Chapter 3: Thought of Despair and Hope

Where is Ayui? He panted heavily, thoughts followed his restlessness. He reached the rooftop of the hospital, the floor just above Ayui's room.

Catching his breath, the monotonous scene lay before him. Dark night sky covered with clouds as if dyed with grey, laid above his head. The large clock of the building indicated the time around 8 PM. Whole area of the roof was covered by tanks of water and a network of pipes which didn't seem to interest him.

"N-Nurse did say she came here..." He said under his breath, looking around for Ayui, "Answer me, Ayui! Where are you?!"

Panic in his voice reflected more through his actions. His gaze sought the sight of Ayui. Doubt surrounded him, as the clock ticked without mercy. Night fell colder as Ayui was nowhere to be seen. Pain reached his throat, growing with each empty corner.

"Ayui, answer me please... Where are you?" He said, his hope shrunk with passing time.

Appearing with a gentle blow to his heart, Ayui finally appeared, "Brother... Broth- I am here..." She said, her voice wavered due to feeble strength.

Kaito immediately rushed towards the voice. A sense of relief settling in with each step.

His sister soon caught his gaze. Her hand held the wall as support that barely kept her standing with her frail body.

Kaito was relieved as the lump in his throat slowly faded. The sense of relief fled from the eyes as tears which rolled down his face expressing a genuine smile. He walked towards Ayui.

Ayui's lips curled into a smile. A warm and calm smile.

"Brother, I will always be here..." She said as her voice faded to silence.

After the heartfelt moment, Kaito's relief soon turned to slight anger, "How? Ayui... How did you reach here?" He asked, "And why? Answer me honestly."

Ayui replied, "I-I just wanted to see the world outside my room..." Her face expressed her honest and visible emotion of regret, "I am sorry brother, I worried you..."

Kaito sighed, "Is that really it?" He asked looking in the eyes of Ayui, "If that was the case, you could have asked me..."

Ayui turned her face, "Actually..." She said, hesitation stopped her yet she continued, "...Um, I wanted to see the sky... I thought that it cleared like it did in the past when we watched it with grandma..."

What Ayui talked about was the "Shine Time". It was a day when the sky mysteriously cleared once every year. It was a day celebrated with a great festival and hope that the days of eternal rain will go away.

Memories flooded Kaito's head but he ignored them. His priority was to take Ayui back to her room.

He kept his hand on the head of Ayui, "Let's go..." He said, before bending down to carry her on his back, "Eat the dinner and sleep. It will help you to get well soon, Ayui..."

"Thank you, brother" Ayui smiled. Slowly stepping forward and wrapping around her brother's back, "Let's go... Together..."

"Yes... Surely..." Kaito smiled as he walked through the door of the rooftop which closed as he moved past it.

Stepping down the stairs, in the warmth of each other, Kaito's heart was filled with a single thought, "Does she know about her serious state? Is that why she wanted to see the clear sky for one last time?" He thought as Ayui fell asleep, having exhausted all her energy, "Why does she has to suffer this?"

His thought threatened to completely break him, but at the same time, it motivated him to work harder for her. It was a thought of despair as well as hope...