A/N: HA! BET YOU ALL NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD UPDATE AGAIN! (It's not because I finally got my hands on the rights to Ijiranaide, Nagatoro-san. If only, though.)

I recently changed around my main priorities when it comes to FF, and I decided to come back to this collection of one-shots because

A: The current season has been done for a long time. (Really hoping for season two and on to be an actual thing. If not I will be very disappointed.)

B: WE'RE SEEING SOME AWESOME DEVELOPMENTS IN THE MANGA (FINALLY)

Anyways, I digress.

I'll be honest, there are so many reviews from when I uploaded chapter 18 that it's not even funny. Apparently you all really liked that one. If it makes you all feel better, I do hope to make chapter 18 an individual short story sometime in the distant future. (IE, when college isn't kicking my ass)

With that said, let's get back into this shindig.

The room was, for lack of a more friendly term, bland. The walls were bare with the exception of a few lights and a piece of abstract art. The floors were clean, but that gave the resident no spots or cracks to count. Not that it would have entertained her for very long anyway.

But on the plus side, the window had a great view of the nearby ocean, and in the corner sat a television that was currently flickering through channels.

"No, boring, boring, no, not it..."

Nagatoro soon discovered that a majority of the channels were either news stations or sports channels. She couldn't find either to be particularly interesting at the moment, so she set the remote on the night stand and checked her phone.

6 Missed Messages

"Hoo boy."

Hayase opened the messaging app and opened her mom's message first.

Mom: How are you feeling? Any better?

Mom: If you want, I can have your sister stop by with anything you may want.

It was hard to say if she was feeling better, really. While she could feel her toes again, that wasn't necessarily a good thing.

Hayase: I'm fine. Thanks for asking.

The next four messages were from the group chat between her, Sakura, Yoshi, and Gamo-chan.

Gamo: We heard what happened. You all right?

Yoshi: All right?

Sakura: Please don't feel rushed to get back to us.

Gamo: That said, get back to us as soon as you feel up to it.

The girl in the bed let out a small chuckle as she typed in her response.

Hayase: I'm dying. Oh, woe is me. I can see the light. It calls for me.

Immediately, she was hit with a sting of texts both calling her out and asking the original question again.

For ten minutes, Hayase went back and forth between her friends, telling them how the motorcyclist simply lost control and how the doctors said it was a one-in-a-few-thousand chance that for as hard as she was hit, all she suffered were some scratches and the fractured Tibia.

Out of the blue, a nurse walked in, holding a clipboard and scribbling notes about, presumably, other patients.

"You have a guest. Would you like to see them?"

"Sure," the girl shrugged.

And in walked Senpai holding a grocery bag and small packet.

"H-hey. I got word of what happened. Sorry about that."

"Eh, wasn't your fault. You weren't even around."

"Well, I brought you some notes from classes and that pudding you really seem to like."

"Really? Thanks."

Naoto handed her the goodies and a spoon, which soon became an empty plastic container and a used spoon.

"So, you've probably been getting a lot of this, but how are you feeling?" he nervously asked, hoping not to end up being one of those people that kept asking the same question as everyone else, like relatives that always ask what your college major is or what you want to do when you graduate.

"Not bad, I guess. About as good as one can feel after getting sent to the hospital after getting hit by a motorcycle."

"O-oh. Sorry."

"Hey Senpai? How did you get in?"

"What?" With just a look at her expression, he knew he was about to get hit with some kind of teasing insult. Alas, he had already sprung the trap.

"I mean, there's no way they would let someone as creepy as you just waltz right in. Did you find a back door or disguise yourself?"

"Ac-actually," Hachioji replied, pushing up on his nose despite having foregone his glasses months ago. It was a habit that, secretly, Hayase hoped he didn't break anytime soon.

"I'm just messing with you. As long as you don't try anything lewd, I don't mind."

"Wh-why would I try some-something like that?"

"Well, pretty girl, all helpless, wearing only hospital gown. I think you get the picture."

