Hikari's cheeks flushed a bright crimson as she felt Sato's lips brush hers. Her mind reeled: Is this really happening? Not that I don't want it to, but I'm not ready. But he wants to... I can't say no, right? Here we go! She closed her eyes, heart pounding, waiting for Sato to deepen the kiss, to make the first move. But to her surprise, the pressure on her lips vanished, replaced by the dead weight of his head dropping onto her shoulder.
She opened her eyes in confusion. Sato was fast asleep, his breathing deep and even. "Oh, he fell asleep," she whispered to herself, a wave of disappointment washing over her. "Well, that means the kiss was an accident." A pang of sadness hit her, but she quickly pushed it away. Gently, she laid Sato back down on the couch and covered him with the blanket. She watched him sleep, a soft, affectionate smile gracing her lips.
"I guess I have to put the food back in the pot and heat it up when he wakes up," she murmured. "I wonder what I should be doing in the meantime." She carefully brushed Sato's hair to the side of his forehead, her fingers lingering for a moment, and then she blushed. I wonder where his room is. When I was looking for bandages, I think I did see a door with Sato's name on it. It could be it. Wouldn't hurt to check. With a renewed sense of purpose, Hikari stood up and headed upstairs, curiosity leading her.
Meanwhile, at school, during lunch break, Sora stood facing Kaito and Sakura in their classroom, his expression thunderous. "You said what?! How could she leave like that?! If something happens to her, it's on you guys!" he yelled, his voice laced with uncharacteristic fury.
Sakura, never one to back down, retorted coolly, "Well, technically, it would be yours, since your job is to watch over her at school, and you literally suck at it. I wonder how you're a Rokushin."
Sora's eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint in them. "What did you say?" he growled, stepping forward.
Sensing the rapidly escalating tension, Kaito quickly stepped between them. "Look, she'll be fine. I took her there myself, and I plan on getting her back, so no need to blame anyone. She's okay."
Sora's gaze remained fixed on Sakura, his jaw clenched. "I don't fuck with bitches, but if you ever disrespect me again, I'll show you the meaning of Rokushin." He then spun on his heel and stormed out of the classroom.
Sakura scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Who even let that guy in here, calling me a bitch? Fuck him," she muttered to herself.
Kaito, a knowing smirk playing on his lips, chuckled. "It seemed to me that you were scared of him."
Sakura's cheeks flushed, and she rounded on Kaito defensively. "What?! No! I was not! He should go to hell!" she grabbed Kaito by the hair, dragging him forward. "What are you trying to say? I'm not afraid of anyone, do you hear me?!" she snarled, as Kaito yelped and screamed in pain, still being dragged by his hair.
Meanwhile, back at Sato's house, Hikari found herself on Sato's bed, blissfully rolling around on the sheets. "It smells just like him," she whispered, burying her face into the fabric. "I never want to leave." She inhaled another deep scent of his bedsheet, savoring the familiar aroma.
Suddenly, a ringtone pierced the quiet, startling her. "What is that?" Hikari mumbled, sitting up and turning, trying to locate the source of the sound. She found Sato's phone lying on the nightstand next to his bed. The screen displayed "Mom" as the caller ID.
"What do I do?" Hikari panicked softly. "Sato's sleeping now, but this could be urgent." She took a deep breath, steeling herself, and answered the phone.
Immediately, Sato's mom's voice came through the line, laced with concern. "Hey sweetie, how are you feeling? Are you getting better?"
Hikari, trying to mimic Sato's voice, forced a rough, low tone. "I'm getting better, don't you worry."
Sato's mom sounded confused. "You don't sound like yourself, honey. What's wrong?"
Hikari stammered, scrambling for an excuse. "Umm, it must be the cold messing with my voice, but no need to worry, I'm getting better."
To Hikari's relief, Sato's mom seemed to believe it. "Oh, okay. I might spend more time in the market; it's really crowded. But if you're really okay, then that's good. I don't have to come back home then, right?"
"Yeah, sure, just continue with what you're doing," Hikari blurted out, perhaps a little too quickly.
Sato's mom smiled, satisfied. "Okay, bye then." She hung up.
Hikari let out a shaky sigh of relief. "That was close. His mom seems nice," she thought to herself. She glanced towards what she assumed was Sato's bathroom and walked up to the door. "This must be where he takes his bath," she mused. Inside, she spotted a bar of soap next to the tub and picked it up, sniffing it. "His soap smells nice, just like him too," she whispered, a thoughtful smile on her face.
An idea sparked. "I am sweaty from all the cooking, so I think I deserve a bath, right?" Hikari said with a mischievous grin. Without hesitation, she began to shed her clothes, her eagerness for a refreshing soak overriding any lingering modesty, and gracefully stepped into the bathtub, sinking into the warm water.
In the living room, Sato stirred, groaning softly. He opened his eyes, blinking against the lingering fuzziness of sleep and fever. He held his head, slowly sitting up on the couch, looking around the familiar room. He let out a long breath. "It must be a dream," he murmured, his voice still a little hoarse. "For a second there, I actually thought she was in my house."
He felt a surge of strength, enough to get up and walk. His destination: his room, to finally collapse into his own bed. He pushed open the door, then turned towards his bathroom, thinking of a cool shower to alleviate his fever. He pushed open the bathroom door.
His eyes widened in shock. Standing (or rather, sitting) right there, naked in his bathtub, was Hikari.
Both of their faces instantly turned bright red.