Author's note: Hey everyone, it's Fire Slash here and I want to welcome you to the next chap of Healing Wounds. We've officially hit the halfway point baby! At this point, Healing Wounds is three years old and it's been a fun ride so far. It should be noted that Arc One is almost over, with the next chapter being the last one (and about the examinations). Afterwards, Arc 2 will kick in and Hinata will be up against Enoshima.

Anyways, I want to thank all of you who've shown support for this story so far. It really means a lot to me :-). I also now have an Instagram for those of you who want to follow me. It's Fire_Slash_Fanfiction. I'll be posting what stories will be updated next there and it's how you can reach me if you wanna chat. I'd love to see you all there.

Now, with that out of thw way, let's get to the story. Review and enjoy :-).

0000

The day after Tsumiki's confession, Hinata had trouble thinking straight. Such a task shouldn't be too hard for someone with near superhuman intellect, but his emotions were causing too much chaos in his head. He simply couldn't focus.

'So, that happened yesterday…' Hinata mentally reminded himself of the events which had transpired that night. Tsumiki admitting to him that she held romantic feelings for him was surprising as it was, but the way she went about doing so were the most shocking aspects of that moment to him. With how aggressively she expressed herself, she sounded like a predator claiming her prey. It was a completely different side of the nurse than he was used to witnessing.

'Perhaps she was so aggressive because of her past.' The boy remembered reading something about how people who have been abused usually act clingy or express aggressive characteristics to people they either like or dislike. The girl's aggression was probably caused by the fact she feared losing him.

Speaking of the nurse, the girl had already left the room by the time he woke up. Hinata chalked it up to her being too nervous to speak to him after her confession. For the rest of that night, the two said nothing to one another other than a quick good night, both feeling too awkward to even look at one another.

"I have no idea what to do," the boy groaned in his pillow. Hinata never had a girl confess to him before nor has he ever confessed to anyone. Heck, he didn't even know where he stood in terms of his own feelings for the nurse. Of course, she was his closest friend and all, but he barely thought about her romantically. He was often too busy with helping her recover from her trauma, watching over the kids at Hope's Peak Elementary, hiding his talent, and school to even think about his feelings. It didn't help that he often was the kind to focus on his emotions only when they were really starting to bother him.

"...I'm going to need help." Sighing, he began thinking about who could possibly aid him. The first person he thought of was Yukizome, only to dismiss that thought immediately. Who goes to their teacher for love advice? Shaking his head, he continued filing through his options. Mioda, Nidai, and Tanaka were out of the question due to their… unique personalities. Mitarai was quite antisocial, so he was also out of the question. Pekoyama hated his guts for whatever reason and acted like a robot around everyone, so that was a no go. Saionji's childish behavior wouldn't be of aid to him either. Nanami was his best friend besides Souda and Tsumiki, but she also lacked the social skills he needs at the moment. She was quite calm, smart, and a great listener though, so she might be able to help him. Komaeda? The guy was undeniably a weirdo and had a strange fascination with hope, but like Nanami, he was also a great listener.

"Can't believe I'm actually going to him for help," Hinata muttered under his breath as he found his second confident. After mentally marking down Nanami and Komaeda, Hinata continued thinking of people who could help him. Koizumi came into mind and Hinata immediately marked her down as well. While strict, perhaps he needed someone like that at the moment. She was also somewhat close to the nurse, so that could help. Souda was the next person who thought about . Being his male best friend, Souda was a tempting option at first, but Hinata rejected him as well. With how he acted around Sonia, Souda was an awful person to go to for love advice. With the ultimate princess, Hinata noticed how she was definitely the smartest person in their class other than himself, but her sheltered life was what prevented Hinata from marking her down as a potential option. Owari was also a no due to the fact she barely paid any attention to what was going on around her unless it interested her. She also wasn't the brightest tool in the shed. Hanamura wasn't an option. He had better luck talking to Tanaka's hamsters than getting an actual response from the perverted chef. Finally, there was Kuzuryuu. For a gangster, he was surprisingly non-hostile whenever his pride or life wasn't in danger. However, when one of those scenarios did present themselves, he was prone to violent outbursts. He was also smart as well, making him a solid option.

"So, looks like I'll be visiting Koizumi, Kuzuryuu, Komaeda, and Nanami," Hinata stated to himself. Mentally preparing himself for the many awkward moments that he was most likely about to experience, he slipped on his sneakers and made his way to Koizumi's room, the photographer being the first person he wanted to speak to for advice.

0000

"Eh? Hinata? What're you doing here?" The photographer asked, opening her door upon hearing someone knock on the other side. The fact she was even in her room in the first place was pure luck seeing as it was the afternoon. Almost everyone else were either at the beach or hanging around at the boardwalk.

Awkwardly rubbing the back of his head, the boy began to answer her question. "Uh, listen…I got a problem and I need help. I came to you because you're the most sane person around here. Got a few minutes?"

