Me: Minna-san, gomen nasai, ne... OTL
Kashino: You've been gone for almost two months! What's up with that?
Me: Er... Okay, long story short, I got... distracted...
Kashino: WHAT?
Me: Well, school got busy, but then I started going bonkers about Tumblr and other things... So yeah... ^^"
Kashino: ...I don't understand you at all. So you just forgot about all of us back here at FF?
Me: *Winces* Well, I still read and reviewed, but... That's pretty much it. I'm terribly sorry for not writing myself in a while! D: And I will post 'Acne' soon FOR SURE! I just have writer's block for that story right now... You know when you have the idea, but you can't quite put it into words? I'm having that problem, which is part of the reason I've been gone for so long. But to compensate for my delay, I've written this one-shot in the meantime! Hope you enjoy! :D
Kashino: You sure delay a lot of your stories.
Me: Shush. I don't own Yumeiro Pâtissière!
The Best Medicine
"Somebody please tell me what the point of coming was..." Kashino crossed his arms, obviously annoyed. "If we're not gonna do anything, I might as well just spend my precious time back in the kitchen."
"Aw, come on! Isn't it a good idea to exchange our special recipes?" Johnny remarked.
"Well, why do we have to do it outside in the garden? And sitting on the grass, at that." Kashino's eye twitched; he was getting more irritated by the minute.
"Because! It's more fun this way!" Johnny replied, smiling.
"F-fun? I have no time for fun! I have a whole list of things that need to be done, so you'd better make this quick," Kashino frowned.
"Lighten up, Kashino. Just relax! We don't have to do all that stuff for the shop until tomorrow," Ichigo patted the blond's shoulder gently.
Kashino turned towards her, who sat at his right. He simply looked down and nodded, blushing.
"Okay, we should start now," Andou announced. He took out a few recipe cards from his pocket and started passing them around the circle of people. "I have most of my signature recipes written down for everyone."
"Whoa! You have such amazing details, Andou-kun!" Kana complimented the patissier with awe.
"R-really? Thanks." Andou sheepishly reddened.
"My turn," Hanabusa called. He did the same as Andou.
"Here are mine." Lemon handed hers around.
"Now for my recipes!" Miya hollered. She energetically ran around the circle and flung her cards at everyone.
"L... Love-Love Pound Cake? Heart-Throbbing Gelato? What's with the cheesy titles?" Kashino muttered.
"Ch-cheesy...?" Miya pouted and sank into the ground.
"O-oi! There's no need to be so depressed..." Kashino sweat-dropped.
"Hey, don't you think we should go...?" Rumi suddenly spoke. "The sky's getting even darker, look."
"What? But I haven't even finished introducing my recipes yet!" Johnny pouted.
"Who cares about them? It's getting late anyway, and we all need to do our things." Kashino retorted.
"Hey! This gathering was my idea! You shouldn't take control!"
"Hmph! Like you're the leader of everything!"
"Now, now..." Ichigo gently pushed the two apart. "We shouldn't bicker over such silly things..."
Lightning abruptly crackled in the distance, and thunder followed soon afterwards. The group of eight looked up to see the gray clouds swell. Small drops of water began to fall and splatter onto their clothes.
"Okay, this meeting is officially over. Let's meet up tomorrow at lunch!" Johnny shouted.
The others nodded and hurriedly rushed back towards shelter.
"Come on, let's walk together," Kashino told Ichigo, who nodded.
"Hold your horses, Makoto. You're not going anywhere." Johnny halted the two.
"What do you want?" Kashino replied coldly.
"I need to borrow your umbrella," Johnny flashed a smile.
Kashino's eyes turned into slits. "That's a no."
"Aw, come on! Please, Makoto?" Johnny got on his knees and begged - dogeza style.
The blond and brunette sweat-dropped. "Sheesh, you don't have to do that... Just take it!" Kashino folded the umbrella he was using and handed it to the American.
Johnny gasped in delight. "Oh, thank you! The Japanese are really kind after all, no matter the relationship between you and them!" He eagerly took the umbrella and opened it. "Hey... You do know that when two people share one umbrella, it's hinted that they are lovers?" Johnny smugly said.
"Wh-what?" Kashino and Ichigo both replied at the same time, faces red.
"Wait... Is that why you wanted to take my umbrella away from me? Just to make a scene?" Kashino growled angrily.
Johnny playfully stuck out his tongue. "Naw, I also needed it for real. But ta-ta for now!" He ran in the opposite direction, fading into the sheets of rain pouring down.
"Argh, that guy..." Kashino gritted his teeth. "He ticks me off!"
"Hm? But Johnny's still a good guy inside, you just have to know him better," Ichigo told him.
