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sophcaro · 7 years

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Destiny | WMatsui - Chapter 26

A despondent sigh escaped Jurina’s lips when she sneezed and coughed for the umptieth time this morning. The whole SKE group was currently getting prepared in the dressing room for a handshake session in Nagoya, and she was far from being in top form. One thing was for certain; she always looked forward to meeting her fans and relished those privileged moments of interactions with them. However, something was telling her she was not going to fully meet their expectations today if her health didn’t show swiftly signs of improvements.

This last month, she had felt the lack of energy kicking. Not only did she feel exhausted after a long day of work, she dreaded the possibility of having caught a cold during her last photoshoot by the sea at Yumigahama beach. Because of the high level of humidity, Summer never was a season she favored the best, affecting her medical condition each and single year. It was a tricky period, one that required of her to be incredibly cautious, even more than during the rest of the year.

A part of her was still hopeful it wasn’t as bad as it looked and it may only be an allergic reaction to the weather, as it generally occurred to be. However, she had unexpectedly woken up this morning with a bad headache, watery eyes and a sore throat. At those symptoms, she hadn’t hesitated to take medicine before leaving home, praying it would solve the issue. She had a meaningful event to attend, and the idea of cancelling even one single slot was unconceivable.

People were expecting her. Fans who had bought tickets months in advance, and waited eagerly for this moment to arrive. Letting them down was out of the question. She could rest tonight at home once it was over, after greeting properly each fan waiting in line outside. They had made the effort of coming all this way to meet her: she owed it to them to be present.

“Jurina… Are you alright?”

Jurina snapped out of her daze at the sound of a feminine voice addressing her. Across the mirror, she distinguished Churi’s silhouette approaching and she pushed her concerns at the back of her head, sending her a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, it’s only the season. It’s the same thing every year. I’m used to it. It will pass.”

Her friend didn’t seem utterly convinced, as she gave her a preoccupied look when she took a seat by her side to study her. Starting to feel a little awkward under Churi’s intense scrutiny, Jurina averted her gaze to focus her attention on something else, and decided instead to check her clothes. This morning, she had opted for a casual blue, short-sleeved tee-shirt, along with a light brown pair of shorts.

A perfect outfit for a scorching Summer.

“You seem a little hot…” Churi murmured, after pressing her palm against Jurina’s forehead. “Are you sure you don’t have a fever? Maybe you should see a doctor today.”

“A doctor? Today?!” Jurina exclaimed, staring back at her in incredulity. “We have a handshake event, remember? You want me to cancel it and disappoint all my fans?”

“Of course not,” Churi replied carefully. “But we both know how demanding and tiring such days can be. If you’re not feeling well-”

“Hey…” Jurina cut her off, extending her arm to give her knee a gentle patting. “Stop worrying. I’m fine.”

“You can’t ask me that,” Churi protested softly. “You’re my friend; I care about you. I’ll never stop worrying.”

Jurina’s chest warmed up, moved by Churi’s affectionate words. Her compassionate side had always been appreciated, and even more welcomed during difficult times. Frankly, she didn’t know how she would have overcome those last two months without Churi’s precious and comforting presence. After her devastating breakup with the girl who meant the world to her, she had been a total mess, desperately seeking a shoulder to lean on, and someone to cry her heart out.

She couldn’t have wished for a more loyal friend than Churi, and she would remain forever grateful for her unfailing support. The pain caused by the separation had not subsided yet, and her heart inevitably ached when Rena’s image flowed her mind, and she was reminded of what she had lost. Nevertheless, Jurina was under the strong impression that her friend was being irrationally overprotective lately - watching her every move like a hawk - and never failing to voice her disapproval if she skipped a meal, or did longer days of work.

It was already hard enough hearing her fans and the staff mentioning - way too frequently for her liking - her recent loss of weight and her drawn features…

“You don’t need to smother me each time I sneeze,” Jurina joked, choosing to play the card of humor in the hope it would distract her and ease her worries. “I turned twenty in March; I’m officially an adult now.”

