Taking Care of an Idiot.

Ren ended up going home after two hours of him and Miko watching anime together in silence. After shutting the door, Miko slumped down until she was sitting with her back against it, letting out a long sigh.

“What the hell is wrong with me? I freaking hate the guy. Why did I get so defensive when Talia suddenly claimed him?” Miko whined to herself, exasperated.

“On top of that, my face feels hot, I was sweating uncontrollably, and it felt like my heart was about to jump out of my chest.” She lamented to herself, now with her legs curled up as she covered her face, unaware she was blushing like crazy.

“Did my hatred turn into some kind of disease that makes it physically painful to even be near him?” She thought to herself, confused about the new sensation she’s feeling.

“Whatever. I need to go to bed early for once, so I shouldn’t be too restless.” Miko mumbled to herself, before going to take a shower and prepare for bed.

After everything, Miko couldn’t sleep until 3 hours before her alarm went off, and nearly ran out of time to make her lunch like yesterday.

Miko left her house, making extra sure her door was locked before rushing to school for the second time that week.

Before Miko could get far, she found Erina Satsuki waiting, where she had jumped her yesterday.

“Look who it is. Miss waste of space!” Erina chided, using her signature fake smile to make Miko lower her guard.

“I overheard a little rumor that you made up an excuse to invite Ren Hassa over to your house, but that couldn’t possibly be true! Since I believe I told you to stay AWAY from him.” Erina hounded, walking dangerously close to Miko with a smile as warm as ice.

“I-I didn’t want to… someone broke into my-” before miko could stutter out the rest of her reasoning, Erina had grabbed her by the neck.

“He ditched me… for you.” Erina whispered, squeezing her hand around Miko’s neck. “He DITCHED me for YOU” she repeated, now shouting.

Erina started to choke Miko for several agonizing seconds, until she managed to kick away from erina’s grip, and began violently coughing and wheezing trying to regain her breath.

“If you disobey me one more time… I will make you regret ever being alive.” Erina whispered into Miko’s ear, before pushing her to the ground violently.

Miko sat on the ground, stunned for a few seconds, seemingly lost in thought, before breaking into a fit of laughter, much to Erina’s surprise.

“Regret ever being alive? That isn’t much of a threat for someone who has never enjoyed being alive.” Miko whispered with a defiant tone.

“You’re the pretty girl who gets whatever they want, when they want it. The closest you’ve felt to suffering is being in a long line to go to a coffee shop, or finding a blemish on your face.” Miko continued, looking at Erina with an intense fury.

“You want me to leave a guy I hate alone, just because he’s interested in me and not you? That’s the reason you and your freaking gang of bitches put a freaking razor blade in my shoe locker? Do I have that right?” Miko asked, flashing Erina her bandaged up right hand, which had gotten a large cut from the razor blade.

“If you hate him, then he should be mine!” Erina shouted like a child demanding candy.

“I am only going to say this once. I hate that asshole more than anyone I know. But the thought of anyone stealing him away from me pisses me off so much more.” Miko interjected, her eyes closed as she shook in frustration. “So if you WANT him, then too bad. Because like it or not, He’s mine.” Miko shouted, loud enough for the entire block to hear.

“Why? You said you hate him, but you won’t give him up to someone more deserving?” Erina argued, her face extremely close to Miko’s.

“I don’t know, It just feels like a part of me dies inside when he’s with another girl!” Miko shouts back in both confusion and frustration.

“Then you DO Like him!” Erina shouts, both shocked and annoyed.

“Wait… do I like him?” Miko thought to herself, “he’s a total idiot, he’s rude, and never listens to me… but… why do i….” Miko’s thoughts began to wonder as she stood there in silence trying to figure out the sudden rush of foreign emotions.

“Hang on, does liking someone make you feel like your heart is going to explode, and you find yourself staring at that person unconsciously?” Miko asked, clearly confused.

Erina stood there in shock, unsure if Miko was serious or not.

“You… You’re joking, right?” Erina asked with a defeated tone. “You don’t know what liking someone feels like?”

“I never even knew what having someone tolerate my existence felt like until now.” Miko responded in a mumble, looking down at the ground.

Erina sighed, pinching her nose and shaking her head at what she had just heard.

“Because it feels like a three legged dog down if I don’t, I’ll tell you. But then, I’m going back to treating you how you deserve. Got it?” Erina asked in a stern voice.

“I mean, I guess.” Miko accepted reluctantly.

“You described the first signs of liking someone, but to know if you love someone, you have to be thinking about them, even when you aren’t doing anything related to them, and you have to get jealous when girls try to steal him away.” Erina explained as though she was bored.

“Oh… so that’s what that feeling was.” Miko thought to herself as she remembered her anger towards her sister trying to claim Ren for herself. “I was jealous… I guess I really am….”

“Hey, Erina?…” Miko asked, looking at Erina like she was about to cry.

“What? And don’t use my first name. It feels tainted coming out of your mouth.” Erina said in disgust.

“I think I’m… in love with Ren, so… Could you at least not drag him into how you treat me? I’m used to being treated like this… but if anything happened to him because of me, I’d…” Miko tried to finish, but started crying instead.

“Fine. but if you don’t confess your feelings to him, I’ll make sure you never do at school. Got that?” Erina asked with a threatening stare.

“Fine by me.” Miko accepted, losing all her confidence now that she wasn’t stressed anymore.

Erina began walking to school, leaving Miko there to collect her thoughts.

“What the hell have I done?” Miko’s inner thoughts lamented. “Why did I have to pick a fight with her! She scares me! Not to mention the fact that there is no way in hell I would ever confess to that guy!” Miko was immediately feeling regret upon regret as she remembered what she told Erina.

