Chapter 21
"Oh! He’s waking up!” a voice was heard from beside where Terence was resting. He hadn’t yet opened his eyes and could only hear muffled conversations around the room. He couldn’t recall much after that fight with Taro. "It’s about time” he heard another voice call out. "How long has it been?” That voice was a bit happier than the last one. "It’s been a day…” He felt himself attempt to move his body however, everything felt heavy and unresponsive. He then began to start opening his eyes slowly, catching a blurry glimpse of the ceiling of what he believed to be the nurses office and a blonde figure standing over top of him. His vision began to adjust a bit and the blonde figure was finally recognized after shaking off a bit of grogginess. "Mmm…Shizuka…?” The conversations in the room stopped after Terence spoke his first word. "Is…I must be at…the nurses office…” "Terry!” A loud voice called out from the back of the nurses office. He slowly leaned his head up to see Hikaru charging at him at a quick pace and hug him. "All of us were worried you were hurt and that you might have permanent damage and stuff. I’m so glad you’re okay!” Hikaru’s grip was a bit tighter, causing Terence to squint his eyes and grit his teeth from the pain. "Hi-Hikaru…that’s…to tight.” He muttered causing her to let him go and laugh nervously. "I’m sorry Terry!” She patted his shoulder gently. "Thought you won‘t ever going to get up” Jarvis said sitting next to the left wall. "Shizuka said you’d probably be up today, we all came just to make sure though” Kallen said beside Jarvis. "I overheard…I was out for one full day. That true?” "It’s more like a 18 something hours but yeah that’s right” Markus said standing in the back of the room. Terence attempted to lean up again but stopped halfway do to the pain. "You should probably just rest for today Terence. It’s not like you’ll be missing any work.” Lianna said to him standing to his right beside Rin who is sitting down with her arms folded. "It’s not a problem Lianna” a voice from the doorway said. "Even if he misses a few days I’ll bring him the work.” The person appeared to be Saeko, who seems to want to check up on Terence. "What are you doing here?” Rin asked. "To look after a friend.” She replied to Rin smiling. For some reason this upset her a little bit but she made no other reply back to Saeko. "Thanks everyone…by the way, where is Taro?” Terence asked the room. "Next door.” Erik motioned with his thumb standing beside Dominic. "He’s worse off than you are.” Jarvis said. "You knocked him out of his clothes. He won‘t be doing shit for awhile.” Markus added in.
Shizuka appeared to still be examining Terence throughout the conversations in the room. Terence noticed this and asked her a question. "H-how bad is it?” She stopped and looked at him, "You might be here for a few days. I thought I said to be a bit more careful.” Terence groaned while she reached around his waist to check the bandages around his ribs. "I was trying too…” he said. "With damaged ribs, severe cuts and bruising, and a fractured right leg, you’ll be staying here for maybe a week or so. Depends on how long treatments take.” "A week?!” Terence said leaning himself up and hurting himself in the process. Saeko walked forward taking Lianna’s spot to help him slowly lay himself back down. "No need to get yourself riled up.” She said to him. "And I’ll be the one to bring him his assignments miss Marikawa” She turned to and smiled at Shizuka who nodded. "Thanks Saeko. I owe you one” He smiled at her. Rin noticed this and stood up from her seat, "Well he seems to be okay for the most part. I’m going to go for now, I have something to do.” She made her way to the door while everyone was watching with Hikaru following out after her. "What’s…with her?” Terence asked. "She probably just tripping” Dominic said walking up to be beside Saeko. "If he’s going to be here for a week…he’ll be missing the sports festival right?” Kallen asked. "Pretty much. The festival itself is next Wednesday.” She said. "You mean this Wednesday” Markus corrected her. She looked at him and frowned a bit. "That’s…you know what I meant!” Markus laughed at her while she became agitated. "What’s the sports festival like?” Erik asked. "It’s…exactly what is sounds like. It’s a day dedicated to sporting events. You know, baseball, soccer and things like that. Everyone in the school plays, and each event has it’s own MVP.” "Will there be football?” Jarvis asked. "Seems likely. While this is attempting to imitate Japanese school systems, it’s still western. I’d say look for it. Why you thinking of entering?” she asked Jarvis. Jarvis just smirked and nodded his head. "Can we enter in more than one?” Dominic asked. "I’m not sure what the rules will be. You’ll have to wait until the end of this week.” Kallen answered. "Oh, cause I would have entered in the football and soccer one.” Dominic said. Markus shook his head, "Just stick with Soccer Dominic. I don’t want to have to fold you up man.” he said. "I’m just going to run past you” Dominic said smiling. Markus just continued to shake his head at him. "Good luck to you guys then” Terence said. "I can’t even enter.”
