บท 3: Strange Fever
The cold, windy morning made it clear that I was no longer in the crowded streets of New York. Clear, blue skies and fresh, smell of pines from the nearby forest made it seem as if I was in another world. Locking the front door, I began walking to school with my slim backpack as I warmed my hands from the cold.
Eventually reaching my new school an hour later, I walked inside and tool out my paper for my classes Reya picked up the day before. Stopping in front of a class already in session, I opened the door and showed the teacher my paper.
"Mr… Rendon? Right? Or would you prefer to be called, Azel? "
Nodding, I was then instructed to sit near the third seat from the back as the class was roughly packed with a few open tables.
"Okay! So… Where was I? Ah… As I already mentioned, tomorrow we are going to the library to get the materials we will need. However, due to ID certification, that will be the first thing on the list tomorrow morning. By evening we will have our books and begin with a short lesson. "
Raising my hand, I asked to use the restroom and was given permission. Getting up, I left the class and went to use the bathroom for a couple of minutes to clear my head from memories from my last school. Getting a drink of water outside, I sat down on a wooden bench and closed my eyes as I pondered what it was exactly that I was feeling.
"E-excuse me… " Looking up, I met the gaze of a preppy, cute school girl who wore a traditional school uniform I only saw in foreign movies. "Can… you tell class? "
Looking down onto her hands, I offered her my help and took her to her class as it was on the other side of campus. Dropping her off, I handed her back her paper and as I was leaving, she immediately bowed her head. Catching me off guard, I nodded and walked away after looking around to see if anyone saw us.
~
Having sat through class in a daze, the lunch bell rang and I stood up to go get lunch from the cafeteria. Buying a regular sandwich and a strawberry milk, I left the line and was suddenly surprised when I was noticed by the foreigner.
"Um… help? " Looking down at her hands as she held a lunch card, I exhausted a slight breath and spent another ten minutes in line to buy her lunch as well.
Handing it over to her, she followed me up to the roof where it was restricted for everyone and sat down beside me in another wooden bench. Unwrapping my sandwich and opening my milk carton, I took out my phone and texted back Reya for what she wanted me to make for dinner.
"Uh… Phone? " Taking out her phone and holding it in her hands, she looked at mine and I figured she wanted to know my number. "Hmm! Number. "
Handing me her phone, the slid beside me as I got a sweet, honey tea scent from her as I handed her back her phone with my number and contact name on file in her contacts. Calling me to make sure, she smiled as I showed her and stood up to introduce herself.
"I am… Kina Mikano… From, Japan Okinawa. " Extending her hand, I shook it and told her my name.
"Azel… Rendon. From New York… " Our meeting was quickly interrupted as she sat back down when a group of other kids reached the rooftop with the same idea in mind.
Looking at my phone and eating my lunch, I turned to face Kina and realizes she was struggling in opening the milk carton. Offering her my help, I quickly opened it up and handed it back to her as she thanked me with a smile.
The moment she did that, I remembered the last few months and saw Angela in her smile. Standing up, I headed off to clear my head as she followed close behind. Walking down the steps, she spoke my name and in that instance, I snapped and pinned her against the wall. Getting my gaze, she was not frightened, but, clear as her hand held my cheek.
"Pain… go, away. " Hearing her words, denying they brought me comfort made it all the more reason to avoid her. "Don't… Be alone. "
Gulping as her warm breath blew on my face, she kept her gaze even as the group of kids passed us from the rooftop. I wondered who in the world was this foreigner and how was it, she held such clear eyes.
~
Sitting idle as I kept thinking about that moment in the staircase, my mind was stuck in her eyes as I wondered what it was. Suddenly, I heated the word that made the most sense.
"Resolve is the virtue for most samurai in the Edo era… " Sitting up half aware I was still in class, I figured out what it was I saw in Kinas eyes earlier.
It was her resolve that had caught me off guard.
~
School soon ended and I was heading back home when I crossed the gate and saw Kina looking both ways in a daze. Turning and continuing my walk, I stopped and exhausted a deep breath as I felt I needed to help her. Turning back, I walked over to her as she noticed me and smiled when she saw me.
"Azel! Hey… Um, Home? " Taking out a slip of paper and handing it to me, I closed my eyes as it was her home address. "Take… me? "
Nodding, as I searched up the street name on my phone, we began walking as I advised her not to share her home address with strangers.
