Tears

Where on Earth are you now? he mumbled as he kept running and running through streets, along
alleys, and even over and under bridges.


He had been searching for her for God knows how long and how far yet even with all the rain, the sweat,
and the pain he felt that was crawling its way through his limb, from every fiber of his being, he cant
stop. He cant and he wont.

With a new firmer determination, he continued. And he will continue until he finds her.

And not even the weather, his sore limbs, his hunger and thirst will hinder him from searching the whole
place for her. If he could, he would have ripped off the whole city just to see her. But he couldnt. So he
ended up running.

His mind was running out of places he knew he would find her. Hes frustrated and tired yet he cant
stop. She needed someone right now. She needed him, even he knew she doesnt. With last look at the
building, he dashed off to another. His thoughts were on her. Scenarios started to fill him and it caused
his heart to crumple with fear and anxiety.


If something bad happened to her he thought silently as he mentally thought of all the curses he
knew and didnt in this world. Help me God, but Kent will be damn to all seven levels of hell.


From his hand, he absentmindedly dialed her number hoping that this time, shell answer.


Come on, Alia, answer this goddamn phone please. He said impatiently as he kept his eyes on the
buildings he came across with. Only to end up with nothing, except for her voicemail. Damn it.




She ran off.

She ran off the moment she dreaded had come. She thought it was her last resort, so she did. Hoping
that running off will be able to spare her heart from shattering. But it was late.

It was totally too late for her.

Because just as she ran, she felt those warm, salty drops coming off flooding her cheeks and everything
it came across with. While the pieces of her heart came scattering all the places leaving a path with
invisible, broken pieces of her all of her.

She had readied herself for it. She had already made her mind that one day; shell end up with it. And
she thought she was strong enough, brave enough to face it. To face all the pain, for she thought that
itll be easier for her. But she thought wrong.

The pain she had imagined was nothing compared to the real pain itself. It was, for her, like she had
been stabbed for a million of times without any anesthesia to numb her with the pain. Like she had been
cut in pieces by a giant scissor and had torn her apart flesh by flesh. Like a rapid bullet train had come
over her over and over and over again. Like she was hit by swords and spears and arrows all together as
she stood in the middle of a war with nothing to shield herself with. Like was tied up in a pole in the
middle of a wild fire to be left burned to ashes. But shed be glad to face those things than to see her
heart dying inside of her and she cant do anything to save it.

Shed be willingly to have herself died in flesh than to have her heart crash before her eyes.

But she couldnt.

Because her heart was slowly, painfully dying with his words clouding up her mind, reasoning, and
senses like a raging storm that has no end.


Stupid. Stupid. Youre so stupid. She kept telling herself as she kept on brushing away the pain that
continued to pour down on her.


Damn you she whispered with hurt in her voice. And damn my heart for loving you still.


And with that, she sped off again.




It was already past noon and he was still running around the whole place. He had come to all possible
places, had asked everyone he knew of, and he still had nothing on his mind now. His limbs were slowly
beginning to waver making him to move with so much struggle. His lungs were about to shut off with air,
running out of breath. His stomach was now grumbling and shouting so loud that anyone could hear it.
His mind was already throbbing so fast, so hard that he felt like he was hit and was about to blackout.
His eyes were weary and swollen with tears he kept from coming out. His whole body was completely
surrendering to its complaints to stop, draining all the energy he has left with simply fighting it all. But
his heart wont give up.

It wont. Not now, not ever.

And it was the only thing that had reign all of his being, all of his bodys protest. It was the only thing
that kept him from giving up, kept him from stopping chasing her around. Its wish and will and desire to
find her to see her to touch her to have her in his arms was just powerful than anything else. And he
gladly and willingly let himself to succumb to it.


Come on, Lia. Where are you? he mumbled again as he looked from one corner to another from one
store to another and from across the street.


He didnt mind all the people hed been running into, bumping into. He didnt mind all the scrapes,
scratches and gashes he got from almost all his body every time he would stumble down. He cared less.
All he could think of was her. Look for her. Find her. And that was his first priority.

He must find her at all cost.

He must before anyone could or anything happen to her.

And it must be now.


Im coming, Lia. Just wait for me. He prayed silently. Hoping it would reach her somehow.




