Chapter Text
The classroom was buzzing with the typical chatter during lunchtime. Students excitedly discussed their after-school plans, unaware of the storm that is brewing within Nijika's heart. Her gaze fixated on her desk, fingers tracing imaginary patterns as she tried to block out the voices around her.
“Look! It’s that girl whose mum passed away recently.”
Words pierced through the air and straight into Nijika’s heart. She felt exposed, as if every eye in the classroom had turned to scrutinize her and all she wanted to do is to melt into her seat and disappear from these harsh words that reminded her of the painful reality.
“Hey! Don’t say that so loud! What if she hears you?”
A faint glimmer of hope fluttered in her chest as another voice chimed in, carrying a promise of empathy and understanding. But it was nothing but a mere fleeting moment of false hope.
“Nahh. What is she gonna do, cry in front me?”
The laughter that followed was a cruel ensemble of mockery that echoed endlessly in Nijika’s ear. It reverberated through her, reminding her that she could not escape the label of the girl who had lost her mother. Nijika clenched her fists as she tried to hold back tears.
Don’t cry! Don’t cry! Don’t cry! You promise not to cry anymore!
The wounds are fresh. She just managed to muster up the courage to come back to school. Nijika refuse to give them the satisfaction of seeing her cry, not here, not now. However, the damage was done, and the growing ache in her chest was a constant reminder of that yes, her mother is now gone forever.
Just as despair continue to consume her, a voice, devoid of emotions, pierced through.
“Hey.”
Startled, Nijika looked up. Before her stood a girl with short blue hair accompanied by her stoic expression.
“Can I have a bite from your lunch?”
Nijika blinked, momentarily taken aback. "W-what?"
The girl remained unfazed, “It looks good so I want to try it.”
It was a ridiculous request because she doesn’t know the girl. Is this normal? Maybe it is normal for girls to do this. She’s didn’t know.
What she does know is that in the midst of everything that has been happening recently, this ridiculous request from this girl offered a glimmer of normalcy that Nijika needed at the moment.
She mustered up a small smile, “yeah… yeah, sure.”
Nijika blinked slowly as she realized that she was staring up at her bedroom ceiling. Her head throbbed with a dull ache and the feverish heat radiating from her body made her feel uncomfortable.
Right, I fainted.
The last thing she remembered was feeling light-headed when she was on her way to freshen up during the band practice that Ryo has abruptly stopped. And then, everything had gone black, with the shout of her name being the last thing she heard.
With great effort, she slowly push herself up, a towel dropped on her lap. “Ah? Who…” Her gaze drifted to the sight of Ryo, who is sleeping on the floor by her bedside with her head near Nijika’s hand. Nijika couldn't help but feel a surge of warmth and also a tinge of guilt.
Truth is, she had tried to downplay her own condition since the previous day. It started out as a mere headache that she brushed off, blaming on the stress and worry about the upcoming gig. Then, she woke up today feeling even worse, causing her to feel sluggishly throughout the hours in school. She had hoped that the nap during lunch would do the trick, but now it was clear she had been deceiving herself.
Nijika had always held a steadfast belief: “You are not sick, until you are.” This motto had unfortunately cause unnecessary concern to those who cared about her.
A furrow formed on Nijika's brow. She detested this feeling of relying on others. It served as a painful reminder of the sacrifices her older sister had made for her. Her sister had given up her own dreams to care for Nijika after their mother's passing. Knowing how much Seika has given up for her, Nijika vowed to be more independent and which had led to her strong sense of responsibility and instilling in her a deep aversion to being dependent on anyone.
The weight of her sister's sacrifices and her own desire for independence weighed heavily on Nijika's mind as she looked at Ryo. While she appreciated Ryo looking out for her, it was a struggle for her to accept it fully at times.
Nijika’s thoughts were interrupted by the opening of the door, and her heart warmed as Seika entered, carrying a tray of food. "Hey, you're awake," she said, her usually tough exterior melted away in the presence of her beloved younger sister. Not that Seika would admit it. She placed the tray on the bedside table and smiled softly at Nijika.
Seika's fingers brushed against Nijika's forehead, checking her temperature. "Hm, seems like your fever went down a little. You should eat something. And don't forget to take your medicine. You're still sick," she advised, her voice laced with a tenderness that only Nijika was allowed to witness. Nijika couldn't help but pout in response. It was in moments like these, when she was alone with Seika, that she allowed herself to shed the facade of maturity she wore for the rest of the world. Grudgingly, she thanked her sister, realizing that even now, she still wanted to be taken care by Seika.
Her gaze drifted back to Ryo and Seika, who knows her little sister very well, gently cleared her throat and said, "You know, Ryo's been with you since she carried you up to the apartment."
Nijika's eyes widened in surprise. Ryo did what now?
Seika left the room with a knowing smile, leaving Nijika to her thoughts once more. Nijika reached out to place her hand on Ryo’s hair. “So soft…”
Nijika thinks about the events that happened earlier. Ryo has always been very attuned to her and is quick to act whenever she realises that there is even a little change in their semblance of normalcy. She smiles gently, her love for Ryo grew twofold.
Ryo stirred from her slumber as Nijika continues to caress her hair, her eyes slowly blinking open. When she saw Nijika awake and looking at her, a wave of relief washed over her.
"Hey," Ryo whispered softly, her voice filled with genuine concern.
Nijika offered a tired but gentle smile. "Hey," she replied, her voice equally soft.
Their eyes locked, and they fall into a comfortable silence, words unnecessary in that moment. Ryo reached out and gently took Nijika's hand in her own, their fingers intertwining. She whispered, "You feeling better?"
Truth is, her head is still pounding and everything is seemingly too hot and too cold at the same time. And so she attempts to be a little bit more honest with Ryo, responding to Ryo’s question with a subtle shake of her head. She has already went pass the breaking point and there is simply no reason to keep up any bravado.
