It was a crisp and breezy autumn afternoon and the picturesque Yamaku Academy had ended classes for the day. After Hisao's last major heart attack, the Nurse had told him he needed to exercise more. Hanako had taken these instructions to heart. This is why, instead of reading books in the school library, he found himself jogging alongside his girlfriend. Since Hanako had returned from her latest nervous breakdown, she had insisted they run together.
Hanako kept her stride even as she enjoyed the crisp breeze rustling through the trees. She didn't much like running, she was no Emi Ibarazaki, but she savoured the quality time she was able to spend with Hisao. She had missed him more than she would like to admit in the months they were apart, but she was determined to make up for lost time. "H-How…was c-class…t-today…?"
"Class was fine. English was difficult to grasp, though. How did you find the class discussion on Pride and Prejudice?" he questioned her with some difficulty breathing. Though they had been running together for a month now, he didn't feel his endurance strengthen. He couldn't understand how easy it was for Hanako to talk as she ran, as she was usually a few steps ahead of him. He wondered for a brief moment if he was just out of shape and almost didn't catch her reply to his question.
"That discussion…was...interesting…" she responded, putting careful thought into her answer. "I mean…I don't agree…w-with Misha- er, Sh-Shizune- about M-Mr. Collins being…a useless ch-character. P-People…a-always underrate him…But…he's funny…He…He deserves…his own s-sitcom…"
Hisao burst out laughing at this ridiculous proposition that the boorish Mr. Collins should have a sitcom. He didn't see the tree root in the middle of the path until he tripped over it. Hanako whirled around when she heard him hit the ground, terrified that he may have hit his chest. She raced over to him, her face white with anxiety.
"I'm fine, Hana. Please don't worry." Hisao groaned as he stood up. He may not have hit his chest, but it felt as though he twisted his ankle and he winced as a sharp pain shot up his left leg. Hanako gave a small sigh of relief and stood beside him as she wrapped her arm around his waist. Hisao slung his arm over her shoulders, leaning on her.
"We n-need to g-get you…t-to the Nurse…" Hanako asserted, her tone firm yet gentle as she directed them back to the Yamaku campus. He didn't bother to argue with her, knowing there was no way he could ever change her mind once she was set to do something. Hanako wrapped her arm even tighter around his waist as they walked together down the path to the school. They returned to their discussion of Mr. Collins to fill the silence. After that day, they fell out of running for a while as the bitter cold of winter began to set in.