Katawa Shoujo- Stride
The sound of Lenny's alarm brings him out of a dream involving whatever Emi was talking about yesterday and some other stuff he can't really remember. Lenny felt a little bleary-eyed, and it feels like it takes him longer than usual to get dressed and down to class that morning. Hanako and Hisao checking up on Lenny to see how he slept yesterday was a start. Plus a new day, new medicine. Lenny was going to have to go visit the School Nurse to give the old medication to. Morning seemed to go on as normal, Hanako and Hisao spending time with him and the classes getting ready for their finals. Lenny was feeling the pressure but he was holding out rather well despite this. As the fifth period came, Lenny changed into the track uniform and headed down to the track to greet Emi and go for a run with her. Strangely Lenny thought that Emi was usually here at this time but she wasn't there. A glance at the heart monitor reveals it was stable. He wished he had a watch that reveals what the time was and if he was right, and Lenny was in fact running a little late. The thing is…
"There's no Emi. That's odd. She should be here. She definitely should be here. I mean, I was late. I guess I wasn't the only one who had trouble getting up this morning. The thought crosses my mind that it never quite stopped raining yesterday. Did she go running anyway?" Lenny told himself. He didn't know what Emi was doing all of this time. Was he really going to be alone on the field today? It seems likely. Emi's a lot of things, but cautious isn't one of them. She probably figured the rain wouldn't stop, and that's why she was so adamant about running alone. Still, Lenny would have gladly run with her, even if it was in the rain. Heck, if anything, he would have been able to convince her to come in once it got really bad. That would be why she didn't want him along, of course.
Even so, Lenny can't help wanting to know where she is. ...Well, nothing for it. He'd better stretch and run, and hope that Emi shows up with a grin and an excuse. Lenny ran around the track, greeted by Miki who seemed to help take on as Emi's substitute for the day. Lenny on the other hand didn't say a word to Miki even though Miki wanted to talk to him so badly. On his cool down lap, Lenny was forced to admit that Emi isn't showing up. Furthermore, He has no idea where she is. Anxiety gnawed at him while at the same time he was beginning to wonder just why he's so worried over her. The run helped to take his mind off it for a little while, but now that Lenny is finished he's back to worrying.
"You should go speak to the nurse, he knows Emi better than anyone else." Miki told Lenny if he was still worrying for Emi, he can speak to her friend.
"Thanks Miki." Lenny finally told her. Miki nodded with a grin.
"You're welcome and please talk to me if you have anything you want to say." Miki told Lenny. The latter nodded as he was out of sight and walking to the Nurse's office. It was weird not having her here. Downright unnerving. It suddenly dawns on him that I've been running to hang out with Emi as much as he has been running to stay healthy - probably more to be with Emi, now that Lenny came to think of it. It's one of those things that are completely obvious yet somehow, he never realized it. She really is someone Lenny really enjoys being with. As revelations go, it's hardly world-shaking. All the same, he found himself feeling slightly shocked. When did this happen? Well, no time to think about this - though he wants to ponder this new development, Lenny has a greater desire to find out what's happened to Emi. He'll take Miki's advice and ask the nurse when he stops in to see him.
Lenny eventually made his way to the Nurse's office before he knocked on the door. The door opened with the School Nurse letting him inside. Lenny sat down for the nurse to inspect him. The Nurse felt all over Lenny to make sure he wasn't pushing himself too hard.
Katawa Shoujo- Ah Eh I Oh You
"Well, you seem to be in good shape, Lenny." The Nurse explained to Lenny as he finished reading out his vials. "I'm more than glad to hear your heart is doing better."
"That's good to hear." Lenny sighed. "Also I wanted to give my old medication to you." Lenny told the Nurse while he handed him the medicine he received from the hospital. The Nurse begins to look it over while Lenny replaces his shirt and stands to leave, as usual. Except instead of leaving, Lenny needed to ask a question. "Hey, where's Emi? She didn't show up this morning. Is she okay?" Lenny asked while he tried valiantly to conceal the anxiety in his voice, the nurse's expression suggests that he had failed miserably. The Nurse was moreover reading the medicine.
"Hospital medication is weaker than what you are on currently. Hisao says you're lucky to only be taking one pill a day for your heart condition." The Nurse paused before putting the bottle down. He then turned to Lenny and decided to answer his question. "You mean she didn't tell you? She's sick in bed."
"What? Sick?" Lenny asked nervously. He was frantic when he heard that Emi was sick. Must've been running in the rain. The nurse shrugs.
