Chapter 25: Sick For The Day

The time on Hayashi Sakura's wall clock already says eleven in the evening and yet she is still up, answering her required assignments and reviewing for tomorrow's surprise quizzes. There are three of her college professors whose hobbies in their lives are giving on-the-spot quizzes at certain random days when they feel like doing it.

Suddenly, Sakura's throat kinda feels itchy a little bit, making her lift her hand up and throw in a few coughs to somehow ease the itchiness. But a few minutes later, she is now coughing nonstop.

Sakura could also tell that her body feels kind of heavy, and her head throat is now starting to hurt. Even though she already tried to walk to her kitchen to grab a glass of water, the itchiness won't fade away.

"Darn it… I can't afford to be sick," she says so to herself.

Sakura has been working extra hard lately at the cafe after those days that she has taken her leave. Once, she goes home to her apartment dripping wet, not having any idea that it would rain that day so she wasn't able to bring an umbrella.

Now that she suddenly remembers all of those things, that may be the reason why she is now having the symptoms of a cold.

After answering the last question to their algebra assignment, Sakura firmly closed her notebook, placed it on her study table, and went straight to her bed. She hopes that by the end of the day and when she has already acquired sleep, this temporary sickness would soon go away…

However, the following day at Hirosaki University…

It was almost as if Sakura could feel the weight of this burden that she is now carrying as she forced herself to go to school today in order to fulfill her assignment and take any quizzes for today. Despite feeling her insides trembling and her body weak, she tried her best to ignore her weaknesses and concentrate on not looking too sick in the eyes of others.

"Good morning, Hayashi-san," Tanako Ryo greeted the girl as he and Nakano Yuna entered the classroom.

Sakura was just about to greet them when her throat once again became itchy, causing her to cough again. She pulls out a handkerchief and covers her mouth as she coughs with it.

Meanwhile, Mori Ken was already in his seat and was busy doodling for a while when he noticed this that instantly caught his attention. From his notebook, he snatches a glance towards the girl and sees through how unusually pale her skin is right now.

Swiftly, he turned his head to look directly at the girl and tried to reach out, "Hayashi-san…"

"Hmm?"

Sakura was just about to turn around to entertain Ken for a moment when the latter reached out his hand and touched her forehead out of the blue nonchalantly. Mori Ken's face then became serious as he felt how literally hot Sakura's forehead was under his touch that he could almost imagine the steam coming right out of it.

Gasping, Sakura's lips parted in shock as she witnessed what Ken did to her just now. With a bizarre reaction, she cries out, "W-what are you doing, dummy?"

"I think I should be the one asking you that, dummy," Mori Ken counters, making Sakura astonished. "What are you doing here?"

Sakura pursed her lips after realizing that Mori Ken had busted her fever. 'And so what?' she thought to herself. 'As if he cares, right?'

"Mind your own business---"

"I need you to come with me to the clinic, now!"

Before Sakura could protest, Mori Ken stood up from his seat, his face plastered with all seriousness in it, as he grabbed Sakura's right hand and forced her up from her seat. This sudden notion surprises everyone present in the classroom, making them all stop from what they are doing and dart their eyes on these two.

Without saying anything, Mori Ken now pulls Sakura out of their classroom and towards the clinic. They happen to pass by their first-period teacher, who in turn looked at them with confusion.

"This dummy forced herself to go to school and we are now heading to the clinic to check her condition." Mori Ken immediately explains to their teacher to avoid being misinterpreted.

That somehow enlightened their teacher and nodded his head. "Oh. Alright, go ahead."

After their brief conversation with their teacher, Mori Ken starts dragging Sakura towards the school clinic once again.

"Have you at least taken medicine before going here?" Mori Ken asks out of nowhere on their way to the school clinic.

Hayashi Sakura's face suddenly flushes, as she is embarrassed to admit that she ran out of meds back in her apartment and that her other reason why she needed to go out is to stop by the pharmacy near their school after classes.

One look at her flustered face says it all… and Mori Ken didn't need to repeat his question to get the answer for it. His face was all bored and nonchalant when he muttered to himself, "I knew it…" and focused his gaze in front of him afterward.

Sakura, on the other hand, still feels abashed by all the things that are currently happening to her. Her former childhood friend Mori Ken, whom she thought had already forgotten about her and didn't care about her any longer, is now truly concerned about whether she has already taken medicine or not.

Without a doubt, this is really… really a great surprise for her.

***

In the end, the school doctor advised Sakura to go home and have enough rest, a thing that she can't oppose even if she badly wants to. The teachers will be informed about this so that she will not be demerited, Ken reassures her for the hundredth time already to calm her down which soon took effect on her.

Nakano Yuna and Tanaka Ryo had brought Sakura's things from her seat to the clinic on their break. The pair was about to offer Sakura a lift when she instinctively declined their offers and told them that she would be fine on her own. Once they gave up trying to convince the girl, they were able to walk with her up until the campus gates at least and bid their farewells before Sakura turned around and walked away.

"Will she really be fine on her own? She looks too fragile and weak to me now…" Nakano Yuna whispers to others as she keenly stares at Sakura from behind. Though cold and tough on the outside, Yuna truly cares about her friends' well-being.

"Nah… I highly doubt it." Tanaka Ryo answers for her.

Mori Ken is most especially worried for Sakura right now, but he doesn't say much to these two standing on his right.

"I know! Let's go visit her!" Nakano Yuna suddenly announces, surprising the other two with her sudden declaration.

Doubtedly, Tanaka Ryo gives her a confused look, "So, do you know her address or something?"

But instead of directly answering him, Nakano Yuna proudly smirks to herself as she says with all confidence, "Easy! I'll just have our private investigator search for her address and we're good to go!"

"Oh, you're a genius!"

"I know right? Ho! Ho! Ho!"

While Yuna and Ryo are having their own conversation, Yuna sneaks a glance towards Ken's direction and eyes him intently. As odd as it is for her to see him getting all this worried for that girl, she makes a very accurate guess that Ken and Sakura might be really close friends in the past or something like that.

"Hey, you!" Yuna calls Ken's attention, her finger pointing at the guy for him to know that it's him she is now calling. When the guy looks at her now, she asks, "Do you want to come with us?"

Hesitantly, Mori Ken nods his head. "Yeah, sure…"