Kentaro jammed his house keys into his gakuran's inner pocket as he bounded down the porch and out of the yard. Lost in a jumble of study mumbling, he absentmindedly adjusted his bag strap, oblivious to the familiar figure waiting just outside his gate.
"Yo, good morning!"
The well-known greeting nearly caused Ginger to stumble.
Naturally, it had to be Haruki. How long had he been standing there, waiting?
"When did you arrive?" Kentaro inquired out of habit, before remembering yesterday's agreement. "No, why are you here?"
Haruki waved his hands defensively. "Don't worry, it ends today. I figured we could go to school together one last time before... well, you know."
By 'you know,' he meant yesterday's deal.
Reluctantly, Kentaro fell into step beside him, grumbling, "Freezing out here for nothing. Want to catch a cold?"
"Oh, come on, the weather's not that bad."
"How are you feeling today?"
"Super! Seriously, I had just arrived when you came out. Didn't even get the chance to wai—achoo! Man, it really freezing out here. Good thing I layered," Haruki chuckled.
"Let's see you laugh when you're down with a cold," Kentaro retorted.
"Do I look like the kind of person who catches a cold?" Haru said, raising his chin with a touch of conceit. "At most, I'd probably just—" Suddenly, he swayed as if his strength had momentarily vanished.
Alarmed, Kentaro reached out to steady him. "Hey, what's wrong?!"
Haruki rubbed his temples. "It's nothing... really," he assured with another chuckle, straightening himself. But his fingers lingered on his head, as if he were trying to suppress some pain.
"Don't lie to me at a time like this. Do you have another headache?" Kentaro couldn't help but grow more concerned. Haruki remained silent, deepening the younger teen's suspicions. "Out with it!"
"Ginger, shh, not so loud," Haruki dismissed, not taking the situation seriously.
Kentaro halted abruptly, staring disbelievingly at him.
Haruki stopped too, feeling a cold sweat forming on his back. Maybe he'd went a bit too far.
In an instant, Kentaro had his phone out and was dialing Maki Fukuda's number.
Haruki's smile froze. "What are you doing?"
"Calling your parents."
"No, wait, that's not necessary—"
"If you won't tell me anything, what choice do I have?" Kentaro pressed the phone to his ear.
But Haruki snatched it from him, his eyes fixed on the screen, shocked.
The guy was really dialing!
"Give it back, Haru," Kentaro approached him menacingly.
Haruki ended the call and frantically waved his hands. "Hold on, just wait! Okay, fine, I had a bit of a headache, and my vision blurred for a moment. But I swear, I'm perfectly fine now. I don't even—"
"Why do you always do this?"
"Huh?"
"Do you want history to repeat itself? You enjoy watching me worry sick?"
Kentaro's wounded expression took Haruki by surprise. Ginger truly believed he was being lied to once again.
"No, I..." Haruki was overwhelmed with shame. He was totally bluffing earlier.
In truth, Haruki had faked those symptoms just now. He didn't want Kentaro to go through with the decision he had made the day before, so Haru devised this elaborate act of feeling unwell. At least that way, Ginger wouldn't go ahead with the whole "distancing himself" plan.
But who knew it would affect him this deeply?
This was a terrible idea; Haruki bit his lip, consumed by guilt.
In the end, all he could do was reluctantly hand over Kentaro's phone and mutter, "I'm sorry."
But deep down, he couldn't bring himself to confess his scheming. It felt far too callous now.
"I'll listen to you from now on," he promised Ginger. He hadn't intended to cause his friend such worry.
"Maybe you should skip classes today," Kentaro suggested. "Stay home and rest. I'll explain everything to the teachers."
Haruki opened his mouth to protest, but the sight of Kentaro's solemn expression silenced him. Defeated, he averted his gaze once more.
"Did you speak to your parents yesterday?" Kentaro inquired.
Haruki shook his head, realizing he had completely forgotten.
Ginger sighed, "No wonder. They've been worried sick, thinking you weren't doing well. I'm also to blame for not informing them that you finally woke up."
"My mom called today... but I didn't tell her much," Haruki confessed.
"She called me too. She assumed I had spent the night at your place and wanted to check on you."
Haruki nodded slowly.
