A/N: happy hearts' day you nerds

Word Count: 1,571

Chapter 5: Tomorrow is a Better Day

Sagishi resumed his mundane life the next day, unwilling as he was to do so. Surprisingly, neither Yukizome–sensei nor any of his classmates badgered him about his absence yesterday. He thinks maybe Tsumiki told them about it. She's been giving him a worried look all morning, and Sagishi's sure she would have talked to him by now if it wasn't for her shyness. Even Yukizome–sensei was doing it, whenever she think he's not looking. He doesn't need it, Sagishi thinks stubbornly.

Fourth period was lunch, something Sagishi was dreading. He'd better find Shinobu before she finds him first and assume he's hiding from her on purpose.

He was right. By the time he could shuffle his way out of the classroom, Shinobu was already outside the door, impatiently waiting for him.

"Where were you yesterday?" she demanded when she was already face to face with him, meeting his eyes with her own in an unspoken challenge. She had to tilt her chin up and stand tiptoed to accomplish it, however. Typical of his little big sister.

He smiled back sheepishly. It didn't work. At least now he was sure the news hadn't spread out of his class and possibly the faculty room.

"Byakuya was looking for you, you know, even if he wouldn't admit it," Shinobu continued.

"I didn't think he'd notice," Sagishi said flatly. "I didn't think he'd even care whether or not I was there yesterday."

Shinobu sighed. "Of course he cares. You know our little brother."

"Half little brother," Sagishi corrected. "Though I doubt either of us are even still allowed to call him that. You know the rules."

She glared at him before insisting on asking again. "So where were you yesterday?"

He shrugged, unwilling to answer. It wasn't her business anyway.

Shinobu groaned. "I swear, the name you took suits you so well, Sagishi. If you ever decide to go around dressed as Byakuya, no one will notice he's not you, the way you both act irritatingly similar to each other."

Sagishi's face immediately colored. "Well, Blue Ink, I hope you're having fun as Byakuya's unpaid secretary."

That made her storm off in a huff, and now he was free to eat his lunch in peace. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew he'd probably regret it soon.

He doesn't really know how, but he managed to do it for a week, attending classes as if nothing was wrong, even as Shinobu doesn't greet him in halls anymore, even as she stopped answering his calls.

As draining as it was, he still couldn't help but drop by at the hospital every day, even if Ryouta's mother insisted that he didn't really need to. She was there without fail whenever he arrives, sometimes weeping, at other times staring blankly. Sagishi knew instinctively that she only ever leaves whenever he's there to watch over Ryouta, knew that neither of them want to leave Ryouta alone in case it happens again.

For the past couple of days, however, Sagishi couldn't help but notice how Ryouta's mother wore thicker makeup than usual. Was it just to hide her tears and exhaustion, or was it for something else entirely? Come to think of it, has Ryouta's father ever been here at all?

It's been a week, and the only one that Sagishi thinks remains unchanged was Ryouta himself. Still unmoving, still unresponsive to any amount of pleading his mother must have uttered by now.

(The fact is, even if Sagishi doesn't want to admit it to himself, Ryouta looks like he's sinking as the days pass, with his cheeks looking more and more hollowed, the circles beneath his eyes growing more and more darker, the sometimes erratic beeping of the heart monitor that made Sagishi panic more than once becoming more and more frequent, his already sallow complexion fading more and more that Sagishi was afraid Ryouta will fade away completely one day.)

Today Sagishi arrived to see Ryouta's mother neither weeping nor staring. She was whispering to her son, clasping Ryouta's hand tightly with both of her own.

"—n't let your father allow it. I can't bear it. You have to wake up. Please."

"Do what, oba–san?" Sagishi asked aloud without thinking, suddenly afraid of the answer.

The sudden question startled her, making her look up at Sagishi with guilty eyes. "Nothing. It's nothing," she insisted as she gently dropped her son's hand to straighten out her jacket. "I— I have to go home for a while. You're staying, right?"

Sagishi nodded cautiously.

