"So they'll just be working the whole time?" called out the voice across from me.

"Yeah, that's the norm," I jest while shrugging my shoulders. "Didn't I tell you that before?"

"Well yeah, but I didn't think it was that bad..." Ikuno trails off sounding disheartened.

"It's really not that bad, I get to wander around the city and do nothing all day."

"Oh yeah, 'cause you don't do nothing enough as it is," Miki says next to me while jabbing her elbow into my side.

"Hey watch it now, he's 'delicate'," jokes Taro which generates a chuckle from everyone at the lunch table.

I think I'm starting to regret telling everyone how I found out about my condition.

"Pshh it's not like I confessed to him or anything." Miki turns her attention to Ikuno who blushes and looks away.

Yup I regret it.

"C'mon guys, I survived the second one just fine!"

"That's cause you went first!" she exclaims. "I'm just glad I'm not the one prone to heart flutters." Her face reddens even more. Several "oooo"s can be heard from the group. Ikuno shakes her head and continues talking. "But anyways, back to the point," Ikuno stands up from her seat points her finger at me and yells, "Hisao, you should come spend the break with me!"

A dead silence fills the cafeteria. Glancing around I see surprised faces at the surrounding tables.

"Meeting the parents already? Hisao, this must be pretty serious," jokes Taro breaking the awkward silence. Chuckles ring out from our table and tables nearby.

"Shuddup!" she chides as she shrinks back down in her chair realizing that all eyes nearby were on her.

"Well that was embarrassing," Miki says while snickering.

"I hate you all." Ikuno pouts in her chair puffing out her cheeks like a balloon.

Going to Ikuno's house for break? Although Taro did have a point, that could actually be pretty fun.

"Is that really okay?" Ikuno perks back up hearing my voice.

"It should be, I'll just call my parents and explain the situation to them. Plus it helps that my brother isn't coming home for break so we have an extra room."

"Well my parents should be okay with it," I try not to come off as too eager, "I'll have to think about it, but I don't see why not!"

"Yayyyy!" squeals Ikuno. "It's settled then, you're coming to my house for break."

Wait, didn't I say I'd think about it?!

"Way to go, lover boy," says the snickering girl to my side.

"Better wear your best suit to impress her parents." At the other end of the table Akio pretends to be adjusting a bowtie.

"You guys are the worst," I joke as I join in with their laughter.

—-

*BZZ* *BZZ*

Ah a text from Ikuno, she must have called her parents.

[Just called my parents, they said you can come. Better start packing!]

[Doesn't take me that long to pack lol]

[What do you only have a few outfits or something?]z

[Yeah pretty much.] I don't see why it's that surprising.

[I'll be right over.] Oh cool she's coming over-wait what?!

I try calling her and get no answer. Oh well, not like I'm not happy for her to come over, just a bit unexpected. I should try to tidy up my room a bit before she gets here though.

First I walk over to the nightstand and throw the pill bottles into the drawer leaving just the alarm clock atop. Looking around the room there isn't really much to clean up other than a few articles of clothing laying about. I quickly round up the clothes and throw them in my hamper. I sit down at my desk to continue studying while I wait for Ikuno to make her way over.

Just a couple minutes pass when I hear a knock at my door. "Come in."

"So what is this about having only a few outfits?"

Before I can even turn around I hear my closet door fly open and some shuffling around. I get up out of my chair and walk over to the closet.

"Where do you keep the rest of your clothes? Oh I know!" She lightly pushes me to the side and starts looking under the bed.

"There's nothing under there. Other than my dirty clothes everything is in my closet."

"Okay, even though there's no clothes, I was at least expecting something to be under the bed." She looks at me knowingly then starts looking around the room some more. "I know I said this last time, but c'mon it's just too bland."

"It's not like there's nothing, I have stuff… and things."

Ikuno looks around the room again.

"Well you have an alarm clock, wonder what's in the drawer," she says teasingly reaching her hand out.

I grab her hand to stop her. "Nothing! Nothing! There's nothing interesting in there!."

"I knew you had that sort of thing." She makes a scrunched up face before commenting, "Gross."

I don't actually have any dirty mags in there, but I still haven't shown her all the pills I take and I'm really not sure I'm really ready to.

"So, what's wrong with my clothes anyway?"

Ikuno's attention is immediately turned away from my nightstand and back to the closet. Crisis averted. She walks by me back to closet and turns to me.

"So this is really it?" she questions her hand gesturing to the clothes in my closet.

I nod.

"This is terrible. You barely have anything."

"It's enough to last me a little over a week before laundry." I shrug.

"That's not enough!" She glares at me. "Plus you don't have any variety"

"What do you mean? I have a few different outfits."

