I shifted on my feet a bit as I stared out into the vast crowd of Arcadia Movement members. Since I usually had lessons early in the morning, I never ran into the crowd, but since Divine messaged me and told me that I had the day off, I had decided to hang back until later. Still… There were so many people that I didn't know. Maybe I'd just get breakfast and head back to my room?

Figuring this was the best course of action, I began making my way through the cafeteria, which was when I caught sight of a familiar head of gray hair. I considered calling out to the teen, but upon seeing how out of it she looked, I found myself pausing. Instead of the normal, hyperactive, hero-obsessed duelist she usually was, Ida seemed fairly depressed. She was sitting at a table all by herself, absentmindedly swirling her bowl of cereal with a spoon while resting her cheek on the palm of her free hand.

The sight disturbed me. I abandoned my mission of getting food and made my way over towards Ida's table. Even when I was standing less than three feet from her, she still didn't seem to notice me. Suppressing a sigh, I pulled out the chair opposite of where she was seated and sat down. "Ida, what's wrong?" I asked. Still no response. Just as I considered reaching out to try and snap her awake, the teen stopped swirling her cereal.

"Hey, Aki," Ida mumbled before going back to her stirring. Well, it was better than nothing, but still.

"Ida, come on, what's wrong? It's not like heroes to just sit and not do anything, right?" I decided to rephrase my concerns, figuring that if I threw heroism into it, it'd cheer her up a bit.

"It's just… I'm worried, that's all," Ida muttered before resting her spoon against the side of the bowl and looking up at me. "You see, before breakfast, Kaze and I usually head down and do a duel puzzle or structure duel together as a wake-up exercise. Today, Kaze didn't show up, so I figured maybe he was just sleeping in so I visited his room. The door was shut and even when I pounded on it, he didn't answer," Ida's hands tightened into fists as she spoke. "Aki, did something happen yesterday? Anything at all? Was Kaze acting different or something?"

I quickly cursed my ignorance. Last night, I had known something was up with Kaze, but I let it go without questioning it. Now something really was wrong with him!

Ida raised her eyebrow at me, apparently noticing my shift in thoughts but not sure what it was about. I couldn't tell her, though. I had to confirm that something was wrong first. Yesterday I caused them so much trouble because I jumped to conclusions. Maybe Kaze was just in the bathroom…? Since he was there he missed Ida, so nothing was really wrong at all.

"No, nothing out of the ordinary," I said as I stood up. "I'll be back, though. I… forgot my extra deck in my room," I struggled for an excuse. Ida continued to stare at me, her skepticism evident, but I pretended to not acknowledge it and simply left.

Once I was out of her sight, I sped up to a brisk pace as I made my way to Kaze's room. Ida had said that she had knocked and he didn't answer, but what if he was just busy? Maybe he was in there and he was just too preoccupied to get the door…? He did say he was tired, so he could be sleeping in too. All totally average situations that didn't warrant a freak-out again. Still, I didn't want to just barge in unannounced. As I approached Kaze's door, I decided to first try normally by knocking at the door.

"Kaze? Are you in there?" I called out.

"A-Aki?" Kaze's voice surprised me, but it wasn't necessarily the response itself, it was the tone. It was weak, almost pained. Without thinking, I quickly reached for the doorknob, knowing that Kaze would never lock it, and let myself in. The brunette was there, but he was looking ghastly. Kaze was curled up slightly on top of his bed sheets with his hat and jacket tossed to the floor. His face was drenched with sweat and red as he struggled to breathe, and even then it came out raspy from his mouth.

"Kaze…! Kaze, are you okay?" I shouted as I ran over to his side. He was sick, without a doubt. And it was all my fault…! He had been looking for me in the rain and had given me his jacket and hat, so he got sick…!

"I… I'm fine. Kage stopped by since we had training today and sent for a nurse. She said I just have a cold, so I need to rest," Kaze muttered before his nose started scrunching up and he let out a loud sneeze.

"It's all my fault. I'll take care of you until you get better," I promised him.

"No, Aki, I can't get you sick," Kaze tried to argue, but in his state, he really wasn't as convincing as he could be.

"You helped me yesterday so let me return the favor," I insisted. Kaze looked like he was about protest some more but his frame was wracked with coughs instead. "I'll be right back, I'm going to go get you a towel and some water," I told the bedridden brunette before heading out. Thankfully the kitchen wasn't too far from Kaze's room, so I snuck in, making sure to avoid Ida in case it raised further questions, before asking one of the members for a bucket and towel. They had seemed a bit hesitant at first but one of the kitchen staff pointed out who I was and so they relented. I probably should have been a bit more concerned about that, but Kaze was my priority at the moment.

