Ch 27: A disgruntled Ginger(1).

When Haruki finally regained consciousness, the sun had just dipped below the horizon, casting a lingering glow across the sky.

Slowly, he rose, his hand instinctively reaching for his temples, checking for any lingering pain.

The throbbing in his head had subsided. Confusion washed over him as he surveyed his surroundings—his room, his bed, and he was even wearing his pajamas. How had he ended up here? How long had he been out?

And his throat felt parched, as if he had been stranded in a desert for days.

Bounding off his bed, Haruki left his room in search of the person he knew was somewhere in the house.

...

In the kitchen, Kentaro was lost in his own thoughts, completely oblivious to the presence at the doorway. He remained unaware of the soft footsteps approaching until a voice broke through his reverie, causing him to startle and glance over his shoulder.

"Oh, you're awake."

"Yeah, figured it was about time," Haruki quipped, heading straight for the refrigerator. "You brought me home, didn't you?"

Kentaro continued chopping ingredients, speaking absentmindedly. "Mm, Yamazaki sensei gave us a ride."

"He let you skip practice too?" Haruki located a large jug of water in the refrigerator and grabbed a glass from the shelf.

"I told him your parents weren't around."

"Oh, I see. Did I give you a hard time?" Haruki's tone carried a hint of smugness. "I hope I wasn't too much to handle."

"... Not at all."

"So I really did need a little rest after all. The pain is almost gone, except for a lingering sting that's a little irritating," Haruki rubbed his temples.

Several times, Ginger tried to speak but held his words back.

Haruki had been battling a low-grade fever when he was first brought home. His temperature had been slightly above normal, and he had been in constant discomfort, sweating profusely and straining with each breath.

At first, Kentaro had been unsure of what to do.

He had assured their friends and sensei that he could handle it alone, but that had been a lie. He had known next to nothing about bringing down fevers.

However, after following some online instructions, Ken had managed to calm Haru's breathing and provide some relief. He had changed Haruki out of his uniform into comfortable pajamas, allowing better airflow and doing his best to lower Haruki's temperature.

These tasks might have seemed simple and insignificant, but the hours he had spent tending to Haruki had felt like an eternity.

"Need any help with dinner?" Haruki offered, referring to the ongoing preparations.

"No," Kentaro flatly refused, adding, "Go rest a little longer. I'll call you when it's ready."

"Come on, haven't I been sleeping the entire day?"

"Don't help me."

Haruki sighed, giving up easily. He kept having he feeling that the guy in front of him seemed particularly irritable.

Little did he know, Kentaro was also waiting for Haruki's ungrateful ass to acknowledge his earlier dismissal and offer a proper apology.

"Oh, right! We need to come up with an excuse quickly before my parents—" Haruki was interrupted when Ken suddenly flinched, slamming down his knife and startling the other teen. "What? What happened?"

Kentaro cursed under his breath, muttering, "Small accident."

"An accident? Did you cut yourself?" Haruki hurriedly moved closer, assessing the situation. Kentaro had indeed accidentally sliced his left forefinger, and blood was rapidly pooling from the wound. "That must hurt. Let's clean it up quickly."

But Kentaro simply cradled his injured hand with the other, ensuring that not a drop of blood stained the pristine kitchen tiles. He responded with indifference, "It's nothing."

"It's not 'nothing.' Look at the amount of blood coming out," Haruki reproached.

"Feeling grossed out?" Kentaro didn't meet his gaze as he spoke.

"Why would I...?" Haruki sighed. He grasped Kentaro's wrist and began leading him away. "Come on, this isn't the time to be—"

Kentaro slapped his hand away, stubbornly holding his ground.

Haruki stared at him in disbelief. "What's gotten into you? Did... Did you cut yourself on purpose?"

With a flat tone and an incredulous expression, Kentaro replied, "Not everyone has masochistic tendencies like you do."

"Excuse me?!"

"Didn't you say it was nothing? That it was just a little headache?" Ginger's lips curved into a wry smile that held a trace of something darker.

Haruki weakly protested, "Well, at the time it really felt like nothing—"

"Do you even know why you collapsed, Haruki Fukuda?" Ken tilted his head slightly, never breaking eye contact with Haru, who wore a face filled with guilt. "You had a fever. Headaches, high temperatures... ring a bell?"

"Huh, but it was just a minor headac—"

"A 'minor' headache, huh? Will there ever be a moment when you actually listen to me?" Kentaro's smile faded, replaced by a wounded expression. "Do you still see me as a stubborn kid who doesn't know what he's doing?"

"That's not what I..." Haruki began, only to trail off, consumed by shame. He felt an overwhelming sense of remorse.

Ken seemed about to say more, but hesitated, realizing he may have overreacted. In the end, he turned and left the room, muttering, "Sorry. I'll go wash it off."

Haruki remained frozen in place. All he could think about was that his friend must have wanted to say those words for a while now.

Not only had he disregarded the other person's feelings, but this time he had also assumed Ginger had intentionally hurt himself for attention.

Haruki raised a hand and slapped his forehead harder than intended, swiftly rubbing away the soreness as he contemplated: Ken's really furious this time.