“I know you are,” Churi conceded with a smile. “You’re an adult, even though you can still act quite childish some days…”

“Just admit it,” Jurina gave her a lopsided grin. “You love that side of me.”

Churi let out a laugh. “And flirty too. How could I forget that?”

Jurina was relieved when her tactic seemed to have bored its fruits and the mood had shifted positively between them, her friend now looking more appeased. Believing the matter to be over, Jurina diverted her attention to the mirror in front of her. Her features turned serious as she paid a closer look to her appearance, realizing she would need to add a little more makeup if she wished to cover better those awful bags under her eyes.

“Please,” Churi’s small, hesitant voice unexpectedly broke the silence. “Promise me you’ll go and see a doctor tomorrow if you don’t feel any better.”

Jurina tilted her head towards her, caught off guard by the request. She was confident to have successfully convinced her friend there was nothing to be concerned about, but it appeared her previous words hadn’t had the desired effect. This morning, Jurina sensed the other member would never drop the subject unless she had obtained the answer she wanted. “Alright…” she relented. “I promise.”

Jurina was conscious the medication hadn’t worked as well as she anticipated when the handshake session began, and most of her previous symptoms had unfortunately not disappeared. With a heavy head and a troublesome headache that showed no intention of vanishing, she was nevertheless determined to put on a brave face, and greeted as cheerfully as possible each and single one of her fans. At first, the trick seemed to work as she managed to go through the first slot without too much difficulty.

The following one, however, proved to be more challenging.

The second slot had barely started that she began sweating abnormally, making her fear the current heat in the exhibition hall of Port Messe may not be the sole explanation for her growing discomfort. A few times, when her legs demonstrated sign of weakness and refused to fully support her frail body any longer, she took a seat to rest, but never more than a few minutes to not trouble her fans unnecessarily.

Being one of the most popular members, all her slots had sold out weeks in advance, and there was a long waiting line of fans impatient to share a few words with her. Despite all the signs indicating she badly needed to take a pause, she refused to come to such a decision yet. In nine years, it was not the first time she did a handshake session while not being completely physically fit. It surely never stopped her from conducting the handshakes until the very end…

“Hi,” she wrapped her hands gently around the next approaching fan, a young man in his twenties with black, short hair and wearing proudly a blue tee-shirt at the effigy of SKE’s ace. “Thank you for coming all this way despite the hot weather!”

“Jurina-san, I’m so happy to see you,” A broad smile plastered the male fan’s face in undeniable enthusiasm, his features nevertheless soon growing a little concerned. “Jurina-san… Are you sick? You don’t look well.”

“I don’t?” Jurina exclaimed, feigning ignorance. “Don’t worry, it’s only because of the season. I’m fine!”

“Oh… okay,” The male fan was swayed easily by his oshi’s charming smile. “I wanted to ask… Is it true what the article is saying about Rena-san?”

Jurina stiffened at the unpredictable mention of the graduated member. This morning, she had discussed various topics with her fans, but the older Matsui had never been a subject of conversation. Until now. “What are you talking about?” she asked, a mix of confusion and curiosity filling her voice.

“Ah, you still don’t know,” The fan’s eyes lit up in realization. “Bunshun published an article a few minutes ago. It says-”

Unfortunately, the male fan didn’t have the opportunity to explain further that the guard had moved forward and grabbed his arm, clear sign that the five seconds were over and his time was up. Having no choice but to abide to the rule, the fan opened his mouth to say goodbye, but Jurina intervened. “No, wait. Let him finish.”

The guard, who was about to drag the male fan away, stilled at once, casting Jurina a startled look at the unexpected interruption. Without a protest, he retracted his fingers and took a step back, enabling the SKE member to bring her full attention back to the fan. “Bunshun released an article about Rena?” she repeated, unease spreading through her chest. Experience had taught her the tabloid enjoyed intruding into people’s personal lives, and hearing the infamous name being associated with the young actress troubled her. “What does it say?”

