He didn't move.
Neither did she.
Kana's heart dropped into her stomach. Her fingers trembled and she felt like she couldn't breathe. It felt like the world had suddenly gone silent except for the beating of her own heart and the thunderous downpour hammering against the windows behind her.
He had come.
Even after everything.
Even though she had blocked him, shut him out, told him it was over…
He had come. A little bit wet because the rain had gotten to him before he got to the hospital.
At that moment, Kana felt a rush of happiness, sadness and confusion all playing at the same time. She wanted him to be here but at the same time, it didn't feel right.
Meanwhile, John stood at the other end of the hallway, unsure of what to say or do but what he knew for certain was that he wanted to see her and there was no way he was going to let it all end.
But this didn't sit right with Kana who figured this out right away.
Kana: (mutters) You shouldn't be here…
She then suddenly turned around and bolted in the other direction which caught John off guard as he ran after her, determined to make things right.
John: Wait!!
Kana ran with no particular destination in mind but she just wanted to get away from him at that moment. Then she saw a small storage room along the hallway and immediately ran inside and John turned the corner just in time to see her close the door and lock it from the inside.
John ran and stopped just in front of the door and took a minute to catch his breath as he had been running prior to reaching the hospital.
John: Kana… please. Just open the door.
Kana: You shouldn't have come…
John leaned forward with his forehead touching the door as he responded...
John: I know... After everything that happened last night... I know you don't want to see me right. But, I couldn't just leave things the way we did last night... I care about you... more than anything...
Kana sat on the floor of the storage room and leaned against the door.
Kana: (soft, almost whispering) Then why did you say all those things…?
John: (voice cracks slightly) I was stupid... I let everything pile up and it just… exploded. But I didn't mean it the way it sounded. I didn't mean to make you feel like that...
The memory of last night's event crawled back in her mind which made her scared and sad at the same time making her unsure once again.
Kana: You didn't just hurt me, John… you shattered something I was barely holding together. When you called me weak… it wasn't just a word, it was everything I was afraid you'd eventually see in me. And now, I don't know if I'll ever feel safe around you again. Maybe this breakup… maybe it's the only thing that makes sense now.
There it was, those words again. The words that John was determined to change immediately.
John: I was wrong! Okay? I was wrong to say any of that. I didn't mean it. I was scared and hurting and… I didn't know how to deal with everything at once. But it wasn't your fault. None of it was your fault.
There's silence from Kana's side, just the muffled sound of her breathing and then John fell to his knees and spoke again...
John: I came here because I don't want to lose you. Not like this. Not after everything we've been through. So if there's even a small part of you that wants to fix this, just talk to me. Please... I can't lose you...
Kana turned and looked down at the bottom of the door and she could see John's shadow from underneath the door and then she looked up at the ceiling expecting it to give her an answer. But it didn't.
Instead she began to recall all the fun times and memories she had made with John over the last couple of months and as she did so it made her feel warm inside and she didn't when she cracked a smile but then the memory of John calling her weak resurfaced again made her feel cold once more.
John stayed on his knees in front of that door for what felt like hours and Kana stayed in that storage room unsure if she was ready to open the door and let him again as the conflicting thoughts played in her head.
As John stayed there, he began to recall everything that had happened during their last call and when he remembered how he called her weak, it made him feel so irritated with himself.
And Kana refusing to open the door sent the message that she wasn't going to let him in again.
John: It's fine...
Those words took Kana by surprise as it wasn't something she was expecting to hear and it sent fear in her.
John: I totally understand if you don't want me back after what I said to you... I'm the one who's supposed to understand everything about you... We've been through so much together and I trampled on that... I'm not sure any amount of apologies will ever make you forgive me but... I just want you to know... I'm really sorry I hurt you Kana... I'm sorry...
All the memories she had made with John suddenly flowed in her mind again and then the conflicting memory came in again causing emotional turmoil in her head and it got worse when she looked down under the door and saw that John's shadow was no longer there.
Kana: He's leaving...?!
*******
Meanwhile, John continuously walked towards the exit of the hospital unhappy with himself that he wasn't able to fix what he had with Kana as the memories of their last video call and Kana blocking him replayed in his mind.
John: Damn it....
John then approached the exit and walked outside and was greeted with a heavy downpour of rain which meant he wouldn't be able to walk back to the train station until the rain cleaned down.
John: I should've brought an umbrella with me.
John then looked down at his feet as he stared at the wet floor, guilt filling his everything in him and then he felt someone hug his already wet body from behind and then a voice he knew all too well.
Kana: Please... Don't go.
Hearing those words and knowing that it was Kana behind him, relieved John like a heavy burden and then he smiled.
John: I won't....
******
The rain continued to lash against the hospital windows as thunder rumbled somewhere deep in the clouds. Kana walked slightly ahead of John, still not fully believing he was actually here, wet, shivering, and broken, but here nonetheless.
John glanced around the room, his eyes flickering over the small details he remembered from the video calls, her small drawer at the left side of her bed, her journal on top of the said drawer, the plush keychain he had won for her from a claw machine months ago, now resting quietly on the bedside table.