"Yeah. Just let me put some stuff away real quick."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. Next time though, give me a heads up instead of randomly showing up at my doorstep. I could've been doing something important."

"Sorry about that," Hinata said as the girl went into her room to organize some stuff. He was glad that his ultimate luck seemingly allowed him to catch the photographer at a good moment. Speaking of his luck, Hinata was curious as to how the staff at Hope's Peak managed to give him extraordinary good luck. Last time he checked, luck wasn't something one could manipulate. Well, that was something he'd figure out later. Right now, he had other matters to attend to…

"You can come in now!" Koizumi shouted at him a few minutes later, snapping Hinata back to reality.

'Have I really been daydreaming for that long?' The boy asked himself as he entered the room.

Gesturing to a chair, Koizumi began addressing her guest. "You can have a seat over there."

"Thanks."

"So, what do you need help with?" Koizumi asked him.

"Well, it's a bit of a long story," Hinata responded with a somewhat forced laugh. "So Tsumiki and I were hanging out at the boardwalk last night and we decided to ride one of the Ferris Wheels. When we got to the top, she tells me about how she likes me and kisses me. I never thought she felt that way-"

"How could you not?" Koizumi asked with an amused snort. "Everyone in our class knows she has a thing for you."

"E-everyone?"

"Yeah. With how she's constantly with you and how you treat her, you'd have to be blind to not know this."

"I-I didn't really notice anything out of the ordinary…"

"That's actually kind of sad. Why else would you think she'd want to share a room with you?"

"B-because we're best friends…"

Koizumi face palmed. "Wow. You know what, forget this. What exactly do you need help with?"

"I, uh, don't know what to do now," Hinata admitted. "I haven't spoken to her since that day."

"Well, I know what you got to do," Koizumi stated. "You need to man up and tell her how you feel."

"But, I don't know how I feel…"

"I can't help you there," Koizumi said with a scoff. "That's for you to figure out. When you do, let her know gently. You know better than anyone how fragile she is."

Hinata nodded. "I will. She's important to me."

"Good. Then I don't need to threaten you."

"Don't worry, you're fine." Hinata let loose a nervous chuckle. He might have enough strength to fight Owari and Nidai at once, but Koizumi was certainly intimidating when she wanted to be…

0000

After leaving Koizumi's room, Hinata began his search for Kuzuryuu. Thankfully, it didn't take him too long for the boy was at the hotel's restaurant enjoying a nice burger. On the other side of the room, Pekoyama was watching him, her eyes narrowing when Hinata approached the gangster. Thankfully, she didn't do anything, allowing the ultimate hope to talk to his friend in peace.

"Nice job," Kuzuryuu said with a smirk, causing the other boy to blush. "I told you that you were a lady killer, but what the hell are you coming to me for?"

"I was hoping you would have some advice for me. I don't know if I want to be in a relationship yet…"

"Tch, well, I can't help you much. I don't have a girlfriend myself nor have any approached me due to my rep. I do have a sister, but she hasn't bothered with many boys."

"Damn. Do you at least have something that you can tell me?"

"Grow a sack and fucking decide for yourself."

Hinata put his head on the table "Ugh, that's what Koizumi told me."

"I don't agree with her much, but this time she's right. Stop being such a wimp and decide."

Groaning, Hinata faced the gangster. "Have you seen Komaeda? I was actually hoping to get his advice…"

"Komaeda? You're going to fucking Komaeda for help? Damn, you've really gone to the deep end."

"I'm desperate, ok?"

Kuzuryuu snorted in amusement. "Well, I haven't seen that weirdo anywhere, so you're going to have to look for him."

"Damn." He then turned to Pekoyama. "Hey Pekoyama, have you seen Komaeda anywhere?"

"No," was her simply reply.

Sighing, Hinata was about to leave, only for a certain white haired lucky student to walk into the small diner.

"Hey everyone," Komaeda said, greeting his classmates.

"The fuck happened to you," Kuzuryuu asked, noting how the boy seemed to be a bit dirty at the moment.

"Heh, well, I was at the beach enjoying a meal when a flock of seagulls came down to take my food. I tried shooing them away, but they refused to leave. Some of them even attacked me. They ended up getting my food and I came here because I was in the mood for a burger. Just my luck, am I right?"

"Well, looks like your luck did you some good," Hinata stated. "I was actually about to go look for you."

"Hm? What could an ultimate such as yourself want from trash like me?"

'I'm already regretting my decision.' Opening his mouth, Hinata was about to share what was bothering him, only for Kuzuryuu to interject.

"This idiot had a girl confess to him and he doesn't know what to do since he doesn't know how he feels about her."

"Oh. Was it Tsumiki?"

"Was it really that obvious?"

"It kinda was," Komaeda said with a chuckle. "I honestly thought you two were dating already…"

"I had my suspicions as well," Kuzuryuu added.

"So did I," Pekoyama stated from the back of the room. "It's clear you two hold romantic feelings for one another."

