As the next morning would roll around. Lenny still felt embarrassed about the previous day's events. He didn't know how he was going to make this up to Emi. Lenny followed the usual routine of taking his medicine and heading to Mutou to learn this morning. He headed down the hallway to the classroom to see who was at the door. At the doorway was Hisao.
Katawa Shoujo- Raindrops and Puddles
"Good morning Lenny, how are you feeling?" Hisao asked Lenny about his condition.
"Pretty bad." Lenny told Hisao that he wasn't in the best condition.
"What happened?" Hisao asked Lenny if there was something that got beneath his skin the day before. Lenny knew he had to explain it to Hisao.
"Well I attended Emi's track meet yesterday and I nearly had an incident with my heart." Lenny explained to Hisao.
"Have you been taking your medicine?" Hisao asked Lenny if taking his medicine was helping him out regarding what was going on.
"Yes I have just like the doctor has said but…" Lenny paused as he tried to figure out what he was going to say next. "I feel like it just isn't enough." Hisao placed a hand on Lenny's chest to see how his heart was handling.
"Well it feels… all right but I suggest you go to the nurse when you have a chance. I think I would try to meet you down there and we can figure out what exactly is going on. And if something is found then I think I have the best solution. I won't say what yet because we need to figure out what is helping you and what isn't." Hisao told Lenny that there are some things he still needed to work on and get corrected but for Lenny, he didn't know what it was going to be.
"At least you understand me." Lenny softly told Hisao as Hisao pulled his hand away from Lenny.
"I do. It's best we all try to understand each other if it means that we are able to heal each other's wounds. It's important that I helped Hanako out of her shell and she loves me for it and I think we should try our best to help you any way we can." Hisao explained to Lenny that helping each other out was the way they would do things if it meant fixing each other's problems. "Now none of us can be miracle workers, we're just trying to help." Mutou spotted the two of them chatting before opening the door to the two of them.
"Looks like you two are up bright and early, what are you talking about?" Mutou asked them if they had any type of conversation they were thinking about.
"Well I just wanted to know how Lenny was feeling, he said he was feeling pretty terrible." Hisao gave the news about his friend. "He nearly died out there while Emi was doing her track meet."
"Wow, it got that bad out there huh?" Mutou asked Hisao if this was the case.
"Yeah… that's the case. I don't know if we should give Lenny some quiet time when he gets back from the nurse later today. He's apparently probably got something going on with him but every time I want to pry him open he retreats deeper in." Hisao explained about the shower incident that he and Lenny had. Mutou began to think about it.
"So we might have another Hanako case to deal with here. We'll see what we can do. Lenny is a good boy and a smart student. I don't want to have to deal with three students who all have similar problems so I need your help, Hisao." Mutou explained before asking if he needed to get Mutou's help for something.
"What for?" Hisao asked. Mutou looked at Hisao and he began to explain.
"Since you're my best student and the closest one to Lenny. I might have to have you keep an eye on him as well as Hanako. Hanako is going to have to help you on this as you can't keep your eyes on two people at once." Mutou explained his plan to Hisao. They both walked into the classroom and decided to take their seats. Lenny had been waiting as the rest of the class began to trickle in.
"Okay Mutou." Hisao told Mutou.
"That's good now, don't do this too much. I don't want the both of you on stretchers." Mutou told Hisao to be careful with himself.
"Will do." Hisao told Mutou.
The morning periods would go by as Hisao had to be a shadow to Lenny for the morning. Hisao admitted that he didn't like doing this but this was to make Mutou proud and therefore they could figure out what they were going to do. Hisao was even surprised with Lenny wanting to do work with him as he could trust him. The two of them wanted to see Hanako at least so she had her input on it but it was hard for them to track her down.
"I'll see you during Lunch, we'll go visit the library and we can talk to Yuuko about this." Hisao told Lenny he was on his own for the time being. Emi jogged up to Lenny to give him a friendly greeting.
Katawa Shoujo- Standing Tall
"Hey there Lenny. I heard what happened with Meiko and it turns out she has told the nurse about it. We're going to pay him a visit later to see what is going on. If we can figure out what exactly we can do to help." Emi explained to Lenny what they were going to be doing.
"Thanks Emi, I have I believe two people helping me out and looks like I'm getting more tacked on." Lenny tried his best to tell Emi that he already had people on the same mission as she was for Emi, she just nodded with a smile.
"All right, standard running for today. I think that we should keep this steady a mile a day. After that we can head to the nurse." Emi explained a mile of running on the track a day, maybe this should be able to clear Lenny's head.
"Yes Emi, there shouldn't be anything that I am afraid of… I hope." Lenny's voice of uncertainty struck Emi. She paused before studying him.