Ryo noticed the tray of food nearby and a determined glint sparked in her eyes. She picked up a spoon and held it near Nijika's mouth, attempting to feed her.
“Say ahh ~”, Ryo teased with a grin.
Nijika, feeling embarrassed at the prospect of being fed at her age, turned away, stammering “I-I can do it myself.”
A brief silence settled in the room, but curiosity got the better of Nijika, and she turned back to find Ryo giving her the biggest puppy eyes she could conjure.
It matches Kita-chan’s power!
Seeing Nijika’s resolve falter, Ryo doubled down on her puppy look and softly pleaded, “Please?” The blush on Nijika’s face reaches her ears as she finally gave in with a resigned sigh.
They shared a moment of comfortable silence as the food passed from the spoon to Nijika's lips. Nijika remained quiet, her embarrassment still lingering, while Ryo couldn't hide her amusement, knowing she would never let Nijika live this moment down. She tried to sneak a photo but before she could take her phone out completely, a stern, “Put that back,” laced with promises of violence, made Ryo reconsider her intention.
The real challenge came when it was time for Nijika to take her medication. Ryo struggled, witnessing Nijika's clear disdain for the pills. She never knew that Nijika hated medicine, and the stubbornness that came with it made this task annoyingly difficult.
“Come on Nijika,” Ryo try coaxing Nijika into taking the pill. But Nijika turned her body away, determined to avoid Ryo’s effort, “I’ll be fine after some rest. No pills needed.”
Finally, Ryo had enough. She popped the pill into her own mouth and pulled Nijika towards her. Nijika begin to protest, “What are you-” but before Nijika could finish her sentence, Ryo crashed her lips onto Nijika. Taking advantage of Nijika’s slightly weaken state, she used her tongue to silently asked for permission and Nijika allowed her. Ryo took advantage of the opportunity to push the pill into Nijika’s mouth and then pulled away.
“There. Now, water,” Ryo said, reaching for the glass of water beside her.
Nijika was left stunned, her emotions and thoughts in turmoil.
“S-stupid bassist!”
After the whole pill fiasco, both girls found themselves wrapped up in the cozy warmth of Nijika’s bed. Ryo's fingers moved in a slow, soothing rhythm as she gently ran them through Nijika's long, silky hair. The sensation was not only comforting for Nijika but also brought a sense of contentment to Ryo as she watched her relax.
Nijika, her eyes heavy from her earlier ordeal and the medicine, drifted in and out of sleep. She rarely lets herself be honest and accepts the full comfort from Ryo. But in this moment, as the soft strokes of Ryo's fingers continued, even she had to admit that it felt incredibly nice.
Finally, Ryo broke the silence, her gentle voice filled with affection but tinged with a hint of vulnerability. “Am I unreliable, Nijika?" she asked, her gaze shifting to Nijika’s fingers, which she played with to distract herself from the weight of the question, a question that had lingered in the back of her mind since the start of their relationship, never spoken of yet ever-present.
Surprised by the sudden question, Nijika pushed herself up. “What? No… I mean, there are times when you are frustratingly unreliable," Nijika started, her words tumbling out as she avoids answering the question properly. "And I know you are joking, and more often than not, you leave me to deal with socially awkward situations, but I know you so that’s okay.”
Ryo remained silent, her eyes locked onto Nijika’s for a good minute before sitting up to face Nijika. Confused by the action, Nijika just silently wait for Ryo to collect her thoughts. Instead, Ryo reached out to squish Nijika’s cheeks together. Hard.
“Mmmmmwah? RWO?” Nijika mumbled, baffled by Ryo's action.
Before Nijika could retaliate, Ryo pulled her face close, her lips brushing against Nijika's with a tenderness that spoke of her deep affection. Ryo's lips lingered for a brief but meaningful moment, conveying all the emotions she had trouble expressing with just words alone. She pulled away shortly and proceeded to draw Nijika’s head onto her shoulder, and enveloped her in a warm embrace.
“You are gonna get sick too…” Nijika mumbled into Ryo’s shirt, embarrassment colouring her voice.
Ryo hummed softly, her arms holding Nijika a bit tighter, “Eating grass has its perks,” a playful remark to lighten the mood.
Nijika remained silent, trying to decipher Ryo’s response. A few moments of silence went by before Ryo broke it with whispered reassurance.
“Whenever you're ready, you can lean on me,” Ryo whispered, her voice filled with understanding, "You don't have to shoulder everything alone, Nijika.”
Nijika felt a lump form in her throat as her tears threatened to spill over. Her heart ached as she realized the depth of Ryo's understanding support. Ryo, who was always there for her in her own unique way. Ryo, who rarely voices her feelings, is baring her heart to her now. How could she not do the same?
With each passing second in Ryo's embrace, the walls she had painstakingly build around her heart began to crumble.
Maybe, she really didn't have to carry the weight of the world alone.
Nijika tightened her embrace around Ryo, seeking solace in the warmth of their connection. She found herself nodding, hoping that the simple gesture can express the words that she wanted to say.
As the moonlight streamed through the window, bathing them in its soft glow, the two girls remained in their warm embrace. Nijika's tears falls freely now as she didn't feel the need to hide them. In Ryo's arms, she didn’t have to put up a strong front. Ryo had shown her that relying on someone was not a sign of weakness; it was an affirmation of trust and love.
And with Ryo by her side, Nijika felt that she could face anything that life throws at her.
[The next day]
Kita and Bocchi was in school when they receive a message from Seika.
☆ Manager 10:21am
Nijika and Ryo are both down with a cold. Band practice are postponed for today.
“EHHH?” Kita shouted out loud voice, surprising Bocchi.