Chapter 22 – Recovery

"Tomoya-kun?"

…

"Tomoya-kun?"

that voice…

"Tomoya-kun?"

I recognize that voice.

"Tomoya-kun?

I opened my eyes to… "Fuuko?"

Fuuko was looking down at me with a worried look. Was my head in her lap? "When they brought Tomoya-kun here, Tomoya-kun's eyes were open, but wouldn't say anything."

Seeing her face brought me relief, and I sat up – had I been lying down? – and wrapped her in a hug. "Fuuko…Fuuko…"

She returned my hug. "Fuuko hears that you've been having a rough time."

I froze as the memories returned. Kotomi-chan, Yukine, Nagisa…then it really did happen.

"Tomoya…" Fuuko's voice sounded strained. "You're squeezing me too tight."

I lowered myself back to her lap. "Sorry. It has been rough. I think I snapped or something."

"Don't worry, Tomoya-kun; if you lose your marbles, Fuuko will find them. Fuuko's your girlfriend after all."

I smiled for the first time in I-don't-know-how-long. "Yeah you are, and I'm glad for that." I enjoyed feeling her warmth before realizing… "I'm at the school. Fuuko?"

"Yes?"

"How did I get to the school? I don't remember-"

"How is he?" Fuuko looked toward the door, and I thought I recognized the voice as being Nagisa's. "Is he…conscious?"

"Tomoya-kun's awake, but a little…confused," Fuuko replied.

"May I come in?" Nagisa sounded nervous.

Fuuko looked at my face for a moment before looking back. "Not yet, Nagisa-san. Tomoya-kun just woke up, and doesn't know what's going on yet."

"Okay. I'll check back in a few minutes."

I heard her leave, but Fuuko continued to look toward the door. "Nagisa-san told Fuuko that all of those girls confessed to you."

My face suddenly felt hot. "Y-Yes, they did, but…" I trailed off as Fuuko looked down at me.

I think it was the first time I had ever seen tears in Fuuko's eyes. "You…You…" her breath shuddered. "You turned them all down for…just for Fuuko?"

I smiled, and I could feel my own eyes starting to water. "Yeah, I did." I reached up and put my hand on her cheek. "After all, you're my girlfriend, right? You're the one I fell in love with."

Her lip started to quiver, so I quickly sat up and held her. She was the one crying girl I could handle right now.

"Tomoya-kun…Tomoya-kuuuun…" She repeated my name over and over, whenever her sobs would allow it, as I held her tightly…but not too tightly this time.

Eventually, Fuuko and I settled down enough that the others could come in. We took seats at desks next to each other, while the others sat at what I assumed was a respectful distance, and Yukine made her way over to a counter where I could see her cooking supplies.

I knew they were all good people, but I was still surprised to see concern…compassion, maybe?...in their eyes.

"Tomoya-kun," Kotomi started, "are you all right?"

I ran a hand through my hair, partly to calm myself, partly to deal with some bed-head. "Not yet. I still feel a little out of sorts, but I think I'll be all right." I smiled sheepishly. "Sorry for making you worry."

Kotomi's soft smile was reassuring. "Please don't apologize. Between trying to take care of Fuuko-san, your own studies, and…other…things, it's understandable that something like this would happen."

"Right, Okazaki-san," Nagisa chimed in. "You've been under a lot of stress, so to have…that…happen, it would make sense."

A wagging finger drew my attention. "Of course, if you'd been eating right," Tomoyo scolded, "you would have been stronger and more able to take this."

"Tomoyo-san!" Ryou scolded in turn. Wait, Ryou? "Okazaki-kun's just come back. Do you want to make him sick again?"

Tomoyo lowered her hand and her head. "Sorry."

Yukine brought a plate over to me. "I figured that you're not going to be able to eat much yet, so I kept it safe."

I took the plate from her and smiled as I regarded the rice omelet, lightly seasoned. "Thanks, Miyazawa-san."

"You're welcome." She turned to Fuuko with her usual gentle smile. "I'll be back with yours in just a moment."

"Oh, ah…thank you." It was understandable that Fuuko wouldn't be expecting food in a classroom or at this time.

Yukine giggled in reply before heading back to her workstation. The others moved to closer desks, but I noticed that Kyou kept her distance, though Ryou still sat near her.

Tomoyo plopped herself down in a desk across from Fuuko's and leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees and her chin on her hands. She looked right into Fuuko's face, which caused Fuuko to lean away slightly. "This Fuuko's cute too, Tomoya."

Fuuko blushed under Tomoyo's intense gaze. "Th-Thank you."

Tomoyo then straightened and crossed her arms. "I think I can see why Tomoya would choose you over me; you're a good fit for him."

"Wait a minute; what's that supposed to mean?" I was sure that I could hear an insult in there somewhere.

Tomoyo waved a hand at my girlfriend. "She's short, she's cute, and she's feisty."

Fuuko pouted. "Fuuko's not feisty…What's so funny, Nagisa-san?"

Nagisa giggled again. "Actually Fu-chan, you are feisty. I couldn't think of the word to describe you until Tomoyo-san said it just now." She gave herself a moment to think. "You have…spirit? And…Passion? Honesty? And…What's the word…?"

"Candor?" offered Kotomi.