"You really are pessimistic about this?" Emi asked. She looked at Lenny with a smile and the usual twinkle in her eyes. "I'll keep pushing you harder if that's the answer."
"What answer?" Lenny asked as he seemed to be rather confused.
"The only way to relieve stress from one's self is to push them harder. I think you have the spirit to beat me yesterday if you tried." Emi told Lenny. "Let's do this."
Katawa Shoujo- Hokabi
With the other students on the track. Lenny and Emi lined themselves up and prepared for the run of a mile. Lenny began to think back to yesterday when Rin said that Emi was the most Emi when she runs. He wanted to ask Emi about that but Lenny took off with Emi quickly dashing behind, Emi quickly caught up to him while they ran. Might as well make conversation with Emi.
"Hey Emi, what did Rin mean by Emi at her Emiest, if there is a reason for saying that?" Lenny asked.
"What Rin has said is that you are you at your very best. She says this about my running." Emi explained to Lenny and by Rin's words, she was right. Emi was in her best shape. She was still trying to run, running like she had been always running. She seemed to show off pride and determination. When Lenny ran however, he wasn't able to emulate Emi's style of running and he quickly fell behind. He was still running lopsided most likely on his left. "Come on Lenny you still got three laps to go!" Emi cheered Lenny on.
Lenny huffed. He still thought he got this. He continued to run though the stress was starting to catch up to him. At least he was able to run around one lap so far without the need to collapse. Maybe this was Emi whipping him into shape. Emi began running backwards to encourage Lenny to keep up with her.
"I got this." Lenny muttered to himself. He continued to run on the track with his feet pounding away. Emi turned around before she slowed down to allow Lenny to catch up to her.
"That's it two more laps to go!" Emi called out. Lenny continued to run with Emi sticking by his side. As Lenny was steadily getting faster and faster as the days went by, Emi had been doing her best to keep up his habits. Sweat was starting to drip down his forehead as the track seemed to loop around and around. Day by day he thought. This was going to be the same routine of spending time outside and getting to run the track… in circles. Lenny was beginning to feel his heart take a bit of a toll, it still hadn't recovered from yesterday. "One more lap to go!" Emi called out. Lenny continued to run but he was starting to slow down, he was quickly growing exhausted as his breathing was becoming hoarse. He was out of breath but still determined to finish. Lenny kept running, Emi was the one getting him to finish.
"Come on heart, don't give up on me." Lenny would tell himself as he continued to run. However his wish wasn't going to be granted. By the time Lenny finished the last lap, he felt his legs steadily go weak before collapsing to the ground. He felt like his heart was going to rip open… again. "God why do you not like me, heart?" Lenny asked himself as he was clutching his chest. Emi walked over to see him on the ground.
"Again?" Emi asked.
"I'm sorry Emi." Lenny told her. Emi just laughed before giving a playful smile.
"Nothing to be sorry for, you're doing great. Another mile down in the books." Emi told Lenny that she was going to keep this training up if it meant having him get better with his running. Lenny gave a nod before Emi pulled him up to his feet. Emi walked over and placed her hands on his chest to gauge his heart beat. "It's beating faster than normal, I don't think you're that well. I'll take you to the Nurse to have you looked over. I'll say that you haven't been feeling your best."
"Thanks Emi." Lenny told Emi as she helped carry him over to the Nurse's office.
Lenny was with Hisao and Emi was standing outside to hear the news. Hisao had made the promise that he was going to help Lenny out with his problems. The nurse finally retracted the tools after reading Lenny's heart and heart monitor. He wanted to speak to Lenny.
Katawa Shoujo- Ah Eh I Oh You
"You haven't been forgetting to take your medicine, have you? I'm catching a little murmur. You should take it easy for a few days." The Nurse asked Lenny if he had been taking his medicine like described by his doctor. The nurse's words hurt Lenny far more than the exhaustion of the morning run ever could. Take it easy for a few days? Lenny knew he should have kept quiet. He keeps his eyes on the floor, feeling like a complete idiot. Of course Lenny had been remembering to take his medicine. It was his exhaustion and the fact that his heart hadn't been working properly. Facing heart collapses on a daily basis, it turned out it could be his medicine. After the track meet a day ago, Lenny felt... inspired. So he had been running in the morning with Emi when she showed up. But then today while they were running, Lenny felt some pain in his chest. It was just as bad as yesterday during the track meet, and it was only for a couple of minutes, so Emi and Hisao had to mention it to the nurse.
