Author's Note
Well, your still reading, undoubtedly to see where this story is going. I'm having fun writing this even though I'm just typing what I think would happen at the time. I reread these chapters a couple hundred times before actually posting them to make sure that's what I honestly think would happen. Wow, Armorblade actually reviewed my story. Dude, you are one of my favorites on the site easily, thanks so much for the review, that you said it was well-written is extraordinary praise to me. And to be honest, The man who saved Yutaka wasn't gonna be Tony, though looking back, that was kinda easily assumed, eh? By the way, does just introducing Tony make this non-canon? I suppose it must, but I would really like it to be :P Please continue to give whatever advice you see fit! And so now without further ado, here's the next chapter.
Rating: T for mild language.
Right outside Konata's house
Kagami gulped as she knocked on the door.
"Come in!" They heard Konata's dad yell from inside.
"Hey, we're here to check on Konata. Where is she?" Kagami asked, entering the house.
"Well, she's in her room but she's very sick. I wouldn't go in if I were you." Sojiro said, clearly despondent. Kagami's heart dropped again as she rushed to Konata's room. Everyone somehow knew any attempt to stop her was completely futile.
"How sick is she Izumi-san? Do you know with what?" Miyuki asked.
"Well, we had to send Yutaka out of the house. Luckily, her friend Iwasaki volunteered to let her stay at her house until Konata gets better."
"Is she going to be alright?" Tsukasa panicked, hoping the answer was a certain yes.
"I hope so, she started to feel sick yesterday when she got home from school. It's only gotten worse since then. I honestly don't know..." Sojiro said.
Please be okay, please be okay, please be okay! Kagami kept thinking to herself constantly as she ran towards Konata's room. She opened the door to see a very pale Konata in bed with a wet cloth on her head.
"Konata... Are you-" She stopped herself from waking her, realizing that her friend probably needed sleep more than anything.
"It's alright Kagami. I'm awake." Konata said in a hoarse voice, coughing several times.
"Konata, are you okay?" Kagami asked.
"Don't worry Kagami, I'm fine... Just a little under the weather..." Konata replied, realizing it hurt a little to talk.
"Well if that isn't the understatement of the year. Did you have a doctor look at you?"
"Yeah, its weird. He said medically there isn't anything wrong with me."
"That's a load of bull! Look at you!" She yelled, but quickly hid her face as she blushed for some reason.
"Kagami.."
"Yeah?"
"I'm sorry to worry you."
"... It's no problem, just get better, okay?" She's acting so weird, Konata never apologizes. It's like she's a different person. Maybe she changes personalities when she gets sick? I don't think I've ever seen her this ill, so it's a possibility? That would explain a few things... She thought, honestly scared. Konata, no matter what, never sincerely apologized.
"Sure, but..."
"What is it?"
"Could you... stay a little longer?" Konata asked, turning her head to see the Tsundere at her door. "If there isn't anything medical, you probably wouldn't catch whatever this is..." She said, wincing as she spoke.
"Sure." I would stay even if it were sure fire I would catch this if she asked. I just wish I could help more.
"Thanks..." Konata weakly smiled as Kagami came over and sat on her friend's bed. And so they talked.
Back in the living room
"So there isn't really anything wrong with Kona-chan?" Tsukasa asked, puzzled.
"No, there's definitely something wrong, that doctor must have been new or something to say that she wasn't really sick." Sojiro explained.
"What do you think this is Yuki-chan?" Tsukasa turned her attention to Miyuki.
"Well, I suppose it could be the onset of the stomach flu, but it should have been affecting her at school. Usually if the symptoms are as bad as Izumi-san explained, it would be at its worst right now. However, that would have had to been either earlier in the morning or late last night. Besides that, stomach flu's don't usually get this bad. Even so, nothing I know of should be this bad when she wasn't affected at all yesterday in school..." Miyuki said, giving one of her textbook explanations, but ending in a look deep in thought.
"But Kona-chan's really good at bouncing back, she's come to school with the flu before!" Tsukasa said, confused.
