Transition and Restart, book three: Wingman Blues

Chapter five, 2016, days of waiting, part one

It's as if Urufu would be angry with you for wasting time with him, Kyoko thought. I don't understand you two.

She herself missed most of a full week when Yukio was hospitalised, and for once her parents hadn't said a word about her skipping school.

"Yukio, you know when he'll be discharged?"

Asking that question wasn't fair. As if being best friends with Urufu automatically gave you more information.

"Sorry, no. Maybe they'll tell us today," Yukio said.

Kyoko said nothing. She only held on to his hand when they entered through the sliding doors and walked to the elevators.

Several floors later they left the lift and came out in a corridor much like the one they spent a night by, but Urufu was moved from ICU to some kind of convalescent area. Kyoko didn't understand the hospital organisation all that well.

Before they visited Urufu Yukio had to go to the room adjacent to his. Kyoko chose to wait in the corridor while Yukio went inside and chatted with his classmates.

He came back out with a smirk on his face, walked a few steps and slid open the door to Urufu's room.

Kyoko looked inside searching for Kuri-chan, but she was nowhere to be seen. Instead Sato-sensei sat on a stool and turned when the sound of the sliding door caught her attention.

"Kuri-chan's not here?" Kyoko asked before thinking of how that question could be insensitive in itself.

Sato-sensei shook her head. "She left earlier."

But you were here earlier after all. Good! "I see," Kyoko said instead.

From his bed Urufu gave Yukio and Kyoko both a weak wave.

"How are you man?" Yukio asked.

Urufu tilted his head a bit and grinned. "A bit more winded than usual, but it's healing well they promise me."

"You know when..." Yukio began asking to Kyoko's shame. He was fishing for and answer to her earlier question.

"Maybe this week," Urufu said.

Kyoko hid her face behind Urufu's back.

"They're running the elections for the student council now. Next week is midterms," Yukio said. "Principal Nakagawa wants you to run for president."

"As if," Urufu said and laughed.

***

After he kissed Kyoko goodbye outside her house Yukio went in search for a convenience store before heading home.

Urufu's black eyes when he told him about the car accident still haunted Yukio.

As if he thinks it was his fault, Yukio mused. Damn it man! Stop trying to carry every burden yourself! Yukio growled and muttered a few choice curses. Don't you see that you're insulting your own friends if you don't share some of the shit with us?

Because friendship didn't care about over thirty years difference in age. Friends should help to their capacity, and they should be allowed to do so.

Yukio listened to his footsteps in the darkness as he walked between islands of light under the street lamps. From time to time a car overtook him and flooded the street ahead of him with white brightness until it passed him and waved goodbye with red rear lights.