During Physical Activity, Flynn's head throbbed harder than before, dizziness tugging at the edges of his vision.The weight of nausea pressed deep in his chest.
Before heading to the track field, he dug into his bag and found some medicine. Swallowing the bitter pills, he hoped they'd quiet the storm inside him, even if just for a little while.
Dylan noticed the weakness in Flynn's movements — something was off, unlike his usual self.
"Hey, you okay?" Dylan asked, voice low with concern.
Flynn only nodded, barely meeting his gaze.
Suddenly, the sharp whistle of Mister Gonzales cut through the air, slicing the quiet afternoon.
"Five laps. Now."
No room for questions. The pounding of their footsteps on the track began, echoing under the relentless sun.
Because of his concern, Dylan decided to run alongside Flynn.
"Are you really okay? Maybe you should just rest for now. We can always talk to Mr. Gonzales later," Dylan urged gently, worry creasing his brow.
Flynn's eyebrows knitted tightly, irritation flashing in his eyes as he remained glued to Dylan's side for what felt like too long.
"I'm fine. Why do you have to be so annoying?" Flynn snapped, his voice sharp and edged with frustration.
Annoyed by Dylan's persistence, Flynn suddenly surged forward, sprinting faster to catch up with Nathan, who had taken the lead.
Dylan stopped in his tracks, scratching the back of his head as he watched Flynn's retreating figure. "What's his problem?" he muttered, confusion swirling in his eyes.
Meanwhile, Flynn matched Nathan's pace the moment he caught up, his breaths ragged but steady.
"Why aren't you running with Dylan? Did you guys fight again?" Nathan glanced over his shoulder, eyes flickering toward Dylan.
"Just leave him be. I'm not in the mood to argue or deal with his nonsense right now," Flynn replied, his brows furrowed deeper, a storm brewing behind his eyes.
"I thought you two were close?" Nathan probed, voice tinged with curiosity.
"Just because we always come in together doesn't mean we're close," Flynn shot back, his tone icy.
"You two are a mess," Nathan muttered, shaking his head.
After completing four laps, they continued running in silence. Dylan trailed just behind them, reluctant to give Flynn any reason to complain again.
At the end of the fifth lap, Flynn and Nathan crossed the finish line first. Sweat dripped down Flynn's temples, stinging his eyes as he squinted against the blinding sunlight. They were about to leave the track when a sudden wave of dizziness hit him.
The world blurred and darkened at the edges, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat drowned by the spinning around him. His vision pulsed, narrowing like a tunnel. His stomach churned, and a cold sweat broke out across his skin despite the suffocating heat.
His knees buckled, his body losing all strength in an instant—and he collapsed onto the hard ground with a dull, sickening thud.
Nathan froze, his heart pounding in panic as Flynn slipped into unconsciousness.
"Shit, Flynn! What's happening to you? Wake up!" Nathan's voice cracked with worry as he lightly tapped Flynn's face, desperate to rouse him.
Not far away, Dylan was nearing the finish line of the fifth lap. His eyes caught sight of Flynn lying motionless on the ground, Nathan hovering anxiously over him. Without hesitation, Dylan sprinted toward them, his muscles taut with urgency.
Pushing through the gathering crowd, Dylan parted the onlookers and knelt beside Flynn and Nathan.
"What happened?" Dylan asked, voice sharp with concern as he looked at Nathan.
"I don't know," Nathan admitted, his breath shallow. "He just suddenly fainted. Come on, we need to get him to the clinic, now."
Without wasting a second, Dylan hoisted Flynn onto his broad back. Years of gym workouts had carved Dylan's strong frame, allowing him to carry Flynn's limp body with surprising ease and speed.
At the clinic, Dylan gently laid Flynn down on the narrow bed, his skin still damp with sweat, his breaths shallow and uneven.
A nurse hurried over, her brow furrowed as she took in the scene. But the moment her eyes landed on Nathan, a subtle sparkle lit up her expression—her nervous excitement barely concealed. She recognized him instantly.
