Ulrich notices the difference almost immediately.
Yumi is pale, she looked like she hasn't slept for weeks, there were bags under her eyes and she had her jacket wrapped tightly around her. Yumi's not one to be quiet during their usual get togethers before and between classes, quite the opposite in fact, and the Yumi he knew would never opt out of a mission to fight off Xana. She knew more than anyone that the entire world was at stake whenever Xana reared its ugly head. This concerns Ulrich greatly. They were best friends after all, maybe even more. She was his go to friend, knowing she always had his back and it seemed that she always knew what to say, no matter what the situation. Much to her dislike, Ulrich had grown fairly overprotective of the geisha, which annoyed her no doubt, but she appreciated it. He made a mental note to ask Yumi if she was okay after deactivating the tower.
He never got his chance. Yumi is already halfway down the hall even before Jeremie could finish his explanation of a new program he had installed. Their four pairs of eyes followed Yumi's shadow as she rushed out of the dorm room, everyone glancing to each other in concern. Unlike Yumi, he informed his friends that he'd be leaving, getting off of his bed and dashes down the hall. He wanted to find her and make sure she was alright. He hears a gagging noise coming from the girls bathroom and he pauses, raising a hand hesitantly and knocking tentatively.
"Yumi, are you alright in there?"
Yumi keeps coughing from behind the door, but doesn't respond.
Ulrich's voice drops a little, just loud enough for Yumi to hear him if she was listening. "Yumi, please, open the door...Let me take care of you."
There's a groaning sound filling the bathroom, but Yumi still refused to unlock the door. Ulrich frowns, knocking again and asking for Yumi to open the door with the most gentle voice he could muster, but the geisha just pleads for him to leave her alone. Ulrich sighs in defeat and walks back to the others waiting in his dorm, warning them of Yumi's questionable condition.
Nearly an hour passes before Yumi lets herself out of the bathroom. She's trembling, her legs look like they'll give out any moment. Ulrich is already there helping her up, slipping his hand around Yumi's waist and resting her arm over his shoulder. She leans into him, thankful for his support. He helps her into his room, relieved to see the others have left, lays her onto his bed and makes sure she's stable enough before he leaves to get her a bottle of water.
Yumi genuinely tries to smile at him, but she just looks so tired and it's all to obvious that she's in pain. Her eyes were clouded and fading, her skin was paler than earlier and it looked like she was going to faint at any moment. Ulrich can feel the strings of his heart pulling in every direction, wanting more than anything to help, but unsure of what to do.
"Yumi, you can talk to me. Do I need to take you to the infirmary? I will if-" Yumi is already shaking her head in disagreement, but Ulrich isn't sure she was thinking clearly.
"Drink this." Ulrich eases the bottle into Yumi's hand, making sure she swallowed some water and she winces, her throat raw from no doubt vomiting in the bathroom for that long hour. She nods her thanks, squinting to see him, her vision blurred. He examines her from Odd's bed, her hands trembling and looking like she was on the brink of death. He could barely stand it, having the urge to do something but having no idea what to do. He wanted to make her feel better, but how could he when he didn't know what the problem was?
"I-I'm sorry, Ulrich." Yumi manages to stammer out, a vulnerable look gracing her weary face. He couldn't understand why. Why was she sorry?
"There's nothing to apologize for, you're sick. I just want to help."
She's just shaking her head, like he didn't get it. She had done something wrong, but was terribly afraid to admit it. Before he knows it, she's racing back to the bathroom. Ulrich is up just as quick, following her to the sink of the girl's bathroom (yes, it was awkward, but all that really mattered was that Yumi was okay). He gently placed a hand on the geisha's back, rubbing soothingly.
Yumi's hunched over the sink, dry heaving and willing fluid to come out. Ulrich knew he should be repulsed, but he's just too worried to even consider it.
"It's okay, Yumi. Everything's gonna be okay, alright?"
Ulrich continues to rub at Yumi's back until she stops. Her body continues to shiver, but it's not as extreme and her breathing slows. She had finally regained control over her body. Even still, Ulrich's hands are lingering on her body, lightly caressing her arm and back. He wants to take care of her...He loves her, but he was much to scared to say it.
"Thank you." Yumi breathes out. Ulrich just smiles in return. He grabs a bunch of paper towels and runs them under the water, beginning to wipe away the sweat gathering on her forehead.
"But, I can take of myself, you know." Yumi begins, but Ulrich just rolls his eyes playfully, making her chuckle. Just the sound of her laugh, a sign that she was going to make it, was enough to make his heart race.
"Listen, I was trying to say sorry earlier because I didn't want you to think that you were obligated to take care of me. I made so stupid choices last night and this morning...So I'm paying the consequences now."
Ulrich was confused, not really sure where she's going with all of this, but doesn't interrupt.
"When I get stressed, I have these mental breakdowns and last night was a serious blow. I just couldn't handle it."
Yumi met his gaze, daring him to say something, to be pretentious and fake like her parents, but he keeps his usually bold mouth shut for her sake.
"I woke up with morning with a deadly headache and it went downhill from there. My body followed suit. It's the worst feeling in the world." Yumi rubs at her eyes and Ulrich just want to hug her tight. He wanted to take away all the pain she was feeling, but he didn't dare move an inch.
"I had enough of it and just told myself 'take some pain pills, it will make the pain go away'. I started with two as it recommended, but when the pain didn't go away, I just started taking more and more, waiting for them to take effect. I must've lost count...But, probably about one third of the bottle later, I realized I could die if I kept this up. At first I was okay with it because the pain was just too much...But I later understood that I have a lot to live for, even if I couldn't see it right then. I have friends and family that will miss me and love me more than I ever will."
"Yumi, I..." What if she doesn't feel the same way? He quickly changed his sentence. "I-I care about you, okay?"
"Yeah, I know, I just...After this morning, I've been trying to make myself throw up to get the medication out of my system, I'm just thankful it's not worse. I don't really want to die, I just lose track sometimes and I don't know if I can-"
"Stop. Just stop, Yumi."
He pulls her to him and hugs her as tightly as possible, hoping that by some divine power all of the pain and aching she had suffered through will be transferred into him instead, but he knew that's not how the world works. So he settles for holding her close until she rested her head at the crook of his neck, sighing.
"Ulrich, you're the reason why I realized I have so much to live for." Yumi whispers against his skin and he freezes.
He loosens his hold on her just enough for Yumi to lean back and look at him. Ulrich doesn't know what to say. He's been in love with her since the moment they met, but he never would have thought he'd hear her say that, to him of all people. On the inside, he is screaming at himself for being such a wimp and he should have been able to admit his feelings to her a long time ago. He's yelling at himself to do something, say something, anything really because the love of his life just admitted her feelings and he's just sitting there like a complete idiot.
So, Ulrich leans in and pressed his lips to hers. It surprises him at how soft and sweet her lips are, their kiss so kind and innocent. His head is spinning from just the idea of being able to do this.
Yumi moves her arms, hugging him back and Ulrich decides that it is the most amazing feeling he will ever experience. He rests his hands on her hips and smiles against her lips.
"I've always wanted to tell you that I love you, but I've always been too scared. I can't believe it took you being incredibly sick for me to realize I can't stand the thought of you in pain." He murmurs as he pulls away.
She just shrugs. "It seems we both have that flaw, hm?" Ulrich nods in agreement.