The End of Akira
43

"Hold Akira a minute, I'll ask for help first. You keep Akira like this, okay?"

"I understand ma'am, please don't take long"

"Sure, I'll be right back." The teacher mother then rushed out leaving Sou and Akira.

"What really happened to you?" Sou muttered carrying Akira's head to lean against his chest. "Why didn't you tell me that your back was hurt? Without knowing anything, I didn't ban you from school, I didn't stop you from taking the gym lessons. Why didn't you tell me? Why do you keep it alone? Is that how much you don't trust me?"

Clear details flowed from Sou's beautiful eyes which then dripped onto Akira's face. 

"Sorry Akira. I don't know if your wounds are this bad. Though I know something happened to your back but I didn't do anything. I'm sorry"

Tangis Sou broke out back then as well. Her tears flowed hard. His hands hugged Akira even tighter.

"A-kira.. Akira made a mistake" 

"Eh?"

Sou then cupped Akira's face so that she could hear Akira's words clearly.

Her net widened, surprised to find Akira who was also crying. The brown netra sank tears profusely.

"About making a mistake.sorry Sou, Akira is also guilty of you" Akira muttered with tears that continued to flow.

"Why Akira? Wh why? Why don't you count on me? Am I that bad to know your problem? Am I so useless to help you? Why?" Said Sou with a slightly up intonation.

Sou pulled out Akira's face, fusing their eyebrows with tears still flowing profusely.

Akira shook his head.

"Then count on me! Count on me, Akira. I know I won't solve your problems but at least I won't do something that makes you sicker!"

Damnit damnit! I feel isolated by him. I was scolding him. I feel like I'm no longer useful to him.

She cried. Body vibrates. The red color on his shirt is getting thicker. He's in pain but I can't do anything! I feel like I failed to be her lover. 

Sou then slightly distanced his body from Akira. She wiped away her tears and also Akira's tears. 

"I'm sorry I scolded you. From this moment on, please count on me. If I can't help you let me wipe your wounds even if it's only 1 in 100. Please count on me" Sou looked into Akira's eyes with tears still flowing.

"Hm, Akira promised" murmured Akira nodded in understanding. Although the net is juicy, Sou can clearly see that there are no lies in it.

"Thank you" said Sou smiling. "I can't do anything to this wound of yours. Can you hold it in a minute? The teacher will be here soon"

Akira just nodded slowly.

"What's going on?" Asked Sou calmly. Although his intonation and face were very calm but his heart was racing. She panics and fears that something will happen to Akira as her red color becomes more and more dense with each second.

"About making a mistake, Brother punishes Akira" murmured Akira with tears still flowing.

"What have you done until your brother hurt you like this?"

"That's because-"

"about!" Said the teacher panicked with 2 other teachers. "Sorry to us long. Leave everything to us. Sou just call Akira's house"

"Please heal Akira, ma'am" Sou said, bowing his body.

"We understand. Now get out."

After Sou came out, he then contacted his Big Sisters Akira but no one answered.

"What are they really busy? Why is it that when things get tough, they don't answer my calls?!"

"I guess, please, God, make Akira okay. May his injuries not be that severe" Sou prayed in his heart.

Sou then settled himself in the hallway with the wall as a backrest. 

What did Akira do to be punished like that? Didn't Akira also lie at that time? Didn't his brothers love Akira very much, but why is it now like this? Is that also the reason Akira has always been moody for the past few months?

Sou's brain was filled with questions that kept turning up as he thought about it. Quietly in prayer. He remained faithfully seated in the hallway, waiting for Akira to be finished being treated by the teachers.

"You still here?" Ask one of the teachers who came out from the UKS.

"I'm worried about him, Mom" Sou explained.

"Come in, he's fine. Maybe because it moved too much so the wound was back open. I'll go to the pharmacy first, you take care of Akira. Let me ask permission from the teacher who taught your class" explained Teacher again.

Without lingering, Sou then entered the UKS and approached Akira who was still in a sitting position.

"Akira.." call Sou softly.

Sou then sat down before Akira. Her netre looked softly at Akira's eyes.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry" Sou said, hugging Akira.

"I think it's wrong Sou, sorry" said Akira returned Sou's embrace. "A lot of things have happened to Akira since Papa left" Akira said.

"Lately, Akira can't remember anything Akira has done."

