Life didn't get easier, even in another world

175 Sorry

Kairen checked his phone one last time before putting it into his pocket and closing the door, leaving the house early in the morning. ????????????r????????d.＆nbsp;c????m

‘It is getting cold...’

The summer was about to end and the weather in the early morning was especially getting colder. Kairen noted in his mind to start wearing warm clothes from now on before starting to walk.

“Hey, wait!”

The door opened almost immediately and a hand grabbed Kairen’s wrist.

“I said let’s go together, why are you ignoring me?”

Kain forcefully pulled Kairen inside the house again. Avoiding Kain’t eyes, Kairen looked down at the ground and mumbled.

“I can go by myself.”

Still pulling him, Kain approached his car.

.....

“I’m heading out so let’s go together. Also, you don’t look good at all how are going to walk all the way to work?”

He opened the car’s door and pushed Kairen inside.

“I’m going to the library-”

“It’s okay I’ll drop you there.”

“....”

Kairen closed his mouth and lowered his head, not saying anything else and not protesting anymore.

Closing the door, Kain circled around the car and sat on the driver’s seat. The car started to move and the two of them left the house.

“....”

“....”

“Cough... cough!”

Nobody said anything while they drove to the library and the only sound in the car was the coughings of Kairen. The atmosphere felt awkward and somehow cold.

“Um...”

Finally, Kain peeked at Kairen and opened his mouth.

“Are you sure one day of rest is enough?”

“Yes.”

“You still look pale though. Are you really fine?”

“Yes.”

“Why do you keep coughing while clutching your chest like that then? Should I stop by a hospital?”

“No.”

“...Is it that important to go to the library?”

“Yes.”

“...I... I see...”

Kain peeked at Kairen once again and pressed his lips on each other. After another few minutes of silence, he once again started to talk with a lowered voice.

“Hey... are you mad at me or something?”

Kairen glanced outside of the window, not even looking at the man’s face.

“No.”

“But you are! You are sulking!”

“I’m not.”

The car stopped moving as they reached a crossroad when the traffic light was red. Kain sighed and let go of the wheel.

“Did I do something wrong?”

“...No.”

Kairen turned his head even more to the opposite side of Kain, his nose almost on the side window.

“You know, we can solve it if you just tell me what the problem is-”

“There is nothing.”

Kairen’s voice rose a little bit due to anger, but he soon curled up and started to cough.

“Cough cough cough.”

“.....”

Kain just silently peeked at him.

The light was green once again. Kain grabbed the wheel and the car resumed moving. The two of them sat silently until they reached the next traffic light.

Once again, Kain turned to Kairen and started to talk.

“I don’t know what is bothering you, but still, you shouldn’t push yourself when you don’t feel well.”

“I’m feeling fine.”

“Yeah! That’s visible! I can read it all over your face!”

Kain said in an irritated voice before grabbing the wheel once again. Kain took a deep breath, but as if he wasn’t able to hold himself any longer, he resumed talking.

“You keep holed up in your room, don’t talk to anyone except for Ariyan, don’t stay home even for rest, eat outside, leave early and come home late, then say there is nothing?”

Kain huffed angrily.

“What happened all of a sudden? You don’t feel comfortable in our house anymore?”

Kairen didn’t answer Kain, maintaining a neutral face the whole time. However inside, he couldn’t stop the distress from taking all over his heart.

Kain was indeed right. Kairen couldn’t feel comfortable around them like before. Not after hearing about the ‘order’ that they had received.

He first thought he wouldn’t mind it much and act as if he had never heard anything like that, but he couldn’t.

He believed that these people hold him, no, hold Kairen really dear and wouldn’t do anything harmful to him. Still, he couldn’t help but think whether all of their actions were real, or only acting.

The slight discomfort continued to grow in his heart the more he thought, and the more it grew the more helpless and at the same time, angry, he felt.

“....”

Kairen didn’t like this conversation. Not even the slightest. He ignored Kain again and subconsciously touched his chest, which now felt heavier as time passed.

Wasn’t he supposed to get better after some rest? He had been coughing nonstop since last night and it only got worse as time passed. He didn’t mind it much when he felt his chest go heavier yesterday after playing with Ariyan, but it was starting to bother him seriously. Also, why was his head throbbing like this?

They were almost there. He could see them approaching the library.

