After the nurse treated my arm, the pain subsided a little. She had to step out for a while, leaving me to rest on the bed with Celestine sitting beside me, her eyes quietly filled with guilt.
"You don't have to feel bad," I said, trying to soften my voice. "It wasn't your fault."
Celestine lowered her head slightly, her gaze still fixed on my arm.
"But if you hadn't shielded me from that ball... you wouldn't be hurt like this."
I sighed, pushed myself up, and looked straight at her. The usual arrogance on her face had vanished, replaced by pure concern.
"If that ball had hit your head, it would've been much worse." I gave a small smile. "If you feel guilty... then just think of it as a favor you owe me."
She looked surprised for a second, then quickly shifted back into her usual noble-lady mode. Celestine cleared her throat and straightened her posture.
"Hmph... Very well. Lady Celestine will remember this debt. If you ever need help, just ask me!"
We left the infirmary together, stopped by the changing room, and returned to class. As soon as I sat down, I noticed Ayaka turning to me, her eyes full of worry.
"Are you okay? Does your arm still hurt?"
I gave a slight nod to reassure her.
"It's fine. It feels much better now."
During lunch break, our group decided to bring our lunch boxes to the literature clubroom and eat together.
Kaori brought along a new girl — petite, with slightly messy short hair and bangs that nearly covered her eyes. On her hair was a small dolphin-shaped clip. She entered the room shyly but politely.
"This is Sumire Shirasaki," Kaori introduced. "My best friend. She really loves books too, so I thought she'd be a good fit for the club."
Sumire gave a small bow, her voice soft:
"It's nice to meet you all... If you'll have me, I'd love to join."
Ayaka smiled gently.
"Welcome to the Literature Club!"
Ren gave her a polite nod, and I smiled and replied:
"Nice to meet you, Sumire."
Sumire Shirasaki — a minor background character in the original game, a friend of Kaori's. I only remembered her because I'd played the game so many times. But seeing her in person made me wonder… with hair covering her eyes like that, how could she even see where she was going?
The clubroom suddenly felt livelier. We ate lunch together, chatted about our favorite genres, and started planning our first official club activity.
I quietly took in the scene before me. A group of students, all so different, yet able to sit together like this, relaxed and smiling...
Not bad at all.
Classes went by as usual after that.
When the final bell rang, Ren, Kaori, Ayaka, and Sumire all had things to do and left early. I was the only one who stayed in the clubroom. I sank into the sofa, pulled out a light novel from the shelf, and started reading to pass the time.
The light outside the window gradually turned gray. I looked up — dark clouds were rolling in. Looked like it was going to rain. Not wanting to get caught in a downpour, I closed the book and packed up.
Just as predicted, rain poured down the moment I stepped out of the school gates. It wasn't just a drizzle, it was pouring. I opened the umbrella I'd brought with me and hurried home.
As I passed by a small alley, I suddenly spotted someone huddled under the narrow awning of a closed shop. It was Sumire.
She was curled up close to the wall, arms wrapped around herself, shivering from the cold. Her hair was drenched, and water dripped from the tiny dolphin clip in her bangs. My heart tightened at the sight, and I rushed over.
"Sumire!" I called out, genuine worry in my voice.
She looked up. Even though her eyes were hidden, I could feel her trembling gaze, as if she were crying in silence.
"Come on, let's get you home," I said, reaching out my hand.
She hesitated for a moment, then slowly placed her hand in mine and stood up, still shaking.
"Are you okay...? How long have you been standing here...?"
"I-I'm fine..." her voice trembled. "I… I got caught in the rain… forgot my umbrella..."
She looked ready to collapse. Without a second thought, I opened my bag, hooked the umbrella inside, then bent down and gently lifted her into my arms.
"It's okay. I'll take you home."
"My house is..." she weakly tried to say her address, but her voice was drowned out by the rain.
Seeing how weak she was, I tightened my grip and turned in the direction of my house instead. Right now, getting her somewhere warm and dry was all that mattered.
The rain poured down relentlessly, but each of my steps felt more determined than ever.