"That's what makes me wonder about this..." Konata's dad said with a worried look on his face. "For a girl as small as her, she is rather resilient, ain't she?" A touch of pride entering his voice for a split second, but vanishing with the sentence.
"It's already been more than ten minutes since Onee-chan went into Kona-chan's room. I hope she isn't in there getting sick from it." Tsukasa said worried.
"Don't worry, if this, apparently, isn't medical, than your sister shouldn't be in much danger of getting sick." The Cobalt-haired man said.
"If you say so..." Tsukasa turned towards her friends room.
*Knock Knock Knock*
"I'll get it..." Sojiro went to the door wondering who this could be. Maybe Yui brought Yutaka back early? No, she knows better than anyone that Yutaka would catch this just from being the same house as Konata. Maybe it's just some solicitor. Wrong house today, buddy.
"Who is it?" He shouted through the door.
"Is... is this the Izumi residence?" He heard a boys voice from the other side of the door.
"Yeah, who is this?" He shouted in reply. He could have sworn he could hear the boy on the other side deadpanning.
"Konata's a friend of mine from school, I just wanted to come see if she was doing okay?" Sojiro heard from the outside. "May I come in, I'm getting looks from the neighbors."
"Sure..." Sojiro opened the door to see a brown haired boy. Since when did she get guy friends? She never told me.
"Tony! How did you know where Kona-chan lived?" Tsukasa asked her friend.
"Well, I had a pretty big feeling when I saw Kagami's reaction to where I lived. I knew that it was either next to her or it was next to Konata, and seeing as how she needed my bike to get home on time..."
"And just where do you live, kid?" Sojiro asked, suspicious.
"Next door."
"HEY! DON'T GO THINKING JUST BECAUSE YOUR LIVING NEXT DOOR THAT MY DAUGHTER IS GOING TO BE YOUR GIRL NEXT DOOR!" Sojiro yelled at the top of his lungs.
"Don't worry Mr. Izumi. The thought never seriously crossed my mind." Tony replied coolly.
"Fine, just as long as you... Wait... Never seriously? THAT MEANS YOU HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT IT YOU LITTLE PERVERT!" He yelled while Tony looked around him. He noticed a picture of a Sojiro and a young girl that looked a lot like Konata, but seemed different. There was no beauty mark. He also took notice of how protective her father was against things, boys especially it seemed. And her mother seemed to be nowhere to be found. Hmmmm, Interesting.
"Ah! Don't worry, Tony is really nice, he isn't a pervert!" Tsukasa said loudly, panicking that Tony might get thrown out of the house.
*Sigh* "Fine then..."
"So, is Konata okay? I've noticed Kagami isn't out here, so I'm assuming she's visiting Konata."
"Yeah she is. Konata is very sick though, I'm really worried." Her father resumed his melancholic mood.
"Hmmm. Tell me about it. When did it start, what are the symptoms?" Tony asked the man, suddenly looking very serious.
"Well, it started about the time after she got home from school yesterday. She's been pale, her throat hurts, it seems like a really, REALLY bad flu." Konata's father explained.
Hmmm. Time she got home, pale, sore throat, flu-like."Don't worry, she'll be fine." Tony said with great confidence.
"I wish you were right, but why do you sound like you know what this is? I don't think you know what you are talking about. The doctor said she wasn't sick." Sojiro said with a raised eyebrow.
"I'll let you know exactly what she has in private later, as it directly concerns you. But Tsukasa, Miyuki, and the readers don't get to know yet. For now, I'll just let you know that medically speaking, if I'm right that is, she will make a full recovery. She isn't dangerously ill. It also shouldn't be contagious, but I suppose for safe measure you can quarantine her. Just in case I'm wrong, you know?" He said, even though he was quite sure he wasn't.
"Wait... Readers? What are you talking about?" Mr. Izumi asked with a confused look.
"Nothing, never mind..."
"Ooookaaay, You can tell me later I suppose." Said the clearly concerned father. "So, how long have you known my daughter?"
"Two days."
