Year 1-4: The next secret

“What is your problem with the twins?” Satsuki asked Riku on their way to school.
“They never think before doing something.” He said.
“It seemed like they just wanted to befriend us.”
“Their way of making friends is stalking you and using that information to force you to get closer.” Riku stopped walking.
Satsuki did so too starring at him. “They seemed nice to me.” She said, then walked off.
“They are once you´re friends with them, but to get there is the problem.” He ran after her.

At the club he warned the others. In his eyes the twins could say or do something to reveal secrets, even if that wasn´t their intention.
Shu seemed uneasy about that prospect. Shinichi also seemed nervous.
“We´ll think about it when the time comes.” Hayato tried to calm them down.

Riku was about to die, not only did he have P.E., no he had to run and he hated running. Kishimoto offered him a bottle. “Don´t die on me, ok?”
Riku took it gratefully. “Why do we have to do this in this heat? Do they want to torture us?”
Kishimoto tapped him on the shoulder. “Isn´t that one of your senpais classes?”
Riku took a closer look. “I think that´s Nozomi-sans class. But where is she?” He decided to walk up to a group of girls.
“She´s not here again.”
“Not feeling well. Do you think she might be faking it?”
“Wouldn´t put it past her. She´s friends with that senpai after all.”
“Do you think his criminal energy finally rubbed off on her?”
Riku cleared his throat. “Do you know where No… Abe-san is?”
The girls glared at him. “And you are?”
“I´m Hinata Riku, we´re in the book club together.”
The girls rolled their eyes. “Of course.”
Another girl, tall with reddish-brown hair came up to them. “She isn´t allowed to participate in P.E. for the time being. Normally she´d help the teacher out but I think she was feeling under the weather. She went to the infirmary.” The girl smiled and shooed the other girls away.
Riku turned to Kishimoto. “Could you tell the teacher that I went to the infirmary? Just say was feeling dizzy or something.”
“I mean you were about to collapse earlier, so…”
Riku ran off. He was a bit worried. Nozomi usually was so chipper he couldn´t imagine her sick.

“What do you need?” The school nurse asked him.
“I was just feeling a bit dizzy.” He said.
“Oh, then you should lie down a bit. The weather’s been really hot recently, hasn´t it?” The nurse seemed worried.
He just nodded. “Nozomi-san!” He tried to sound surprised to see her here.
“You two know each other?” The nurse asked, she gave Riku a cool pack.
“Yes, we´re in the same club.” He took it while sitting down, placing it in his nape. That feels so good, he thought.
“Oh that´s great! Could you look after Abe-san, just for a few minutes? I need to do something in the faculty office.” The nurse asked.
Riku nodded. Nozomi had sat up. She was pale and seemed unusually tired.
“Why are you here?” She asked, her voice sounded hoarse. He offered her his bottle.
“I only took a sip.”
She took it. “So?”
“I was feeling dizzy. I´m really bad with this kind of weather and I was a bit worried about you.”
She seemed confused. “How did you even find out I was here?”
“One of your classmates told me.”
“The class president I bet.” She took a sip. “You don´t need to worry about me.”
“But I do we´re friends and friend worry when they hear their friend is not feeling well.”
“I thought you´d already forgotten about us. You hang out with Sat-chan so much.” She sounded hurt.
“We just have a lot to talk about.”
“Sure. Whatever, Ri-kun I´m fine.” She said coughing the words out. “Forget I did that.”
“Nozomi-san, I´m really worried about you. You look terrible.”
“Why thank you!” She looked him in the eyes. “I´ll tell you some other time, ok?”
The door to the infirmary opened, the nurse came in with a brown haired man. He walked up to Nozomi. “Ready?” He asked.
He got up swaying slightly. Riku helped her steady herself. “Are you a friend of Nozomi?” The man asked.
“He is; he´s the first year I mentioned.” She said while putting on her shoes.
The man handed Riku a business card, then he and Nozomi left the room. “Get well soon! Text me if you need someone to talk to!” He called out after her. She just waved him goodbye. Riku looked at the card he had just gotten: Abe Yuu, 27, proud older brother was written on it with a phone number and e-mail address.

