Itsuki Nakano coughed as she groaned, waking up as her eyes lazily begin to open up. A few days had passed since Y/N's initial sick day, the glasses wearing teen showing up the next day like nothing happened. Though his cheery mood that he had when he walked in that morning had dampened as time went on throughout the day.

During lunch, he noted that Itsuki and Nino were avoiding each other completely. He knew something was up, and every time he tried to ask the Nakano girl, she'd either ignore him or just brush it off and say it was nothing. Fortunately, he got a more straight answers from her siblings. While she could see both points in how they were wrong, he concluded that they shouldn't even be fighting in the first place. His answers being that they were siblings and siblings should always make up with each other. If only it were that simple and due to how stubborn the two girls were, it'd be a long shot, really.

But there was enough of that. Itsuki was still staying over at the Uesugi's residence for the time being until the rift between her sister had healed, that's if it would ever. She would have had asked the L/N teen if she could say at his place, but she never asked him (also forgetting the fact that she has his number that she could ask that way), leaving her only option to be in the care of her tutor for the week. So far, everything had been fine, but she began to feel unwell a little after her little visit of Y/N's apartment.

So when she arrived into the living room to sit down and eat breakfast, having changed into her school attire as well, the three Uesugi family members knew something was up. So, albeit begrudgingly, they were able to take Itsuki's temperature. And well...

"Whoa! That's a really high fever, Itsuki nee-chan!" Raiha exclaimed while she held the thermometer.

Fuutarou squints. "Yeah... With a fever like that, you won't be heading into school.

Itsuki only groans. Her temperature was 101.7° F.

"Aah! Dad's already gone to work! What'll we do!?"

"Calm down, Raiha."

Itsuki coughed whilst covering her mouth. 'Because I visited L/N-kun a few days ago...? That can't be it... A cold... Only fools catch colds.'

That's the thing. ...She is a fool.

She begins to grab her school items, only for Raiha to yell and Fuutarou to grab her shoulder. She turned her head around, albeit looking lazily while he sternly looked at her.

"Where are you going, Itsuki?"

"School," she monotonously replied."

"With that fever!?" Raiha exclaimed.

"That's not it. Only fools catch colds. So I don't have one. I'm going to school."

A tick mark appears on Fuutarou's head. 'But you are one, idiot.'

"You do so have one!" Raiha says, snatching her bag out of her hands.

She began to protest, but Raiha just kept pushing the girl into the other room where her futon lay. Once she was shoved back into bed, Raiha held a look of desperation.

"Hey, Raiha-chan," Itsuki weakly calls out.

"Just stay home from school today and sleep," Fuutarou simply says.

"Itsuki nee-chan, we're going to go, but don't die, okay!?"

Itsuki ultimately relents and sighs, "I won't die...  Have a good day..."

"See you later! Come on, Onii-chan!"

"H-Hey! R-Raiha, stop pushing...!"

The two Uesugi siblings leave. She was now left alone in the room by herself... She felt alone. Itsuki then looked to the clock in the room that was perched on the wall.

It was early in the morning, almost around 7:30.

She sighed, knowing it was going to be a long school day. A long day that would feel like an eternity.

--: Chapter 17| Stay With Me :--

A faint voice ringed through her ears, echoing throughout her mind. It was so... Familiar. Familiar to her that she recognized it so easily.

It was a woman's voice, one that was older, much older. She looked nearly like her five daughters, more looking like Itsuki the most. Same hair color, along with the eyes. It was like Itsuki was the spitting image of her. She still remembered that one memory.

Flashback - Itsuki's Memories...

"...Itsuki," her mother faintly spoke, the memory coming to fruition.

Itsuki stood there, almost a downcast look on her face as she sees her mother walking in. An apologetic look was on her face as she looked at her youngest daughter.

"I'm sorry," she said. "An urgent job just came in. I'd like to stay with you, but mommy has to go..."

Itsuki stayed silent for a while before she looked up at her mother. She opened her mouth to speak words.