She came into a stop the moment she knew she was alone that no one would find her. And just her feet
stopped and started throbbing, the drops that she had forcefully blocked came rushing down like rain
drenching and soaking her and all around her. The tear drops fell like waterfalls raining down the earth
beneath her. She wanted them to stop. She wanted to brush them away. But she cant.

She had toppled down as her legs grew tired. Thats when she let all her pain, all the exhaustion she felt
came down on her hard. She buried her head down on her knees to let them hide her from everyone
else. She just cant let it stop. She just cant let her heart stop crushing, tearing and shattering for his
words kept repeating in her mind, in her ears like a broken tape deafening her from all others.



Why are you doing this to her?! she heard Kenji shouted at someone someone she knew and loved.

What Im doing to her is between me and her alone. Her heart beat the moment she heard his voice.
Sure enough, his voice can make her feel like that.


She saw how he grab his front coat towards him as he kept himself from throwing a punch and hurt the
guy he had treated as his brother. She could see the anger in his eyes as he threw dangerous daggers at
him. And she doesnt know why. This was the first time she saw him this angry, this furious, and this
infuriated. And with him, no less.


Dont act dumb in here, asshole! I know youre aware of what Im talking about! he angrily howled at
him never taking his deathly glares towards him.

Why you care so much, Kishimoto? he smirked not caring on how he look at him. Why are you acting
like that to her now?

Holy shit Kent. He gritted his teeth. I care for her because she is my friend!

Is that so?


And the unavoidable happened.

He was sent tumbling down on the grown with blood dripping down his lower lip.


He clenched his fists tightly and squared his jaws. You will stop using her, Kent. Or Ill forget whoever
shit you are in our lives. He said in a way that made her shiver. Menace is too obvious for one to be
mistaken it as a warning.

He wiped off the blood and glared up at him. I wont let you get in our way.

Youre just using her for all your shits and craps like a doll! If you dont really love her, just stop now.
Youll only end up killing her heart with all this shits! he argued as he punched him again. Now tell me,
tell me that you really love her and not because you see in her the girl you love and lost! Tell me that you
love Alia and shes not just a shadow of who and what Juliette once was!


She could feel her heart beating as fast as if she had come running around the whole city as she stare at
them with her feet rooted on the spot. She wanted to run away from them for her not to hear his answer.
But a part of her wants to. Wanted to know what he really feels for her, what he really thinks of her.

She remained where she was hiding waiting for his answer. She waited anxiously. She waited only to
regret that she hadnt walk away from the start. Only to want to let the ground eat her up. Only to wish
to let herself get into the middle of the road and die by a hit-and-run.

For his answer stabbed and killed and crushed all her hopes, all her fantasies, all her wishes.

For he only answered his question with his eyes bearing the most painful words that could kill a person so
easy, which could take her life instantly. His eyes said what he cant and wont.

Yes. He loved her.

He did love her for being like her.



She wanted to erase it on her mind. She wanted badly to forget that moment. That moment where her
heart died in front of her, and she didnt do anything to stop it. That moment that woke her up from her
starry-eyed whims. She wanted to put it out of her mind so she can act in front of them like nothing had
happened. That she hadnt found it out. That she was alright. So that she can live up again the way
before. But she cant. She knew that itd be forever stuck in her mind no matter what.

And it was heart breaking literally.




He spent all his day running around looking for her only to end up in a cliff, where he finally found her
after a long series of chase and search. And the sight really broke his heart even more. Broke his heart
more than it had the moment she confessed to him her feelings towards the man he looked up as his
brother.

There she was curled up in a fetal position, sobbing and trembling brokenly. He hesitantly took a step
forward and another keeping in mind not to create any noise as he approached her. The nearer he saw,
the stronger he felt the will and the desire to kill the person who inflicted the pain in this woman in front
of him. But it could all wait. What was more important and has come in his list was that he had found
her and he would do anything he could for her.


Bending down, Lia. He called her name softly. Almost like a whisper. Like the way how a mother would
talk to her newborn.


And if he was broken the moment he saw her, he was far more than now. Seeing her face red and
blushed not by the usual reason but by her dried and continued tears. Her disheveled hair that covered
her swollen face, acting like a curtain to hide her pain from anyone and from the world. Her nose that
was ripe as tomatoes. Her eyes that glistened with tears that seemed to drown anyone to an abyss of
pain and loneliness. Her whole being radiated the pain she was feeling and it was intoxicating and
poisonous for her and her heart.