Kashino blushed a bit, noticing her positive comment towards Johnny. "Yeah, I know..."
The two started for the girls' dorms. Under the strawberry-patterned umbrella, the atmosphere grew a bit awkward.
"Er... Hey... Do you like the rainy season?" Kashino asked Ichigo.
"Huh? Um... I guess I do."
"What? How can you like it? I absolutely hate wet days," Kashino stated.
"Well, I love the sunshine, but don't you think that the sound of rain is pretty comforting? I mean, there's just something special about the pitter-pattering of the rain hitting against something. Don't you think so?"
Kashino perked up in thought. "Huh, I never thought of it that way..."
Ichigo grinned at him. "There's always some good in everything, that's what I believe."
Kashino smiled back. "And that's what I love about you."
"What?" Ichigo's cheeks turned scarlet.
"Wait, did I just say that out loud?" Kashino bit his lip. "Er... Sorry. I bet that was weird..."
"N-no, it's alright." Ichigo stopped walking. "Well, I'm here..."
"Oh, right." Kashino looked up to see the familiar building.
"Thanks for walking me here." Ichigo beamed.
"Sure, anytime," Kashino said in response.
"Oh, do you want to borrow my umbrella for your way back?" Ichigo offered.
"Nah, it's okay. My place is close by anyways, and I don't want you to not have it just in case."
"Eh? But you'll get soaked!" Ichigo worriedly replied.
"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine." Kashino assured her.
"If you say so..." Ichigo uneasily stepped towards the door. "See you tomorrow!"
"See you!" Kashino called back before running for the boys' dorms. Shoot, I need to change out of these clothes as soon as possible...
~x~
Kashino, soaked to the bone, walked inside his room before shutting and locking the door. Man, I was out in the rain for about ten minutes... It was too dark to see and those rain puddles kept catching me by surprise...
He sniffed as he got into the shower after taking off his drenched clothes. Turning the knob, he realized that the hot water pipe wasn't working, much to his dismay.
"Seriously? What am I supposed to do now?" Kashino groaned as he stepped out of the shower and rubbed his hair with a towel.
At this rate, I'm going to catch a cold... But I have no other choice. He changed into pajamas and got ready for bed.
That guy, insisting that we do that pointless activity outside today of all days... Kashino thought about Johnny before drifting off into sleep.
~x~
Kashino walked into the classroom, sniffing loudly. Ugh, I feel a bit stuffed up...
"Makoto-kun!" Miya jumped the blond from behind, suffocating him as usual.
"Koshiro-sempai..." Kashino could only manage to utter those words. Too weak to oppose, he let Miya grope him all she wanted.
"I can't wait, Darling! Johnny and I are going to help your group with your shop today! Won't that be fun?"
"Sure, I guess..." Kashino suddenly felt a tickle in the back of his throat. "Er, Koshiro-sempai? I need to go."
Before she could react, Kashino had escaped into the restroom, coughing lightly in a corner. He leaned against the wall and slid to the floor shakily. "Oh, I so don't feel well..."
Pressing a hand to his forehead, he whimpered. "This is not good..."
He stood up after the coughs subsided and walked briskly back to class, barely making it. Slipping into his seat, he suffered the whole period, coughing occasionally into his sleeve.
~x~
"Kashino-kun?"
The blond turned upon hearing his name and stopped in his tracks. "Karashima-sensei."
"Are you alright? You seem a bit different today, I've noticed." He told him with concern.
"Huh? No, I'm fine. It's nothing at all." He smiled.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, yes. I'm positive."
"...Okay, then. Let me know if something's wrong." The teacher spoke before continuing down the hallway.
A few coughs erupted from Kashino's chest right then. "Urgh, that was close! I don't want anyone to see me like this..."
Suddenly, the world turned sideways. Kashino held his head, feeling woozy. He regained balance by grasping the wall tightly. "Wha-? I'm getting dizzy... Maybe I should go lie down for a bit..."
~x~
"Hey, have you seen Kashino at all today?" Ichigo asked the group at lunchtime.
"Nope," they all answered.
"Did you see Kashino today, Koshiro-san?" Ichigo asked Miya as she came over to them.
"Yeah, he was in the first class, but he disappeared after that." Miya sat down. "Well, he didn't look so good... He rushed out of the room suddenly when we were talking... And he was coughing, I think..."
Ichigo's eyes widened. "Is Kashino sick?"
"Heh? I never thought of it that way..." Miya's mouth formed the shape of the letter 'O'.
"Kashino's sick? Wow, that's a first." Johnny came from behind and sat at the table with the group.
"He seemed fine yesterday," Andou remarked.