"Hisao, you have multiple sweater vests. One is bad enough, but you have multiple."

"Yeah but they're in different colors for variety."

Ikuno stares at me mouth agape in shock. "You're being serious aren't you?"

I nod weakly as I reply, "Yeah, of course."

"That's not variety. Variety is having different styles of clothes for different occasions."

"Sweater vests work for every occasion, that's why I have—"

"No." She cuts me off. "Just no."

"But—"

"No."

"...Okay."

"Good so we agree you need more variety then?"

"Yes?"

"Right answer." She gives me a bright smile. She walks over to my side and links our arms together. "You know what that means, right?"

I sigh slightly before responding, "Shopping?"

"Yup!" Her arm squeezes mine tightly. Well I guess there are worse things in the world than shopping with your pretty girlfriend. "We can go when we get back to Iwata."

"Alright so what am I packing an the interim?"

She unlinks our arms and gives me a serious link. "Everything that isn't a sweater vest."

I laugh in response. "Alright fine."

I give her a hug and hold her tight. This feels really nice and really relaxing. I could probably just melt here.

"Hey," she breaks the silence, "since I helped you pack, will you help me?"

I look down at her and I can see she's slightly blushing. "Sure I'll help." I reach up with one hand and rub her head. She pulls away from the hug and pouts at me. "C'mon, you know you like it."

"Only a little," she says quietly.

I reach up and rub her head once more. "So you want to go pack now?" I glance at the clock. "We still have time before curfew."

"Sure," she says with a smile.

Her hand reaches out for mine, and we walk out the door together. We make our way out of the men's dorm and into the women's dorm. I've never actually been over to her room before, or even in the women's dorm... I feel so out of place.

"Hey did you call your parents before I came over to let them know?"

"No I didn't, I was actually trying to clean up before you came over."

"Aw that's sweet, but you need to call your parents."

"But I don't—"

"No buts. You know how I feel about this."

We round the corner of a hallway.

"Yeah yeah, I will when I get a chance."

We come to a stop outside one of the rooms.

"Good 'cause you have a chance right now." She opens the door to her room and starts to step in. She turns around to give me a stern look. "Call them before we start," she pauses before adding, "please?"

"Yes ma'am!" I give her a half-hearted salute.

"Hah. Hah." She rolls her eyes and continues into her room. I follow her and shut the door behind us. "You can sit wherever you want, the bed is pretty comfy though, I got one of those fluffer topper pads."

I take a sit on the bed and Ikuno joins me sitting right up against me. She turns and looks at me expectantly.

"Ah, right." I pull my phone out of my pocket and select my mom's number. It rings a few times before she picks up.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Mom. How are you?"

"I'm fine, and yourself?"

"I'm doing alright. Ikuno's parents said I can stay with them for break is that still alright with you?"

"Yes that's fine, your father and I will be working for most of your break anyways."

"Thank you, I will see you soon."

"Be safe. See you soon."

"I will. Bye."

"Bye."

A silence took over the room as I hung up.

"There I called them, they're okay with it."

Ikuno had a somewhat sad look on her face before asking, "Are all your phone calls like that?"

I think for a brief moment. "No, some are shorter," I say frankly.

"Wha—How is that possible?"

"Well it usually ends after we both say we're fine."

"Why even call at that point?"

I turn and give her a blank stare. "You see what I mean then?"

"Yeah I guess I get your point, but I still think it's worth trying. At least they call to see how you're doing right?"

"Sort of… I feel like they do it out of a sense of duty rather than actually caring. It feels like I died to them when I ended up in the hospital." I pause remembering my time in the hospital. "Our relationship just hasn't been the same since."

I've grown used to my parents but remembering how things used to be I end up sadly staring at the opposite wall.

"I'm sorry Hisao," she says as she rubs my arm leaning her head on my shoulder. "I don't mean to push you so hard to talk with your parents but family is important to me."

"I know, and family should be important. But… it's just hard when you have the 'family' I do."

Another silence ensues. I hate moments like this.

"You wanna see me undress?"

Immediately I perk up and look at Ikuno.

"I knew that'd get your attention." She chuckles. "But I was kidding, sort of."

"Sort of?"

"Well you can't see me undress but—"

"So, no," I say teasingly.

She gives me a dirty look for interrupting before continuing, "but, you can help me pick out a few shirts to take home!"

"Just a few?"

"Well yeah, I still have clothes back home, silly, so I don't have to take home that many."

"Fair enough, let's get started." I motion towards her closet.

Ikuno picks out some shirts from her closet and lay them out on the bed.

