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“Seriously?”
“Yes, seriously,” Oka said proudly. “Ms. Utsumi is very interested in your board designs. She’d like to meet you somewhere this week to discuss business.”
“What’s going on?” Langa asked as he stepped out of the bathroom, having missed the conversation.
“Dude! You won’t believe this!” Reki said excitedly. “One of the biggest skateboarding companies’ directors likes my board! My board! She even wants to meet me!”
“And, if all goes well, she might invest in Dope Sketch!” Oka added. “Look at you go, Reki, attracting big businesses.”
“Reki, this is huge!” Langa beamed. “You’re so amazing. You always are.”
Reki felt his face heated, he was still not used to Langa’s compliments. That, and the way he always looked whenever he did so. Till this day, Reki couldn’t understand what that look meant, but that would be a topic for later.
Right now, he must focus on business.
“Say, should I make an entirely new board for the meeting? We could meet this Friday, I can make another board by then.”
“Well, you don’t have to.” Oka shrugged. “You can use some of your older designs, they’re the ones that attracted her anyways.”
“But I wanna present her with something new! Something she’d never seen before. That way I can prove myself!”
“You can do it, Reki! I believe in you!” Langa cheered, stars in his eyes.
Oka smiled. “Alright then, you do you. Just don’t do anything risky. I also heard there’s a cold snap coming this week, so try not to get sick.”
“I won’t! Skateboarding always warms me up!”
“I’m not sure that’s how it works, Reki.”
_________________
Reki was doing fine.
The last few days were reserved for making skateboards, Reki locked himself in the garage almost every afternoon. Hours and hours were spent perfecting his crafts, even onto the cold nights without a heater. He had to do this, he had to make it right. He only had this one chance to prove himself, and he was going to nail it.
So far, everything was going well.
Mostly.
“Good morning, Langa!” Reki called, though his throat hurt from the act.
“Hey… Reki.” Langa raised his brow. “Your voice sounds weird.”
“What?” Reki exclaimed, making his throat burn. He coughed violently from that, which took him a while to speak again. “What? Does my voice always sound weird?”
“No. But it does now.” Langa frowned. “Are you alright, Reki? You’re not sick, aren’t you?”
“Why would I be sick?” He denied, coughing a bit more. “I’m fine, just a sore throat.”
Right, it was just that, a sore throat. Because there was no way he was getting sick the day before the meeting.
“Are you sure? There’s a cold snap this week. Are you staying warm?”
“What are you, my mom?” Reki scoffed, trying not to cough again. “No need to worry, I’ll feel better right this afternoon. Speaking of which, I’m almost done with the boards. Yes, plural, ‘cause I made more than one. Wanna have a preview?”
“Sure.”
Reki took out his phone from the pocket, ignoring his freezing fingertips. He scrolled through the gallery, looking for the best pictures, not once did he notice Langa getting closer.
“You’re hot.”
Reki nearly dropped his phone. “What?”
“Your temperature,” answered Langa casually, placing his hand on Reki’s face. “Your cheek is quite warm. Are you sure you’re not sick?”
“Dude! I’m fine!” Reki screeched, leaning away. He coughed twice more before leveling himself. “Don’t just touch me like that! You startled me!”
“Sorry. I’m just worried.”
“I said I’m fine, jeez. Let’s just go.”
Reki skated ahead to avoid any further questions. The wind hit his exposed face and neck, giving him chills all over. His throat stung, worse so in the cold air, but Reki tried to ignore that, focusing solely on skating.
He was going to be fine. He was sure of it.
_________________
Reki was not fine.
He woke up burning hot all over, skin prickling and sweating in the most uncomfortable way, yet he was freezing all the same, shivering under layers of clothes and blankets. He tried to reach for something, anything, but he couldn’t move, limbs heavy and numb. His throat hurt in the worst way possible, he could barely groan, let alone speak.
