In the corridor of the hospital ward, the nurse on duty at the nurses' station sat with her head down, writing something, occasionally glancing up toward the patient room at the end of the hall.
Tsushima Kagami stepped out of the elevator carrying two plastic bags — one held convenience store bento boxes and hot drinks, the other a container of rice porridge from the hospital cafeteria.
He figured that if Nayotake couldn't handle anything too heavy, at least she could have some porridge.
He had just reached the door of the patient room when he spotted a familiar figure standing in the corridor, tiptoeing to peer through the small window set into the door.
It was a petite figure — short enough to pass for an elementary schooler — dressed in a professional suit and carrying a small, neat fruit basket.
"Komoe-sensei?"
Tsushima Kagami walked over.
Tsukuyomi Komoe turned around. When she saw it was him, she let out a breath of relief.
"Kagami!"
"I came straight here as soon as I finished up at school."
"How is Shimizu-san doing?"
"She's awake. The doctor says she'll need to stay a few days for observation."
Tsushima Kagami pushed the door open.
"Please, come in, Sensei."
The two of them filed into the room.
Shimizu Nayotake was propped up halfway in bed, her color considerably better than when she'd first been brought in.
Yukinoshita Shizuku was sitting in the chair by the bed, saying something to her.
Shimizu's mother sat in the other chair, eyes still a little red, though she had calmed down.
All three looked up at the sound of the door.
"Kagami."
Yukinoshita Shizuku stood up.
"I picked up some bento boxes and plain porridge."
"Nobody's eaten yet, right?"
"Let's at least get something in our stomachs."
With that, Tsushima Kagami moved to the side table and began unpacking the bags.
Shimizu's mother hurried over to help, and said with an apologetic smile,
"You've spent so much on us again, Kagami-kun. I really am sorry."
Tsushima Kagami smiled back.
"Don't worry about it."
Shimizu's mother was about to say her thanks when she noticed the small figure who had come in behind Tsushima Kagami.
Shimizu Nayotake looked over as well.
"Komoe-sensei?"
Shimizu Nayotake blinked, startled.
Shimizu's mother froze too.
Tsukuyomi Komoe hurried to the bedside and set the fruit basket on the nightstand.
Then she stood on her tiptoes, reached out, and gently pressed her palm to Shimizu Nayotake's forehead.
"Shimizu-san."
"How are you feeling?"
"You gave me such a fright..."
Shimizu Nayotake looked at this small teacher who had always tried to help her — and whom she had always pushed away. A wave of remorse washed over her.
"Sensei, I'm fine..."
She said it softly.
"I'm sorry for worrying you..."
"As long as you're all right."
Tsukuyomi Komoe knew exactly what kind of person Shimizu Nayotake was. Having already heard from Tsushima Kagami that she was out of serious danger, she now stood there clutching Nayotake's hands, at a loss for what to say.
At that moment, Shimizu Nayotake's mother stepped forward and bowed deeply.
"Komoe-sensei."
"Thank you so much for looking after Nayotake all this time. I'm sorry for all the trouble we've caused you."
Tsukuyomi Komoe waved her hands quickly.
"Oh, no, no! Shimizu-san is a wonderful girl — looking after students is just part of being a teacher!"
"Though I have to say, I haven't done a very good job of it."
Tsukuyomi Komoe laughed with a sheepish scratch of her head.
She thought back to how she had always tried to reach out to Shimizu Nayotake, only to be gently but firmly rebuffed every time. It had given her no small amount of headaches.
Still, it seemed that thanks to Kagami and Shizuku, Nayotake had gradually started to open up to them. Perhaps it was simply easier to connect with people your own age.
Either way, it was a very good thing.
So Tsukuyomi Komoe smiled again and said,
"If you ever feel like it's hard to talk to a teacher, Nayotake —"
"— you can always chat more with Shizuka and Shizuku and the others."
"You're all getting along so well, aren't you?"
"The point is, stop keeping everything bottled up inside."
"The people around you who care about you — it worries them, you know."
Shimizu Nayotake listened, then glanced over at Tsushima Kagami and Yukinoshita Shizuku. Only then did she give a small nod.
"...Okay."
Shimizu's mother watched her daughter, and felt a quiet joy — her daughter had finally found friends who truly cared for her.
Tsukuyomi Komoe continued,
"Good. Now rest up properly."
"I'll take care of your leave from school. And don't worry about your coursework — when you come back, I'll tutor you myself."
Shimizu Nayotake nodded again.
By then Tsushima Kagami had laid everything out on the table.
"Let's eat first, then we can talk."
And so the group sat together, eating their bento boxes and porridge, chatting about this and that.
Time passed quietly.
At last, Tsukuyomi Komoe glanced at her watch and stood up.
"Well, I should be heading back."
"Early staff meeting tomorrow."
Yukinoshita Shizuku rose as well.
"We should get going too."
"Nayotake, get some rest."
Shimizu Nayotake tried to sit up to see them off, but Yukinoshita Shizuku pressed her back down gently.
"You just lie there."
Tsushima Kagami came over too and looked down at her.
"Rest up."
Shimizu Nayotake met his eyes and gave a quiet "mm."
They said their goodbyes to Shimizu Nayotake and her mother.
Tsushima Kagami, Yukinoshita Shizuku, and Tsukuyomi Komoe filed out of the room and eased the door shut behind them.
"Wait."
The three turned around to find Shimizu's mother had followed them out.
In her hands was a worn bankbook — its spine frayed, its corners rubbed white with age.
"Kagami-kun."
She stepped up to Tsushima Kagami and held it out to him.
"This is for the hospital admission fees and examination fees you covered."
"The nurse just told me — you already paid..."
Her voice was urgent, a little breathless — as though she was afraid Tsushima Kagami might bolt.
Tsushima Kagami looked down at the bankbook without reaching for it.
"Auntie, this..."
"Take it!" Shimizu's mother pressed it into his hands.
"How much was it?"
"Tell me, and I'll take it out and pay you back right now."
"It might not be enough to cover everything, but I'll give you what I have, and I'll pay the rest back bit by bit."
Tsushima Kagami looked at the bankbook in her hands.
Then he gently pushed it back.
"Shimizu-san's mother."
"Right now, the most important thing is that you take care of yourself and Nayotake. That comes first."
"All of us just want to see Nayotake get better and come back to school as soon as possible."
"The money can wait."
"No!"
Shimizu's mother cut him off, shaking her head.
"Kagami-kun, this is too much to ask..."
"You've already done so much for us. I can't let you front the money on top of everything else."
"I absolutely cannot allow that!"
"Auntie."
Yukinoshita Shizuku stepped forward, took the bankbook, and placed it back into Shimizu's mother's hands — then held them gently in her own.
"Kagami is right."
"What matters most right now is that you look after Nayotake so she can come back to school as soon as possible."
"If you exhaust yourself working extra jobs just to pay us back, what then?"
"Are we supposed to let Nayotake drag herself out of a sickbed to take care of you?"
"Besides — Nayotake is our friend."
"Friends help each other. Isn't that how it's supposed to be?"
____
👻🔥+40 ch: Walnut-chan🔥👻
🔥 New history: Uchiha Reborn in Jujutsu Kaisen: The System Thinks I'm in Konoha, but I'm Not
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