"Alright we have to pick out just 5 or 6 shirts." I quickly start to tally how many she picked out, but give up after 20. "How about you pick some out for me and I'll try them on for you and we can decide from there."

I pick out a few shirts that I like and put them to the side for Ikuno.

"These are your choices?"

"Yeah."

"Are you sure?"

"Uhm… Yes?"

She sighs. "Why am I not surprised?"

"What did I do?!"

"Oh nothing… You just happened to pick the most boring shirts possible." She sticks her tongue out at me.

"Should I pick out some new ones?"

"Oh no, these are the ones you specifically chose," she says sarcastically. Wow, harsh.

"Alright, alright. I'll pick out some that I think suits you more."

"That's more like it!" she cheers.

Hmm. Now what do I know about Ikuno? Well she's diabetic—she even has a shirt about it. Has two siblings. Not so great with science. Okay, well that doesn't help with picking out a shirt. Think Hisao, think. How about I match it to her personality? Yeah that might work. Alright well she's a very bright and energetic, maybe I could go with bright colors.

"Hisao?" I hear a faint voice.

"Shhh." I try to silence the voice so I can think.

"Did you just shush me?"

"Yes. Shhh."

Where was I? Right, she's bright and energetic, so bright colors could work. As for design… Wait did I just shush Ikuno? Crap.

I come out of my thoughts only to be face-to-face with a grim looking Ikuno.

"Hisao…," she says quite ominously.

I gulp. "Yes?"

"Were you too caught up in your own head that you blacked out the world around you again?"

"Yes," I respond reluctantly.

Thwack. Ikuno flicks me on the forehead.

"Ouch," I verbalize involuntarily. "Yeah I deserve that."

"You deserve more than that if you ask me." She puffs out her cheeks at me.

"Well thanks for holding back, I guess," I say as I chuckle.

"Hmph." She flicks my arm.

I grab my arm where she flicked it and pretend to be injured.

"Oh you're fine," she sasses me. "So did all that precious thought help?"

"As a matter of fact it did," I sass back. "I think I can pick out some better shirts."

"Is that so? Please, be my guest." She motions back towards the bed.

Her trying to be sassy is so adorable. She catches me looking at her and she puffs out her cheeks pretending to still be mad at me. I reach out and pinch her cheek.

"Hisao!" she cries.

"Sorry you just looked too adorable."

"You're so mean!"

"Yeah I'm so terrible for thinking my girlfriend is adorable."

"Yup!" she agrees.

I roll my eyes and turn my attention back to the shirts on the bed. I pick out a few new ones, but this time I go for bright pretty colors as well as a couple shirts that express her interests. I also pick one graphic tee that I see her wearing sometimes outside of school. I hand these over to Ikuno for her inspection.

"Huh," she mutters.

Oh, no. "Did I mess up again?"

"No, actually you did really good. I guess that deep thought stuff really works for you." She looks over the shirts once more. "I guess I take back that flick."

"Okay you can have it back." I reach up to flick her forehead but her glare stops me. "Or not." I drop my hand back down to my side.

"Good choice." She perks back up. "Now turn around."

"What?"

"I said I was going to try them on for you remember?"

"You don't have to do that for me."

"I'm not, I'm doing it for me. I have to try them on with some of the pants I want to bring home to see how they look. You just happen to be here and get to see them."

"Wow I feel so special."

"You should!" Her smile is bright as ever. "Now turn around."

"Fine." I turn around and wait until I'm told it's safe to look.

"Don't be tempted to turn around, okay?" I hear her call out.

"Don't worry, I won't be," I call back.

"Excuse me?"

"What? I said I won't be!"

"You should be a little tempted, right? I'm your girlfriend after all!"

"Okay fine, I'll admit it is tempting."

"Good! But don't turn around!"

"I won't, don't worry."

After another minute I'm told I can look. I turn around and find Ikuno in one of the shirts I picked out and a pair of jeans.

"So… How does it look?"

"I like it, it suits you."

"Ya think?" she asks while looking herself over in the mirror.

"Definitely."

She smiles at me, happy with my assessment and has me spin around again.

Waiting patiently I start to look around the desk. She's not very organized—there are papers everywhere. As I'm looking around a small lit surface catches my eye. Hmm, a mirror. I look more directly at it and see it's pointed almost directly at me. At the very edge of the mirrors surface I see a peachy color. That must be Ikuno! I lean over to the side slowly to get a better angle of her. Slowly… further… further… Oh crap she's facing this way.

"Hisao, what are you doing?"

Mildly panicked I put my arms over my head and reply, "stretching." I stretch all the way to the left then all the way to the right to try and pass it off.

"Weirdo."

