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The final bell rang, marking the end of the last class for the day. As the students began to stir, their teacher, Mr. Akihiko, addressed the class.
"Before you leave, don't forget to hand in the assignments I gave you yesterday," he said. "Yuki-san, could you help collect them for me?"
Mizuha nodded. "Yes, sensei." She rose from her seat and began moving from desk to desk, collecting the handouts. Most of her female classmates handed over their papers silently, avoiding eye contact or any conversation with her.
When she reached Kurumi's desk, Kurumi smirked and tossed her paper onto the floor.
"What are you doing?" Mizuha asked.
"Oops, my hand slipped," Kurumi said mockingly. "Pick it up for me, will you?" She chuckled, and her friends joined in, laughing at the scene.
Mizuha sighed, leaning down to pick up the paper. Kurumi offered no response except a laugh.
At her seat across the room, Shimizu clenched her fists. "Those jerks!" she muttered angrily, looking at Kurumi and her friends.
Once Mizuha finished collecting all the handouts, she brought the stack to Mr. Akihiko. As she handed him the papers, her classmates' behavior did not go unnoticed.
Mr. Akihiko frowned as he looked at her. "Mizuha, is everything alright? You seem troubled. I've noticed some of your classmates treating you coldly."
Mizuha hesitated before replying, "It's nothing, sensei. They've just started disliking me recently, that's all."
"Disliking you? What happened?" he asked.
"Well, it's because of some rumors about me doing something bad," she explained.
"Rumors?" Mr. Akihiko asked. "What kind of rumors?"
"It's not a big deal. Please don't worry about it, sensei," Mizuha said.
Mr. Akihiko's concern deepened. "Yuki-san, I want you to know that if you ever need support, or if these rumors escalate, don't hesitate to come to me. Your well-being is important, and I won't tolerate any form of bullying in my class."
His words caught Mizuha off guard. "Thank you, sensei. I appreciate your support."
Mr. Akihiko gave her a nod before heading back to his desk. The students began packing their belongings, preparing to leave for the day. Mizuha returned to her seat, placing her bag on her lap.
Suddenly, Shimizu and Elly walked over to Mizuha's seat. "Mizuha," Shimizu said, "let's walk home together today."
Mizuha looked up, hesitated, and then replied, "I'm sorry, but I can't today. I have to go somewhere with Zul. He asked me earlier, and I already agreed."
Elly turned to Zul, who was nearby packing his bag. "Zul, is that true? Are you and Mizuha going somewhere after school?"
Zul nodded. "Yeah, it's true. Sorry, Elly, I can't walk home with you today."
Elly shrugged. "It's okay. I can go home by myself."
Zul looked at Shimizu. "Shimizu, can you walk Elly home? I'd feel better if she wasn't alone."
Shimizu agreed. "Sure, I'll take her home." She turned to Elly. "Ready to go?"
Elly nodded, and the two of them left the classroom together.
Mizuha watched them go, then stood up to leave with Zul. The two of them walked out of the classroom and began to exit the school building.
As they left the school grounds, Mizuha suddenly spoke up. "Hey, Zul..."
"Hm? What is it?" Zul replied.
"Are you okay with this?" Mizuha asked.
"What do you mean?" Zul said, tilting his head slightly.
"You know, with the rumors surrounding me now... I think we shouldn't be walking together like this. I don't want to involve you in my problems," Mizuha explained, her voice tinged with concern.
"Don't worry about it," Zul said with a shrug. "I don't care what people say. Let them talk about me—it doesn't affect me at all."
"You're really positive, aren't you? Somehow..." Mizuha replied, a small smile forming on her lips.
"Is that so? I never noticed," Zul said, chuckling lightly.
As they walked past the nearby convenience store, Zul said, "Hey, Mizuha, before we go to the place I mentioned earlier, do you mind if I stop at the convenience store for a while? I need to buy something."
"Sure, why not? Take your time. I'll wait for you outside," replied Mizuha.
Zul entered the convenience store to buy what he needed, while Mizuha waited outside. After about five minutes, Zul finished his errand and left the store.
They continued walking to the place Zul had mentioned earlier. As they passed Mizuha's house, she thought, Huh, we already passed my house? Where is Zul taking me? Wait, it can't be...
After a few more steps, Zul finally stopped in front of a big house. "We're here!" he said.