No, he couldn’t accept defeat. Today was an important day, he had to meet this big corporate woman who could potentially fund his work. Reki didn’t finish three boards in five days just to end up sick like this! He had to get up, he had to move! He had to…
His eyelids drooped, and nothing else mattered. That big corporate woman could wait, sleep was too tempting.
…
Reki woke up again in cold sweat.
What time was it? He couldn’t tell. But judging from how bright it was outside, it must be the middle of the day. It was currently winter, it usually wasn’t that sunny in the early morning, which only meant…
Reki scrambled up to snatch his phone, not caring how his head hurt from the act. His heart dropped as soon as he saw how late it was, along with a slew of texts from Langa.
“Reki?” He heard his mom through the door. Her voice was gentle, worried. “Reki, are you awake?”
“Mo-” He tried to answer, but his throat scratched and he coughed violently.
“My poor boy,” his mom said as she entered the room. She gently placed a hand on his forehead, looking concerned. “Oh dear, you’re really sick. You were so tired when I came to your room this morning, I didn’t mean to wake you up. Just stay home for today, sweetie, I already informed your teacher. I’ll be here whenever you need.”
“No…” He quietly groaned, the action made his throat worse. He tried to sit up, but fell back on the bed, head and limbs heavy.
“Reki, don’t move around too much while you’re sick. Just stay where you are, I’ll make soup and get some medicine for you.” His mother turned away, not before adding. “Langa came over earlier, by the way. He asked me where you were so I told him you were sick. He said he’ll visit you later, such a caring friend.”
Once his mother left, Reki took out his phone again. His eyes squinted at the bright screen, but he managed to scroll through most of Langa’s texts. There was a lot, Langa sounded so worried. Reki’s heart hurt knowing he made his best friend so distressed, so he quickly typed a brief message explaining why he couldn’t make it-
The sound of knocking startled him, making him sit up. It didn’t come from the door, so it couldn’t be his mother. That could only mean…
Reki headed to the window despite his tiredness. He opened the blinds and yup, there his best friend was.
“Langa?” he exclaimed, neverminded his scratchy throat. He lifted the window open, facing him. “Langa, what are you doing here?”
“You’re sick.” Langa only answered. Without warning, he climbed into the room. “Reki, you must be tired. Shouldn’t you be in bed? Why are you standing there?”
“Why- You’re the one knocking on my window!”
“Oh, right,” Langa said absentmindedly. “Then can you get back to bed?”
Reki did so wordlessly, too tired to even argue. As he settled back to bed, he saw Langa rummaging through a bag and placing different items on his desk.
“What are those?” he asked groggily.
“Cold meds, painkillers, cough syrup, some honey lemon candies for your throat. What else…”
“Woah, what?” Reki fully sat up. “Where did you get all these?”
“I went back home to get them as soon as I know you’re sick.” Langa explained. “Or do you want something to eat? I heard jelly is good when you’re ill. Which flavour do you like? I can make a quick trip to the convenience store.”
“Hm…” Reki gave it a thought, before his mind caught up with Langa’s words. “Wait, shouldn’t you be in school?”
“School isn’t important, Reki is.”
Langa answered with so much conviction, Reki’s face warmed not from the cold.
“Dude! You’re ridiculous!”
“Don’t speak too much. Your throat is hurting.”
“Langa!”
“Here, have a candy. It’ll soothe you.” Langa handed him a piece.
Reki let out a huff, but took the candy regardless. He popped it in his mouth and suckled, relishing the sweet and sour taste. Meanwhile, Langa settled on a nearby chair, scooting near Reki’s bed and watching him closely.
“Have you eaten?”
“No, not yet. My mom is making soup.”
“You should eat, Reki, then take the cold meds.”
“I know. I will.”
Another minute passed in silence, Langa did nothing other than stare. Reki laid down and let his eyes drop, less from tiredness and more to avoid Langa’s gaze. There was just something about the way he looked that was so… intense.
“I talked to Oka, by the way,” Langa said quietly, as though not to disturb Reki. “I told him you’re sick, so he rescheduled with Ms. Utsumi.”
