At this moment, I experienced a profound sense of distress, akin to the final moments of life, as if I were destined to die in bed, a common occurrence in the annals of mortality. This overwhelming emotional state compelled me to withdraw from my usual routine, including attending school.
Aunt Yumi, concerned for my well-being, informed the school authorities of my absence. She also opted to remain home, providing vigilant supervision. Ren, however, attended school as planned. I, on the other hand, remained confined to my room, consumed by an intense emotional turmoil. I sought solace in physical contact with my body, attempting to alleviate my anguish.
Aunt Yumi, having observed my condition, administered medication and provided me with a nourishing soup. She diligently monitored my progress, checking on me three times throughout the afternoon, as it was the customary time for students to return to school.
In an attempt to inform Fuuto and Ayu of my absence, I contemplated calling them.
"Are you not attending school today?" Fuuto inquired, visibly surprised by my illness.
"Regrettably, I am unable to attend, and I anticipate an absence that may extend into tomorrow," I responded, feeling a profound sense of weakness and the inability to articulate my thoughts due to the flu.
"You are aware that tomorrow is the election speech, and this is a pivotal moment for Ayu," Fuuto emphasized.
"I am cognizant of this fact. I will endeavor to recover and make the best of my situation tomorrow," I replied, attempting to cough while enduring the intense heat of my illness. Fuuto continued to engage in conversation with me, as it was now after school.
Ayu, having heard Fuuto's name being called, promptly approached him.
"Wait, is that Daisuke? ," Ayu expressed excitement, anticipating the opportunity to speak with me after school.
"I regret telling you this, Ayu, that Daisuke has fallen ill with the flu," Fuuto replied, discreetly covering his phone to prevent me from overhearing.
"Wait, what? Please allow me to speak with him," Ayu insisted, raising her hand for Fuuto to transfer the phone to her, enabling her to communicate with Daisuke.
"Hey Daisuke, it's me, Ayu. How are you feeling?" Ayu asked me on the phone.
"Not too good. I've been feeling like my body is burning," Despite my limited speech, I persevered and continued the conversation.
"H-Hey wanna hear a joke?… I feel like I'm going to die right now, hahaha," As I attempted to laugh, a sharp pain in my throat ensued, prompting me to cough uncontrollably.
"Hey, don't say that. Is it okay if I come over to your place to take care of your flu?" Ayu inquired, offering her assistance. However, I ultimately declined to respond to her. I was unable to engage in further conversation. I experienced a profound sense of internal burning and heaviness, accompanied by a debilitating weakness. As my phone, positioned on the left side of my bed, slowly fell, I succumbed to my weakened state and passed away.
"Daisuke? Daisuke!?" Ayu was concerned upon hearing a drop. She promptly ended the phone call and handed it to Fuuto. She hurriedly exited the classroom. Fuuto closely followed Ayu as she departed the building, the school.
"Wait, Ayu, what happened?" Fuuto asked, wondering why Ayu acted worried after hanging up the phone.
"I-I don't know. I just heard the phone drop, and I don't know if Daisuke failed or something and hasn't responded to me. Jesus Christ, I have to go to his house, but I don't know where he lives," Ayu placed a hand on her face, expressing concern about the information she had received on the phone, Daisuke.
"Let's go. I know where he lives." Fuuto proceeded to Daisuke's residence, accompanied by Ayu on the same path.
As the minutes ticked by, the intense burning sensation in my body became unbearable. I felt compelled to take a shower to alleviate the discomfort.
Gradually, I rose from bed, only to stumble and fall back onto the floor.
"Agh!" I exclaimed, my vision slightly blurred. Slowly, I reached out for the floor, attempting to rise again.
"Ugh!"
As I managed to get up, I made my way to the bathroom, the cool breeze from the outside refreshing my senses. The bathroom was conveniently located in front of me.
As I walked, I made a soft sound on the Santos mahogany wooden floor, which was surprisingly quiet.
Reaching my destination, I slowly opened the bathroom door, peeking inside. The side door was slightly ajar, allowing me to move it slowly without causing any damage.
With renewed energy, I continued my journey to the bathroom and closed the door behind me.
As I began to remove my clothes, a sense of relief washed over me. The act of shedding my garments seemed to alleviate the discomfort somewhat. However, I still desired to take a proper shower.
If I were to get naked and feel better, and Aunt Yumi were to unexpectedly enter my room, the embarrassment would be immense.
Regardless, I proceeded with removing my clothes and turned on the tap water shower. I carefully mixed warm and cold water, feeling a sense of anticipation as I prepared to immerse myself in the refreshing sensation.
The water was of exceptional quality, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride in its cleanliness and perfection.
As I stepped into the shower, I noticed a slight head of water heading towards the glass of the shower wall. Without hesitation, I entered the shower and settled in, ready to enjoy a thorough and rejuvenating shower.
