Lighter | Noriaki Kakyoin

13| Portrait

The events of last evening at the park were still bubbling inside my head even while I tried to pay attention to our math class.

I didn't see Kakyoin during break time, but I didn't think much of it as he has a knack for disappearing into thin air. This situation, however, changed rather quickly. He was completely missing for the rest of the day, and my worry only grew when I saw Jotaro gathering his friend's stuff after classes were over.

"What happened?" I was already there before I could take notice of my own body's movement, my heart threatening to run to him through my mouth.

"Kakyoin passed out. He's in the infirmary." Jotaro pointed as he zipped the bag shut. Without thinking, I grabbed the handle with hands that looked even smaller on top of it.

"I'll take this to him!" I explained beneath his stares of confusion. He studied me openly for a whole second, measuring his options. He gave in and allowed me to lift the weight by myself.

"Fine. I'll see you tomorrow." I was too taken aback to bid my farewell, and he didn't even wait for it. This was the first time he's ever said bye to me, I realized. We're making progress. Sweet.

I dragged the added weight with a bit of difficulty, using both of my hands. Even this wasn't enough to slow me down as my feet moved in the same rhythm of my heart. I didn't knock before sprinting inside the quiet waters of the infirmary.

The windows were slightly open, and the sunlight met the wind in the locks of his crimson hair, flushing his cheeks and creating halos on his skin. He looked anything close to ethereal, his gaze lost to wander. This angelic figure, though, wasn't enough to hide the marks of fatigue darkening his eyes and sharpening his cheekbones. 

His gaze met mine with both surprise and excitement. I dropped his bag along with mine on the first bench I found and walked over to his side on the bed.

"How are you feeling? What happened?" I crouched down and laid my palm on his forehead to check his temperature, but he didn't have a fever.

"Don't worry about me. I was just a little tired." He smiled underneath my hand before gently overlapping it with his own. "I'm sorry for worrying you. I'll be fine."

I let out my breath and felt the relief ease the tensioned muscles of my body. "You haven't been sleeping well lately. What should I do with you?"

I could feel his smile through my hand, the kind and genuine one he rarely allowed himself to show. I let my thumb gently stroke the scar under his lower lid, hoping those eyes that pierce me endlessly can't detect my increased heartbeat.

Our mood was abruptly interrupted by the door opening with a loud thud in contrast to the previous lack of sound. The scare made me jump and retreat as if I was caught doing something I wasn't supposed to. The new nurse frowned at me with a stack of papers in her hands.

"Good morning..." I mumbled out of politeness, wishing I could hide my burning face anywhere available.

She disregarded me with a nod before proceeding to hand Kakyoin a document and giving him instructions of what to do with it. I waited patiently next to where our bags laid.

"I'm feeling better already." He said as he freed himself from the blankets. "I shall take my leave now."

Only when we left the infirmary together did I notice how stiff he was before. He grew more relaxed with the increase of our distance to that place as though he couldn't be more glad to finally go home. Does that have something to do with the accident of a few months ago? He giggled when our eyes met, noticing my shameless peeking.