Chapter 1
Yuri hummed to herself as she started brewing tea. The literature club was meeting and she planned to get some reading done, but not without tea. Sayori and Monika were chatting happily in a corner of the room, Natsuki hadn’t arrived yet which was strange. The hot headed girl usually tended to show up decently early. Yuri tried not to think much of her friend's strange lateness. Surely Natsuki would show up soon. The tea finished and as Yuri took it off the electric heater to pour a cup, the door opened with a creak. Yuri didn’t look up at first but then when hearing coughing from the doorway she perked her head up. The very sight of the short pink haired girl shocked Yuri. Something wasn’t right. While normally Natsuki was perked up full of energy, she instead was slumped and looked tired, shadows under her pink eyes. Her cheeks were flushed red and she looked a little pale. Her nose was running and as Yuri looked at her, Natsuki lifted up an arm to wipe her nose on her sleeve. The spark that normally was present in her deep bubblegum pink eyes that matched her hair, was absent and that worried Yuri. “Oh my god Natsuki! Are you okay???” Yuri put down the teapot and rushed over to her friend.
Natsuki huffed and glared at Yuri. She sniffed as though it was difficult to breathe through her nose and when she spoke her voice sounded congested “of course i'm fine Yuri, why wouldn’t I be?” She said with annoyance. “You don’t look fine.” Yuri responded, placing both hands on her hips.
“Yuri, I'm okay, just leave me alone, I can take care of myself,” Natsuki replied, rolling her eyes. “No you aren’t. You look sick. Why are you still at school if you’re sick??” Yuri said unable to keep worry from surfacing.
“I'm not sick!” Natsuki snapped in response denying the obvious “Have you looked at yourself Natsuki?? You’re sick”
“Am not!! It's just al- al'' a scratch in her voice sent Natsuki to dissolve into coughing. Once done she straightened up, wiped her nose which had begun to run again and continued “-Allergies” Yuri raised an eyebrow. “How long have you been like this? Have you even rested at all?”
“All weekend- and no- but that's not the point! I'm not sick! It's allergies okay??” Natsuki shoved past Yuri and strode towards the closet, likely to get her manga and putting an end to the conversation. Yuri played with her hair watching Natsuki disappear into the closet. She was annoyed at Natsuki’s stubbornness but still remained worried for her. She had been sick all weekend plus today?? If only Yuri had noticed during the school day! Despite Natsuki tending to be short fused and snippy, Yuri still worried for her wellbeing. And there was something else… how Yuri’s heart throbbed at the thought of Natsuki… how her breathing increased whenever the pink haired girl spoke… how Yuri could hardly focus on reading if Natsuki was near… but.. Yuri snapped back to reality. No. She had to stop thinking about Natsuki like that.
Yuri sighed wishing she could help Natsuki, but until Natsuki stopped being stubborn, Yuri knew that attempting to help would be futile. With that Yuri returned to her tea. In the time it took for Yuri to get herself tea and get the book she was currently reading, Natsuki had left the closet with a manga book in hand and had sat down to read it with her back up against the wall. “At the very least, I can keep an eye on her” Yuri thought and trying to avoid getting yelled at by Natsuki, inconspicuously sat a few feet away from her. Thankfully Natsuki wasn't paying much attention and didn’t notice. Yuri opened up her book and began to read, making sure to glance in Natsuki’s direction every now and then. Eventually Yuri did begin to lose focus of everything around her, getting lost in her book. Until a noise snapped her back to reality. Yuri heard a sneeze, then “Ah, f**k!” Yuri’s head shot up “Natsuki! Such language is uncalled for!” As soon as those words left her mouth Yuri wished she could take them back.
“S-Sorry…” Natsuki responded, wiping her nose on her sleeve again and staring at the manga’s pages in shock. It appeared that when Natsuki had sneezed, she hadn’t covered her nose in time and gotten snot on the pages. Now Yuri wondered who Natsuki had apologized to, the manga, or her. Yuri quickly set her book down, got up and grabbed a few tissues. “Here.” She handed them to Natsuki who recoiled “hmmf. No way! It’ll just spread the wet spots!”
“Would you rather the snot harden onto the pages?” Yuri questioned Natsuki who scowled and took the tissues, wiping the majority of snot off the pages. Once Natsuki did that she stood and went to throw the used tissues away. When the girl came back she refused to meet Yuri's gaze, annoyed that Yuri had been right. Natsuki instead returned to her manga, and Yuri continued to read. Though this time Yuri was unable to focus, her attention was completely on Natsuki. The pink haired girl was shivering yet a sheen of glossy sweat was visible on her forehead.
Before Yuri knew it Monika was calling their attention so she could end the club meeting. As she gathered up her stuff, Yuri saw Natsuki begin to leave as well. That was it. Yuri had enough of Natsuki ignoring her own health and she was doing something about it whether the spunky girl liked it or not. Yuri marched up to Natsuki “Natsuki you’re coming home with me, you have no choice in the matter. I am taking you to my home so I can take care of you” Natsuki stared at the purple haired girl like she was crazy. “What?? Look Yuri, I appreciate the gesture but I don’t need your help, I'm not sick I'm fi-“ suddenly she stumbled a little barely catching herself on the doorframe. She seemed to be a little dizzy.
“Natsuki, I insist that you come home with me!” Yuri said to her. Natsuki groaned. “Okay FINE. If you insist. What the heck am I supposed to tell my parents though… I have to have some excuse for my dad…” Natsuki’s confidence faltered a little at the mention of her dad. Yuri wondered why, it wasn’t like Natsuki talked about him that often. “Tell him it's a school thing, a club thing, tell him it's mandatory I don't care! What matters is that you are coming over to my house so I can take care of you. As a good friend I cannot let you ignore your health anymore”
Natsuki rolled her eyes and followed Yuri outside. She got her phone out and was texting her dad by the looks of things. “Okay… h-he said it’s fine.” Natsuki said, putting her phone away. Yuri sighed with relief and then unlocked the car she owned. Being the oldest of them all she happened to own one. Natsuki got into the passenger seat and Yuri began to drive her and Natsuki to Yuri’s home.