"Mommy, I..."

Flashback End

The memory ended there, a disappointed look on Itsuki's face knowing that her mother had to leave so she could take care of them all. But it was also of one of understanding. It was for their livelihood. But even still... She still wished for her mother to stay with them, even now.

She remembered how tried taking up the reins when their mother had fully left them. She tried to take up the role as the "mother" for her siblings. How long has it been since they were last with their mother? Weeks? Months? Years? It all felt like a distant memory, a distant dream that has come to pass and never to return. Not even once. 

Itsuki began to awaken, groaning as she heard the nearby ticking of the clock on the wall. It was a little bit past 10:05 AM. School was still in session, meaning it was just her in the Uesugi family home right now. 

That's right... Alone.

Itsuki sat up. 'Stuffy, stuffy. My nose is all stuffy...'

"Nakano-san. Want a towel?" A familiar voice spoke.

The girl with star pins turns her head toward it. She sees it was a black-haired teen with glasses. It was Y/N, though her vision hadn't registered it was him. Sluggishly, she nodded and accepted the towel.

"Uh-huh..."

"Here you go."

"Thanks," she murmured. But after taking it, she stared at him.

Y/N continued talking, "Let me know if it gets lukewarm. Oh! I brought some pocari too."

She stared at him for quite a while. For like about... A few seconds? Itsuki's vision would then clear, realizing that it was Y/N taking care of her the whole time.

She tilted her head, muttering, "...Am I hallucinating? Why L/N-kun?"

"Huh?" Y/N quickly whipped his head around. He went back to rustling with the plastic bag he brought over, taking out the contents. "Raiha-chan called me early this morning saying, 'Itsuki nee-chan's going to die!' I called your sisters too, but it might be a cold, so I brought cold drinks and stuff." He chuckled, "Your nose stuffs up when you sleep, right?"

"...Yeah."

"Oh! Wait, were you trying to go to school? You're in your uniform. What about your fever? How high is it?" He questions.

"A hundred o--" She quickly paused, making Y/N look at her confused. "Oh, I mean... Um... It's totally under a hundred... For sure."

'So... over a hundred, huh...?' He thought. "Did you take any medicine?"

"I did, a little while ago... Probably," she said, muttering the last word to herself.

Y/N began to turn around. "Okay, well... Wait until your fever goes down and then I think you should change clo--"

His sentence had been cut off. Itsuki had been staring at him, almost like in a dreamy state. But she unconsciously began to move out of the futon, collapsing in the process. Her sudden movements and her collapse onto the floor caused a loud thud, making Y/N turn around. Upon seeing the Nakano girl on the floor, he instantly runs to her, worried.

"Nakano-san!" He practically yells out loudly, running to her side. "Wha--!? Why!? Are you okay!? What's wrong!?"

Itsuki had then sat up onto her knees, her vision droning on as the words Y/N was speaking was more incoherent to her ears. It was like she couldn't hear anything at the moment. But when she began to trail her vision upward, everything had changed. She was thinking she was in her old house, the one before she moved into the giant apartment building of a home she and her sisters currently have. And the person in front of her wasn't Y/N anymore. It was her mother.

She opened her mouth, saying something. However, it sounded like whispers to Y/N, who only paused and looked at her confused. She said it again, a little bit louder, but Y/N still wasn't able to hear it. He leaned in a bit closer to hear.

"Huh?"

"Where are you going?" Itsuki simply asks.

Y/N was confused. "Wh--? Um, to get you a drink."

"Where are you going?" Itsuki says again, glaring at the glasses wearing teen.

The initial glare from her made him reel back in slight fear, considering she'd always berate and hit him if he ever said or did something stupid and completely dumb. But the way she glared at him then began to make him a bit more curious and confused. Leaning in, he looked at her, trying to figure out why. Why as to she was glaring at him for an entirely different reason.

