The Thing She Didn’t Tell Him

“Give me a kiss, and I’ll leave.”

Kaori’s expression instantly twisted in frustration.

“You stupid, asshole, idiot…! That is absolutely not happening.”

Haruto burst out laughing.

“And what exactly is so funny? Why are you laughing like a fool?”

“I already knew you wouldn’t agree to it,” he said with a grin. “I just can’t help it. When you get angry and frustrated, you look so damn cute.”

He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

“I’m really sorry for teasing you while you’re sick.”

Kaori quickly turned her face away, trying to hide the blush creeping across her cheeks.

She picked up her food again and started eating in silence.

After a few bites, she muttered, “Have you had enough fun?”

Haruto leaned back a little and replied, “Ah, hell no. I can’t just leave you like this. You’re sick. I’m seriously worried about you.”

He glanced toward the window, where the rain continued to fall steadily.

“I’m planning to stay here tonight. Besides, it’s raining outside.”

“You don’t have to worry about me,” Kaori said coldly. “You can borrow my umbrella and leave.”

Haruto narrowed his eyes at her.

“Why are you so obsessed with whether I leave or not? It’s not like I’m going to do anything to you.”

Kaori frowned in irritation.

“You’re impossible.”

For a few seconds, silence filled the room.

Then, somehow, the conversation took an awkward turn.

Haruto suddenly said, “You know… I still haven’t had my first kiss yet.”

Kaori looked at him blankly.

“And how is that my fault?”

Haruto pointed at her dramatically.

“Isn’t it obvious? It’s because of you.”

Kaori stared at him in disbelief.

“How exactly am I responsible for that?”

Haruto’s expression softened.

“Because you’re just… too cute. You’re completely my type. You show up in my dreams almost every night. I seriously can’t think about anyone else but you.”

He paused, then continued more quietly.

“I want my first kiss to be with you. First kiss is supposed to be special, right? I don’t want to waste it on someone random.”

Kaori instantly turned her head away again.

She tried to act tough, but this was far too much for her already overheating heart.

After gathering what little courage she had left, she asked in a quieter voice,

“Do you… know any other girls besides me?”

Haruto answered without hesitation.

“I don’t know, and I don’t want to know. You’re the only one I need.”

“Just shut up with your nonsense.”

Kaori quickly finished eating and took her medicine.

Haruto stood up and stretched a little.

“Since you’re sick, I think I should at least clean this place before I leave.”

“You don’t have to do that. I can do it myself.”

“If you keep staying in a messy place like this, you’ll just feel worse. So be quiet and rest.”

Without waiting for her answer, Haruto headed straight to the kitchen.

He washed the dishes, cleaned the counter, and tidied everything up.

He even threw her laundry into the washing machine.

After cleaning up the apartment as much as he could, he finally returned to Kaori’s room.

He sat down beside the small table near her bed and let out a tired sigh.

“I’m feeling really sleepy…”

A moment later, he rested his head on the table.

And before long—

He fell asleep.

An hour later…

“Haruto… are you still here?”

Kaori slowly opened her eyes.

Her body still felt weak, but not as bad as before.

“I feel a little better now…”

She sat up on the bed and looked over.

There he was.

Still asleep.

His head was resting awkwardly on the small table beside her bed.

Kaori stared at him for a while, then let out a small sigh.

“Geez… what am I supposed to do with this boy?”

“He came here to take care of me… and now I have to look after him.”

She quietly watched him from the bed.

The room felt colder now.

The rain outside hadn’t stopped.

Her gaze softened.

There were too many thoughts swirling inside her heart.

“You’ve changed a lot since the day I first met you…”

Her voice was barely above a whisper.

“Back then… if I hadn’t dragged you into my life…”

She lowered her eyes.

“Maybe you could have shined more than this.”

Her fingers tightened slightly around the blanket.

“What’s so amazing about me that you keep chasing after me like this…?”

Her expression grew more fragile.

“You never say it yourself… but I know.”

“You gave up so much for me.”

“You drifted away from your friends…”

“You rejected so many girls…”

“All for my sake.”

A bitter smile formed on her lips.

“I’m so pathetic.”

“I don’t even have any real friends.”

“Maybe… maybe I got selfish.”

“Maybe I felt lonely whenever you spent time with other people.”

“Maybe that’s why… you stopped making friends.”

She bit her lip.

“I keep telling myself I should stay away from you.”

“That it’s for the best.”

“But…”

Her voice trembled.

“At the same time… another part of me wants something completely different.”

Kaori looked at the sleeping boy again.

Her eyes softened more and more.

“I want to hang out with you.”

“I want to laugh with you.”

“I want to walk beside you every day.”

“I want to see you every day.”

“I want to do all kinds of ordinary things with you…”

She stared at him quietly.

“You’re so innocent…”

Outside, the rain continued to fall, and the cold air in the room grew sharper.

“He must be cold…”

Kaori slowly picked up her blanket and carefully draped it over Haruto’s shoulders.

Then she hesitated for a moment before quietly sitting down beside him.

Her fingers slowly reached toward his hair.

She gently patted his head.

A small smile appeared on her lips.

“Ah… you’re warm.”

“Your hair is so fluffy…”

Her fingertips lingered there a little longer than they should have.

“I don’t know what’s been happening to me lately…”

“Whenever I see you…”

“My heart starts beating so fast.”

She lowered her gaze.

“When you came today… my heart was pounding so hard that I closed the door on you.”

She let out a weak, embarrassed laugh.

“But after a while… I gathered the courage to open it again.”

“It would be better if you stayed away from me…”

“That’s what my mind keeps telling me.”

“But my heart…”

Her hand tightened slightly over the blanket on Haruto’s shoulders.

“My heart keeps telling me something else.”

Her voice broke.

“I’m just… too afraid to lose you.”

A tear slipped down her cheek.

Then another.

Kaori tried to stop crying, but she couldn’t.

The tears kept falling no matter how hard she tried to hold them back.

“My heart wants to see you every day…”

“It wants to talk to you every day…”

“It even kept wondering when you would come see me today…”

Her voice was barely audible now.

Then—

Suddenly, a voice interrupted her.

“Oh, dear Kaori…”

Kaori froze.

Her entire body stiffened.

Her eyes widened in panic.

Oh crap.

Did he hear anything?