"I have been running Nurse, and with these runs, honestly, it wasn't that bad. I mean I kept running and finished just fine, so really it couldn't have been that bad..." Lenny told the School Nurse that he had been taking his medicine and his runs were the things wearing him out and he told Hisao that his heart had been pretty bad and the fact that he nearly suffered from a heart shock during the track was the reason they decided to visit the nurse. To Lenny, this felt different and he began to think. Why does he feel like he's making excuses to the nurse? Moreover, why does he feel a need to justify continuing to run despite the pain? Really, it comes down to his being unwilling to concern Emi, who seemed concerned anyway. Lenny is not sure how she was able to tell there was anything wrong, but she claims Lenny stumbled a little. She's the one who insisted that he tell the nurse, so now Lenny was starting to feel bad for worrying about her at all. The nurse is shaking his head ruefully while Emi paces outside the room.
"Lenny, I know it's difficult for you to get into a new routine, but if you don't want to find yourself in a lot of trouble you're going to have to try harder. I might have to change your pills. Hisao had told me that your medication isn't helping you out and you can't push yourself too hard." The Nurse told Lenny about how hard it was going to be for him to get into the routine of keeping himself fit. Hisao listened off in the distance to see how well this was going to pan out.
"But if I don't push myself, how will I improve?" Lenny asked. He doesn't know where that came from. The nurse seems to have an idea.
"Now where have I heard that before?" The Nurse asked. Lenny tried to figure that out while Hisao gave the nurse a don't look at me look. He laughs and pats Lenny on the shoulder. "Ha! She's rubbing off on you, I guess." The Nurse laughed as he remembered about Emi. Emi was indeed rubbing off on him, and she was the one trying to keep Lenny fit. His expression changes again, and he's back in serious mode. "Look, I'm not saying you shouldn't push yourself. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't be taking your proper medication, and it doesn't mean you shouldn't stop if your chest starts to bother you. I'd prefer not to have any fatalities while I'm on staff here. A bit of a lofty goal, to be sure, but I'm always up for a challenge." The Nurse told Lenny. Lenny and even Hisao hate to admit it, but they think he's right. Lenny remembered to take his medication but it was clear it wasn't having much effect on him.
"You're right. I'm sorry to worry you." Lenny sighed. The Nurse looked at Lenny, he felt kind of bad for Lenny.
"Who's worried? You're a smart kid, right? I know you can be responsible, Lenny. A situation like yours, you've got to learn to be responsible fast. I'll just have to change your medicine up to make sure you're feeling better and not in pain."
"I know, I know." Lenny sighed while keeping his head down. The Nurse's expression suddenly becomes devious.
"I suppose you've started to enjoy your runs with Emi then, eh? Meiko said she was happy to see you for the first time and when we thought there was going to be an incident, she managed to hug you and return you back to normal. Maybe we need a different kind of medicine to help you." The Nurse explained to Lenny that these runs were helping somewhat but they and the medicine weren't enough. He needed something a little more potent.
"Yeah, they've really been helping me. I mean, until today I was feeling a lot more healthy. Plus it's really impressive to see Emi run. Did you see her at the track meet? She was incredible!" Lenny asked the Nurse that he should have been there during the track meet. The Nurse laughed, grinning all the while.
"That she was, Lenny. I watched her first couple of races before I had some business to take care of, but she told me all about it. Kind of you to lend her your sweater, by the way. Plus Meiko told me that she has taken interest in you." The Nurse told Lenny that Meiko was starting to take an interest in Lenny's well being.
"She has?" Hisao asked. "I've never heard another mother take interest in a newcomer. It'll be like my parents taking Hanako in."
"It's something we consider doing especially if a child is disconnected from their parents or neglected in some cases and in Lenny's case, his mother hadn't talked to him in months. Since his mother and Meiko work together. She's becoming worried about this and is taking interest in him." The Nurse explained to Hisao that adults were willing to lend a helping hand in times of hardship and with Lenny feeling more isolated. Meiko wanted to take care of him."And Lenny, Meiko said she was thankful for showing up to the track field."
"Huh? Oh yeah, it wasn't that big of a deal." Lenny told the Nurse but he was still referring to the fact that he gave Emi that sweater yesterday. He had honestly forgotten all about that. Lenny still hasn't gotten it back from Emi. The nurse gets a smile that makes Lenny and Hisao feel like he's just made a joke.
"Not to you, but Emi certainly appreciated it. And I know she appreciates your running with her in the mornings." The Nurse told Lenny that he appreciated the fact that he and Emi were spending more time running together which Emi seemed to love. This one catches Lenny off guard a little. Sure, she mentioned that it's easier to keep to a schedule with an extra person, but he didn't think that he was doing her a favor at all.
"I thought she was doing me the favor of helping me follow the doctor's orders." Lenny began with a rather perplexed statement. The Nurse stepped back a bit before he began to speak.
