How did I end up in this mess? Haruki pondered, his mind swirling with frustration.
All he wanted was to flop onto the comfortable bed, gaze absentmindedly at the ceiling, and let his thoughts wander freely. That's it. The soft pillows were calling him, the bed awaited, but he couldn't enjoy them on his own terms.
And the reason for this? Naturally, it was the 'leech' that clung to him with an unyielding grip, refusing to let go.
Haruki sighed helplessly. "Ginger, please shift a little to the other side. I can't move."
The 'leech' replied, "That's the whole point."
"Why are you in my bed again?" Haruki glanced over his shoulder to catch a glimpse of the person hiding behind him. "I know it's your house, but give me a break."
"I came back yesterday afternoon, but Haru never bothered to come see me. He didn't show up all day today either, so naturally, I feel hurt that he hasn't realized how much I missed him," Kentaro responded with a dejected tone.
He's talking as if I'm not the subject of matter; Haruki thought. "But you came over for dinner yesterday, didn't you?"
"That's not what I meant," Ginger murmured.
"I returned home late from the club yesterday, so I was tired. And the same goes for today," Haruki explained. "You're the one who decided to skip school, so it's no wonder we haven't seen each other."
"As far as the teachers are concerned, Kentaro is still in Hokkaido," Ginger declared.
"So, you didn't show up because of that?"
"Yes, I was also tired."
"Then don't complain," Haruki concluded. "Now let me go."
But Kentaro's arms remained tightly wrapped around him.
"Are you looking for a fight?" Haruki's tone carried traces of warning.
Finally, Ginger started to crack under the pressure. "The weather is chilly today... I need the warmth. I-I also can't sleep, so I have to spend the night with Haru and–"
"Enough with the excuses."
Kentaro obediently sealed his lips.
Left in silence, Haruki muttered to himself in exasperation. "If I had known you'd become this clingy, I would've never shared a bed with you for so long."
"Don't be mad..."
"And why the hell not?!"
At first, there was no response, but after a while, the 'leech' reluctantly let go and shifted away, creating some space between them.
Finally able to stretch freely, Haruki turned to face the person who had moved all the way to the edge of the bed. Just one little push, and Ginger would fall right off.
Why had he shifted so far away? It wasn't as if he'd been directly chased out of the room.
"What the— are you sulking?" Haruki asked incredulously, observing how the ginger-haired teenager had turned his back and was griping in silence. "You can't be serious."
Ginger was dead serious.
This guy... Haruki face-palmed and gazed up at the ceiling. He was so childish.
Kentaro had already closed his eyes, pretending to sleep, when Haruki suddenly called out to him. Once again, he was ignored.
"Oh, so we're not talking now?" Haruki heard himself asking.
Yes, they weren't talking.
Haruki clicked his tongue in pity. "Too bad. I was actually feeling a little cold just now and needed some warmth. But I guess it's not important anymore—"
Before he could finish his sentence, the 'leech' wordlessly latched onto him again. At least Haruki had managed to find a more comfortable position for himself.
That was fast; he thought, smiling as he ruffled Ken's hair.
"You do realize you're getting too old for this, right? Look at how big you've become," Haru remarked with a snort. "Planning to outgrow me?"
"If I grow bigger, I'll be able to protect you too," Kentaro responded.
"Believe me, I think you've already achieved that goal," Haruki chuckled.
And it was true. Their first and second years had flown by, during which Haruki had trained and mentored Kentaro in the art of judo. The instructors at their school dojo had also played their part in shaping the young prodigy into a junior champion.
From a timid beginner with no knowledge of judo, Kentaro had transformed into someone awe-inspiring. Looking at him now, Haruki couldn't find a trace of the small, easily bullied kid he once was.
Though Ginger wasn't a pro, he was no pushover either. Haruki had even stopped giving him extra lessons a few months ago, confident in Ken's skills.
"Still," Haruki shifted in Ginger's embrace, directly facing him and pinching his cheek while feigning disappointment, "I'll miss the little brat who used to fit perfectly against my chest. Instead, I'm stuck with this giant needy version who won't give me a break."
The proximity of their faces alone was enough to make Kentaro's cheeks burn, but Haru's adorable expressions pushed it to another level.
Ba-dum!
Flustered, Kentaro lowered his head, hoping Haruki wouldn't notice his strange reaction. "W-What do you mean? I'm not stubborn."
His own racing heart baffled him.
Unaware of the situation, Haruki lifted Ginger's face once more, forcing their gazes to meet again. "Not like this. You never leave me alone these days, and you're growing up too fast. Even your once-squishy cheeks have disappeared."
"You're the one who just turned sixteen..."
"Rightfully so," Haruki complained. "Look at you, three months until you're fifteen, yet you're already competing heights with me. You're growing up right before our eyes. And the weirdest part is that mom still insists on calling you 'little.'"