Before he could ask, he sees the towel that Itsuki was using on the floor, completely clenched on that the liquid in it had been deposited all on the floor. Now, the tatami flooring was wet and the warm towel was without water and all scrunched and shriveled. With a small sigh, he goes to pick it up.

"Nakano-san. Um, I really think you should sleep."

As he goes to pick up the towel, a hand darts out and grabs his wrist. It was Itsuki's. Y/N was surprised at the action, but was more surprised by the fact that Itsuki was just holding his wrist and not trying to actively crush it or sprain it. But even then, he was still genuinely freaked out as he initially thought it was a ghost that had lunged out and grabbed it. 

However, when he looked up at the Nakano girl to plead toward her to get her to let go, he held his tongue. He stopped speaking, staring at the girl in front of him as she had her head low, small amounts of tears dripping and falling to the tatami mat.

"Where..." She murmured again. "Where... Where... Are you going...?"

"Itsuki, you're always so good at toughing things out," Itsuki's mother said, the girl's vision seeing this instead, her mother holding her hands whilst she gave her an apologetic look. "I'm sorry for taking advantage of it..."

In real time, however, Y/N was staring at her confused. But most importantly, he was genuinely concerned and was trying to figure out what was wrong. What was wrong that was causing her to be like this? He didn't think it was the fever that was causing this, thinking it was something else entirely.

Itsuki, in the memory, gives a bitter smile. "I'm fine. Daddy isn't here now, and I know your work is really busy. I'm not a little kid anymore. I'm okay. See you later, mom."

"Why...?" She drones on again, her voice being a little bit louder, beginning to crack and break. "Why are you never here...? Never, ever, ever! Where are you going...!?"

That was when Y/N understood. She must be day dreaming or thinking about something that had happened in the past. He lets out a slight hum. In response to her question, he moved his hand and interlaced his fingers with hers, giving them a tight squeeze to reassure her.

"Nakano-san... Do you really mean 'Where are you going?' I think maybe you're trying to say 'Don't go,'" he spoke, trying to sound as soothing as possible.

That's right. He squeezed her hand to reassure her. To reassure her that he wasn't going to go.

The tears that were pouring out of her eyes only grew more prevalent. Her vision cleared, the vision of her mother returning back to Y/N, who was only offering a look of concern. She furrowed her brow again and said the question once more.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm not going anywhere," he spoke confidently.

Hearing him say that made her eyes widen a little in surprise. Did he really mean that? He wasn't just saying that as a joke or in a way of pity, right? It's what she thought, thinking that's the reason why he had said that. But it wasn't the reason. He really did say that with meaning, Y/N opening his mouth to speak again so he could prove it.

"Nakano-san, until you think, 'I don't want you here,' or 'I can't even stand to look at you'... Or 'Just get lost,' I'll be right here," he stated firmly. He squeezes her hand again to reinforce what he said.

The words alone only caused more tears to pour out of her eyes as she gives him a teary-eyed stare. With her lips quivering, Itsuki struggling to say something, anything, she clenches his hand tighter. His hands felt so smooth and were warm, so comforting to hold. Like that night during the bonfire dance, her heart began to beat faster. Why did he have this effect on her. She cursed at it, wondering why.

But she couldn't help but also be warmed by that fact she felt this way about him. No other person did make this feeling be felt by her. Her feelings to tell him only made it so much harder to even utter those words out. Instead, all she could do was nod back at him, continuing to run her tears as she squeezed his hand back.

"...Okay," she mumbled, although it was loud enough for him to hear.

He smiled lightly at her response. Y/N then begins to reach his hand up, using his fingers to brush some of the tears away whilst also moving some of the unkempt bangs out of her face. But upon doing so, he had to do his hardest to suppress his stunned look, along with releasing a slight blush. Ever since that campfire dance, he had begun seeing Itsuki in new light... A different light. Her face was just beautiful to him, even if she was just crying just moments ago.

Having suppressed the urges to blush and be stunned, he moves his hand to the top of her head. Ruffling her hair a bit, he lightly chides her.

