To you guys

The month had passed, resulting in a total of six months. It was the beginning of October.

The famous artist Autumn had arrived and painted the city in beautiful shades of red, brown, and yellow, which continuously kept improving their designs and pattern. A subtle chill in the air had completely erased the presence of summer, and a nice warm beverage was desired.

Alex had managed to witness the seasons changing while still having the ability to run. Thanks to the unending amount of medicines that ironically looked unhealthy.

It wouldn't take a doctor to know if something is wrong if one saw his medicines and frequent visits to the hospital. But with some skill and luck, he managed to pull it off. Nobody knew anything, and Alex continued to smile, fooling everyone except himself.

Even though his father was out there doing everything he could to save his son, Alex was still alone, all the time.

In exchange for accepting his condition of having the operation performed in Japan, Jira imposed a condition of its own; Dean can't talk to or meet his son until the procedure has been completed and it's successful.

The condition was that Dean can only meet his son after the operation, but if it fails, well, you can't generally talk to a dead body.

After leaving the house looking for a cure and only coming home once a month and not even that after the deal was made, Alex was all by himself.

He was used to living all alone, but now he wasn't living, he was enduring. He was energetic and happy at the start, living his life to the fullest every day.

--So what if I'm going to die? People die every day, and everybody has got to go eventually.

That was because the fact that he was going to die hadn't sunk in yet, and with the passage of time, it slowly but cruelly got drilled into him.

'Alex, wanna come to the party this weekend?'

'Sure.'

Hey Yuuto, sorry I can't come.

What do you mean?

Something came up so I

gotta take a raincheck.

Come on, man. This is

like the 3rd time.

He started going out less since there was a limit of how much he could withstand. He had to be home where he could take off the heavy burden.

The solitude of his home was sometimes a bliss where he could hide.

Sometimes it was a curse where his demons he never knew existed came out of hiding.

'Why won't you pickup, Dad?'

Millions of pieces of glass got shattered across the floor that fell victim to Alex's rage. It was one of the many that shared the same end.

'It's all your fault, isn't it? You could have prevented this!'

Who he blamed, he himself, didn't know. Was it his father who still wasn't with him even in this state? Was it his mother who left a cruel final gift for her son, or was it himself who knew this could have happened but turned a blind eye to it?

He wondered if he deserved it. He thought that this was the price of living in such luxury. If beauty, brains, and money were given to him in exchange for time.

'I didn't ask for those blessings. I would have been happy living a normal life.'

Tears were dried as he got up from another sleepless night to get ready for school.

Death is one of the few universal truths which can't be denied no matter what one might suggest in any situation, but nobody likes to think about it.

Sure, we all acknowledge this fact, but when death is staring you in the eyes, and you aren't scared shitless, it's because either you're already dead or prepared to die. Only a handful fit any of the conditions, fewer meeting the latter.

On a dry evening, when Autumn's artistic skills had yet to pluck the dying leaves of trees to use as paint, Alex walked to a certain place he would at least come once a month. Though he didn't visit it for 3 months this time.

The usual attire of this place was black, but Alex walked in wearing casual clothes. It wasn't a place that one should go smiling, but Alex could care less about what others thought of him.

He heard the soft cries of a woman nearby that clung to a man who comforted her.

He saw little kids unsure of what was happening and were still discovering the world.

He kept on walking, not looking twice, carrying a bag, and a borrowed broom.

'Sorry I'm late.'

He apologized, yet no one was around.

'It sure is getting crowded here each day.'

He took out a cloth and a spray bottle from his bag and stepped forward.

'I think I should ask Dad to hire someone to take care of you. I don't think I can keep coming here.'

Alex proceeded to clean the front of a stone slab that had accumulated dust over time.

'Because….I'll soon be joining you, Mom.'

He dampened the cloth with water and washed the face to reveal the name "Dean Yumi." He giggled seeing the title, still finding it weird.

--You shouldn't have changed your name.

'Hey Mom, I wonder if you loved me so much that you couldn't bear being apart from me.'

Alex made small talk whilst cleaning the leaves with the broom.

'That's why you made it so that I would be with you after a while.'

Death again clouded his mind, but this time, it didn't bother him.

'I guess I'll ask you when I see you on the other side.'

Alex took out flowers from the bag and placed it near the grave. After a quick prayer, he stood up.

'Later, Mom.'

Alex returned home with a heavyweight off his shoulder.

He had finally accepted his fate and had moved forward. However, there came a unique problem after that. He was bored.

'I don't want to die, but even the date I'm supposed to be hospitalized seems far away.'

He didn't know what he should do to pass the time. He started using a stick to get around a house but was strong to walk without when he was outside. His appetite came back, he could sleep better and actually got healthier. As healthy as a guy with cancer can get.