"She tries harder when you're around. If there's someone else running with her, she's going to push herself more. And she tries even harder when you're around because, well, it's you." The Nurse explained that Emi was going to try harder if she had company running with her, like a competition between runners.
"What the heck does that mean?" Lenny asked. He still didn't know what the Nurse was talking about. Competition between Runners was what he was going to guess but the Nurse had other things to say about it.
"Oh ho, you'd love to know, wouldn't you?" The Nurse would ask Lenny if he wanted to know more about Emi. He laughs in the style of evil megalomaniacs. "No seriously, it's because you're her friend. If Rin ran with her, I'm sure she'd do the same. Well, probably. But that's not the point. The point is, you're helping her, even if you don't know you are. And she's grateful for that, even if she never says it."
"What do you mean "even if she never says it?"" Lenny asked when he heard the Nurse's explanation when it came to something like this. The Nurse paused before he began to speak again.
"Emi doesn't talk a lot, but she and I have known each other long enough that I can read her most of the time." The Nurse explained to Lenny that Emi wasn't the most chatty when it came to her secrets. Lenny had to admit it. He has no idea what he's talking about. Emi always seems pretty talkative to him.
"I see." Lenny explained to the Nurse that with a chatty person like Emi, nothing was going to remain a secret for very long. The nurse suddenly realizes that he's been rambling and stops talking, looking a little embarrassed. He had to get back on track.
"Anyway, you don't have to stop your morning exercise. Just walk the track instead of running for a few days. Let things calm down. And take your damned medicine!" The Nurse would tell Lenny. Lenny didn't know if the Nurse was mocking him, threatening him or trying to make a laugh out of it. The Nurse laughed while he patted Lenny on the back. "I'm just teasing you, I'll make a call for your new medicine as the one you have isn't helping." Lenny laughs as he exits the office, bumping straight into Emi.
"Whoops, sorry about that." Lenny apologized to Emi realizing he had ran into her. Emi was more or less worried for Lenny.
"Are you okay? What did the nurse say? Do you need to go to a hospital? Omigosh, it was my fault, wasn't it? I've been pushing you too hard, haven't I? I'm a horrible person!" Emi squealed as she didn't know what the Nurse was going to say. She felt like she was going to rain down from her eyes. Lenny looked around as the words poured forth like a torrent. She's really agitated. Lenny didn't expect her to be this concerned about me, to be honest. Gotta calm her down... but how the hell does he do that? Lenny does the only thing he can think of, it helped him before when he was undergoing his own problems and maybe it'll help Emi. Lenny gave her a hug. Emi tenses up slightly, so he gently pat her head in what he hopes is a reassuring manner.
Katawa Shoujo- Lullaby of Open Eyes
"Hey, settle down! I'm fine, okay? No worries." Lenny told Emi that there was nothing to worry about at least with him. Lenny continued to hug Emi, feeling Emi's body relax as he continued to assure her he's fine. Her arms wrap around Lenny, as if she's trying to confirm that he was not about to fall over dead. Lenny catches a whiff of her hair. It smells like sweat, or how adrenaline should smell. It's the scent of activity. And a hint of strawberries. From her shampoo, he could suspect.
"The Nurse is getting me better medicine, that's all. Don't worry about it. It's not your fault." Lenny reassured Emi much like how the latter reassured the former. It was almost as if Lenny was paying her back when it came to his own fault and she was there for him.
"You're sure?" Emi asked Lenny if he was sure about this. Her voice is muffled, mostly because at the moment her face is pressed into his chest.
"Yeah, I'm sure. I just need to take it a little easy for the next few days." Lenny told Emi that he probably needed to slow down as his condition was going to limit what he was going to be able to do for the next few days until he was able to recover and run again. It suddenly occurs to Lenny how close the two of us are. It also occurs to Lenny how nice being this close feels. He can feel Emi's heartbeat calming down, and Lenny has to resist the urge to rest his chin on the top of her head.
"Thank goodness. You really had me worried there, Lenny." Emi told Lenny she had finally calmed down. Then the Nurse walked out, was Emi going to have her turn to get checked out.
"Emi, are you going to come in here any time? ...Oh, I'm sorry. Was I interrupting?" The Nurse asked for Emi when he turned to see her and Lenny hugging each other. The two of them spring apart as if the other just caught on fire. Emi brushes her hair back nervously and laughs.
Katawa Shoujo- Standing Tall
"'Course not! I'll uh... see you later, okay? Oh, and Lenny?" Emi asked if Lenny had any ideas of what was happening.
"Hmm?" Lenny asked.
