Hitori skipped the academy for the next two days, and no one bothered to force him either. He just spent the two days in the Vr-cade, reading books, checking his inbox, but not entering the game at all.
Reon was getting better, and she was fit enough for a fight, if it came to that, in just two days. She realized she had not contacted he parents in a month, but Kakashi stopped her before she could contact them.
It had a huge risk to their lives and hers, too. And it turns out, that Onogi did not really have her brother in captive, it was his plan to trick her– and it worked.
Hitori was totally unaware of this, but everyone felt distanced from him lately. Reon did not even have a chance to thank him properly, he was not expecting thanks from her anyway.
The good news was that he had not smoked for two days, that was progress. He did get a few chances every time he went to his house for an hour, but he controlled himself and reflected on the recent events.
This will go on, he knew, so he needed a solution. Killing and murdering was not an option anymore, he wanted something else. No matter how much time he spent searching for that kind of situation, he could not find it– he could not even create an imaginary one.
By the time he realized he needed more than two days, and he should take this day off, too, Kakashi and Eya had already conspired with Reon to stop Hitori from wasting time and start going to the academy.
It was quarter to seven when Hitori rose from his console station. He was up the whole night again, thinking and reading. When he had just decided it was time for him to go to bed, he saw Reon coming toward him.
He would have bumped into her if he was not feeling sleepy. He hit his foot against the corner console station. He cried in pain and turned around.
He hit his thigh on the chair and stumbled on it. He could feel himself fall back and he sensed the chair behind him, he knew he was going to hit the back of his neck against the chair.
"Hitori!" He heard a shout, then felt a jolt followed down to the armpit from the forearm, and before he knew it, Reon had stopped his fall.
She jerked his hand and pulled him towards her. Then instantly, she moved away and let him lean over the console at the corner. She would have hugged him, but she knew he would not have liked it.
"Are you okay?" she asked, Hitori was leaning on the console, breathing hard.
All had happened in a flash and it took him time to process things. He was sure he was going to knock himself out, but how did she appear out of nowhere? Whatever it was, he was glad she appeared and saved him from wasting a day.
Hitori found her standing close to him, so he took a step away. After a minute more, he rose away from the console and looked into her eyes. "What are you doing here, Reon?" he asked, not caring about thanking her, she knew he was grateful.
She hesitated, pushed her hair back, and creased her skirt before saying, "It is seven…" she said without looking into his eyes, "you will be late for school."
He should have seen that coming. Hitori shook his head, he knew it was those two for making her say that. "I am not going—"
"Oh, then I will go in your place," she replied without letting him finish.
He was taken aback by her reply. He thought it was some kind of joke, but his logic told him she was serious. "W-Why? Just sit here and help them with the work."
"Yeah? What will you do? Stare at the ceiling for hours? You are not the only one going through hard times. We all are, but we still are doing our work."
"I do not feel like playing…" he muttered.
"Then at least go to the classes," she said in a calm tone, "it will help you clear your mind. Take a break, you know…"
He did need a break, but it was not a break from dealing with the shit, he wanted to take a long break from THE shit that was happening. But the realization hit him hard. He remembered the promise he had made with his elder sister.
He turned silent and Reon saw this as an opportunity to change his mind. "I will get your breakfast, just do yourself a favor and take a bath," she said.
She did not wait for his reply, she dashed through the alley, pushed the chair Hitori had 0stumbled in, and she slid her thigh across the console's corner as she got out in the aisle and ran to the staff room.
The staff room had expanded in the past few days, a new bed was added and a new compartment was made at the end of the room to make space for a kitchen, and the idea of creating space for Hitori's bed was under consideration.
She rushed into the room, Kakashi was waiting for her at the corner of the room, she smiled at him and went straight to the kitchen.
Eya was surprised by the sudden enthusiasm in Reon. "Did it work?" she asked.
Reon bit her lower lip and nodded. "Let me cook the breakfast," she said.
Eya chuckled. "Really?" she asked with wide eyes. "You did it!" She spread her arms and Reon did not think twice before hugging her so-called elder sister. "You did it!" Eya squeezed Reon.
Kakashi smiled at the sight. He got off the bed and walked up to him. "Come on now, get cooking before that boy changes his mind again."
Reon gasped. She patted Eya's back for the last time and pulled herself back. I, I should prepare his breakfast, you never know when he will change his mind."
Eya giggled "Now THAT is a fact."
Then Eya gave Reon every ingredient required for making noodles again, and she cooked the best soba she had ever cooked.
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