"Yeah, she came to my office early this morning with a fever. To be honest I'm surprised she made it here. She was burning up when she arrived. I believe she'd planned to let you know, but she asked me to tell you - oh shoot!" The Nurse tried his best to explain to Lenny that Emi was sick and she wasn't going to be there. He changed direction unexpectedly as he remembered something. The nurse gives Lenny a sheepish smile that seems at least partially sincere. "I told her I'd stop by the track to let you know in case she forgot to. Sorry about that. But we don't need to tell Emi I forgot, right?" Lenny decided to return the nurse's smile with a devious one of his own."
"Oh, of course not. This is fine blackmail material. I'll save it for whenever I need a favor from you." Lenny teased the Nurse if he was going to need it. The nurse laughs.
"Well, I guess I deserve that. But you know, I've got tons of blackmail on you that you're not even aware of. So don't push your luck, okay?" The Nurse expressed to Lenny what if push came to shove, he needed to keep going and not try anything funny. Lenny's expression earns another laugh from the nurse. "I'm just kidding, Lenny. But seriously - don't tell Emi I forgot, okay?"
"Your secret is safe with me." Lenny told the Nurse as he finished changing. The Nurse gave him another flash of a smile.
"Oh good. Now go on, get out of here." The Nurse playfully shooed Lenny away. Lenny got up and left, leaving the Nurse to begin reading over Lenny's old medicine. Lenny paused as he needed to ask the Nurse something.
"Wait, I've got one more question." Lenny began.
"Shoot." The Nurse told Lenny as he gave permission to answer the question.
"Is she going to be okay?" Lenny asked the Nurse if Emi was going to be fine with the fever she had. The Nurse began to ponder for a moment while jotting down some notes on a clipboard. Must've been the medicine Lenny had been taking and what it was being replaced with.
"Oh yeah, definitely. Her fever was high, but it was already starting to go down by the time she came by my office. I'll probably check up on her again at lunch to be sure, but I expect she'll be up and about by the evening no matter what I tell her." The Nurse told Lenny that if he needed to visit Emi, he better do it either now or after class.
"Hmm, maybe I should visit her after class." Lenny told the Nurse. It was probably the wiser decision. It takes Lenny a second to realize he had spoken aloud. The nurse raises an eyebrow and gives him a searching glance for a moment.
"Hmm... Well, it might not be a bad idea. You could let me know if she'd taken a turn for the worse, I guess. But no funny business, you got it? I know what meds you're on, after all." The Nurse explained to Lenny if he was to check her out and see how she was doing, he needed to be careful if he wasn't to get an earful from the Nurse. Lenny began to think that's a threat against his life, but he was not sure. Either way, he assures the nurse that his intentions are chaste and exits the office. Interesting that the nurse sees Lenny as some sort of potential suitor to Emi. Even more interesting is how pleased that makes him feel. Lenny knew he needed a shower.
The lunch bell rings, and Lenny finds himself disinclined to make his way up to the roof. After all, he's betting Rin knows where Emi is, and if that's the case then Lenny begins to doubt she'd bother going up there. More to the point, he doubts they have any sort of scintillating conversation if she did. Chances are she'd prefer to be alone up there anyway, so he doesn't accidentally ruin her train of thought or something. Unfortunately, Lenny doesn't really feel like heading to the cafeteria either. Guess he'll go to the library instead. He needed a new book to read anyway, having finished my other one yesterday before bed and telling Yuuko thank you for yesterday. Maybe he can find more by the same author.
Katawa Shoujo- Fripperies
Lenny had to admit that he loved libraries. They smell like dust and paper and ink. All these stories and facts and opinions crowded together in one place makes the air come alive with potential. Lenny was still not sure how to navigate Yamaku's library yet, having mostly stuck to books I brought with me, so I searched for the librarian to ask for help. ... Hmm. I suppose she's not arou—
"...can't believe it." Yuuko told herself in disbelief. Lenny was looking down the aisle to find Yuuko, looking rather distracted, suddenly emerging from one of the aisles.
"Er, excuse me." Lenny asked Yuuko if she needed something. Yuuko looked at Lenny, wondering what this kid needed.
"Oh, can I help you?" Yuuko asked Lenny if there was something that he needed. Lenny began to think about it for a moment.
"Actually, I was looking for a book..." Lenny explained to Yuuko what exactly he needed. Yuuko began to think about it as she wondered what kind of book he needed. She was looking for one of her own.
"So am I! "Advanced Cryptography." We just got it in, and now it's gone missing. I really, really wanted to read that one!" Yuuko explained what book she was looking for and it happened to be one about cryptography. Lenny began to think, where did he see that book before?
"Cryptography?" Lenny asked. He was still trying to remember where he heard about that book before. Was it Hisao's dorm mate that had the book on him?