"Let's go visit him after school then." Kana piped up.
"Yeah, let's all go!" Hanabusa replied. Lemon nodded eagerly.
"Wait, all of us? Shouldn't we lower the numbers? I mean, he's sick and we shouldn't overwhelm him too much," Ichigo explained.
"Don't worry, the bigger the crowd, the merrier!" Johnny laughed.
"I don't think that's right in this case..." Rumi shared Ichigo's look of insecurity.
~x~
Loud coughs sounded throughout the entire room. A feverish blond lay in bed, a cooling patch on his forehead. He lay on his side, not being able to stifle the coughs that continued to erupt from his chest.
"Ugh... It's all Johnny's fault that I'm like this..." Kashino moaned, grabbing a tissue and blowing his nose. "I could be in class right now, actually being productive."
He painfully coughed into his pillow nonstop. Ah, I haven't had such a bad cold in years... I guess this is the result of that... I feel so pathetic.
The blond glanced at the clock on his bedside table. "It's about time for them to go and open shop... They'll do just fine without me..." He sniffed harshly, sinking even further into the cushion. "I guess I'll try to take a nap now, I'm getting tired of coughing-"
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.
Oh-no, the dreaded sound. Someone's here to see me...
Kashino swung himself out of bed and staggered towards the door, struggling to call out, "Coming!"
He opened the door to be greeted by many familiar faces. Shocked by the sudden surprise, Kashino jumped back. "What are you guys all doing here?"
"What does it look like to you? We're going to look after you, of course. The dorm master gave us permission." Ichigo stepped forward and guided Kashino back to bed. "Stay there and we'll do the rest."
"But-" Kashino was about to protest before he started coughing loudly.
"There, there..." Andou patted his friend's back. "Don't try to talk that much."
"Yeah, you've got one mighty cold there." Johnny strolled over to Kashino's bedside.
"And whose fault was it that I caught this cold?" Kashino's expression darkened. "I-" He was immediately interrupted by another terrible coughing fit.
Everyone looked at him with concern. "A-are you okay?" Kana asked.
"*Cough* I'm... okay... *Cough* *Cough*" Kashino wheezed painfully. He sat up in bed and buried his face into his knees. "Ugh..."
"Aw, my poor Makoto-kun! What's wrong?" Miya had a worried expression on her face.
"It's just that... This is kinda embarrassing for you all to see me... like this..." Kashino peeked at them, face turning an even harsher shade of red.
"So you're ashamed? Ridiculous," Rumi scoffed. "There's no need for shame when it comes to being sick."
"But... This is the first time you've seen me..." Kashino winced. "Compare how weak I am right now to my normal self."
"Hm... I'd take the you right now," Johnny remarked.
"Johnny!" Ichigo exclaimed in horror.
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" Johnny put up his hands in defense.
Kashino glared at him. "Anyway, I still hope you realize what caused my condition..."
"Huh? ME?" Johnny pointed to himself, shocked.
"Yes, you! You held that meeting outside yesterday and took my umbrella when it was time to leave!"
"So you caught a cold from the rain? What an old grandpa you are, being so weak..." Johnny puckered his lips playfully.
"What did you say?" Kashino growled. "You... You... Achoo!"
"Johnny..." Ichigo warned, giving him a stern look.
"Hey, I was just having fun," he shrugged.
"Well, you're going a bit too far," Hanabusa sided with Ichigo. "He's sick."
Johnny just shrugged again and watched as Andou changed Kashino's cooling patch. "Fine, fine. If y'all don't want me to, then I won't tease him anymore."
"You promise?" Lemon raised an eyebrow.
"Well, maybe a little teasing could do," Johnny grinned.
A few sneezes came from the direction of the bed. Heads turned to see poor Kashino hiding under the covers, trying to stifle them.
Johnny headed over to the bed and patted Kashino's back. "Hey, you okay there, man?"
Kashino sniffed multiple times. "Huh? Not really... I feel like I'm dying..."
"You know... You don't have to hide like that..." Johnny assured him. "Come back out so you can get some oxygen."
Kashino peeked out from under the blanket at him. He remained silent, his flushed cheeks a fiery scarlet shade. He stared at Johnny quizzically before coughing even more.
"Aw, now you look so pitiful..." Johnny cooed, "You kinda look adorable when you're sick."
"What?" Kashino shot up in bed, a perplexed look on his face. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"All helpless and weak..." Johnny continued.
"Stop it! Stop saying stuff!" Kashino wailed miserably.
"Johnny!" Miya grabbed the shoulders of her cousin. "Now you're pushing over the edge. Don't take advantage of him, it's not fair!"
