“So, we'll be movin’ the py to July.”

  Ken is currently visiting me in my room and we are practicing our dialect. I'm sitting up in bed, and he's at the desk.

  It's been about a week and a half since I got sick. Chiyo brought him here but then had to go for some reason. It is ter than she usually visits, so maybe she had pns. She apologized for coming in the evening for some reason, but said they had news I had to hear right away.

  I think it’s the first time I’ve ever seen Ken without her. It feels a little strange.

  “Oh. Because of me?”

  “Actually, the student council asked us to postpone it.”

  “Uh…Wha?”

  Ken ughs, “That's what we said too. But they came an’ saw us in the club room an’ said it would be a nice addition to the school festival, which is in te July this year.”

  “Oh.”

  He chuckles, “I thought ya'd be happy.”

  “I…I am. Just surprised.”

  Ken nods, “I don't bme ya. It was…weird. Shizune an’ Misha were waitin’ for us at the club room door. And Misha just…blurted it out.”

  I chuckle, “Sounds like her.”

  “We were all confused, but Daiki was first to realize it would be best for ya, so we agreed. Now we have an extra month.”

  “Will that still work for the actin’ troupe man to come see the py?”

  “It should, yeah. We'll probably have a rger audience in general, too. Which will be nice. So yeah, don’t rush your recovery, okay?”

  “I won't. This does…make me feel better.”

  He smiles, “Great.”

  There's a knock on my door and in the next instant it's open. This is what Akane has been doing since I got sick. The knock has sort of lost its meaning since she just comes in. It's sort of funny that she still does it all.

  She's looking down at a bag from the cafeteria. She reaches in and says, “Nagisa, I got you the melon bread you wan-” When she looks up and sees Ken seated at my desk, she drops the bag on the floor and her mouth hangs open for a moment. Her eyes get wide as she looks around the room.

  Ken stands up and says, “Hi. I'm Ken. You're…Akane, right?”

  “Y-yes…I um…am. Nice to meet you.”

  “You too. I was just going to get going.”

  “Okay. Thanks for stopping by.”

  Akane opens the door, picks up her bag, and gets out of the way, “The door's open. Do you…need help?”

  He shakes his head and pulls out a colpsible cane I didn't know he had. Chiyo usually helps him when I’m around. He starts to use it to feel out the area in front of him and steps out the door.

  “I should be good. Thank you. Get well soon, Nagisa.”

  Akane closes the door. She stands still by the door for a moment. Then she locks it.

  “Wh-what are you doing?”

  Akane ughs, “Can…never be too careful, you know?”

  “Um…okay. But you don't usually lock it when you're here.”

  “Well…it's something I think I will start doing.”

  She does always compin that I don’t lock my door enough.

  She sits down at my desk and hands me my melon bread.

  “So…that guy who was here. Ken. He's in drama club, right?”

  I nod as I bite into my bread.

  “I-is he…Chiyo's boyfriend?”

  I can understand why she thinks that. And it isn’t that far from the truth. But I can't tell her that.

  “No. They are always together though. Best friends.”

  “Ah…gotcha.”

  “Why were you so surprised to see him?”

  “Oh. Um…I thought they came in the morning. So I just didn't expect someone to be here.”

  “They usually do. But he had something important to tell me. Did you…get the student council to move the py to July?”

  Akane ughs and smiles proudly, “Maayyyybe.”

  I smile at her, “Well…thank you. It was a good idea. I feel so much less pressure.”

  She smiles back at me, “That was the goal. I'm gd it worked. Shizune thought it was a good idea anyway, all I did was mention it and she couldn't help herself.”

  I ugh, “Be careful, or she might try to get you on student council.”

  Akane rolls her eyes, “She's always trying anyway. I…actually wanted to talk to you about something reted to my friends. If you're up to it.”

  I nod, “I feel pretty good. Still just a low-grade fever.”

  She smiles and then nods, “Remember how…Misha um…dumped me?”

  “O-of course I do. That was the first time we spent time together in my room.”

  Akane ughs, “Yep. It was a really crappy night in some ways but…really good in others. Anyway, remember how…she loved someone else?”

