, he was already a second-year high school student but because of his sickness, he was held back by a year. He never gets to experience any cultural festival before because of his sickness."

"I begged him to transfer into your school since I was getting transferred as well and no one is going to take care of him. At that point, he had already given up on life. His cancer at that time was already at stage three. Then, he met you guys."

"It was a blessing for him. He never had a friend because of his sickness, he was treated horribly by other people. You guys gave a new life to him. I never have seen him smile and enjoyed himself at school. He got himself a position in the class, as well as the student council."

"As far as his condition, it's on the worse possible scenario. It's on the last stage." 

Itsuki asked, "Will he be cured, Doctor?"

Dr. Minoru shook his head.

"His cancer is different from other people. After the death of his parents and grandmother, his cancer didn't get any better at all. As he grew up, I learned that his cancer can't be cured and I told him before he got transferred that he has only a few years to live. I didn't know the exact length but I think that the time has come."

"When I told him about it, he said that he will stop taking chemotherapy."

Yuuki started crying more, "Shin...Shin..."

Itsuki asked once more, "Do you think Shin will have more time if he gets back to the treatment?"

Dr. Minoru answered his question, "I think so but I don't guarantee it."

The group just couldn't accept what they heard. They are emotionally distressed about it.

"He has no choice anymore but to take the treatment this time. I'll ready the equipment, you guys can stay here until he wakes up."

Dr. Minoru left the room as the group was still in shambles about Shin's condition.

Yuuki holds Shin's hand as she gets more worried, "Shin..."

She realizes how pale Shin is. His hand is skinnier than before, you can see the bones from his fist. It's barely skin and bones.

Yuuki continues holding Shin's hand, praying for him to wake up.

After a few minutes, her prayer was granted.

"Shin!"

Shin finally woke up, "Where am I?"

Yuuki cried as she holds Shin's hand, "Shin..."

She hugs Shin, as she cries. The rest of the group called Shin's name out of concern. Shin looks around as he realizes that he is in the hospital. He looks at his hand and he is taped up with IV fluids going into his body.

He mumbled, "I see, it happened."

He looks at everyone and sees them very concerned about him.

Itsuki asked, "Are you fine, Shin?"

Shin replied, "I'm good but it looks like it finally caught me."

Itsuki didn't respond at all and felt sad about the situation.

Shin asked, "I'm going to be fine guys."

Yuuki lets go of Shin," But your condition."

Shin repeats what Yuuki said, "Condition?"

He realizes that the rest already knows the truth about him.

"I see, Dr. Minoru told you guys about it."

Nise replied, "He told us while you were still unconscious."

Shin looks at everyone, "I see."

Miu replied, "Don't worry about it now. Just rest for now."

Shin asked, "How much did he tell you guys?"

Itsuki answered Shin's question, "Everything. Your parents, your sickness, and your school life before you got transferred."

Shin just smiled at everyone else.

It was just pure silence in the room. Then, Shin started explaining something.

"I'm sorry guys if I kept it a secret from everyone but there's nothing I can do. My fate was already sealed, and even treating me won't do anything to my condition."

"When I met you guys, it was the best that ever happened to me but even I tell you guys, there's nothing anyone can do."

Miu breakdown and cried. Nise was about to cry but prevented it from happening. Itsuki just looks down, as there's nothing he can do to help Shin. Sakura tries to comfort Miu.

Shin continued speaking, "I'm sorry guys, I really do. I look like I'm a strong person but in reality, I'm not that strong. I'm weak. I'm such a worthless guy that is dying right in front of you guys."

"Don't you dare insult the person that I love!"

Shin quickly looked, as Yuuki just surprised him with her words, with tears still flowing from her eyes.

"That person that your insulting is the person that save me from darkness and gave me a new light. That person is the one who gives his hand whenever I'm scared. That person is the person who knows my little secrets."

Shin just looked at Yuuki.

"That person told me not to throw away this one life I have. That person told me that I wasn't worthless. That person is an important person to me. So stop insulting him because...

...because

...

...that person is the one I love the most."

"So never say that ever again."

Tears are flowing from both Yuuki and Shin.

"I'm sorry, Yuuki."

Shin and Yuuki smiled at each other with tears flowing down from their eyes.