Riku felt awkward. Nozomi had asked him to come meet her. “What did you need?” He asked, trying to hide his awkwardness.
Nozomi was staring at the floor, she still wasn´t looking well. She had bags under her eyes. “Do you have plans after school?”
“Going to the club.”
“Would you mind not going today? I need someone to come with me.” She still sounded unusually tired.
“Where to?” Riku was worried. She didn´t seem to have gotten better since that day at the infirmary.
“The hospital.” Nozomi said so quietly, it seemed she didn´t want anyone else hear it.
Now Riku was even more concerned. He nodded.

After school they had made up an excuse and now were sitting in a bus. Riku looked at Nozomi. She was starring blankly out the window. “Do you mind telling me why you need to go to the hospital?”
“I´m sick.” She said, no live in her voice.
“I could guess that.” Riku didn´t want to press the matter in case she was uncomfortable talking about it but he was still curious.
Nozomi turned towards him. “I´m getting chemo.”
“Chemo as in chemotherapy?” Riku asked shocked.
She nodded. “I have leukemia.”
Riku didn´t know what to say. Nozomi didn´t seem too know either. They sat in silence for a while until Riku mustered up the courage to ask: “Is that why you seemed sick for a while now?”
She nodded. “Not the first time too.”
Riku stared blankly at her. “Oh.”
“I had it like four, maybe five years ago. Also had chemo. Now it´s back.” She sounded hurt. “I just…” She tried to hold back tears. “I´m scarred. What if it doesn´t go away this time?”
Riku couldn´t say anything he felt overwhelmed. What could he say to make her feel better?
“I´m sure it´s going to be alright.” Was all he could think of.
They went silent again.
“I asked you today because Yuu-nii couldn´t come. Would you mind not saying anything to the others?” She mustered after a while.
“They´ll notice you´re not well.”
“I know.”
“I´ll always come along, when you need me, ok. We´re friends.” He looked her in the eyes. “Next time I´ll bring a really good book, I´ll even read it too you.”
She smiled slightly. “Sounds good.”

At the hospital Riku didn´t understand anything. He just followed Nozomi along. She was chatting with a nurse. They went to a small private room where a doctor was waiting. Nozomi got hooked to, what Riku thought to be IV bags. He felt stupid for not understanding anything.
“You´re not here to be the medical expert, you´re emotional support.” Nozomi said.
Riku smiled. “Then let´s talk! We don´t usually get to talk too much.”
“We had that already; you and Sat-chan spent too much time together.”
“And I´m here to change that.” Riku saw a slight smile on Nozomis face.
“Good. Let´s talk.”
They talked about everything and nothing. Their favorite books, movies, animals and much more.
“Your brother seems nice, though his card was a bit weird.” Riku laughed.
Nozomi nodded. “He´s just very dedicated.”
“I wish I had siblings.”
“Oh no you don´t. Yuu-nii might seem nice but he´s so annoying! When we were little he always stole my candy!” Nozomis face lightened up. “Ri-kun could you call him? He should be done with work soon, he´ll drive us.”
Riku got up and called. Yuu was way less frightening then Riku feared; he thanked Riku multiple times and promised to drive him home.

Yuu´s car was small; Riku and Nozomi had to squeeze together in the back. “You realize one of you could sit in the front?” Yuu asked amused.
“I want to talk to Ri-kun some more.” Nozomi said.
And so they did. Riku hadn´t realized how fun Nozomi could be but it also became clear she was trying to overplay her tiredness.
“I wanna show you something.” Nozomi lifted her hair to reveal a bald spot.
“Oh wow.”
“It´s already started. I hoped I could keep my hair but seems like that won´t be happening. I don´t think my wig will fit me anymore.” She seemed slightly amused at that.
Riku was surprised at her mood shifts. “I´ll shave my hair should you lose it all.” He offered.
“Sounds good. Maybe Sani would do that too?”
“You and Shinichi-senpai get along really well, don´t you?”
“We´ve know each other since kindergarten.” She answered through a yawn. She could barely keep her eyes open now. “I actually have a crush on him, but I´ll kill you if you say anything.” She whispered in his ear, apparently she didn´t want her brother to hear.
“Maybe I can help you.” He whispered back.
She smiled and shortly after fell asleep.