"Is this the place?" Mizuha asked curiously. “What a big and beautiful house” she added while scanning around that area.
As Mizuha noticed the "Takumi" nameplate on the gate, she spoke up, "Takumi? Wait, Zul, is this Hikaru's house?"
"Yes, it is," replied Zul.
"But why are we here?" Mizuha asked.
"What do you mean? Of course we're here to visit him. Don't worry, I already told him earlier," Zul explained.
"Geez, why didn't you tell me about this earlier? I needed to prepare myself, you know," said Mizuha.
"Ah, sorry, this was sudden. I did not know you needed to prepare yourself first," said Zul.
At the same time, Hikaru was lying on his bed while his mother stayed at his side, checking his temperature.
"38.0°C. Looks like your fever still hasn't gone down yet. Are you feeling well? Should we go to the hospital?" said his mother, looking at the thermometer with a concerned expression.
"You don't need to worry about me, Mom. I'll be okay," replied Hikaru.
"Also, you can leave now, because Zul is coming soon," he added.
"Oh, you're right. I forgot about that—he wanted to visit you, right?" replied his mother.
"Okay, I'm leaving now. If your fever gets worse, please tell me, okay?" said his mother as she left his room.
"Understood," replied Hikaru.
As his mother left, Hikaru thought, Mom, you're too worried about me, while sighing.
Hikaru then took his smartphone and looked at it. I haven't looked at the phone since earlier. I'm sure there were many incoming messages.
"Like I expected, most of them are from Mizuha and Akemi," he chuckled.
Back to Mizuha and Zul—after a moment, the housekeeper opened the gate for them, and both Mizuha and Zul entered the house's entrance area. They walked until they reached the door.
Zul knocked on the door, and the maid opened it, greeting them.
"Welcome, Zul-sama, Mizuha-sama," said the maid. It was Kirisaki, the one who had driven them to the beach earlier.
"Kirisaki-san, it's been a while. Are you doing well?" said Mizuha.
"Yes, I'm doing well, Mizuha-sama, thanks. Glad to see you again," said Kirisaki.
"Both of you please come in. Hikaru-sama is inside his room," she added, inviting them to enter the building.
As Kirisaki led Mizuha and Zul inside, Hikaru's mother appeared after leaving Hikaru's room, greeting them with a warm smile.
"Oh, it's you, Zul-kun. It's been a while. I see you've grown taller," she said.
"Oh, Mrs. Takumi, sorry for coming so suddenly," said Zul.
"It's okay, you don't need to apologize," said Hikaru's mother. Both of them continued chatting with each other.
"Mrs. Takumi? I see, so she's Hikaru's mother," Mizuha thought, looking at Hikaru's mother.
Hikaru's mother then turned to Mizuha. "And who is this cute lady? This is the first time I've seen you."
Mizuha straightened up and introduced herself. "I'm Yuki Mizuha. Nice to meet you."
Hikaru's mother's expression changed slightly. "So, you're Mizuha-chan?" she said excitedly while holding Mizuha's hands. "I'm Mrs. Takumi, Hikaru's mother. I've heard about you from Hikaru. Thank you for being friends with my son."
"Me too. Hikaru has helped me many times before. I'm glad to be friends with him," said Mizuha, feeling a bit awkward.
"Really? I'm glad to hear that. Also, thank you for the dishes you gave us before. They were really delicious."
Mizuha blinked before realizing what she meant. "Ah, it nothing special, that was from my mother. She wanted to thank Hikaru for helping us before," she explained.
Hikaru's mother nodded while chuckled. "I see. That boy... he always brushes things off like it's nothing." She added, "I hope my son hasn't given you any trouble, Mizuha-chan."
"No, it's not like that. I really owe Hikaru so much. He's a really kind person," Mizuha replied.
Zul, standing beside Mizuha, spoke up. "Um, how's Hikaru doing?"
"He's in his room," Hikaru's mother replied. "His fever still hasn't gone down completely, but he's acting like it's no big deal." She then turned to Kirisaki. "Then, Kirisaki-san, can you take them to his room?"
"Understood, ma'am," Kirisaki responded. She looked at Mizuha and Zul. "Mizuha-sama, Zul-sama, please follow me."
"Please excuse us," said both Mizuha and Zul.