"You'd better drink lots of water later," he says.

She slightly nodded. "'Kay...'

'Talk about obedient,' he thought with a surprised straight face. "For now, get back in bed. I hope your fever hasn't gone up... It's not quite lunchtime, but if you can eat, take your medicine with..."

Itsuki only continued to look at him in a daze, her gaze beginning to blank soon. When Y/N turned back to her, he halted, seeing that she was hanging her head low. Something was up, and it wasn't good... In the disgusting way.

Y/N began to panic. "N-Nakano-sa--"

"I... Don't feel... So... Guh...!" She began puking.

Her puke was going quite a while too.

"Blegh... Blargh...!" It was really pouring out.

"B-Basin! N-No, the bathroom!? Wait! Nakano-san, hold it in just a little bit longer!"

She couldn't hold it in at all. "Ugh..."

As it kept going, Y/N's footsteps thumped all around the house as he began searching for a basin or anything to put Itsuki's puke in. What a crazy morning, he thought.

---

Light beeping was heard from a machinery, Y/N using the thermometer to check Itsuki's temperature. Once it finished beeping, he took it out and looked at it. 100.4° F.

'A hundred point four, huh...' He thought with a slump. Y/N looks to the futon to see Itsuki sleeping soundly. At least, that's what it looked like. He knelt down at her side. "Nakano-san. I called the school. Well, actually I filled everyone in, Maeda-kun, too.

Silence. He did think she was asleep.

He continued, "Uesugi-san said that there aren't any class assignments that you have to worry about turning in."

Silence once more. As he stared at her laying form, Y/N bit his lip. There was something he had been meaning to tell her, but... He couldn't face her if he told her while she was still awake. So...

"...And... I like you, Nakano-san," Y/N admits. "Have done... For quite a while..."

Again, there was silence. A part of himself felt a bit sad that Itsuki herself didn't hear it, but he felt relief now that he had gotten it off his chest. It was a feeling, a feeling for a long while that was unknown to him at the beginning, a feeling that he was able to admit and tell. To tell her that he liked her. 

To tell the girl known as Itsuki Nakano that he, Y/N L/N, liked her.

With a small smile, Y/N began to stand up. "And there are all sorts of things in the fridge if you feel up to eating. I'll be in the living room until lunch, but I'll go back to school in the afternoon. If anything happens, call or text. I'll be right back."

And with that, he exited the room, closing the sliding door behind him.

...

...

...

...

A few seconds after that, Itsuki shot up from her futon in surprise. Her face a huge red as she darted her eyes around the room.

"...Huh!? Say what!?" She exclaimed. "Come again!? Did I just hear what I thought I just heard...?"

An internal crisis began to occur within her.

'That startled me so much my fever's coming down...! Humans are scary... Wooow... I feel perfectly fine...'

Those words again repeated once more. They repeated again, and again, so much to the point they could cause a headache.

"I like you."

Her blush reddened even more. She buried her face into the covers of the futon.

'Why?' She thought, pondering the thoughts again. 'Why did he tell me along with all that other stuff? Did he know I was awake when he said it? I don't know. I want to find out... But... I don't want to make him say it again.'

She flops back onto her back, laying back down onto the futon. Itsuki stares up at the ceiling for a good while, then moving her arm to cover her face.

'...If... I pretend I didn't hear anything... Can we... Stay like this just a little longer...?'

---

Sorry if the chapters have been much shorter than the previous ones. Honestly, I've skipped a good portion of manga chapters from TQQ because I honestly had no idea what to do with Y/N if I were to implement him. Instead, I decided to do Horimiya stuff, and personally, I think this chapter fit it well after last chapter.

In any case, hope you all enjoyed! If you have any comments, constructive criticism, or any feedback at all, don't hesitate to leave them! I read all the comments and take in the feedback into account and try to build off it to make myself a better writer.

Other than that, take care everyone and I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Until the next one!