𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 | 𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘴𝘶𝘺𝘢 𝘵. ᯓ ᡣ𐭩

008. | ꜱᴏꜰᴛ ɢʟᴏᴡ

"Seriously?! Tetsuo did all that?! What an asshole!" Yuzuha couldn't contain her shock, voicing her disbelief as she strolled towards the school in the company of Kana, Takemitchi, and Hakkai.

The four of them were talking about the events that took place yesterday with Tetsuo. Yuzuha had expressed her disbeliefs and anger about what Tetsuo had done, and she was expressing it in a loud, animated fashion. Hakkai and Takemitchi also shared their anger and irritation from the situation with her.

Kana seemed to be lost in her own world, hardly paying attention to the ongoing conversation. She walked with her eyes downcast, absorbed in her own weariness. There was a fog clouding her mind, a certain frailty in her movements. From the moment she woke up, there had been a noticeable drain on her energy, as if it was plummeting to an unprecedented low with every hour that passed. While everyone's voices surrounded her, Kana's interaction was limited to the occasional, absent-minded 'yeah' and mechanical nods, her acknowledgment automatic without much enthusiasm or presence.

It was obvious that she was feeling overwhelmed and exhausted, and the way she kept her head down and barely participated in the conversation seemed to confirm that. She looked drained and tired, her blank expression on her face adding to it. Her movements seemed lifeless and her demeanor was apathetic. Kana's lack of enthusiasm or presence made her seem like she wasn't even present in the moment. Her tone was flat and monotonous, which only made her change of dynamic that more obvious.

Kana tried to convince herself that her exhaustion was just the result of the lack of sleep from tossing and turning the night before, as well as yesterday's draining experience with Tetsuo. She couldn't deny that this new exhaustion felt deeper than her usual tiredness, but she didn't want to think too hard about it either.

From the way everyone started to talk to her, it seemed like they were also starting to notice her new behavior. Yuzuha had a slightly concerned look on her face, and Takemitchi's was softer and more gentle with her. Hakkai was also paying attention to her, but he didn't say anything just yet.

"Kana, you look a bit out of it today. Are you doing alright from yesterday?" Yuzuha questioned with a touch of concern. She reached out, placing her hand softly upon Kana's shoulder and resting it there lightly.

This was a comforting gesture that was met with a faint, exhausted smile from Kana as she met Yuzuha's gaze. "Yeah.. it was hard for me to fall asleep last night. for some reason.."

"I really think that you should've just taken the day off, Kana." Takemitchi said in a low, caring tone. His eyes filled with a protective warmth, attentively observing the slight form of his sister. "After everything that went on yesterday, you need to take it easy." He reached out, carefully resting his palm and pressing it gently against her forehead. His touch lingered a moment longer as he checked for a fever. Noting that her temperature was slightly below normal, he withdrew his hand, his concern growing more evident on his expression.

Kana gave a small, tired nod when Takemitchi pointed it out. She knew he was right, but she also felt like she couldn't afford to miss today even if she didn't want to be there. Her eyes fluttered closed for a moment as Takemitchi's hand touched her forehead. "I know.." she responded, her voice barely above a whisper, soft and filled with fatigue. "But there's a test I can't miss today.. I'll take the day off tomorrow, okay? There's no need to worry about me, it's nothing big I'm sure.." she assured him, her tone gentle yet firm.

Takemitchi's expression softened as she assured him that she would take the day off tomorrow, but his concern was still apparent in his features. He didn't want her to overexert herself when she was in such a fragile state, something he hadn't seen from her in a while. He hesitated for a moment, weighing the options, before finally nodding. "Just.. take it easy until you get home, alright?"