"Yeah, my... er, that is... This guy I knew. Know. Um. Not sure how to describe it..." Yuuko tried her best to explain to Lenny about the book. Lenny seemed to be interested when it came to it yet he couldn't figure out how to put a finger on it.
"Skip to the end." Lenny told Yuuko to get to the end and he could begin to think about who it might be.
"He got me interested in cryptography only now the book's gone, and I think it's been stolen!" Yuuko explained to Lenny about what happened and now with the book gone. She needed to figure out who had been taking all of the books.
"Sounds pretty terrible." Lenny told Yuuko that must've been pretty bad, believe it or not.
"Yeah, especially because now I have to search the whole library for it! Even though it's probably not even here!" Yuuko explained her dismay as she didn't want to go tearing through the library to find the missing books.
"You seem... busy." Lenny told Yuuko, he wanted to see what her reaction was going to be.
"A little." Yuuko sheepishly replied. She dashes off down another aisle, and Lrnny has to resign himself to finding his own damn book. Hmm, plenty of choices. Oh come on, how did he get lost? These aren't even printed books! They're all in Braille. I guess that makes sense in a school like this, but honestly, it's a little annoying. Lilly was nearby searching for a few books of her own.
"I'm sorry, is someone there?" Lilly called out to see who was in this aisle. A lilting voice drifted out from behind one of the cubicles set up for research. As Lenny cautiously approaches, He sees that Lilly's been reading a book while he had been stomping about the aisles.
"Oh no, I should be apologizing. I didn't mean to make so much noise." Lenny tried his best to explain to Lilly that he had been making a lot of noise and disturbed her by mistake.
"My, is that you Lenny? I've not heard from you in quite some time. I was beginning to think you'd forgotten all about me." Lilly began while she placed a bookmark into her book.
"Er, sorry." Lenny apologized to Lilly for disturbing her peace. Lilly laughs in that refined manner of hers and shakes her head.
Katawa Shoujo- Concord
"I'm only teasing you, Lenny. From what I hear, you've been busy. Morning runs with Emi Ibarazaki and lunch on the rooftop, if I'm not mistaken." Lilly began. "Plus these lunches with Hanako and Hisao I might add. Sorry for being by myself as I am taking the time with Yuuko."
"Heh, yeah. Guess word gets around pretty quickly." Lenny told Lilly that he figured out this would come eventually, he must've been a bit late.
"That and I can't coax poor Hanako on the roof any more. You five are always up there, claiming the spot for yourselves." Lilly adds the teasing on. "I wouldn't mind joining you on the roof once I finish cleaning up the mess for Yuuko." She chides Lenny gently, though it's pretty clear she's just teasing him again. Still, Lenny felt an odd need to apologize.
"Sorry, we could eat lunch somewhere else if it's a real problem… Wait, you said you can join us on the roof?" Lenny apologized before figuring out what Lilly had said.
"Of course, I would like to check on you and Hanako. Especially since she's making friends." Lilly began with the fact that she wanted to check up on them. She paused before remembering something. "Oh no, I wouldn't worry about it. Hanako and I have other things to do at lunch, too. Such as reading in the library, as you can see."
"Oh, Hanako's here too? I didn't see her." Lenny told Lilly that Hanako must've been here somewhere. Lilly smiles, a bit enigmatically.
"Oh, she's around somewhere. But I'm surprised, Lenny. You're in here, instead of up there. What brings you to the library?" Lilly asked Lenny what odd thing had brought him down here.
"Well, Emi's ill, so there's no lunch on the rooftop to keep me occupied..." Lenny explained how Emi was sick and therefore everyone had split up to deal with lunch. Lilly raises an eyebrow at his statement before giving another chuckle.
"My, poor Rin must feel left out." Lilly calmly explained to Lenny that Rin must've not found anyone if she was going to have company.
"It's not like that!" Lenny did his best to throw Lilly off. Lilly calmly and politely continued to speak.
"Ah, but I'm sure it isn't. Emi tends to be the life of whatever group she's in. It's a shame to hear she's fallen ill. Will she be okay?" Lilly explained before asking Lenny about Emi's condition. Somehow Lenny had to get the feeling that Lilly's just inquiring out of politeness, but he had to respond anyway.
"The nurse thinks so. I'm going to swing by and see how she's doing after school myself." Lenny expressed to Lilly what his plan was going to be if he was going to deal with a sick Emi. Another raised eyebrow from Lilly herself.
"My, what a noble gentleman you are, Lenny." Lilly complimented as her soothing voice must've been melting Lenny.
"It's nothing, really. Just checking up on my friend, after all." Lenny explained to Lilly that this wasn't much and he was just checking up on a friend.
