Selene-chan looks like the undead.
She was asleep at the start of the day, which was no surprise.
It took a long time to wake her up, also no surprise.
But when she told me that her thermos contained milk tea instead of just milk, my suspicions began to rise. Then she started nodding off just before the start of our final exam, and I had to shake her to get her to refocus. I caught glimpses of her eyes shutting multiple times during the test, too.
Now Lunch time starts, and she limps out of the classroom. And then she collapses in the hallway. When I run to check on her, her eyes seem bleary. I insist that we go to Recovery Girl, but she refuses. "I ... will be ... fine. It's just ... exhaustion," she argues weakly.
"By how slow your speech is right now, it's some pretty serious exhaustion. Please don't fight me on this. You need to rest."
She's too tired to argue, so she gets up but falls back down. She's also too tired to stand upright. I loop her arms across my neck and hook mine under her knees and back. I carry her during the seven-minute walk it takes from the hallway to the infirmary. Just when I'm about to inform her that we're here, I notice that she's already fell asleep. She clings to my shirt collar like one would hug a pillow. Recovery Girl appears and directs me to an empty bed. It's then that I notice that something is off about Recovery Girl's smile. It's more than a professional one and less than an everything-will-be-all-right one. Her smile is ... naughty.
When I set Selene-chan down, I ask her, "What's so funny?"
"Nothing. Nothing at all," she says unconvincingly. That smile only widens.
"Well, something is piquing your interest. Otherwise, you wouldn't look like you just witnessed drama worth gossiping." I smooth Selene-chan's unruly curls from her face.
"Like I said. Nothing of note. At least, nothing that you're noticing," she snickers. I'm getting frustrated with this conversation. I'm about to retort, but Recovery Girl moves to Selene-chan's side to check her temperature, so I keep quiet. "What happened to her?" I explain everything that happened since this morning. When I finish, she hums, "Poor girl probably stayed up all night studying. Or maybe she used too much of her quirk, and the effects are catching up. Immense fatigue and limping are symptoms of juvenile arthritis."
"I know," I say somberly as I rub the back of her hands. That obnoxious grin returns on Recovery Girl's face, and so does the irritation within me. "Okay, obviously you're seeing something that I'm not. Please, tell me what it is."
"Don't tell me you're this dense," she replies.
"What?" I ask dumbfounded. "What am I dense about?"
Recovery Girl only shakes her head. "Why is it either the emotionally unavailable boys or the daredevil boys that are so infuriating but so endearing in their cluelessness? They're so far gone, but they deny what they feel." What are you talking about? When I repeat my thoughts as much, she shakes her head again. "Fine. I'll give you a hint. I've been watching your relationship with her since the day of the entrance exam. I've seen it grow from suspicion and curiosity into trust and care. There's something new now. Something that even an outsider like me can see, but unfortunately you can't. That is what I find so amusing."
I'm still so utterly confused. Yeah, I care for Selene-chan. I trust her, and I've mostly forgiven her. But what is Recovery Girl implying? My puzzlement must be showing on my face because she sighs. "Listen, Todoroki. You like to read mangas. She likes to read books. Both of you must know about the emotion that appears in 90% of them. That emotion is what I'm seeing right now."
What emotion? Fear? Worry? Concern? I'm feeling all of that right now, and I know it as well as I know my name.
"My, you are one dense boy! The evidence is right there, but you're too blind to see it!," Recovery Girl exclaims.
She walks toward me and shakes a finger in front of my face. Despite the fact that I'm a good two feet taller than her, suddenly I feel like I'm only a centimeter tall.
"Are you going to the end-of-the school-year party?" she inquires out of nowhere.
"Um ... yeah," I answer.
"Invite Hanada to come with you."
My eyes narrow. "She already told me she's going. We'll be hanging out together the entire time."
I think I hear her grumble something along the lines of, "Well, at least you have the sense not to leave a girl unattended."
"What was that?" I ask her for clarification.
"Soon you will understand what I'm saying. But remember, a girl's heart is a treasure. Don't ever mistreat it," she warns.
I try to make sense of her message.
But Selene-chan mutters of waterfalls of milk and rivers of molten chocolate in her sleep, so my all my attention shifts toward her.
Grasping her hands, I try not to laugh.
_________________________________________________________
Image URL: https://nntheblog.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Character-Shoto-Todoroki-2-978x1024.jpg
YOU ARE READING
Blossoms of the Dark
RomanceHanada Selene. Todoroki Shouto. Two troubled souls living troubled lives. But they somehow find solace within each other. They first met in a dream, and later again in real life. Both of them were initially wary of each other. But with time, the...
