NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 27
Hana quickly fell back asleep, possibly due to the painkiller.
“…”
The words “We’ll be friends forever” lingered in Shin Woo’s mind as he gazed at the girl.
Just then, the door to the infirmary opened.
Thinking it might be the school nurse returning, Shin Woo turned his head.
But to his surprise, two girls stepped in.
“Hehe… I told the teacher during the morning assembly, so it should be fine.”
“Thanks.”
Sophie managed a forced smile, while Yeon Hwa’s expression showed no signs of improvement.
“…”
As their eyes met, a delicate silence settled between Shin Woo and Yeon Hwa.
The fundamental reason for Hana’s collapse was her chronic illness.
However, it was also true that their argument played a part.
This meant that there was a degree of responsibility attached to this situation.
“You…”
Yeon Hwa tried to speak but hesitated and closed her mouth again.
Even if she wanted to blame someone else, she couldn’t shake off the rope she saw in the dormitory ceiling.
She was in a difficult and anxious state.
Thinking of extreme choices.
His words echoed in her ears.
Didn’t she already suspect?
At least she had a clue about the purpose behind that rope.
Ultimately, all she could do was mutter under her breath with a heavy sigh.
“…damn.”
The atmosphere felt heavy.
Amidst it all, only Sophie was flustered, not knowing what to do.
“Um…”
There was a rustling sound from the bed.
Hana slowly rubbed her eyes and woke up.
“Hana, are you feeling okay?”
Shin Woo asked, filled with concern.
Hana just blinked a few times without responding.
Then she tilted her head and asked.
“What do you mean?”
“…Huh?”
“Why am I here?”
*
The school nurse, having finished her duties, placed a hand on Hana’s forehead and asked.
“Are you in any pain?”
“Um. No.”
“You don’t have a fever either. You seem fine for now.”
Fine, huh?
Surely that couldn’t be true.
Shin Woo frowned in response.
“But you can’t remember anything.”
“Hana, how much do you remember?”
At the nurse’s question, Hana took a moment to recall and answered.
“I remember Yeon Hwa pinching me?”
“What about the fight between these two or you suddenly feeling sick?”
“…I don’t know.”
The nurse nodded and then turned to the other kids.
“Has Hana ever taken a hit to the head or anything?”
“Uh…”
“I think there was something like that…”
As everyone hesitated, Sophie cautiously chimed in.
“Hana bumped her head on the desk right before she collapsed…”
“Really hard?”
“Well, I don’t think it was too hard… I’m not sure.”
“Maybe that’s the cause.”
She gently patted Hana’s head while explaining.
“Perhaps she got a concussion from that bump. That’s why she lost her memory of that moment. It might come back with time, or she might not remember it at all.”
“Is it serious?”
“It shouldn’t be. Honestly, there doesn’t seem to be a major issue.”
Everyone sighed in relief, except for Shin Woo, who still looked puzzled.
“It’s just a bit strange.”
“What’s strange?”
“The thing is, Hana woke up a little and remembered everything clearly then.”
“Really?”
Everyone’s eyes turned to Hana.
But she shook her head, denying it.
“I don’t remember.”
“Hmm…”
The nurse’s brow furrowed slightly.
It’s not uncommon to feel okay right after an accident but then not remember anything after a while.
After a brief contemplation, she suggested.
“Let’s have you lie here and keep an eye on you for a bit. If you feel dizzy at all, let us know right away.”
“Okay. But really, I feel fine…”
Despite Hana insisting she was okay, it wouldn’t hurt to be cautious.
The nurse wrapped up the situation and told the three students visiting.
“Isn’t it time for your first class to start soon? Feel free to come back during the break, but for now, how about you head back?”
“Still, watching from the side…”
“That’s why I’m here.”
In the end, the three reluctantly made their way back to the classroom.
*
Awkward.
The infirmary was left quiet, just the two of them.
No words exchanged, only a heavy silence hovered.
The only sound was the scratching of the nurse’s pen.
What could she be writing?
No idea.
“Is your chronic illness pretty bad?”
A sudden question.
For a moment startled, Hana quickly regained her composure to respond.
“Um. It seems so.”
In truth, she felt it getting worse lately.
It was only a week since she had possession of this body.
The more she thought about it, the more amazing it seemed.
How on earth had Yu Hana planned to hide such pain?
Even rolling around on the floor wouldn’t be enough.
“I take painkillers every time it gets unbearable.”