"TWO DAYS? I thought you said you were a friend of hers, you're an acquaintance at best! You probably don't even know the first thing about her!" Her father yelled.
"Actually, I would like to think I know quite a lot about her." Tony said, a confident look on his face.
"Oh really. Enlighten us."
"Well, I really don't know that I should, it might spoil a few things later on. Here, I can whisper it in your ear if you like?"
"Spoil what? Fine, go ahead." Sojiro said as Tony leaned over and started whispering. He stayed whispering in the man's ear for ten minutes.
"..." Sojiro was completely speechless.
Holy Shit. This kid's only been here twenty minutes and he already knows practically everything about her. Konata wouldn't tell anyone she had just met about all that, no matter how well they got along. What the hell is he? "Ehehe... You could tell all that from looking around? You're one smart kid, but that doesn't mean I like you."
"Understood. Was I wrong at all?" The boy asked inquisitively.
"Only on one count I can think of... That girl's room you saw was her cousin, not her sister." Sojiro said, still practically stunned. He was broken from it by the soft closing of a door. He looked to see Kagami leaving Konata's room, not looking any sicker as par Tony's prediction. Sojiro was officially freaked out. She would definitely at least cough a few times if she had caught it.
"Hey, Konata's asle- Tony? What are you doing here?" She almost shouted, but remembered Konata was sleeping just a hallway away. "How did you even know where she lived?"
*Sigh* "Do I really have to explain again? My mouth is tired from all the talking..." Tony said, of course making no sense to Kagami.
Just how long has he been here? "Please, I would like to know."
"I could tell by your reaction to where I lived that either I lived near you or near Konata. It was obvious it wasn't you because you needed my bike." Tony reiterated, massaging his sore jaw.
"Well, she is sick. Like, really sick." Kagami told him.
"I heard. She'll also be completely fine. I know what she has and the only cure is time. I would, however, suggest you visit her, seeing as how it isn't contagious. It would help her."
"WELL? What does she have?" She could hardly contain herself. Tony was getting to be very helpful, but she had a feeling she could tell what was coming.
"I'm terribly sorry Kagami. I'm not at liberty to tell you. In other words..."
"Don't..."
"Classified Information."
"..." Kagami slowly walked out of the house, picking up a couch pillow on the way. They all heard a scream that, though discernibly muffled, could only be compared to the explosion of an atomic bomb. Oddly enough, Konata didn't seem to stir, as they didn't hear anything from her room. "Tony." They heard as Kagami reentered.
"Yes?"
"Don't tell me you know something if you aren't going to tell me what it is. It's annoying as hell."
"Sorry, I don't mean to, I'm used to thinking out loud, but then you ask and I realize I can't tell you..."
"Uh-huh. So you're sure you know what it is?"
"Yep."
"And you're sure she's going to be okay?"
"Yeah."
"I'd ask how but I'm sure I'd just get 'Classified Information' again, right?"
"That's right."
*Sigh* "Fine. But you better be right."
"I always am." Tony said with a playful smirk.
"I'm sure." Kagami rolled her eyes.
"Anyway, I better get going, I'm getting hungry and I still have to start dinner. I'll cya!" Tony said as he left for his home.
"Hmm, I'm surprised he came to see Konata." Kagami said puzzled.
"Why's that?" Sojiro asked.
"Konata doesn't like him."
"..." Sojiro deadpanned. "Are you freakin kidding me? He told me they were friends..."
"Odd he would say that, Konata was almost openly hostile towards him."
"I can't wait until he comes back so I can kill him." Sojiro said, pissed off. It was a shame he couldn't just walk next door and kick his ass. If it was in the Izumi household, however, he could just say it was self-defense.
"I think Konata's gonna beat you to that Mr. Izumi. Me and Tsukasa better be getting home, it's getting sorta late." The Tsundere excused herself and Tsukasa. "I really hope that Konata gets better!" She called as she left, Tsukasa once again not getting a line in before being dragged out by her sister.
"Onee-chan, you were in Kona-chan's room for a long time, what were you doing in there?" Tsukasa asked her sister.