"Take your time there, okay" replied Hikaru's mother.
With that, Kirisaki led them further inside. After they left, Hikaru's mother tilted her head backward, looking at Mizuha, and thought, "I see, so this is the kind girl he likes. From what I can see, she's a good person," while smiling.
As they arrived in front of Hikaru's room, Kirisaki knocked on the door.
"Hikaru-sama, Zul-sama has arrived," she announced.
"Ah, thanks, Kirisaki-san. You can go now," Hikaru replied from inside.
Kirisaki stepped aside as Zul entered the room. He looked at Hikaru, who was sitting on his bed, and smirked. "Hey, are you still alive?"
"That's rude. Of course, I'm alive. I'm not that sick," Hikaru said, picking up a glass of water and taking a sip.
Just then, Mizuha stepped inside. "Sorry for disturbing," she said.
The moment Hikaru noticed her, he choked and spit out his water, coughing.
"Hey, are you okay?" Zul asked. “Hikaru, are you okay” said Mizuha with looking concern.
"I'm fine, I was just surprised."" Hikaru said between coughs, then turned to Mizuha. "M-Mizuha? What are you doing here?"
Hikaru shifted his gaze to Zul. "Hey, why didn’t you tell me you were bringing Mizuha?"
"Huh? Did I not tell you?" Zul said, tilting his head.
"No, you didn’t tell me at all!" Hikaru shot back.
"Well, at first, I planned to visit you alone, but then my plan changed, and I asked Mizuha to come with me," said Zul.
Mizuha sat beside Zul, facing Hikaru. "Hikaru, are you okay? How are you feeling? Your mother told me your fever still hasn't gone down."
"My mom? Wait, you met her earlier?" Hikaru asked.
Mizuha simply nodded.
Mom, you didn't need to say anything... Hikaru thought to himself.
"Well, just like she said, my fever still hasn't gone down yet. But don't worry, it's nothing serious," Hikaru said.
"Really? Thank God," Mizuha said, smiling in relief.
"What's wrong? Do you have something on your mind?" Hikaru asked after noticing Mizuha looked worried. "You can share with me if you want."
"No, it's nothing. It's not a big deal," Mizuha said, avoiding his question.
Hikaru hesitated before speaking again. "Sorry, Mizuha. I won't be able to be with you for these two days. I didn't expect to catch a cold so suddenly."
"Don't worry, no need to apologize. I understand," Mizuha replied. "It's just a cold—no one expects to get sick."
After that, Mizuha and Hikaru started chatting. Zul noticed that Mizuha looked more cheerful than she had earlier at school.
You look happier now, Mizuha. Guess bringing you to see Hikaru was the right choice, Zul thought, then suddenly chuckled.
Hikaru and Mizuha both turned to him.
"What's so funny, Zul? Suddenly chuckling out of nowhere?" Hikaru asked.
"No, it's nothing. I just remembered something funny," Zul said, trying to cover up his chuckle.
"Oh, right. I almost forgot," Zul said, handing Hikaru a plastic bag from the convenience store.
"What's this... medicine?" Hikaru asked after looking inside.
"Geez, you didn't have to buy this for me. It's a hassle, and besides, I already have all of this over there," Hikaru said, feeling guilty.
"Hikaru, Zul is worried about you. That's why he bought this for you. You should thank him," Mizuha said.
"Yes, you're right. I should accept it. Thank you, Zul," Hikaru said.
"No problem. It's not a big deal," Zul replied. I should leave them together for a while, he thought, then suddenly stood up.
"Where are you going, Zul?" Mizuha asked.
"To the toilet for a while," Zul replied.
"Do you remember where it is? I can ask my maid to show you," Hikaru said.
"No need for that. I still remember where it is. I've been here many times, you know," Zul said.
"Okay, then take your time," Hikaru replied.
As Zul was walking to the toilet, he met Kirisaki carrying a bowl toward Hikaru's room. Zul nodded to Kirisaki and smiled, and she did the same.
This might be good timing, Zul thought.
After Zul left, Hikaru turned to Mizuha.
"How was school today? Did something interesting happen during my absence?"
"Well, just normal, like our usual day, but it felt a bit different without you. Even Akemi said that," Mizuha replied.