“Yes.”
“Don’t use them anymore.”
“…What?”
The scratching of the pen abruptly stopped.
The nurse stared at her.
“Your body isn’t doing well. It seems like you’re taking strong painkillers daily at the maximum dose.”
“…But without them, it hurts too much.”
“While they may help in the short term, it’ll only worsen in the long run. Isn’t your pain increasing?”
Hana flinched.
How did she know?
Was the academy nurse a mind reader, or what?
“Your body is likely building a tolerance at a rapid rate. If you keep this up, the painkillers won’t work when you actually need them.”
“…”
Yeah. Of course, she knew better than anyone.
All of that made sense.
In the long run, it can’t be good.
But that didn’t matter.
What good is a long-term perspective?
In just two days, she was going to end her life.
And the one who understands this pain the best is herself.
No one else understands this suffering.
Long-term? Body’s health?
What a joke.
If a seizure struck and she collapsed, would anyone still speak those words?
“Where do you get those painkillers?”
“…At the pharmacy.”
“Don’t go there anymore.”
A firm warning.
“Not that I can go there anyway.”
“Why not?”
“I’m going to personally tell the committee about that pharmacist selling dangerous substances without a prescription, so they’ll get shut down. Got it?”
Nodding in understanding.
She needed to buy as much as she could as soon as she left.
How many days could she stretch the money she had?
Would they even accept credit? After all, if things went south, she wouldn’t need to pay it back anyway.
The nurse stared at her and sighed.
Why does everyone sigh when they look at her?
Am I just a headache for everyone?
Feeling down, she pulled the blanket over herself and hid within it.
It didn’t hurt, but her mood was off.
She just wanted to fall into a deep sleep and not wake up easily.
“Just in case it’s really hard, and you need a painkiller, please ask me.”
“…”
“I’ll help you however I can. Lean on me.”
“…Okay. I will.”
*
Fifty minutes later, as soon as the break started, the infirmary was bustling.
“So Yeon Hwa decided to join the club too!”
“Our little pup kept whining and begging, so we special made an exception. Ugh.”
“I didn’t whine at all.”
Hana’s grumbling had no effect.
Looking at her two visitors, Hana tilted her head in confusion.
“But what about Shin Woo? I thought he would come too.”
“Oh, Shin Woo…”
“He got caught by the glasses lady.”
“Huh?”
An incomprehensible answer.
Sophie laughed and added an explanation.
“Kyung Ah said she had something to say, so she took Shin Woo away.”
“Were they like close friends or something?”
“I guess they’re just going to talk privately.”
Hana nodded but still felt puzzled.
In the original story, they weren’t that close.
“Anyway! We just need to find the guide teacher now!”
“Isn’t that the hardest part?”
“True. Hehe.”
“…Do you have a friendly teacher?”
At Hana’s question, all eyes turned to Yeon Hwa.
She smirked and answered immediately.
“Do you think so?”
“Good point.”
“What? Hey. What do you mean by that? How rude. So rude.”
Once again, Yeon Hwa pinched her cheek.
In truth, Hana became a bit addicted to the soft sensation.
Only after Hana complained did she finally let go.
“Then, who should we ask?”
Sophie’s voice filled the infirmary.
Immediately, the three students turned their gaze to the last member.
“Huh? …Me?”
The school nurse, sitting while sipping tea, pointed at herself in confusion.
The three nodded simultaneously.
“I have a lot to do and can’t leave the infirmary.”
“Then you can have the club activities in the infirmary!”
“Oh, quite clever.”
Sophie and Yeon Hwa exchanged a smirk.
The nurse couldn’t hide her flustered expression.
Then she locked eyes with Hana, who was staring intently at her.
As if saying.
“Didn’t you promise to help me no matter what?”
In the end, the nurse sighed and nodded.
“Fine. Do as you wish. But what club is it?”
“Board game club!”
“…That sounds impressive.”
Sophie excitedly pulled out the application form.
She seemed so natural, as if she had prepared for this well despite it being break time.
Just as she was about to write in the empty guide teacher slot.
Sophie suddenly froze and looked up.
“…Hehe. I didn’t even know the name until now.”
“Rachel.”
“Thank you!”
Rachel.
Her name was neatly written down.
“Great! Finally, the club is complete! Yay!”
“Yay… Clap, clap, clap.”
The sound of lifeless applause and cheering echoed.
Thus, the board game club was born.