“They took pictures of Rena-san with Yosuke-san in Tokyo,” The fan, who was pleased to have earned a few more seconds with his favorite member, didn’t wait to reveal. “The article says they are dating.”

Jurina widened her eyes, unconsciously loosening her grip around the fan’s hands. Processing the words he had uttered, her instincts were screaming at her not to trust any of it. After all, it wasn’t the first time Bunshun created fake scandals. On the shooting of Destiny, they had already used the excuse of a simple dinner between colleagues to spread the false rumor that they were dating. But it was more than a year ago… Why on earth was Bunshun coming up with this same silly story again?

Back then, Rena hadn’t waited to deny any involvement with the male star, her short but unambiguous tweet thankfully putting an end to the foolish rumors. That’s why it made no sense whatsoever for the tabloid to target both actors again. Unless…

“What… What kind of pictures?” Jurina couldn’t help asking, a shred of doubt sweeping through her. She and Rena had broken up two months ago, and the latter never made a secret her good relationship with her Destiny partner. Not only the actress always had flattering words to say about him when they chatted on LINE, their chemistry transpired on every media they appeared together, whether press conferences, TV shows or magazines interviews.

“They weren’t kissing but… they seemed really close,” The fan answered, a little uncertain to continue when he noticed a flash of apprehension in the idol’s eyes. “I don’t know if it’s true, that’s why I wanted to ask your opinion about it.”

The guard, who had kept quiet until now, stepped forward again, and Jurina didn’t oppose any resistance this time when he pulled them apart. Already, the next fan in line was approaching but Jurina was far too distracted, incapable of getting out of her head the information she had received. Right now, and against her better judgment, she wanted nothing more but to get her hands on that article and see the pictures.

Attest for herself if something was indeed going on between Rena and Yosuke.

“I need to take a break,” Jurina whispered to herself when a shiver ran through her body. Burying her burning forehead in one hand, she clutched the railing before her for support with the other. Against all hope, her health was not improving in the least as the morning was going by. Worse, it was now asking her all the effort in the world to remain standing still on her feet without wobbling.

“I will make a short pause,” she repeated decidedly, loud enough for the guard to catch it, before shooting the next fan in line an embarrassed, apologetic look. “I’m so sorry… please wait for me.”

Taking an unstable step back, she turned around and began walking towards the direction of the rest area. The following seconds went by like a flash. From her left, she noticed her manager drawing close, vaguely registering the latter inquiring what was wrong. She never had the chance to reply. Feeling her strength failing her, her eyes shut without her consent as she collapsed on the floor.

Jurina blinked her eyes in an effort to wake up. Slowly and progressively, her sight adjusted better to her surroundings, heaving out a discouraged sigh when she took in the white, aseptic room surrounding her. No matter how many times she had ended at the hospital those last nine years, she still couldn’t manage to get used to the place, loathing coming here as much as the first day. Being stuck here, lying in a bed too narrow and firm, and wearing nothing more but a thin and irritating blue hospital gown, only served to remind her of the fragile nature of her health.

A weak body that, annoyingly, seemed to take some malicious delight in constantly failing her when she needed it the most.

Jurina stared helplessly at the ceiling above her head, before distractingly casting a glance at the square window on her left. It was getting dark outside, the partial obscurity indicating her that she had slept most of the afternoon. Taking a nap never was her intention in the first place, but her fatigue had gotten the best of her, succumbing to her heavy eyelids after the nurse had entered her room to remove the lunch tray.

If truth be told, she continued to feel extremely sleepy. Keeping her eyes open proved to be a complicated task, and her numbed muscles didn’t seem ready for any kind of effort. Yet, she refused to listen to her body’s wishes, aware she would have real trouble finding sleep tonight otherwise. Reaching for the bedside table on her right, her fingers encountered a familiar rectangular device, pushing the middle button to raise the head end of the bed. Once at adequate height, her cellphone lying on the corner caught her attention and she took a curious look at it, horrified when she discovered how many new messages she had received.