"Ah, so it's just friends, is it? How disappointing." Lilly amusingly explained to Lenny as if she was being a bit playful with him. Lenny nervously blushes, glad that Lilly can't see it. But somehow she knows that he has been flustered by her comment anyway, and laughs.
"I'm sorry, Lenny. I'm teasing you again. Please do tell Emi that I hope she feels better, won't you?" Emi apologized before asking if she could give Emi the message about feeling better. A glance at his heart monitor reveals that Lenny could be very nearly out of time to find a book.
"Of course. Hey, I've got to find a book before lunch is over, so I'd better get moving. See you later." Lenny told Lilly that he couldn't stand around all day and chat. That was probably not the best phrase to use. Lilly, however, takes his gaffe in stride.
"Until we meet again, Lenny." Lilly told Lenny that until they see each other again, they were going to be spending time finding the book. Lilly went back to reading while Lenny began to look for what he was looking for. Lilly did say that Hanako was in here and most likely reading. Lenny on the other hand was looking for what he needed but he didn't realize he was going to crash into someone. Out of the corner. The two people bumped into each other. Lenny fell down and landed as if he was sitting. He closed his eyes for a moment as if this feeling was blinding over him. He opened his eyes to see that Hanako was the person who bumped into him.
Katawa Shoujo- Painful History
"Lenny, are you okay?" Hanako asked. Lenny didn't respond but he felt some kind of pain in his chest. Hanako seemed to panic a bit. "Oh no. I didn't mean to hurt you." Hanako explained to Lenny. Lenny was trying his best to not have his heart explode. Not now. Lenny tried his best to make sure his heart was able to calm down and be able to relax. Hanako meanwhile went over and decided to hug him. "Please don't pass out. I don't want someone to get hurt and it would be my fault." Hanako told Lenny. Eventually, Lenny's heart finally began to calm down after a minute but to Lenny, it felt like an eternity.
"Yeah I guess I should be more careful." Lenny admitted. Hanako helped Lenny to his feet while she wanted to see what Lenny wanted from her.
"Good. I nearly panicked when I thought you were hurt." Hanako explained to Lenny.
"It's fine Hanako. I am grateful. What brings you here?" Lenny asked Hanako if there was a reason why she came to the library in particular.
"Oh I had to return a few books and I ended up getting roped into what Yuuko needed as she needed someone to help find a bunch of missing books. That is what I have been doing for some time now." Hanako explained to Lenny. Lenny figured out what was going on. He wanted to help but his thoughts were shut out by a painful thump in his chest. Hanako placed a hand on Lenny to help keep him stable.
"How were the books you borrowed from Yuuko last week? Have those been returned?" Lenny asked Hanako about the books she had borrowed. Did she read them?
"Yeah they were pretty good. I am just as curious as you are. Maybe I can go to battle school in Space." Hanako expressed how she was doing but she mainly came here to return a few books and chatting with him should be fine. Lenny began to think about what Hanako had said, it was clear she read them. "Also I just returned them to Yuuko and she has yet to put them back, which book were you looking for?"
"The third one in the series, I managed to complete the first two and now I want to read more, where can I find it?" Lenny asked where he could find the third book to read. Hanako gave a careful thought before she began to explain. "It's at the front desk, I believe Yuuko hadn't put it back."
"Let's go, I think I got a few minutes." Lenny told Hanako that was where they were going to go next. The two of them made their way to the front desk where Yuuko was as she stood there relatively exhausted.
"Found it?" Lenny asked Yuuko if she was able to find the books she was looking for. Yuuko sighed before she dropped her hands.
"Nope, not able to. Have you decided to find what book you needed?" Yuuko asked Lenny if he found what he was searching for.
"I was going to ask if you had it? You said you returned it earlier today?" Hanako asked Yuuko if she still had the book she returned to her. Yuuko began to think about it for a moment before remembering something.
"Yes I do actually." Yuuko told Hanako. She pulled out the book she had laying around before handing it to Lenny. Lenny carefully took it and placed it into his bag.
"Thanks Yuuko. I have to get going now. I do hope you find those books." Lenny told Yuuko as Lilly came to them to escort them to their last class.
"Take care." Yuuko told them Yuuko handed Lenny the slip of when she wanted the book back. Lenny took it and placed it in the book itself. She forgot to sign the card for the return date. Oh well.
Lenny did find the book he was looking for, but he walked out with something else in addition. His heart is still hurting slightly, letting him know that he should have had something instead. Oh well. Lenny thinks that a nice nap would be good when he visits Emi later.
Katawa Shoujo- School Days
It seems as if time has decided to slow down for the express purpose of annoying the hell out of Lenny. English Class feels like it drags on for ages. Lenny began to suspect that his being consumed with worry probably has something to do with it. Blessedly the bell rings and Lenny quickly dashes out of class, drawing a few raised eyebrows mostly from Shizune and Misha, Lenny had to be sure. He had to have done nothing but spent the majority of the day fretting as unobtrusively as he could. Even though the nurse thinks that Emi is perfectly okay, he wants to see for himself.
