Haruki trudged back from the store, a solid forty minutes later.
His pajamas clung to his body, drenched by the sudden downpour he had encountered along the way. Dark locks stubbornly plastered to his forehead, he cut the sorry figure of a disheveled creature, an unlucky victim of the rain.
His appearance would have been far worse if not for the compassionate cab driver who had offered him a ride, concerned that the deluge would leave the boy stranded.
"I was just as surprised, wandering around the neighborhood," the middle-aged man had chatted casually, breaking the silence. "This rain came out of nowhere. Must be a passing storm."
Haruki wouldn't have suffered this fate had he not lingered at the store, but such was life. Closing the front door behind him, he made his way to the kitchen, his arms laden with bags brimming with groceries and necessities, contemplating the brunch ideas already swirling in his mind.
Fortunately, the contents of the bags hadn't been affected by the earlier rain, for which he owed gratitude to the kind-hearted cabbie who hadn't even charged him for the ride, since he'd just so happened to be headed the same direction.
Running his fingers through his damp, disheveled hair, Haruki gazed out the window. The rain had intensified compared to before.
"It's really coming down," he murmured, his eyes scanning the surroundings. He'd hoped to find Kentaro waiting for him in the vicinity of the kitchen, but was still in the shower with all this commotion, he definitely wouldn't have heard Haruki's return.
Wandering toward Kentaro's room, Haruki called out his name a couple of times, only to be answered by the heavy rain outside. There was no sign of Ginger within, and the sight of the missing duvet on the bed caught Haru's attention as he surveyed the room.
Assuming the kid had gone to the living room to distract himself with television, Haruki proceeded there next. However, the room stood empty, the TV switched off.
"Kentaro?" he called out once more, but his voice was swallowed by the low rumbling thunder. Where could he be? Was he hiding?
Next, Haruki ventured into his own room, the same one he had dozed off in earlier, yet there was no trace of Ginger. Scratching his head in confusion, he left the room and turned toward the staircase, shaking his head skeptically, with no intention of ascending. He was certain Kentaro wouldn't have climbed the stairs with his injured leg. Besides, there were still a few more rooms to check on the lower floor.
Just as he passed by Kentaro's room again, something compelled him to pause and give it one last thorough search. Still finding no one, he hesitated before moving on to the next room, trying to ignore the cacophony outside and concentrate on any signs of movement from within.
Without much thought, he made his way to the closet, which had its doors slightly ajar all this while.
"Ginger?" Haruki swung the door open wide, revealing a quivering bundle of blankets huddled in the far corner.
Kentaro hadn't heard the call or sensed any stirrings from outside. As far as he knew, he remained safely concealed within the small space.
Haruki crouched down, extending a hand to touch him, causing the other person to flinch.
However, in the next instant, a tear-streaked Kentaro gradually lowered the blanket, meeting Haruki's sympathetic smile. A single glance revealed how frightened the boy was.
"Haru—" his voice barely escaped his lips when another resounding crash and rumble interrupted him, prompting him to lunge at the unprepared Haruki, who stumbled backward.
But Haruki didn't complain. He raised his hands and embraced the trembling figure, whispering soothingly, attempting to calm Kentaro's racing heart.
He's trembling; Haru thought as Kentaro's grip tightened on his clothes, another low rumble echoing from outside. He used his hand to gently smooth down Ginger's hair, comforting him.
If only he had known about the phobia, he wouldn't have delayed.
"Sorry I took so long," Haruki whispered, causing the boy to sniffle. Recalling the cabby's words from earlier, he reassured him, "It's just a passing storm. It'll go away soon."
Kentaro nodded, but he didn't release his hold immediately.
Haruki sighed: I'm freezing in these clothes~ Achoo!
Concern etched across his face, Ginger looked up at him, having caught the faint sneeze.
Rubbing his itchy nose, Haruki reassured him, "I'm fine."
It dawned on Kentaro that Haru's clothes were soaked through, causing him to instinctively lean back and give him some breathing room. Yet, he couldn't help but cling to the edges of Haruki's long-sleeved pajama shirt, unwilling to completely let go.
Ginger avoided meeting Haru's gaze, as if he didn't want his tear-streaked face to be seen. Perhaps shame held him back, afraid of being labeled a cry-baby.
Haruki flashed a gentle smile. "Feeling better now?"
The other nodded subtly.
"Enough for me to quickly shower and change?"
Kentaro's face showed clear resistance, but after a moment, he finally released his grip on Haruki.
***
The relentless downpour persisted well into the day, but as evening descended, the outside world surrendered to tranquility. The sky cleared, and if not for the dripping foliage, muddy earth, and humid air, one would almost forget it had rained at all.
