READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED - This Chapter contains some uncomfortable topics even though they have been toned down from the original/uncensored version.

Kyle's footsteps echoed through the empty hallway leading to the school infirmary. Once inside, the air was thick with the sharp scent of antiseptic, intermingling with the delicate fragrance of flowers from a nearby vase.

"Good morning," the nurse greeted Kyle as he entered, her voice breaking the heavy silence. "You're here early."

"Hi," Kyle muttered. The weight of worry bore down on him, etched in the lines of his furrowed brow and the tightness of his jaw.

“Now that you’re here, I can step out to run some errands. I’ll be back in a bit,” the nurse said, leaving Kyle alone with Habondia.

As Kyle's gaze fell upon Habondia, his heart clenched at the sight of her trembling hands and distant gaze. "How do you feel?" he asked.

However, Habondia remained silent. Her eyes remained fixed on her hands, fingers fidgeting, lost in the depths of her own thoughts.

Kyle stood by her side, his brows furrowed in empathy, his desire to reach out and ease Habondia's pain warring with the knowledge that some wounds ran too deep for simple words to heal.

"I have a little gift for you," Kyle continued, his tone hopeful as he approached her. "It's not much, but I hope it brings a smile." With a touch of awkwardness, he took out two green ribbons and carefully tied them into pigtails in her hair, to his surprise she didn’t flinch at his touch. However, Habondia remained unresponsive, her focus elsewhere.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"My sister made these," Kyle explained, trying to fill the silence. "She dreams of becoming a famous fashion designer one day."

The nurse returned, observing Kyle's attempt at styling Habondia's hair and swiftly correcting it before attending to her duties.

"I have another surprise for you," Kyle's voice brightened, once he noticed Habondia’s faint smile. "Some Rainbow Roses I planted recently bloomed. Would you like to see it?"

She moved her head, and he barely even noticed her nodding.

Back in the garden, Kyle's hands carefully cradled one of the rainbow roses, its petals soft against his skin, as he replanted it in a pot.

Returning to the infirmary, Kyle's heart sank at the sight of a blonde girl, one of the girls who had caused so much trouble yesterday as she tried to get into the lavatories.

Her mocking words cut through the air, filled with spite and arrogance even though the nurse reprimanded her for the ruckus she was causing.

"Your friend, Jonna D'Arc, has been suspended for hitting my beautiful face," she taunted, reveling in the pain she inflicted. Her laughter grated on Kyle's. “And the red gorilla? She’s no longer a student here.”

“Miss, you must step out!” the nurse ordered.

"What are you doing here?" Kyle stood up to confront the blonde girl. Her callous words stung, igniting a fire within him. "Leave her alone," he demanded, his gaze unwavering despite the girl's attempts to belittle him.

“By the way,” the blonde girl smirked. “You should leave too.”

“Miss, you must step out!” the nurse said again. “Or I shall report this to the Headmaster.”

The blonde girl's laughter rang out, a cruel melody that echoed in the infirmary. Pushing Kyle aside, she reveled in her perceived superiority, her words dripping with venom. Kyle's fists clenched at his sides, his resolve strengthening in the face of adversity.

"I'm sorry, Habondia," Kyle's voice wavered, his eyes brimming with unshed tears. He extended the potted rainbow rose toward her as a silent plea and then placed it on the table next to her bed. Habondia remained motionless.

"Kailashnath," the nurse called his name. "Your parents had come for you!"

As the nurse called his name, Kyle's heart sank further. His parents had come, signaling the end of his time at the school. With a final glance at Habondia, Kyle turned his back and left.

The sounds of the infirmary faded into the distance, leaving behind a lingering sense of loss and regret.