It doesn't take long to get to the girls' dormitory and make my way to Emi's room. Standing outside her door, Lenny suddenly paused. What if she's resting? He would really hate to wake her up, especially if she's still feeling ill. Then again, if she sleeps all day then it could throw off her sleeping schedule. But rest is important if you're ill, isn't it? Lenny tried to think, he couldn't decide what to do, so he had to settle for standing outside the door looking like an idiot. Then Lenny could hear something coming from Emi's room, it was Emi's voice from behind the door.
"Thanks for your concern, but I really am okay." Emi was talking to whoever was on the phone. Lenny could hear it, it certainly sounded like the Emi he truly knew.
"Is she talking to me?" Lenny asked himself. It couldn't be, there was no way that Emi was talking to him from the wall.
"I'll see you at practice tomorrow!" Emi told whoever was on the phone that she was going to see them at practice the next day. Lenny could feel his heart race. Not again. He felt his heart calm down after a moment. Guess not. Still, clearly she's not asleep, so Lenny can knock without worry. So why this clenched feeling in his gut? Lenny wasn't nervous about dropping by the other day, so why today? Granted, he still hasn't really had time to figure out this newfound interest in Emi's well-being. Lenny doesn't have a lot of experience in the matter, of course, but certainly this seems to go beyond feelings of mere friendship. But could I take that step? Could he even bring himself to risk what he has right now? Lenny thought that this could mean it's enough to be friends with her, isn't it? Either way, shouldn't Lenny just open the door and see how she's doing? That's why he came here... right? What if she's not dressed yet? The image that flashes through my mind causes Lenny's heart to skip a beat, literally, it didn't feel really good. Lenny should probably not ever think those thoughts again. Not if he wanted to avoid a heart attack. Lenny suddenly realizes he's still standing in the hallway looking like an idiot. Emi still seems to be in the middle of a conversation, but taking the risk, Lenny knocks anyway. Hopefully she won't mind the interruption.
"You worry too mu— Come in! The door's unlocked." Emi told whoever was at the door that they could come in if they were going to pay her a visit. The door slowly creaked open as Lenny nervously stepped inside. He was still very anxious about the visit and didn't know too much about Emi. Lenny's mind came to a screeching halt when he spotted Emi.
Katawa Shoujo- Lullaby of Open Eyes
Emi is sitting up in bed, her hair tousled from a day spent asleep. Lenny had to think this is the first time he's seen her without those familiar beads in her hair. Emi's hair down in the mess seemed oddly adorable to Lenny. Her gym shirt and bloomers, obviously hastily pulled on before he came in, are creased and folded from less than proper storage. Lenny struggled to speak about what he wanted to say, feeling his heart beat faster. Her legs lay bare on the sheets. He's never seen Emi without prosthetics before. Yet here she is, slender legs terminating in stumps just below her knees. But as odd as the sight is, Lenny could find himself more captivated by everything north of the waist.
It seems that Emi had finished her conversation with whoever was on the phone with her, and is now watching my reaction closely out of her one open eye as she wipes sleep from the other. Her expression, far from being embarrassed, is rather one of a surprisingly wide yawn. One perhaps appropriate from such a small mouth. A grin that for a brief moment seems almost flirtatious tugs at the corner of her mouth as she takes the sight of me in. Lenny can do nothing but remain in a state fluctuating between fear, confusion, and not a little bit of anxiety. Emi hastily sweeps her hair out of her eyes, fixing it back into place before addressing Lenny.
"You seem a bit caught off guard, Lenny." Emi began. Lenny stood there as a wave of laughter erupts from her, and Lenny quickly found himself grinning and rubbing the back of his head ruefully.
"Sorry, I've just..." Lenny began, he was trying his best to figure out what to say. Never seen someone so disheveled look so attractive. Never seen you without your legs on. Never seen you look so… "Um, sorry." Lenny came to no conclusion as if he felt his heart monitor read the statistics faster as the seconds ticked by. Emi giggles again and moves to sit up a little straighter. Lenny had been caught up in the movements of her shirt, very nearly losing himself.
"I was wondering what your reaction would be. The nurse called and told me you were going to drop by, you see. And I know you haven't seen me... well, you know. Without legs." Emi explained to Lenny what had happened. This still didn't change the situation with his heart. Bumping into Hanako earlier today was bad enough, he didn't really need this on top of that. Lenny had to respond in a tone of casual surprise.
