Chapter 21: Sex stimulant
He pocketed his phone and headed toward Jun’s apartment, trying not to think about the hurt in Satsuki’s voice or the way Akiko had looked at him when he’d told her to go home. All he wanted was to keep the people he cared about safe, but somehow he kept hurting them instead.
Jun’s place was a few blocks away, in a building that was newer but smaller than Haruto’s. His friend was waiting for him when he arrived, taking one look at his face and immediately ushering him inside without questions.
"You look like hell," Jun said bluntly as he handed Haruto a beer. "What happened to you?"
"Long story," Haruto replied, accepting the drink gratefully. "Thanks for letting me crash here."
"Anytime, man. You know that."
They spent the evening watching TV and talking about inconsequential things, and for a few hours, Haruto was able to forget about all the drama in his life. Jun was good that way - he knew when to push for details and when to just let things be.
By the time they called it a night, Haruto was feeling more human. His body still ached, but the emotional exhaustion was starting to fade. Maybe a good night’s sleep would help him figure out how to handle everything that was going on.
Jun had set up a futon in the living room, and Haruto gratefully collapsed onto it after his friend had gone to bed. The apartment was quiet except for the distant hum of traffic, and he found himself starting to relax for the first time all day.
But as he lay there in the darkness, his body started to feel strange. At first it was just a general warmth, like he was running a slight fever. Then the warmth became heat, spreading through his limbs and making him restless. He tried to ignore it, figuring it was just stress or exhaustion, but it kept getting worse.
Eventually, he gave up trying to fight it and let himself drift off to sleep, hoping that rest would help whatever was wrong with him.