Scrolling through them, she made a mental note to reply later to the work-related messages, lingering on the personal ones. Amongst the vast quantity of messages from SKE members wishing her a quick recovery, she noted a few from Mayu, Mariko and Churi, as well as her mother. Carefully placing the device back on the table, she couldn’t help feeling a tinge of disappointment at the absence of message from a certain person, until realizing it was foolish and senseless of her to expect a message from Rena. In two months, the other girl hadn’t contacted her once. Why would she come out of her silence now?

Not wishing to dwell on the painful reality as it inevitably brought out her melancholic side, she tried to focus on positive thoughts, and to rejoice at the notion that Churi would be visiting her in an hour. For two days straight, she had been glued to this bed, fighting a strenuous battle against the fever that had struck her without warning during handshake. Crammed with antibiotics, her body temperature had now thankfully dropped, her cold equally almost a bad souvenir. However, it would be presumptuous to affirm she had already fully recuperated.

Yesterday, when the doctor had paid her a visit, he had manifested his desire to keep her at the hospital for at least two more days, concerned about the results of her blood analysis and the low levels of iron in her blood. Jurina would always remember the stern look on Churi’s face when she came to hear about the doctor’s predictable diagnostic.

Anemia.

Jurina had accepted her friend’s scolding without complaining, not having the will and even less the strength to contradict her. Even though her pride prevented her from admitting it out loud, she knew deep down her friend was perfectly right: she hadn’t taken good care of herself lately. Persuading the doctor to discharge her from hospital didn’t even cross her mind; she guessed he would be reluctant to agree anyway considering her medical history. Even if she was aware of the countless problems her absence was causing, she wasn’t in position of winning this battle.

These last two months, she had buried herself in her work, not counting her hours and never refusing extra workload. It appeared she had pushed her body to its limits once again and it was requesting a necessary respite. In the past, she ignored him easily when he dared making such bold demands. As the ace of SKE, she couldn’t afford to rest or take a break. The weight of her responsibilities was too great; people had placed so much faith in her. But, more than anything, she wanted to reflect the perfect image of an idol: professional, hard-working, and not afraid of outdoing herself to deliver the best performances and satisfy the audience.

Maybe had she reached a higher level of maturity, enabling her to ultimately learn from her past mistakes. Or maybe was she solely too physically and mentally exhausted to protest this time. Nevermind the reason prevailing, she didn’t oppose any resistance to the doctor’s wishes, and agreed to stay under medical surveillance for a little while longer.

Looking up to the television hanging from the wall opposite her, Jurina grabbed the remote control from the bedside table, in the hope the activity would successfully keep her awake. As she was about to switch the television on, her attention was caught by the sound of light footsteps approaching in the corridor, and stopping in front of her door. Believing she had a new visitor, Jurina revised her plans and waited in anticipation for the person to manifest herself, but was perplexed when the door didn’t open as she predicted.

For an instant, she wondered if maybe the newcomer had gotten the wrong room number and was progressively realizing their mistake, leading them to shortly turn on their heels. The stranger’s odd behavior, who was neither entering or drawing away, but standing immobile on the opposite side of the door, began to unsettle her. Settling down the remote control on the bedsheet, Jurina straightened up and spoke up. “Who’s here?”

Her intervention produced the anticipated result as the door slid opened, revealing a feminine silhouette that made her heart stop.

A beautiful slightly pale face she could recognize easily anywhere, even amongst the densest crowd. Long, black shiny hair that fell down her chest, and covered a short-sleeved red summer blouse. But, most of all, gentle small brown eyes that kept on haunting her days even after two, long months of separation. Jurina was frozen in place as her new visitor approached, asking herself if her imagination was not playing tricks on her mind, and this improbable scene was not in fact a mirage.

Because there was no way Rena could have just walked in her hospital room.

#destiny #wmatsui #matsui jurina #matsui rena #wmatsui fanfic #takayanagi akane #SKE48 #AKB48 #Partners sequel #Heartbeat trilogy #chapter 26

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