Nathan, the handsome, well-known guy from the Regular Department, someone everyone admired and whispered about.
"Are you Nathan from the Regular Department?" she asked, voice a little higher-pitched than before, a shy smile tugging at her lips.
Nathan blinked, caught off guard by the sudden attention. "Uh... yeah," he replied, nodding awkwardly.
Her fingers nervously played with her nails as she bit her lower lip. "Oh wow, lucky me to run into you here," she said, a little breathless, her eyes shining with admiration.
Dylan's eyes narrowed, his tone cutting through the air. "Save the flirting. I'll make sure you have no work tomorrow if you don't focus."
The nurse sighed but turned her attention back to Flynn, who lay pale and fragile on the bed.
"What happened to him?" she asked, her voice steady but concerned.
"We ran five laps earlier," Nathan explained. "And right after, he just fainted."
"He's been feeling unwell since this morning," Dylan added, wiping the sweat from Flynn's forehead. "It was unbearably hot during our run, too."
"Did he eat or drink anything before the run?" the nurse probed.
Nathan's eyes widened as he recalled. "I think I saw him take some medication earlier, before we came to the track."
"May I see that medicine?" the nurse asked.
"I'll check his things in the classroom," Nathan said and quickly left to retrieve it.
Meanwhile, the nurse started an IV drip of dextrose on Flynn and fitted him with an oxygen mask to help ease his breathing.
Dylan stayed by Flynn's side, gently running his fingers through Flynn's disheveled hair, trying to soothe him. The quiet of the clinic room wrapped around them like a soft blanket.
Slowly, Flynn's eyelids fluttered open. His eyes, still heavy with confusion, looked at the dextrose attached to his arm.
His vision was too blurred to clearly see the man sitting next to him, but his muddled mind assumed it was Nathan.
"Nathan? Where am I?" Flynn croaked, his voice weak.
"Looks like I've turned into Nathan now, huh?" Dylan remarked.
Flynn's brows furrowed when he heard the voice. It wasn't Nathan. He blinked a few times, waiting for his vision to clear—then realized who it was.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, surprised.
Dylan gave a small, reassuring smile. "You fainted at the track. We brought you here to the clinic."
"Didn't I tell you to just rest?" added Dylan.
"Why do you always meddle?" replied Flynn, slightly annoyed.
"Why are you so stubborn?"
"Why are you such a busybody?
"Aren't we friends?"
"Just because we're often together doesn't mean we're friends—or that you can meddle in what I do. Are you crazy?"
"Yes, maybe I am. I'm going crazy for you."
Flynn was surprised by what Dylan said. He couldn't figure out the meaning behind those words. He didn't answer anymore and just avoided looking at Dylan.
After a moment, Dylan chuckled softly. "Maybe you're the crazy one here. I'm just worried about you. What's so wrong about that?"
Flynn didn't answer and continued to avoid looking at Dylan.
---
After Nathan handed the medicine that Flynn took to the nurse for evaluation, he immediately returned to the room where Flynn and Dylan were. Before he could fully enter, he accidentally overheard their argument.
He didn't go in right away; instead, he paused outside the door, deep in thought about what Dylan might really be feeling for Flynn.
From Dylan's actions, Nathan noticed that beneath their bickering was genuine care—something Flynn hadn't realized because his pride and emotional walls were too high to let it in.
A little while later, the nurse arrived to check on Flynn again. Nathan followed her into the room.
The nurse checked Flynn carefully before looking up at Dylan and Nathan. "The reason why he lost consciousness is because the medicine he took was expired," she explained gently.
"But don't worry, he's okay now. He just needs to rest for a while, and he should be able to go home later today."
As soon as the nurse left, Dylan's attention immediately returned to Flynn.
"Why did you take expired medicine?" Dylan asked, a teasing tone in his voice.
"I didn't know it was expired. That's just what I had in my bag," Flynn replied.
"Good thing nothing worse happened to you. And good thing Dylan was there to bring you here right away," Nathan said.
Flynn didn't answer and deliberately avoided looking at Dylan. He didn't know what he was feeling.