Haruki received an evening call from his mother, who inquired about Kentaro's well-being and even engaged in a brief conversation, wishing him a speedy recovery and promising to visit soon.
Upon reflection, Haruki realized that the sole reason for her call was to check up on her beloved 'Ken-chan.' Maki hadn't even asked if the boys had 'studied' that day.
Around 9 p.m., the two finally called it a day, or rather, Haruki made that one-sided decision, exhausted, and Kentaro simply complied.
Speaking of which, Ginger had barely uttered a word throughout the day. While he was typically reserved, this level of silence was highly unusual.
"Hey, are you alright?" Haruki finally inquired, tucking Ginger in bed. He even felt his forehead, concerned. "You're not coming up with something, are you?"
Ken shook his head, although his expression hinted at a preoccupied mind.
Naturally, Haruki picked up on this and stood there, contemplating for quite a while before eventually turning to leave.
Kentaro, who had been virtually mute all day, abruptly sat up and was about to call out to him. However, his words froze in pleasant surprise when Haruki returned, only after switching off the light.
"Move over," Haru instructed.
Perplexed, Kentaro complied, his eyes fixed on Haruki as he joined him on the bed. He was genuinely stunned.
Haruki settled in, facing the ceiling, supporting his head with his hands. "What?" he scoffed at the red-haired boy still staring intently at him. "Didn't you mention having trouble sleeping?"
Kentaro blinked dumbfoundedly before he, too, lay down, facing the ceiling. He remained perfectly still and well-behaved, hoping he wasn't taking too much bed space.
"What's with you today?" Haruki chuckled. "The silence is creeping me out."
It was meant as a joke, but Kentaro responded with a small, "I'm sorry."
"Come on, that's not what I want to hear."
Ginger didn't know what else to say.
"You seemed like something was bothering you," Haruki remarked. "What is it?"
"When I wake up tomorrow, will you still be here?"
"Tsk, what kind of lame-ass question is that?" Haruki huffed, feigning annoyance. "I told you I'd be sticking around for the next few days."
"...Sorry."
"Sigh~ Enough with that. Why do you keep thinking I'll just up and vanish?"
Kentaro remained silent.
"Stop worrying so much, I'm not going anywhere."
Ginger pulled the blankets further up so that he could cover the lower half of his face before mumbling, "I keep remembering what happened yesterday and all the other days before. I don't know why it feels as if... you're still angry about everything I've done."
"I will be if you keep bringing that up," Haruki warned.
"I even thought you weren't coming back today."
"I'm here now, aren't I?" Haru mumbled then added to relieve the boy from his distress, "And what happened between us is nothing out of the ordinary. Sometimes even the closest friends fight only to make up in the end. Don't beat yourself up over it. Just go to sleep."
With nothing else to say, Kentaro shifted to sleep on his side facing away from Haruki, which was the more comfortable resting position for him.
"Goodnight, Haru."
"Night, Ginger."
However, more than half an hour passed with Haruki still wide awake. He'd been tired before, but sleep now seemed like it was completely rejecting him.
He narrowed his eyes in self-loathing. After righteously telling Kentaro not to think too much, here he was suddenly stressing over nothing.
There was just too much on his mind. Thanks to the brat beside him, now he also couldn't stop thinking about yesterday's argument. Then there was today when Ginger shared his background, and it occurred to Haru just how different the two of them were.
He remembered Kentaro's cold and withdrawn behavior all this time and suddenly understood it all.
Our lives aren't the same at all. You've only ever had your mother, not by choice, but because the rest of your family is just…
Annoyed, Haru flipped to sleep on his side with his back facing Kentaro's.
Now he really wanted to meet those bastards. He hoped the businesses they loved so much would suddenly collapse overnight!
Just as he was thinking of different curses for the Haradas, the person behind him suddenly shifted and curled up against his back, having been drawn to the warmth beside him.
Haruki stayed still as he listened to the kid's even breathing to make sure that he was really out cold, before he slowly turning to face him.
Kentaro slept soundly and innocently, dead to the world.
Who in their right minds would even consider hurting this kid?
Haruki stretched out a hand and drew Kentaro into a small protective half-embrace.
"Don't you worry, Ginger," Haru's soft whisper carried a lot of promise and meaning. "As long as I'm here, you'll never feel alone again."
A few minutes later, he too finally drifted off to sleep.
Not long after that, Kentaro's eyes fluttered ever so slightly while his small hands lightly clutched at Haruki's clothes.
The only thought that swam through his half-conscious mind was:
Haru didn't push me away.
~~~~~~