𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐃𝐘 | Kawaki Uzumaki ✓

012

I groggily open my eyes to the first light of dawn, the sun's harsh rays forcing me to squint. I mumble a curse, not in the mood to be awake this early. As I slowly come to my senses, I wonder how I ended up in my sleeping bag. The last thing I remember was being with Kawaki—

Right. He told me about his past last night, didn't he? And I shared a part of mine. Or was it all a dream? I rub my hands against my eyes and wince at the stinging pain. Yep, they're swollen from crying. So it wasn't a dream—it actually happened.

I wonder if Kawaki is alright. It must've been hard for him to open up, especially when we've only known each other for a short time. I want to check on him, make sure he's okay, but first, I need to untangle myself from this sleeping bag. I almost stumble as I get out, my legs still half-asleep.

I absolutely hate sleeping directly on the ground. Back home, I have a mattress, but when camping, I usually bring a futon. Now my back hurts like hell. I groan in pain, stretching to try to ease the stiffness. Why do I have to get a sore back from sleeping on the floor now? Great, I'll be hobbling around like an old grandma all day.

Speaking of grandmas, the ones in the village look ancient. Even Nana and Pa, who are technically not that old, are the embodiment of the "elderly." I really hope Mum doesn't age like that. But then again, I don't really care about her anymore.

I just hope I don't end up aging like that. The idea of turning into some cranky, bent-over elder is a bit too much for me to handle. I let out another groan and slowly started packing up my sleeping bag, all the while cursing my sore muscles.

Today is going to be a long day.

I look around to find where Kawaki's sleeping bag is, and to my surprise, he's only a meter away from me. I crouch down and gently shake his shoulder to wake him up, but he doesn't budge. Great, he's one of those deep sleepers.

I sigh, knowing I'll have to be persistent. It makes sense, though; with Jigen, Kawaki probably never had a good night's sleep. I shake him again, a bit more firmly, and he lets out a muffled groan, turning his head away from my direction.

An irk mark pops up on my forehead, but I can't help but notice how messy and disheveled his hair is. How can his hair be messier than mine in the morning? I mean, my hair goes down to my waist, and it never gets this tangled.

I reach out and softly touch his hair, running my fingers through it, trying to smooth it down. As I do, Kawaki's eyes slowly open, looking at me with a hint of confusion.

"Kawaki, we have to get up now," I say, giving him a little nudge.

"Yeah, yeah, five more minutes," he groans in a low morning voice, rolling over to turn away from me.

"Kawaki, are you alright? You know, from last night," I ask, a bit more serious this time, concerned about what he shared with me. He turns his head over his shoulder, his expression still half-asleep but with a faint frown.

"What?" he says, clearly not recalling the emotional conversation we had.

"Yes, I'm fine, but I should be the one asking you that," Kawaki replies. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I say, flashing a closed-eye smile. "Everything's calmer with you around."

"Same here," Kawaki says, his voice a little softer. He lifts his hand slowly, almost reaching out toward me, as if to pull me closer. I freeze up, unsure of what to do.

"GET UP! IT'S TEN PAST SIX!" I shout, realizing that we're already ten minutes behind schedule. Kawaki's hand stops mid-air, and I can see the surprise in his eyes. Sorry, Kawaki. Whatever you were about to do, I didn't know how to react, and I panicked. I didn't mean to cut him off like that.