The Knights Himura

#5: Familiar Pains

Tsukiko opened the door to Fumiko's room. To her surprise, the room was empty. She approached the bed and found nothing. She called out and heard nothing in response.

Another panic settled in. Her mind assumed the worst.

She noticed her friend's brown fluffy hair in the corner. Fumi stood staring out the window. Her eyes watched the moment of black clouds in the distance.

"What're you doing up?" Tsuki approached her.

"They told me I was recovering faster than they expected. I asked if I could check out early," Fumi's bored voice replied.

Tsuki didn't know how to respond, "That's good, right?"

"Yeah, but I only get a few days off. Something about having to check for infection every once in a while," Fumi seemed tired. "The cops have been on my ass for days now. I'm getting sick of it."

Tsuki cocked her head, "Didn't they catch the guy?"

Fumi turned to Tsukiko and smiled, "They caught a guy, but he didn't have a mask, so the investigation's still on."

"Probably my fault huh..." Tsuki looked out the glass.

"Y'know... If you hadn't taken the dude's mask, they probably would've just arrested the guy. They'd buy a round of beer for everyone," Fumi laughed a little.

"...you sure?" Tsuki turned back to her.

"Hey, if anything, it put a fire under their asses. They'd better catch him soon, though. They've been bugging me every few hours."

They both stopped for a moment to watch the city. The clouds brewed and grew darker. The first droplets of rain ran down the window in front of them.

"So," Fumi started. "Where we headed?"

"It's gonna rain," Tsuki frowned.

Fumi smiled, "Your place then?"

Tsuki laughed a defeated laugh, "It's a mess."

"Not from what Lily told me," Fumi retorted.

"Didn't know the French were so gossipy."

"She's nine, what did you expect?"

Tsuki fidgeted, "C'mon, let's get going. We'll miss the train."

--

Tsuki felt relieved. Within just a few days, Fumiko had already been granted some freedom from her cold, pale prison. She'd been healing so well, it seemed as if she hadn't even been wounded in the first place.

Fumi tried to carry herself with the same energy she'd have on any other day. On the occasion that Tsuki spotted her bandages, she would move her clothes around to hide them.

The trip home was uneventful. They went down the same old path, and on the same old train. The cold rain made it feel like they were back in school, heading home after a harsh day.

They both felt tired. Neither of them had done anything strenuous in the day, but there was still a weight on their shoulders. It came and went like a hammer, pounding them into the ground.

The train arrived at the station on time, like it always did. Still, there was some distance between the station and Tsukiko's home. It felt like it would be a long, awkward walk.

The rain still wasn't harsh enough for an umbrella. Enough time in even the weakest rain could soak through any clothes. The cold breeze, coupled with the humid air chilled the two girls to their bones.

The other passengers ran out of the station with things over their heads. They frantically tried to protect themselves from the weak droplets.

They had completed this trip hundreds of times in their lives. Their families were relatively close. Tsuki and Fumi practically grew up together.