"Azel… not stranger. " Getting her gaze as she looked forward, I was lost the second she spoke again. "Azel, is… my friend. "
When we stopped at a crossing, I shook my head slightly as I continued taking her home.
~
After a while, we arrived at her residence and as I was turning to head home, she grabbed my arm and invited me into her home.
Walking inside as she urged me to remove my shoes, I listened and followed her up to her room. Leaving me alone for a bit, I looked around and wondered, what the hell I was doing. More so, what the hell was Kina thinking bringing a stranger into her home, let alone, in her room.
Turning my gaze to her bed and pillow, I suddenly felt warm and stood on end as I felt, beyond uncomfortable. Having half a mind to slip out the window, she walked in while holding two cups of hot tea. Just as I was about to tell her I was leaving, she suddenly burned her hand as she continued to set the cups on the table. Seeing her reaction after letting go of the cups, I quickly took her to her bathroom and rinsed off her hands in cold water.
"You should be more careful, Kina! Inviting complete strangers intimate your home?! Being reckless with who you let in your room?! Kina! You-" Stopping as she was seemed content with me holding her hands than my lecture.
"Hands are… warn-m. Warm. " With a soft breath, I dried her hands as I headed back into her room and thought about simply leaving.
It was not long after that I sat down to drink tea with her that her sister or mother came into her room. Talking to one another in another language as she turned to see me, I was more than willing to leave… that was,, until she spoke to me and asked dme to stay as lingerie as I'd liked.
"Seriously… what's up with this family? " Feeling her hands around my arm as she sat me back down, I turned to look at the time and realized I was going to be late in preparing dinner.
Standing up and leaving, I went downstairs and put in my shoes as Kina asked me to stay a little while longer. Telling her I had to go home, once I left, I realized she ended up following me like a lost puppy.
Stopping to exhaust my breath as it was getting late, I turned and called her out. Walking up to me as if she was a grade schooler getting into trouble, I hoed her hand as I had to make a stop at the store in haste.
~
Walking inside, I grabbed a basket and headed to the back where the ingredients to make spaghetti were. Walking down the aisle to pick out what type to get, Kina was in awe of the many things she had not seen before.
"Hmm… " Stopping her from opening a box of cookies, I raised it up as she tried to get them back.
She then came close as we caught over the box of cookies.
"Oh… look dear. What a sweet young couple. " As an elderly couple passed us by, we both stopped as bktb our faces were red from the remark.
Finishing up the shopping, I went to the self checkout and paid in cash. Afterwards, we left as I hoped Reya could give Kina a ride back to her place.
~
As it got darker and colder, Kina held into my jacket and as I was half an hour away from getting home, I took off my jacket and threw it around her as I closed it up. Picking up the bags, I continued walking as she stayed behind me.
Finally reaching the house, we walked inside as I turned on the fireplace. As Kina sat in front of it, I turned to make dinner and as an hour passed I turned around and saw Kinda in my jacket while staring at me from the kitchen table.
"What? " As I asked her, she shook her head innocently. "What… "
Freya then bursted through the front door as the wind had picked up outside. Rounding the hallway, she called my name and stopped halfway as she saw Kina in the kitchen, while wearing my jacket.
"N-no… Azel. Please tlep key there isn't a girl sitting on the counter… half dressed and in your jacket? " Thinking what she meant by, "half dressed", I nodded and was quickly taken to a separate room.
"Jesus! Azel?! What the heck! You move to a new school and w-what? You can't keep it in your pants? "
"Whoa… what are you going on about? Okay. Look she's a classmate who transferred the same day I did. She was list so I helped her find her class. I then helped her get home and when I came back, she followed me… Reya, I'm not an ass. I wasn't going to let her walk back home in this time of night. "
"Hmm… So, you two didn't- " Exhausting an irritated breath, Reya apologized as I prepared for dinner.
~
Sitting down as Rhea poured the food, we all then stopped as Kina closed her hands and her eyes as she spoke and then ate.
Eating quietly for a while, Reya began asking Kinda questions.
"I'm… Kina Mikano… Nice, meet you. " Nodding her head, Reya introduced herself and our relationship.
"Hi, I'm Reya, Reya Debroe… Axel is my step brother. And we moved here from New York. " Shaking her hand with a pleasant smile, I felt awkward with the whole situation for some reason.
