Pleased with the thought of the voucher tucked safely in her pocket, Hotaru entered the three-star section of the dormitory. She paused outside the door below the sign 'TOBITA YUU' and listened for a while.
Iinchou was probably out, like everyone else. But although there wasn't any noise coming from his room, she could vaguely hear something, no, someone else.
But who was it?
It was such an inhuman noise.
Hotaru decided that fetching her laboratory notes could wait. She crossed the corridor to her own room and unlocked it for a quick peek.
No, the noise was definitely not coming from there.
Being the only girl who lived in that section, all the rooms on the left except hers should be empty. Well then, she would check on the boys' rooms.
She walked quickly to the next door on the right, marked 'NOGI RUKA', and listened.
No, not from here. The sound was coming from further down the corridor. But further down, she realised, would be the end of the three-star section already.
And there was only one person who lived beyond there.
There was no helping it. She walked towards Natsume's room.
Five metres away...
Four metres away...
Three...
Two...
The sound was definitely getting louder and clearer. But here was another sound, that of approaching footsteps.
She turned around.
"Imai?"
Hotaru ignored Ruka's look of surprise.
"Ruka-kun."
Youichi tugged at Hotaru's blouse without letting go of Ruka's hand.
What was Imai doing outside Natsume's room?
Ruka couldn't remember Hotaru ever needing to see Natsume for anything. Suddenly, a bizarre idea entered his head. Could it be that...?
He looked around uneasily for her camera.
Sure, she would have a ready stream of clientele, but Imai didn't seem like the sort to...
"Can you hear something?"
He jumped slightly.
"I... Yeah. So?"
"It sounds like it's coming from Natsume's room."
Oh, so that was it...
Ruka felt quite relieved. But not for long. This sound was an awful, heart-wrenching sound...
He let go of Youichi and pushed past Hotaru.
Natsume lay on the bed, groaning and clutching at his chest. It would soon pass... he just needed to hold on for a little while more till the medicine took effect...
Natsume shivered with cold and pulled the covers around him, but his body still felt like ice. Something warm and salty touched his freezing tongue. He caught his hand up to his mouth.
Where was his handkerchief?
Natsume thought he knew it was on the mirror ledge, but the knife-like pain in his chest when he tried to get up made him resign himself to using his sleeves. His brain was numb with cold, and he could think of nothing but the pain, the pain, the pain...
The door swung open.
"Natsume! Are you okay!"
He jumped and struggled to sit up.
"What's wrong, Natsume, what's wrong!"
Ruka looked horribly frightened.
"R...Ruka, I'm fine..."
Thank goodness the red wouldn't show up against his dark blue uniform.
Natsume moved to the edge of the bed, wondered if he should try standing up again, but thought better.
"I'm fine, I tell you, I'm fine, stupid!"
Raising his voice made him cough again.
A tear rolled down Ruka's cheek.
He crossed the room to Natsume's bed and knelt down on the floor.
"Natsume, I'm not going to let you push me away..."
He took his friend's hand, hesitating for a split second in remembrance of Natsume's reaction to his concern earlier. He choked.
"Your hand... it's so cold..."
Ruka dissolved into sobs.
Sitting on the edge of the bed with Ruka's blond head buried in his lap, Natsume felt that there were things much, much more painful than physical pain.
Hotaru watched in silence from the doorway.
Judging from the packet of pills on the bedside table and Ruka's lack of surprise, this had probably been going on for a long time. She knew that Natsume was often absent from school because of a long-term medical condition, but she didn't know the specifics. Here was another thing she must snoop around and find out more about.
Ruka's body began to shake violently with sobs and Hotaru quickly realised that Youichi might get frightened. She reached out and gripped the little boy's hand tightly.
He turned his small innocent face upwards and searched hers in puzzlement.
"Onii-chan is...?"
Hotaru reassuringly patted his head.
Natsume heard Youichi from inside the room and caught his breath sharply.
How long had he been there? Could he hear Ruka crying? Youichi wouldn't understand, he would be scared and confused...
He looked in panic at the doorway.
Wait, she was here too?
When?
But more importantly, someone needed to take Youichi back, quick.
At that moment, Hotaru gave him a meaningful look. Natsume didn't know why, but he knew what she meant.
'I'm taking him away.'
How had she known?
He blinked, and both Hotaru and Youichi were gone.