"I'll check your medical record. Please wait a while."
The nurse turned to her computer.
Natsume sat down and put his hands into his pockets. He would be more careful now... at least this time, nothing major had happened. Lunch hour would be almost over by the time he got back, though. He fervently hoped Ruka wouldn't go to his room looking for him.
"Hello."
Natsume looked up.
The older blond boy smiled warmly at him and strangely, Natsume felt himself grow less tense.
"You're the one who sometimes occupies room 301, right?"
Natsume searched his memory. He had seen this boy before a few times... oh, in the long-term in-patient hospital ward. And that night, when he had looked out the window and seen him with Ruka, Mikan and a few others.
"I'm Sonoo Kaname."
That's right, he had heard that name before.
"Your name is Natsume, isn't it? I'm glad to see you're better and out of hospital. As for me, I'm discharged for one week starting today," Kaname explained cheerfully, unperturbed by Natsume's silence. "I'm really happy that I'll get to see all my friends again. In fact, I think I'm supposed to have tea with some of your classmates this afternoon. Oh, right! You're Sakura's partner, aren't you? She did say that she was going to bring you along or something... You didn't know?" Kaname smiled. "Oh, I hope that wasn't meant to be a surprise. Though it's more likely she forgot to tell you. Look, the nurse is calling you."
Natsume took his medicine from the nurse, ignoring her admonishment about his carelessness. Honestly, what a bore. He turned to leave.
"See you later, then."
Uncomfortable with Kaname's friendliness, Natsume didn't respond.
"Kaname-senpai!"
Natsume froze.
The voice was unmistakable. She shouldn't see him here... and was Ruka with her? He must hide, quickly.
He hurried round the corner and paused to listen.
"You look much better!"
"Kaname-senpai, look who we brought along!"
"Oh, Bear!"
"He even plucked flowers for you, Kaname!"
That was right... Sonoo Kaname, the student who had made that crazy teddy bear.
So he was the one.
Natsume recalled one of his earlier hospital stays, when one doctor had sighed, saying, "Here's another one with Sonoo's problem." Natsume didn't understand why, but suddenly, the sound of Kaname laughing made him angry.
He wanted to scream.
Shut up, shut up!
Natsume clenched his fists, and felt the familiar pain in his chest return. He had better return to his room and take his medicine before anything happened. Coughing, he ran out.
Mikan loved walking with her seniors. It made her feel grand and important.
"Well, here we are! See you, Mikan."
"And take good care of Kaname!"
Tsubasa and Misaki left in the direction of the middle school branch.
Mikan waved until they were out of sight.
"Kaname-senpai, you promised to have tea with me today."
He smiled down at Mikan, who was skipping along in excitement.
"I haven't forgotten, Sakura. With your classmates, right? Did you remember to ask them along?"
"Of course I did!"
"Are you sure?" He teased her. "Then how come your partner didn't know about it?"
"Natsume? Oh, I told Ruka-pyon to tell him because I couldn't find him. But... but how would you know if Natsume knew or not?"
Mikan was puzzled.
"He left the hospital just before you all came to fetch me."
Her heart skipped a beat. Yes... Someone had mentioned before that Natsume was often admitted to the hospital. But hadn't he been feeling fine since the kidnapping affair?
"Natsume was there?"
"He was just collecting medicine, I think."
"Oh! That's right!"
Mikan showed him the packet of pills she had picked up.
"I found this while on the way here."
Kaname read the label.
"Oh, is that Natsume's? Hmm..."
Mikan couldn't stand the suspense any longer.
"What are they?"
Kaname looked down at the floor for a moment.
"Well, Sakura..."
He reached into his pocket and brought out an identical packet.
"I have one too."
Mikan stared at him in horror.
"So... so Natsume... he..."
Kaname smiled kindly but sadly at her.
"I'm afraid so, Sakura."