And thus, panicking ensued. Crimson cheeks quickly appeared as the poor boy tried to explain that he would never take advantage of her, especially in the current situation.

It had been about a week since Hayase was admitted from the hospital.

The cutches were a major pain in the ass. Or maybe underarms was a better fit, given how they constantly rubbed her shirt against the skin. The area was already red and sore from friction, and each day seemed to get a little worse.

Clack, step. Clack, step. Clack, step. Clack, step.

It was almost rhythmic, the way she launched the crutches in front of her, pulled herself forward to land on her good leg, and repeated the process.

The senpai and kohai walked (or walked and crutched, in the latter's case) down the road. It was silent; most trips had been since the girl was allowed to leave the hospital.

It unnerved Hachioji. Nagatoro had always been, or at least for as long as he knew her, extremely energetic. While he didn't miss the over-the-top teasing, per se, the lack of any commentary had quickly gotten his attention. Then there was the fact that she had only once used the crutches to hit him.

"So, how much longer do you think you'll need those?"

"I dunno. I need to get another x-ray at the end of the month. I'll get an estimate then."

Her reply wasn't cold or even unenthusiastic, just lacking that "Nagatoro energy" he had long since been victim to.

He tried again, hoping for a batter result. "Have you considered those little scooters for people with casts?"

"Once or twice."

Failure yet again.

"Apparently, I should be out of the cast and just on a crutch within four or five more months."

Naoto slipped the girl's bag onto his back as she exited her house, and the two began the trek back to school. For about a month and a half, give or take a few days, his route had been taking him to her house at least twice a day. Every now and then he had to make a third trip.

"Well, that's good, I guess. But it'll be a while."

"Yeah, I know. Hopefully I'll still be in good enough condition for the swim club."

Oh, so that was one of her concerns. Naturally, such an injury would limit the physical aspects of her everyday life.

"Well, you'll have one super strong leg and one weak leg. My dad told me about this time he sprained his ankle and was stuck using one leg for a few months. He said that even after he was allowed to use his other foot, he occasionally hopped around the house on his good leg out of habit."

The girl let out a soft snort, which Naoto was more than willing to consider progress.

"If-if it helps, at least you'll be able to send me flying with your good leg once this is over," he offered. Luckily, she took the bait.

"Yeah, that's true. In under half a year, I'll be sending you into orbit with one kick," she sneered. Not as much as she usually did when it came to snide remarks, but enough for him.

Weeks came and went. Slowly but surely, the routine x-rays showed more and more proof of healing. Nearly seven months following the accident, the cast was cut off. Nagatoro was sternly instructed to use at least one crutch to aid in her walking for the next few weeks, and gradually put more and more weight on the leg, but only as much as she felt comfortable.

"Hey Senpai!"

Hachioji found out the hard way that his underclassman (underclasswoman?) was back on two legs, metaphorically and literally.

As she walked out the front door, he reached for her bag out of habit, and she let him take it without complaint.

"I got the cast off yesterday, but it still feels weird moving around like this. I probably look as creepy as you do right now."

"I see you're back to making those remarks," he commented, but not without a small grin.

The two took the all too familiar path too school, finally coming to the main doors with plenty of time to spare. The boy slipped the extra bag off his shoulder and returned it to its rightful owner, and the two started to split ways.

"Hey Senpai?"

Nagatoro quickly, or as quickly as she could, walked back to the boy who had put up with her antics for over a year.

"I just wanted to say thanks. For everything, especially given I'm not always nice to you. It means a lot that you were still willing to stand by my side for the last half year."

With the small confession off her chest, she closed the distance and wrapped her free arm around him. It took a few seconds for the shock to wear off, but once it did, he hesitantly reciprocated the gesture with both arms.

The bell announcing homeroom rang out, warning them about their diminishing time to get to where they needed to be.

"Thanks again. See you later, Senpai!"

"See you," he called out as Hayase waddle-walked her way to homeroom.

"Well well, this is a development."

"Development!"

A/N: Sort of a different take, I feel. Hope you enjoyed. See you when I (possibly) update in who-knows-how-long.