Breathe Chapter 6

"She has a fever again." Rie informed Hikari and Honoka.

Hikari and Honoka had to hold Nagisa all the way to her home, worried about her as she was acting strange ever since she went to the doctor. They didn't know what to do, either go the hospital or to Nagisa's home but they worried that her parents wouldn't be home. Fortunately for them, Rie was at home busy with her usual chore when Takashi was working at his company. After they rang the doorbell, Rie asked concerned what happened but they replied that they didn't know. After putting Nagisa on the couch, Rie stood up, Honoka's and Hikari's eyes following her to find out what she was going to do, and went to the bathroom. She came back with washcloth and washbasin full of cold water. She put the washcloth on her daughter's forehead after dipping it with water and watched her daughter struggle for breath.

"Maybe we should take her to the hospital." Hikari suggested concerned.

"No, I think this is just a normal fever." Rie responded, her eyes still on Nagisa. Rie recalled when Nagisa was little; she used to catch cold all the time, making Rie concerned about her. She tried to take her to the hospital when she coughed violently and wouldn't stop she thought it was a fatal disease, but the doctor said it was ok and she would get over with it within three days. When Nagisa recovered from the illness, Rie sighed over her silly concerned. But Rie felt like her fever was something else than a cold, though she didn't want to jump to conclusion again. Though, Hikari and Honoka wanted to take her to the hospital. Rei took Nagisa up, sighing heavily over how heavy she became. As she headed to Nagisa's room, Hikari and Honoka followed behind her and observed when Rie put her on the bed and put her blanket over her. Nagisa hard closed her eyes as she felt uncomfortably heat all over her body; sweat started to drip down on her body. Even in situation like this, she just wanted to jump in a cold pool. In her dreams, she was in a pool but even it was very cold it didn't cool the heat down. Rie noticed Nagisa kick the blanket away, she kept scatter it over her but Nagisa kept on kicking it away. Rie took off her blanket and widened eyes as she saw the sweat on Nagisa's body.

"Kujou-san, Yukishiro-san, could you please run a cold bath for her?" Rie asked as she looked over to them. Honoka and Hikari nodded and without a hesitation, they ran to the bathroom. Hikari controlled the running water while Honoka felt the water with her hands. Honoka lifted her hand up constantly as the water was cold as an ice. Hikari turned the water off, stood up as she called to Nagisa's room.

"The water's ready!" Hearing that, Rie lifted her heavy daughter to the bathroom and put her in the bathtub. Seconds later, Nagisa's face turned into relaxation when the heat wore off. The girls sighed in relieved but it didn't last long as Nagisa's body began to shiver.

"C-c-c-c-cold…." Nagisa muttered as she opened her eyes. "Wh-wh-wh-wh-where a-am I-I-I?" she stuttered. The girls smiled, Honoka hugged Nagisa, ignoring the cold when she wrapped her arms around Nagisa's body. "Thank goodness you're ok."

"I'm afraid that you'll have to skip school tomorrow." Rie suggested. "E-e-e-e-eh? C-c-c-come o-on, m-m-mom I-I-I c-c-can go t-to sc-school. I-I-I fe-feel f-f-fine now." Nagisa said as she stepped out of the bathtub and wrapped a towel around her body.

"I-I'm go-going t-to sle-sleep no-now." She said and went to her room. Rie looked at her watch; it was still 6:30. "What about dinner?" Rie yelled to her room.

"I can manage without a food." Nagisa yelled back. With that tone, it seemed that Nagisa is already under her warm blanket. Rie crooked an eyebrow over her daughter's behavior. She gestured with her hand, beckoning up and down.

"Let me know if there is something strange tomorrow." She whispered Honoka and Hikari. They nodded silently.

While walking to school, Honoka couldn't remember where she read the symptoms of a disease the exactly same that Nagisa had; constantly having fever, chills, shivering and fainting. What disease was it again? She deeply thought about as she closed her eyes.

"Honoka, good morning!" Nagisa said as she placed her hand on her shoulder, making Honoka startle. Honoka put up a fake smile as she turned to Nagisa who suddenly appeared besides her. "G-good morning." She replied while stuttering. Nagisa crooked an eyebrow over Honoka's stuttering.

"You okay?" she asked as she stopped at the same time as Honoka. That's what I' should be asking you' Honoka thought. Though, Honoka never got the guts to say that. "Yes, I am. Are you feeling better?" Nagisa hit herself with her fist on her chest as she put up a wide smile.

"Never felt better." They began to walk again and Nagisa began to talk about yesterday how her mom have been interrupted her while trying to sleep. Nagisa sighed over her mom being worried; Honoka recalled that Nagisa and her mother had a fight once before Nagisa came to meet Hikari and Honoka at late night. Then it got worse when Nagisa caught cold but eventually, they made up. Honoka's thoughts drifted away as she thought again about earlier. Nagisa didn't notice Honoka eying forward, she kept on talking. "….but I guess you can't blame her." Nagisa finished and looked over to Honoka for a respond but she saw that she didn't listen.

"Honoka?" Nagisa asked as she was about to touch her shoulder again. "Honoka-san, Nagisa-san." Honoka snapped back to reality when she heard a kind and familiar voice behind, greeting them with a warm smile as she ran up to them. They turned around to greet her back. "Morning, Hikari." Nagisa started. "Good morning." Honoka said. "Good morning." Hikari said too but bowed politely.

