Kaito is willing to do anything to get out of exams, and Len doesn't like it.
Loud chatter, friendly smiles, hungry mouths, and the scent of different meals brimmed the student-filled cafeteria. The young men and women all sat with their respective social groups as they enjoyed the small break from their rigid schedule. The popular boys sat with their female companions, talking at an excessive volume, disturbing those who were rushing to finish last minute assignments while simultaneously stuffing their faces with food. Others were calmer with their conversations, keeping their tone at a moderate level as they consumed their home-made lunches.
Needless to say, everyone was savoring the lunch period.
Well, almost everyone was.
"Rinny-poo, you're so mean," a childish voice complained. "You haven't talked to me since yesterday! Have I done something to offend you?" Kaito asked with teary eyes.
The irritated blonde rolled her eyes at the blue-haired idiot. "Kaito. I can barely keep my eyes open. I can't breathe through my nose. I have a pounding headache, and I have no appetite," Rin spoke in a whisper, her sore throat preventing her from reaching her usual, bold tone. "Can you blame me for being so...unpleasant?"
Yes, Rin Kagamine was sick. She caught a cold after coming back from her annual family trip to Hokkaido. At first, Rin didn't pay any attention to the subtle symptoms. A headache was nothing out of the ordinary; she was used to them, especially after being Kaito's friend for so many years.
But after a week with the immense pain, Rin was struck with a severe fever. Her mother got the girl some medicine, which helped eliminate the burning sensation, but her itchy throat still remained a bother.
The blonde female next to Rin released a small, elegant laugh. "You should have stayed home, Rin," she scolded, a teasing smirk sitting on her glossy lips.
"I wanted to, but I have a whole shitload of exams, and I can't afford to miss a day," Rin explained as she grabbed another clean tissue from her pocket to wipe her runny nose. "Unlike you, Mayu, I actually care about my education."
Mayu smirked at her friend's attitude. "Ah, you're such a scholar. Really, you're making me look bad."
Rin kept a straight face. "Ha, ha. Look, I'm in no mood to deal with your sass."
Mayu blinked innocently at the accusation. "Sass? Me? Never!"
A pair of blue eyes stared knowingly at the girl. "Yeah, uh-huh. Okay."
Kaito, who listened to the entire exchange of words with much interest, finally acted. He scooted closer to Rin. Wanting her attention, the young man began to tap her on the shoulder. "Hey, hey, Rin. Can you do me a favor?"
Rin raised a brow. "Eh? A favor?"
"Mm-hmm."
She glared at him while taking notice of his joyful tone. "You're way too happy...this can't be good."
Kaito shook his head fiercely. "Aww, come on, Rinny-kins. Don't be like that!"
Rin's left eye twitched in annoyance when her sensitive ears picked up the dreadful name. "Can you stop with the insulting nicknames?" she asked through gritted teeth.
"Can I? Sure." Kaito smiled teasingly, appreciating the agitated look on his childhood friend's face. "Will I? I don't know…"
Rin growled at his aggravating jokes. "Ugh, just tell me what you want already."
Kaito beamed at her words. "Okay!" He cleared his throat before he began to explain his situation. "Well, you see, I have a big evaluation for my English class on Friday."
Rin - at this point - was massaging her temples with hopes of reducing her migraine. "Uh-huh…" she responded mindlessly, her focus drifting away from her blue-haired classmate. Mayu, as well, had distracted herself from the conversation, and her golden eyes were glued to her fading manicure.
"And I have to give a presentation for a project - a presentation in English," Kaito continued, despite the lack of attention from the two girls.
"Yeah…"
"You poor thing."
"And I haven't really studied nor done my project," Kaito admitted sheepishly, slightly embarrassed of his irresponsible behavior.
"Okay…"
"So I was wondering if you could pass your cold onto me?" Kaito requested in the most hopeful voice he could muster.
Upon hearing this, Rin froze. She blinked once - twice - before looking up. She shot a questioning look at the boy. "Kaito," Rin said, "you do know how colds work, right?"
Kaito used his best puppy eyes to persuade the younger girl into participating in his complex scheme. "Rinny-poo, please! I'm begging you! Please, help me! Please~"
Rin glanced at Mayu and mouthed, "Make him stop."
Mayu giggled, entertained by the boy's antics. "Kaito, what exactly do you want Rin to do?"
Kaito stopped his pleas to look at the pale girl. "Umm, Rin-chan doesn't really have to do anything. I just need her permission to follow her around with hopes that I'll get sick by Friday. If I can do that, the teacher will see that I can't properly speak, and I'll have more time until I recover."
Rin's poker face was unsettling. With dead and tired eyes, she glared at the stupid boy. "Kaito. Being sick is horrible," she told him seriously. "Besides, it's your fault for not doing your work."
Kaito gave her an exasperated look. "Rin! English is really hard! I have to write an essay in English and present it to the class! Do you know how difficult that is?!"
She lowered her eyes, not fazed by his reasons. "Kaito. Rather than waste your time by trying to get sick, why don't you use this week wisely and do your project?" she suggested.
Kaito looked offended. "You mean… Do my own work? Like an animal?" he asked with a dramatic amount of utter disbelief.
Rin really wanted to strangle Kaito's neck, but she fought against that burning desire. 'Calm down, Rin. There are way too many witnesses. Besides, the food in jail isn't good…You'd probably die from hunger in there.'
