The walk back to Tani’s house was a grueling, silent blur. The heavy downpour had finally tapered off into a miserable, freezing drizzle. Bomi practically carried Tani, his arm draped heavily over her shoulders. His body was burning up, a terrifying contrast to the chilly night air, and his head hung low, completely dead to the world. When Bomi finally pushed open the gate to Tani's house and rang the doorbell, the door flew open almost instantly. "Oh my goodness! Tani! Bomi!" Tani’s mother gasped, her hands flying to her mouth in utter shock. She took one look at her son’s pale, shivering face and Bomi’s completely soaked uniform, and immediately went into mother-hen mode. "What on earth happened? Come inside, quickly!" Between the two of them, they managed to get Tani up the stairs and into his bedroom. His mother, frantic but efficient, quickly ran a hot bath for him while Bomi helped strip off his completely drenched school blazer. Since Bomi had practically grown up in this household and was like a second child to Tani's mother, she was immediately handed a stack of dry clothes. "Go change in the guest room, Bomi-ah," his mother urged softly, brushing a wet strand of hair from Bomi's forehead. "You'll catch your death of cold. I'll take care of Tani." Bomi nodded numbly. Walking into the guest room, she looked down at the clothes she had been given—an oversized, worn-out gray hoodie and a pair of soft sweatpants. They belonged to Tani. As she pulled the hoodie over her head, the familiar, comforting scent of laundry detergent and *him* enveloped her. It made her heart ache with a violent mixture of affection and intense guilt. Her skin still felt hyper-sensitive, a stark reminder of how Kage had ruthlessly claimed her body against the glass only an hour prior. By the time Bomi walked back into Tani’s room, his mother had changed him into fresh pajamas and tucked him tightly into bed. A damp washcloth rested on his forehead. "His fever is so high," his mother whispered, her face lined with deep worry. "He's completely unresponsive. I've given him some medicine, but he just won't wake up." "I'll stay with him tonight, Auntie," Bomi said softly, her voice thick with emotion. "You should get some rest. You have to work early tomorrow." After some gentle protesting, his mother finally relented, leaving the room with a grateful squeeze of Bomi's hand. The room fell into a heavy silence, broken only by the sound of Tani’s shallow, ragged breathing. Bomi pulled up a wooden chair to the side of the bed. She looked at his face—so peaceful, so intensely innocent in his sleep, completely devoid of the terrifying, manic grin Kage had worn. Slowly, hesitantly, Bomi reached out and slid her hand into his. His palm was burning hot against hers. She squeezed it gently, tears pricking the corners of her eyes as she leaned her head against the mattress. "I'm sorry, Tani," she whispered into the dark. "I'm so sorry." She fell asleep holding his hand, praying for the gentle boy to come back to her. --- When the morning light broke through the curtains, Tani’s fever hadn't broken. He remained completely unconscious, lost in a deep, feverish slumber. Bomi, knowing she couldn't miss school, quietly let herself out of his house, walked home to change into a fresh uniform, and trudged to school alone. Tani’s cold held him in its grip for an entire week. For Bomi, that week was a miserable, hollow existence. Walking to school without his quiet presence beside her felt entirely wrong. Every time she looked at his empty desk across the aisle, a heavy wave of sadness and loneliness settled over her chest. Whenever she walked home alone at twilight, the streets felt darker, larger, and entirely too quiet. However, the universe forced a silver lining. With Tani gone, Bomi was forced out of her usual bubble. Her other classmates, noticing her unusual melancholy, began to invite her out. "Hey, Bomi, come eat lunch with us today!" Hana called out one afternoon. Bomi hesitated, but ultimately nodded. "Okay. Thanks." For the next few days, she mingled and bonded with her other classmates. She laughed at their jokes, shared snacks, and listened to their gossip. It was a nice distraction, a temporary relief from the suffocating secrets weighing her down. But the moment the final bell rang and her classmates went their separate ways, the mask would slip. Walking down the street, her eyes would instinctively look for a pastel sweater and a soft slouch, only to remember he wasn't there. She missed her best friend. She just wanted things to go back to the way they were. Little did she know, the universe had a completely different plan in motion.

The Aftermath of the Storm