The rain gently padded against the window, as it had hours ago when Kaoru had fallen asleep. He shifted a little bit and turned over to look at Kojiro, who was still snoring away like an idiot. Smiling softly, the boy pulled his blanket tighter around himself. It was still cold. After all, it had only been-

He checked his phone-

Two hours, after all. It was around six a.m. He sighed. It always took Kojiro forever to wake. Kaoru shivered again, memories of last night flooding in. The anxiety, climbing out the back window, almost falling out of the tree, running to where he was now...his best friend letting him stay...everything.

Oh god.

Oh my god.

Why hadn't he just stayed at his house? Nothing had even happened to prompt his stupid excursion. He just started feeling so scared, so alone, and he didn't know what else to do.

I bet my parents are worried sick. I bet I'm gonna get in huge trouble. I bet I'm gonna get Kojiro in huge trouble.

I'd better go.

He took his phone and slipped out the same window he had come in, making sure to stay silent and get home before the crack of dawn. It didn't take him long, maybe twenty minutes at the very, very most. He grabbed a pair of his own clothes, waited in the bathroom until seven a.m., then turned on the shower. Then, is he was still wet, at least he'd have an excuse. The water warmed him up, but not nearly as much as it should've.

Kojiro had cleaned up the pillows as soon as he'd woken up, figuring Kaoru had left. He made a mental note to give the pink-haired boy his clothes back, shoved them in his backpack, kissed his mom goodbye, and skated to school as fast as he could, desperate to catch his friend before the warning bell.

Where is he?

Nanjo scanned the grounds frantically for a head of pink hair. He never found it.

Hopefully he's at school...?

Wherever Kaoru had been before lunchtime, Nanjo didn't know, but they met again at last in the school bathrooms, where the former had clearly been crying in an empty stall.

"Are you okay?" He said softly.

The other shook his head and moved towards him, but looked away.

"What's wrong, Kaoru?"

"I..."

He took a deep breath.

cliffhanger :>