"I-I'm not sure about that…"

"Well, I'd suggest you go back to your room and think about how you feel. It's clear you've done little of that. Once you figure out where you stand, it should come naturally."

Kuzuryuu shot the lucky student an impressed smirk. "Damn, didn't know you could give out love advice."

"Well, it's something I've read, so I wouldn't say it's my advice per say…"

'He's right though. I haven't been thinking about how I feel about her. I've been so focused on the idea of a relationship that I haven't let my heart decide what it wants.' Glancing back at his comrades, Hinata shot Komaeda a smile. "You're right. I need to spend time really digging deep into how I feel. Thanks."

"No problem," Komaeda said with a smile, one that Hinata has hardly seen from the boy before. Compared to his other smiles, this one showed that he was actually happy to be able to help him.

"Well, I got to go somewhere now. I'll see you all later."

"Bye Hinata."

"See ya."

"…"

After saying goodbye to his three classmates, the boy began his search for Nanami, wondering if there was something she could add to the conversation.

0000

"Sorry, but love simulators are the only games I struggle with," Nanami informed Hinata as she let out a small yawn. Finding her was no problem as he knew she'd be at one of the arcades on the boardwalk or the one at the hotel. Thankfully, she was at the one closest to the diner he was at moments ago. When he did find her, he led her outside and began telling her what had happened. "I might not be much help."

"Damn."

"But I can try," the girl said with determination. "What did everyone else say?"

"Well, they all basically told me to man up and think about how I feel about Tsumiki."

"Well, how do you feel about her?"

At this moment, Hinata began thinking carefully about what he was about to say. "Well…she's my best friend and I do care about her-"

"You're going to have to go deeper than that," Nanami bluntly told him. "You won't beat this level if you try to do the bare minimum."

"Right. Hm…well, I worry about her. It's quite obvious that she's been abused and she doesn't deserve that. She has a great heart and is willing to help anyone who needs it, no matter how bad they've treated her. I want to be there for her and help her grow to the point that she doesn't have to worry about her own safety or pleasing others. I want her to become a person who is confident in her abilities and I'm willing to do nearly anything to make sure she does. She's also very gentle and patient and having her around makes me feel as if someone does care about me. She's also undeniably beautiful, but I don't really pay much attention to that. It's what's inside that draws me in…"

"Sounds to me that you like her back."

Going over what he said, Hinata felt his heart beat faster. Everything he said was the truth. He was willing to sacrifice himself if needed just to aid her in being her best self. He did want to hold her all day and shield her from anyone else looking to harm her. She made him feel like his existence was worth something. He has helped her so much and she has helped him become more confident in himself.

"Maybe you're right. I think I know what I need to do now…"

0000

For the entire day, Tsumiki was doing her best to avoid Hinata, not wanting to talk to him about what happened that night. She honestly had no idea why she did what she did, but she knew she couldn't hold in her emotions anymore. She liked Hinata, that was undeniable. She liked how he always told her that not everything was her fault. She liked how kind he was even though he had a sharp tongue. She liked how he held her whenever they hugged. Being around him made her feel safe and wanted, two things she has never felt before.

However, she was scared, scared that she'd lose her only friend due to her recklessness. Her fears only intensified when she received a text from him in the evening.

"Hey, when you get the chance, please come back to our room. We need to talk."

When she read that, her legs started shaking.

'This is it,' Tsumiki thought to herself. 'This is where Hinata says that he doesn't want to be friends with me. I'm going to lose my only friend…'

Standing right outside their room, she gently knocked on the door, Hinata opening up a second later.

"H-hey Tsumiki," the boy greeted her, looking almost as nervous as her. "Uh, come inside. I, uh, want to discuss what happened yesterday."

With shaky steps, the nurse entered the room and sat on the bed, not trusting her abiotic stand at the moment.

"So…about what happened on the Ferris Wheel…"

"I'm so sorry!" The girl shouted, startling him. "I-I should've asked for permission first. I-It's just that I really like you and wanted you to know. Please don't hate me…"

As Tsumiki continued crying, she expected Hinata to hit her and tell her about how she had no right to kiss him. Instead, she felt the boy gently put his hand on her head, causing her to let out a little squeak in surprise.

"Listen, the kiss and confession were unexpected, but I'd never hate you over that. To be honest, I feel the same way…"

Opening her eyes, Tsumiki stared at the floor, unable to process what she had just heard. Hinata, the most wonderful person in the world to her, liked her. "W-what?"

"Y-yeah. It took me a bit to be in touch with my emotions, but when I did, I realized how much I like you. Ever since you came into my life, I've felt more positive. I-I like you…"

Unable to contain herself, the girl wrapped herself around her friend as she sobbed into his chest. However, this time she was crying tears of joy, glad to be accepted by the person she admires most. Eventually, the two separated and for the first time all day, they were able to look at one another in the eyes.

"D-does that mean we're official?"

"I think so. Do you mind if we take things slow though? This is my first relationship…"

"I-I don't mind. It's mine too…"