When I returned to Kaze's room, I found the brunette apparently asleep. His eyes were closed and he didn't appear to be in as much pain. I made my way back over to his bed before setting the bucket down and picking up the towel. I submerged it in the water for a bit, wringing it out before placing it on Kaze's forehead. Aside from that, I had no idea what I could do to ease his suffering. I tried to think back on when I was sick as a child. After getting a damp towel, my mother had always just sat beside me and tended to me as needed. Was that really all I could do…?

Resigning myself to simply waiting on standby, I slowly sat down beside Kaze on the bed, trying my best to not disturb him. It was a bit odd, sitting there and taking care of Kaze. Usually it was the other way around, but yet there he was looking so weak and fragile. It was almost hard to believe that this was the same duelist who had been by my side this whole time, but I suppose he is human. Sickness is only natural. But still, Kaze always seemed so much better than that.

He was always so brave and gallant. When we met, he still approached me even though he was constantly told that I was a witch and would possibly kill him. Even when I lashed out at him, he still stayed by my side to make sure I wasn't lonely. When I lost control of myself and fled from school, he was there too, comforting me when I felt that all was lost. He did his best to protect me, even when he, himself, was facing his own inner demons in the arena. Even now he was doing his best to protect and guide me, teaching me how to control my powers and giving me his jacket while we were out in the rain. I couldn't have asked for a greater friend. Kaze truly was…

Since when was Kaze this close to my face…? My face quickly heated up as I shot back. No, no, no! That was… Our faces were… Our lips were almost… What was I doing…!? Was I really going to… to…

"Aki…?" Kaze's hoarse voice suddenly called out to me as his eyes opened caused my face to turn even redder. Kaze was awake the whole time…!? Does that mean he…? Did he see me when I was about to…? Aki, you idiot! What were you even thinking!? "Aki?"

"Y-Yes?" I forced myself to respond as I turned my back to him and pretended to be submerging the towel once more. It was stupid, but Kaze had a fever, so hopefully he was delirious and didn't question it. And didn't question what idiotic thing I was about to do either…

"You've really gotta go… If you stay here any longer…" Kaze trailed off as his nose scrunched up once more. I turned around slightly so I could place a hand on his forehead to keep the towel on as his body shook with a sneeze. After another sneeze, Kaze let out a groan before turning over on his side so he was facing away from me. Figuring this was as good a time as any, I took the towel off his forehead before putting it back into the water.

"I already told you that it's my fault, so I'm not going to leave you," I said firmly. Kaze just sat there in silence, or as silent as he could be with his raspy breaths. I finished squeezing out the excess water from the towel before placing it on his forehead once more.

With Kaze trying to get back to sleep, I decided to turn my thoughts elsewhere, anywhere else, my deck, my training, even Ida who was probably still waiting for me in the cafeteria, but no matter what I tried to think about, the same thing kept popping up in my mind. I had tried to… I was going to kiss Kaze. I didn't even know how Kaze felt about me. Sure, he said that I was beautiful and said I was important to him… but that could just be totally platonic, couldn't it? That didn't necessarily mean that he loved me.

I felt my face heating up again despite myself. Who even said anything about love…!? It wasn't like I loved Kaze! But… all those times Kaze has been for me… all the times I got jealous of Rei… Friends don't simply try and kiss other friends, no matter how close they are. Does that mean that…? Do I… love Kaze…? I had to resist the urge to slash myself in the face with some of the water to get such thoughts out of my head. Now wasn't the time for such things…!

"Kaze…?" I called out experimentally. The brunette shifted a bit, letting out a small noise that I could only guess was his acknowledgement of me. "So… have you had any contact with Rei lately?" I found myself asking this and nearly hit myself in the face for saying it. Of course, you're trying to quell your thoughts of Kaze and romance, so, of course, you ask about his possible love interest. That's a great idea, Aki. "I mean… It's just… you can go back to DA whenever you want so you can be with her again. I won't mind. You've already done so much for me, and if you had just gone back to DA like you'd wanted, you would have never gotten sick in the first place," the words came out before I could even think of holding them in. Thankfully our backs were to each other so I didn't have to see his expression and he couldn't see mine.

"I… I don't think I'm going back to DA… ever," Kaze muttered, shocking me enough that I turned to face him. Not going back to DA…? But… what about Rei? His other friends? Was he really giving up on all of that? Kaze coughed a bit before continuing, "I mean, knowing my luck, Keisuke already told them about me and my past from day one. They all probably hate me by now, so I'm fine just staying here with you. You're my closest friend after all," Kaze rolled over a bit so he could face me, a weak smile on his face. I could have sworn my heart skipped a beat. His closest friend?

