Stupid college adventure drabble for a BoS prompt. I titled the doc "Touma Energy Drink Poisoning".
They had all gotten pretty worried after not hearing from Touma for a week. He had always been a bit of an overachiever, but taking as many extra credits as he had this semester? Was he out of his mind? Mr. Genius was going to work himself to death, that is…if he hadn't already.
“So what's in the insulated bag?” Ryo asked, as they waited in the elevator up to the floor Touma’s apartment was on.
“Food from my folks and some ingredients if we feel like making something.” Shu answered. “I figured more than likely he's been living on instant food and caffeine.”
“Do you really think he's that bad at taking care of himself?”
“When it comes to nerd shit? 100%.”
Touma lived pretty high up in one of those crowded Tokyo apartment buildings after moving for college. He had always lived in apartments before in Osaka, technically with his dad, but college was different from high school and it had been a little too easy for him to overdo it. The elevator dinged and the doors opened onto a sterile apartment hallway.
“Have you seen one of these little city apartments before Shu?” Ryo laughed. “They’re usually tiny. I don't think there's going to be much of a kitchen.”
Shu gave Ryo a hearty slap on the back. “So long as there's a stovetop, I can make due!”
“Yeah, uh,” The blue-eyed boy coughed a little, reeling from his strong friend’s playful slap. “Based on my own past experience, sometimes there's about 3 feet of kitchen space.”
“Shit dude, I'm sure there's gotta be more than 3 feet…”
“Here we are. 642!”
Ryo knocked and they waited. No answer. He tried the doorbell, they waited, and still no answer. Shu saw his friend's brow knit with concern, no choice but to try the door.
“Sorry Touma…” With a heavy sigh, Shu turned the door knob and to his surprise it wasn't locked. The damn door would only open about 5 inches before hitting something on the side though. “...he didn't lock the door AND there's something blocking it. Our genius is kind of a dumbass.”
“I hope he's alright.”
Shu threw his weight against the door, shoving it open with his shoulder and scattering a collection of cardboard and other recycling items on the other side and clearing the way for them to get into their friend's cramped apartment.
“Uh oh.”
“Touma! Are you home?” Ryo called out.
Yet more uncomfortable silence. The lights were out, except for one dim lamp glowing down in the other room. The entryway was crowded with recycling and trash waiting to go out, as well as a scattered collection of shoes. The kitchen area, to Shu’s dismay, was so clean it seemed to never be used except to house a small stack of textbooks. They carefully made their way to the main room, tense with anxiety, until Ryo’s foot caught an empty energy drink can.
All hell broke loose. The can crunched, Ryo yelped, Shu screamed, and Touma, who had fallen asleep at his desk at some point, startled awake, knocking over assorted empty drink cans, noodle cups, and konbini bento boxes.
“Fuck!! Did I fall asleep?! What day is it?” Not seeming to notice them, Touma started clearing his desk and squinting at his computer screen. “...Thursday? Thank god, I still have time.”
“Uh, Touma? Are you okay?” Ryo asked quietly, as if they were in a library.
“Huh?” Their blue haired friend swiveled around in his desk chair and squinted at them.
Shu handed Ryo the bag of food and stepped around him and into the room, at the same time, Touma reached for the light switch and turned the ceiling lamp on. The drowsy young man screwed his eyes shut, grumbling under his breath about the brightness and a headache. The dark circles of sleep deprivation made his eyes look sunken and despite not being in bed, he had a frankly ludicrous case of bed head.
Touma rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand and squinted at them again.
“Great. I'm hallucinating my good friends Shu and Ryo. I guess I've reached that stage of sleep deprivation.” He slumped wearily in his chair.
“Touma? Buddy? We're the real deal.” Shu laughed nervously.
“Like hell you are.” Touma scoffed, reaching out like he was going to put his hand through Shu. Instead, he weakly slapped his friend’s chest. “Oh. Shit. It's worse than I thought. Where's my phone?”
“How much caffeine have you had Touma?” Ryo asked as he started opening the cooler, watching Touma push trash and books around as he searched for his phone.
“Don't judge me, Dream-Ryo.”
“Dude! You aren't dreaming! We came check on you!” Shu grabbed his friend's shoulders and shook him. “Even my parents were worried about your radio silence. I even brought you food they made!”
Ryo handed Shu a container, and he popped the plastic container of Chinese food open, filling the cramped apartment with the smell of warm, home-made food.
