— Beneath the Fire and Ice —

- Chapter VIII -

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— [ Yumiko Miura / 15th Floor Apartment Complex ] —

~ o ~

I'm almost done with this chicken karage yet the owner of this apartment still hasn't return. Fifteen minutes have already passed ever since that phone call yet it seems Hikio is still preoccupied talking with that woman.

I wonder what's her relation with him.

A girlfriend perhaps?

Whatever, its none of my business.

I resumed eating and finally finished the dish in about a moment later. I uttered, 'Gochisousama deshita.' as a habit for thanking for the meal before standing up and putting the used plate to the dish washer.

I eyed Hikio's still uneaten portion and furrowed my brows.

I know its quite rude to eavesdrop on his private matters but his food is getting cold. I decided to check up on him but to my shock, I found Hikio lying unconscious on the floor.

"Hikio!?" I quickly moved forward and bent down to closer inspect his condition and noticed that he's entirely drenched in sweat.

I involuntarily gulped in agitation.

Kami, don't tell me—!

I swiftly put my left palm onto his forehead to feel his temperature and my assumption was proven correct when I felt a burning sensation in my hand for which in my rough estimation is at least 38 degrees celcius or more.

A High Fever!

This is bad.

Really Really Bad!

Panic starts to grip me as the current situation finally starts to sinks in. I'm bad at these unexpected situations for I'm the type that's gets really muddle headed whenever I'm faced with sudden incidents like these.

What should I do?

What should I do!?!?

"Hikio? Hikio! Hey!" I tried nudging his shoulders in hopes that Hikio might somehow awaken but to my vexation, it was entirely ineffective since even though he managed to regain consciousness, his expression looks entirely blank as if he's lost to his own world.

"Hikio goddanggit, you idiot sure took the perfect time to get sick on me!"

I internally cursed as it was my habit whenever I feel agitated.

Think Yumiko Think!

S-Should I call an ambulance?

No wait! I should first move him off from this floor.

With cautious movements, I slowly lifted him up then dangles one of his arms above and across my shoulders as a support to balance ourselves. Initially I was skeptical in my capacity to drag a fully grown man only by myself but to my surprise, Hikio wasn't that heavy or perhaps its the adrenaline rush that gave me the additional strength.

Putting him in the sofa was my first choice but then I changed my mind and decided to take the longer path of dragging him towards his bedroom since he'll be more comfortable in his own bed. Luckily the bedroom door wasn't locked and with my other free hand, I turned the knob counter clockwise and pushed it open.

"I'm going inside your bedroom okay?"

At this point my upper muscles began to feel the strain but I simply ignored it for I'm already halfway close to the bed.

Within a minute after entering the bedroom, I finally somehow managed to drop Hikio unto his king-sized bed. I then took a breather to catch my breath before fixing his sleeping posture.

"Hikio! Whew thank kami you're finally awake, so how do you feel?" I muttered aloud when I noticed that his heavy-lidded eyes are looking at me.

"...Miura...what...happened?"

"That's what I wanted to know too!" I then flailed my arms in an exasperated manner before continuing with my tirade.

"You never came back for the food so I tried to check up on you but to my horror I just found you passed out on the floor!"

"..i s-see."

"Why didn't you tell me your feeling sick!? Heavens! good thing I've checked up on you or else your condition might get worse lying on the floor like that!"

Silence.

"I checked your forehead and you look like your having a fever! Goddangit, I wanted to put you in the sofa but then I figured your bed's better."

Silence.

"You're quite heavy you know! Ah Mou, my muscles all sore now...Hey Hikio are you even listeni—Oh."

I found his eyes closed yet again.

Panic once again runs through my system but to my relief, he's still semi conscious and his breathing seems a little bit more evenly now. I exhaled an exhaustive breath before dropping my butt on a nearby chair.

I then rubbed my temples to clear out my mind.

Whenever I'm met with unexpected situations, my first habit is to either talk to someone or check—

"—My smartphone!" I uttered in glee but then scowled when I remembered that it still out of power. I was about to drop the idea of retrieving my phone when an object lying on top of a nearby bedside table caught my attention.

It was Hikio's smartphone.

I drew near the table and tap the LCD screen a single time.

As expected it was turned off but what got my attention is the charging cable plugged onto its bottom. I look back at the bed and ask, "Hikio I'm going to borrow your charger okay?"

All I got is a faint grunt in response.

I shrugged my shoulders before plugging out the cable and checked its socket head.

To my relief, it is also a micro USB plug. Its the same one my smartphone uses so there's a high chance this might be compatible with my device. I ran back to the laundry area and fetch my phone and also turned off the washing machine when I noticed that its finally done with its task.