"Take your damn medicine!" Emi teased Lenny about taking his medicine. "Or the new medicine the Nurse is ordering for you." This last phrase is punctuated by a punch to the shoulder.
"Yeah, yeah, I'll remember. See you later." Lenny told Emi that he was most likely going to have lunch. It turned out Lenny was going to be a few minutes late again as the Nurse's visit had burned into the lunch period. The nurse smiles again like he's in on some joke Lenny doesn't know about and waves to him as he heads for the roof, feeling a burning in his cheeks. Lenny needs a shower. A cold one, if the thoughts running through his head now are any indication. She was really soft. Lenny's new pills are waiting for him when they get to his room. Lenny had to swallow them without a second thought. He doesn't know why he didn't think of waiting until after the runs to take the metaphorical medicine. For some reason Lenny figured it was when he woke up or not at all. But no, they only need to be taken every twelve hours. The exact time of day doesn't factor into it. His thoughts drift back to the hug in the hallway. It's weird, you'd expect someone to smell foul after a run, but for some reason, Emi smelled... right. That tinge of sweat just seemed to fit her. Lenny really need that shower.
Lenny made his way to the rooftop as it was just him alone. Emi wasn't going to arrive until a few minutes after him. He found Rin laying in the gravel again. With Hanako this time.
"I can see the new perspective you are talking about… but what does this have to do with your computer game?" Hanako asked Rin if this was something she could figure out but the other thing made no sense to her.
"The steel beast going down the steel tracks, it's like a serpent going down a specific path as everything around it can't come off of it. It's like how we are in life Rin, we can't deviate from the path. No matter what twists and turns await us." Rin explained to Hanako that there were certain things they couldn't change otherwise it would count as leaving the path. For Lenny he was still curious about what Rin was saying.
"A serpent of many colors, a rainbow of colors I might say, I don't know what you might be talking about." Hanako told Rin that she didn't know what was going on in her friend's head.
Katawa Shoujo- Parity
"Hey, am I interrupting anything?" Lenny asked Rin and Hanako. Rin and Hanako looked at Lenny who was alone but there was no Hisao with him.
"Where's Hisao?" Hanako asked.
"Oh… I forgot about him." Lenny told Hanako. He lost track of Hisao. Maybe he was spending time with Emi if he could figure it out.
"Wasn't he going to be at the Nurse's office?" Hanako asked Lenny if he could recall Hisao being there.
"Yeah he's probably walking with Emi, I'm sure about that. Maybe they'll come with lunch." Hanako explained to Lenny.
"Yeah I'm sure." Lenny sighed. "So anything interesting between the two of you?" Lenny asked.
"Nothing much is happening but thanks for asking. I bet we can try to get a laurel branch." Rin sighed, still thinking about that Monday that she had encountered.
"A crown of Laurels huh? I don't see why not, but is there anything you would take for granted when it would come to stuff like this?" Lenny asked. Rin just smiled before holding her foot out.
"Laurels, not really. Games, yes. I wish I could be playing games if it wasn't for the fact that I'm spending some free time in the art room today. There is an art festival coming up for all the school's painters and I am needed." Rin explained that this was something she wasn't going to be really getting used to.
"Can I join you in the games?" Hanako asked. Rin looked at Hanako before sighing.
"If you want to, it's not my job to judge who joins and who doesn't." Rin told Hanako about it.
"I'll take your words into consideration." Hanako explained to Rin. Rin was about to speak when she was cut off by someone.
"We're here Rin!" Emi called out. She and Hisao had made it to the roof.
Katawa Shoujo- Standing Tall
"It seems that Emi's voice had grabbed everyone's attention whenever she spoke. Emi began passing out all the lunches to everyone. Lenny looked at Hanako and Rin before Hisao and Emi sat down.
"Is this going to be the norm?" Lenny asked if spending time on the roof was going to be the real way forward. Hisao turned his head away and began to think about it.
"Well it's not like we're sitting near Shizune and Misha, sometimes we don't want to listen to what they have to say and even if Misha can get excited every now and again, I feel like she hasn't really changed her mood all that much." Hisao explained. "Anyways Lenny, I heard what the Nurse told me about you. It was why I didn't come with you and I walked up with Emi instead."
"What did the Nurse say about me?" Lenny asked Hisao if he knew a thing or two about the conversation.
"So the nurse told me that the only way to reverse any chance for your heart to go haywire other than taking your medicine is to have someone around you. Did you have anyone around you in your old school?" Hisao explained before he asked about Lenny's previous school and what it was like.
"I… I don't know. I never really seemed to spend time with my classmates. Even if they tried to invite me just to hang out with them." Lenny explained to Hisao that he never really had the chance to spend time with any of his classmates. Hisao nodded, listening to what Lenny was saying.