"Oh, you don't have them on? I didn't notice." Lenny nervously explained to Emi that he didn't know what their reactions were going to be. This is almost the truth. Lenny very nearly didn't. He was not trying to be suave or anything, mind you. Somehow He began to think Emi would get offended by that. Instead, she sticks her tongue out at me and chucks a pillow at Lenny's head. The pillow smacked against Lenny's forehead, nearly knocking the wind out of him.
Katawa Shoujo- Hokabi
"Ass." Emi told Lenny that was something she was more or less used to saying. Lenny recovered and picked up the pillow, if this ship was going to engage him and take his prize as her own. He had to fire the cannons back. Lenny took careful aim before throwing. Emi laughs and rolls to one side, dodging his shot, the shifting of her shirt distracting me enough so that the next thrown pillow hits Lenny right between the eyes.
"Oof!" Lenny told himself as he had nearly fell over. Emi seemed to be good with aiming the cannons. He had to retaliate, of course. And once he retaliated twice, well, a war was bound to break out now. And really, when Emi appears to have far better aim than me, well... It was just a matter of time before Lenny had to resort to a suicidal charge. Emi flung all the pillows at Lenny, trying to get him to slow down. Lenny then jumped onto the bed only to get smacked with a pillow by Emi, it must've hurt. What were in the pillows? It felt like he had run into someone. "Gotcha!" Lenny told Emi despite his chest hurting a lot.
"Eep!" Emi squealed. Lenny was now on top of her but he paused. He didn't know what to do but then it hit him. Emi smacked him with another pillow, nearly knocking him over. The charge was accomplished, well, of course Lenny's next job was to wrestle the pillows away from her. And with that kind of struggle, of course they wind up in this sort of position. Lenny felt like his heart was going to explode.
Katawa Shoujo- Aria de l'Etoile
Lenny found himself staring down at her from his position atop her. She's grinning, eyes sparkling with amusement, maybe a little sweaty now from the tussle. Her chest is heaving up and down, sucking in air. Lenny on the other hand felt like another heart attack was going to come in, Emi managed to smack him in the chest a couple of times and it didn't do much to help. Lenny placed a hand on his chest though the small bit of his brain that is not currently enraptured by the sight and the smell of her observes that she must still be ill, because her stamina's not what it should be. Lenny had to stay that way for a while. He was not sure how long, because everything seemed to go fuzzy but his heart showed no sign of slowing down. Everything that isn't her, anyway. Her eyes meet his, and deep inside them Lenny could almost catch a glimpse of... what, fear? Longing? Hope? Emi paused as she quickly picked up on Lenny's condition.
"Lay down Lenny, you… you don't look so good. I'm sorry for hitting you." Emi apologized when she realized that he might be having some trouble. Lenny laid down… on top of Emi. Emi smiled and nearly blushed.
"Emi...?" Lenny began. Emi looked up before Lenny continued to speak. "Apology accepted." A cough suddenly convulses her, and Lenny almost stumbles in a haste to get off, to apologize for everything.
Katawa Shoujo- Standing Tall
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have..." Lenny began. Emi smiled as Lenny was having trouble picking himself up.
"It's fine, it's fine." Emi told Lenny. She gives him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "So... what brings you here?" She's still breathing hard, and that causes her voice to shake slightly.
"Well, before I was so rudely assaulted by pillows, I came to see how you were doing." Lenny began. He could still feel his chest was in pain and he needed to lay down completely. This earns Lenny another shove, and he very nearly falls off her bed, not a good sign. Emi's eyes sparkled again, and Lenny began to wonder how he never noticed how attractive they were before.
"Consumed with worry, were you?" Emi told Lenny. Lenny then laid on the bed, it wasn't with pillows as most of them had been thrown at him and he had to wrestle them away from Emi. Her tone is mocking, haughty. Teasing. She throws her arm across her forehead dramatically, a grin still apparent from underneath. "Couldn't bear the thought of me laying deathly ill?" As they both recover from the brief wrestling match, Emi appears to fall back on teasing Lenny.
"Well, I wouldn't say consumed with worry, but after you didn't show up this morning like a total wuss..." Lenny tried his best to explain, his heart was having none of it and wasn't calming down. Emi pouts, crossing her arms petulantly and sticking her lower lip out.
"It's not my fault. Nurse wouldn't allow it." Emi explained why she wasn't able to run that morning. She decided to grab a couple of her pillows and bring them to the spot where she usually slept.
"Sure he wouldn't. I completely believe you." Lenny told Emi. He felt his head hit the pillow almost if some form of relaxation had drifted over them. Emi sticks her tongue out again.
"You're such a jerk, Lenny." Emi playfully teased him. Lenny began to calm down a bit now that he was resting.
