Chapter Text
Elena sighed as she opened her locker, taking out a notebook and pen for 1st period, before closing it shut.
She looked around the hallway, her eyes scouring through the sea of students with increasing confusion. Elena couldn't find her among the other students. Okay, so what? Maybe she woke up late, couldn't catch the bus, and thus had to walk.
So she shrugged it off, her footsteps echoing down the hall as she made her way to 1st period.
Elena sat down with her best friends like always, opening her notebook as the lesson began right away. But as she was listening, writing the important stuff down, she kept glancing between the teacher and the whiteboard—the vacant seat in front of her and the classroom door.
Every time her gaze swept over the seat and the door, her eyebrows furrowed further every time.
Where is she?...
It was recess now, and Kouyuki still hasn't shown up. It wasn't like her to skip school—and even if she did, the teachers would've been talking about it by now, with a few probably (reasonably) getting frustrated over it. Yet Elena heard not even one word about it.
Elena chewed slowly on her remaining bites of food, her eyes darting between her best friends and her phone, while her lips were curled into a smile that didn't quite reach her ears.
Of course, they all noticed it; and Naomi was the one to bring it up.
"Elena, you've been waiting for Kouyuki, yet she clearly isn't going to show up by now." Naomi said, crossing her arms as she and the other two watched Elena, who could only sigh as she leaned her head on her hand.
"I know! It's just... why?"
Naomi could only sigh, as did Gabe and Mateo.
Just then, Elena's screen lit up with a notification, the girl's sharp eyes quickly taking notice of it as she opened her phone before she missed it. Her best friends carefully watched as she stared at her screen, her lips moving silently as she read the message she just received—and how her expression slowly dropped as she set back down her phone.
"She's sick... with a fever." Elena murmured, her usually warm brown eyes now seemed dim as she met their eyes. Seeing the way their expressions shifted at the revelation, Elena couldn't find her appetite within herself now.
Elena sighed as she closed her locker, falling into step beside Gabe as they made their way to 4th period, her shoulders just barely slumped and her gaze mostly fixed on nothing.
"Are you alright, Elena?" Gabe's voice suddenly came through her daze, snapping Elena out of her mind as she looked back at her best friend.
Sighing, Elena answered. "No, I can't focus much, not when I know Kouyuki is sick while in bed; sniffling, shivering, and probably even hugging the blanket to herself." She murmured, her eyebrows furrowing at the imagery.
Gabe, seeing his best friend a little distressed, placed his hand on her shoulder. "She'll get better, you know that. The 3 of us are also wishing her well."
"I know..." Elena murmured, offering a small smile as she placed her hand over his.
As they approached 4th period, Elena piped up again.
"Bring some Caldo de Pollo later, will you? I'll bring some chocolate for her." Elena asked, looking at Gabe as the boy quickly got the message. Nodding his head, Gabe answered the girl, a gentle smile on his face. "Of course, Elena." he said, watching as her lips settled into a small smile after she sighed.
With that, the pair walked into their 4th period; and it seems their teacher is feeling as sour as a lemon for today.
"Ahh... Ah-choo!!!"
Kouyuki grumbled as she blew her nose, the sound of rustling bedsheets echoed throughout the room as she moved to lay on her back.
"Why?..." she mumbled to herself, sniffling as she stared at the ceiling, fighting to keep her eyes open as her arm barely managed to toss the tissue paper into the trash bin that had been moved beside her bed.
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
"Kouyuki? You have visitors." her guardian announced.
The girl groaned into her pillow, sniffling as she just barely managed to croak out. "I don't want visitors, sir; and I don't want to get others sick, so if you could please—"
"Kouyuki?"
At that, the girl paused; her sea blue eyes shot open as she recognized that voice.
"Elena?..."
Sure enough, the door opened to see Elena, with Gabe, Mateo, and Naomi by her side.
Elena's eyes landed on the sick girl, her eyes soft as she walked in with her best friends. "Are you alright?" she murmured as the door closed behind them with an audible click.
With a clearly congested nose, Kouyuki looked up at the four in a pitiful pile of blankets and flushed skin, her voice a mere croak in the dark bedroom—save for the light of the setting sun seeping in from outside her window. "Besides the obvious? No, I mean, it's hard to speak... and breathe." she sniffled, hugging the blanket closer to herself. "You didn't have to come though."