"Oh… I think I understand, maybe you shouldn't be avoiding them whenever they ask to be with you. Maybe there will be someone who wishes to spend some time with you. I spent my time with Hanako and we learned a lot about each other." Hisao explained that there could be a chance that Lenny could have met someone that wanted to spend time with him and get to know him more. Lenny began to close his eyes and think. Who was it that wanted to spend time with him? A distant haunting memory made itself clear. Lenny, standing in the snowy field, staring down at his feet.
"Iwanako?" The voice was heard. Lenny shot his eyes open when he heard the name.
"Is there really someone?" Hisao asked Lenny.
"I… I don't know." Lenny tried to explain to Hisao that he knew nothing about what was happening. Hisao looked at Hanako before Hanako looked at Emi.
"Hanako?" Hisao asked.
"Yes Hisao?" Hanako asked back. Hisao began to think of what he was going to say but he couldn't come up with a proper phrase.
"Can you follow Lenny around and see what he's been up to? I don't think he's doing as well as I hoped."
"Anything for a friend." Hanako told Hisao. Hanako looked at Lenny. "Hey Lenny, would you mind if I follow you around for the rest of the day?" Hanako asked.
"I wouldn't mind so much. I mean… we're friends right?" Lenny asked.
"Of course I wouldn't think of you any less than that." Hanako replied to Lenny. She looked at Hisao who decided to give her a thumbs up. Things were going smoothly. Hisao then pulled out his watch and began to speak to them.
"Well will you look at that, I need to get going if we are to make it to the next class, hopefully we don't get held up by Misha wondering why we are on the roof." Hisao told them well they might as well get to class now or get spotted by Misha and Shizune.
"Oh that's right. I forgot about that." Rin explained. She got up and prepared to leave. Hanako looked at Lenny while the latter nervously looked at her.
"Shall we go see Lilly?" Hanako asked, and she gently took Lenny by his hand. The two of them were off together.
Lenny and Hanako made their way to their last class of the day. They were greeted by the warm smile of Lilly who was waiting around for them.
"Hey there Lenny, you seem to be fine today?" Lilly began.
Katawa Shoujo- Concord
"Yeah I got back from the Nurse, he told me to take it easy due to the fact that I told him about what happened yesterday with Emi's track meet." Lenny explained what happened to him that afternoon. Lilly lifted her hand to her face as she began to think about it.
"Well I'm glad you're okay and that's all that matters." Lilly told Lenny. Hanako looked at them.
"I think Lenny just needs hugs, someone who will stay by his side. I think the one I gave him is something he needs." Hanako told Lilly what Lenny needed if he was to continue trying to get through the day.
"Are you sure about that?" Lilly asked if Hanako knew what she suggested was the right decision.
"I'm sure Lilly. Don't know what else to do for him." Hanako replied. Lenny, Hanako and Lilly entered the classroom, they weren't sure about what they were going to do regarding the whole situation and for them, this wasn't something they planned on doing but Hanako thought Rin was inviting them over later.
The period would go by as Lenny felt like he was being watched by Shizune and Misha. Lenny still felt far away from everyone in the class like everyone was out of reach. Fortunately Rin was going to bring some relief to him. Lilly was heading for the library as she needed to speak to Hisao about something. This left Hanako to deal with Lenny whom they were both really nervous about. They entered the room to find Rin all alone, setting up a canvas that the art teacher had set up for her.
"Hey." Rin told them. Lenny and Hanako looked at Rin.
"So… what did you bring us over here for?" Lenny asked Hanako if there was a reason why she called them over and wanted to see them.
"Well… Lenny… remember that painting I wanted to give to you as a present? The Art Club had snatched it away from me and I was unable to give it. Kenji said he knew where you were and I sent Emi to fetch you and after that I took Lilly, Hisao and Hanako to my room until the storm had cleared. It turns out the Library has some kind of event going on and I decided to come here as I feel like I can have another moment to myself. Might as well make another painting and try sneaking it over to you." Rin explained that the first painting wasn't able to make it past the Art Club, especially with Shizune and Misha coming along and taking the painting for themselves.
"Now that is a bummer. I don't know if gifts are the best thing to do, I think hugs are more effective." Hanako commented. She smiled when she thought of Lenny and how much he would benefit if it was just going to be her and him.
"Well… uh…" Lenny began. He tried his best to explain to Hanako that he wanted to say something but he couldn't. He was thinking back to earlier today when he gave a hug to Emi when she realized she was a bad person. He wanted to say it but something was holding him back.
"I don't think Lenny is ready to say anything. He might be scared." Hanako added. Rin nodded with a shrug.
