Chapter 5

(Sophia's POV)

I woke up to gentle beeping, my head felt fuzzy and I was very warm. I swallow roughly and try to dislodge the thick ball of phlegm in my throat. I feel a hand on my arm.

"Sophia?"

I turn my head, taking in Kozue sitting beside me. She raises her hand to her mouth and points a finger to the left. I look the other way, noticing Takeda sleeping awkwardly on an uncomfortable chair. Kozue stands offering me a drink of water with a straw.

God, my throat felt like I'd swallowed glass "What happened?" Jeez, I sounded like I'd swallowed glass.

"You're in the hospital. You've been unconscious for the last three days..." she sits, squeezing my arm "You had a small rupture in your kidney from the fall so they had to repair it. You passed out in class."

I look at her slowly "Did you bring me here?"

She shakes her head "No, Sophia. Hanayama-san brought you here. He lifted your chair with one hand and took you out of class." She chuckles, hiding her blushing face with my arm "Oh my god, Sophia you should have seen him... He smashed the large Iron gates with one swing."

"He broke the gate?"

"How else was he going to get you here?" she giggles "They close the gates till school is over."

"What..."

"He's also paying for everything." She sets my arm on the bed and rubs it gently "He's been here every night. My god girl, what did you do to him?"

I can't help but smile "I'm not sure..."

I laid there, quietly taking in the information. I didn't understand him. First Kaoru tells me to stay away from his because it's dangerous and now he's damaging school property and rushing me to the hospital? What was going on?

"Ah, look who's awake." A cheerful voice says from the doorway.

I look at the door and see a large man. He was very tall, extremely muscular and had a very feminine face. His bright red hair was pulled into a loose ponytail behind his head.

"Sophia this is Doctor Kureha, he's a friend of Baki-kun's. He performed your surgery." Kozue states but her smile didn't reach its usual height. I guess there was a bit of bad blood between him and Baki.

"You my lady are very lucky," he smiles, picking up my chart "The bleed was small and well hidden from an untrained eye. Had you stayed at home instead of going to school you'd be dead by now." He walks over, flashing a small light over my eyes "how are you feeling? Are you in any pain?"

"My throat hurts but that's it," I whisper.

He moves, checking my mouth next "We have to intubate you for the surgery so a bit of tenderness should be expected. Is it very painful or bearable?"

"It feels like I swallowed glass."

"Painful, got it." He chuckles "I'll have one of the nurses bring you in a drink. Try not to talk a lot okay?"

For some reason, his smile does little to comfort me. After a few seconds of silence Doctor, Kureha turns, leaving the room. My eyes fall from him to her "Do I want to know?"

Her silence says it all "It's in the past."

Had my throat not hurt like it was I would have pushed the issue further. Still, I was very groggy and tired. I look out the window, shutting my heavy eyes.

Flashback

It was a lukewarm Monday when we had the swim test. The boys were first and after they were the girls. I crossed my legs, adjusting my towel as another set of boys dived off the pier and into the water. Watching them swim back and forth was beyond boring. Having the guys staring at us would be extremely embarrassing and I suddenly found myself despising this class. I could feel a few sets of eyes on me already. Not only was I a transfer student but also a gaijin (a foreigner). Thankfully my mother's side of the family was Chinese but my wider eyes, thick eyelashes and plump full lips were a dead give-away to my father's Scottish roots.

I leaned over to my neighbor/classmate Kozue "Are you sure we're supposed to be out here?"

"Yeah it's fine," she chuckles. Kozue was shamelessly sitting on the bench. Having grown up in japan the short blue gym shorts that barely covered your ass and bright blue one-piece swimming suits weren't anything new to her.

Looking around I seemed to be the only one covering myself with a towel. My eyes feel on a few of the male students and I force myself to look away. Having these outfits on was embarrassing enough but sharing a session with the boys wasn't something I could ever get used too.

Thankfully my shyness isn't one center display as a course of "Woah, check it out" and "Wow" took the spotlight. As I tried to figure out the source of the statements I see him. This impossibly large man walks onto the room and I feel my heart beats faster. I was impressed by his large muscles and overall stature.

I tap Kozue again "Is that our teacher?" He was very attractive.

Her eyes fall mine and she smiles, her hand covers my ear "That's the other transfer student everyone was talking about." She giggles.

The skin-tight bodysuit he wore left little to the imagination and I couldn't help but feel sorry for him as our teacher ripped into him around improper school attire. The gentle giant only stands there listening to the lecture. When he's ordered to change he speaks.

A deep smooth voice hits the air, causing a shiver to run down my spine "how about a wager?"

"A wager?"

"If I can beat your best swimmers you'll let me stay in this." I pause, the silence in the room was deafening. In all rights, the teacher should have refused but the moment my eyes fell on the four boys around him I knew he'd agree. They were the best swimmers in our school. I take in there ripped bodies, tones abs on display and arrogant looks.

"On the podium!" my teacher screams. We watch the boys load up and bend "Ready?" their legs tense "Go!" the six best launches off the Podium ripping through the water like well-trained sharks. Only the gentle giant doesn't move, rooted like an old tree.

Oh my god, was he challenging the best students without practicing?

My classmates started laughing and pointing at him "What's wrong?" "Jump you fool!" "Are you afraid of the water?"

Suddenly he went into the position of a sprinter and jumped full force into the water. His jump caused such a great shock that the water splashed up to the ceiling. Everything happened so quickly no one knew what had happened until it was over. The six swimmers in the water were on opposite sides of the pool in puddles of water and he was waiting on the other side of the quadrangular swimming pool. Our teacher was so petrified his whistle fell out of his mouth.

When loud laughter and high pitched cheering left my mouth I found the gentle giant looking at me. Well everyone was looking at me but our eyes looked and I notice the large scars marking his soft skin. It was the most embarrassingly wonderful moment of my life. After the humor had died down I did my best to avoid Hanayama, with my luck Hanayama would think I was laughing at him.

Well, I guess I was but not like that...

(Hanayama's POV)

I slipped into the hospital, setting another vase of flowers on the window and look at the sleeping girl in the bed. The heart monitor was beating soundly and the slightly closed curtains shaded the room nicely. I moved over to the bed, resting one of my hands on the bed. Sophia reminded me of my mother, her thin arms and tiny body filled me with guilt.

I should have brought her here when I first saw her...

The door to the bathroom opens and Kozue stops "Oh, Hanayama. I didn't hear you come in."

"How is she?"

"She woke up for a little bit this afternoon. As far as I can tell she seems fine." Kozue stretches her arms above her head and yawns "I was going to grab a coffee, do you mind staying with her?"

"Yeah."

She stops beside me, a small hand on my arm "Don't feel bad okay? You saved her life."

I pull the chair beside the bed and sit down. Sophia looked so different with her hair down. The soft waves framed her heart-shaped face nicely. Sophia moves her head slowly, opening them to look at me. I wasn't sure she was fully awake when she sees me but she smiles, taking my hand.

"Sorry for laughing at you... I didn't mean to laugh at you..." her eyes slide shut after and I shake my head with a smile.

She really was an odd one.