"Oh no! Are you okay? You look pale! Here, let me take care of you!"
He blinked, staring at the screen and reviewing the different responses. Iguchi slouched a little and looked away from his dating sim as he selected the "hug" option. It had been days since he last saw Kemuri and this was the only way he could think to make himself feel better. Though it barely helped.
The past three weeks had been great. When they first met, he never would have imagined that she would want to see him again, but they had become so close. Kemuri delivered all of his meals, always wearing that shy little smile, and no matter how many times he saw her, it always sent his pulse into a fluttery fit. She even came to his apartment to spend time with him on her days off.
Now, the restaurant sent someone else to deliver his meals. One of the other girls. They would knock at his door, drop the bag, and hurry off as if the sight of him would make them retch. It left him feeling even worse than it used to. Now that he knew what it felt like to have someone greet him with a smile, it hurt to have people rush to avoid eye contact.
Iguchi looked down at his controller and sighed as he clicked a button. The girl on the screen was cute. Seeing her used to make the scales on his cheeks take on a slight pinkish tint and make his heart pound. Now, he just felt empty.
The restaurant never gave him an explanation as to why Kemuri stopped delivering his food and even though he had her phone number, he was afraid to call her. He was afraid he did something wrong the last time he saw her. That he might have upset her somehow and now she never wanted to see him again. It made his chest hurt to think about it, but he was sure this was his fault.
He saved the game and fell onto his back, holding up his phone and staring at her phone number. All it would take was a phone call, maybe even just type a message, but he was terrified. Maybe it's better for her to just ghostme, he thought with another sigh.
His sharp nails tapped against the back of the phone as he worried for the worst. That Kemuri might have met a guy so she had to cut ties with him. A cute, normal-looking guy that could actually take her on dates. Someone that was not afraid to show his face in public.
Another part of him was still worried that he had messed up the last time he saw her. Iguchi thought back to the last night she delivered his food and he closed his eyes. It was about four days ago. It had been after the restaurant closed for the day.
Kemuri showed up with that sweet smile meant just for him, clutching the takeout bag in both hands. Her long, thick red hair was in twin ponytails that were draped forward over her shoulders. He remembered thinking how cute she looked, standing there in her matching polka dot rain boots and raincoat.
That's right! It was raining! What if she's sick? And it's my fault for making her always go out so late! Iguchi ran his fingers through his messy purple hair and looked away from the screen for a second as he thought about what he was going to do next.
It was one of those things he never thought he would do. Calling a girl on the phone. His palms started to sweat as he hovered his thumb over her phone number. A lump formed in his throat and his stomach churned. He had never called a girl before; he rarely talked with anyone on the phone. Speaking on his mic for gaming was totally different from calling a girl.
He listened to the phone ring, his pulse accelerating with each ring until the other end clicked. "Sorry! Uh…this is Kemuri-san, right?" Iguchi held his breath, waiting for the answer. He winced at the sound of ragged coughing.
"Nh. Y-yes. I'm sorry, I'm not feeling well…Iguchi-san."
Guilt settled heavily in his stomach and he pushed himself to sit up. "Are you okay?" He once again worried that she might have caught a cold from being out in the rain when she was bringing his food.
"Yes. It's just a sore throat," she tried to assure him. Kemuri's voice sounded rough, but she was trying to sound cheerful.
Iguchi spoke with her a little more, but he felt awkward. He felt guilty. When the call ended, he frowned and looked to his apartment door. I want to make her feel better. She's always doing stuff for me. But for me to do anything, I'll have to go out there.
The thought of going outside and being in public filled him with dread. He remembered what happened the last time he went out. The stares, the whispers, the word "lizard" and "lizard man" coming up in the conversations of the people around him. The way the cashier at the convenience store had been reluctant to take his money or even look directly at him.
People in the city were so similar to people from his village. They treated him like a freak, like a monster. Even though he barely spoke two words to them. Even though he was afraid and just wanted to get his things and go home. If they knew that he was just as unsettled as they were, he knew it would make no difference. He looked so dramatically different from most people that his feelings and intentions made no difference to them.
She's sick, though. I'm pretty sure she said she lives alone, too. Iguchi looked down at his hands and curled them into fists, nodding to himself. I want to do something for her. If I make it quick, maybe it won't be so bad. I know where she lives so I just have to get some supplies.
He found a clean pair of jeans and a hoodie, which he wore under a jacket. His hand ran through his hair as he tried to summon up the courage to leave his apartment. The lump was present in his throat again and Iguchi felt sick to his stomach when he finally left, but he wanted to do this for her.
He played so many dating sims, watched so many movies, read so much manga. Iguchi had seen this scenario play out before and he never thought he would be in this situation. Taking care of a sick friend. Before Kemuri, he never really had anyone that he would consider himself close with. No one else accepted him as wholeheartedly as she did.
Thankfully, it was dark outside when he stepped out of his apartment. Just standing there in the open was enough to set him on edge, but he pushed himself. Iguchi pulled up his hood and walked with his head down, hands shoved deep into his pockets. Going over a mental list of what he needed to get at the store.
Lozenges, cold medicine, orange juice, some kind of gift, and two cups of instant ramen. The convenience store was pretty empty since it was late so dodging people's gazes was easy enough. He avoided eye contact with the clerk as he rang up the items and instead of handing the money to the man, he set it on the counter and pushed it toward him. Iguchi could feel the man's stare and from his peripheral, he could see his disgusted frown. His shoulders slouched in response, but he finished the transaction without the man saying anything to him.
