"Leader—!"
"Jin? Jin! Are you okay, Jin?!"
No way, cardiac arrest again? Panicking, I checked Jin's breathing. Fortunately, though a bit ragged, he was still breathing.
Ah, nosebleed—you shouldn't lay down right away with that. I gently turned Jin's body to the side.
"Jack, can you go find Rishar? And ask someone to bring some ice water and a towel."
I said to the boy by Jin's side. This was really my first time dealing with something like this, so I was flustered and didn't know what to do. On top of that, Rodent was sobbing uncontrollably, tears and snot streaming down his shocked face.
Waaah, I want to cry too. Jack hurried out of the Greenhouse. Thankfully, Jin's nosebleed stopped quickly. In the meantime, Lui and Rick came running with ice water and towels, and Rishar rushed in, pale as a ghost.
"J-Jin collapsed...?"
Rishar's face was so ashen that he looked like the patient instead of Jin. I handed him a glass of ice water first.
"He's okay. Don't panic too much. He just fainted for a moment."
Jin had pain responses and his patellar reflex was intact. Seemed like a brief faint from the fever, so I was cooling him with ice water.
"I-Is that so. Good... But Teacher... what's that on your head...?"
Rishar, who had gulped down the ice water, sighed in relief and glanced at my head.
Ah, the flower crown!
"Ah, this is from Rodent..."
I felt heat rising to my face in embarrassment as I quickly took off the flower crown. To think I'd still been wearing it... Come to think of it, I needed to calm down the shocked Rodent too. Fortunately, Lui was soothing him.
"It's okay, Rodent. The Leader's fine. He'll wake up soon. There, there."
Rodent must have been really scared. I hugged him tightly.
"Yeah, Rodent. He'll be okay."
Rodent's sobs quieted in my arms. Whew, this flounder really makes so many hearts drop.
"Rick, can you take Rodent to the clinic and give him some sedative? Let's let him rest there for a bit."
I'd had Rick prepare a calming potion just in case. Rick and Lui took the sniffling Rodent and left the Greenhouse right away.
'What on earth... why again all of a sudden...'
I made a tearful face as I changed the wet towel on Jin's forehead. Could fate really not be changed? No matter what I did, was Jin destined to die in the end...?
It felt like some unknown disease I couldn't identify had struck Jin, and it terrified me. I gripped Jin's hand tightly. No, Jin. Don't get sick... please.
I was truly resentful of Jin. Please stop scaring me already.
After nursing him for a while, changing the cold wet towel on his forehead, Jin opened his eyes. Seeing those blue eyes sparkling intelligently again as if nothing had happened, I finally relaxed.
"Jin, really... your primary physician might die first from shock because of you."
I grumbled. Jin let out a deflated laugh, his face still flushed with fever.
"Sorry, Astrid... Ober Teacher."
Again, Jin called my full name. Why does this guy always say my full name when he wakes up after collapsing?
"Jin, are you okay? I told you not to overdo it."
Rishar said, frowning slightly. He'd been pacing anxiously in the Greenhouse until Jin woke up, unable to do anything.
At Rishar's words, I glared at Jin. Overdo it? Overdo what? Did this flounder think he could just wreck his body now that he was a little healthier?
"N-No, I didn't overdo it. Doctor Teacher. Can I talk with Rishar alone for a bit?"
Jin averted his gaze here and there as he spoke.
He was definitely overworking himself somehow... But I couldn't stop him from talking alone with Rishar. I sighed deeply and stepped out of the Greenhouse.
* * *
"Jin, are you really okay? You should rest more..."
Rishar said with a worried face.
Jin felt truly sorry for his friend's concern, but he couldn't make any excuses. He knew the reason for suddenly collapsing all too well.
"I'm fine, Rishar. It wasn't from overdoing it."
Jin smiled wistfully. The reason was simple. Astrid wearing the flower crown Rodent made... she was too... too beautiful.
He understood why people called her an angel. Astrid with the flower crown really felt... pure and flawless, just like the rumors.
That must have made his weakened body flutter so much it couldn't handle it. Jin sighed deeply.
"Rishar, big trouble. I..."
As Jin spoke in a voice like the world had ended, Rishar got scared. His friend looked the strongest in the world on the outside, but had a truly delicate heart inside.
"I... want to live."
"...What?"
That was big trouble? Bewilderment spread across Rishar's face at Jin's words.
Of course... It was an emotion Rishar couldn't understand. How big a problem this was for Jin.
"...I want to live. I don't want to die. What should I do, Rishar? I..."
It's so scary. Having these feelings was terrifying. He'd never thought like this once in his life.
He'd cared for and helped others diligently, but never once wished for his own happiness. How frightening it was for such an attachment to life to suddenly arise...
"Then... until now, you wanted to die?"
Rishar made a sad face like he'd been betrayed.
Jin avoided Rishar's gaze. He'd never once told Rishar about his mental state.
"Who in the world wants to die? It's just..."
He'd had no strong will to live, that was the truth. Since he thought he'd die soon anyway.
"Still, it's a good change. That you want to live."
A warm smile rose on Rishar's stoic face. A smile that warmed the heart.
But Jin could only smile bitterly. If his condition worsened again like this, could he endure the disappointment? Things that hadn't bothered him when he'd prepared to leave without regrets now approached as fears.
"You think too much. That's your problem."
Rishar lightly tapped Jin's forehead with his finger. Good thing he put no strength into it—if Rishar had hit seriously, Jin's bones might not have held.
"Ober Teacher really is a miracle doctor. She even cured your heart."
Rishar said with a laugh.
The moment he heard 'Ober,' Jin's chest ached, and he clutched it.
'Haha, this is real big trouble. Just hearing her name makes my heart...'
"Jin, you okay? No, I need to get Ober Teacher after all..."
As Rishar jumped up in a fuss, Jin sighed deeply and grabbed his hem.
"I'm fine. No need to call her."
But Rishar still looked full of worry.
"But your chest..."
Jin sighed deeply. His chest did hurt, but how to explain it wasn't from illness.
"Rishar, what should I really do?"
Jin made a tearful face. At that expression, Rishar sat back down.
"What on earth is it, Jin."
Jin sighed deeply. Even if he couldn't tell her, he felt like his chest would burst if he didn't tell someone.
"I think... I like the doctor teacher."
Jin said, face flushing.
Rishar froze like he'd been struck by lightning, staring at his friend confessing he liked someone for the first time in 32 years.