Hikaru grabbed Rin’s hand before she left out of the hallway. "Where are you going? Aren’t you going to hang out with Terence with us?” Rin looked at her with a stern face. "No. I have something better to do than to look after that idiot.” She attempted to walk away again but Hikaru grabbed her. "Is it really all that important? Can’t it wait? He really needs you, you know.” Rin can be heard sighing, "He doesn’t need me. He has that other girl to take care of him. I’ll just wait until he gets out.” Hikaru tilted her head. "Why does it matter that she said that. You can help him too. Or maybe you two could-” "Forget it!” Rin yelled at Hikaru cutting her off. "Doesn’t even make more sense for her to help him. I’m not in their class, so again I ask why should I care!? It’s not like I would want to be burdened with him in any way!” Hikaru gasped and let go of Rin hand and the two stared at each other a little bit. There was a silence between the two before Rin eventually just walked off into the main hall and out of sight from Hikaru’s vision. She began to think to herself, "Why are you so defensive…? Does she really bother you so much.”. "Troubling isn’t it?” Hikaru jumped a bit and turned around. Grant was standing in the hall with his held tilted slightly and arms folded. "N-no not at all. I’m just worried about her.” Hikaru said looking back toward the main hall. "I wouldn’t worry about it.” Grant said to her. She looked back to him, "How much did you hear?” "Enough” Grant answered. "There is no rift between you all’s friendship. Everyone goes through what she’s feeling.” "Huh?” Hikaru asked. Grant just shook his finger at her. "Don’t you worry about a little thing. Go back in the infirmary and be with your friends. I’ll talk to Tohsaka. And send Terence my regards and a congratulations on his victory.” Hikaru bowed and smiled brightly. "Thanks! I’m counting on you!” She ran back into the room leaving Grant alone as he began to walk towards where he believe Rin to be going.
Night time falls and Terence’s friends are all leaving out, wishing him a get well soon while telling him they will see him tomorrow. Everyone leaves aside from Saeko who sat near Terence’s bedside. He turned over to her, "You aren’t going to leave?” he asked. "Only if you want me too.” He looked down a bit. "How come…you choose me?” She continued to smile at him, "I’m not sure myself. But there was some sort of attraction I got from when I walked by you.” Terence had felt the same way but was unsure of what to say. "Perhaps it’s because somewhere inside you, there is something strong. Something that needs to be pulled out. It is the same with your friends. They have not been pushed yet.” she continued. "So you did this to push me?” She nodded. "I’ve seen what I needed to see and it is what I believed.” The two stared at each other before Terence got embarrassed and turned away. "I will be here tomorrow after school to bring you your assignments.” Saeko stood up and looked at Terence smiling again. "Sleep tight. I hope your dreams will be sweet.” She tapped him on the shoulder twice before departing out of the room. "You two…Saeko.” he whispered to himself before being alone in the room. The room was still pretty lit, and no one was around for him to turn the light out. "Great, it’s not like I can move myself…” He stopped and thought about trying to move to it. Leaning up, he felt the pain in his ribs getting more intense. "Don’t you ever stop being stupid?” Terence stopped after fully leaning up and keeping himself up on the head rest looking forward.
Rin came into the room and walked forward towards Terence. "Rin!” Terence said happy to see her. "I missed you. Where’d you go?” She shook her head, "It’s not important. And stop moving. Lay yourself down.” She helped him lean down and sat beside him afterwards. "Why did you even accept this? You shouldn’t be pushing yourself this hard. Or maybe you wanted to end up crippled early.” She folded her arms and glared at him. "Well, if I hadn’t I would have been letting Saeko down.” he said to her. She continued to glare at him making him look down in shame. "One day that nice streak is going to get you into more trouble than this.” She said relaxing a bit. "How are you feeling?” Terence shrugged as best as he could. "I can’t move much, I have finally been able to move my arms a bit. But leaning up still hurts.” She placed her hands around his waist to see how bad it is for herself. Terence blushed a bit while she was doing this. "Nothing broken, feel like sprains actually.” She looked up at him and noticed him blushing and she smirked at him. "What? Don’t tell me this actually turns you on.” Terence gasped and turned away completely red in the face. "I-I’m going to sleep now…!” Terence said stuttering a bit. She got up and dimmed the room a bit and sat back down in the chair beside him. She began to think to himself, "It’s good nothing vital was hit. I think I’ll…watch over you tonight. I‘m interested to know, what will you be capable of next.”