I don't want to tell Hikaru about the bad rumors surrounding me recently. I don't want him to worry about me with his condition like this, Mizuha thought.
"Oh, is that so? That's good then," Hikaru replied with a smile. "Don't worry, this cold is nothing to me. I'm sure I'll recover soon."
Mizuha, you're lying, aren't you? I'm sure something happened, but you're hiding it from me, Hikaru thought.
"Yeah, I hope so too. Can't wait to see you return to school soon," Mizuha said.
A few moments later, there was a knock at the door.
"Hikaru-sama," Kirisaki called from outside. "Your mother asked me to bring you some porridge."
"Ah, yes," Hikaru replied, starting to get up from his bed.
"Wait," Mizuha said quickly, placing a hand on his shoulder to stop him. "Let me get it. You should stay in bed."
Before Hikaru could protest, Mizuha had already stood up and walked to the door. She opened it to find Kirisaki holding a tray with a bowl of porridge.
"Thank you, Kirisaki-san," Mizuha said as she carefully took the tray.
"Please be careful, Mizuha-sama. The porridge is still quite hot," Kirisaki warned with a concerned expression.
Mizuha nodded. "I'll be careful." Kirisaki then smile to Mizuha and close the door gently.
After Kirisaki left, Mizuha carried the tray to Hikaru's bedside table and placed it down gently.
"You didn't have to do that, you a guest today" Hikaru said, watching as Mizuha arranged the tray on his table. "I could have gotten it myself."
"Don't be silly," Mizuha replied. "You're sick. You should rest as much as possible."
Mizuha then opened the lid of the bowl. "Wow, it looks delicious. I'm sure your mom is really good at cooking," she said.
"Haha, you can see that. Yes, she really likes to cook. Even though we have a maid that can cook, she really wants to do it by herself," replied Hikaru. "Here, taste it a bit," he suggested.
Mizuha hesitated. "No, your mother prepared this for you, not for me."
"Don't worry, just a little bit," Hikaru said.
Mizuha tasted it. "Woah, it's really delicious," she said, amazed.
"Haha, like I said, right?" replied Hikaru.
"No, it's not the time to taste it," said Mizuha. "Here Hikaru, I will blow it cold and open your mouth," she said, offering to feed him.
"Wait, Mizuha, you don't need to feed me. I can eat it by myself," said Hikaru blushing.
"Don't worry, I just want to return the favor for what you did when you visited me earlier. You even fed me back then too," Mizuha replied.
You're the one who asked me to feed you that time, Hikaru thought, embarrassed.
"Here, Hikaru, open your mouth, okay?" Mizuha said, her face turning red.
"Geez, Mizuha…" Hikaru muttered, having no choice but to open his mouth. Mizuha gently fed him a spoonful of porridge.
"How is it? Tastes good?" she asked, waiting for a response.
"Yeah… it's good," Hikaru said, blushing.
"Here, have another bite. Open your mouth," Mizuha said as she blew on the porridge to cool it down.
Hikaru sighed and thought, Well, it can't be helped. I might as well just let her feed me.
After that, Hikaru finished the porridge.
Mizuha reached for the tray, standing up. "I'll take this to the kitchen," she said.
Before she could move, Hikaru reached out and gently grabbed the hem of her short sleeve, stopping her. "No need, just leave it here," he said.
Mizuha blinked. "But—"
"I know you want to help, but you don’t have to go that far," Hikaru said. "Kirisaki-san will take care of it."
Mizuha hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Alright… if you say so, Hikaru." She set the tray back down and sat beside him again.
Mizuha adjusted her seat slightly, watching Hikaru as he leaned back against the bed. His breathing was steady, but she could still see the fatigue in his eyes.
"You should rest, Hikaru," she said softly. "Talking too much will only make you more tired."
Hikaru glanced at her, then gave a small nod. "Yeah… you right about that”.
Suddenly, Mizuha's phone vibrated. She glanced at the screen and saw a message from her mother.
"Mizuha, on your way back later, can you buy these?" her mother wrote.
Attached to the message was a short list of items. Mizuha quickly replied, confirming she would do it after leaving.
As she lowered her phone, Zul returned to the room.
Hikaru looked at him and frowned slightly. "Zul, what took you so long? You just went to the toilet."
"I just went for a moment, then walked around outside for a bit," Zul replied.