Good, she bought it. That was close. Why was I even doing that? I promised I wouldn't. I guess I really am tempted after all.

"Well turn around weirdo, time for another one," she calls, pulling me from my thoughts. "What do you think?" She twirls around to show me the whole outfit.

She looks good. That colorful top really suits her and accentuates her figures. The jeans are classic, but they look really good on her.

"Well?"

"Oh uh…" I blush realizing I've just been staring at her body. I move my eyes up to her face and make eye contact before continuing. "It looks really good on you. That shirt was definitely the right pick."

She looks herself over once more. "You know, I think you're right." Her eyes meet mine and she smiles. "Okay turn back around, there's just one more I need to try on."

I oblige and spin around back to the desk. Looking over the papers again, I imagine Ikuno doing her homework, the papers strewn around her disorganised desk. It's probably a frantic mess of throwing papers around until you find the right one, probably like how I deal with my clothes most of the time.

My eyes glance over to the mirror. It's tempting. Very tempting… But I shouldn't, she'd be super mad and ...it would be wrong, right?... So yeah, lots of papers on her desk. Looks like she doodles a lot in the margins. Huh, actually I think this one looks like me. Wait a second, she labelled it as me! Does my hair really look that bad? I reach out and grab the mirror and hold it close to my face. Comparing the doodle to my face and hair, it's actually pretty accurate.

Again, out of the corner of my eye I notice Ikuno's skin. I turn the mirror ever so slightly that direction while still holding the doodle in my other hand. Slowly, I start to see her back and brastrap. I can feel my grip on the mirror get more unsteady. She's already wearing jeans but she's looking them over in the mirror and holding the shirt in hand. I can very clearly see her figure like this. Unconsciously I end up dropping the doodle which falls to the floor, making weird crinkling sounds as it unceremoniously falls to the floor. In the mirror I see Ikuno turn to see what's happening. We make eye contact through the mirror and both our eyes go wide. I quickly put the mirror back on the desk and sit completely erect facing forward.

"HISAO!" she bellows from behind me. "Were you just peeping on me?!" I can hear some shuffling then her footsteps getting closer. "Hisaoooo," she repeats.

"N-no, I was trying to compare your doodle to myself and then I saw you out of the corner of my eye and then my hand just starting moving and—"

"Pervert!" She flicks the back of my head.

"I'm really sorry! I didn't mean too!"

"You promised you wouldn't look!"

"To be fair, I promised I wouldn't turn around, not that I wouldn't look." She pinches my arm. "Ouch!"

"Not funny! Hmph!" I turn around and look at Ikuno. Her cheeks are so puffed out she could give a blowfish a run for its money and they're also about as red as the shirt she put on.

"I'm sorry! It was way more tempting than I thought!"

She looks away bashfully before asking, "It was?" I didn't know cheeks could get that red.

"Yeah it really was, but I'm sorry! It was wrong and I shouldn't have done it!"

"You're right you shouldn't have…," she trails off still looking away.

"Ikuno?"

"Yeah?" She turns her head back towards me. When our eyes meet she puffs out her cheeks again at me.

"You're just too cute, I couldn't handle it." I reach my finger out and poke her cheek so the air escapes. She swats my hand away and scrunches her face up at me. "I was comparing the doodle to my own face and kinda got mesmerized by you." I rub the back of my neck in embarrassment.

"Really?" She looks up at me with bright eyes. She sure can brighten up quick.

"Yeah, really."

Quickly she walks back over to the mirror and looks over the outfit again. "Yup, I like this one," she pauses before continuing, "and I already know you do too!" She sticks her tongue out at me.

"Well I can't deny that." I chuckle.

Ikuno walks back over to me and flicks my forehead. "But you're still a jerk."

"Yeah, but I'm you're jerk," I retort.

Ikuno rolls her eyes back so hard I see the whites of the back of her eyes. Then she reaches up to massage her left temple with her hand. I didn't know eyes could roll like that, it can't be healthy.

"Hisao, that was so corny I got a headache."

"You're welcome!" I wrap her up in a side hug.

"It's a good thing you're cute," she chides.

I chuckle a bit. "I guess you're right." I glance over at the clock and see that we're getting close to curfew. "Hey I hate to cut this short, but it's almost curfew."

Ikuno looks over and double checks the clock. "Aw, you're right." She pulls me turning my side hug to a full hug. "Well we leave in a couple days, so I'm glad we did this now."

"Me too."

We let silence fall over us as we hug. I'm the first to break the silence. "Goodnight."

She waits again before responding, "Goodnight." Slowly her head reaches up to mine for a brief kiss.

Once our lips pull apart she lets go of me and I back up to the door. She gives me a light wave that I return before slipping out the door.