It felt ad of I was showing my girlfriend to my mom or something and afterwards, Reya asked Kinda if she wanted to drove her home. As I drank my juice, I heard Kinda say she would be sleeping in my room with me. Spitting out and coughing my lungs out, I stood up as Reya asked her why she thought that.
Cleaning up the mess I made, I sat back down and listened to what Kinda had to say.
"Well… I come from, Japan. I meet a lot of interesting people. But, when I came here, it was… uh, Hit and cold. " As Reya looked to me, I shook my head while listening to Kinda. "It was hard to come here and harder to go home. "
"If it was hard, why did you stay? " Reya's soft tone of voice made Kinda sit on edge as she continued.
"For love… " Turning to meet my gaze with a. Half crazed expression, Kinna continued. "Oh, no! I mean… I was, how you say, arrange marriage? "
"You mean… you were being married off? Where, here? "
Shaking her head, she corrected Reya as she said it was her parents in Japan.
"I ran from home to come and be with my sister, Fira… I never want to go again. Ever… " Suddenly she lifted her gaze and her eyes came to life as she looked at me. "But, then I met Azel… He saw I need help and helped me. Took me home, and take care of me… "
Reya then stood up and walked over to hug Kina as she told her that she could stay as long a she wanted.
"Reya? " Realizing I was a guy, Reya went ahead and let Kinda live in to one of the spare rooms in the second floor. "Ugh… "
Having agreed fully, Kinda was one step away from becoming my wife if I didn't proceed with caution as the two had clearly bonded in no time.
~
As I set Kina in my room, I closed the door as she was going to take a bath and heads downstairs to sleep in the living room like before. Taking out a push blanket, I rested up against the wall and fell asleep like before.
Time passed and as I woke up the next day, I felt heavy as I couldn't move either arm. Looking down as I opened my eyes, Reya and Kina were both fast asleep beside me. Finding Kinas face so close to mine made my heart beat faster. Suddenly seeing her snuggle into my chest as she moved her lips, I began getting a nosebleed and stood up as they both comforted each other.
Wide awake after my nose bleed, I washed up and prepared breakfast.
By the time Reya woke up, Kina followed her to the kitchen as they both sneezed with a fever. Walking up to them and feeling their temperature from their foreheads, I exhausted another breath as I wasn't going to school today.
~
Setting out the futon we had from last Christmas at our cousins, I set it out in the living room floor as I carried them both to lay down.
Placing cool wet towels in their heads, I went out and took the car to buy some medicines from the convenience store at the gas station. On my way back, I walked inside and saw them both sweating in discomfort. Exhausting a breath, I lifted them both up one at a time to help dry then off. It already made me uncomfortable with Reya, but, either Kina, I felt I was about to pass out.
As the sun went down, I touched their foreheads and felt their fevers broke with help of the medicine. Sitting back as I finally felt a wave of relief, I looked at them both and I wondered what they were thinking coming down to the living room.
Regardless, I got up and made some porridge for when they felt they could eat.
Deep into the morning, I stayed beside them as long as it took until they got better. Finally, when I was dozing off, I felt Ryea's hand as she smiled with a single tear in her eye. She then softly thanked me as Kina was still asleep.
Waking up as I wake still eating for Kina, I spent the rest off the morning beside her.
Having fallen asleep, I woke up beside Kina as I opened my eyes to see her beautiful smile. Inhaling a gust if air, ehe held my cheek with her hand and leaned in to tell me something important.
"Reya… ask me to wake you for school… Sorry. " Looking over her shoulder and to the clock in the kitchen, I realized we were hours untk the evening already.
Closing my eye as I was absent for two days in a row, I relaxed my head as I simply preferred to fall back to sleep. Feeling Kina move closer, I fleet her breath close to my cheek as she softly inhaled and exhaled close to my ear. Turning, I met her gaze as our noses touched. Getting lost in her glistening, grey eyes, I was in awe if her beauty as she had me paralyzed from moving at all.
"Who… are you… " Waiting to hear a response, but never stopping from my gaze, she spoke.
"I'm… just Kina. " Her soft and heartfelt words reached my heart as I began to feel a familiar flutter within my chest.
As my mind went blank, her face and eyes were all I saw at the moment as I doze in and out from sleep. Waking slightly a she took my hand into both of hers and finally fell asleep. Wondering whether I was dreaming, I embraced her warmth and drew closer to her as our heads touched one another.
Little did I know, who... Or what Kina was until a week from now. All I could see at the moment was her smile and was good enough for me.
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