Snow In December
83 Ren and Aoyama

The white car sped up and further away from where Hinana was standing. He tries to catch up and stop Shota.

"Shota kun's.... Shota kun stopped." shouted Hinana and ran after the car Shota was riding.

"YAMETE (stop) Shota......!" hinana shouted louder, but her efforts were unsuccessful. Hinana finally stopped because she could no longer run after her. He opened his phone and saw the sound of Shota.

As he was about to hear a voice message, there was suddenly an incoming call from Sawako.

" Ne moshi-moshi (hello)."Hinana.

"Where are you? Hurry to the office you will...."

"Sawako's sorry, can you tell my friends that I'm going to be late for the office. I have a sudden urusa." Hinana cuts off Sawako's words, because she has to go to the hospital.

"Um okay, are you okay?" ask Sawako.

"Genki desu, Jaa ne (i'm fine, see you)." Hinana immediately turned off her phone connection then headed for the bus which was then stopped at the stop.

Arriving at the hospital, Hinana is still waiting for Ren to be examined. He also heard a little that Ren had trouble swallowing while eating.

Hinana is still standing while holding her phone, hesitating whether to tell Ren that Shota is leaving.

From a distance Aoyama saw Hinana whose hands were shaking while holding a mobile phone. He knows very well the character of his best friend, surely Hinana is in the most difficult time.

"Sumimasen (excuse me) I have to talk to Aoyama" Hinana said as a child to tutoring teacher Aoyama. His face looked so panicked, so Fumika as the tutor told Hinana to sit down first.

"Alright, little lady you better sit down first." replied Fumika who invited Hinana to sit while waiting for Aoyama.

"Can't, it's urgent." Hinana was still standing at the door and before long Aoyama came out to meet Hinana.

"What's Hinana?" ask Aoyama.

"Your mother.... Your mother died, she killed herself" Hinana said, and her hands shook with her skirt.

Aoyama saw it and immediately pulled Hinana's hand to leave. He knew at that time Hinana's father told him not to tell her the reason for her mother's death. Because Hinana had promised not to hide anything from him.

"Hinana, what are you doing here." said Aoyama in the end.

"Anoo I met with Shota, do you think Ren's condition would be bad if you heard Shota leave Japan?" ask Hinana doubtfully.

"Of course." answered Aoyama and looked at Ren from the glass.

"But, Ren is eager to meet Shota. I also don't want Ren to get worse, what am I supposed to do?" muttered Hinana frantically, she grasped her phone very firmly.

The incident was the same as when Hinana told the news of Aoyama's mother's death.

Without a second thought Aoyama immediately pulled Hinana into his arms.

"Don't do. Don't tell her." said Aoyama and felt that Hinana was crying right now.

"But I don't want to lie to her" Hinana said in her sobs. As Aoyama thought, Hinana couldn't possibly lie.

"Ne Hinana kai won't lie, don't tell her anything understand?.Now go, don't you have to work." Aoyama wiped the rest of Hinana's tears.

"Hum, see you." Hinana obeys Aoyama's words and he also has to go to the office because Saeako says there is something very important.

"This is the first time I've ever hugged her. I mustered all my courage to protect the most important people. Finally I am not a weak person." said Aoyama and heart with a look at the departure of Hinana.

...***************...

"Ohayougozaimasu (good morning)." Hinana's greeting to her friends.

"Ohayou, hey Hinana come here." Arumi immediately pulled Hinana's hand that had just come. She showed me the finished dress.

"Sugoi (amazing)." Hinana was amazed because what had been waiting for finally so.

"Thank you everyone, sorry if I'm more concerned with my business than with you."

"It's okay Hinana. We all understand." Emi replied.

"Yosh, now is Hinana's final assignment." Tsubaki.

"Nani (what)?"

"You should buy us lunch."

"Truly, I'm already hungry." Arumi confirmed Tsubaki's speech.

"Wakatta (okay)." said Hinana and smiled at her friends.

Then they all rushed towards the nearest restaurant in the office. Hinana invites her friends to eat Yakiniku and shabu-shabu, although it is still daytime but there is a harm in appreciating the hard work of her friends. He also invites Aoyama who just finished his shif.

"ITADAKIMASU." said everything compactly then take food.

When Hinana was about to put food in her mouth she remembered the words of the doctor she had accidentally heard.

"It looks like you're not doing well enough, sorry Ren for today you haven't been able to eat first. If you're constantly choking it can interfere with your breathing."

"Doshite (why) Hinana?" asked Arimura next to him.

"Em nanimonai (nothing), let's eat." replied Hinana then slowly started eating with her friends.

"Thank you for the food Hinana" Emi said as they were going home.

"No problem."

"But I see you're just eating a little, are you on a diet right now." Tsubaki scoffed at Hinana and chuckled.

"Whispering, today is not so hungry."

"Know. Oh yes thank you very much." said Tsubaki.

"Oh yeah Hinana how about the plan to Tokyo, isn't Ren already awake?" ask Sawako.

"I haven't thought about it yet, after all it hasn't fully recovered. I was confused as to how." said Hinana with a scratch on her head, she also laughed a little so that the atmosphere was not awkward

"Have not thought too much, we will find a way out together. Aren't we a team?" Tsubaki said because she did not want Hinana to fully bear.

"Hum, I agree. Hinana's helped a lot, too." Arumi embraces Hinana.

"Arigatou mina-san (thanks everyone)." Hinana replied with a smile.

"Well let's go home, tomorrow we'll discuss with Jouji san" Tsubaki said and invited Emi home because their house was one way.

"Jaa ne." said friends of Hinana say goodbye.

"You want to go home together?" Tanya Aoyama offers Hinana.

"I want to go to the department store, you go first." Hinana refused kindly.

"alright. Jaa ne (me see you)." Aoyama waved her hand without looking back.

Hinana just laughed a little because she thought about how her childhood friend grew up to be a cool-ass man. He decided to go into the department store and see the items sold. He remembered Ren, when he and his friends ate together but Ren could not. Hinana bought a note book and a pen instead.

"Will Ren like it? I don't know, next time I'll treat him to a meal." Hinana murmured and smiled as she looked at the note book she bought.

On the way to the hospital Hinana looked at her cell phone, somehow the man managed to melt her heart.