"Huh. I guess me and Emi went music shopping that weekend to find that one album that I have grown addicted to and well I managed to find it. Emi says I listen to it too much and by the looks of things, she might be correct. I enjoy it either way." Rin told them that she seemed to really enjoy stuff that had decided to relax her mind.
"What's the album or band that you listen to that Emi made you go out to purchase?" Lenny asked. "Sorry if I'm not into music, it's not my thing."
"What Lenny is saying is that he wants to know who made the album that you wanted to listen to." Hanako tried her best to explain to Rin who made the music she was listening to.
"I'll explain in a bit. Can one of you get the colors of the night time sky and who has their phone on them?" Rin asked. Lenny pulled out his phone but it turned out it was low on battery.
"I do but… I forgot to plug it in last night." Lenny explained to Rin.
"My phone is good." Hanako explained. Lenny went off to get the paint that Rin wanted. Eventually, he returned with the paint and some water so Rin could change the color without mixing.
"Thanks, you two." Rin told them as she had been thankful for this. Hanako nodded while Rin tried her best to work the phone with her feet while Lenny dabbed out paint for Rin to use.
"So what's the band that you say is your favorite?" Hanako asked Rin if she had any answers to what she considered liking.
"Nightwish, it's the best band in my opinion, like butterflies. I don't think butterflies can listen to music, can they? I wouldn't know how an insect could have ears." Rin tried her best to explain what her favorite band was, Hanako seemed curious but for Lenny, he was more or less confused about what Rin liked a lot.
"I don't think butterflies have ears." Lenny tried his best to explain to Rin if the insects did they most likely wouldn't hear it.
"I think I should take you out when me and Hisao have our weekends together. Only if the ads aren't getting in the way." Hanako told them. She tried her best to skip the ads but she looked like she was having trouble. Rin laughed at the joke as she began speaking again.
"Imaginaerum is the best album. I'm saying this as someone will be out there to disagree with me on this but what I say it will go and defend what I say." Rin explained. Hanako smiled as she knew that Rin was going to work her magic.
"Ad is coming to an end, get ready." Hanako explained to Rin that she better have her paintbrush ready for the canvas. Rin nodded before she dipped the paintbrush into the paint. Rin also closed her eyes as she began to paint around on the Canvas. Lenny felt like someone was trying to wind up a toy at first but it sounded like a calming music box. Rin began to speak to herself:
"This stage is the dearest of my children. Where moonlight moves through alleys. A bent twig, a summer in its care. White vast open sea. On the wings of a phantom moon. Comes to take me home." Rin began to sing to herself, painting the star night time sky with the vast black ocean in the foreground. The dark sand beach in the bottom as if this was her point of view. "In winterland a moment is an eternity. Creeps to me on kitten paws. I get to live here where the story begins. Where a violin echoes the eternal melody of immense longing. Waking up the earth with its song." Rin would tell herself while she was painting what seemed to be a dark colored cat sitting on the railing for the boardwalk and Lenny began to think. If Rin was like this could she have said something about Emi. He didn't want to speak to her. It was silent as the flute signaled what seemed to be the ending to what Hanako was playing on her phone. Lenny felt like he wanted to dip out and run.
"Where do you learn to sing like this? I didn't know you had an interest in music. I do karaoke on weekends if I have the chance but for you Rin, should we organize something this weekend?" Hanako asked Rin. Rin just shrugged like she didn't have any care in the world.
"Is there a reason I must ask why?" Rin asked. "And to answer your question, my attention is on computer games since its a distraction I tend to keep my mind busy. I think you saw what my room is like, Hanako."
"Yeah I saw, you were watching something that was like a computer game, I want to know what it is." Hanako tried to ask Rin about the game. Lenny on the other hand was ready to book it out of there. He didn't know what or who someone was going to do.
"Oh you mean Trainz? I play that A lot and it's my favorite game." Rin explained to Hanako.
"Oh man, I like that game. I think you said you showed me your sketchbook when you had the chance to ask me and… I won't be disappointed as I showed you my best sketches." Rin told Hanako about this. Hanako gave a smile almost as if she was connecting with someone.
"I think you and I have something we like." Hanako told Rin. Hanako's smile then began to deflate as one person was on her mind that entire time. "What about Lenny? Does he have a game he likes, does he want to play and hang out with us? What do you think we should do with him?" Hanako's words hung heavy in the air of the classroom. For a moment, she didn't exactly know where this conversation was going to take them.
