Renga Oneshots

sick day

Reki's POV

When I woke up this morning, the first thing I did was check my phone. No messages from Langa. That was weird. Usually, he'd text me something, even if it was just a random thought or a dumb meme. But today? Nothing.

I shrugged it off at first—maybe he just didn't have time, or maybe he slept in. No big deal.

But then, he didn't show up at school either.

By lunch, my stomach was in knots. Langa was never late, let alone absent. What if something happened? Maybe he got hurt skateboarding last night. Maybe he broke his arm or twisted his ankle, and he was stuck in bed, unable to reach his phone. Or—oh god—what if he was kidnapped on the way home?

I groaned, rubbing my temples. I should have walked with him last night. What if something actually happened?

"Mr. Kyan, can you answer question three for me?"

I snapped back to reality at the sound of my teacher's voice. My classmates turned to look at me, some snickering, clearly aware that I hadn't been paying attention.

"Uh—" I looked down at my paper. "The answer is 48?" I said, forcing some confidence into my voice.

The teacher sighed. "Wrong. The answer is 49."

I slumped in my chair and let my head hit the desk. Great. Now I was embarrassing myself in class and spiraling over Langa's absence. I turned my head to glance at his empty desk, feeling a pang of unease. The rest of the school day crawled by, every minute feeling like an hour.

At Langa's Apartment

The second the final bell rang, I bolted out of the school and rode my skateboard straight to Langa's place. I barely stopped before knocking on the door, heart hammering in my chest.

Mrs. Hasegawa opened it, looking surprised to see me. "Oh, Reki! Are you here to see Langa?"

I nodded quickly. "Yeah, is he okay? He didn't come to school, and he didn't text me, and I—"

She let out a small chuckle, rubbing the back of her neck. "He's fine, just running a high fever. I was actually just heading out for work, but you can go in and see him."

Relief flooded me, but it was quickly replaced with concern. "Thanks," I said before darting inside and down the hall to Langa's room.

I knocked lightly. No answer.

"Langa?" I pushed the door open and stepped inside. He was curled up under his blankets, his face flushed red. His hair was a mess, sticking out in all directions, and his breathing was slow and heavy.

I walked over and knelt beside his bed, pressing the back of my hand to his forehead. Damn, he was burning up. No wonder his mom was worried.

"Langa, I'm here. It's me, Reki." I kept my voice soft.

His eyes fluttered open, unfocused and hazy. "R-Reki?" His voice was hoarse.

I smiled at him and leaned forward to press a light kiss against his warm cheek. "Yeah, it's me, dummy. You should've told me you were sick."

Langa gave me a weak smile. "Didn't want to bother you."

I scoffed. "Idiot. You could never bother me." I started to stand. "I'll go get you some water."

Before I could move away, Langa's fingers wrapped weakly around my wrist. His grip wasn't strong, but it was enough to stop me. "Can you... just stay with me for now?" His voice was soft, barely above a whisper.

How could I say no to that?

I sighed, shaking my head playfully. "You're too cute for your own good, you know that?" I sat down next to him, and immediately, he nuzzled into my arm, his hot forehead pressing against my skin.

"Can we just stay like this forever?" he mumbled.

I let out a quiet laugh, brushing some of his hair back from his face. "I wish. But for now—" I shifted, trying to pull my arm free. "Dude, your face is like a furnace, you're burning my arm off."

Langa made a small noise of protest, but he let me move him. Instead, he rested his head in my lap, looking up at me with half-lidded eyes. I smiled down at him and traced small circles against his shoulder, watching as he relaxed under my touch.

I didn't care if I got sick too. If staying here made him feel better, I'd stay as long as he needed.