Favourite
"Look, look! Takasugi rose from his sickbed, at last."
"He's finally recovered. Sensei took good care of him, better than anyone else..."
"No wonder. Takasugi is Sensei's favourite, isn't he?"
"You know you should repay him...?"
"You should repay with your body, Shinsuke-chan."
"Shinsuke-chan!"
"Shinsuke-chan!"
The boy looked at his schoolmates distractedly and left the classroom without a word. Normally, he wouldn't have taken such taunts calmly, but he didn't feel well now; they must have noticed it, and hence their courage. Besides... He got anxious. Maybe they were right? Maybe he should really repay Sensei...
His legs moved on their own, and, before he realized, he was standing in his teacher's doorway. He hesitated, but then Sensei waved at him.
"They say I should repay you, Sensei..." he repeated blankly. "With my body..."
Shōyō looked at him with surprise that quickly turned into amusement.
"Shinsuke, do you even know what it means?" he asked.
The boy shook his head.
"I assume they don't either... But, my, you have fever. You shouldn't have left your bed so soon."
"I'm all right..."
However, despite his objection, Shōyō took him by the hand and showed him back to the boys' bedroom, where he then put him to the bed and pulled the cover up.
"I don't care about them," Shinsuke whispered before the teacher left. "Sensei, if you want... I'll give... everything..."
"Thank you," he managed to hear in reply.
He fell asleep, smiling.