"…Shigebe-kun, are you okay?"
Fuuma, who was sitting in front of me, turned around and asked. His eyes were filled with concern, so I opened my mouth to reassure him.
"Huh? Yeah, I'm totally fine…"
"You look pale. You really should go to the nurse's office…"
I wonder how many times he'd said that.
I was fine. Sure, I wasn't feeling great today, but the reason was so trivial. I just couldn't fall asleep quickly last night, so I was a little short on sleep. I'd feel bad leaving for something so minor. Besides, it's not like we had a PE class or anything that required a lot of energy, so I could probably get through the rest of the day.
Suddenly, I remembered I had to prepare for the next class. I'd completely forgotten to get my dictionary from the locker behind me. I told the worried Fuuma I was okay one more time and stood up. The floating sensation made my vision lurch dramatically, and I froze in place. Ah, I have to move quickly. I didn't want to look suspicious to the people around me. Most of all, I didn't want to worry Fuuma any more than I already had.
"Shigebe-kun… huh, Shigebe-kun? Are you okay?"
His panicked voice sounded distant. Had my ears stopped working? The sensation in my arms and legs felt incredibly dull. I pressed the corner of my eye and somehow managed to speak.
"Yeah… I'm fine."
I was fine. I was just a little... spinning and blurring. It should go away soon. Ah. It's hard to stand. As I sat back down, as if following gravity, Fuuma called my name again in a frantic voice.
"Oiii," a cheerful voice echoed from the hallway. Even with my senses still out of whack, I knew it was Yuuma-san.
"Fuuma, I came to hang out…"
"…Shigebe-san? Is something wrong?"
"Brother, Haruma! What should I do, Shigebe-kun seems to be feeling bad…!"
The air suddenly filled with commotion. I thought I heard Haruma-kun gasp.
"It's fine, it's just lightheadedness. If I sit for a little longer, it should get better…"
"But you've looked pale all day!"
I was starting to feel a little better. The floating sensation was still there, but it was much more manageable. Fuuma, with his brows furrowed, looked incredibly serious. The brothers' expressions were serious as well, as if they were taking their cues from him. The atmosphere was getting tense, like it was turning into a big deal, so I hurried to speak.
"Haha, it's just lack of sleep. …Ah, I have to prepare for the next class."
I stood up. This time, I was able to stand properly. The moment I turned to go to my locker, an arm grabbed my wrist. I looked behind me—Haruma-kun, a deep frown etched between his brows, was holding me.
"Go to the nurse's office."
His voice was cold.
"But—"
"No buts. Even if you manage to get through it now, what if you collapse next time? What if you hit your head? That's when it will become a big deal."
He continued without giving me a chance to interrupt. His words were harsh, but I couldn't say anything back. He was telling the absolute truth. If I collapsed, I would definitely be a bother to Fuuma. With that, I had no words left to offer.
But a stubborn part of my mind spoke up. This is nothing. It would be a pain to have my parents come get me. The next class is a difficult one, so I want to hear it. …Considering the possibility of collapsing, I knew they were all just lame excuses.
"…But, for something like this…"
"…You—"
But a stubborn part of me talked back. His grip tightened. Just as Haruma-kun was about to say something, Yuuma-san interrupted.
"Shigebe-kun. You're not planning to go to the nurse's office, are you?"
His tone was gentle, but I felt a slight edge to it. My gut told me he was thinking the exact same thing as Haruma-kun.
"It's not that I'm not going… but going home is a bit…"
"I see. Just a moment, please."
"Could you come over here for a second?"
Haruma-kun loosened his grip. I went over to Yuuma-san, who beckoned me over. Before I could even wonder what was happening, I was effortlessly picked up in a lateral hold—what is commonly known as a princess carry.
From somewhere in the class, a high-pitched "Kyaa!" erupted. The reason was obvious: Yuuma-san had made a move straight out of a romance novel.
"…? Huh?"
"If you're not going to go, I have no choice but to take you, right?"
I didn't think he had no choice. And there were other ways he could have done this. Was this the only quick way to get me to go quietly? I see. No, I don't see.
"Um, I'm heavy…"
"You're light. It's okay."
Is this a shojo manga? If I were a girl, I would have probably swooned, but I wasn't, so I wasn't happy about being called "light." If anything, I just interpreted it as a sign that I was a flimsy guy with no muscle, and I felt a little depressed. …I should eat more meat. I feel like I already eat a lot, though.
"Nice one, Yuuma-niisan! Just take him to the nurse's office!!"
"Yep, okay."
"…That's not fair… Wait, I'm coming too!"
Leaving the cheers behind, we exited the classroom. I finally understood a little of how Fuuma must have felt during the sports festival, and all I could do was cover my face in a futile effort to resist. It was a pointless effort, though.
***
The nurse's office bed. The soft bedding was so comforting. The tension that had been in my body seemed to just melt away.
"Mom's home right now, isn't she? I'll give her a call."
"…As expected…"
"Oh… sorry…"
"Don't apologize. It makes me so happy to be able to help like this."
Fuuma smiled as he made the call. Faintly, I could hear my mom's voice on the other end. Did he call my house? I think I gave him the number a long time ago, but I couldn't quite remember.
"Your mom said she'll come right away."
"…Thank you."
The preliminary bell rang. Class was about to begin. I tried to apologize for holding them all up, but Yuuma-san sealed my lips with his index finger. He smiled warmly and spoke.
"We should get back now. Just rest well."
"…Please take care of yourself. Don't overdo it, or I won't forgive you."
"I'll make sure to take notes for you! Don't you worry about a thing!"
I grabbed the hem of Fuuma's uniform as he was about to leave. All three of them blinked, looking at me as if to ask what was wrong.
"Um, thank you. You too, Yuuma-san, Fuuma, and Haruma-kun… You were all a great help."
I just had to say that much. When I finished, the three of them all smiled in a similar, gentle way. I had caused them trouble, but it didn't seem like Yuuma-san or Haruma-kun were angry about it at all.
In the now-silent room, I lay down.
"…I'm so happy."
I pressed my chest, which was feeling a warm, fuzzy sensation. Am I allowed to be so conceited as to think that Yuuma-san and Haruma-kun genuinely worried about me, and not just because they were helping Fuuma?
As I was thinking that, my phone let out a little ping. I slowly opened it. It was a message from Fuuma.
[Both Yuuma-niisan and Haruma were super worried about you.]
My eyes widened. That was exactly what I had just been thinking.
[Of course, I was worried too.]
[Just get some rest for now.]
His warm words soaked into my heart.
…I got sick and ended up causing them a lot of trouble. But I couldn't help but feel a little happy about it.
A slightly bad thought crossed my mind.
For the short time until my mom arrived, I hid my cheeks, which were about to break into a smile, under the blanket.