"Do you realize now how many people are worried about you?"
He remained silent.
"Takumi and Tadashi visited yesterday afternoon," Kentaro revealed, causing Haru to look at him with a mix of emotions. "For now, can you rely on us?"
**
Maybe he finally got what he'd wanted.
Haruki stared blankly at the oversized TV screen, the mindless action series playing in the background hardly registering. In the end, he had successfully skipped school, only to spend half the day trapped in his own home, plagued by boredom.
Sure, Kentaro had stayed by his side, just as he had hoped. His best friend would never abandon him during such trying times, knowing how unwell he felt. But why did Haruki feel so guilty about it now?
Alone in the living room, he had sought solace in the distraction of watching something. Yet, none of the movies managed to capture his attention. Glancing at the clock, Haruki let out a weary sigh, realizing it was only twelve noon. He had to endure another four long hours before Ken returned from school.
His parents had assured him they would be back from their trip by evening. Or at least, that's what he'd thought until the sound of the front door creaking open reached his ears.
"RUE-RUE??!" Haru's body jolted at the sudden bellow emanating from the kitchen. He snapped upright on the sofa, his senses startled into full alertness.
There, in a flurry of concern, Maki Fukuda stumbled into the living room, her face etched with worry. She carelessly tossed her handbag onto a random couch, her urgency apparent.
"Rue-rue dear, are you okay?" she frantically inquired, her hands exploring every inch of her son's face.
"M-mom, why are you...?" Haruki couldn't help his surprise and confusion. "You're here early."
"Of course I'm early," she lamented, plopping down beside him. "I couldn't find a moment of peace by staying away. First your teachers, then Ken-chan, then your teachers again... What on earth is happening to my baby?"
Haruki shifted uncomfortably, his embarrassment exposed. "Come on, I wasn't dying or anything. They were all exaggerating."
"They said you had a fever. How did you get so sick, honey? Are you studying too hard?" Maki probed.
"I'm perfectly fine now. I just needed a little rest, that's all," he reassured, his gaze shifting to the direction his mother had come from. "Where's the old man?"
"He's still on the trip, tying up loose ends," Maki explained. "I couldn't wait any longer, so I booked an earlier flight. He'll be here in the evening as planned."
"Poor dad..."
"Don't say that like I'm making him suffer!" Maki's voice boomed, but she immediately regretted it when her son winced, rubbing his head. Concerned that she had worsened Haru's headache, she asked, guilt seeping into her voice, "Was that too loud? Do you feel worse?"
"I already told you I'm fine," Haru sighed, running a hand down his face, the weight of exhaustion already settling in. But Maki's voice had truly been too loud just now.
"Ken-chan went to school today? I thought he'd stay by your side," she remarked.
"Do I need to be babied? He has his own life to live, I shouldn't be holding him back," Haru laid back on the couch, his eyes fixated on the TV as a sudden wave of weariness washed over him. "If you're hungry, I'll make something for you. Sorry I haven't cooked anything. I just didn't expect you so early."
"You're still thinking of others even in that state of yours?!"
"Come on, if you don't want to eat, just say so," Haru grumbled, closing his eyes to rest. "And you're still too loud."
Silence enveloped the room, until Haruki felt a cooling sensation on his forehead. Maki had placed her hand there, checking his temperature, so he didn't bother opening his eyes.
"You're too warm," Maki said softly.
"I'm always warm, old hag..."
Surprisingly, the woman didn't scold him for using that nickname. Instead, she said, "Come, Haru, let me take you somewhere."
"Mm, but I don't want to move from here," he complained, but his mother managed to coax him into sitting upright.
Why was he so exhausted...
"Don't worry, we won't be long. Come, let's go," Maki urged gently, rising to her feet. In the end, Haruki had no choice but to follow, his fatigue overpowering any objections he might have had.
Maki led him to her car in the garage. After ensuring her son was settled comfortably, she started the engine and pulled out of the driveway.
In the passenger seat, the boy gazed listlessly out the window as the car glided forward. Although he could still hear his mother's voice, the words became muffled, and he responded sporadically, his mind drifting away.
After a short while, those responses ceased altogether. Maki stole a quick glance at her son, only to discover that Haruki had already succumbed to a light nap.
~~~~~~