Kanao Can't Communicate

•~chapter thirty-five: a cold~•

"Ah...achoo!"

Tanjiro was sitting up in his bed, evidently not feeling very well. He had quite an awful fever on the last day of the winter break.

Nezuko was standing at the bedroom door, looking at her brother in concern. She had a backpack slung over her shoulder that was stuffed with clothes.

"Onii-chan...we're going to be at the hot spring for the whole day. Are you really sure that you're going to be alright here alone?" Nezuko asked. "If you won't be okay alone, just tell us before we go, so that one of us can stay home with you."

Tanjiro waved off his younger sister's protests. "Don't worry about me, Nezuko. I'll be fine, I promise."

A light of concern still shone brightly in Nezuko's eyes, but all the same, she said, "Well, if you say so Onii-chan. Stay safe!"

Tanjiro followed his family to the door of the apartment, and after he waved goodbye and locked the door behind them, he trudged dejectedly back to his bedroom.

Some day to get sick, Tanjiro grumbled in his mind, scooting back into his blankets. But I think I should be fine.

Tanjiro laid down in bed and he tried to take a nap. But after half an hour of tossing and turning, he gave up.

As if on cue, Tanjiro's stomach rumbled loudly. He got up from his bed and stumbled towards the kitchen.

Halfway down the hall, however, he stopped. He remembered that his mother and father didn't like when someone cooked while home alone.

Tanjiro still walked to the kitchen, but he ended up only getting a small glass of water.

Tanjiro walked back to his room, now with a glass of water in his warm hands. He sat back down on his bed, opened up his cell phone, and he began sipping water.

Perhaps he drank a little too fast, for he suddenly choked on the water and he spilled the water all over his blankets.

Tanjiro began coughing violently and he clutched his throat. He felt his hand touch something on his phone, but he was still coughing and he didn't realize...

...that he dialed Kanao because he had her number on the speed dial.

A minute later, Tanjiro took a deep breath in, as he was in desperate need of air. He massaged his already sore throat and he brought his empty glass to the sink and his damp blankets to the washing machine.

As he was bringing new blankets to his room, the doorbell suddenly rang.

Tanjiro, who was still recovering from his coughing fit, looked up in the direction of the front door. It could've been a trick because his ears might be ringing, but nevertheless, he went to go check who was at the door. After all, the bakery had the closed sign up, but it wasn't locked just in case someone wanted to visit.

Tanjiro walked up to the door and opened it. He was shocked beyond belief when he saw Kanao standing at the door, with a slightly steaming plastic bag in her hand.

He blinked quickly. Surely this was a hallucination, right? (He still didn't realize that he speed dialed Kanao.)

And, before Tanjiro could allow a thought to cross his mind, Kanao had already stepped over the threshold and invited herself inside.

Kanao led Tanjiro back into his room and she softly forced him back into the covers.

Do you want a drink? she wrote.

"Uh...if it's okay with you, then yes please..." Tanjiro muttered, turning even more red.

She held out a metal thermos to him, and he gladly took it from her hand.