Message sent. 

I squinted my watery eyes on my laptop's screen to focus on the two words. Upon confirming that it wasn't an effect of my present sickness, I turned it off and put my beloved laptop under my bed. I was thankful my weakened arms were strong enough to carry the laptop and not drop it on the floor. I wouldn't know what to do with my life if it broke. It's my lifeline.

I gathered my thick sheets and wrapped myself in it then lay down on my soft comfortable bed, being somewhat like a human burrito. It felt really, really uncomfortable, but this was better than having chills run down my spine every single second. For the record, my room's air-conditioning was turned off unlike how it usually was.

Since I sent the presentation's file to Akashi-kun, that would probably be enough for today. I skipped school for I caught a severe cold due to yesterday's unscheduled freezing shower -- a definite valid excuse for my absence. Lesson? Do not endanger your health by staying soaked for more than fifteen minutes when you've had a sleepless night. Despite feeling half-dead, however catching a cold seemed like a blessing in disguise; I really didn't want to go to school today.

I closed my aching eyes and snuggled in my covers, immediately travelling to the realm of sleep.

***

I woke up to the cooling sensation of a damp cloth on my head. I slowly opened my eyes and saw something red. What...? I blinked a couple of times in an effort to clear my vision, but that didn't help. Sitting beside me on the bed was Akashi-kun. Ah, great. He has completely entered by mind. Even my fever's delusions were of him. What's worse is that for a second there, I felt a surge of happiness. I groaned, annoyed with how my mind and my body were reacting to this. I really am hopeless. 

"You're awake?" I heard his familiar voice say. 

Awesome. Delusion-Akashi talks.

I didn't answer, as it felt like it would sap a lot of energy just to speak a single word. My throat felt dry and I needed some water, but I didn't want to get up from my bed. My knees felt incredibly wobbly, my headache worsened, and my stomach turned when I stood earlier. It then crossed to my mind that it might really be a person in front of me and my sick mind was only playing tricks on me, making me see who I was supposed to want to see instead of who it really was. I nodded in response before turning away but made sure the drenched cloth on my head wouldn't fall off. I might as well avoid Delusion-Akashi too.

"Have you eaten anything?"

I nodded weakly.

"What did you eat?"

"...instant ramen," I managed to say as a throaty whisper. So I was actually having a conversation with him, huh? Goodbye, my sanity. Let's just hope that the person I was currently talking to is real so that I wouldn't humiliate myself. (Wait, that didn't make sense.)

He clicked his tongue. "You are not going to get well at this rate." Woah. So Akashi-like. I commended my sickness-driven mind for the realistic imagination.

"...couldn't stay up for long...," I tried to explain anyway even if I didn' t really felt like doing it. At the moment, I just wanted to sleep, so why won't Delusion-Akashi just let me? It was obviously what I needed.

He let out a heavy breath. "I see. Did you drink any medicine?"

I nodded. I have a stock of tablets for different common sicknesses, and it definitely came in handy.

A few moments passed and he didn' t say anything, and I slowly started to drift to sleep. I slightly woke up when the bed's mattress' part beside me rose, the weight pushing it down disappearing. The next sound I heard was the door of my bedroom closing gently and carefully to minimize the sound it would make. Convinced that it was the end of my fabricated vision, I went back to sleep.

***

 I pressed the doorbell for Kanazawa-san’s home after a few minutes of reluctance, tightly gripping on the ceramic plate and bowl she must’ve used to put the porridge and stir-fried vegetables in. I wasn’t sure if she and her family were awake at this hour; I didn’t want to wake them up for something as unimportant as expressing my gratitude for sending some delicious food for a sick person like me last night and returning the containers she used for them.

Kanazawa-san is the manager and owner of the apartment complex I’m currently staying in. She’s actually like a mom; she takes good care of her tenants and treats them like family. She often invites us for dinner whenever she makes too much of her dish. She’s also pretty considerate when it comes to payments. In addition, she’s one of the few people here in Kyoto I feel comfortable talking to. Considering these, she was one of the last people I wanted to wake up with something as trivial as what I intended to do.

The door opened a moment later by a curious Kanazawa-san. She was wearing an apron and had her hair up in a bun. I let out an internal sigh of relief. I didn’t wake her up. A smile graced her lips upon meeting my uneasy gaze. “Ah, good morning, Akiyama-chan. Feeling better now?” she questioned with concern. That just made it clear in my mind that she was the person who talked to me yesterday and not Akashi-kun. My mind most probably warped my seeing and my hearing.

