Chapter 14

Flashback

"Haruka! Haruka!"  a younger version of Terumi burst into the small bedroom he shared with his twin. "I got it!" Haruka, who was napping peacefully on his bed, groaned at his loud brother and sat up, rubbing his eyes.

"Got what...?" he mumbled sleepily. "And keep your voice down. I'm tired...." Terumi plopped down next to his brother and pulled out a CD with "Hitomi No Melody" scribbled on it. 

"Tada!~" he smiled. "It's not a special copy, but hey, guess who signed it?" he laughed. "Yonmin-san himself!" Haruka took the CD and stared at it for a long time. "Awesome, ne?"

"....Yeah....lucky you..." he murmured. Terumi blinked.

"Eh? Why me?"

"...You have a signed CD... Even if it's not the special copy..." the younger sighed. Terumi chuckled, then started to laugh out loud.

"Baka... This is not for me. It's yours." he reached out to ruffle Haruka's hair. "If it was mine, I would have had Jungmin-san sign it instead."

"...for me...?" he asked with a clueless look in his eyes.

"It's your birthday gift, silly." Terumi rolled his eyes. "Don't tell me you forgot..."

"I..did..." the younger frowned. "I was so busy I forgot about it... I'm sorry..." he apologized. Terumi reached out and  took his brother's hand in his, smiling reassuringly.

"I know you were so busy that you couldn't get me anything, but I really don't need any gift in return." the older twin smiled gently. "It doesn't matter."

"but... You got this for me, and-"

"No. As long as you are here by my side, nothing else matters to me..." He pulled Haruka close, pecking his cheek swiftly. The younger blushed, but smiled nevertheless.

"In that case... I got the best big brother in the world." he giggled. "No one in the whole world can replace you." he hugged Terumi tightly. The older just laughed, returning the kind gesture.

"Not even Yonmin-san?" Haruka shook his head.

"Not even him..." he murmured, earning another small kiss on his cheek.

"Oh, why are you so adorable?" Terumi shook his head with a smile. "Anyway, aren't you gonna open it?" he pointed to the CD case, looking at Haruka with hopeful eyes. Haruka hummed to himself and smiled at his brother.

"Well then... You got this, and it's our birthday, so we might as well share this CD together." he smiled sweetly. Terumi cheered and fetched the CD player Haruka got him the year before. Haruka felt thankful. Thanks to his brother, he was able to enjoy the song he loved so much, with the closest person  to his heart by his side.

"This cannot be accepted!" A 17-year-old Haruka slammed his hands on the table. "I refuse to film such a thing!"

"You're being silly, Haruka!"  his twin yelled back. "It's just a damn film!"

"It's HaruKaze-sama for you, baka..." the younger twin stated with an egotistic tone. Terumi scoffed.

"You're being too full of yourself, Haruka, ever since we became more famous..." he gritted his teeth in annoyance. "Without us by your side, you wouldn't have become anything." Haruka laughed mockingly. 

"I can work well by myself." replied the black-haired idol. "You are nothing that I need."

"Really now?!" Terumi glared at his brother. "Then why don't you just accept to work with such amateurs like us till we finish this film, your Majesty?" he scoffed again, turning away. "This is nonsense..."

"I don't want to film that thing! Why don't you get it?!" Haruka turned his brother around and grabbed him by the collar, almost punching him if it wasn't for the hand that held him back.

"Haruka, stop." The firm voice of Simon reached his ears. "This is enough." Haruka let go of his twin and glared at Simon, yanking his arm out of the doctor's grasp. 

"I don't need any of your opinions. I'm the leader here. What I say is done." he marched back to his bedroom, slamming the door behind him, unaware of the look of disappointment that his twin's eyes held.

"What?!"  Haruka stood up, staring at his band mates with horrified eyes. "What do you mean by quitting?!"

"You heard us."  The main vocalist, R.K., answered him. "You are getting too bossy. I can't bear it. We all think the same."