The shower was an absolute delight, and I found myself reluctant to leave. Occasionally, moments of improved well-being occur, but they are fleeting. However, as I emerged from the shower, I felt a resurgence of the intense burning sensation, intensifying with each passing moment.
Undeterred, I decided to savor the remaining time in the shower, indulging in the pleasurable sensation of touching my body and hair. As I was taking a shower, I noticed my little head slowly heading towards the glass wall shower. Since my vision was impaired, I closed my eyes and took a shower. As I did so, a shadow passed by the glass head mirror, and when I opened my eyes, I felt as though someone was there, causing my anxiety to rise.
I decided to dismiss the possibility of someone being present and simply relax in the shower. I had been there for approximately twenty minutes, enjoying the fresh water. However, as I was about to finish, I noticed that the glass door slid to the left as I opened it. I grabbed a towel and began to try my hair and body.
Suddenly, I felt a strange sense of silence. I wondered if my Aunt Yumi was at home and just to ensure that she was okay.
"Aunt Yumi!" I shouted, hoping to hear her voice.
"…" Everything remained silent.
"Aunt Yumi!" I repeated, growing increasingly worried.
"…"
I was now concerned that my Aunt Yumi was not responding to me. Suddenly, I heard the sound of someone trying to open the bathroom door.
"Aunt Yumi!" I called out, trying to locate her. As the person was attempting to open the door, they abruptly stopped. With no response, the bathroom fell into silence. After thirty seconds, Aunt Yumi finally responded.
"…Hey, kid… are you in there?…." she asked, her voice slightly cracked.
"Aunt Yumi, are you alright? Your voice sounds a bit cracked and dry," I replied, concerned about her well-being. I covered my lower body with a towel.
"…" She then fell silent again.
"Aunt Yumi?" I felt a sense of fear now as she had been acting strangely.
"…"
We both remained quiet for twenty seconds before, suddenly, Aunt Yumi spoke.
"…Open the door…would you? I want to check on you, kid…" she said, as she attempted to open the bathroom door.
With a gradual inclination, I intended to open the door to greet Aunt Yumi. However, I abruptly became aware of the sound of Aunt Yumi's cracking voice emanating from the other side of the door. A shiver ran down my spine, as this occurrence felt unnatural. It was as if the person on the other side was not Aunt Yumi. Slowly, I retracted my hand, growing increasingly anxious and slightly frightened.
"…" I remained silent.
"…" She responded similarly.
"Who… who are you?" I inquired, my gaze fixed on the door with a degree of apprehension.
"It's me… your beloved aunt…" She replied, maintaining her characteristic cracked voice while speaking.
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…"
As she attempted to enter the bathroom, Aunt Yumi swiftly moved the bathroom door handle.
"Open the door, Daisuke," she commanded.
"…"
"OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR YOU FUCKER!!" As her voice deepened, resembling that of a demon, I attempted to open the door and slam it forcefully. Gradually, I sank to the floor, extending my arms to reach the bathroom wall glass.
"FUCKING OPEN THE DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOR AARAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" Since I am unaware of the individual's intentions, it appears that they were attempting to break down the door.
"SHUT UP!" As I shielded my ears and closed my eyes, the entity on the other side attempted to forcefully impact the door, as if striving to gain entry.
"BE ONE OF US BE ONE OF US BE ONE OF US BE ONE OF US BE ONE US BE ONE OF US BE ONE OF US BE ONE OF US BE ONE OF UUUUUUSSSS" Despite the significantly deeper and more ominous tone of the demon's voice, the sound of the door still reverberating echoed through the room.
"STOOOOOOOOOP" In a state of extreme fear, I let out a scream. Suddenly, the door burst open with a resounding slam, as if it were forcefully propelled open, and grabbed me firmly.
"NO STOP NO STOP RGHAAAHHH" as i still had my eyes still close and try to fight to get away whatever it was.
"Daisuke! It's me, Ayu."
Ayu gently shook my arm, urging me to open my eyes. To my relief, I saw her standing before me on the floor. Fuuto was outside the door, and Aunt Yumi was also visibly concerned, Then Aunt Yumi got closer to me to all worry.
"Daisuke, are you alright? Why did you scream?" Aunt Yumi moved my front hair to the side to see me all worried. But then I was. Shivering quite, I slowly turned to look at Ayu all scared.
"Daisuke, please talk to us. What happened?" She put her hand on my cheek, all worried. As she did that, I slowly tried to hold her hand, and I held her hand as she put her hand on my cheek. Suddenly, I started crying and hugging her, and I didn't care if it was embarrassing.
"AGH A-Ayu GIGH…" I sniffed and cried so hard, as I felt safe for now. As I put my head on her chest, hugging her hard, I was still shivering. Ayu was patting my head and hugging me hard, all worried.
"Daisuke…" Ayu whispered to herself. As she was still patting me all worried, she was still crying there with me on the ground, and I was hugging her hard because of how scared I was right now. I want this to stop now.