"What do you mean?"

"Sou, it looks like Akira has acute dementia" explained Akira who makes Sou even more confused.

"W-what?"

"At that time, Brother and Alya said that Akira had stolen his money. When Akira does bullies at school, when Akira plays at a nightclub, when Akira kills a cat, when Akira steals Alya's pendant" Akira grudgingly looks at his bandaged hand.

Sou looked very surprised by what Akira had just said. 

"You didn't do it, did you?" Sou asked stared in disbelief.

Akira shook his head. "Of course, Akira never did it but Akira didn't know either. Brother and Alya always say it until they always scold Akira. Therefore, maybe Akira has acute dementia so he can not remember when Akira did what was said by Brother and Alya" explained Akira smiling miris. The net is starting to shine.

What the hell is this? I can't believe Akira's been through all this.

"Then what about your wound? It must be very painful, right?"

"Hm. Yesterday Brother scolded Akira for Akira coming home too late."

In that instant also Akira's tears dripped, he came back crying.

"Wait, what does that mean? Weren't we allowed yesterday? Didn't they approve of us coming home last night?"

"That's true, but that's not the case. Sorry Sou, I have betrayed you" Akira explained in tears. "Yesterday, Alya showed a picture of me with a man to Brother. Although Akira was sure it was Sou, but Big Brother and Alya said it wasn't you. That's a different man."

"In Akira's memory, since Sou picked up Akira yesterday afternoon, we went straight to the secret place until last night. Akira doesn't remember leaving you or going to look for you and meeting the other man that Big Brother and Alya meant. Akira cannot remember the bad things Akira has done, therefore Big Brother punishes Akira. Sorry Sou, sorry because it looks like Akira has betrayed Sou. Sorry" explained Akira who continued to cry.

Sou then brought Akira into his arms. She hugged Akira quite tightly without forgetting the wound on her back.

"It's a misunderstanding. Your sister misunderstood Akira. You don't have dementia, you don't get any pain. It's only natural that you don't remember it because you didn't. You are innocent" explained Sou rubbing Akira's head.

"But Brother"

"Your relationship with me yesterday is very true. We don't go a single moment from the chair in that seat. We never separated on the way home or on the way home. I'll explain it to Brother. They've misunderstood."

"But it's best not Sou" said Akira distancing his body from Sou.

"Why? They've misunderstood, Akira. They even torture you for mistakes you never make. I really can't take it."

"But if you explain it to Brother, you will hurt Sou. When Kak Nao and Kak Shin are angry, they will not listen to anyone, they will not see anyone. They're just gonna hurt you"

"But Akira, you can't keep going like this. If it's not straightened out, your brother will definitely come back to torment you later. I don't want that to happen, I don't want you to get hurt"

"But Sou, I-I"

"This includes violence, Akira. This is already too much. You bleed like this. I know you love all your brothers very much but mistakes need to be justified, misunderstandings need to be cleared up. I can't let it go"

"That's why I didn't want to tell you. I know Sou is a very reliable person but dealing with Big Brother is much more troublesome than what Sou thinks. If this is just a misunderstanding, Sou think how many times have I cleared up this misunderstanding? I explained until my mouth froze, I explained until I was upset and yelled at Brother, I explained until I cried, they still do not believe me. Me alone who is his own brother status is not heard let alone Sou. You will only be scolded or maybe beaten by Big Brother and be considered as a bad impact carrier for me. I'm not underestimating Sou, I'm not condescending Sou, but if it's only going to hurt you, I won't allow it either. I don't want to hurt you either" explained Akira back in tears. Isakan that came out of his mouth made Sou hurt.

Sou brings Akira back in his arms. He hugged Akira quite tightly, as well as Akira who hugged Sou's body no less tightly.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry Akira. Really forgive me."

"That's why I didn't want to tell Sou. That's why I just want Sou to stay by my side, I just want Sou to be with me." Akira kept crying.

"Hm, I know. I understand now"

But just being next to you, just being with you by closing my eyes like I don't know anything, it's useless. That would mean nothing. I can't help you, your brother, or myself. I won't be able to help anyone.

What am I supposed to do now? For the sake of protecting me, Akira acted as if everything was fine. I want to help her. How can I correct this misunderstanding without conflict? How can Akira not be punished again by his brother?