Morning light pressed through the curtains like a soft intruder, painting Suki's room in pale gold. He blinked awake slowly, head still heavy from yesterday's fever and all the crying he did before sleep finally claimed him. His eyes felt puffy. His chest still ached in that quiet, bruised way heartbreak always leaves behind.
He'd barely slept.
And the pieces of last night replayed without mercy—
Ryuzí smacking his hand away.Ryuzí's distant eyes.The words Suki murmured in hurt: Maybe I should transfer schools.Ryuzí's stunned silence.
Suki curled closer to his pillow and whispered into the cotton:
"…Idiot."
He didn't know if he meant Ryuzí or himself.
Maybe both.
He checked his phone:No new message from Ryuzí after last night's short "Rest well."Cold. Polite. Distant.
Suki shut his eyes.It stung more than he wanted it to.
But he wasn't going to cry again.
Not in the morning.Not before school.Not after he'd already emptied half the ocean through his tear ducts.
He sat up slowly—and immediately regretted it.His head throbbed. His body felt heavy, like someone had replaced all his bones with sandbags.
A fever headache.Of course.
He touched his forehead.
Warm.
"Great," he muttered. "As if being emotionally ruined wasn't enough."
He pulled the blanket over his head.
There was no way he was going to school like this.
Even if he weren't sick—the thought of seeing Ryuzí today twisted his stomach into knots.
The loud knock on the door nearly made him jump.
"Suki?" Hana's voice filtered in. "Are you awake?"
Suki croaked, "Barely."
The doorknob turned, and Hana stepped in, hair tied in a messy bun, still in her pajama shorts. She took one look at him and gasped.
"Oh my God, what happened to your face?"
Suki groaned. "Good morning to you too."
"You look like you cried for a century!"
"Thanks. Really helping."
Hana crossed her arms. "Are you sick? Or is this… boy trouble?"
Suki flinched before he could stop himself.
Hana's expression softened instantly.
"Oh, Suki…"
He shook his head. "I'm fine. Just feverish."
"Suki." Hana climbed onto the bed beside him. "I'm not Emi, but I'm not stupid either."
He didn't answer.
She touched his forehead with the back of her hand.
"You're burning up. No school for you."
"Fine by me," he muttered.
"I'll tell the girls you're sick."
"Don't."
Hana blinked. "Why?"
"Just… don't make a fuss. Please."
Her eyes gentled. "Okay."
Suki sighed, sinking deeper into his cocoon of blankets.
Hana stood. "I'll make you soup."
"Mm."
"And if you need to talk—"
"I'll tell Kenji before I tell any of you."
Hana paused at the door, lips twitching despite the worry.
"At least you're consistent."
The door closed behind her.
Suki lay still in bed, staring at nothing.
He had no idea Ryuzí was about to shatter every expectation he had.
⸻
AT SCHOOL — THAT SAME MORNING
Ryuzí stood in front of Suki's locker, checking his phone for the tenth time.
Nothing.
No "on my way,"no "good morning,"no Suki-shaped chaos bursting into the hallway.
He texted:
Where are you?
No reply.
Ten seconds later:
Are you running late?
Still nothing.
A creeping coldness started in his chest.Not panic—he didn't panic.Not normally.
But this—this hollow space where Suki should've been—felt wrong.
He turned when he heard footsteps behind him.
Haruto, Aoi, Kenji, and Miyako approached.Haruto raised an eyebrow. "You're early. Suspicious."
Ryuzí ignored the remark. "Have you seen Suki?"
Kenji shook his head. "He didn't answer my texts last night either."
Aoi tilted her head. "Maybe he overslept?"
Ryuzí's jaw tightened. Something in him buzzed with unease—prickling, restless.
"He always texts me good morning," he murmured, mostly to himself.
The group exchanged glances.
Miyako stepped closer. "Did you two fight again?"
Ryuzí stiffened.
Kenji looked at him sharply. "You did. I can tell."
Ryuzí clenched his fists, guilt stabbing through him. "…It's complicated."
Aoi sighed softly. "Ryu… did you pull away again?"
He didn't answer.
He didn't need to.
Haruto muttered, "This is gonna bite you."
It already had.
His stomach twisted.
Dr. Kudo's words replayed:
He thinks he's the problem. That he did something wrong.
Ryuzí exhaled shakily.
"I'm going to his house after school," he said.
Kenji shook his head. "Don't wait that long. If he's upset, he'll keep everything bottled up."
Ryuzí swallowed.
He didn't need Kenji to tell him that.
Suki always smiled through pain.
Always.
It was one of the things that made Ryuzí fall for him.
And one of the things that scared him the most.
⸻
AT SUKI'S HOUSE — LATE MORNING
"HELLO?? SUKI??"
Kenji yelled the moment Hana opened the door.
Hana blinked at him. "Are you trying to wake the dead?"
Kenji brushed past her. "Where is he?"
"His room—wait, Kenji—!"
Too late.
He marched straight into Suki's room and found him half-buried under blankets.
Suki groaned. "Stooop yelling…"
Kenji sat on the edge of the bed. "You skipped school. Therefore I yell."
"Kenjiiii…"
Hana appeared in the doorway. "Thank you for coming. He looks awful."
Kenji frowned at Suki. "What happened?"
"Fever," Suki mumbled.
"And?"
"And…" Suki tugged the blanket up to his nose. "…Nothing."
Kenji snorted. "Liar."