"We talked for a while, then she got sleepy so I..." She began trying to hide her blush with her hair as she remembered that she had sang Konata to sleep at the otaku's request. "I... Left to find Tony in the living room..." Kagami came up with after a moment, merely skipping facts, not necessarily lying about them.
"What did you talk about?" Tsukasa continued the questioning.
"Stuff."
"Oh..."
"Just the usual stuff, you know? Games, anime, manga, ect." Kagami said truthfully. They had just talked about so many things, the only category big enough to cover it all was 'Stuff'. "Hey, it's getting really late, we better get home before they get worried and try to call."
"Would that be bad?" Her sister asked.
"Yes. That would be very bad because we can't pick up, remember? Then they would just get more worried when we didn't. It would just be better if we hurried." Kagami said as she broke into a light jog so Tsukasa could keep up and not get overly tired. Luckily they arrived home without incident.
"Hey, Imotos! Where have you two been?" Matsuri yelled playfully as they walked in.
Has she just been standing there waiting for us? "We went to visit a sick friend and kinda lost track of time." Kagami answered.
"Well, dinner is almost ready, so go wash up! You two stink..." Their older sister walked away, fanning and pinching her nose.
Grrrr... I guess we might be a little sweaty since we jogged all the way here, but she didn't have to be so damn blunt about it! She can be such an ass sometimes... She thought as she headed towards the bathroom.
"Come on Onee-Chan, don't let her get to you. That's just her, you know she doesn't mean to be mean." Tsukasa said, recognizing the look her sister always gets after such a charming chat with Matsuri.
"Yeah, I guess..." She said as she and her sister went to dinner.
After dinner, before Kagami went to do the homework she knew Tsukasa would inevitably copy, no matter the attempt, Tsukasa asked her "Hey Onee-chan? Do you think Kona-chan will be alright?"
"Yeah... Yeah, I'm sure she will be." She has to be, I'm not sure what I would do if she wasn't...
"Alright! If you're so sure, you're the only one to actually see her other than her dad, so you would know better than anyone."
"Yeah, don't worry, she'll bounce back soon, I'm sure."
"Okay. Good night Onee-chan!" Tsukasa bade goodbye since she likely wouldn't see her sister again before she fell asleep.
"Good night Tsukasa."
Luckier Channel
"Luckier~ Channel~!" Minoru yelled out. "Hiya Luckies! I'm your navigator for today, Minoru Shiraishi! It would seem Akira-sama has come down with a nasty cold again, so I'm going to be doing this one solo! Now what do I say..."
"Well, I suppose there's the fact that it's our fourth chapter and we're here! To! Stay~!" Minoru shouted cheerfully. "So in this chapter, Kagami and the others went to visit Konata. Kagami finally got to talk to Konata, but decided not to push Konata out of her comfort zone with an interrogation. Listen to me, you all just read this, I guess I'm just a little glad to have a carefree Luckier Channel! But what you all don't know is-"
*Music Tone*
"Aww, out of time already? Well, I hope I'll see you again and lets all hope that Akira-sama makes a full recovery! Bye-nii~!"
"..."
"Whew. That was invigorating!"
"Hey. I'm here*Cough cough*You're not doing this without me."
"Sorry, already done Akira-sama! Maybe you shouldn't have made fun of Konata's illness, eh?"
"SHU-*Cough cough cough*"
*End*
After Section
Ok, so what did you think of this one? This took a little while to write, but I was happy to see Konata again in this chapter. I had a review that suggested an Akira-less chapter, I'm not sure if it was a joke or if it was completely serious, but either way I wanted to see how that would go. I think it went really well, but it was kinda different without Akira XD. Bah, just tell me in a review! BTW, I did really have something that Tony said for that section, but ultimately decided against putting it in. It kinda made my head hurt reading it all(And I wrote it!) if you all REALLY want me to, I can repost it in the aftersection. It's up to you guys! Critique/Review/Comment/Compliment/Whatever! Hope to see you next chapter!