"I… I'm happy that you think that, but like you said, your friends would be willing to accept me, so I'm sure they'll still accept you," I tried to offer him comfort, even though it felt a little strange to do so. If I did convince him that it'd be alright, would he really end up leaving me…?

Kaze laughed softly, almost bitterly, before another coughing fit overtook him. "Yeah, well… Things aren't always so bright on the other side of the fence… Our bonds were cut a long time ago," Kaze murmured as he looked to the side. Their… bonds were cut…? How did he know that? Rei was constantly messaging him, so they were still friends.

That's when it hit me. Kaze being disconnected from the network. The sudden lack of phone usage. His resigned nature about his Duel Academy. Did Rei tell him off for something? It hardly seemed likely given how cheerful she seemed with him, but maybe my making Kaze stay away from DA longer than his transfer caused some friction between them… I should feel sad about that, but for some reason, it made me feel a little warm. Was I… really glad that Kaze and Rei were no longer friends…?

No, that wasn't right. I shouldn't be happy about that. Rei might have liked Kaze and, for all I know, Kaze might have liked her. I had no ownership of Kaze at all. I shouldn't be messing with his relationships…! But even so…

At that moment, my PDA decided to start pinging. I stared at Kaze a little longer, wondering if I should say something but eventually deciding against it. Upon opening my messages, I found one from Divine, informing me that he had worked out the schedule and wanted to see me as soon as possible to resume training.

"Kaze, I…. I have lessons to go to, so…" I trailed off pathetically. I know I promised to take care of him, but I simply got the feeling that I was more of a burden than a help. I reminded him of such a painful thing. Kaze didn't even really want me there anyway because he didn't want me getting sick.

"That's alright. Go on, I'll be fine," Kaze said before letting out a loud sneeze. I considered changing my mind and just telling Divine the situation so I could stay with him, but I had already said I was going, so I left, hoping that Kaze would be fine without me there. Before meeting with Divine, however, I made sure to pick up a banana for breakfast and check in with Ida so she wasn't waiting for me all day. It was a bit selfish, but I just told her that Kaze was out for the day. For some reason, the image of Ida taking care of Kaze all day while I was training didn't sit well with me.

"Come on, Aki! Remember the anguish and pain! They tormented you, isolated you! They called you a witch!" Divine called out to me from across the duel field. I bit my lip as I drew my card. Were they right all along? Was I really a despicable person? I wished that Kaze's relationship with Rei would end and tried to keep Ida and Kaze apart. I treated Kaze like he was mine when there was nothing further from the truth. I… really was despicable. Why did Kaze still stay with me?

"Botanical Lion, attack Divine directly!" I commanded. There was no reason for Kaze to stay for a witch like me. All I did was drag him down. I injured him, I forced him to stay at the arena and even made him come here with me. I never once stopped and asked Kaze what he thought. I even ignored his advice when it came to the arena. What if he hated me? Did he already hate me? Has he hated me from day one for hurting him but just stayed with me because of pity?

Divine let out a scream, momentarily drawing me out of my thoughts. The man was thrown back against the nearby stone pillar with a cut along his uninjured arm. Just like with Kaze. All I could do what hurt people. I was so selfish, thinking that there could actually be some semblance of peace for me when I really was just a possessive monster, grasping at what I could for a grip at sanity. "Yes, Aki, that's it…! That is your true power! Embrace it! Embrace this feeling!" Divine implored me. This feeling? This utter self-loathing? This spiral of negativity? Was that what it took? Would that make me finally feel better?

"You're wrong!" a familiar voice, albeit rough, drew me out of my thoughts as I spun around. "This isn't the real Aki…! This isn't the real Aki at all!" Kaze insisted as he leaned against the wall, struggling for breath.

"K-Kaze..! You should be in bed resting, what are you doing here?" I asked. If he was wandering around, he'd never get better…! He had to get back to his room.

"That… that can wait…!" Kaze said before placing his wrist over his mouth, coughing for a bit before managing to compose himself. "Aki, you can't be who they think you are…! You're a human, not a monster…! Duel as you, not who they see you as!" Kaze pleaded with me.

"Why don't you stay out of our business?! This is Aki's training!" Divine snapped.

"Kaze, Divine's right though! No matter what I do, no one ever cares for me! If I were to leave here, I'd be alone all over again!" I shouted. I felt my body begin to tremble. "I'm just a monster! Nobody would ever want to stay with-" my words were cut off when I felt two arms embrace me.