"So how was your day then, eh? Did you enjoy slacking off?" Lenny asked Emi if this was something she wanted. Emi began to speak.
"Not really, the phone woke me up pretty early on." Emi explained to Lenny.
"The phone?" Lenny asked if that was going to be the case.
"Yeah, the captain of the team called to make sure I was doing okay. Also to let me know it was okay to skip practice." Emi explained to Lenny who was calling her. Lenny recognized the Track Captain though he didn't have a name he knew. At least Emi wasn't alone all day. Someone checked up on her. Although Lenny can't help but think that it should have been him.
"Oh, that's good. He really keeps an eye on you, huh?" Lenny asked if this was going to be the case. Emi nodded yes as if her smile wasn't going to face. Emi also shrugs.
"It's his job. Part of being the captain means you know where your team members are when they're not in school. Still, I guess it was nice of him to call, huh?" Emi explained to Lenny that the captain should always take care of the teammates like he takes care of the ship.
"Yep. Sure was." Lenny sighed. Emi yawns and shimmies down into a more comfortable position.
"So how was your day?" Emi asked.
"Kind of uneventful, you know? I went ahead and ran by myself, and talked with the nurse about how you were doing..." Lenny explained to Emi. Lenny then meandered through the day's events, none of which were particularly engrossing. That's when he was distracted by an arm finding its way across his waist. It seems that Emi was starting to fall asleep while Lenny was talking so he decided to draw her blanket to cover them. She's rolled over onto her side, and now one leg is thrown over his legs, effectively trapping Lenny.
Katawa Shoujo- Comfort
"Hey." Lenny asked.
"Yeah?" Emi asked.
"I must've been tired." Lenny began. The best way to calm his heart down was with taking a nap. This was what happened when he first came to Emi's dorm, he had fallen asleep.
"Sleep." Emi told Lenny with a yawn. Lenny nodded before closing his eyes and falling asleep.
It seems a shame to wake her, but Lenny has things to do eventually. Emi surely felt like a warm heating pad as most of her body was snuggled up on Lenny. Lenny couldn't recall feeling warmth like this in a long time. Emi only tightens her arm's grip on Lenny and sighs a little. Lenny's resistance to this position crumbles rather quickly. The feeling of her body breathing steadily is both calming and incredibly stimulating at the same time. Lenny's breathing cannot decide if it wants to relax or speed up. Relaxation wins, and he finds Emi snuggling up more and more on Lenny.
"I think I'm in love." Emi muttered. The words slip out and hang in the air unnoticed. At least Emi hopes they've gone unnoticed. Emi whimpers weakly through her dream, and her grip suddenly tightens again. For the first time since he had known her, he felt tears running down Emi's face and landing on him. It feels like Lenny's heart is about to truly break. She instinctively tightens her grip and strokes his hair in what Lenny hopes is a soothing manner. Words of comfort, meaningless in this situation, spring to mind. Maybe Lenny should wake himself and her. Are you supposed to wake people having nightmares? Lenny can't for the life of him remember. The decision is taken from him as Emi suddenly jerks awake with a cry. "Dad!" Emi cried. Lenny felt the jolt of her cry, his heart began to race uncomfortably as if he'd been struck with the same dream Emi must've been having. Emi saw the heart monitor flashing very quickly, could her cry have triggered Lenny's heart condition. Emi began to stroke Lenny's hair, fearing for the worst. "Come on heart, calm down. Please don't hurt Lenny." Eventually her tactics worked as Lenny began to calm down once more. Emi stayed like this, hugging Lenny as if he was her pillow and fell back asleep.
They had fallen asleep for a few hours now. This is... more than Lenny thinks he wanted to hear without her knowing. Lenny woke up and quickly sat upright and gently shook her shoulder to stir her. Emi's eyes opened as if she was tired too.
"Hey, you okay?" Lenny asked Emi. Emi looked at Lenny when in reality, it should've been her asking this question and now the boy. What a silly question.
"Huh? What? Lenny?" Emi asked as she still felt tired. She shakes her head as if to clear it and quickly wipes her eyes.
"You had a nightmare. I think." Lenny tried his best to explain to Emi. Emi shudders again and glances up at me a little cautiously, as if unsure whether or not she's actually up.
"Y-yeah, I guess so." Emi sighed, feeling a little down about it. She was more or less scared for Lenny.
"It got to me too. You wanna talk about it?" Lenny offered Emi if she was up to chat about this. Emi looked down, trying to figure out an answer to his question.