At school, not much happened aside from Miko being bullied like usual, and she still couldn’t use her hand for anything, so she had to eat her lunch with her other hand under the stairs again.

“I haven’t seen Ren at all today…” She thought to herself, sulking. “Is he sick or something? He wasn’t in class.” she pondered, nibbling on a chicken cutlet she had glazed with soy sauce and honey.

Looking at her phone, Miko wondered if she had gotten any messages from him, but there was nothing.

At the end of the day, the teacher tried calling out to students, asking if any of them would want to deliver some handouts to those absent.

Everyone just left, while Miko still sat at her desk, zoned out from her inner thoughts, until the teacher tapped her desk.

—-exactly 2 hours later—---

Miko stood outside what the map said to be Ren’s house, with a disturbed look on her face.

“Seriously? The guy lives exactly 2 blocks away from me, and yet we never ran into each other once?” Miko thought with a frustrated scowl.

Hesitantly, Miko rang his doorbell, as if she was going to be attacked by a wild tiger.

The door slowly opened, to show Ren peering out while wearing a plane sweater and sweat pants. His face looked pale and red at the same time.

“Oniwara? What are,,, you doing here?” he asked groggily, leaning on the door frame to support himself.

“Handouts. From the school. Everyone from class left, probably because their delusions didn’t put two and two together that you were the one absent for being sick.” Miko answered in a blunt manner, her face bored and as though she didn’t want to be there, which she didn’t.

Ren grabbed the handouts with a smile, and was about to close the door, when he fell back into his entrance, collapsing entirely.

“Shit, are you ok?” Miko blurted out, too concerned to put up an emotional barrier.

Ren just layed there, panting like a dog on his deathbed, his eyes closed tight, and shivering like he was cold.

“I really can’t leave the idiot in this state, even I’m not heartless.” Miko rationalized internally, as she supported Ren on her shoulders, carrying him over to his room, and laying him on his bed.

Quickly rushing out, Miko made a b-line for the bathroom, which its door was open for some reason, and grabbed a thermometer before rushing back, and slapping it into his mouth.

“38 degrees Celsius… Wait, That’s enough to warrant death!” Miko shouted in a panic after the realization set in.

“Crap, and it looks like he lives alone based on the size of this place, and I doubt this dumbass has food kept in his fridge.” she thought to herself, agonizing as to what she should do.

Miko looked over at Ren’s sleeping face with nothing but concern in her eyes, before taking a deep breath.

“Someone has to do it….” she whispered to herself with a defeated sigh.

MIko walked out of Ren’s room, and out of his house, looking back with a worried look.

Just when Ren woke up, He noticed his house smelled really good for some reason, and the sounds of something cooking permeated the halls.

When he entered his kitchen, he was surprised to see Miko cooking on his usually untouched stove.

“Go back to bed right now, or I throw this all out and leave you to die.” She stated bluntly, not even looking at him.

Her threat made him immediately turn back to go to his room, before collapsing in the middle of the hallway.

“Are you kidding me?!” Miko shouted, turned around with a furious look, before marching over to him, and helping him back to bed.

“If that pot boils over because of this, I will kill you.” She muttered with a frustrated tone.

After Miko got Ren back in bed, she yelled “Stay!” like he was a dog.

Miko then marched back into the kitchen, to finish cooking. Leaving Ren alone.

About a half hour later, Miko came into Ren’s room with a bowl with a cover over it, and a spoon.

“Could you wake up already? You need to eat something.” Miko whined, looking at Ren like it was more trouble than it’s worth.

Ren slowly opened his eyes, and looked at Miko with a tired and confused look.

“What’s going on?” Ren asked, too sick to focus.

“Sit up, shut up, and eat this.” Miko responded coldly.

Ren sat up weakly on his bed, and Miko put the bowl on his lap.

“I made some rice porridge, since it’s what I eat when I’m not feeling well.” Miko mumbled, trying not to make eye contact.

Ren slowly dug in with the spoon, and brought it to his lips. When he took his first bite, he froze, and nearly dropped his spoon.

“Is it that bad? I only ever cooked for myself, so…..” Miko stammered looking at him with a worried look.

“No, it’s really good. It took me by surprise at how amazing it tastes.” Ren replied softly, looking at Miko with a soft and delicate smile.

Miko found herself lost in the moment, staring back at him for a few seconds, before turning away after noticing she was staring for too long.

“Have you taken any medicine yet?” Miko asked with a shaky and delicate voice.

“I did this morning, and again an hour before you got here.” Ren replied, taking another bite of the porridge.

“Good! If you hadn’t, I would have given up on your sanity.” Miko said, trying to play off the fact she was hoping to use the medicine she bought for him.

They both sat there, the only sound was Ren eating, and the spoon brushing against the bowl as he did.

Several minutes of silence passed.

“... you should get some sleep, I’ll be going now.” Miko said, standing up and taking the finished bowl from Ren.

As Miko was about to leave, she stopped at the door to his room.

“If you can’t come to school tomorrow, or you need something, message me. I live close by.” Miko muttered, just loud enough to be heard, trying not to make eye contact.

Miko put the bowl in the sink, and exited his house, making sure to lock his door, and pass the key through the mail slot.

“D-d-d-d-d–d-d-did I really just give that idiot permission to contact me?!” Miko thought to herself in a frenzy, unknowingly blushing crazy.

Miko quickly marched home, blushing the entire way there.

“Whatever, it means nothing! I will never admit to l-l-l-liking that guy!” she screams internally, not realizing she was making a creepily strained awkward smile while blushing from ear to ear.