Then, Zul smirked slightly and looked at Hikaru. "So? Did you have a good moment with Mizuha earlier?"
Hikaru furrowed his brows. "What are you talking about?"
Zul crossed his arms. "Did you enjoy the porridge?"
Hikaru narrowed his eyes. "Wait... how do you know about that?" Then, realization hit him. His face stiffened slightly. "Wait... you set this up, didn't you?"
Zul didn't say anything, but his expression told the answer.
Hikaru sighed, looking away. "Geez..."
Mizuha stood up. "I should go now," she said. "I still have an errand to run after this. It's not good for me to stay too long."
Zul nodded. "Yeah, you're right. We should excuse ourselves for now."
With that, both Mizuha and Zul prepared to leave.
Mizuha turned to Hikaru. "Hikaru-kun, please take care of yourself. I hope you get well soon."
Hikaru gave her a small nod. "Thanks, Mizuha. And... thanks for visiting me today."
Just as Mizuha was about to leave, Hikaru suddenly shifted his attention to Zul. "Hey, Zul... can you stay for a bit? There's something I want to talk to you about."
Zul glanced at him before nodding. "Understood. I'll stay for a while."
Then, Zul turned to Mizuha. "Sorry, Mizuha. Looks like your boyfriend here wants to have a private talk with me, so you'll have to head back first without me."
"Hey, Zul... you—!" Hikaru's face flushed slightly as he shot Zul a glare.
Mizuha, unfazed, simply nodded. "Understood. I'll go first, then. See you guys later."
With that, she left the room and made her way toward the house entrance.
As Mizuha arrived at the entrance, Hikaru's mother approached her.
"Oh, are you leaving already?" she asked.
"Yes, I'm done with my business here. Thank you for having me today," Mizuha replied politely.
Hikaru's mother glanced behind her. "You're alone? Where's Zul-kun?"
"He stayed back to talk with Hikaru-kun. I also have something to do after this, so I'll be heading out first," Mizuha explained.
"I see, that's unfortunate. I actually wanted to chat with you a little, but maybe next time," Hikaru's mother said with a warm smile.
Then, she turned slightly and called out, "Oh, before that—Kirisaki-san, please bring me what I prepared earlier."
"Understood, madam," Kirisaki replied, soon returning with a neatly wrapped package.
Hikaru's mother handed it to Mizuha. "Here, Mizuha-chan. This is a dish I made. Please share it with your family. Consider it a thank-you for visiting Hikaru and also for the dish your mother sent us before."
"Thank you very much. I'll make sure to share it," Mizuha said as she accepted the package.
Just as she was about to leave, Hikaru's mother spoke again.
"Mizuha-chan, can I ask you something?"
Mizuha paused. "Yes, what is it?"
Hikaru's mother smiled knowingly. "Do you like Hikaru?"
Mizuha's eyes widened. "Wait... why would you suddenly ask that?" she stammered, her face turning red.
"Haha, I'm just teasing you. You don't have to answer if you don't want to," Hikaru's mother chuckled.
Mizuha was silent for a moment before taking a deep breath. Then, with a bright expression, she answered, "Yes, I like him."
Hikaru's mother's eyes softened. "I see. Then, please continue getting along with my son, okay?" she said, looking relieved.
Feeling awkward, Mizuha quickly stepped back. "Then... I should get going now. Please excuse me."
"Be careful on your way back," Hikaru's mother replied gently.
With that, Mizuha walked alone, leaving Hikaru's home behind.
Zul stood by the window, watching as Mizuha walked away from the house. He observed her for a moment before speaking. "Looks like she's already left."
He turned away from the window and faced Hikaru's bed. "So, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?"
Hikaru hesitated for a second before looking directly at Zul. "Hey, Zul... something's not right with Mizuha."
Zul remained silent, listening.
"She looked a bit down earlier," Hikaru continued. "What exactly happened while I was absent these past two days? Please tell me everything."
Zul exhaled quietly. "Oh, so you noticed it, huh?"
Hikaru's eyes widened slightly. "Wait... so I was right?" His tone grew more urgent. "Did something bad happen to her?"
Zul remained still for a moment before finally speaking. "Well, actually..."
With that, Zul began telling Hikaru everything.
24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvMIq5oy9bB
To be Continue…… Amemonogatari V
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