Chapter 5: A Fever and a Hidden Past

The sun struggled through the curtains, but Taki Tamada hardly saw. His head pounded, and his body hurt. When he attempted to sit, dizziness attacked him.

"Ugh… What's going on with me…?" he groaned, rubbing his hand against his forehead.

His skin was on fire. Fever.

But Taki wasn't the kind of person to take things seriously.

"It's probably nothing." He put on a fake smile and pulled himself out of bed.

At School…

By the time he arrived at school, Taki could hardly keep his eyes open. His legs were weak, and his head was cloudy.

Haru Tatsunagi was the first to notice.

"Yo, Taki… you okay?" Haru leaned in.

"Yeah… I'm fine," Taki mumbled, forcing a weak smile.

Haru didn't look convinced. "You look like a zombie."

"Maybe I'm becoming one…" Taki joked, but even that drained his energy.

As the hours dragged on, Taki's condition worsened.

His vision blurred during the math lecture, and his mind wandered aimlessly. Even Yuki Hanagi, sitting nearby, glanced at him with concern.

"Taki…?" she whispered softly.

But Taki didn't respond. His head throbbed, and everything felt distant.

Right before lunchtime, Taki stood up, trying to walk toward the cafeteria.

"Maybe some food will help…"

But the moment he took a step—

THUD.

Taki's vision went black, and his body collapsed onto the floor.

"TAKI!"

Voices echoed around him, but he barely heard them.

When Taki woke up, he wasn't in the classroom anymore.

The smell of antiseptic filled the air, and a cool cloth pressed against his forehead.

"Where… am I?" he murmured weakly.

"You're in the nurse's office, dummy," a soft voice said.

Taki blinked his eyes, adjusting to the light. Yuki Hanagi was sitting next to him, her worried eyes fixed on him.

"Yuki…?"

"You fainted," she replied, her voice lower than normal. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Taki attempted a weak smile. "Didn't want to worry anyone."

"Idiot…" Yuki grumbled, turning away. But her hand touched his gently.

Haru escorted Yuki home after school.

"His parents are still away?" Yuki asked as they walked toward Taki's apartment.

"Yeah, they're out of town," Haru replied, looking a bit concerned. "Taki's been on his own for a while."

Yuki's expression darkened. "Then… I'll take care of him."

By the time they reached Taki's place, his fever had worsened.

Yuki gently guided him to his futon, making sure he was comfortable.

"Stay still," she whispered softly, putting a cool towel on his forehead.

Taki grunted incoherently, his cheeks flushed.

Yuki exhaled, her heart racing in her chest.

"Why do you have to always be so reckless, Taki…?"

She proceeded to the kitchen, warming up some soup she had purchased along the way.

As the evening passed, Yuki remained beside Taki.

His breathing was even, but his fever had not yet subsided.

Yuki brushed his bangs away gently, her fingers lingering for a moment.

"Still the same…" she whispered.

Then… Taki stirred in his sleep.

"Ki…chan…"

Yuki froze.

"Ki-chan… don't leave me…"

Her eyes widened.

Ki-chan…

That was the nickname only one person used to call her.

Her hands trembled as her gaze fell on Taki's sleeping face.

"Does he… remember?" she whispered softly, her voice barely above a breath.

Yuki sat quietly beside Taki, her heart pounding.

"I thought… he forgot everything."

Her fingers lightly touched his hand.

"Why can't I tell you yet…?"

There was a small, sorrowful smile on her lips as she gazed at him.

"Ki-chan… it has been so long," she murmured softly.

And then. she withdrew her hand.

"Not yet… Taki."

She turned off the lamp beside the bed, her feelings twisting with confusion and warmth.