Suki's eyes softened, then closed.
"…Ryuzi," he whispered.
Hana's mouth parted in surprise.
Kenji sighed. "What did he do this time?"
Suki didn't answer.
But Kenji knew.
He knew from the way Suki's shoulders tensed.The way his fingers twisted in the blanket.The way his throat bobbed like he was trying not to cry again.
"Hey," Kenji said gently. "Talk to me."
"…He pushed my hand away."
Kenji blinked. "What?"
Suki swallowed, voice brittle. "We were talking. And I reached for him. And he just—" He mimed the gesture. "—like it bothered him."
"Oh, Suki…"
"And then he said he needed space." Suki's voice cracked on the word. "So I said maybe he should get all the space he wants. Including me switching schools."
Kenji inhaled sharply. "You didn't."
"…I did."
Hana's eyes widened, hand over her mouth.
Kenji rubbed his forehead. "He must've freaked out."
Suki whispered, "Good."
Kenji's chest tightened. "You don't mean that."
Suki looked away. "…I don't know what I mean."
His breath shook.
"I'm just… tired, Kenji. I always give him room. But when I reach for him, he pulls back. And last night—" His voice wavered. "—he looked at me like my touch was heavy."
Kenji didn't hesitate.
He hugged him.
Suki clutched the back of Kenji's shirt and hid his face in his shoulder.
Hana quietly left the room, unable to watch her brother cry again.
⸻
AFTERNOON — SUKI AT THE CLINIC
His fever spiked.
Hana insisted on taking him to the clinic.
Suki sat in the waiting room, head resting on Hana's shoulder, eyes half-closed.
He didn't know that Hana had stepped outside to call someone.
He didn't know that someone was:
Ryuzí.
⸻
RYUZÍ — RECEIVING THE MESSAGE
His phone buzzed during math.
He glanced down.
Hana Aoyama:Suki has a fever. We're at Northside Clinic.He doesn't know I'm texting you.
His heart stopped.
He didn't ask permission.Didn't raise his hand.Didn't care.
He stood up in the middle of class.
"Takeda?" the teacher barked.
Ryuzí walked out.
He ran.
Full speed.
Like his chest was on fire.
⸻
NORTHSIDE CLINIC — EVENING
Hana looked up when Ryuzí pushed through the clinic doors, breathless.
"You came," she said softly.
"Where is he?"
"Room 3."
Ryuzí nearly tripped getting there.
He stood outside the door, breathing hard, hand hovering over the handle.
Then—
He pushed it open.
Suki sat on the examination bed, blanket over his lap, eyes half-lidded, pale.
When he looked up and saw Ryuzí—
His breath hitched.
"…Ryu…"
Ryuzí stepped inside.
He didn't smile.
He didn't speak.
He just walked close—slow, cautious—as if Suki were made of glass.
Suki tensed faintly.
"Why are you here?" he whispered.
"Hana told me."
Suki looked away. "She shouldn't have."
Ryuzí swallowed. "I wanted to come."
Silence.
A painful silence.
Suki's voice went small. "You didn't have to force yourself."
"That's not—" Ryuzí clenched his jaw. "I wasn't forcing myself."
"You looked like you didn't want me last night."
Ryuzí flinched like he'd been stabbed.
"That's not true."
"You brushed off my hand."
"It wasn't you—" Ryuzí whispered fiercely. "It was me. My head. My fear."
"I know," Suki said softly. "And I'm tired of being patient with your fear."
Ryuzí paled.
Suki inhaled shakily. "If you need space, then… I can give you all the space in the world."
Ryuzí's voice cracked. "What does that mean?"
Suki looked at him with exhausted, fever-heavy eyes.
"Maybe I should transfer schools after all."
It hit Ryuzí harder than a punch.
His breath left him.
Completely.
"You…" His voice trembled. "You really think leaving would fix this?"
"No," Suki whispered. "But maybe distance is what you want."
Ryuzí stepped forward like gravity dragged him.
"Suki, don't," he said, voice breaking. "Don't say things like that."
Suki looked away. "You're always pulling back. Maybe I should learn to do it too."
"No." Ryuzí's voice was raw. "Don't learn from my worst parts."
Suki swallowed. "Then stop pushing me away."
Ryuzí stared at him—hurt, scared, and realizing too late what he'd done.
"I…" His throat closed. "I didn't know I was hurting you that much."
Suki whispered:
"You did."
⸻
Hana re-entered the room quietly.
"The doctor will see him now."
Ryuzí stepped back instantly.
Suki didn't look at him again.
And Ryuzí felt it—the cold spacehe'd creatednow swallowing him whole.
⸻
Ryuzí's POV, later that night
He sat on his bed, hands trembling.
He replayed Suki's words.
"Maybe I should transfer after all."
He felt sick.
He pressed his palms to his eyes.
"I won't hurt him again," he whispered into the empty room. "I'll never make him cry again. I'll be better. I'll be the boyfriend he deserves. I'll tell him everything. I won't hide anymore."
He exhaled.
"I love him. I'll show him. Every day. I'll show him."
He grabbed his phone.
Typed:
Are you awake?
After three minutes—
Suki replied:
Just resting.
Cold.Short.Cautious.
Ryuzí's heart broke cleanly down the middle.
Tomorrow,he would fix it.
Even if it took everything he had.
Even if he had to rebuild himself from the ground up.
Because losing Suki…was not an option.