Mayu smirked at the troubled expression on the blonde's face. She leaned towards her friend, her joyful eyes shining with amusement. "Hmm, Rin. Don't be so stiff. Kaito is your friend, after all. Don't you think you should help him?"
Rin glared at her. "You're not helping."
She grinned. "I'm only doing my job."
Kaito clasped his hands together and bowed his head deeply at the irritated blonde. "Please! Rinny-poo! If I don't do well on this project, my mom will punish me!"
Rin eyed the begging man, a speck of guilt forming in the pit of her stomach as she heard his desperate tone. 'Don't give in, Rin. Don't give in, Rin. You're a strong woman.'
"Are you seriously going to deny a wish from your precious friend?" Mayu pitched in, her audible snickers driving Rin to the limit.
"Please, Rinny-kins~ I need your help!"
Rin clenched her hands, still battling against her kind instincts. Usually, she'd help Kaito and Mayu with their homework without putting up much of a fight because she knew how much they struggled to keep up with the class lectures. They needed some motivation, and she was okay with helping them, but this was ridiculous. If she kept pampering Kaito like that, he'd eventually lose the ability to do anything! And if he doesn't do anything, he'll probably die alone! He won't even have cats by his side because he'll be too lazy to take care of them!
That's right. Rin Kagamine is the sanest person out of the three.
"Please~" Kaito raised his head to reveal his secret weapon. His handsome blue eyes were now glassy puppy eyes that have always managed to pull on Rin's heart strings. Once he puts on his best puppy face, he can pretty much get whatever he wants. "Please…"
Those eyes hit Rin like a truck. She tried to pull her attention from those alluring orbs, but it was to no avail. With a displeased groan, she muttered, "Fine, fine. I'll help you."
Kaito's expression immediately lit up at her compliance. "Yay! Thank you, Rin-chan! You're the best!" He plunged forward and engulfed the sick girl in a tight embrace.
Rin scowled at the affection. "Get away, you idiot! I'm sick!"
Mayu giggled at the warm scene before her. "You already gave him permission, my dear. He's only trying to get your germs into his system."
The blonde threw a deadly look at the female. "Mayu, stop saying odd things like that. "
"Ah? It's the truth."
"I will seriously hurt you, Mayu, if you don't stop talking."
"Eh? Kaito, Rinny-chan is abusing me with her abusive words."
"Rin-chan, you know that's not nice."
"I'm not apologizing."
Yes, almost everyone was savoring the lunch period.
"Len, over here!"
The blond lifted his head when his ears recognized the familiar voice of his upperclassman. "I'm coming!" he called back with a small smile as he gripped his lunch tray. He stepped forward with great confidence, which soon disappeared when he heard a well-known voice.
"Kaito! For the love of God, get away from me! You're suffocating me!"
Len stopped in his tracks to check on the commotion. His gentle eyes traveled across the cafeteria where they landed on a loud trio. A young girl with light blonde hair was smiling at the blue-haired male who was glued to a flustered blonde. "That's Rin…" he mumbled under his breath. 'She doesn't look as gloomy as yesterday. I'm guessing she's better… That's a relief.'
"But Rinny-poo! I need physical contact!"
"S-Shut up, Kaito! Don't say things like that!"
'Rinny-poo? Physical contact? Since when are Rin and Kaito so close?' Len's gaze entered oblivion, causing him to be oblivious to the presence near him.
"Hey, Len," a male voice spoke, breaking the boy from his concentrated thoughts.
Len blinked. "Huh?"
A tall figure loomed over him in concern. "You okay, Len? You were spacing out."
Len smiled sheepishly. "A-Ah, I'm fine, Gakupo-senpai. I was just thinking," he whispered before he glanced once more at the blonde.
Gakupo followed his gaze and smirked when he saw the source of his torment. "Young love is beautiful, isn't it?"
Len snapped his eyes open. "W-What?"
Gakupo laughed at his immediate reaction. "Kid, she'll never know how you feel if you never tell her," he said before walking off, leaving a stunned and confused boy behind. "It's all about courage, my boy!"
Len's eyes widened in surprise. "C-Courage…?"
"Len, are you coming?"
Len jumped at Gakupo's voice. He shook his head, clearing his mind from his previous thoughts. "Coming!" He jogged over to the table and forced a smile to adorn his handsome face. 'I'm sure Kaito is just playing around. Nothing serious is happening between the two.
...Right?'
"So, Kaito, when does your plan begin?" Mayu asked as she ran her fingers through her long, beautiful hair.
The man tilted his head to the side in deep thought. "Hmm, if I want to see results faster, then I think it would be wise for us to start today!"
Rin lifted her head from the table. "Today?" she asked in a daze. She was currently trying to take a light nap, but her friends were not helping.
Kaito nodded. "Yeah, we only have five days. We can't waste any time."
Mayu raised a brow. "You want to get sick within five days?"
"Yes, ma'am."
Rin laughed dryly. "Good luck with that."
Kaito grinned. "Thanks, Rin. I look forward to working with you."
"I don't."
"Oh, Rin. Don't be like that."
"Shut up, Mayu."
This will probably be a six-shot if I don't lose the motivation to continue it.
(I don't own anything)
