The fear of the ocean

4 - Current

4 - Current

Kakyoin insists on attending the exhibition, even though he had suddenly collapsed due to a panic attack the day before.

Kakyoin hadn't had a panic attack in a while. The last was probably about 9 or 10 months ago. The attacks usually led to Kakyoin passing out due to lack of oxygen or struggling to breathe for hours on end. Hours of suffering. He would never remember what he had done during his attacks, what he had seen or what he had heard. It was as if he were possessed each time, coming to his senses without a clue of what had happened.

Yasuho had found him laying on the floor when she came to unlock the art room, calling an ambulance, worrying over what Kakyoin said to be 'nothing'. He had gone through plenty of the attacks to 'get used to it', saying that Yasuho didn't have to go through the trouble of requesting for him to be wheeled to the ER.

"Are very sure? You must be feeling weak and very tired. I can fill in for you and-"

"It's perfectly fine, Yasuho. I am ok. I just fainted. No need to make a big deal out of it." Yasuho hung her head, respecting Kakyoin's decision. With a sigh, she leaves the room, heading off to where her artworks were displayed.

Kakyoin tugs his shirt sleeves. It was 8.58 in the morning, and the exhibition would open in a moment. Kakyoin does a once over of his displayed pieces. 5 out of the 9 of the works were Kakyoin's 'blue-eyed men' and the rest were still life paintings and environment studies of mountains and forests.

He hoped Jotaro would like them and won't realize that his 'blue-eyed men' were actually him.

Kakyoin hears the sound of applause, meaning that the opening speech had been delivered and people were coming. Kakyoin adjusts his white button up and makes sure his hair and his bang were in proper order on last time before he spots an old couple walking towards him.

Kakyoin crosses his fingers, hoping he won't feel faint from this sudden unsettling feeling creeping in the depths of his stomach.

It has been about 4 hours since the exhibition opened, and Kakyoin was dead tired. He leaves his area to grab a quick drink of water. Maybe sit down a while, rest up. His feet were aching, as was his legs. Standing up for such a period of time was sure exhausting. But that didn't bother Kakyoin as much as it would. He was wondering where Jotaro was.

He knew he shouldn't expect too much, since Jotaro was awful busy all the time and his schedule was out of his own control. Kakyoin sighs and pushes his bang away from his face, his eyelids dropping and his body going limp.

"Kakyoin?" Yasuho walks up to him, in her hands a foldable chair. Kakyoin plops down without so much as a wave of acknowledgement. "You should eat lunch. You need the energy. The closing time is 6 and we will probably be here until 7 to make sure all our works have been moved out in one piece. So, did 'blue-eyed' arrive yet?"

"No... not yet."

"I see. I will fetch some food for you. Rest up. Maybe nap for a bit." And Yasuho leaves, the sound of her clicking kitten heels slowly drowned out by the classical music softly playing and the murmurs of the visitors admiring students' works.

Kakyoin wakes up to see a some food in front of him, covered by another paper plate. Someone had scrawled a note on it.

'I let you nap and left some food. I told our teacher to let you sleep, and he's covering for you until you return. Tale your time, though! If I see your friend, I will take him to you! Don't worry about anything.

-Yasuho'

Kakyoin picks up the plastic fork and digs in. He looked around him, checking for anyone else in the break room. No one, except for a clock that read 2.55 pm.