"Eh? But don't you think he looks kinda cute in his condition?" Johnny reasoned.
Miya stared at Kashino intently for a few seconds before concluding, "He's always cute."
Kashino turned away. "Uh..."
"Okay, then..." Johnny said slowly. He turned to face Kashino. "Makoto, why don't you go out with Miya already? Can't you see how much she adores you?"
"I... I..." Kashino was stopped by a racking coughing fit.
"Kashino, you should rest like a sick person should!" Ichigo made him lie down and pulled the blankets up to his nose.
"No, I can't rest as long as THEY are here!" he cried, directing his statement at Miya and Johnny.
"But you must!" Ichigo pressed a hand against his cheek, immediately retracting it back. "See, you're burning up. Your fever is getting really high..."
She knelt down beside him and changed his cooling patch again. I don't think that my fever's completely due to the cold, Kashino thought.
"Now, we all should go make something for Kashino to eat and drink. But someone should stay and look after him..." Ichigo took charge.
"I will!" Miya and Johnny both volunteered at once.
"Argh, just my luck..." Kashino moaned as he turned to his side.
"You two promise not to do anything?" Ichigo asked.
"Well, not anything too major..." Johnny smirked.
"Come on..." Ichigo cocked her head to the side.
"Fine, fine. You guys go ahead, and Miya and I will look after Makoto."
Ichigo looked at him uneasily before going to the private kitchen downstairs with the others.
"Now, what shall we do?" Johnny smiled eerily, gazing at Kashino in the eye.
"H-huh?" Kashino grew wide-eyed, backing up against his headboard. "What do you plan on doing to me?"
"Let's jump onto his bed!" Johnny flung himself on top of Kashino, crushing him under his weight.
Kashino let out a hoarse yelp as Johnny repeatedly threw himself on the bed several more times.
"Johnny, stop!" Miya cried. "You're killing my honey!"
"Don't you want to try, Miya? It's awfully entertaining." Johnny winked.
"No! You stop and get back on the ground this instant!"
When Johnny didn't cease his hopping, Miya grabbed Kashino and squeezed him hard. "There! Now Makoto-kun won't get hurt!"
"Hey! Put him back on the bed, he needs to rest!" Johnny insisted.
"And look who's talking!" Miya retorted.
It eventually began the tug-of-war. Kashino was choking to death because of Miya's grip on him.
"You just want him back on the bed so you can torture him, right?" Miya frowned.
"Well, don't act like you own him or something! Put him down, I said!" Johnny commanded.
"You have the nerve to argue with me?"
"Huh, like it doesn't apply to you..."
"My... My father will hear of this! And he'll punish you for sure!"
"It's always your father. Can you not depend on him so much?"
Suddenly, the door swung open and in sauntered the rest of the gang. They took one look at the three near the bed to regret their previous choice.
"Kashino!" Ichigo handed her tray to Hanabusa and rushed over to the blond, gently tucking him back in bed. "Are you alright?"
The poor chocolatier's soul had drifted out of him, unfortunately.
"What did you two do?" Kana gasped, staring at Kashino in horror.
"Yes, please explain," Andou glared at Miya and Johnny.
The cousins sheepishly looked away.
From the bed, everyone could hear Kashino coughing, even worse than before.
"I'm so sorry for this, Kashino... We came to help you get well, but we just made things worse..." Ichigo gave the blond a teeny grin.
"Yeah... You sure did..." Kashino coughed harshly into his sleeve.
"I guess we should leave now, we still need to get to the shop," Rumi started. She signaled for everyone to follow her out the door. "Get well soon, Kashino."
"Yeah, it's lonely without you," Hanabusa added.
"We need you back!" Lemon grinned.
Andou and Kana agreed with them and left. Miya and Johnny looked back at Kashino, bowed awkwardly, and followed the others out the door.
"Whew, they're all gone..." Ichigo sighed happily as she shut the door behind everyone. She walked back to Kashino and smiled. "Now I can properly take care of you."
"Finally," Kashino exhaled, relieved. He sat up in bed and gratefully took the mug of hot tea that Ichigo handed to him. "What kind is this?"
"Lemon herbal tea with honey," Ichigo explained, "to soothe your throat. It must really hurt after all that protesting, right?"
Kashino looked at her with awe; she always knew what others needed. "Yes, thanks."
Ichigo looked out the window as he sipped his tea. The room was quiet until she broke the silence. "It's still raining outside..."
"Huh?" Kashino copied her gaze. "Yeah, it is."
Ichigo smiled gently at him. "See, listen. Doesn't the sound of rain hitting against your window make you feel peaceful? I love it."