J-ji? she trembled as she acknowledge him. Fresh tears streamed down on her cheeks as their eyes
locked and he knew it will always be his undoing. Those tears and those pair of sapphire eyes that
bored down into his soul and that had captured his heart.


And with a thud, he felt her body against him. Hands around his torso strangling him as she buried her
face in his chest as she cried violently. Looking down at her, he placed a hand around her small frame
pulling her close to him holding her like hes afraid hed lose her. The other was placed on her back,
gently stroking through her locks as he silently listened to her whimpers. And wishing he could take
them away from her.

She buried her face as she snuggled even closer to him not letting space or air to pass through and
wetting his shirt even more. He could feel through his shirt, through his flesh, through his fiber, and
through his heart the anguish and angst and sorrow that were surging off and were tormenting her
continuously. And it had pierced his heart powerfully.

He hated seeing her like this. He hated the reason behind. He hated the person who caused it. But he
detested himself more and more for not doing anything to prevent it beforehand. For not doing
anything to save her from this kind of torment. He saw it coming. He knew it just like how she must have
seen it. But he trusted him too much too much that he didnt know that he had given him enough
advantage to hurt her. And he hated himself for that.

He was the one who made her pain possible.




The moment, she heard his voice and she latched herself into him, everything overflowed, and
everything spilled out of her. She didnt care if hed be grossed or what because all she could think of
was he was there.

He had found her.

And she couldnt think of any other.

The guy was and will forever be her best friend, who had been there always to save her, was with her
through everything, and whom she had grown up with. The person she had first felt those sparks fly.
The first person who made her heart skipped its beat. And the only person, who accepted, loved, cared,
and protected her through-out everything. And she was grateful he was now right beside her when she
needed him the most.

She felt him wrapped his arms around hers, hugging her closer and holding her firmer against him as
they sit there and let the night and the stars be the only light they have. And she felt warm, safe and
secured with him over her.

And she wished, silently and unconsciously, that someone would take away the pain.




Everything will be alright now, Lia. He whispered in her ears softly as he rocked his body back and
forth hoping to soothe her somehow.

I-I was so stupid she started as her tears started spilling out again. I I had known it but I chose to
believe I chose to believe that I-I can replace her in his heart.


He bit his lower lip. Damn you, Kent, for what you have done to her. He thought silently.


I-I thought hell soon l-love me I had hoped she said hoarsely, sniffing hard as she tried to form
her voice. B-but I was wrong I-I was n-not

He cut her off. He knew where it would lead, and he doesnt want that. Not coming from her or anyone
else. Stop talking like that. He says to her, scolding her almost like. Sure, J was stronger and more
beautiful than you are, but you are born differently and you had your own way of being beautiful, Li.

But

He reached up for her chin and lifted it up so he could stare at her eyes as he told her this, No more
buts, Li. You are beautiful and way more gorgeous in your own little way that even she couldnt compete
with. He smiled at her as he carefully brushed off her tears. You are a treasure, and if a jerk like Kent,
cant appreciate you for who you are, its his lost; not yours. So you better stop crying like a baby and
smile. For a lady like you shouldnt cry over jerks. You should only cry because of happiness.


His smiled grew wide as he saw that she was speechless and he fought the urge to claim her lips for she
looked just like an angel who had forlorn to get back to heaven with the way she stared back at him.
Shes so beautiful despite her flushed cheeks, red nose, cherry-like lips, swollen eyes, and tousled
tresses. She was indeed, an angel sent for him his angel.


He cocked his brow towards her. Am I clear to you, Lia?


He didnt have to wait for her answer. He knew she had understood what he meant. Because she smiled
at him and it was enough for him, for now.

For he had silently vowed to all the Gods, if there were, that those were the last tears she would shed
because of pain. And hed make sure, the next time shed cry again, it would be because of happiness
and hed also be there to kiss them away.




Am I clear to you?


She looked directly at his eyes. Searching for an answer she doesnt know, or rather, not sure of. She
knew from the start she was no one. She was inferior to her, or to anyone around her. But looking
through those ebony orbs, she knew she was wrong.

Those orbs told her everything she didnt know. Those orbs told her that she can be more that what she
thought of herself, that shes more than what she has in mind. Those orbs became the assurance and
hope shes been looking for. And so, absent-mindedly, her lips twitched up.

And she knew, everything will be alright then.

For the Gods had listened to her silent wish. And now, through him, their medium, the pain had
gradually subsided.