hatesthefood

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voice

Hey neighbors. Sorry I haven't been around a lot the last few days. I've been under the weather so I think I missed a few things. Umi, I'll have a gift for you as soon as I'm on my feet again. Promise. Oh, and Umi?

... don't worry about handling the Koneko for a few days. I'll head down there tomorrow or the day after or something.

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He let the smile fade a little, wishing that was was ailing him would pass on by.

"...I'd be happy for the help, Umi."

"Good. That's more like it." No, the fact he was considerably older than her wouldn't stop Umi from getting all big sisterly on Ken. It was what she did with everyone she cared about.

"And keep in mind we're right next door, alright? You don't even have to bother cooking if you're not in the mood. Just come over and we'll take care of that."

"You got it."

He reached over to touch her arm but it was a quick, fleeting thing, since he really didn't want her to feel how cold he still was.

...Again, Umi wondered at the briefness of the gesture. But it brought her a measure of comfort and she held on to that instead. Ken would be alright because she wouldn't let it be otherwise. Simple as that.

"So!" She smiled companionably and then got up, reaching for the little plate she'd placed on the table. "Let's put your cake in the fridge before it gets all melty, shall we? So you can eat it whenever you like."

About that time, the door opened and Mamoru bumped his way in, expertly holding the grocery bags above Bandit's head when she came over to "greet" him. He raised an eyebrow when he saw Umi there, then glanced at Ken before brushing past them both to get the food into the kitchen. He knew Ken's recent aversion to it, and they didn't need that coming out in front of Umi. As it was, she'd probably have a fit when she caught sight of the large bruise that was still swelling on Mamoru's jaw.

Ken didn't miss the glance and flushed when he noticed just how dark the bruise was he'd given his friend. Sighing, he glanced away, calling Bandit over to him so Mamoru might have an easier time in the kitchen. He honestly had no idea the state the kitchen was in since he seemed to be avoiding it lately.

"Yeah. Sounds like a good idea."

Umi had turned from storing the cake away at Mamoru's arrival. Predictably enough, her eyes went wide with astonishment and her face was filled with concern at catching sight of the bruise, all traces of the smile she'd had on at Mamoru's arrival promptly vanishing. "What the heck happened to you?!"

He sighed, beginning to move food into the cabinets. And by food, mostly box meals. Come on, Ken might have learned some coking, but they were still them. A few frozen pizzas into the freezer, and --

"It looks worse than it is and I'm not telling you."

Ken padded to the door of the kitchen and leaned against the frame, watching Mamoru and Umi even though he didn't move any closer.

"It was an accident."

---aw, as if she was about to let that sit well with her. Did Mamoru not know how her temper worked by now?? "Hey, listen here: if someone punches a friend of mine on the face I just demand to know who!"

Hands on her hips, Umi stormed beside Mamoru and then snatched some of the contents from the bags her friend had just brought along. She then started -- quite angrily -- helping him store them away. "That way I can make sure they hurt even more!"

Unless... She froze for a second, sending Ken a fleeting glance as he spoke next. No, but that'd put her in too much of a weird place. She couldn't really punch Ken.

Mamoru rolled his eyes at Umi's impassioned outburst. Oh, he knew how she worked. ANGRY UNPACKING.

"No one punched me in the face. It was an accident." Mr. Hidaka can't keep his mouth shuuuut.

Ken didn't even try for a sheepish smile. Instead, he sighed and glanced away, reaching up to scratch at his cheek.

"...You guys are something else." Angry unpacking indeed. So it was sorta therapeutic come this point. She swore her friendship with these two would be the death of her by nervous breakdown one of these fine days. "Do I even wanna know how did this 'accident' happen??"

Mamoru sighed. He might as well come out with it now. "Ken was having a nightmare and I woke him."

"And that earned a fist to the face. Like I said, it was an accident."

The comment was muttered before Ken padded back into the other room, sighing. He didn't want to be reminded of the nightmares ir that simple fact that he'd hit someone he cared about.

"...Nightmare, huh. Was this while he was sick?" So maybe she'd been right about Ken having had a fever. Or...?

Umi frowned, feeling a bit guilty as Ken left looking rather morose again. "It must have been a pretty realistic one."

Mamoru shrugged. "I knew better than to grab him like that. My own fault."

"So do you know what's wrong with him?" Umi felt compelled to ask despite a feeling of growing dread. It made sense, if Mamoru had been taking care of Ken all this time, for her other friend to know. "It's so weird that it's lasted this long."

"He was sick." Mamoru isn't spilling secrets Ken obviously doesn't want spilled. "He'll be fine, Umi."

"...So long..."

The main reason why she won't push the subject is that perhaps this is the truth she wants to believe.

Umi sighs deeply as she's done closing a cupboard. "He better be. I hope it's not one of those weirdo bugs that sometimes are an outbreak in this place..."

"Give it some time."

That was all the advice he could offer her. So he followed Ken into the dining room.

"I said I'd be fine."

Ken could still hear them quite well from the other room, thank you.

"And I said I'd worry anyway, didn't I? It's not like I can help it." Umi followed on Mamoru's heels, wondering if perhaps she should leave them alone.

Mamoru was here now. And much as she wanted to stay and make sure Ken was indeed better, she felt as if she was a bit out of place. If this whole thing at least served to get these two closer... "Will you guys be alright?"

Sighing, Ken waved off her question, already curled up back on the couch.

"We'll be fine. Right, Mamoru?"

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