茜 ( akane )
— deep red, dye from the rubia plant

— ○ —

03 | r e d

"Does it hurt?" the doctor asked.

"Not really," the girl replied timidly. "It just stings a bit."

"What's happening?" A voice only one person in the room could hear, spoke up.

"She has thalassemia, so she needs blood regularly. Since you're her guardian, I thought you'd at least know this, Haruka." Akira replied to him with a sassy voice.

In response, Haruka just glanced at the ghost boy and then went back to staring at the girl.

"Akane.." Haruka mumbled to himself.

"Hm?" Akira hummed. "What did you say?"

"Nothing." The angel's expression was a deadpan one. "I've decided to call her Akane."

"You mean ring! — Oh, sorry."

Haruka sighed at how forgetful Akira was.

"Why 'Akane'? Is it because of her hair?" Akira said with a big grin.

For the first time after coming into being, Haruka smiled. "You could say that."

Akira just replied with a chuckle, while Haruka hid a sigh.

When Akira followed Akane as she exited the room, Haruka decided to stay inside and learn more about Akane's health.

"I'm afraid there isn't much improvement in Ring! health." The doctor started to speak. "Her case is rare, since thalassemia victims usually live up to thirty years. But she is just in her seventeenth year and.." He decided to remain silent.

"It's alright, doctor." Akane's mother said. "Sooner or later, this was bound to happen, right?" Her lips broke into a sad and bitter smile. The doctor had nothing left to say at that moment.

Haruka sighed to himself. So this is what it meant when he was told to guard a flower that would wither soon.

After Akane's mother stepped out of the room, they all went home.

"Why don't you ever talk much?" Akira suddenly popped up beside Haruka while he was following Akane to her room.

"Who do you want me to talk to?" Haruka asked.

"Eh?" The brunette pouted. "Come on, do I mean nothing to you?"

"We met less than a week ago." Haruka's eyes were a bit surprised.

"But you're my friend.." Akira mumbled sadly. "You're the first person I've talked to in years."

The blonde angel chose not to reply to that. Rather, he asked, "Why do you think you haven't transcended yet?"

"I don't know.. Maybe there was some unfinished business left." He chuckled, waving his hands as if he was talking about something mysterious.

"I see."

"By the way, who is ring!  texting?" Akira's tone changed into a protective one.

"Huh?" Haruka followed the ghost's eyes to see that Akane was sitting on her bed with her phone in her hands, her fingers typing away fast.

The blonde walked over to the girl and sat down beside her to peek at the phone screen. It seemed that she was texting a boy from her class.

"It's her classmate." Haruka said.

"Is it a guy or a girl?" Akira asked.

"A guy."

"What are they talking about?!" He suddenly sounded a bit aggressive.

"This boy wants to meet her."

"Eh?! When?"

"I don't know. She's declining."

"Thanks god, what is he saying?"

"I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?!" Akira suddenly snapped. "You're basically staring at her screen!"

"She closed the messaging app." Haruka now stood up and walked a bit away from the girl, facing Akira. "She's writing a personal journal so I shouldn't look."

"Oh!" Akira's eyes sparkled a bit. "Can I look?"

"No." Haruka stated strongly. "It's my job to—"
suddenly at that moment, he felt a strong sting inside his chest. It hurt so bad that he instantly fell at his knees, his wings going from their reserved state to hugging his body.

"Haruka!" Akira gasped, quickly running over to the said male and crouching down. "What happened? Are you alright?" His voice sounded worried.

The pain was gone, but Haruka was still shocked. What on Earth just happened?

"I'm fine.." He let out a breath and sat back on his hips. "It disappeared as quickly as it came... What exactly was that?" It's almost as if he was talking to himself.

Akira didn't know what to say. He just stared with a worried look. Haruka turned to see Akane. Her expression was neutral; she didn't seem sad nor happy. Just what exactly was she thinking?

Even while being her guardian angel, why was Akane always so far from Haruka? Why did he know so less about her? If his physical and her emotional states are linked, why is she hurt?

Haruka desperately wanted to know.