The sun was out, the sky clear after all that rain. Students filled the classroom with the usual chatter, but Yuuto was barely noticeable.
His eyes drifted to the seat in front of him.
Empty.
No Hikari. No humming under her breath. No teasing, no random candy wrappers she always forgot to throw out. Just… silence.
Rika sat down beside him and pulled out her books like it was just another day.
"She's not coming," she said casually.
Yuuto blinked. "What?"
"Hikari. She's got a fever," Rika added, flipping through her notebook. "I went to her place this morning, but her mom said she's resting."
"I didn't even ask..." Yuuto muttered, turning away to hide his face.
"Yeah, Yeah."
Yuuto looked out the window. The breeze felt colder suddenly.
She must've caught it yesterday, walking in the rain like that.
I should've insisted she take the umbrella...She smiled like it didn't bother her. But she was shivering.
His chest felt tight.
By lunch, Yuuto was at his locker when he heard Rika and Ren talking down the hall.
"I'm gonna stop by her place later," Rika said. "Make sure she's eating something."
Ren stretched. "Let's bring her pudding. The orange one. That's her sick-day food, right?"
Yuuto's head turned slightly. Orange pudding... right. She mentioned that once.
"You coming?" Rika called out when she spotted him.
Yuuto raised an eyebrow. "Why would I go?"
Rika tilted her head, all too smug. "You're her boyfriend, remember?"
Yuuto turned red instantly. "That's just part of the—! I mean—"
"Still counts," Ren said, grinning.
They walked off together. Yuuto stayed behind, staring at his shoes.
After school, they stood in front of Hikari's house.
Suddenly, Rika's phone rang. She picked up, sighed.
"Gotta help my mom. Groceries," she muttered.
Ren glanced at his screen, too. "Coach wants me at the gym early."
They both turned to Yuuto at the same time.
"You go in first," Rika said with a wink. "We'll catch up."
Yuuto looked at them like they were ditching him at the edge of a cliff.
Ren slapped his back lightly. "You'll be fine. She'll be happy to see you."
Then they left.
He stood outside her door for a full minute before ringing the bell.
It opened a crack. Hikari peeked out, eyes tired, face warm with fever. She had a blanket wrapped around her like a cape and was wearing an oversized hoodie.
"…Yuuto?"
"Yeah." He held up the bag awkwardly. "I, uh… came to visit you."
Her eyes softened. "You came."
He stepped inside quietly. Her house was cleaner and stylish.
He said, "Is no one at home?"
Hikari said, coughing, "Yeah, dad is on a business trip and mom went shopping."
They entered her room, she sat on her futon, and covered herself with a blanket.
"You need to eat something," he said gently, putting the bag down.
Hikari said, "But I don't have anything in the fridge."
Yuuto said, "Then I am going to borrow your kitchen."
"Wait, you can cook?"
"Yeah, I live alone, so I cook sometimes."
Then Yuuto went to the kitchen and cooked her porridge.
Hikari peeked out from the blanket and made a face. "Ugh… I don't wanna."
"You need to," he replied, sitting beside her.
She pouted. "It smells weird."
Yuuto raised an eyebrow. "You're not five."
"I'm your girlfriend," she said, voice small but teasing. "Aren't you supposed to spoil me?"
His heart stuttered. He looked away quickly.
"…Fine." He took the porridge, blew gently on a spoonful, then held it up. "Here."
She opened her mouth slightly. "Mmhh~!"
He fed her.
And she smiled like it tasted good.
"See?" she said. "Better when you feed me."
Yuuto looked down, ears red. "You're so annoying when you're sick."
"Mm. But you're still here," she murmured, closing her eyes.
After she ate half, she curled up under her blanket again, head resting against the pillow. Yuuto placed a cooling patch on her forehead, brushing her bangs gently aside.
"You should sleep."
"Stay a little," she mumbled. "You're warm…"
He froze as she reached for his sleeve, her fingers brushing against his wrist. She leaned her head against his shoulder, eyes already fluttering shut.
"Just… stay like this…"
Yuuto didn't move.
He stayed.
When she finally drifted off, her breathing slow and steady, he carefully shifted, pulling the blanket up a little higher and tucking it around her. He started to stand.
But her hand grabbed his shirt.
"Yuuto…"
He looked back, surprised.
Still half-asleep, she tugged him forward. Before he could stop it, he landed softly beside her on the futon.
She wrapped her arms around him, face buried in his chest.
"Don't go anywhere…"
Her voice was barely a whisper. "Just… stay. Please…"
Yuuto's whole body froze, but he didn't move away. He couldn't. Thinks, "What do I do? She's sick. This is too close. But... she looks so peaceful."
Her arms tightened slightly.
And in the quiet warmth of her room, with her breathing against his shoulder and her heart just inches from his own, he finally closed his eyes.
He wasn't going anywhere.
Then suddenly the door opened, and Ren and Rika came in.
Ren froze in the doorway, jaw hanging.
Rika blinked, then smirked."Oh? Did we walk into something scandalous?"
Ren said, "Bro, you are moving too fast. She is sick."
Yuuta said, blushing, "Shut up! She was the one who pulled me in."
Rika said teasingly, "Oh yeah, and you were too easy to be pulled in."
Ren and Rika started laughing.
Then Hikari's Mom came, calling her name.
"Hikkariii~"
And when she entered her room, she was shocked by seeing the scene in front of her.
To be continued....