*

Preparing dinner didn't take long, and soon the two of them sat at the kitchen table with their meal.

Their supper consisted mainly of a salmon and soba noodle stir-fry, adorned with vibrant greens, as well as the overwhelming silence looming between them, casting a suffocating shadow over the table. And of course, a glass of orange juice.

Haruki stole furtive glances at the person sitting across from him, fully engrossed in his cellphone.

"This tastes really good," he commented abruptly, attempting to make small talk.

"Mhm," Ken acknowledged, his gaze never leaving the screen.

"So, um, what are you watching?"

"Sketch tutorials."

That's right. The guy had an obsession with art, Haru recalled. He had seen numerous sketches by Kentaro and had noticed a pattern. Ginger seemed to avoid drawing people. It was always 'this' kind of animal or 'that' type of scenery.

The only 'people-sketches' Haru had ever come across in Ken's sketchbook were old ones of Yumiko Nomura.

"Planning on starting a new drawing?" Haruki inquired.

"Maybe."

Short, curt responses, huh? Haru narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Am I bothering you?"

"No."

"Are you still angry?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry, but I genuinely didn't know about my condition either," Haruki explained.

"You didn't listen."

"I said I'm sorry."

"You don't mean it."

He must be relishing in my torment; Haruki sighed inwardly. "Then how can I make it up to you?"

Ken glanced at him with a raised eyebrow.

"If you won't accept my apology, then what do you want me to do?" the older teenager offered.

Ginger finally set aside his phone and focused solely on Haru, as if carefully considering his request for recompense.

Haruki's unease grew, a knot forming in his stomach. "What's going on in that head of yours?" he asked, his tone laced with curiosity.

Kentaro glanced at him, a prolonged stare that spoke volumes, before dismissing him with a scoff and returning to his meal, as if Haruki's presence meant nothing.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Haruki's confusion was evident in his voice.

"Nothing," Kentaro replied nonchalantly. "I don't need anything from you."

Is there something I'm missing? What's up with him? Haruki decided not to push further and quietly continued eating, a subtle annoyance settling within him.

Since the guy wanted nothing, then he'd give him exactly that!

After a while, Haruki couldn't keep his silence any longer. "So, about that cute kohai we saw earlier..."

Kentaro waited for him to finish, but Haruki's words trailed off. Finally, Kentaro asked, "What about her?"

"Does this mean I have a little sister-like kohai now?" Haruki questioned.

"I turned her down," Kentaro said simply.

Haruki nearly choked on his food. "Why?"

"Not interested."

Haruki face-palmed and shook his head, his disappointment evident. "Please tell me you did it tactfully."

"I told her I wasn't interested."

Of course you did; Haruki sighed inwardly. Her older sister happened to be in his class. Hopefully, she wouldn't bother him.

"If you're going to reject someone, at least be kind about it," Haru advised.

"There's no point in giving false hope," Kentaro replied, unfazed.

"What else did you say to her?"

"That it's pointless for us to date since I'll be leaving the school soon," Kentaro's lack of concern remained unchanged. "It's a waste of time."

Haruki mulled over his friend's words.

"And that I already like someone else."

"Oh, so you lied?" Haruki's eyes almost rolled.

"I wasn't lying."

"Sure, you weren't," Haruki snorted, continuing his meal. "At this rate, you'll never get a girlfriend."

Kentaro shot him a piercing gaze. "Why the sudden interest in this topic?"

"Oh, I don't know," Haruki replied sarcastically. "Maybe because I'm older now and actually starting to develop an interest in dating."

Ginger's eyebrows furrowed slightly.

Unaware of Kentaro's reaction, Haru continued, "Maybe middle school wasn't my time, but once I'm in high school, I'm definitely getting a girlfriend. And when that time comes, I wouldn't want you to feel lonely either. So, you better start stepping up your game. Maybe talk to girls more?"

Kentaro grumbled, "I hardly see that as a necessity."

"Well, it is. You're growing up too."

The ginger-haired teen muttered something under his breath, but Haruki couldn't decipher his words. He didn't bother trying.

Instead, he pulled out his cellphone and casually scrolled through social media. After a while, he asked Kentaro, "So, who do you like?"

"Who do you think?" Kentaro replied with his own question.

Haruki's eyes remained fixated on his screen as he said, "I haven't the faintest clue."

He waited for Ginger to say something, but the silence lingered. Finally, Haruki shifted his gaze to his friend, prompting Kentaro to speak up.

"It's obviously you."

Haruki was taken aback by the sudden declaration, giving Kentaro a puzzled stare. After a moment, he regained his composure and said, "Come on, dude. You know I don't mean it like that."

"Aren't we talking about the same thing?" Kentaro continued eating, unfazed.

"Yeah, right," Haruki snorted, returning his attention to his phone. "Eventually, you'll have to tell me the truth before..." His words trailed off suddenly, his gaze fixed on the screen.

Kentaro noticed Haruki's reaction and grew concerned. "What's wrong?"

Haruki straightened in his seat, a pleasant surprise lighting up his face. "He actually responded to my email."

"Who?" Ginger's curiosity peaked.

"Kim Juwon."

~~~~~