You slowly open your eyes. You wake up in a familiar place. The late afternoon sunshine seeped in the room, tainting it gold. On the walls were medical posters and a circular clock. The soft white bedsheets and curtain are enough to tell you that you're in the nurse's office.
You quickly remember what happened earlier. What Kita had done. You turn to your side and see your schoolbooks in a neat stack on the stand. You breathe a sigh of relief and try to sit up. Your back was still sore.
"Ahem."
You turn towards the sound. Mieko. "Huh? Why are you here? More importantly, how did I end up here?" You say, studying him. He had taken off his uniform blazer, leaving him in his white button-down undershirt. He was sitting on the orange sofa chair next to your bed. He sat with his legs apart and his elbows resting on each leg. He looked like he was inspecting you, and he raised an eyebrow as he looked you in the eyes.
"That's no way to thank me, is it?" Mieko sighed, loud. You give him an unimpressed look. "Joking. Found you getting strangled under a staircase." He spoke with one hand waving up and down. You wince.
"Don't worry. I dealt with Kita. Turns out he's a crazy son of a b*tch that wanted to cause trouble. School authorities know about him now. I won't let anyone hurt you again." Mieko stood up and began walking towards the bed, where you were barely sitting up.
"What did he say to you, Y/n? Did he tell you anything?" Mieko said, his voice suddenly low, almost eerie. He stood over the bed now, looking down at you. His hands fumbled in his pockets. You shrug. "He rammed my head into the wall so many times, I couldn't think straight, let alone hear anything he had to say."
"Ah," Mieko says, leaning down. His voice was back to his regular tone. He put one hand on the opposite side of the bed, next to you, and the other on the backside of your head. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there," he said. His expression was gloomy. "Don't apologize, it's not your fault. It's mine for being so weak," you put up an awkward smile. Mieko took another glance at you before leaving a gentle kiss on your forehead.
As he faces you again, you notice a dark red smear on his cheek. There were a few tiny splatters of crimson contrasting against the white fabric on his chest as well. You slide your index finger over his cheek, taking the substance. You examine it, Mieko watching you. "There was something on your face," you say, not expecting Mieko to lick it off your finger. You feel your face heat up. He gives you a grin as he tastes it.
"Strawberry jam. I had to eat my lunch without you, you know," he said. "Oh! That reminds me. I got you something, to make you feel better." He pulls a carton of peach tea out of his pocket. You find yourself grinning in excitement.
He pokes the straw through the straw-hole and hands you the cold carton. You thank him with a long sip, the cool liquid feeling like heaven in your mouth. Mieko watched you drink, his eyes on your lips. You didn't notice, as you were busy with the tea. He then sat up, straightening himself.
"Anyway, we should be heading out soon. It's 6:00, and the nurse left as soon as school ended. She let me stay behind and look after you."
You nod, gulping down the last bit of tea before squeezing the life out of the carton. "Can you take me home?" You ask, poking his leg. Mieko's eyes widened, he looked surprised to hear that from you. He paused before replying. "Of course I can!" He said, a wide smile spreading across his face. You return the smile, glad that you won't be alone for some time longer.
اوووه! هذه الصورة لا تتبع إرشادات المحتوى الخاصة بنا. لمتابعة النشر، يرجى إزالتها أو تحميل صورة أخرى.