They walked again with Hikari besides Nagisa. Hikari noticed something missing; usually Nagisa would hold on her lacrosse stick but she didn't have it. Honoka and Nagisa talked to each other about something that she couldn't catch on. Afraid to interrupting their conversation, Hikari waited patiently for her turn. Without noticing, they were suddenly on the school ground where the two girls were still talking. Hikari caught her eye on the vice principal fixing his glasses that slide down on his nose. He was checking if some of the student were carrying or wearing something that was forbidden. If he saw something, cellphone, earrings, accessories or video games he would confiscated it immediately. They walked passed him, but abruptly, he started to yell.

"Hey!" They jumped, thinking that he was talking to them. They turned around to see two girls being yelled by him. "You think you could carry it around while I'm on watch?" They ran inside as fast as they could, pushing Hikari infront of them.

Nagisa put her bag on the table as she sighed in relieved; what could be worse than being scolded by the vice principle, the crankiest man who ever lived. Abruptly, Nagisa started to feel dizzy again, so she used her desk for a support while gasping for breath. As it wore off, Nagisa stood up straight and looked around to see if it caught anyone's attention. Fortunately for her, no one seemed to notice. She saw Rina, Shiho, Hikari and Honoka crowd around. She crooked an eyebrow as she headed towards them.

"That's why; we have to keep our eyes peeled." Honoka finished as Shiho repeatedly nodded. "Keep your eyes peeled on what?" Nagisa asked, suddenly appearing behind Rina. Fortunately for them, the bell rang in. Rina and Shiho acted quickly and grabbed Nagisa´s hand and dragged her outside with their lacrosse stick on their other hand.

The team waited patiently for the Captain when she was getting dressed. Shiho and Rina went outside first and joined the others in line. Ten minutes later, Nagisa came out of the house, dressed in her school uniform. The girls looked at her and whispered each other. Shiho and Rina came up to her, whispering in her ear. "Hey, hey, hey, what's going on here? Did you forget the uniform again?" Shiho asked first. Her appearance was stiff; she tried to take a deep breath to gather all the courage to tell them. The girls looked at her strangely; the girl who'd usually laugh or smile was now depressed and looked worried. Nagisa felt a painful sting in her stomach, she couldn't stand up straight but she tried her best not to show them. When the pain ebbed away and she could stand straight, Nagisa's words eventually came out of her mouth.

"I quit." Those small words made everyone widen eyes and their chins drop down. Rina pulled herself together and reached her hand towards Nagisa as she asked while stuttering. "You're joking, right?" Rina laughed nervously. Nagisa couldn't get her eyes off the ground; she didn't want to see her teammate's reactions.

"No, I'm serious." She replied with serious tone. "Captain…" one of the girls said as she stepped from the line. Hearing that, Nagisa snapped at her.

"Don't call me that no more! I'm through with this, you can all drop dead!" The girls began to sob silently as Shiho and Rina looked shockingly at their friend. Never in their lives have they seen her that angry. Is that her true from? they asked theirselves. Nagisa strolled away with her fist clenched as her guiltiness came when she heard the girls' sobbing turn into crying.

Nagisa walked silently and ignored her friends from the school ground. She tried her best to ignore Honoka, Hikari, Shiho and Rina; she wasn't in the mood to face them. Remembering what she had in her pocket, she took the paper out of her skirt and went over with it again while she took a pencil from her school bag. She drew a line over 'Quit lacrosse', but again she caught her eye on the first line on the list. Well, she had to do it sooner or later. Nagisa took her time to walk to the High School where Fuji-P was. It wasn't either far away from her school, besides according to his schedule he's at practice right now. As she arrived to his school, she heard a familiar voice, yelling at someone.

"Kumata!" Nagisa acted quickly and ran into the school ground and to the soccer field where her beloved Fuji-P was playing. Her heart took a skip when his serious face was actually cute. She smiled while she blushed, drifting into one of her dreams of being with him. The boy with the whistle, whistled for game over. The boys took hands or clapped on their backs while compliment them. Nagisa shook her head back to reality and waved to Fuji-P.

"Fuji-P senpai!" Fuji-P noticed her calling and turned around to see her. "Ah, Misumi-san." Nagisa beckoned her hand, indicating that he should come to her. Fuji-P waved the boys goodbye as he threw his towel friendly at them.

Nagisa and Fuji-P started walking automatically. Nagisa couldn't help but blush but she shook her head again while chanting herself within her head. 'Pull yourself together.' "Ah, what a beautiful night." Fuji-P broke the silent as he looked at the star. Nagisa stopped, bringing the attention from Fuji-P as he stopped too and looked at her when she was depressed. What happened to the cheerful and always smiling girl he met?

"Fuji-P…" Nagisa said. Fuji-P was surprised that she missed the 'senpai' part. But he just smiled like usual, thinking that Nagisa wanted to become closer friend with him. Nagisa turned to face him and instantly, without Fuji-P's warning, their lips met each other. Nagisa had her eyes closed, but Fuji-P, still shocked, had his eyes open. He felt her tongue meeting his and flipping up and down. For a minute, Nagisa pulled herself back while looking down the ground. Her heart was thumping as she blushed; she looked up to Fuji-P with a sad smile.

"Hope you find your soul mate." With that, Nagisa ran away with Fuji-P standing there, touching his lips while still in shock.