  I nod.

  “Well…I know who that is now. She told me.”

  “O-oh. Who is it?”

  “Shizune.”

  I nearly drop my melon bread, “Wh-what?!”

  Akane chuckles, “That was my reaction too. Misha was pretty sure Shizune didn't like girls and was scared to confess. But…she did the other day. And Shizune turned her down.”

  I frown, “That…must be so hard. Being in love with someone who can never ever feel the same. And…they are together all the time too.”

  “Yeah…must be hard.” Akane looks at me and pauses for so long that I'm about to say something. Then she smiles and says, “A-anyway, the good news is…I didn't feel anything for her when she told me. Other than sympathy.”

  I smile, “That's good. You think you're over her?”

  She nods, “Yep! I sort of thought I was, but this confirmed it. I'm not in love with her any more.”

  “That's great! I'm really happy for you. That was so hard. But you got through it.”

  Akane smiles and comes and sits on my bed before giving me a hug which I return as she says, “Thanks to you.”

  “Oh, you have your uniform on instead of pajamas. And you're at your desk. Feeling better?”

  Daiki just came to fill me in on css for the day. It's been two weeks since I got sick. I've only had a low grade fever ever since the IV at the nurse’s office. And I feel better today than I have since it started. I am feeling giddy about it, because I’ve never felt this good this soon after getting sick. For the first time, I really believe my life is going to get disrupted a lot less by my condition. I don't have to stay in my bed while all my friends keep moving forward this time. At least, not for too long.

  “Y-yeah, I was going to ask if we could go for a short walk.”

  He looks worried, “Is your fever gone?”

  “M-mostly.”

  “Mostly doesn't mean yes. Are you sure it's a good idea?”

  I stand up, gre at him, stomp my foot and cross my arms, “I have to get out of my room. I don't care what you say. You’re taking me on a short walk outside. And that's that.”

  He ughs at me, which I don't appreciate since I was trying to be forceful. I do my best to gre at him. He ughs again.

  “You're not very good at being intimidating. It seems very unnatural for you. You're way too cute.”

  I feel my face flush, so I look away, “I-I am not!”

  He ughs, “You don't want to be cute?”

  “W-well…n-not right now. Right now I want you to let me go for a walk.”

  He sighs and puts today’s homework down on my desk, “Fine, we can go for a 5 minute walk.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes. Turns out cute is pretty effective too.”

  Now I feel even giddier.

  We head out into the hallway and I start to jog toward the end of the hall.

  He sighs, “Nagisa, take it slow. You know I kind of…have to, right?”

  “Yeah, but I’ll wait for you. I j-just…really want to move!”

  When I stop at the end of the hall to wait for him, I start to feel a little strange.

  Lightheaded.

  Legs…feel…like…jello.

  Seeing…spots.

  …

  “Nagisa!”

  …

  I’m up against something warm. And my feet aren't on the ground. But I'm moving. Or…being moved.

  I open my eyes, and see that I'm on my back looking up at Daiki. He's wincing slightly and looks scared. It takes me a second to put it all together, and I realize he's carrying me. I try to say something, but feel too dizzy.

  Now he's putting me on my bed.

  When he does, I manage to weakly say, “D-daiki…”

  He looks a little relieved, “A-are you okay?”

  “I…I don’t know. What happened?”

  “You…fainted, I think. I caught you before…you hit the ground. But we should get…you checked out.”

  His voice sounds strange. I look at him and something doesn't seem right. His shoulders aren't square, like he’s putting all his weight on his left leg. Then I realize what's missing.

  “…where's your cane?”

  “In the hall. I…dropped it.”

  “A-are you hurt?”

  He ughs wryly, “Really? You’re worried about me right now? You quite literally…just lost consciousness.”

  “I know. I don't…feel too good either. But you sound like you hurt. Sit down on the bed.”

  He sighs and looks a little embarrassed, but then he sits on the foot of my bed. He gets out his cell phone and calls the emergency medical number and tells them what happened.

  “The nurse’ll come check on you.”

  I nod, “Thank you for catching me. I could have really gotten hurt. I-I’m…sorry.”

