High☆Speed! [Free! Starting Days] [Reader Insert]

Chapter 14 : The Right Way

When Haru opened both his eyes, what he saw was bright lights and white ceiling. He felt soft material beneath his hands and body. And he felt warm. Meanwhile for the others, seeing the boy conscious was so relieving – especially for Makoto who had tears in his eyes.

Haru sat up, looking at Asahi, Ikuya, Makoto, and Mrs. Tachibana. He also scanned the room, mind still hazy about what happened before.

"What's... going on...?" he asked slowly.

"Haru!!" Makoto shouted in relief as he hugged the said boy, tears still present in his eyelids. Haru of course, still confused.

"It's because all you've been eating is mackerel!" Asahi said as he sat down on the hospital bed. Makoto released his hug and sat back to his seat with a relief smile on his face. "Don't make us worry!"

"Haru, you fainted from low blood sugar." Ikuya approached the boy and sat on the bed as well, a small smile present on his face. "That's what the doctor said."

"Low blood sugar?" Haru repeated and looked at his left arm. A needle was buried in his skin and attached to long clear hose. The hose itself connected with and IV bag which hanging just beside his bed with a pole.

"Haru-chan..." Haru looked up and saw Mrs. Tachibana who looked at him upset. "You haven't been eating much, have you? That's no good! You have to eat properly!"

The scolding made Haru lowered his head in guilt. "I'm sorry."

"We were worried about you!"

Meanwhile, Asahi looked at the back of Haru's head and registered the conversation – more like, scolding, in his head. It triggered his realization.

"I guess..." he muttered to himself and smiled as he stood up. "You're a human too, Haru."

"Huh?"

Asahi just folded his arms on the back of his head and grinned at the black-haired boy. 

"What are you talking about?" Ikuya asked, feeling weird with Asahi's question. Haru just rose an eyebrow and scanned the room. He felt somebody was missing –

"Where's [Nickname]?" he asked.

"Oh, yes!" suddenly Mrs. Tachibana exclaimed. "Can somebody tell [Nickname]-chan that Haru-chan is awake?"

"That's right," Asahi said. "She's still managing the registration and other things on the first floor, replacing Makoto's mom."

"I'll go get [Nickname]-chan." Makoto volunteered and stood up from his seat, ready to walk towards the door when the door itself slide open. Light footsteps could be heard and the next thing was [Name] herself showed up.

"How's Haru –" [Name] froze for a few seconds, looking at Haru's awake figure with wide eyes. A second later, the girl bolted towards the boy and Makoto already made a way. [Name] hugged Haru tightly, burying her face on his shoulder.

"[Nickname]?" the said boy asked as he placed a hand on her back, feeling her body shook. Honestly, Haru was worried. [Name] pulled away abruptly, but her hands were on Haru's shoulders. The girl had tears trailing down her cheeks and sobbed.

This of course, surprised the others but mostly Haru because [Name] wasn't someone who cried easily. He remembered one time when she was pushed by a boy when they were both still in elementary school. [Name] scrapped her knee bad enough to make it bleed so much. But she didn't cry, only winced and whined a lot about the pain. But never cry.

Now, because of him, [Name] cried and Haru visibly frowned his eyebrows in worry.

"Don't do that again!" the girl scolded between her sobs. "You had me panicked and everybody worried, and –"