Author's Note: I am terribly sorry for the delay. Been trying to balance my time lately, ughh. I'm dying TTnTT Anyway, I had to edit some parts of this one before I was finally satisfied lool. Well, can't afford to give you a half-assed chapter, guys. You awesome people deserve so much better :)

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Spin-off: We Might As Well Be Strangers (Part I)

Looking but not really seeing, hearing but not really listening, Kenly Eah Shinomiya was like a body without a soul as she sat in front of her mother's coffin. Her midnight black, knee-length dress seemed like a representation of the future that awaits her and her sister.

Where do we go from here?

It was a question that she couldn't answer. It was a puzzle she couldn't solve. A future without her mother any longer, she didn't even know where to begin imagining.

How would she start again?

How would they ever start again without the only person who gives them strength and inspiration?

She was everything they had.

They had..

A whimper slipped past her lips as tears began to stream down to her pallid cheeks once again. Fresh memories of her dying mother were tormenting her heart from within.

"I love you, Kenny. I always will.."

She shut her eyes tightly closed, grinding her teeth together to keep her sobs at bay. She couldn't stop blaming herself for what happened. If it wasn't because of her, their mother wouldn't have been lying cold and lifeless inside that coffin.

It was all her fault, she kept on convincing herself.

"Kenly.."

Hearing that voice made her snap her eyes wide open, immediately turning to look at the old man standing behind her -- together with her sister and half older brother from America. "D-Dad.."

Dave Hopper gave her youngest child a worried, sympathetic look. "I'm sorry. I truly am, dear."

"What are you doing here? Did you bring your wife with you?" She narrowed her swollen eyes into a glare then stood up from her seat. "If not then tell her to celebrate!"

All pairs of eyes inside the mortuary immediately darted to them because of the scene she was making, but she didn't even care. What's there to worry about? She already lost everything.

Everything was gone..

"Kenny, don't say that!" Karylle reprimanded.

"What?" She snapped furiously, glancing at her sister. "Isn't this what she wanted?!"

Then without hearing one more word from them, she strode towards the exit --- ignoring their calls and worried stares. After making sure that she was out of sight, she leaned her back against the concrete wall and cried.

It was so painful..

She couldn't take it anymore, everything was just too much for her to handle. It all happened so fast and she wasn't ready for any of it.

She never was..

"Eah?" Kasamatsu Yukio, who just arrived, wondered when he saw her there alone. He was still wearing his school uniform with his bag on one hand. He didn't have enough time to go home and change into a pair of decent clothes because right after their basketball practice, he rushed to the funeral chapel to pay his respect and to check on Ken. "What are you doing--"

She cut him off with a hug, causing him to drop his bag on the floor. She hugged him as tightly as she could as if he was the only person left in the world who could ease up her pain and misery. "Please stay with me, Yuki. Please.."

Worried with her actions, he instantly returned her embrace, rubbing her back in circles. "Shh. I'll be here."

Kasamatsu was starting to worry even more, so much more than how he already was. With all the things going on with her at the moment, he knew it was hard for her to cope up --- with the pain, the changes, and the loss. Ken had always been a strong person, but there's a limit to how much she could take. And judging by her actions..

..she was breaking.

He tightened his grip, his blue eyes mirrored with so much anxiety and sadness. "Be strong, Eah. Please, you need to be strong."

But he nearly stumbled backwards when Ken's weight suddenly fell on him. His eyes widened, quickly catching her in his arms before she'd tumble onto the hard floor.

"Eah?" Panicking, he shook her gently -- then harder the second time. And when he got no response, he scooped her up in his arms then hurriedly ran inside the chapel. All heads immediately snapped to his direction.

"S-Somebody help! She-- Eah collapsed!"

***

Ken was immediately brought into a nearby hospital. According to the doctor, she collapsed because of stress and overfatigue. She was evidently sleep-deprived and been eating nothing but caffeine for days. Fatigue was consuming her and she didn't even came to realize it.

Silence hung in the air as Kasamatsu and Harry, Ken's half older brother, surrounded the bed where she was lying unconscious. Karylle was left worrying in the chapel with their restless father.

"Are you my sister's boyfriend?" Harry asked curiously using his language, glancing at the young male beside him. He knew nothing about Japan, and in fact, he's been there only twice.

Kasamatsu shook his head, ignoring the awkward atmosphere between them then replied also in English for the man's better understanding. "No, I'm her friend."

"Then where is he? Karylle said she has one."

Kasamatsu didn't know what to say so he remained silent. Kise hadn't shown up at school for three days now and been ignoring all his calls and messages. He never thought the blonde had that much conceitedness in his veins.

And at the time when Ken needed him the most too..

Harry gave him another glance, "Can you stay here for awhile?"

He simply nodded his head, "Yeah sure."

"I'll go buy some stuffs for her. Do you want anything?"

