I tilted my head, my red eyes studying him in confusion.
Processing the words he had just said.
There was sorrow written plainly across his face as he continued.
"I'm sorry… for everything."
His hands trembled slightly at his sides, like he was holding himself back from reaching for me.
"I thought if I got stronger," he said quietly, "if I climbed higher than everyone else… then no one could touch the people I care about. I thought leaving was the only way."
I bit my lip.
We looked at each other in silence.
One apologizing for the past.
The other… for the present.
Before I could react, he stepped closer to the bed and pulled me into a hug.
The action was so sudden that it startled me.
"But I didn't think about what it would do to you," he said, his voice low near my ear. "I didn't think about how you would feel about you. I just convinced myself you'd understand someday."
His grip around me tightened slightly not enough to hurt, but enough to show how desperately he was holding on.
I wanted to speak.
To tell him that this mess wasn't only his fault.
That I had made choices too.
But no sound came out.
Instead, my eyes burned.
A single tear slipped down the side of my face.
As I hugged him back.
My arms tightening around his body.
"I'm not asking you to forgive me," he said quickly. "I just I need you to know that I will never stop caring for you from this movement"
A faint blush formed on my face as I heard those words.
Someone… caring for me.
That was nice.
I turned my head slightly so he wouldn't see my flushed expression. A moment later, he slowly let go of my body.
Before I could do same thing.
Click.
The door handle turned.
"Your five minutes are—"
The doctor stopped mid-sentence.
Her eyes shifted from Hiro who was still leaning far to close to me, my arms around his Wist and face was undoubtedly still warm.
"Over," she said flatly, crossing her arms. A strange expression passed over her face. "What are you doing, Hiro? I didn't think you were the type to take advantage of a helpless girl."
Hiro straightened so fast it was almost comical.
"I wasn't—!"
I quickly let go of hero's body.
My cheeks burned even hotter.
He stumbled back a step. "I—I wasn't! She—! I mean—!"
All the composure he had earlier completely vanished.
"I don't need details," the doctor interrupted calmly, walking back to my side with her clipboard. "I know how you teenagers are."
I quickly turned my face toward the wall, pretending to be deeply fascinated by the blanket.
"But I wouldn't recommend it. She is—"
"We weren't doing anything!" Hiro blurted out, blushing just as much as I was.
The doctor gave Hiro a long, unimpressed look.
"Mm," she hummed flatly. "Of course."
Hiro opened his mouth to argue again then closed it, realizing it would only make things worse.
I kept my face turned away, pretending to examine the stitching on the blanket with intense focus.
The doctor adjusted her glasses and flipped a page on her clipboard.
"Alright, enough. Off you go," the doctor said, waving her hand dismissively. Then she added with a small smile, "Unless you'd like to stay and watch while I change her bandages?"
"NO!" Hiro said immediately.
He glanced at me one last time, his expression softening.
"I'll come back later," he said gently. "Until then… be safe."
He reached out and lightly patted my head before quickly turning and walking out of the room.
The door clicked shut behind him.
The room suddenly felt quieter.
-----
[Doctor POV]
After checking on the girl, I made my way toward the headmaster's office.
Everywhere I looked, the damage from the attack was visible cracked stone, scorched walls, shattered windows.
I shuddered at the cost it would take to repair all of this.
Ah… not my problem.
I knocked on the headmaster's door and shifted slightly on my feet as I waited for a response.
"Come in."
Thank goodness I didn't have to wait long.
I opened the door and stepped inside.
A large, vertical slash marked the floor, as if something had torn through the room itself. The headmaster stood by the window, her silver hair falling down her back like a waterfall as she looked outside.
"Um…"
"How is she?" the headmaster asked without turning.
"Well, her condition is stable for now," I replied. "But… the state of her body is deeply concerning."
I hesitated.
"The scarring, the internal damage… the way her body functions it's unnatural. Almost as if…" I paused, choosing my words carefully. "…as if someone reshaped her without care. Like a mad experiment."
The headmaster let out a quiet sigh before finally turning to face me.
Her golden eyes met mine.
For a moment, we stood in silence.
"Because she was reshaped… in his image."
"You mean…?" I asked, hesitation clear in my voice.
"Yes. Him," she said calmly. "The attack on the academy—this was his doing. That girl… belongs to him."
A chill ran down my spine.
"I don't know what he's planning," she continued, her gaze steady. "But the only thing he told me was…"
She paused.
"His will have the thing he wants."