I then quickly pulled out my clothes from the rotary chamber but I just left it above the machine for there's more pressing matters that needs my attention. I ran back to Hikio's room and plugged my phone into the cable.

A surge of joy washed over me when a battery logo finally appears on the screen but I just left it there for the moment to let it accumulate some power.

I walked back on the side of the bed and once again checks Hikio's condition. His temperature still felt the same as last time and I bit my lips in vexation after retracting my arms.

I never had any personal experience at taking care of someone sick since I didn't have any siblings and my parents never have been sick themselves (or at least appear to me whenever they do.)

I myself too had been rarely addled with sickness but whenever I did caught a fever, my mother would just simply bring over a physician to check up on me so I cannot use that experience as a reference.

I sighed in frustration before grabbing my phone and pushing the power button while its still charging. The phone's company logo briefly appeared at the screen and it booted up for ten seconds before a barrage of notifications instantly floods into my screen but I paid it no mind as I eyed the phone's power level.

The battery percentage still at 03 % but I'm sure it won't go down any further since my phone's still plugged into the power outlet. I then quickly opened my internet browsing app and type-in, 'First Aid Home Fever Adult' onto Google and clicked on the link at the top search results.

The site gave concise instructions in bullet point in this order;

- Take your temperature and assess your symptoms.

- Stay in bed and rest.

- Keep hydrated.

- Take over-the-counter medications like acetaminophen and ibuprofen to reduce fever.

- Stay cool. Use cold compress and remove extra layers of clothing and blankets, unless you have the chills.

After reading these steps, I then fetched the first aid kit that Hikio used earlier from the living room before returning. I unzipped the bag and to my relief found a bunch of OTC fever meds and a digital thermometer stuffed inside.

"Here, put the tip under your tongue." I hovered the thermometer close to Hikio's mouth before he took the narrow end orally. I then let go of it and rummaged through the medical bag until I've pulled out an empty cold compress.

"Hey, I'm going to fill this up okay?"

"...mnm."

I quickly jog towards the kitchen and filled the compress with cold tap water. I've also placed the uneaten food inside the refrigerator and brought along a drinking glass and a water-filled pitcher before returning to the bedroom.

"Let's see," I tonelessly hummed before placing what I've brought along at the bedside table before retrieving the thermometer from Hikio's mouth. "Its 39.8 degrees...that's quite high. Hey umm, do you want some water?"

He lightly shook his head.

I remained skeptical since he's sweating a lot. My mind then suddenly got this idea of turning on the AC to let the room cool down.

Its quite logical if I say so myself.

I'm so brilliant!

I was about to proceed but then perhaps it was my women's intuition but something on the back of my mind urge me to first check online if using the AC is allowed.

"Ah shite, I've almost made it worse."

The answer is a big fat NO.

Thank god for modern conveniences like Google-sensei.

Who knows, I might've accidentally kill this idiot due to my ignorance and get charged with manslaughter.

I involuntarily quiver at that thought.

In fear of doing more damage, I resorted to the old tried and tested way of easing perspiration.

Washing his face with a towel.

...Though I have to first find a clean towel.

"Hey where did you store your towels?"

Hikio's eyes partly opened and he lifted his left hand and pointed at a door. "...there...right shelve...lower area."

I moved towards the said door then opened it and see a walk-in closet.

I knitted my brows.

Contrary to my expectations, Hikio's walk-in closet is quite barren. There's no clothesline full of expensive clothes and apparels nor stacks of branded shoes and watches. The only thing that looks remotely expensive here is that single set of black tuxedo and the rest are just either his school uniform or clothes that seems its bought from Uniqlo.

A trace of doubt enters my mind.

I'm getting more and more confuse about this guy.

While it may seem that Hikio's just being a miser, what my intuition however tell me is that there's something more going on. This kind of disparity in his lifestyle didn't seem normal at least for me.

"Ah whatever...where are those towels anyway?"

I position myself on in front of a shelve and squat down as I extends my hand towards a neatly stacked piles of hand towel. I also pretended that the rows of men's underwear right next to it didn't exist before pulling a couple of towels away from the pile. After hanging the items to my arm, I then finally stood up and also brought along a T-Shirt with me while I was on my way out of the closet.

I returned to the bedside and looked down at the seemingly asleep owner of this luxury apartment. A little reluctance prickles my chest for I've become aware of how intimate the act of wiping one's sweat is, especially since I'm doing it to a guy.

Ah mou, I've never even been this intimate with Hayato!