Kashino paused to hear. Soon after, he nodded. "You're right."
"So the rainy season isn't that bad after all, huh?"
"Well, apart from me catching this cold... Yeah, I guess... Ah... Achoo!"
Ichigo sat on the edge of his bed, right beside Kashino. "Are you cold?" Wrapping her arms around him, she softly mumbled, "I'll keep you warm then..."
Kashino blushed madly. "I-I wouldn't mind you doing that..."
Ichigo giggled. "Now, I wouldn't either. Your body is pretty warm and cozy to me. And the sound of rain outside just makes you feel secure and comfortable, doesn't it?"
Kashino leaned his head against Ichigo's and murmured, "Mm..."
The brunette glanced at him. "Are you hungry?"
"...I don't have much of an appetite right now..." Kashino replied softly, putting the empty cup on his bedside table. "I'm just really tired."
"Then you should get some sleep." Ichigo helped Kashino under the covers and changed his cooling patch once more.
After she slipped the cloth on his forehead, Kashino turned towards her and smiled. "Amano... Thanks for everything."
She knelt down beside him and took his hand in hers. "Of course, Kashino. I can't neglect a friend when they're sick."
"Yeah, but... Taking care of me after everyone else leaves? And also when you should be helping at the shop? I can't ever repay you..." Kashino coughed dryly.
"Hey, I was really worried about you the whole day..." Ichigo admitted. "I couldn't stop thinking in class and wondering if you were okay."
Kashino looked at her in surprise. "You were worried... about me?" He chuckled lightly. "Remember when you used to call me 'the devil'?"
"Well, you still are," Ichigo said matter-of-factly.
"Then why are you nursing me right now?" Kashino taunted.
"Hm, it seems like you're getting a lot better, so I'll just leave now..." Ichigo slowly stood.
"I'm kidding, kidding!" Kashino quickly said, painfully letting out a loud cough.
Ichigo laughed. "I know." She patted Kashino lightly on the head. "Get lots of sleep and get better soon, okay? I... I miss you a lot already," Ichigo flushed.
The blond stared into her chocolate-brown eyes. "I miss making sweets with you too."
Ichigo bit her lip. "What are we saying? It's only been one day!"
Kashino sniffed. "But that's already long enough." He sank back into the mattress and closed his eyes.
Ichigo's lips curled into a smile. She started for the door before remembering something and spinning around. "Oh, you didn't take your medicine yet, right?"
Kashino fluttered his eyes open and gazed at her. "I don't need it."
"What? Why? You have to eat it to get better!" Ichigo started looking around for pills.
Kashino patted the space next to him on the bed. "Come here."
Ichigo obeyed and sat. "What?"
Kashino looked at her in the eye. "Hug me like you did earlier."
"E-eh? Okay..." Ichigo drew him into a warm embrace.
"Now stay right here with me until I fall asleep... Don't go..." The blond huffed; he was panting due to shortness of breath.
"What? Kashino, are you okay?" Ichigo was puzzled.
"I-I'm fine..." The male sniffed a few times before smiling genuinely at her. "I can sleep now..."
"Huh? But your medicine-"
"You're my medicine... Ichigo... You're already enough for me..." Kashino whispered quietly.
The brunette blushed upon hearing him call her by her first name. "Y-you are just saying things. Now I'm really worried; the fever must've gone to your head..." But nevertheless, she pulled the blond into a closer, tighter hug.
"You know what?" Kashino mumbled, half-asleep. "You're the best medicine ever."
Ichigo stroked his hair. "And you're the best patient I've ever treated."
"Nn..." Kashino managed to let out before completely falling asleep.
Ichigo looked at the peaceful teen, breathing evenly in his slumber. She let go of him and stood, positioning the blankets correctly.
"I-Ichigo... I... l-love you..." Kashino muttered softly.
Ichigo was caught off-guard, blushing furiously as she heard him. What could he be dreaming about? His fever must be very serious. She shook her head wistfully and leaned down, planting a gentle kiss on his cheek.
"I love you too, Makoto."
Me: Well?
Kashino: ...Please post 'Acne' very soon, Hana.
Me: I will! But you didn't like this? Weren't the Kashigo moments cute? :3
Kashino: Again, I was the one in pain. How dare you!
Me: Whatever. Anyway, as I said before, I'll do my best to write and post my long-awaited story! For those of you still waiting, thanks for being so patient! And thanks to all who have read and reviewed my stories during the time I was gone. I love you all so much! T^T
Kashino: You're so girly to cry of happiness.
Me: I'm going to hit you one day... To everyone out there, thank you again! And I'll update faster because I'm finally out of school! :)
Please review! Sayonara, folks!