After story:Devotion male reader insert version

Chapter seven-Unexpected Support II

Math today.

Fortunately, math was one of my better subjects, so I didn't need help teaching this one to my 'student'. I was still glad for the company when I heard a knock at the door. "Come in!"

The door opened, and I was surprised to see Miyazawa-san enter, carrying a box. She saw me and asked, "Is this okay?"

"Sure, sure, come on in." I gestured and she came over to where I was seated. I was surprised to see her since I really hadn't talked to her much beyond introductions and some small talk, even at Fuuko's birthday party.

"I heard that the birthday girl invited people to her sister's wedding, and that you've been trying to help her recover." She gestured toward me with the box. "I thought that I'd bring this to...support you, I guess?" she giggled.

"Thanks. Is that your cooking stuff?"

She giggled again while taking the box to a nearby counter. She took from it her cooking equipment: a hot plate, a small coffee maker, and a bag containing what I assumed to be the ingredients.

"Wow, you always come prepared, don't you?" I admired her drive to take care of others. "Hey, how is that one guy doing? The one in the red shirt? Hachi? Something like that?"

She smiled at my questions, which caused me to wonder if she smiled at everything everyone said. "Everyone's fine. If he's the one I think you're talking about, I saw him a couple of days ago, beat up again. At least the wounds were different than the ones I treated." Her smile faded as she sighed. "I wish I could do something to stop the fighting."

Damn; my 'help me' button had been triggered again. "Miyazawa-san, I'm pretty busy through Saturday afternoon, but I'll see if I can help at all the rest of the weekend."

She stopped unpacking and turned to face me. "Oh, you don't have to do that, L/n-san. We barely know each other."

I gestured to her. "If you can be bothered to come all the way out here to help me, I think I ought to be able to help you." I chuckled, feeling somewhat awkward. "Besides, when you said what you just did, it kinda triggered my 'help me' button."

She giggled behind her hand. "You're very sweet, L/n-san. You father had some wonderful ideas, but if you could figure out how to solve this problem, a lot of people would be grateful."

I spent the next half-hour eating an amazing meal while listening to her story about two rival gangs fighting for territory. With her attitude and cooking skills, Miyazawa-san would definitely make a great wife for some lucky guy!

Starfish, starfish, starfish, even though Fu-chan was right there. No point in being careless.

"So this is Fuuko, huh?" Tomoyo asked as she leaned over the bed. "She's cute."

It was 'catch-up' day in Room 225, and my plan was to finish up a history assignment and a math assignment with Fuuko. As usual, I read the problems out loud and then talked my way through answering the questions. Also as usual, all the talking was tiring, but if it helped Fuuko in the future, it would be worth it. Tomoyo had then shown up with a bag with lunch and dinner for both of us. I guessed that she intended to stay for the day.

I almost thanked her for the compliment before I realized that it would sound weird. "She is." Then it occurred to me: "Weren't you here for Fuuko's birthday? Didn't you see her then?"

She nodded. "Sort of. I saw her here in bed, but it was too busy for me to get a good look at her." She straightened, her silver hair settling around her face and shoulders as she looked at me. "Did she look like this when she was handing out the starfish?"

I shook my head. "She looks...well, looked about two years younger." I gave myself a moment to gather my thoughts; I had been thinking about why Fuuko appeared the way that she did. "I think that her appearance at the school was how she remembered herself at the time of the accident. She was awfully short for a third-year, even considering her older sister's height. And her hair is – was – a lot longer than it is here."

"Hm." Tomoyo blinked. "I don't get all that, but that's okay." Fortunately, she didn't seem to catch my slip-ups. "Is this machine breathing for her?"

"Yeah. Her family and I hope that she will start breathing on her own again, soon."

She came around the bed and sat in the chair next to me. "Is it true that I've met her already? That I've...forgotten her?"

I nodded with a familiar heaviness in my heart. "Yeah. Don't feel bad, though; it seems to have affected everyone but me." I shifted uncomfortably. "I think I remember partly because I did a bunch of things to constantly remind myself of her. I have the starfish like all of you, but..." I showed her the back of my hand with Fuuko's name written on it and her eyes widened. "I also have a journal at home of everything I could remember us doing. I'm afraid that I may have forgotten some things, though."

A smile crept across Tomoyo's face. "Damn,
L/n. If the men of Japan showed even half of your level of dedication, we'd be a much better country."

I shifted uncomfortably again. Thanking her for the compliment would usually be the right thing to do, but it just...I felt like I would have to be arrogant to thank someone for a compliment like that. "I'm not that...good...but thank you for the praise."

The silver-haired girl's smile...softened? She suddenly looked more girly, and I had to take a deep breath and recite my 'Fuuko Mantra'.

"..."

It took me a moment to realize that Tomoyo was speaking to me. "Huh?"

"I asked if you've been eating well."

"Oh." I explained my setup, how I would stay at the Furukawa's on the weekends, earn some money working in their bakery, and use it to buy food for the week (along with whatever bread the family gave to me). Tomoyo listened quietly, nodding at times.

"Well, that explains it," she concluded.

"What? Explains what?" I asked.

She pointed at me. "You posture is terrible, your skin is pale, and your clothes look like they're hanging off of you. You need more food. More nutrients."

Tomoyo crossed her arms. "Starting next Monday, I will bring you vitamins every week. They should help give you the nutrients you're not getting from your food. I'd make meals for you, but I couldn't come all the way out here every day to give them to you." Her eyes lost focus. "Maybe I could make enough for a couple of days; meals that wouldn't spoil too quickly...?"

"You don't have to do that..." I protested.

"I know, but I'm going to. You can thank me anytime," she finished with a smile. This girl certainly brimmed with confidence.

After some lighter conversation, she helped me 'catch-up' Fuuko on the rest of the week's assignments.