"True." their manager, Shirou, nodded, adjusting his glasses, staring at Haruka with emotionless eyes. "I have reached my limits. I'm resigning from my position as manager." he added. "Try to work on your own now..." he walked away. R.K.and the lead rapper, K.Shou, followed soon after him. Haruka's eyes immediately traveled to his little brother, his songwriter, Mitsu.

"M-Mitsu... You're staying, right...? Miru, you too are not leaving me... Right?" The boy bit his lips and sighed. The mute composer standing behind him looked at Haruka with eyes filled with sorrow.

"Y-you said you don't need us..." was Mitsu's reply. Haruka breathed heavily and watched them as they both left. He headed straight to his room, only to find his twin brother packing his things.

"Terumi... You are not leaving too...are you...?" his voice shook, and tears started to fill his eyes. Terumi turned to him and frowned.

"...I'm sorry..." he sighed. Haruka's tears fell down as he embraced his brother tightly.

"No...you...you can't leave me like this... Nii-san..." he murmured, sobbing heavily. Terumi didn't move.

"...Kuro and Makoto already left..." he said. "And the other's are probably gone by now, too..." he gently gripped his brother's shoulders, making him look up with his tearful eyes. "Even if I stay...It won't change the fact that ...HARUKANA Boyz... no longer exists..." he finished his sentence. "I'm sorry..." he hugged Haruka tight.

"...Terumi... P-please...stay with me..." he sobbed, holding onto his brother, his last hope, like his life depended on him. Terumi shook his head, holding back his own tears.

"...I have received an offer from a Korean agency..." he said, averting his gaze away. 

"...What...?" Haruka looked up at him in disbelief. "You...can't be serious..."

"...My plane is leaving in three hours... I have to go now..." the older twin finished, wiping away his tears. "I-I'm sorry, Haruka... I'm really sorry..." He apologized again, caressing his little brother's face. 

"No... Even you are leaving me..." Haruka shakily made his way to his bed, sitting down and wiping his tears away with his sleeves. "I'm so stupid... I didn't realise what my doings were leading to..." Terumi slowly started sobbing, but quietly, as he sat next to his twin brother, hugging him close. "Please...Terumi, give me another chance, I'll-" he paused, unable to control his heavy sobs. Terumi wiped his own tears away and bit his lips, taking a deep breath. 

"..I'll miss you dearly... Haruka..." he whispered, running his fingers through Haruka's hair. "Farewell..." Gently, he planted a soft, long kiss on his brother's cheek. "I love you..." he got up and, picking up his suitcase, he walked out of the room, and possibly out of Haruka's life forever. Haruka slowly made his way to Terumi's bed and hugged his brother's pillow close, crying over his loss, caused by his own selfishness and arrogance.

"....I love you too...Terumi...." he murmured, knowing his brother will not be able to hear him now. There he was, all alone, curled up on the bed, broken... And no one was there to fix him...

"How are you today, Haruka?" It has been three months since his brother left him. He has not spoken to anyone, and has barely had any food. He spent his days weeping, refusing to meet with anyone. Everyday, Simon made an attempt to make him speak, but with no avail. He only said  one phrase, and kept repeating it over an over...

"...I'm sorry...." he would say, not looking at anyone or anything. He became thin and weak, his health became worse, and fainting was a daily ritual he had to pass through. He stopped doing everything except for crying and murmuring his brother's name in his sleep. 

"Haruka... can you hear me...?" Simon shook him a little, but Haruka made no move. Silent tears fell down his pale cheeks. "Please, Haruka... You have to eat something... You look like a ghost.. Haruka..." Simon's calls were in vain. He didn't pay any attention to him, nor to anyone else. He just kept repeating his brother's name over and over.

"I don't think he's with us..." one of the nurses said. Her words were true. Haruka was indeed in his own world of suffering and loneliness. 

"Put him to sleep and monitor his heartbeat rate."  the doctor instructed. "And be careful, we don't want him running away again." Haruka didn't know who pushed him back onto the bed, and he really didn't care. His heart was empty, and so his world was... Darkness started to fill his empty soul. Slowly, he fell into a deep slumber, and wished he never wakes up again...