Kana walked over to the small cabinet near her bed and pulled out two towels. She handed one to John, and the other she gently patted against her own hospital gown, now damp from hugging him. There was silence between them, but it wasn't uncomfortable. It was a silence filled with something unspoken, thick with relief, guilt, and something deeper—something waiting.
Kana: You really didn't bring an umbrella…?
Her tone was soft, a little amused, a little sad.
John: I didn't think I'd need one since I wasn't expecting it to rain… I thought maybe… you'd...
Kana looked at him for a moment, towel now resting in her hands, eyes scanning his soaked hoodie and his slightly wet hair. Something in her chest ached for him… but it also ached because of him.
Kana: You're soaked… here, take off your hoodie.
John did as he was told, still a little stunned by everything that had just happened. Kana dabbed the towel against his face and arms, her hands gentle but quick. Her own hospital gown was soaked from hugging him.
John: You should change. You'll catch a cold.
Kana nodded, then hesitated for a second before slowly lifting her shirt over her head. She was left in just her bra and a pair of shorts, standing in front of John, who immediately turned away, flustered.
John: Wait, Kana. Maybe I should step out—
Kana: It's fine.
She turned slightly over her shoulder, her voice barely above a whisper.
Kana: I wouldn't mind if it's you... Who gets to see me like this...
John's breath caught and his face turned red.
His eyes immediately darted toward the floor, his heartbeat skipping and thumping in confusing rhythm.
Kana slowly turned to face him, clutching the towel lightly to her side. Her hair was a little messy, her skin slightly cold from the rain, but her expression, fragile and open, said everything.
John instinctively looked away again, unsure if this was okay, if he deserved this closeness after what he'd done but then she stepped closer and reached for his hand. Her fingers trembled slightly, but she held on.
Kana: (softly) Look at me.
He slowly looked up at her and their eyes met. Both of their faces flushed, but neither looked away.
And then Kana tightened the grip on his hand gently and then she guided it to her waist, holding it there like it belonged, like he belonged.
Their breathing synced in that unspoken silence again.
Everything they had gone through every call, every joke, every conversation replayed in the space between them. The pain from last night still lingered, but it no longer outweighed what they had built together.
John stepped forward first, cupping her cheek with one hand, the other still resting gently on her waist. He studied her eyes for a moment, searching one last time for any hesitation. But all he saw was the same thing he was feeling: want, sorrow, love, and relief.
Then he kissed her.
It started slow & deliberate, as if they were both afraid the moment might vanish if they moved too fast. Kana melted into it, arms looping around John's neck. His fingers slid to the small of her back, and before either of them could stop it, years of longing and months of tension broke open like a dam.
The kiss deepened and grew more desperate. John wrapped his arms fully around her, lifting her off the floor in one swift motion. Kana gasped softly between kisses as he pressed her gently against the wall, both of them breathless but unwilling to part. Her legs instinctively wrapped around his waist, her hands burying into his wet hair as their mouths moved in rhythm, each kiss carrying the weight of everything unsaid.
At some point, they both stopped kissing to catch their breaths and then all they did was stare into each other's eyes.
John: I'm sorry... For everything I said...
Kana: Just shut up and kiss me...
And with that she leaned in and continued to kiss him as tears almost welled up in her eyes not out of pain this time, but out of the overwhelming flood of emotion that came with being held again, chosen again, wanted still.
John gently carried her back to the bed, laying her down slowly with all the care in the world. She pulled him with her, never letting go. She straddled him now, both of them staring into each other's eyes, their foreheads resting against one another.
The rain continued outside, the thunder softer now, as though the storm itself was beginning to pass.
They kissed again, longer this time. Kana ran her hands over his chest, still wet and chilled, and then rested them against his heart. She could feel it pounding beneath her palms, and her own heart answered in kind.
Kana: (whispering) Do you still think I'm weak?
John shook his head instantly, eyes sharp with conviction.
John: No... You're the strongest person I know. I was an idiot for ever saying that...
Kana: (chuckles) I know...
Kana leaned in and kissed him again, this time slower, her hands sliding into his. The passion remained, but it no longer felt chaotic, it felt full of happiness and longing.
They stayed that way, tangled together in kisses and memories, until the tension between them gave way to comfort, and the emotional distance melted into something warm and human.
Later, they lay side by side in the bed, bodies close and their legs intertwined. The evening sky peeked from behind the dark clouds, casting a soft glow across the room. Outside, the rain had calmed to a drizzle, and inside, all was still.
Kana rested her head on John's shoulder, tracing small circles over his chest.
Kana: Promise me something…
John: What is it...?
Kana: If it ever gets too hard… if you ever feel like saying something cruel again, don't. Just leave the room, scream into a pillow, go punch a tree, I don't care. But don't ever speak to me like that again.
John I won't... (pauses) Then you'll have to promise me something too...
Kana: I'm listening...
John: Whenever you have anything bothering you, please don't hesitate to let me help.
Kana remained quiet for a while and thought it through and then finally spoke.
Kana: Okay... I promise.
John smiled & Kana closed her eyes and sighed, finally allowing herself to believe him again. She didn't know what tomorrow held, but tonight… Tonight was enough.
Their fingers intertwined together as the storm that existed between them had now faded into the wind.