“Is that a ‘yes’ then?”

“....”

Kairen ignored him again.

“You don’t like to live with us anymore?”

“....”

Kairen clenched his fists, but that remained unnoticed by Kain who was focused on driving.

“Why? What changed all of a sudden?”

“....”

The car passed the entrance of the library and entered the yard. Kain stopped the car but he still kept talking.

“I don’t remember doing anything that would offend you in the past few weeks, neither did Alessia. If I’m mistaken, then tell me.”

In the end, Kairen couldn’t remain silent anymore.

“Is this an interrogation?”

“....”

Kain shut his mouth almost immediately.

“Are you interrogating me or something, early in the morning on the way to work?”

Kairen glared daggers at Kain with bloodshot eyes. His heart was beating fast and his head started throbbing even more.

.....

Kain tilted his head with a puzzled face, confusion and slight worry visible in his eyes.

“What are you talking about all of sudden? I just wanted to know why you-”

Kairen cut off his words.

“WANTED to know or were ORDERED to know?”

Kain froze in his place as soon as he heard the word ‘ordered’. His face paled and his pupils started to shake.

Not caring about Kain’s reaction at all, Kairen took a deep breath with much difficulty and continued his words.

“As if- cough- As if spying on me wasn’t enough-”

“K-Kairen that is-”

Kairen didn’t let Kain say anything.

“Cough HAAA!”

Kairen tapped his chest as he took another deep breath.

“-Now you are interrogating me, huh?”

Kain hurriedly grabbed his hand.

“Wait Kairen that is not-”

“Let go!”

Kain grabbed his hand tougher.

“How do you- I can explain it!”

Not even listening to Kain, Kairen talked through gritted teeth.

“Don’t you like the-cough ... the sight of me not leaving my room?”

He said while panting.

“You... don’t have to endure it long! Haaah- I’ll rent a place... as soon as I get paid at the... end of this month!”

“....”

As if those words were a great shock to him, Kain’s hand holding Kairen loosened. Finally shaking off Kain’s hand, Kairen opened the door and stepped out of the car, and slammed the door close with a loud THUD.

He didn’t want to continue this conversation. He wasn’t supposed to show that he had overheard their words but he ended up spitting out bullshit due to anger. He wanted to head into the library as soon as possible.

But as soon as he stood up, he felt his surroundings go dark all of a sudden.

‘Huh?’

The next second, he found himself sitting on the ground.

“Ah? HAH!”

Kairen clutched his chest.

‘Why is it-‘

“Haaa! Haaaa!”

Why couldn’t he breathe all of a sudden?

“K-Kairen I-”

He could hear Kain’s voice coming closer to him.

“...Kairen? A-Are you fine? Kairen?”

His voice started to shake as it got closer.

“Huff...Huff... Haa! Ah, cough Huff!”

“Kairen!”

Kain grabbed his shoulders.

“H-hey! Sorry! I’m sorry!”

Kairen clenched his shirt and took deep breaths.

“Kairen! Calm down! S-sorry!”

The hands grabbing his shoulders started to shake.

‘What? Nobody told me something like this could happen!’

Kairen thought while doing his best to breathe properly.

‘But she said... it wasn’t dangerous... Ah, that damn strange girl! You said I was fine!’

He cursed Asa in his mind while gasping.

“Is anyone there?”

Kain shouted while looking around.

“Help! Is anyone there?”

Hearing his shout, the staff in the library started to gather around the two of them.

“Who was calling for help?”

“What’s wrong?”

Kairen raised his head and looked at his surroundings.

‘Ah, so embarrassing!’

He wanted to teleport to the farthest part of the world and never show his face again to anyone.

“Hey, what is wrong with... him?”

“Go... call the nurse... the infirmary!”

The voices around him were getting faint.

‘I’m tired of fainting all the time! Please no!’

Having such a thought, he kept his eyes open while still struggling to breathe. Fainting was even more embarrassing so he resisted the urge to close his eyes.

He could feel his body being pushed back and his back leaning on the cold and hard body of the car.

“Gasp! Gasp!”

His sight was a little bit blurred, but he could clearly see the frightened face of Kain in front of his own and hear his shaking, almost about to break, voice.

“Sorry! I’m sorry!”

He said while unbuttoning Kairen’s shirt, thinking that it would help him breathe.

“Sorry! I’m sorry!”