Naomi smiled, resting a hand on her hip. "Oh, we know—"
"—but we wanted to." Elena finished, watching Gabe as he set down the container of Caldo de Pollo on the bedside table, before she sat down by Kouyuki's side. After Gabe, Mateo moved to set down some flowers and a Get Well card beside the container. "The flowers are from my mama's garden—she insisted I bring some." Mateo said, a note of fond exasperation for his mother, which was made known with his smile. "And the soup can be heated up in the microwave if you plan on eating later; right now though, it's still warm enough." Gabe explained, giving Kouyuki a firm but gentle smile of his own.
Kouyuki smiled despite herself, forcing herself to sit up as she sniffled. "I suppose I'll eat it now; it does look good..." she murmured, her eyes fixed on Elena as the girl grabbed the container (and the spoon), taking off the lid to release the warm aroma of the soup. Gods, the smell of it was almost enough to make Kouyuki drool.
Almost...
"I can feed myself, you know." Kouyuki grumbled, crossing her arms with a soft pout as Elena held up a spoonful.
Holding back a chuckle at the girl's complaint, Elena allowed a soft smile to grace her face. "I know, but let me have this, alright? I'll let you feed yourself right after." she said, before feeding the spoonful to the sickly girl.
Kouyuki took the spoonful, her eyes slowly widened as she memorized the flavor, swallowing it as her deep sea blue gaze fixed themselves on the Caldo de Pollo. "It's... good — warm, and comforting." she murmured sparingly, coughing between words as she took another spoonful from Elena.
"So, when did you even get sick anyway?" Naomi asked Kouyuki, sitting by her feet with a hand resting on the mattress.
After swallowing another spoonful, Kouyuki turned to Naomi to answer. "When I was at the beach with the family currently housing me, you saw me there; I was just sitting with the adults as the two kids played."
She paused, grabbing another tissue as a sneeze came bursting out from the girl, groaning as she wiped the snot. "It was so much hotter than usual that day, I was eating a lot of cold food to keep cool—look at how that turned out"
Gabe sighed as he looked down at their friend, his eyes softened with concern. "Oh yea, I've been there before; it's not fun becoming sick from cold food and drinks." he mused, looking back at the few times he got sick because he ate and drank cold stuff too often back then.
Elena hummed, closing the container shut once Kouyuki had enough of the Caldo de Pollo, placing it back on the latter's bedside table.
"Wait—" Mateo began, looking around for a clock in their friend's room—his eyes widened at the time displayed. "—¡dios mío!, it's already 6:30!? I need to go now, before my mama starts to worry; I can already tell she's gonna start fussing by the time I get back home..." Mateo sighed, waving Kouyuki goodbye as he made his way towards the door.
Gabe followed suit, along with Naomi, as they too had something to deal with back home—whether it be helping to make dinner (and desert), or to help with the lighthouse.
Now only Elena was left—alone, with her 'Brilliant Snow Child'.
Elena sighed, scooting closer to Kouyuki as she looked at the girl, who remained sitting upright. "I was worried, you know; waiting for you to come, before you sent that message, letting me know you were sick..." she murmured, her brown eyes warm as she smiled at the girl.
"ごめんなさい (gomennasai)—I mean, I'm sorry, Elena. I didn't mean to worry you." Kouyuki murmured quickly, her deep sea blue eyes wide as she did so; glistening like an ocean being kissed by sunlight.
Elena merely shook her head, her hand gently brushing back Kouyuki's bangs, as her gaze remained fixed into the depths of the girl's eyes again.
'She looks adorable like that...' she mused to herself.
"Also! I brought you some chocolate, made by me and my mama, it's in the fridge." Elena told her, least she wants to forget about it before leaving Kouyuki be.
At that, Kouyuki managed to raise an eyebrow, staring at Elena as she coughed up a response. "I can't eat that right now though...".
"When you get all better, Yuki." Elena gently corrected with a huff, though her lips retained the smile that curled them.
Kouyuki hummed, her lips curling up into a gentle smile as she slowly laid back down. "Huh, I was wondering when you'd start calling me that for short." she mused, a yawn tumbling from her lips as she pulled the covers over herself.
"Oh?" Elena's smile widened, brushing her fingers through Kouyuki's long, dark, wavy hair one last time as she watched the girl succumb to sleep.
With one last glance at the sleeping girl, Elena finally stood up and left for home as well, with only the thoughts of her 'Brilliant Snow Child' to accompany her.