Later that day, Kahoko walked into class after lunch time. Her head still ached, and her throat was sore, but she had gotten bored stuck in her room.
Hitoshi looked up and smiled softly. "Hey, how are you feeling?"
She gave a shrug.
"You didn't have to come in, I told Mr Shiki you were unwell."
She sighed. "I'm bored." She grumbled, sitting down.
"Sano, you look rough." Naoko remarked.
Kahoko sniffed. "I've got a cold."
"You see, if I had a cold, I'd use it as the perfect get out of class card." She laughed.
Kahoko coughed a little. "I prefer to keep my mind busy." She lay her head on her folded arms.
"Bakugo asked after you at lunch." Hitoshi remarked. "Said he was going to check in on you at your dorm later."
Naoko heard this and giggled. "Bakugo, huh?" She wriggled her brows. "Well, they say opposites attract, and you could do worse, Sano."
Kahoko frowned and looked to her. "Huh?"
"Well, he's your boyfriend, right?"
Kahoko blushed. "N-no!" She mentally kicked herself for stuttering but chose to blame it on her cold if asked.
Naoko smirked.
Hitoshi watched Kahoko carefully, sensing her unease. "Nao, back up. Kaho's fuse is short when she's ill. Trust me, I say this with experience."
"It must suck to be you, Shinso."
He raised a brow, a little off guard.
"To watch the girl that you love, fall for someone else."
He felt a growl claw up his throat. "You're overstepping…"
She sighed. "Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you."
He looked away, feeling a mixture of unpleasant emotions well up in the pit of his stomach, until he felt a soft hand take his.
He looked to see Kahoko's face turned towards him, still with her head resting on her other arm.
She gave a warm smile. She knew it still saddened him to know that she didn't return his romantic feelings, and it hurt her to see him still look so conflicted with it. She loved him so much, even if it was more like a brother than a lover, she hated to see him down.
The look in her eyes made him melt. They were filled with loving warmth and comfort, and maybe a little sadness and concern.
She didn't need to speak words for him to know what she was trying to convey. She loved him in her own way, and to him, he'd take what he could get. She meant everything to him, and maybe he could find love somewhere else but his love for her would never change.
Their bond was much more special than anyone else could understand and all that he wanted was for her to be happy, even if it was with someone else, she deserved it and so much more in his eyes.
He raised her hand to his lips, meeting her gaze and gave a small nod, reassuring her that he was alright.
Naoko watched them. Why is this so beautiful yet so sad to watch…? She looked away. Maybe I shouldn't have teased them so much.