"I don't know, asking him is all I can give." Rin told Hanako if she wanted to ask Lenny about this, she was going to be on her own. Hanako was stuck, should she leave Lenny be and miss on an opportunity to get to know him better or take the risk and try to talk to him. Hanako didn't know where she wanted to go on this. Then suddenly they were interrupted with a slam on the hallway as it was clear someone was running. They stared at the entrance of the room to see what it was or rather who. It was Kenji as he seemed to be a ragged mess of a person. He turned inside wondering if now was a good chance to hide but for him, he didn't have time. He spotted the crowd and ran off. It looked like Shizune and Misha were leading this charge as it felt like a stampede of rhinoceros came through. Well… with its elegance anyway. The dust had cleared as Emi and Hisao spotted the art room and headed inside.
"Man, my skirt is ruined. Why did Kenji have to do this? I thought we agreed to a study session?" Emi asked while she grumbled about it. Hisao looked at Emi trying to think of what he was going to say.
"Yeah I don't know why Kenji decided to call his group for a meeting of something like this." Hisao added. He turned to spot the three of them happily chatting away. "Hey I didn't know you three were hanging out together. Hanako must be making some friends?" Hisao asked. Lenny seemed to back away from the scene, scared enough to even run.
"I don't think Lenny seems to be comfortable around us." Hanako added. "It's like you said about me, it's best not to rush things especially if someone is hiding something."
"I know he must be hiding something, I don't want to back away if given the chance because that is how I ended up with you and maybe if I can press on, I can figure out what is wrong with Lenny. I know he's a nice person but he always wants to run from us." Hisao explained to Hanako that he wasn't going to give up. "It's going to be harder for him to open up but that is what's driving me forward, he can open up to us."
"Good luck." Hanako told Hisao. Hisao gave a nod as he was going to take the biggest step forward for the three of them. He was going to try his best to talk to Lenny.
"Hey Lenny, want to talk, just… you and I?" Hisao offered as he was going to figure out why his classmate was acting the way he was.
"Okay…?" Lenny replied. Hisao wasn't entirely sure what he wanted to talk about. Hanako looked at the group before she spotted the two of them walking out of the Art Room. Hanako decided to follow them.
"Lenny, the reason I brought you out here is because I wanted to talk to you. You sound like you're still not doing so well. Is there something you might be hiding?" Hisao asked Lenny if there was something he was hiding.
"No… nothing at all." Lenny told Hisao. Lenny sounded nervous as if Hisao was cornering him and was ready to capture him. Hisao stepped back a bit before he began to think. He sensed his friend was nervous but he wasn't ready to continue pushing onto him if it made Lenny more uncomfortable. Lenny on the other hand felt his heart start beating faster, Hanako walked over to speak to Hisao.
"Hisao?" Hanako began. Hisao turned to Hanako as she had something to say. "Maybe this is best if we bring it up with Mutou tomorrow as neither one of us has any idea of how to handle the situation.
"Oh right Hanako." Hisao told Hanako. Maybe it wasn't best to be cornering Lenny into a situation that didn't favor him. "So Lenny, if we try doing something with Hanako and I, want to come along? I think you might enjoy it and we can get to know what you like." Hisao offered to take Lenny out on a weekend if he was up for it. Lenny began to think about it, a weekend with Hisao and Hanako definitely did sound promising to him and a good idea.
"I'll definitely spend time with you. I just… don't think… I have been out often." Lenny sounded excited at first but he wasn't sure about what he was getting himself into.
"That's good to hear but if you're still nervous and don't have an idea on who to speak to. Just speak to us or Mutou okay and we'll figure everything out." Hisao told Lenny that if he needed help, they would help them. "Just take a shower okay and get your homework done, I'll talk to Mutou about this." Hisao explained to Lenny. Lenny didn't say anything. Hisao left but Hanako decided to stay behind for a moment. She walked over and placed a hand on Lenny.
"We're going to figure out what is wrong with you. We want you to not feel scared around us." Hanako told Lenny. She then gave him a quick hug. Lenny felt Hanako's arms welcome him. If he was allowed to do this to Emi, Hanako seemed to be in the right state to do this too. Lenny blushed at the notion of a girl hugging him. Now he needed to get back to his room.
"I promise I will stop feeling scared around you. Thank you Hanako." Lenny told Hanako. Lenny nodded before he left. Hanako wasn't so bad after all. He wanted to get used to his new life even if he felt scared in venturing into the unknown.
Lenny arrived back at his dorm and did the homework he was assigned. He then decided to clean himself up. Afterward he decided to pick up his book to read whatever time he had left and after a couple of chapters… he fell asleep.
Tomorrow was going to be a better day, Hisao had promised him.
[A/N]: This chapter felt…more tedious than the others. Maybe it's me not wanting to try to write but this turned out longer than I expected it to be. Hopefully I can do more to add onto Act 2 regarding the whole plot. Other than that, this story still slowly trudges onward. See you later.