"Yes, that's it," Nagisa agreed as she accepted her plate from Yukine. "You're not afraid to give your honest opinion, even if it hurts the other person's feelings."

Tomoyo curled an errant lock of hair over an ear. "Exactly. All she needs is a little tact, and BAM! She's perfect for Tomoya!" She still looked a little put off by her own statement, though.

"I would have been too afraid of hurting his feelings," Ryou said. "I can see that it would have made growth as a couple difficult."

"I would have been too dependent on him-" Nagisa started.

"Wait!" I had to stop this. "I appreciate all of this…self-disclosure… but you understand that you're starting to insult my friends, here."

Nagisa and Ryou looked at each other. "I guess we are, aren't we?" Nagisa said, as the two shared a giggle.

I watched as the girls, Fu-chan included, talked among themselves.

It hit me: Why could the girls see Fuuko? From what I understood, everyone not only forgot her, but could not even see her. So what changed?

I waved Nagisa over; she knew Fu-chan almost as well as I did, so… "Hey, Nagisa…"

"Yes?"

"You can see Fuuko, right?"

She gave me a funny look. "Of course! She's right there, after all." She pointed over to where Fuuko was talking rather excitedly with Kyou. "Why wouldn't I see her?"

I thought about her answer for a moment before asking: "Do you remember her from before? The girl handing out starfish?"

Nagisa tilted her head as her eyes narrowed. "You know, that's interesting; right before we brought you here, I called her 'Fu-chan' without realizing it. I didn't notice it until Kyou-san pointed it out. Funny…"

"But do you remember her?"

She sighed as she brushed a lock of hair from in front of her eyes. "Yes and no. I feel like I should be remembering her, but…" She shrugged as she smiled awkwardly. "Sorry."

"That's okay," I tried to reassure her. "Maybe something'll come to you eventually."

"I'd like that," she said, as she watched Fuuko, now listening to Kotomi talk happily about something. "In fact, I think I'd like it if everyone would remember."

So would I, Nagisa. So would I.

"Hey, Tomoya."

I looked up from my textbook. Since the girls had all been talking and I felt like a fifth wheel, I had grabbed a textbook at random and started reading. "Hey, Kyou. What's up?"

Kyou looked around, and I noticed that she and Ryou were the only ones left. Fu-chan had gone back to working on her blanket.

Then she leaned toward me, her purple hair curtaining her face. "Can we talk? In private?"

So she had something for my ears only, huh? Just one problem: "If you have something to say to just me, that's fine. But I want Fuuko in the same room. I don't want to give her a reason to worry." Kyou gave me a fierce look and I gave it right back. "That's my only condition, Kyou; take it or leave it."

Kyou scoffed. "Fine. The Little Missus can stick around." She turned to her sister. "Ryou? Could you wait outside? I'll be out in a minute."

Ryou nodded with a smile and headed for the door.

After Ryou left and I explained the situation to Fu-chan, I went to the opposite corner of the room where Kyou was waiting. "What's up?"

"Look Tomoya, I…" Kyou pursed her lips in thought. "I'm sorry for blowing up at you the other day. I was…just so surprised."

I nodded sympathetically. "Yeah, I kinda got that impression."

She chuckled lightly before repeatedly running her fingers though the lengths of her hair. I imagined that she was doing that to comfort herself in some way. "The thing is…well, I'm sure you figured it out already, but I…like you." She blew air noisily between her lips. "So when I found out that you were already with somebody…I flipped. I mean, after all, I had spent so much time and energy trying to get you with my sister…" she was blushing at this point, "…in spite of my own feelings for you…and then to find that out…"

"It all blew up with my admission?"

"Yeah," she answered quietly.

"Kyou?" I licked my lips out of nervousness; I wasn't sure that this was the best time for this question, but… "Kyou…what is so special about me? I'm a delinquent! I have a 'bad mouth'! But…I mean, I was confessed to six or seven times in two days. I'm nobody special! I guess Kotomi could have a reason since we're childhood friends, but…" I threw up my arms in frustration. "Why me?"

Guilt overwhelmed me when Kyou bit her lip and her eyes became moist. "Do…Do I really have to answer that?"

I ran my fingers through my hair, scratching when they reached the top of my head. "No, no you don't, it's just…" I didn't know what more to say.

I felt hands gently grip my shoulders, and I thought I saw Fuuko look our way out of the corner of my eye.

"Tomoya, you're a delinquent by the school's standards, but that doesn't make you a bad person." Kyou had an intense look in her eyes. "You care deeply about other people, which tells me, and apparently several other girls, that you have a good heart. The fact that you went 'vegetable' over rejecting all of us, tells all of us how much we mean to you." Kyou paused and bit her lip again before continuing. "At first – last year, that is – Ryou and I just thought you were a cute guy…but as we got to know you…I'm sorry, I need to stop," Kyou finished as she released my shoulders.

I felt bad for her doing that, but I was still grateful. "Are…Are you okay?"

She shook her head with a hand shielding her eyes. "No. No, but I will be."

"Thanks for answering," I said quietly. "It means a lot to me."

She nodded this time. "Just…please don't bring this kind of thing up again. Ever."

"I won't," I replied softly. "I promise."

"And Tomoya?" She looked up at me with reddened eyes. "Take good care of Fuuko, okay?"

I smiled gently at my friend. "I will."