After having a complete breakdown in front of both of her parents in the hospital room, Homura, eyes red and puffy from crying, was led to the nearest bathroom by a kind nurse.

Splashing ice cold water on her face, Homura's bottom lip trembled as she tried not to face the truth anymore than she had to.

"The only time I'm correct is when something bad is going to happen..." Homura thought to herself, proceeding to blow her nose as water from her face dripped onto her skirt. "I wish I would die. That's what everyone wants anyways..."

Homura threw her tissue in the garbage can and sighed, wiping her face on several paper towels, which she had just grabbed.

Looking back at herself in the mirror, all she seemed to see was her sister, not Homura. The girl who always encouraged her. The girl who loved her more than her friends at school. The girl who saved her life. The girl who should still be alive.

Shaking her head, Homura left the women's bathroom, deciding to go for a quick walk to distract herself.

She knew she should have been spending time with her mother, but seeing her mother only made her feel depressed, knowing she wouldn't be there tomorrow, or the next day, or the next.

Walking down the busy hallways of the hospital, from the back in the distance, Homura recognized a certain person. A bouquet of flowers could be seen in their arms as they knocked on a door to a hospital room.

Homura stopped in her tracks, staring at the person from several feet away.

Another person opened the door from the other side, smiling as they took the flowers from the person, spoke with them for a moment, then closed the door again.

"Jyushimatsu...?" Homura whispered, squinting her eyes in confusion. "Why is he here...?"

The boy turned around, his eyes immediately resting an Homura, his bright smile faded away.

Jyushimatsu broke into a run, dashing up to his friend from school.

Sadly, he grabbed Homura by her shoulders, surprising even himself that he did such. He was so worried and confused at why Homura was in the same hospital.

"What's wrong? You look sad," Jyushimatsu said, wrapping his arms around her, hugging her. "Well, whatever it is, don't he sad! Today is a pretty day! We should never waste time letting sorrows hold us down in life! Time keeps moving!"

Homura began to shake, still trying to hold back tears.

Her breath was hot on Jyushimatsu's neck as she buried her head in his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," Homura sighed as Jyushimatsu pushed her away, looking her up and down, a worried expression remaining on his face.

"What's wrong, Homura? Why are you here too?" Jyushimatsu asked innocently, hoping he wouldn't upset her.

"I-I..." Homura stammered, her sister's bright smile flashing throughout her mind as she stared at Jyushimatsu.

"Do you have to go anywhere right now?" Jyushimatsu asked, tilting his head a little.

Homura shook her head. "I'm not busy..."

"We should go to that cafe nearby, then! Maybe that'll cheer you up!" Jyushimatsu exclaimed, laughing a little as he took Homura's hand in his, squeezing it tightly, breaking into a run.

Startled, Homura stumbled to her feet, running with Jyushimatsu down the stairs of the hospital.

Jyushimatsu laughed a little as he weaved around several nurses, Homura apologizing along the way.

"Running through a hospital with a delinquent boy..." Homura thought to herself in vain. "What a disgrace I am..."

"Isn't this fun, Homura?" Jyushimatsu exclaimed as he began to slow down to allow the girl to catch her breath.

Homura felt a genuine smile creep across her face, though her nose was still stopped up from crying.

Sniffing, Homura nodded her head as Jyushimatsu, once again, grabbed her hand. He didn't take off running this time, though. Since they were in the huge, yet cramped hospital lobby, he was being careful not to run into anyone.

Approaching the glass sliding doors, Homura tightened her grip on Jyushimatsu's hand, breathing out of her mouth a little.

"What's the matter?" Jyushimatsu asked softly as they walked outside into the bright, morning sunshine.

Strolling along, Homura pushed her hair back a little with her free hand.

She didn't want Jyushimatsu to feel bad for dragging her out of the hospital, if she told him that her mother was going to die later that day. She needed to be away. She needed a breath of fresh air. Jyushimatsu was exactly that. It took more than just one word for Homura to describe the boy. But, all in all, he was like the sun peeking out from behind thick, black clouds after a storm, a sort of comfort Homura never once experienced. Yet deep down, she felt as if she once knew someone just like Jyushimatsu.

"I-I'll talk about it in a minute," Homura finally replied, a soft breeze rustling through the trees along the sidewalk to the cafe.

"Alright!" Jyushimatsu said kindly as he stopped in front of the cafe doors. "Isn't this pretty!"

"Isn't this a...cat cafe...?" Homura nearly chuckled, which surprised her. It was like all her angst had just disappeared.

"You bet!" Jyushimatsu exclaimed, holding open the glass door for Homura. "They have the greatest cookies here!"

"Oh? What are they?" Homura asked as they entered the cafe. The sweet smell of chocolate and coffee overwhelmed her nostrils. The sound of loud mixers soothed her soul. It reminded her of the days she and her sister would go here with their mother.

"They're mint chocolate chip cookies!" Jyushimatsu exclaimed, pulling Homura up to the front counter, wiggling back and forth in excitement. "The lady here says they have a soothing power!"

"Soothing?" Homura questioned, staring at the menu about the counter. "I guess I'll try them then."

"You won't regret it," a lady said, walking up to counter from behind with a warm smile, flour on her cheeks with her dirty blonde hair in a messy bun. "They're my special."

The lady squinted her eyes a little, staring directly at Homura.

"You look familiar to me," the lady said before she turned around, getting a few cookies and placing them on a plate.

Passing the plate over, the lady smiled a little, handing it to Jyushimatsu.

"Don't worry about paying today, Jyushimatsu," she said before turning away. "It's good to see you with her again. I'm sure you have a very good reason for being with her, too."

Jyushimatsu nodded his head, smiling as he led Homura to an empty table near a window.

"Now," Jyushimatsu said, pushing the plate towards Homura. "Why were you crying so hard earlier? What happened?"

Homura turned a bright shade of red, absolutely mortified.

"H-How did you know I was crying?" Homura asked shakily as she grabbed one of the cookies from the plate, staring at it for a bit while she listened to Jyushimatsu.

"I heard an upset girl in the bathroom when I was walking by. Then, a few seconds later, I saw you come out. I noticed droplets of water on your skirt, not to mention, your eyes looked really puffy," Jyushimatsu paused, tilting his head a little. "What happened to make you so upset? I want to see you smile more! You have such a beautiful smile!"

"It's my mother, that's all," Homura said with a sigh, finding she was able to control her emotions much better with Jyushimatsu around to soothe her weary soul. "She's always been ill like this, so I should have seen it coming..."

"What's happened?" Jyushimatsu pressed on.

"My mother isn't going to wake up tomorrow," Homura said, blinking back a few tears.

"Aww Homura, why didn't you say so! You should be with your mother right now then!" Jyushimatsu exclaimed, pushing away from the table, standing up.

"I-I...I wanted to get away...this is like a breath of fresh air for me...I knew my mother wasn't going to...to live much longer, so it's fine, really...." Homura sighed as she took a bite out of her cookie. It was definitely comfort food.

The cookie's taste overwhelmed her tastebuds, forcing back long forgotten memories. Yet, in each memory, she was with her sister and someone else. She couldn't see the other child's face though. And since they were all so young, the child's voice would be unrecognizable at this point.

"It's all happening again..." Homura whispered to herself, wanting to rip out her heart.

"It's okay," Jyushimatsu said, walking from behind Homura, handing her a Scottish Fold. "Everything will be okay, someday. I just hope I can help make you happy until then!"