Act 3 – Chapter Seven: (Not So) Swift Recovery
I wake up with a sore head and a dry mouth. My eyes hurt a little, not from lack of sleep (the complete opposite, in fact), but more from a general ache all over. I've never felt so bad. Nausea hits me as I struggle to lift my body out from under the sheets. My memories of the party are still slightly fuzzy at first, but soon begin to sharpen...
My memories! I suddenly realise, as I try to hydrate myself with gulps of water from the tap, just how foolish I was then. Not wanting Hisao to leave... it's true that I wanted him to stay. I was so clingy towards him that I realise how stupid I must have looked. The embarrassment mounts while I prepare myself for school. I can't miss class today, not again. It would be too suspicious. I don't exactly feel like going, truth be told, but for once the reason is purely physical, rather than mental. The hangover isn't quite affecting me, not like before, but I still don't feel up to the task. Even so, I have to make the effort.
Even though I feel so bad I still feel the happiness from the party. As if I don't have to constantly feel like my life is worthless, as if I don't deserve the things I want or like I don't deserve to have people who care about me. Lilly, Hisao, Akira, they all came and helped me enjoy a time, for once, that has always previously been nothing but misery. Though I know that after today, and especially when Lilly has gone to Scotland, I'll revert back to those old feelings, I know that it's nice to have something good to hold on to, however temporary. It gives me hope.
I'm among the first to class, despite the headache, and take my seat in silence. Mutou-sensei is already here, marking papers and preparing for today's lessons. I contemplate reading through some of the week's material so as to remain ahead, enough for the coming days, when the door opens. I look up, startled, to see a familiar figure who, I suspect, may also be suffering as much as I am.
We make eye contact, before I turn away and stare straight down through sheer nerves. I wonder what he remembers from the party? I dread to think...
By now the rest of the class has been pouring in steadily, including the aforementioned Misha and Shizune. They look across at me as I try to avoid everyone's gazes, but I give no sign as to my current state of recovery. There's no telling what they would do with that kind of information. Over the noise of my fellow students, I hear Mutou's voice, "Feeling better today?"
I'm startled, fearing what he knows about yesterday, until I hear Hisao reply, "Yeah. Thank you." I'm not sure if he's talking about that, or something else, but as long as nothing specific is mentioned I can probably rest easy. Nevertheless, I'm at edge all the way through morning lectures. When the lunch bell finally rings, my suspicions are made all the more worrying when Hisao turns up at my desk.
"Hanako... did you tell...?" Did Hisao have the same thoughts I did when he was asked how he was feeling? I shake my head in response.
"It's just..." I start.
"Just...?" Before I can answer Hisao, a slightly large pink mass materialises behind him, with a smaller purple creature at the side.
"Well hello there, Hicchan. It's nice to see you again today!" Her voice sounds curiously happy, even by Misha's standards. I'm not normally suspicious, save when it comes to my natural distrust of people's overtures of friendship, but Misha has me a little concerned now. Does she know about the party? The smile on Shizune's face reminds me of the Cheshire Cat, which only serves to fuel my feelings of doubt.
It appears that Hisao has the same thing in mind. "Hi Shizune, Misha. You, uh... you look happy to see me." I can sense the paranoia creeping into his voice, as much as an overreaction that may be. Or possibly not, given who we're now dealing with. Shizune's eyes are almost twinkling like a character from an anime, her smile frozen in place. She continues to smirk as her hands fly faster than I've seen for a long time, as though she's excited to get her message across as quickly as possible.
"Not feeling well yesterday, Hicchan...?" Misha translates, her own smile evolving to match that of her companion. I'm relieved, but not by much. Something still smells fishy here, and despite the hour it's certainly not anyone's lunch. Does he not know?
"No," he replies, "no, I wasn't. But I'm feeling better now, at least."
The hands start moving again, the translation coming just as swiftly. "That's good to know, Hicchan."
"You sound like you're not being completely serious." I'm happy to hear Hisao shares my suspicions, though my gut instinct tells me that I'm about to be drawn into something here, and completely against my will.
"Oh no, Hicchan, we're genuinely pleased that you're all better now..." I know what this is about...
"In fact," Misha continues, "we were quite worried about you. After all..." Please don't say it...
"You, Hanako and Lilly were all absent from class on the same day."
I drop my eyes to the floor as Hisao lets out a large sigh. Shizune has us bang to rights, and there's precious little we can do about it. I look up at Hisao and notice him staring at Shizune, looking directly into her cat-like eyes. "I guess you have your own theories about this. Could you just kinda... not tell anyone?" I get the feeling his hopeful attitude is much too little and much too outdated. Misha is, of course, glad to confirm my fears in that regard.
"It's a bit late for that, Hicchan..." I sink and try to make myself look as small as possible, as I consider what my conscious mind had previously kept from me, ostensibly for my own protection. The looks I received from people entering the room, the same looks levelled at Hisao as he made his arrival afterwards. Even the hint of concern in Mutou-sensei's eyes as I took my seat and began to read the course work, his voice as he asked Hisao about feeling better. I already knew, and was moments from telling Hisao before the president and her eternal assistant turned up, but it doesn't make the revelation to him any easier for me to deal with. Maybe I was naive to think we could keep it hidden, or contained, but I was hoping that if people noticed then at least they wouldn't care.