  He ughs, “Why are you apologizing?”

  I fidget with my comforter as I start to feel the tears coming on, “B-because I wasn't careful. That's why this happened. Because I made you take me on a walk. Because I ran ahead. A-and if you got hurt because of that…” I start to sniffle.

  He reaches out and puts his hand on my foot, which makes me ugh. He ughs awkwardly and retracts his hand.

  “S-sorry, I'm not in a good spot to comfort you. Your foot was closest.” His face flushes, “That was… super weird, wasn't it?”

  I giggle, “Maybe a little. But it made me stop crying.”

  He chuckles, “Good. And really, don’t worry. I tweaked my knee a little, but it isn't a big deal. I’m having surgery on it this summer anyway and I doubt I did anything to make it much worse.”

  There’s a knock on the door, and I say, “Come in,” expecting the nurse. But instead, it's Akane, holding Daiki’s cane. She looks concerned.

  We expin what happened and Daiki thanks her for bringing his cane.

  Akane grins, “So you let her sweet talk you, eh?”

  He ughs, “Actually she intimidated me.”

  This makes Akane ugh hysterically.

  I give Akane my best gre and puff out my cheeks in frustration, but it just makes her ugh more.

  I guess I'm really NOT intimidating. But, being cute isn't so bad…

  Daiki chuckles and stands up with the help of his cane, “I think I’ll get going. The nurse probably doesn't need me in the way. Hope you feel better, Nagisa.”

  I thank him again, and so does Akane. She sits down in my desk chair and waits for the nurse with me. She anxiously taps her fingers on the desk.

  “How do you feel now?”

  “Okay, I think. Now that I'm lying down.”

  Before long, the nurse arrives.

  He checks my temperature and other vitals and asks me a bunch of questions, “It does look like you just fainted, nothing serious. Your temperature is still trending in the right direction. Have you fainted before during your episodes?”

  “S-sometimes…if…I overdo it.”

  For the first time since I've known him, the nurse's face gets serious. Somehow, he is still smiling. But it's a different sort of smile. He has a very different aura.

  “Yes, and it sounds like you did. Can you tell me why you did that?”

  I frown and look down at my hands, “I was excited that I f-felt okay so soon after getting sick. A-and I was tired of my room.”

  “I understand those feelings. But if it weren't for Daiki you could have really gotten hurt from the fall. And, while I don't think you set your recovery back, you could have.”

  I see Akane nodding in my peripheral vision.

  “Y-you're right, sir. I'm sorry. It was a v-very big mistake. I might also have gotten Daiki badly hurt. It was lucky I didn't. I'll be more careful.”

  His usual smile returns to his face, “Furukawa, you don’t need to call me ‘sir,’ remember? He closes one eye. “Even when I’m scolding you.”

  I smile back at him, “Okay. Thank you.”

  He nods, “Alright, I’ll get out of you dies’ hair. Feel better, Furukawa.”

  After the nurse leaves Akane clicks her tongue and says, “Well, I think Daiki's been let go from his Nagisa duties.”

  I cross my arms, “Please d-don't joke about it. I really messed up. For a minute I thought he was really hurt because of me.”

  She winces, “Sorry. You're right. I didn't see that part.”

  I nod, “I-if anything he should get a reward, not punished. He put his own health aside for mine.”

  “That's true. I am gd he was there. I definitely wouldn't have been able to carry you like that. But…try not to beat yourself up too much, okay? We all make mistakes.”

  I nod, “I'll try.”

  She crosses her arms and leans back in the chair a little, “What…kind of reward are we talking about for him anyway?”

  I find myself surprisingly flustered so I roll over and turn away from Akane, “U-um…I dunno. J-just a figure of speech.”

  “Oh. Okay. Not any figure of speech I've heard before, but I won't press you. Get some rest.”

  “This looks good. I think I can clear you to go back to css tomorrow.”

  I'm at the nurse's office and he's looking over my temperature log after taking my vitals. It's been two and a half weeks since I got sick and I was feeling well enough that I came to the nurse's office on my own this morning. Even Akane said it would be okay. Although she walked with me and dropped me off at the nurse to be safe.