I've mentally grind my imaginary teeth before inhaling a breath of fresh air in an effort to ease up my inhibitions.

Okay Yumiko, just think of this as a job.

Nothing personal, just plain business.

Just think of it as your payment for him bandaging up your knee and cooking for you.

I inadvertently gripped the towel tightly before proceeding along the task of wiping Hikio's perspirations. I began with his face while gradually moving downwards to his neck then nape and finally his shoulders.

"Whew, that should do it."

Now here comes the tricky part.

I could feel the heat building up my cheeks.

"H-Hikio...a-are you still awake?"

No response.

"Hey wake up! You can't sleep in that sweat drenched shirt!"

Still no response.

Great, this idiot really knows the perfect timing to fall asleep!

I suddenly got the urge to smack this fools head.

I blew out a tepid air as my lips forms an 'o' shape before staring fixedly at his upper body. I remind myself that condition will only get worse if I keep dawdling here so I gathered up all my nerves as my fingers anxiously grips the lower hem of his shirt before cautiously pulling it upwards in an awkward manner.

Heavens!

This feels as if I'm about to sexually assault him!

No! Bad Yumiko! keep your mind off the gutter!

Focus myself!

I had a really hard time taking it off since his shirt kept being stuck in between the bed and his back but finally, I've managed to pry it off after five minutes of embarrassing struggle.

It took all my effort to strip Hikio off his shirt and due to these tiring actions, I'm now also entirely drenched in sweat as well.

Argh!

I mentally flipped an imaginary table in frustration.

I forcefully sat down as I blew off a hot air out my oxygen deprived lungs. I never knew taking care of a sick person can be this tiring. I spare a glance at my now shirtless classmate and felt an entirely new wave of emotions rise from within my body.

What Hikio got wasn't a body of a body builder.

This guy got no six packs at all nor well-toned chiseled muscles. Heck he even looks downright pathetic, like he's the embodiment of lankiness and there seems not an ounce of athletic cells from within his body yet despite all that—

—I felt a rush of emotions upon seeing his body.

My heartbeat rapidly quickens as I feel the urge to touch him.

"...What the heck is this."

Indeed I feel a rush of emotions.

But it wasn't fascination nor adoration.

—Scars.

Lots and lots of intertwining scars marred his upper body. Some are elongated whilst some looks like might be a bullet wound.

The crisscrossing scars on his back especially captures my attention.

I felt a wave of nostalgia as my eyes felt as if melted iron is directly poured onto it.

H-Hikio...don't tell me you also—

—I involuntarily enveloped my body with my arms as I feel a phantom pain began to spread along my back.

Its as if I'm looking at a mirror.

His scars on his back entirely reminds me of my own.

—No.

That assumption is quite unfair for his scars are far more longer, more older, more thicker...more sinister.

There's absolutely no comparison.

Silence.

Whip wounds.

These are definitely whip wounds.

I can be definitely sure of this guess of mine for I've suffered the very same torture courtesy of my own demonic father. Now that I think about it, he too like me was exempted from all swimming class.

Silence.

I really don't know what to feel at this moment.

Sadness, fury, panic and a sludge of other emotions kept raging deep inside me. These sensations interfused together with increasing intensity before it finally ruptures apart as a soundless wail resonates throughout my inner being as it permeates the deepest depths of my soul.

Like a moth entranced with fire, I drew closer and closer to his scars.

An insatiable obsession corrodes my rationality.

I want to touch it.

Trace it.

Feel it.

—Pervade every scars with my taint.

I'm losing my mind yet my desire burns brighter the more I trudges onward the flame.

Any moment now and I will finally reach my destination. My hands mere inches away from the longest mark on Hikio's back. As I was about to claim my prize, something from below grips my hand which halted my stride.

I zeroed onto the one whom had dared to stand in my way but all my fire was instead vanquished by a pair of ashen orbs that's blazing icily akin to the coldest embers.

"What are you doing?"

Hikio's voice wrench the shackles tied firmly onto my heart and like a growing avalanche, each pieces began falling off as the chains began falling apart.

With the constraints gone, I began to feel as if I breathe life anew. My heart feels like its about to explode and from my face, I could feel the very first tear began to fall.

Like a broken dam, the floodgates gradually crumbles and thus I began to cry.

I cry and I cry until—

—I can cry no more.

~ o ~

A/N: I'm trying to see how long I could do a daily update that's why this chapter came off early. This daily grind is taxing since I have little free time and I mostly write this after I came back from work but nonetheless, I want to see how long I could last.

Thanks for reading.