And Reki’s eyes shot open.
“You did WHAT?”
“Reki, don’t yell like that!”
“No!” He coughed violently, his chest pained but he didn’t care. “No, I can’t reschedule! I have to meet her today!”
“Reki, no-”
“I’m meeting her today! I have to…”
“Reki! Don’t!”
At one moment, Reki was sitting up, preparing to leave despite his heavy limbs. The next, he was on his back, with Langa above him, pressing him down. Reki was too shocked to react, to even feel Langa’s tight grip on his arms. He could only stare back as his best friend once again gave him that intense, pleading look.
It took a few moments for Langa to backtrack. “Sorry! I didn’t mean to pin you down like that! You were trying to leave, so…”
Reki blinked once, twice, before his mind worked again.
“Dude! What were you thinking? What if you get sick too?”
“Oh? So you admit that you’re sick?”
“Wha- I- Ugh!” Reki groaned, turning to the wall to sulk.
He knew he was being childish, and that Langa had a point, but in this exhausted, self-pitying state he couldn’t care less. Even facing away, he could feel Langa sitting on the bed, his gaze burning to the back of his head.
“Reki, you’re clearly sick.” Langa insisted. “You can’t work in this condition. You should rest as much as you can.”
“I know. It’s just…” Reki sighed. “I’m just feeling really awful right now.”
“I understand. That’s what sickness does to you.”
“It’s not like that.”
“Oh?” He heard Langa shuffling, probably to turn around.
Reki sighed again, eyes and nose stung from incoming tears. Never in his life had he felt so hurt, so vulnerable, especially not in front of his best friend.
“I can’t believe I would screw up like this.”
“Screw up what?”
“This.” He choked. “I finally had a chance to do something good, only to get sick and fricking… ruin everything.”
“Reki…” he heard Langa getting closer.
“This is just so… unprofessional!” Reki let out a frustrated sigh. “I could’ve met Ms. Utsumi today! I could’ve shown her what I’m capable of! I could’ve gotten her invested in Dope Sketch! But nope, I got way into my head and neglected my own health! What was I thinking doing all this in a fricking cold snap? I’m just…” He buried himself under the blanket, sniffling. “I’m just feeling so useless right now. I can’t even do anything right…”
Silence stretched as Reki sank further, wishing the mattress could swallow him whole. Stupid. Useless. Incompetent. he repeated like a mantra, tears trickling down the side of his face as ugly thoughts slowly consumed him…
“Reki,” Langa interrupted, “you’re not useless.”
“Really?” Reki snorted through his tears. “Does a useful person end up like this? Does a smart, rational person overwork themselves to the point of sickness just for some stupid boards?”
“You’re passionate. You’re good at whatever you do. And you do it not just for yourself, but for others too. Oka said Ms. Utsumi might invest in Dope Sketch, right? You were doing this for him too, weren’t you?”
Reki fell silent, not sure how to answer. Langa took it as his chance to continue.
“To me, that’s very admirable. You love what you do and you think of others while doing it. Even now you’re feeling awful not because you’re sick, but because you feel like you’re letting everyone down…” Langa took a brief pause, Reki felt a hand rubbing his back. “Which you didn’t, Reki, Oka is very understanding. Ms. Utsumi agreed on the reschedule, she even wished you well. As for me, you never have to worry about that. You will never disappoint me.”
Despite himself, Reki turned around at that. Something about the way Langa spoke just drew him in.
“How?”
“What?”
“How am I not disappointing you?”
“How?” Langa’s brows creased. “You’re incredible, smart and talented. You know everything about skateboarding.”
“Guess that’s all I’m good for.” Reki chuckled, coughing once more.
Langa shook his head. “That’s not all, you’re so much more than that. Everything you do is amazing. You’re…” He faltered. “You’re perfect.”