  “R-really?”

  He nods, “Yep, you haven't had any hint of a fever for two days and you haven't had symptoms either, right?”

  I nod.

  “Great. Then, I think you're good to go. We'll keep an eye on things of course.”

  I start to get choked up, “Th-thank you, so much. I'm…so happy. I-I've never gotten better so quickly.”

  He ughs, “I didn't do that much. It was mostly your new medication.”

  “Th-that's not true! You…helped calm me down when it started and told me what I should do to get better quickly, and then you gave me an IV when my fever got too high, and you came to check on me a-after I fainted!”

  He taps his finger on his chin and then grins, “Hmmm…when you put it like that, I am pretty impressive.”

  I don't think I've ever been as excited to walk to css as I am this morning.

  I knock on Akane’s door and she answers it with a big smile on her face. She's been as happy as I have since I told her I'd be going to css again starting today.

  Akane and I are now out on the main quad, heading to css.

  “So, you're leaving on Friday?”

  When I called my parents st night with the news I was better, they were both happy for me. And my dad begged me to come home for the weekend because it's his birthday. I really miss them, so it was hard to say no.

  “Yeah. I'm really gd you and Daiki are such good teachers and tutors, otherwise I wouldn't be able to go.”

  She smiles, “I'm gd too.”

  When we get to css, I'm surprised by how many people welcome me back. There is Mr. Suzuki of course, but also Madoka and Ichiro and other students I haven't had the opportunity to talk to as much. They all really seem happy that I'm back.

  This kind of thing has probably happened to some of them. So they understand.

  There's one person who is happier than the rest, though. His smile is just as big as Akane's.

  He asks, “You'll…be at lunch in the club room today, right?”

  I nod, “I've been looking forward to it. It's much better than taking my lunch in my room.”

  He smiles, “Great. I'm looking forward to it too.”

  …

  “Alright, Ken. I think it’s time the two of us got out of here.”

  He raises an eyebrow, “Huh? But lunch just started. And Nagisa's back! Why would we leave early?”

  Chiyo blushes and leans in and whispers something to Ken, who also blushes. Then he smiles, “Okay. We've gotta go.”

  What was that? Are they together now? Did I miss that while I was gone? Why didn't Chiyo tell me?

  “O-okay.”

  Chiyo pats my shoulder, “We'll see you this afternoon, okay?”

  I nod, and the two of them leave arm in arm.

  After they leave, I notice Daiki is smiling at me. He says, “I’m so gd you’re back.”

  I can't help but give him a big smile in return, “Me too. What was that about with Chiyo and Ken, though? Are they finally a couple?”

  He ughs, “No. Ken somehow still hasn't figured out what everyone else has. And she still hasn't told him.” He looks down and says, “I…um…asked them to leave early. That's why they were weird.”

  “Oh. Why did you ask them to leave?”

  “That will…become evident in a minute.”

  He seems really nervous. Something I’ve never seen before. He’s usually very composed. Right now he’s wringing his hands and not making eye contact with me.

  What could have made him this worried?

  He clearly needs to talk about something hard. He just did so much for me when I was sick. I hope I can help him now.

  He smiles at me again, and I smile back.

  “I…um, got you something. A ‘welcome back’ present, I guess.”

  He picks something up off the ground and puts a small gift bag up in front of me. I feel more than a little caught off guard. He seemed worried about something, and now I'm getting a gift?

  “O-oh. Thank you, Daiki.”

  I pull the tissue paper out of the bag and reach inside, and I'm surprised and overjoyed by what I see. It's three members of the Great Dango Family hanging on some kind of chain. I pull them out and hold them to my chest.

  “I…I love it! What is it?”

  Daiki chuckles, “How do you know you love it if you don't even know what it is?”

  “Well…it's the Great Dango Family, that's all I need to know. You…knew I liked them from the plush in my room?”

  He nods, “I asked Chiyo about that plush and she told me. When she told me, I actually…kind of remembered the commercials. I didn't realize they were still so popur.”

  I ugh, “I…don't think they are. I just love them.”

