Perhaps a Better Place [A Dadzawa Story]

Floor: Chapter 25

When I open the door to our classroom, Shouji isn't here yet, so I head to my seat and drop my bag on the floor. I sit down heavily and practically slam my head onto my desk.

I pull my phone out without looking and check my messages. He's said nothing since I texted him when I first left.

I look up as the door slides open and Yaoyorozu walks in, accompanied by a blonde boy with a black lightning bolt. I think he's friends with the red-head who sits in front of me.

I briefly wonder if the black streak is natural.

They're laughing, until he looks at me and smiles even brighter than before. "Good morning!"

Not at all. "Morning," I say softly, tugging at the collar of my shirt. Yaoyorozu frowns and Kaminari takes his seat, which is just two places in front of me.

I watch from the corner of my eye as Yaoyorozu walks down the aisle and kneels at my desk, placing one hand on my arm and using the other to keep her skirt in a position that isn't humiliating.

"I'm sorry to bother, (L/N)-San, but are you feeling alright?" She looks nervous, as if she's just offended me. She hasn't. I know I look awful today. "You look quite feverish."

I take in an unsteady breath and nod. "I'm fine. It's fine. Don't worry."

"But I am worried," she says, looking behind herself to see if Kaminari is listening. "It's very rare that you look this worn out. Have you eaten today?"

"Um, yeah," that doesn't sound very convincing. "Yes. I'm okay, really."

She sighs, looks behind her again, then stands with a hand out. "Can we talk somewhere a bit more private?"

I don't have the guts to say no, so I use her hand to help myself stand, even though it's awkward and wobbly.

It's really hot in here. Can someone open a window?

She carefully leads me toward the front of the room and out the door, then down the hallway and into the girls' bathroom. Without much thought, I lock it and let go of her hand, half-stumbling into the wall.

"(L/N)-San! Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"I don't... feel great, Yaoyo-" I barely have the energy to finish saying her name- "rozu."

"Sit, sit, please," she takes off her jacket and lays it on the ground, gently pushing down on my shoulders.

"No-no, it'll get dirty," I slur and she only pushes a little more firmly.

"Sit down, now, before you fall and hurt yourself," she scolds, almost motherly, and I actually listen to her. When I'm sitting, back against the cold wall, she places the back of her hand against my forehead and makes a concerned noise.

A thermometer pops from her skin and I nearly jump, but she holds it up to my mouth and sticks it under my tongue.

She waits a few seconds and looks at it when it beeps.

"Thirty-nine point four (102.9°F). That's a high fever! You shouldn't be in school, you should be in the hospital."

She produces a small cloth from her skin and wets it with cold water in the sink, wringing excess and placing it on my forehead.

"I'm fine," I mumble and try to take it off.

"Stop," she says firmly and I stop resisting. She continues holding the cloth to my head as she pulls out her phone, opening her calling app.

"What are you doing?" I ask and she looks at me from the corner of her eye as she begins typing in a phone number.

"I'm calling Aizawa-Sensei."