Maybe it was the lighting, or Reki was seeing things in his semi-dazed state, but Langa looked flushed, as though he was the sick one. Reki had half a mind to consider what he was doing, shuffling closer to his best friend before he knew it.
“Did you mean it?” he asked. “Did you mean what you said? About me being perfect?”
Somehow, Langa looked even redder. “Of- Of course! You’re always perfect to me. I wish you could see yourself the way I see you.”
It was at those final words that the dam broke. All his anger, pain and frustration, he felt them at once, burning and hurt. Before he knew it, Reki was crying again. Tears kept spilling beyond his control, making him a sobbing, wheezing, pathetic mess.
“Reki? Reki, did I say something wrong?”
Reki sniffled, unable to contain himself. He truly didn’t deserve Langa. Sweet, caring Langa.
“I’m sorry.” He hiccupped. “I’m sorry for everything. I’m sorry for being a mess. I’m sorry I roped you into this.”
Langa blinked, before his eyes softened, his hand reaching out to wipe away the tears. His touches were slow, steady, almost careful, Reki let himself relax under his caress. He could fall asleep like this, with Langa’s light touches against his skin. Even when Langa retracted, Reki held him back, his own hand placed on top of his.
Langa spoke again softly as Reki was slowly lulled to sleep. “You don’t have to apologize, I’m here because I want to. I really care about you, Reki, in more ways than one…”
Reki peaked his eyes open, even in his blurry vision he could still see Langa. He was staring at him, like he too was in a daze, his movement slowed to just rubbing circles, as though Reki was the most precious, most delicate thing in the world.
From the way Langa was looking at him now, he almost believed it.
“Langa…” Reki whispered, squeezing his hand. “Langa, I-”
“I made you some soup- Langa? What are you doing here?”
Langa pulled his hand away upon his mother’s voice. Reki whined at the lost contact, about to reach for it when Langa stood up.
“Mrs. Kyan, I’m sorry for coming over so suddenly. I was worried about Reki and I needed to check on him. I, uh, I brought some medicine, and… Please let me stay with him!” Langa bowed, almost frantic. Reki watched in tired amusement.
“Oh, dear, while I appreciate that you care so much about Reki, I think it’s better that you stay in school. How long have you been here? Does your mom or teacher know?”
“I- It doesn’t matter, I wanna stay with Reki! Please, let me take care of him!” Langa said with so much determination, Reki felt like crying again.
His mother let out a sigh, and though Reki couldn’t see her face, he could tell she was exacerbated. “Langa, there’s nothing to be worried about, I can take care of him just fine. Now go back to school, you can visit him later in the afternoon.”
“But-”
“Just go.” Reki croaked, waving his hand dismissively. “Go to school, do your thing. You can come back later, I’ll be better by then.”
Langa opened his mouth, then closed it, glancing back and forth between Reki and his mom. Sighing, he picked up his board, giving Reki one last sad look before reaching the window.
Reki’s half-consciousness had a mind of its own, however.
“Wait.”
Langa stopped at his tracks, pulled by Reki’s light tug on his sleeve. He looked back at Reki, warm blue eyes shining with curiosity. It took Reki a few seconds to articulate his thoughts, he was this close from passing out of sheer exhaustion.
“Thank you… for everything.”
He heard Langa’s breath hitch, his shocked expression melted into a smile. Reki let go of his grip, only for Langa to take his hand, squeezing it lightly, tenderly.
“I’ll be back this afternoon, I promise. I’ll get you some jelly too. Until then, please eat, sleep well, and take the meds I gave you, okay?”
Reki only had the energy to nod, but that seemed to be enough to satisfy Langa. With one last smile, his best friend left, jumping through the windows with the skateboard in hand.
“You can just use the door!” Reki heard his mom calling after Langa, though her voice was slowly reducing to muffles. “Jeez, teenage boys. It’s good that he cares about you, but I didn’t know he liked you this much.”
The rest of what his mother said faded into white noise. Reki fell back to sleep, with the image of his best friend in mind.