I nodded a little then handed her the bowl and the plate. “Thank you for yesterday.” I bowed as I thanked her.

She took the items then nodded. “Don’t worry about it… You should thank your boyfriend too! Go on a date or something. He looked so nonchalant but I’m sure he was really worried!” A dreamy smile made its way to her face.

I stared at her, wide-eyed with shock and confusion. Me? Boyfriend? What the heck? The world would first end before that happens.“Uh… Boyfriend?”

“Didn’t he wake you up?” She blinked, tilting her head. Something seemingly dawning to her, she let out a soft giggle. “My, my. Such a sweet boy~ He didn’t even want to disturb your sleep!”

A question mark must’ve materialized on my face since she stopped talking and stared at me, seeming to calm down a little. “Ah, he didn’t tell you? You weren’t aware he knew you were sick…?” Upon realizing something again, she placed her hands on top of her hands. “Oh my~ A lover’s intuition? My, oh my! Youth these days!” She giggled.

It seemed as if she was speaking an alien’s language. I had no idea what she was talking about. Well, I dreamt of Akashi-kun yesterday, but that couldn’t possibly be him, right? I was sure it was Kanazawa-san and not him. “You mean… It wasn’t you who put the cloth on my forehead? Asked me about what I did to cure myself?”

She nodded. “It’s your boyfriend, I tell you! He asked for the keys yesterday! He went down a few minutes after and asked if he use the kitchen to cook something, but then it was already late so I had to send him home. It’s just then did I find out that poor Akiyama-chan is sick!” Her eyebrows furrowed with worry. “I assured him that I’ll take over, though. So was the porridge delicious? Did it suit your taste?”

If it wasn’t her, then who else? Kanato-kun? A neighbor? The porridge was the least of my worries, actually, now that I found out it wasn’t her yesterday. “Uh…” I looked at her, feeling a little uneasy and awkward. I’d really want to ask more about the person who visited yesterday, but it seemed impolite to suddenly steer away from the current topic. “It was delicious as always, Kanazawa-san. I felt my energy go back when I ate it,” I replied in the most cheerful way possible. It makes her happy whenever someone praises her cooking.

“Is that so?” One of her most radiant smiles emerged on her face, and, knowing that I could’ve caused that, felt happy myself. “Ah, but Akiyama-san, I’d really love to talk to you more, but aren’t you late already?”

The noise of tires screeching resounded in my mind when I checked the time. Oh gosh, she’s right! I bowed lowly, thanked her, and bid my quick goodbye before rushing to school as quickly as my weak newly-healed legs could manage.

***

Once our lunch period started, I took a deep breath and gathered my smallest bits of courage before standing up and making my way to Akashi-kun, who was seated in the center of the classroom. Of course, I was nervous and kind of scared, and my hesitation was engaging in a war against my so-called courage. I skipped school yesterday for crying out loud! It was likely that I’d get a scolding. Plus, I practically dreamt of him!

He was already standing with a notebook in hand when I was in his three-meter radius. With another heavy breath, I approached him. “A-Akashi-kun,” I stuttered quite softly, looking down on my white indoor shoes and unconsciously fidgeting with my fingers. I felt like I couldn’t breathe as my chest filled with anxiety, my heartbeat accelerating. You’re just nervous; it doesn’t mean anything.

I sensed him turned to my direction and his gaze was on my uneasy figure. “What is it?” There wasn’t a hint of annoyance in his voice, so I felt some sort of relief. But then again, he might’ve hid it with layers of coldness.

I gulped. “…Did you receive my email with the presentation yesterday?”  This time, I tried to sound much more natural but still formal, but it only did so little difference.

“I did. I replied with the comments. Send the final version on or before tomorrow,” he instructed.

“I will… Thank you very much.” I bowed a little before turning away to go and check the two places which may be safe from the seniors – the clinic and the girls’ comfort room.

“One more thing,” he said suddenly so I faced him again, unintentionally meeting his eyes. My heart jumped off a cliff. He turned slightly to the direction of the front doors, his lips curling up into a lopsided smirk and his heterochromatic eyes having a mischievous glint in them. Holy milkshake. Blood rushed to my cheeks and my knees felt like unsteady jelly. I felt like I was going to melt into a puddle of unidentified liquid. I rarely saw this side of Akashi-kun.

Before going on his way to the student council room, he left me completely flustered (with a high chance of fainting) with these five short words: “You drool in your sleep.”

_________
A/N: *cough* percy jackson reference *cough*