"The only reason why we're giving you such a hard time is that you ignored us yesterday morning!" The latest translation from Misha is a surprise to me, more than anything else revealed today. They went to his room? The pang of jealousy I've been trying to keep hidden starts to surface again, though only for a few brief seconds. No, the bigger concern is that he ignored them and went back to sleep, or so I assume.
"Oh right, the knocking," he says. So he did hear them, then. "That was you two?"
The grin has finally been wiped off Shizune's face as she signs a response, translated as ever by her pink curly cohort, though I can't avoid the sneaking thought that her indignant expression is as carefully manufactured as her smiles. "It was, and you left us there for ages after we'd taken all the effort of coming to your dormitory early in the morning."
I'm almost proud of Hisao, as much as I can muster the strength of mind and ego to possibly be, at the fact he was able to (with zero effort, literally) get on Shizune's nerves for once. It's not that I don't like her, but it's still amusing to see her nose out of joint over something so petty, even if it does mean she has a hold over us for whatever reason she can imagine. I may not have the courage nor the mind to do such things myself, but a girl can still dream. Besides, Lilly would certainly be pleased. "Sorry, I was having a... problem with nausea? A problem with nausea."
I take that back. Of all the things he could have said, a problem with nausea is the first he can come up with? However accurate it may be, it won't do a thing to alleviate the suspicious minds of Misha and Shizune.
Dropping her head regardless, Shizune reaches into her pocket and pulls out a slightly crumpled piece of paper. Looking closer, I see that it's an envelope, with a sunflower motif, which she hands to Hisao. "This is what we were trying so hard to give you, Hicchan! You don't check your mail very much at all!" This explains why they went to see him yesterday, then. I don't want to be nosy, the envelope is none of my business, but I can't help but read Hisao's face as he takes it in. A single word escapes his lips, while his features register a touch of sadness and concern.
"Iwanako."
Iwanako? A name... I look at the people around me. Both Misha and Shizune are looking at Hisao with trepidation, as if they expect him to open the letter right now and read it aloud. I know that my own expression is a little more confused, though I actively make an effort not to show it. I want to know who this person is, the jealousy rearing its ugly head yet again and refusing to go down this time. However, I know that it's not my place to ask, not directly. That said, I still repeat the name in a meek voice, my curiosity too much for me to contain.
"It's nothing." Hisao's comment is abrupt, and it's clear he doesn't want people around him as he looks at whatever is inside. "Thank you for bringing me this, you two."
"I should think so, after what we went through to get it to you..." Misha's bubbly voice betrays her minor annoyance, however put-on and cutesy it may be, as Hisao says his goodbyes and leaves. There's still quite a bit of the lunch hour to go, and though we remain standing as he goes our interest is doomed to be unsatisfied. I choose not to follow him. After all, I know exactly what it is to keep secrets...
After a short while, I too take my leave. I don't really want to spend my lunch with Misha and Shizune, if only because I'm worried they'll start grilling me on why we were all absent from class yesterday. I don't think I'd be able to take it. Anyway, Lilly is probably waiting for us.
My guess is proved correct when I arrive at the tea room. Lilly tilts her face up in the direction of the creak as I gently close the door behind me. "Is that you, Hanako?" She's learned over time how to tell the exact sound I make whenever I close this door, a remarkable skill to have.
"Y... yes, it's me." A brief moment of silence passes, before I clarify, "H-Hisao's... not with me. Um, s-sorry."
"It's fine," she says, with a smile, much sweeter than any Shizune has made so far today. "You don't have to apologise for his absence. Though, I wonder where he is?"
I quickly explain the previous events, and about the letter Hisao received. "He wouldn't tell you what was written?"
"N-no, he didn't... he didn't open it near us. He must h-have waited until he'd l-left..."
"How curious. Still, I suppose it's best left to him to decide if he wants to share its contents. From what you've told me, it looks as though it's rather personal, and we shouldn't interfere."
I can only agree, and affirm as much to Lilly. "He... he skipped yesterday as w-well. I d-didn't know you did t-too..."
She laughs, just a little, as her cheeks turn a faint shade of pink. It reminds me of how she looked the other night, after the first glass of wine. "I must confess, I'm as guilty as you and Hisao. I didn't think the wine had affected me that much, but it seems I was mistaken. I didn't wake up until midday yesterday."
The unspoken implication, of course, is that she would have aroused too much suspicion if she'd suddenly arrived half a day late to a lecture. She continues, "I heard Misha in the corridor this morning, on the way to classes. She called my name, but I did a rather mean thing. I pretended I couldn't hear her!" We both begin to laugh, full belly chuckles as Lilly finishes speaking.
"I... I'm glad you're okay..." I continue smiling but with a tinge of sadness. I don't want Lilly to leave, though I understand she doesn't have a choice. She seems to understand my concern.
"It's only for a week or two, no more. I'm more concerned about you..." I don't deserve such concern, but the joy of the past couple of days (hangovers aside) intervenes and allows me this moment. "I actually had something in mind..."
"W... what?" I don't know what this 'something' is, but I get the feeling that it's something Lilly might have thought up in an attempt to make me feel a bit better. I only say that because of the way the conversation has segued onto the new topic of concern for me.
"It's something I thought of on the night of the party. Hisao's already agreed to it." Is she saying that because she knows if Hisao agreed, I'm more likely to? She still hasn't fully explained herself. "How would you be up for a little trip into town...?"