"Akifumi-sensei, are you okay?"
Seeing Akifumi's slightly pale face, Otosuna Mihari voiced her concern.
"I'm fine. Just took a short nap," Akifumi waved his hand dismissively, then added apologetically, "Sorry for making you wait."
He had turned his phone's volume up to the max before falling asleep, but he still hadn't heard it ring.
"And it's already been half an hour since you called," he added.
That meant she had been waiting outside for at least half an hour! Normally, he'd enjoy teasing her, but today it felt different—leaving someone to wait this long made him feel guilty.
Although he had imagined her apologizing, Mihari didn't seem pleased about the wait.
"It's fine, Akifumi-sensei," she replied with a warm smile.
"You worked hard all night. I was just waiting outside."
"Though, I couldn't really help much as your editor…"
"Seriously?" Akifumi blinked in confusion.
"If it weren't for your help finding my work interesting, I wouldn't have even won the prize, let alone get the chance to release a single volume."
"That's already worth more than what most editors do," he added, earning a flustered laugh from Mihari.
"Really? You think so?" she said, her cheeks turning pink.
"Be confident! Drop the 'really'?'" he teased.
"You're just saying nice things!" Mihari grinned back, clearly enjoying the praise.
Her mood brightened, but then she added, "But, honestly, anyone could've done that, right?"
"Sure, but not everyone would," Akifumi replied, smiling at her response.
Mihari gave him a satisfied nod, looking pleased.
"Guess I was wrong about you before."
"That's one of the few good things about you, Editor Otosuna-san," Akifumi teased.
"..."
Mihari's smile immediately turned to a scowl.
"That didn't need to be said!"
The conversation turned back to business, and Mihari took the manuscript, carefully inspecting the artwork.
These were just color pages, but their quality was good—Akifumi's skill was impeccable. The drawings were stunning and could easily be used as bonus posters for fans.
"What do you think?" Akifumi asked, eager to hear her opinion.
"Your artwork is as amazing as always. It's really impressive!" Mihari nodded enthusiastically.
"But if only you were half as good with people as you are with drawing..." she added, her tone sarcastic.
Before he could respond, she swiftly turned to leave.
"I have a lot of work, so I'll head out now!"
"Well, that's a win for you, Otosuna-san!" Akifumi smiled wryly as she left.
Later that day, the clock read 15:48.
Time had flown by. school should be over now, he couldn't help but envy the students who were off enjoying their carefree lives.
'You guys are wasting your youth, but I can't help but envy it,' Akifumi thought, then sighed.
"Guess I'll nap while I can."
He closed the door, collapsed onto the couch, and shut his eyes.
When he heard his doorbell, he woke up again, he look at the time and it was already 17:08.
"Seriously? I'm too tired for this," he groaned.
The doorbell rang incessantly.
"Ugh, if I'd known this was coming, I would've just pulled the plug for my doorbell," he muttered, annoyed at the interruption.
"Who...?" He was about to ask, but then the figure in front of him caught him off guard, and his irritation melted away.
"Why are you here, Kato?" Akifumi asked, surprised.
Standing at the door was Kato Megumi, who, instead of answering, just studied him quietly.
Her voice was softer than usual, and her complexion looked a little pale. She seemed unsteady on her feet.
After a moment, she decided to be direct—reaching out and placing her hand on his forehead.
"Normal temperature," Kato said calmly.
"Thank god you're fine."
Akifumi blinked in confusion.
"If we didn't know each other, I would have thought you were a stalker," he remarked dryly.
"Huh?" Kato tilted her head in genuine confusion.
"Come on, using 'violence' to knock on my door, staring at me like I'm some strange specimen, and then checking my forehead like I'm a patient?" Akifumi raised an eyebrow.
Kato didn't flinch, maintaining her usual tone.
"The 'violence' you mentioned was just me ringing the doorbell. And the strange stare was me thinking, sorry if I offended you."
"Is it really just a cold?" she asked.
"But it doesn't seem like anything serious", Kato confirmed.
"That's good, I guess," she muttered, still perplexed.
"Did you really come all the way here just to check on me?" Akifumi asked, half-joking.
"And to visit a sick friend," Kato replied matter-of-factly, then paused as if something suddenly struck her.
"Is my behavior that weird? I thought a friend visiting when another is sick would be normal."
Akifumi froze for a moment, reflecting on the question.
Was it really that strange? The answer, of course, was no.
It was a simple act of friendship—being there for one another when needed.
And yet, for some reason, he had felt odd about it.
It made him realize that adulthood sometimes clouds these simple, pure moments of connection.
"Seems like I was misled by a bad teacher, huh?" Akifumi mumbled to himself, realizing the real reason behind his feelings.
Kato, with an almost imperceptible smile, continued her observation.
"It's just natural to check on a friend who's not feeling well, right? I thought you'd appreciate the gesture."
"Yeah, but..." Akifumi hesitated, still caught in the complexity of his emotions.
"I guess I wasn't used to this kind of straightforward kindness anymore."
Kato tilted her head again, looking at him with a puzzled expression.
"Is it really that hard to accept help from a friend?"
The quiet tone in her voice made Akifumi pause.
He hadn't realized how long he had been closed off from others.
Perhaps he had gotten so used to being alone, that even a simple act of care felt unfamiliar.
"Maybe it's not that strange," he admitted, finally understanding.
"But I still can't believe you run all the way here just for this."
Kato smiled softly.
"I don't mind. Besides, it's the least I can do as a friend."
Akifumi chuckled, shaking his head. "You're too good at this."
He was half-joking, but deep down, he felt something stir within him.
It had been so long since he had someone genuinely care, and now here was Kato, showing up just to check on him.
"Okay," Akifumi said, his tone softening.
"Thanks for coming over, I guess I owe you one."
Kato gave him a knowing look.
"You don't owe me anything. Just take care of yourself, alright?"
With that, she turned to leave, but Akifumi stopped her for a moment.
"Hey, Kato..."
She turned back, raising an eyebrow.
"You're right, maybe I should stop pushing people away so much," he admitted, his voice uncharacteristically sincere.
Kato's smile widened, and for the first time, Akifumi felt like he wasn't completely alone in the world.
As she left, Akifumi stood at the door for a long moment, reflecting on the small interaction. It wasn't much, but it felt like something he needed.