Conquering Villains and Capturing Targets Is Harder in Real Life than in Games

28: Because that's how much you mean to me.

Breaking out of character Madoka flew over to Shizuka's side and kneeled down next to her. "What's wrong, Shizuka?"

"...My t-throat.....feels like.......it's...closing-up....."

Madoka cradled Shizuka in his arms and peered closely at her face. "Your face...I think it's swelling a bit too..." . Looking up he dictated, "Someone go get a teacher immediately!"

Sakaki who was the closest to the entrance stuttered out a loud, "Y-yes!" before sprinting out of the classroom.

Although Madoka tried to appear as composed as possible, Shizuka could see that his face was drained of colour and feel his body trembling while holding her. Shizuka tugged at Madoka's sleeve feebly in between coughs. "D-don't....worry...too much....s'okay..."

Madoka looked at the person in his arms who despite barely managing to speak was still trying to comfort him and was overcome with emotion. "...D-Don't speak anymore. Everything will be okay...Sakaki went to go get a teacher. He'll be back soon...You're going to get help. Y-you'll be okay. It'll be okay."

Shizuka moved her head down and up ever so slightly to show that she understood.

Five minutes passed before a figure burst into the room. With a stack of flyers in his hands, Aoi asked, "Did something happen?! I saw Sakaki-senpai rushing like crazy down the hall a moment ago!"

His unexpected appearance startled a student in 3-A who had already been jittery since Shizuka had fallen over. This caused him to knock into one of the flats that they had borrowed from the drama club and painted for their set.

The softwall flats were about two meters tall and were made from a piece of canvas cloth stretched over and stapled to a sturdy wooden frame. While normally the flats would be properly secured, as the students did not have a place to put it while the paint was drying, they had haphazardly propped it up against the classroom wall. Thus, when the student knocked it into it, a domino effect took hold as the flat tipped over and collided into the flat right beside it, sending it hurling down towards Madoka and Shizuka.

The whole thing happened so rapidly, no one in the surrounding area could react in time—no one except for Shizuka.

The instant Shizuka realized that Madoka could become injured with the way the flat was falling, it felt as if the world slowed down around her and a mysterious burst of energy surged through her body. As her heart raced speedily in her chest, Shizuka gathered every bit of strength in her body to forcibly throw Madoka aside. Once her eyes had ascertained that he was a safe distance away, the corners of her lips quirked up involuntarily.

A fraction of second later, Shizuka felt a heavy blow delivered to the side of her head. Then, with her eyes fluttering, she collapsed to the ground as everything faded to black.

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When Shizuka regained consciousness, she was assaulted by the smell of disinfectant and the glare of bright lights seeping through her closed eyelids.

Ugh...am I in the hospital?

Shizuka slowly lifted her eyelids open and was blinded by the bright fluorescent lights of the hospital. Almost immediately she squeezed her eyes shut.

Suddenly she felt stirring by her bedside. It seemed someone had take ahold of her left hand and entwined it with their own.