  He smiles, “Well, I was able to find that in Sendai. So there must be other fans out there. Anyway, that's for your cell phone. It's a strap. I… thought you might like that one.”

  I smile at my gift and then squeeze it in my hand, “It will make my phone the cutest phone in school. Thank you.”

  He smiles, “You're welcome. It's really great seeing you feel well again. I really missed seeing you in css, and in here.”

  “Yeah, I missed it too.”

  He takes a deep breath, “H-helping you when you weren't feeling well was nice, but any time I left you, I didn't really want to. I wanted to stay by your side. When you weren't in css…or at lunch, or at club meetings…I was always thinking of you.” He chuckles, “I was kind of jealous that Akane and Chiyo got to take care of you so much more since they live in the same dorm.”

  I smile, “Thank you. I missed you too.”

  He smirks, “I have to be more direct. You're kind of like Ken, you know that?”

  “Huh?”

  He stretches his hand out and gently puts it on mine. His hand covers mine entirely, and most of my wrist.

  He smiles at me and his face flushes, “I like you, Nagisa. I'd like it…if you'd be my girlfriend. I-if you want to of course.”

  I say the first thing that comes to my mind, “D-don't you…think you could do better?”

  He pulls his hand back and knits his eyebrows. He looks angry. I clench my eyes shut so I don't have to see.

  “Don't py games with me. If you don't feel the same, just tell me.”

  I bow my head, “I-I'm sorry. I'm.…n-not pying games. I just…think there must be someone b-better…”

  I hear his voice soften, “You…really think that, don't you? Sorry. I should have known you aren't the type to py games.”

  I open my eyes and am relieved to see he doesn't look angry anymore. He looks a little sad, though.

  “Do you really think so little of yourself?”

  “I…I'm not as…pretty as the other girls. And I'm not good at anything. And I don't know what I want to do after high school. And I'm older than you, but I behave like a child. And I'm shy. And I'm a crybaby. And-”

  He ughs, surprising me and cutting me off. Then he outstretches his hand to me, palm up. I'm not sure what he's doing at first, but then I put my hand in his, once again noticing the size difference. He closes his hand around mine.

  “Nagisa…you're the prettiest girl I've ever known. And you have a heart of gold. How are you anything less than an amazing woman?”

  He and Akane have both said simir things.

  And Chiyo and Saki too.

  Maybe…

  Maybe...

  I really am pretty?

  I blush and stare at our hands, dumbfounded by his words. He starts to look uneasy.

  “I-if…you don’t feel the same about me, that's okay. But…I do want you to know that you're great, okay?”

  I feel my cheeks flush even more.

  “Th-thank you. I…think you're great too.”

  He looks at me with uneasiness. “Thanks. Um…how do you feel about me, Nagisa?”

  I nod and smile at him, “I'll…be your girlfriend.”

  To my surprise, he frowns, “I…would love that. But you don't sound sure. Knowing you…you might just be saying ‘yes’ to avoid hurting my feelings. Do you actually like me? As a boyfriend?”

  He's right. I am saying yes because I don't want to hurt him. I haven't actually thought about my feelings.

  I close my eyes and think.

  I have felt different about him tely. Closer. I liked when he called me cute the other day and I've really noticed how sweet and handsome he is. But is that enough? I don't think I would be uncertain about it if I liked him.

  I open my eyes and shift in my chair. “I…don’t know.”

  “Okay. Take some time to think about it. You don't have to answer now.”

  “B-but…you're so sweet to me. And…you just did something really brave, telling me this.”

  Something I couldn't do.

  He lets go of my hand, “Well…that's probably not quite enough for us to be together. Just…think about it, okay? You're going out of town for the long weekend, right? You can tell me after.”

  I frown, “B-but…won't it hurt you if I'm not your girlfriend?”

  He thinks for a moment and says, “Well, I won't lie. It will hurt if you decide not to return my feelings, because I really like you. But, it's not gonna kill me, either. So…don't worry about that. Just think about how you feel, and get back to me.”

  I frown and look down, “Okay. I will think about it. A-and…have an answer…after the long weekend.”

  “Great. That's all I can ask for.”