NOVEL NEXT Chapter 28
Chapter 28
Hana soon fell asleep again, likely from the painkillers.
“…”
The words she’d said—about being friends forever—echoed in Si woo’s mind as he watched her.
Then, the infirmary door opened. Thinking it was the nurse returning, Si woo looked up, but instead, two girls entered.
“I told the teacher during the morning roll call, so it should be fine,” Sophie said, smiling.
“Thanks.”
Sophie’s smile was polite, but behind her, Yeonhwa’s expression remained troubled. She briefly met Si woo’s gaze, and an uneasy silence followed.
Hana’s collapse had been due to her illness, but it was undeniable that the argument had contributed. In a way, both of them shared some responsibility.
“Are you…”
Yeonhwa started to say something but stopped. No matter how she might want to blame others, she couldn’t shake the image of the rope she’d seen in the dormitory ceiling.
Hana was struggling and afraid, enough that she’d thought of something drastic.
Those words kept echoing in her mind.
Hadn’t she already suspected? Didn’t she already have an idea why Hana had that rope?
In the end, all Yeonhwa could do was let out a sigh, tinged with regret.
“…Damn it.”
The atmosphere grew heavier, and only Sophie seemed flustered, looking between the two.
“Um…”
A faint stir came from the bed. Slowly, Hana rubbed her eyes as she woke up.
“Hana, are you okay?”
Si woo’s voice was filled with concern. Hana blinked a few times, then tilted her head in confusion.
“What do you mean?”
“…Huh?”
“Why am I here?”
—
The nurse, who had returned after finishing her tasks, placed a hand on Hana’s forehead and asked, “Are you in any pain?”
“No, I’m fine.”
“Your temperature is normal too. It seems you’re okay.”
Fine? That couldn’t be right. Si woo frowned and interjected.
“But she doesn’t remember anything.”
“Hana, how much do you remember?” the nurse asked.
After a moment’s thought, Hana replied, “Up until Yeonhwa pinched my cheek?”
“What about the argument or the sudden pain?”
“…I don’t know.”
The nurse nodded, then turned to the other students.
“Did Hana hit her head or anything like that?”
“Um…”
“Y-yes, I think so…”
Sophie answered cautiously.
“Right before she collapsed, she hit her head on the desk…”
“Was it hard?”
“I don’t think it was that hard… but I’m not sure.”
“That might be the reason,” the nurse said, gently patting Hana’s head.
“She probably got a mild concussion, which may have caused some memory loss. She might remember it later, or she might never recall it.”
“Is it serious?”
“It doesn’t seem that way. For now, there doesn’t appear to be any major issues.”
Everyone seemed relieved, though Si woo couldn’t quite shake his doubt.
“But… It’s strange.”
“What is?”
“When you were out, Hana woke up for a bit, and she seemed to remember everything clearly.”
“Is that so?”
All eyes turned to Hana, but she shook her head.
“I don’t remember.”
“Hmm…”
The nurse furrowed her brows. It wasn’t unheard of for memory to fade over time following a concussion.
After some thought, she suggested, “For now, let’s have her lie down here and monitor her condition. Hana, if you feel dizzy, let me know right away.”
“Yes, but I really do feel fine…”
Hana insisted she felt perfectly normal, but there was no harm in being cautious.
With the situation under control, the nurse turned to the three students.
“First period is about to start, isn’t it? You’re welcome to visit during break, but for now, why not head back to class?”
“But I’d feel better staying with her…”
“That’s what I’m here for.”
Reluctantly, the three of them headed back to class.
—
It was awkward.
Left alone with the nurse in the quiet infirmary, Hana remained silent. The only sound was the scratch of the nurse’s pen as she wrote something.
What was she working on? Hana couldn’t tell.
“Is your condition pretty severe?”
The sudden question startled Hana. She quickly calmed herself and replied, “Yeah, it’s… pretty bad.”
Recently, she could feel it worsening. It had only been about a week since she’d come to this world.
It was astonishing how Yoo Hana had managed to hide such pain. The suffering was so intense she’d have sooner rolled around on the floor than try to endure it.
“And you take painkillers each time?”
“Yes.”
“Stop using them.”
“…What?”