"Watch over him. Tell me if anything's changed. I'll be back in a bit."

She left in a hurry, without explaining what she meant by her words.

"Hey, Ryouta, what was that about?" Sagishi asked once she disappeared, turning to Ryouta.

There was no reply, of course.

"When I told you to get some more sleep that one time, I didn't mean sleeping for an entire week, you know," Sagishi continued, still not dropping his cheerful façade as he tried to busy himself with arranging the curtains.

"So, when are you even planning on waking up?" he asked, suddenly furious, throwing the curtains forcefully that they flapped back noisily towards the window.

Ryouta's face remained impassive.

Sagishi sat down and sighed, trying to avoid having to look at Ryouta's face again. It felt too much for him.

"I thought you wanted to attend school again. How are you supposed to do that when you stay like that? Wake up," Sagishi repeated helplessly.

Again, there was nothing.

Was it just his imagination, or was the beeping becoming faster again?

To pass the time, Sagishi tried to do his schoolwork. It was no use. It just wasn't the same to do it alone, after having someone to do it with him for a whole year. He gave up the attempt after a while, as his thoughts kept drifting elsewhere, and because he always ends up stopping every few problems to nervously check if anything's changed with Ryouta. The incessant beeping and hissing weren't helping his case either, as they managed to worm their way into his mind that he was sure he'd go mad if this situation continued any further.

When Sagishi heard the door slide open sometime after he abandoned his schoolwork, he didn't even bother looking up from staring blankly at Ryouta's face. He was sure it was just a nurse, as Ryouta's mother wouldn't have come back so quickly, right?

As it turns out, it was neither. Unless Tsumiki counted as a nurse now.

She was still wearing her school uniform, looking at Sagishi with the same worried expression she had all week.

"Why are you here, Tsumiki? Aren't you supposed to be on duty right now?" Sagishi asked.

"I–It's my day off. A–and I asked around to find you. Both of you," Tsumiki replied nervously.

"And?" Sagishi turned his gaze back to Ryouta.

"How is he?" Tsumiki asked.

"Still unconscious, what do you think? And you don't even know him so why do you care?"

Tsumiki only smiled. "He's still part of our class."

"So? At this rate, I don't know if he'd ever get to attend classes."

Tsumiki was now right beside Sagishi, hands stuck in midair like she was unsure of what to do with them. "You have to stop this. Everyone's worried about you. You haven't paid attention to class all week. Yukizome–sensei says your grades are slipping, and exams are coming up next week. Have you even reviewed for them at all?"

Something in Sagishi finally snapped, and before he knew it, he was already shouting. "No. How am I supposed to focus when he's like that? When I think I could have done something to prevent this? How am I supposed to do anything?" he demanded, glaring at Tsumiki.

It made Tsumiki take several steps back. "I–I'm sorry, I was just trying to help I—"

She stopped babbling all of a sudden, and in its place she gave an audible gasp.

"What?" Sagishi asked irritably.

Tsumiki didn't answer, still staring. Sagishi followed her eyes instead to find out what it was that made her stop.

It was Ryouta. He's awake. He was blinking slowly, probably trying to make sense of what's going on. He's awake.

"I have to fetch a nurse," Sagishi said hurriedly as he tried to stand up.

He couldn't leave, however. Ryouta was weakly gripping Sagishi's hand, all the while staring, pleading with his tired hazel eyes to not be left alone. So Sagishi didn't.

"I–I'll do it," Tsumiki said as she rushed out of the room.

"Hey, I'm here," Sagishi assured Ryouta, returning his grip, not wanting to let go either. "I won't leave, I promise."

Ryouta blinked back. If it wasn't for the ventilator tube still in his mouth, he might have smiled. After a few seconds, he fell back asleep.

In that moment, Sagishi swore he'd never fail Ryouta again.

A/N: tbh i was thinking of posting this next week so you guys would get what sagishi was feeling but ehhh i promised yesterday that i'll post it today so yeah

idk when i'll be able to update, i have a shitton of exams coming up in the next few weeks