"I already told you, Aki! You're important to me! I won't leave you! No matter what!" Kaze vowed as his grip tightened a bit, as much as it could in his weakened state. Tears were forming at the corner of my eyes before I could stop them. Was it true…? Was it really true…? Even if I was a parasite who clung to Kaze, he'd still…

Kaze pulled away and I tried to mentally prepare myself for what he was going to say next. I never could have imagined what happened next, though. The brunette simply reached to his neck, pulling off the gold bar necklace before slipping it over my head and onto my neck.

"No, no…! I… I can't take this, Kaze!" I tried to protest as I reached for the necklace.

"It's my promise to you. Please. I want to show you that you mean a lot to me," Kaze murmured, causing my hands to freeze. But this necklace was… It was Kaze's most treasured item. If he was giving this to me…

I pushed my thoughts aside when Kaze staggered back a bit, coughing once more. I quickly rushed to his side, putting an arm around his shoulders to try and support him. "I… I promise that I'll help you control your powers, Aki. We can do it together. You can still be yourself. You don't have to be who they see you to be," Kaze whispered. Just as I opened my mouth to respond, Divine cleared his throat.

"Well, I think that that's one interruption too many. If you're so fond of his lessons rather than that of the movement, of your family, so be it. We'll stop our training permanently then. You both are dismissed," Divine said as he turned around and walked the other way. I was a bit worried that I offended him somehow, but Kaze, who was sick, took priority.

"Come on, Kaze, let's get you back to your room," I muttered. And so we began the trek back to Kaze's room with me supporting him the whole way as his body was wracked with coughs and sneezes. When we finally arrived, I helped Kaze lie down in his bed before preparing to go and fetch a chair. I couldn't just be sitting on his bed while taking care of him, after all.

"Aki," Kaze called out weakly, causing me to pause. "I meant what I said. You'll never have to be alone again. We'll get through it all. Together," Kaze insisted. Together… I found myself smiling and I didn't try to hold it back.

"I believe you. For now, just rest, okay?" I requested. Upon receiving Kaze's weak nod, I finished leaving the room, making sure to close the door behind me before walking down the hallway. Hopefully if it was closed, nobody would bother him. This time, I decided to go to the duel puzzle room. They didn't seem to have as much traffic, so hopefully they wouldn't mind if I borrowed one of their chairs.

"Excuse me…?" I called out as I peeked my head into the room.

"Welcome! Would you like to try a duel puzzle?" the man asked me.

"Or maybe a structure duel?" the woman quickly added in.

"Uh, no, no thank you. I'm actually just here to see if I can borrow one of your chairs. Kaze is sick, so I need somewhere to sit while I take care of him," I explained briefly.

"The boy who is always in here with that girl, right?" the man asked his partner.

"Yes, yes, the ones every morning. They didn't show up today though," she noted.

"Ah, so he was sick," the man murmured. "Very well. Feel free to take whatever you need. It gets a bit lonely without those two around," he smiled. Well, I suppose Ida was quite lively, so it'd certainly be entertaining to watch her and her antics. That was beside the point though. I thanked the two before helping myself to one of the chairs along the wall.

I let out a sigh as I returned to Kaze's room, setting the chair down beside the bucket so I could tend to the towel as needed. It certainly was a roller coaster of a day. I leaned back in my chair, hoping to relax for a bit while Kaze slept. Maybe I should meet up with Ida and come clean with everything… It might raise questions if she finds out that I was lying to her. The feeling of three cool gold bars against my skin took my thoughts elsewhere, though. I slowly reached up to grab the string of the necklace and lifted it so the bars were at eye level.

Kaze… just… what kind of important was I to you…? Friend…? Classmate…? Someone who shared a similar past with you…? Or something more…? And were those even your real feelings when you gave me this necklace, or were they just the fever talking…? When you got better… would you regret any of this…?

Notes:

- Unfortunately this is the last of the chapters that I have written ahead of time, so now updates are going to be a bit slower (not the weekly that they've been the past few). Hopefully it's not too unbearable for you guys, since this might be seen as a cliff hanger, depending on how you view it.

Reviews:

- MegaDragon520: Do you mean that as in you're waiting for it, like with excitement, or just because it's a cliche in like every story with him? Though, ironically, he nearly did the chapter after you said that.

- Anonymous/Uchu no akuma no kami/Lion Heart Leon: I'm glad that you all enjoyed the chapter. Thanks for your support!

- Tyler Nator: And a set up it was. I'm glad you've been enjoying the story so much ^w^