The pen stopped, and the nurse looked directly at Hana.
“Your body can’t handle it. You’ve been taking strong painkillers to the limit every day, haven’t you?”
“…But I’d be in too much pain otherwise.”
“It might help in the short term, but long-term, it’ll only make things worse. The pain’s been getting more intense, hasn’t it?”
Hana flinched. How did she know that? Could the academy nurse read minds?
“It’s because you’re building up a rapid tolerance to the medication. If you continue like this, the painkillers won’t work when you really need them.”
“…I see.”
Of course, the nurse knew more about this than she did. It all made sense.
But it didn’t matter. What was the point of thinking long-term? She was planning to end things in two days anyway.
And she knew this pain better than anyone. Who could really understand it?
Health? Long-term well-being?
Ridiculous. If people experienced the full horror of these attacks, they’d never suggest such a thing.
“Where do you get the painkillers?”
“…A pharmacy.”
“Don’t go back there.”
It was a firm warning.
“Not that you’d be able to soon, anyway.”
“Why not?”
“Because any pharmacist willing to sell such dangerous medication without a prescription will be reported to the board by me. Their business will be shut down.”
Hana nodded. She’d have to stock up the moment she left the academy. How many days’ worth could she afford? Would they let her open a tab? After all, if things went wrong, she wouldn’t have to pay it back.
The nurse sighed, her gaze softening as she looked at Hana.
Why did everyone sigh when they looked at her? Was she just a source of endless concern and trouble to them?
Feeling down, Hana pulled the blanket over herself, wanting to hide. Even though her body didn’t hurt, she felt dispirited. She wanted to sink into a deep, undisturbed sleep.
“If you’re really in unbearable pain, just come to me for help.”
“…”
“I’ll do whatever I can, so don’t hesitate.”
“…Okay. I will.”
—
As soon as the break began, the infirmary bustled with activity.
“So Yeonhwa decided to join the club, too!”
“Our little scaredy-cat begged so much that I’m making a special exception. Ugh.”
“…I didn’t beg.”
Hana’s grumbling didn’t have much effect. She looked at her two visitors with a questioning tilt of her head.
“Where’s Si woo? I thought he’d come too.”
“Oh, Si woo…”
“He got held up by the glasses kid.”
“Huh?”
It was a confusing answer, but Sophie explained with a grin.
“Kyunga said she had something to discuss and took him with her.”
“Are they close?”
“Maybe they’re having a heart-to-heart alone?”
Hana nodded, still puzzled. In the original story, they weren’t that close.
“Anyway! All we need now is an advisor!”
“That’s the hardest part, though.”
“True. Hehe.”
“…Do any of you know any teachers well?”
Yeonhwa smirked at Hana’s question and responded immediately.
“Think I’d have one?”
“Guess not.”
“What? What’s that supposed to mean? So cheeky, huh?”
Yeonhwa playfully pinched Hana’s cheek again, enjoying the soft texture as she grumbled.
“Who should we ask, then?”
Sophie’s question filled the infirmary as the three of them turned their gaze to the remaining adult in the room.
“Huh? …Me?”
The nurse, sipping her tea, pointed at herself in surprise. The three students nodded in unison.
“But I have a lot of responsibilities here, and I can’t really leave the infirmary.”
“Then we can just hold the club meetings in the infirmary!”
“Ooh, good idea.”
Sophie and Yeonhwa seemed pleased with the arrangement, leaving the nurse visibly flustered.
Finally, she locked eyes with Hana, who gave her a pleading look, as if to say:
‘You did promise to help however you could’.
The nurse sighed in resignation and nodded.
“Fine, do as you like. But what’s this club about?”
“It’s a board game club!”
“…Impressive.”
Sophie eagerly pulled out the club application. She’d even brought it with her despite it being break time, which showed just how excited she was.
Just as she was about to fill in the advisor’s name, she hesitated and looked up.
“…Hehe. I don’t think we know your name yet.”
“Rachel.”
“Thank you!”
Sophie carefully wrote down “Rachel” in the advisor’s section.
“Yes! The club is officially formed! Yay!”
“Yay… woo-hoo…”
A half-hearted cheer echoed as the Board Game Club was born.
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