At the mention of Maki Fukuda, Kentaro's thoughts drifted to his own mother.
"I got to see her," he blurted out to Haru.
Haruki's eyebrows shot up. "Your mom?"
Kentaro nodded.
"How is she?"
Kentaro proceeded to recount everything that had transpired during his week-long stay at the Harada Estate.
After listening to it all, Haruki couldn't decide if he should feel relieved or concerned.
"So, that's what happened?" He once more shifted onto his back, staring up at the ceiling. "Your dad was against the idea of you continuing high school, but you stood your ground. No wonder you've been going to Asahikawa more often. You've even had to skip school days."
"Mhm," Kentaro affirmed.
Haruki remained uncertain. "But was it wise to do that? What if your dad sends someone else to keep an eye on you again? Someone who isn't Akihiro?"
"It's fine; he already knows I'm here," Ken reassured, noting the worry in Haru's voice. "He won't do anything drastic for now and has respected my decision. He said I was free to learn... for as long as I wanted."
The last sentence was a lie. Kentaro couldn't bring himself to disclose the three-year deal to Haruki.
It was hard to gauge whether Haruki was convinced or not, as he remained silent.
A sense of unease washed over Kentaro. "Haru?"
Finally, Haruki mumbled, "I may not show it, but I hate goodbyes. Since you say it's nothing, I'll believe you."
Relief flooded through Kentaro's veins. He was happy to know his friend didn't like the idea of them being separated either.
"But," Haruki added evasively, "Don't feel obligated to stay here if you're not supposed to. I don't want you to struggle with choosing between this place and the other. If there comes a time when you have to leave—"
"Haru..." the other's voice sounded helplessly conflicted, since he clearly didn't like the direction in which the conversation was headed.
And who could blame him? Honestly, Haruki would be stressed out about this entire messy family situation too, if he were in Ginger's shoes.
In the end, the two boys decided to close off the topic for another time.
***
Upon returning to school, Kentaro managed to catch up with his peers fairly quickly. With Haruki's help, he reviewed everything he had missed, and before long, Ginger was back on track.
"Nice to see you're not lagging," Takumi's voice jolted Ken from his social studies textbook. The approaching figure continued, "Considering how often you're on the road these days, I'm surprised your studies haven't taken a hit."
Kentaro reciprocated the greeting, before his gaze fixated on the person trailing behind with an air of indifference.
Tadashi also caught Ken's gaze and offered a silent nod, as was his usual style.
Despite his perpetual disinterest in everything, Kentaro had long ago deciphered the true nature of Tadashi. After all, it takes one introverted soul to recognize another.
Takumi glanced across the desk at Haruki, seated beside Ken, and let out a disapproving click of his tongue. "Unlike you, this fool is always snoozing. Hopefully, he'll wake up before lunch is over."
Indeed, Haruki seemed dead to the world, using his hands as a makeshift pillow, obscuring most of his face.
"He said he needed a little rest," Kentaro's attention returned to his book. "I let him be since he looked exhausted."
"Is that so? He's always tired these days," Takumi shook his head. "Poor guy, I hope he's not pushing himself too hard with all these books. I know he's aiming for some impressive computer degree in college, but isn't he studying a bit too hard for now?"
"He's following his usual study schedule," Kentaro replied without lifting his gaze. If his friend were overdoing it, he would have noticed.
"Come to think of it, didn't he miss club activities yesterday because of a headache?" Takumi glanced questioningly at the person standing beside him.
"He did mention not feeling well, so the instructor let him off," Tadashi spoke up before pondering further. "These past few days, he's been acting somewhat sluggish."
"So you've noticed it too?" Takumi seemed convinced now and turned to Ken, who had already set his book aside and was attentively observing them.
"Sluggish?" Ginger repeated.
"Yeah, but maybe we're mistaken. I don't know," Takumi scratched his head uncertainly.
"Ask him about it when he wakes up," Tadashi suggested. "Just now, the look on your face showed that you had no clue about this. He might not tell us to spare us worry, but he might open up to you. I tried asking him myself, but he just brushed it off and changed the subject."
Haruki had been acting like this for the past few days? Kentaro was thoroughly perplexed.
"We'd originally come to collect you guys for lunch, but the two us will just go on ahead," Takumi said as he and Tadashi turned to leave. "If Fukuda is genuinely sick, wish him a quick recovery. If not, he'd better not skip practice today."
With that, the two departed, engaged in a lively discussion about what they intended to eat at the cafeteria.
Having been informed of some odd news, Ginger glanced back at the still soundly sleeping Haruki, briefly considering waking him up. Eventually, Ken refocused on the book, resuming the study session.
~~~~~~