Sato lay on his bed, the suffocating warmth of a cold clinging to him. Dark circles bruised the skin beneath his eyes, and his nose, raw and red, sniffled miserably. A thermometer protruded from his mouth, an ice pack resting precariously on his forehead. His mother, a worried frown etched on her face, gently removed the thermometer.
"37.5°C," she murmured, her brow furrowed. "You have a fever as well. I should stay home and look after you."
Sato shook his head weakly, forcing his voice past a raw throat. "No, you don't have to. I couldn't get you those things from the market, and you need them. So just go, I'll be fine, I promise."
His mother's frown softened into a fleeting smile before returning. "See, this is what you get when you don't listen to me. And now you're missing out on school. Fine, I'm leaving, but if you die, I swear you will be in big trouble."
Sato managed a weak smile. "Relax, it's just a cold. I'll be fine."
His mother sighed, picked up her bag, and headed for the door. "I might take some time, so if you get hungry, there's hot soup I kept for you in the kitchen. Bye now." She cast a few lingering glances at him, her concern evident, before quietly shutting the door.
Sato Looked out through his room window, listening to the soft thud of her footsteps descending the stairs and then the gentle click of the front door closing. He wondered, I wonder if anyone would notice I'm missing. I'm not really the type to get noticed. I wonder if she would notice. With that thought, he drifted back into a restless sleep, his fevered dreams mingling with the quiet of the house.
Meanwhile, at school, Kaito breezed into the classroom, only to be immediately intercepted by Hikari, with Sakura close behind. Kaito looked confused, his grin faltering. "Umm, you ladies okay?"
Hikari's expression was etched with worry. "Where is Sato?" she asked, her voice tight with concern.
Kaito blinked. "Sato? What do you mean? He always comes to school early. It gives him more time to be with his phone before lessons."
"Well, he's not here," Sakura stated flatly, crossing her arms.
"I hope he's okay," Hikari murmured, her gaze falling. "Yesterday, I saw him running under the rain."
Kaito's eyes widened in shock. "No way! That bastard told me he had an umbrella!"
"Do you think he might have caught a cold?" Sakura mused, a flicker of concern touching her usually unflappable features.
Hikari, who had been struggling to hold back tears, finally let a few escape. "If he did, then it's my fault. If only I was there with him throughout yesterday, if only I didn't let the rain scare me, he would be here by now." Her voice was thick with regret.
Sakura, for once, didn't tease. Instead, she gave Hikari a gentle, surprisingly comforting whack on the head. "Stop blaming yourself for that bozo's mistake. You are not at fault. We aren't even sure if he's sick or not yet."
A light ignited in Kaito's eyes, a grin spreading across his face as a mischievous idea sparked. "You're right! How about I take you to his house?"
Hikari considered it carefully. "I'm not sure. His mom might see me, and that would make him mad."
Kaito's grin widened. "His mom knows me, so seeing me with you wouldn't be too suspicious, right? And you can just say you're his classmate coming to check on him."
"What about you?" Hikari asked, still hesitant. "That means you would be missing school, right? I don't want you to go through all that."
Kaito waved a dismissive hand. "Don't worry about that. Now, let's go before the teacher comes in." Sakura shot Kaito a knowing smile, understanding his intentions perfectly.
Hikari looked at Sakura. "Are you coming?"
In response, Sakura gently nudged Hikari forward with a playful smack to her butt, making Hikari blush. "Nah, one of us has to stay back, right? You two go without me, but Kaito, if you have too much fun, I'll kill you," Sakura warned, her eyes narrowed playfully.
Kaito shivered dramatically for show, then Hikari smiled, her worry easing slightly. "Sure, okay, Kaito, take me to his house."
They headed out of the school. Hikari mounted onto the back of Kaito's bicycle, and he handed her his helmet. With a quick glance back, they zoomed off, leaving Sakura watching them depart, a thoughtful expression on her face.
On the road, with the wind whipping past them, Hikari leaned closer to Kaito. "I know this isn't the perfect time, but I was wondering, if Sato doesn't talk to people, how did he meet you?"
Kaito smiled, a nostalgic look entering his eyes. "Let's say it's a little more like how you met him. We've been friends since childhood. He never reacts to anything anyone does, even when someone ate his food, hoping he'd snap. All he did was walk away. He tries his best not to be noticed, but I couldn't just let him leave hungry, so I shared my food with him that day." Kaito paused, the memory vivid. "It took a lot of effort to even get him to talk to me. But once he could comfortably open up to me, I realized he's a great guy. So please, don't break his heart."
Hikari listened intently, her smile softening, and she nodded in understanding. The journey continued, the rhythmic pedaling of Kaito's bike and the rush of the wind filling the silence between them.
Minutes later, they arrived at Sato's house. Kaito dismounted and rang the doorbell, a series of insistent chimes echoing through the quiet street.
From his room, Sato was roused from his feverish sleep by the repeated ringing. Could it be Mom? No, Mom has the key, so who is it? he wondered, his mind foggy. He forced himself off the bed, his head swimming, and began to descend the stairs, sneezing repeatedly with each step.
He reached the front door, unlocked it, and pulled it open, his eyes bleary. Standing on his porch were Kaito and Hikari. Sato blinked, rubbing his eyes, convinced he was hallucinating. But when he opened them again, they were still there, clear as day.
"Am I dreaming?" he mumbled, a confused cough following his words.