I just want to do something nice for her, he reminded himself. I'm trying to do something nice. Why can't this be easy? He looked at me like I was a freak. A sigh escaped him as he stepped outside and pulled his hood up again.
He knew what he looked like, but he could not help how he looked. People always treated him like this was a choice he made. Like he had purposefully selected "lizard man" in character creation. They took one look at him and deemed him a monster.
Even now, standing outside under a streetlight and checking his phone, people were giving him a wide berth as they walked by. Other pedestrians were giving him odd looks, like they thought he was going to unhinge his jaw and snap their heads off. He hated it and the stress was making him feel like there was a hole in his stomach.
Iguchi pulled at his hood more and lowered his head as he started to walk away from the light. Keeping a quick pace and avoiding the streetlights. Even without anyone saying things about him, it still hurt. Their stares felt like needles stabbing into his body. The frowns, the looks of fear or disgust when he was just trying to live his life.
Finding Kemuri's apartment was easy enough. They had talked about it before and she had told him where the building was, mentioning that she had purple curtains on her window. The problem came when he thought about going to her door and knocking. He had never gone to a girl's home before and just the thought of it was making him so nervous that his hands shook.
I have to do this. I want to help her feel better. All I have to do is drop this off and go. I know she might not want to see me. It's my fault that she's sick. If I didn't make her bring my stuff all the time, she wouldn't have been out in the rain. Iguchi swallowed the lump in his throat and gripped the grocery bag firmly. Just get it over with and I can go home again.
He walked into the building, keeping his head down to avoid meeting the gaze of her neighbors. His throat felt tight when he got to the door with the nameplate "Kemuri" and he stood for a long moment staring at it. The intense thudding of his heart combined with the twisting feeling in his gut. He lifted a fist to knock, but his eyes widened when he realized how much he was shaking.
What if she's mad at me? What if she doesn't want to see me? What if she doesn't want to talk to me again? She got sick because of me. This is all my fault! I finally got close to a girl and I blew it! I made Kemuri catch a cold! He ran his clawed fingers through his hair and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. I'll just knock and tell her through the door. She probably won't want to open it when she sees me anyway.
Iguchi gathered his courage and knocked gently. He subconsciously held his breath as he heard the soft sound of footsteps and prepared what he was going to say. He planned to apologize, tell her that the supplies were in front of her door, and then hurry home so he could forget about this night.
To his surprise, the door actually opened. Kemuri stood there in front of him looking kind of out of it, but undeniably cute in her pink pajamas with white hearts on them. She blinked up at him, her narrow golden eyes taking a moment to process it was him, and then a smile spread across her face. "Shuichi-kun," she greeted him.
He felt blood instantly rush to his cheeks. No girl had ever called him "Shuichi" and hearing his name in that sweet, but kind of hoarse, voice made his heart palpitate. He rubbed the back of his neck and tried to smile. "I-I brought some medicine for your cold," he explained, muttering. "And I got some other stuff that I thought would make you feel better."
She pushed the door open more and gestured for him to come in. "I'll make some tea. Ah…do you like green tea or…do you like black tea?" The girl moved off toward the small kitchen, her slim black tail waving side to side lazily. Her long red hair was in messy waves from probably just waking up from a nap.
"Oh! Um…I'll take either one. Whatever you want." Iguchi hesitantly took a step into her apartment, his pulse going wild. This was his first time being invited into a girl's home and her place was the most welcoming, comfortable place he had ever seen. A well-stocked little kitchen area, a bed in the corner of the main room covered in fluffy blankets and pillows, a television set up against the wall, and various potted flowers all around the apartment.
"If you want to sit down…um…I don't really have any chairs, but you can sit on the bed if you want." Kemuri smiled at him as she filled the tea kettle.
He felt nervous, but walked over and sat on the edge of her bed. With so many blankets and pillows, it felt really soft, but it reminded him of a nest almost. His eyes caught sight of something familiar on the blanket and floor nearby, making them widen. Kemuri had left a handheld console and a collection of games around her bed. "You got a console?" he asked, glancing over and blushing.
She nodded and left the water to heat up. "I wanted to be able to play with you, but…I-I wanted to get better before asking." Kemuri sat beside him on the edge of the bed, fidgeting with one of her curling black horns. "I'm sorry…I wasn't able to bring your food. I was out-"
"You don't have to apologize! Akane-chan, you caught a cold because you were out in the rain bringing my food!" he argued. Iguchi's blush intensified when he called her "Akane" and he saw her face go almost as red as her hair.
The girl lowered her head and nervously tapped a fingernail against her horn. "I-I wasn't out with a cold. It's not a cold. It's embarrassing, but it's…something to do with my quirk." Her hand lowered to her throat and she frowned deeply. "Fire-breathing is a quirk that runs in my father's side of the family. The doctor said I should've inherited it, but…the special part in my family members' throats that lets them breathe fire…I have it, but it's deformed. I was born that way. So I can only manage to get the smoke to come out and I get embers trapped in my throat sometimes. I get throat infections easily because of it."
Relief washed over him, now that he knew it was not a cold, but he still felt bad for her. To be born with a deformity that altered her quirk, on top of her insecurities about her appearance. He had never met someone he could sympathize with so deeply before. Iguchi swallowed the nervousness and reached over to wrap an arm around her. He was unsure of what to say and this was all he could think to do to try to make her feel better.
Kemuri leaned against him, feeling warm at his side. "Th-thank you."
Iguchi heard her stomach growl and an idea came to mind. Putting a hand on her shoulder, he looked down into her eyes. "You didn't eat yet, right? Let me make something for you. I mean, I can't cook as well as you can, but I can make some ramen for us!" When she nodded, he felt his heart soaring.