"Hmm?" Emi asked as if she wasn't sure about it. A speedy internal debate seems to be going on in her head, which resolves itself with a shrug. "Nah, I don't really remember much of it." Emi told Lenny that she had nothing. Lenny was pretty sure she's lying to me, but somehow he didn't think he should press the issue. Emi shudders again and turns toward Lenny, looking a little sheepish. "Sorry for falling asleep on you like that." Emi apologized for sleeping on Lenny had to keep my voice as soothing as he could.
"Hey, don't worry about it. You've been ill. I think it worked out for both of us." Lenny explained to Emi how them falling asleep on each other worked out in the end.
"Yeah, I guess that cold medicine just made me a little drowsy." Emi explained to Lenny. She was trying her best to put a smile on it but she didn't know if it should be her sincere self.
"I guess so." Lenny sighed. Emi does not strike him as the sort of person who'd fall asleep at the drop of a hat. Rin, maybe. But Emi's far too energetic. Emi gives a half-smile at his response, and then just like that she's back to her old self.
"Well, prepare yourself for tomorrow morning, Lenny! We'll have to go twice as hard to make up for today!" Emi announced, two miles of running. Lenny could still only handle a mile of running.
"But I went running this morning!" Lenny playfully protested. Emi glared at Lenny but it was more or less her usual self.
"No excuse!" Emi told Lenny that she didn't want to hear that.
"Oh fine, I'll be ready for you!" Lenny shrugged, he easily gave into what Emi wanted. Emi nods, satisfied.
"Good." Emi playfully replied with a smile. Lenny decided to take this as his cue to exit.
"Well, I'd better get going. Especially if I want to get enough sleep for tomorrow." Lenny explained to Emi. He definitely needed to do his homework and he couldn't spend all day hanging out with Emi. Lenny hops off the bed and heads for the door. Emi watched as her friend exited the room but something else was on her mind.
"Hey, Lenny..." Emi asked Lenny if she needed something from him.
"Hmm?" Lenny asked. Emi began to think about what she was going to say if it meant speaking what she truly wanted. Lenny pivots neatly on his heel and faces Emi. She opens her mouth to say something, and then in another first, Lenny sees her falter slightly. She closes her mouth and opens it again.
"...Thanks. For dropping by, I mean. You're kind of the first visitor I've ever had who wasn't Rin." Emi told Lenny. Emi felt disappointed with herself. Was that all she was able to say? She felt like she could have done better. Now that's surprising. Lenny would figure that Emi'd have people dropping by all the time. She's certainly popular enough, or so he thought. Always talking to people in the hallways. Emi hesitates again. "And thanks for staying around after I... well." Emi paused, trying to figure out what to say. A look of pain flits across her face. "You know. It helped." Emi expresses to Lenny before she brightens back up and waves cheerily at him. "See you tomorrow!" Emi smiled while waving her hand.
"Yeah, see you later." Lenny told Emi as he began to leave. Lenny was just about to exit the door when something made him turn around again.
"Hey, Emi." Lenny asked. He wanted to see if Emi was open to any more favors.
"Hmm?" Emi asked while she perked her head up, wondering what Lenny needed her for.
"Anytime you need to talk, you and I, let me know, okay?" Lenny asked. Emi seems taken aback by this offer. Her grin gets even wider.
"Sure thing, Lenny. See you in the morning!" Emi told Lenny. Lenny then exits Emi's room with my head in a whirl. Emi then laid on the bed, she began to feel bad almost if she needed Lenny as much as he needed her. Should he have even left? Was she really okay? Emi wanted Lenny to turn around and march back down the hallway, open the door and tell her… Emi thought of what to say to Lenny if she wanted to speak the truth to him.
She wanted to tell Lenny "I love you," tell him I think he's a shy student who needed some company, tell him that she'll be there when he needs her. She wanted him to stay with her, to hold him close as she fell back to sleep. How many nights has Lenny woken up like that? All alone only to find that nobody's there. Emi began to think that she must've been feeling the same way as he does. She wants to be that person he can be with when that happens. It's a silly thought, Emi knows. She doesn't know Lenny that well, does she? The whole idea, while exhilarating, also makes her feel worried. Worry, perhaps, that either one of them overstep their bounds.
And now to add to her troubles, it seems as if Emi herself already has an interest in someone else. This track captain of hers who seems so interested in her well-being. True, Lenny only saw the two of them together a few times, but that doesn't change the fact that they seem better suited to one another. There's really nothing to be done about that. Lenny needs to take his mind off of this whole situation.
"I've got homework to do. Maybe that will distract me." Lenny told himself while he made his way to the boy's dorm. He didn't know where he wanted to go or where this. Emi better make up her mind tomorrow.
[A/N]: Another long chapter and this is something that will be a recurring theme going forward and that is the length of the chapters between Lenny's interactions with the students of Yamaku and the actual route. I am adding more onto these routes just for the interaction between the students and staff.