"No, I'm fine. Thanks."

The man gave him a small smile, one that was almost identical to Ken's. "I'll be back shortly."

The moment the door shut closed, Kasamatsu ran a hand through his face then released a heavy sigh. He glanced at the time -- 11:10pm.

"Already late huh," he mumbled before sitting on the stool beside the hospital bed. He motioned his face a little closer to whisper on her ear, "Fight, Eah. I'm begging you, don't give up."

"Y-Yuki.."

He gasped, surprised upon suddenly hearing her voice. "Oh god, Eah. We were worried sick," he exclaimed in utter relief.

"I'm sorry," she muttered in a shaky voice.

His face hardened, "Stop blaming yourself because none of these is your fault."

A moment of complete silence passed by before she spoke again.

"You know, R-Ryouta.. he.." She trailed off, starting to tear up once more. "I saw him.."

It was as if she haven't had enough with crying, it was as if her tear glands were broken. She couldn't control herself and her emotions. The pain was too unbearable. Maybe because she lost not only her mother, but also Kise.

The image of him kissing that Swedish model in a bar wouldn't leave her alone.

He was enjoying himself amidst her misery.

He was flirting with another girl in times of her great need of comfort from him.

She was all too willing to swallow her pride, she was ready to fight for him..

But he didn't give her a chance.

Kasamatsu frowned in curiousity, "What? What did you see?"

"H-He was ignoring my messages so I decided to go to Kyoto that day of the incident. But when I got there, he was gone. His agent said he was out with his co-model, so I waited for him for seven hours. I never wanted to leave without talking to him, but then I had to when I read your message about Mom.." She paused for awhile, taking a few deep breaths before continuing, "Then earlier, I saw a photo on facebook. It was him. In a bar. Having fun, getting wasted, kissing a girl.." At that point, she sobbed uncontrollably. "It's so painful, Yuki. He wasn't there because he was with another girl. I waited for him that day, I was willing to wait for him no matter how long it would take. And I didn't even know that my mother was dying because of me!"

Kasamatsu balled his fists, containing the anger that was washing over him. He finally came to understand why Ken was hurting too much. Upon seeing her cry because of him, Kasamatsu's jaw tensed.

She didn't deserve it.

Any of it.

"It's not your fault, Eah. Please stop saying that. You never wanted this to happen," he cooed.

"But if I hadn't left that day, Mom should've been still alive right now. I feel so bad all the time!"

He stood up then gathered her in his arms, comforting her in the best way that he could. Her sobs were muffled against his chest and her fingers were clutching unto his back. "Your Mom wouldn't want you to say that, Eah. She would never blame you. She loves you so much."

And she loves her too. So much.

That's exactly the reason why it hurts that much. Because all the gentle smiles, the laughters, the warm hugs, the pats on the head, the happy talks, the long lectures.. She couldn't let them go. Her Mom was her mentor, she taught her how to be strong despite everything. She was the only family she's got aside from her sister. How could she ever let her go?

"I know it's hard but you need to be strong. For your sister, for your father and siblings, for your friends, for us. You're not alone, Eah." Then he added, "We're here. We're just here.."

Ken didn't say anything and only buried her face on his chest. They stayed like that for minutes before her sobs died. Kasamatsu set her down to rest on the bed again and his chest tightened at the sight of her current state. She had drastically lost a lot of weight and there was no life in her cold eyes.

"Rest." He said softly, brushing aside the strands of hair that was on her face.

She extended her hand to reach for his, squeezing it gently. "Will you be here when I wake up?"

He nodded with a small smile, "I promise."

It was all that she needed before she let her eyelids close, letting herself fall into a peaceful slumber for the first time in days.

Kasamatsu then rested his forehead on top of her hand, closing his eyes to feel her warmth. Droplets of tears fell onto the mattress and his own faint sobs was heard. "I'm always here for you, Eah. You know I never left.."

He never stopped loving her. Not even when he knew that her heart wasn't his to keep anymore. Getting her didn't even matter to him, because as long as she's happy.. He knew he wouldn't regret letting her go.

But now..

The sound of his phone ringing erupted into the silence, snapping him out of his trance. He composed himself then fished it out of his pocket. Upon reading the caller ID, his expression darkened even more. He clenched his teeth together before finally pressing the phone on his ear. "What do you want?"

"Do you know where Kenlycchi is? I can't sleep, I'm worried. Please, I need to see her."

Kasamatsu's grip on his phone tightened as anger began to consume every piece of his sanity. "I'm with her, we're at the hospital. She collapsed because of fatigue."

"What? Where? What hospital?"

"I'll text you the address." He didn't wait for his reply and already hung up. Slowly and carefully, he pulled his other hand free from Ken's grip then stood up. "I promise I'll be back, Eah. I'll just have to take care of something."

I won't let Kise hurt you again. Never again!