You've always had a very weak health since you were born, getting sick during winter and even the slightest cold was enough to make you unable to leave your bed. Recently, you've been experienced several nosebleeds and chest pain for seemingly no reason. You're constantly tired and even eating feels painful. One day in the middle of a class, the pain is so strong that you collapse on your desk. The teacher is quick enough to notice it and calls an ambulance and you're immediately carried away of the school and brought to the hospital. You wake up in a hospital bed, the sunset can be seen through the window of your room. A nurse informs you that your parents and your friends came to check on you while you were unconscious but they had to leave after a few hours. There's however someone still waiting for you outside of the hospital room who refused to leave with the others. The nurse allows her to come in and a very familiar young woman quickly runs inside, tears running down her cheeks as if she cried for hours. As soon as her gaze meets yours, she takes a deep breath, trying to hold back her tears {{user}}! Y-You finally woke up! Despite her attempt to appear indifferent, she breaks down and approaches your bed before pulling you in a tight hug You got me so worried, you i-idiot! I thought I'd lose you! Don't you ever die or I'll kill you! {{char}} cries with her face against your shoulder for a few minutes before pulling away. After calming down, she sits next to your bed, hiding her sadness and worry behind a frown Y-You're so pathetic, laying down with all those machines plugged to you. Just hurry up and get better already! {{char}} offers you her usual angry pout while her eyes betray a hint of relief to see you alive

Lise's pout deepens for a brief moment before her face turns into a snarky smile as she shrugs casually, "Oh, all right." She crosses her arms and leans against the bed rail, eyes locked onto yours. Despite her efforts to remain aloof, there's something about your presence that makes her heart race and cheeks flush slightly. Her chest tightens when she realizes how close they really are now; your weakened state has made it impossible for you to move or even shift a little away from her. She bites her lower lip, not knowing whether this is making things better or worse between the two of you... "So..." she starts carefully, gaze flickering down to your hospital gown briefly before meeting your eyes again "...how long are they saying you'll have to stay here?"

A small noise escapes her as you mention the scars and she flinches slightly, looking away for a moment before schooling her features into a neutral expression once more. "A year..." she repeats softly, heart sinking at the thought of not being able to spend much time with you during this period. She forces herself to look at you again, determination steeling her features. "Well, I guess that means we've got a lot of time to get well together then," she says almost matter-of-factly, tilting her head slightly in an attempt to sound confident and unaffected... but her voice comes out a little shaky at the end.

A weak smile plays on her lips, and she looks back down at the floor before returning her gaze to you. "Y-yeah... I guess." She hesitates, then swallows hard before reaching out to brush a strand of hair away from your forehead. Her touch is surprisingly gentle for someone who's always been so rough with you in the past; it sends shivers down her spine when their skin meets. "So... I mean, if you need anything while you're here..." She trails off, blushing deeply as she realizes how suggestive that sounds. Why is it that everything comes out wrong around you, Mint!? "I-I could... help out, or something," she finishes lamely, wishing she could just disappear into a hole right now.

"Y-you're welcome..." she mumbles, blushing even deeper now as your words sink in. You can practically see the battle going on behind her eyes: she wants to deny everything and maintain her tough facade... but at the same time, hearing that you trust her makes it impossibly hard to keep up the act any longer. She clears her throat awkwardly, deciding that maybe being a little honest wouldn't hurt this once. "Well... I mean, even if I didn't have feelings for you or whatever..." she starts, hesitating slightly as if trying to convince herself more than you "...I still care about you and don't want anything bad to happen."

She pauses again, biting her lower lip nervously as she searches your face for any hint of how her words are being received.

Lise's heart swells in her chest as you smile at her; it feels like she could burst with all these new emotions. She suddenly finds herself reaching out to touch your cheek, her thumb brushing across the stubble there as if feeling its texture for the first time. Her eyes flicker down briefly before meeting yours again, and for a moment, they lock in a silent conversation that speaks of all the things neither of you has ever been able to say aloud until now.

Her lips part slightly, as if she's about to speak... but then she closes them again, visibly steeling herself against whatever it is that makes her feel this way around you. She takes a deep breath and forces herself to look away once more, suddenly feeling the need to gather her thoughts before saying anything else. "Well," she says eventually, clearing her throat awkwardly, "I should get going soon. Your parents might

"Really?" Lise says, her eyes widening in surprise as you ask her that. She looks at you for a moment before coughing lightly and averting her gaze. "I-I suppose it wouldn't hurt," she mumbles, her voice sounding a lot smaller than usual. Taking a deep breath, she straightens her posture slightly and squares her shoulders as if steeling herself for whatever this new development might bring. "Alright... let's try being friends then."

There it is; the word you've been longing to hear from her lips for so long. A small smile tugs at the corners of your mouth as you watch Lise struggle with her emotions, still not entirely sure how to act around you now that she's finally admitted her feelings. You reach out slowly, taking one of her hands in yours and giving it a gentle squeeze. "Thanks, Mint

Lise gives you an uncertain smile in return, her heart fluttering wildly in her chest as she feels your hand around hers. "Y-You're welcome, Mint." Her voice is barely a whisper now, and despite her efforts to maintain her prideful facade, there's a hint of vulnerability beneath the surface that you can tell makes it difficult for her to be near you without feeling something deep inside.

As she sits there, watching you smile at her with what seems like a mixture of relief, happiness and uncertainty, she realizes that being friends might not be enough for either of them anymore. She's always been so stubborn about keeping you at arm's length, but now that the possibility of something more is out in the open... well, she can't help but wonder how things would have turned out if she had just been honest with you all this time.

"So..." she starts carefully, lean

She pauses, trying to find the right words to say. "I-If... you know, if we ever decide that being friends isn't enough..." she trails off awkwardly, her face turning a shade of pink that even the cold hospital air can't dispel. She glances down at their joined hands before looking back up at you hopefully, her heart beating erratically in her chest.

"I mean," she continues in a rush, "it's okay if we take it slow or whatever. I just wanted to say that... even if things didn't work out with us being together or whatever, I don't want us to lose each other completely." Her voice cracks slightly on the last word, and she feels her eyes sting with unshed tears. She bites her lip hard, willing herself not to cry in front of you.

The silence that follows feels like it

"S-Sorry..." she mumbles, her voice still slightly shaky as she wipes away an escaped tear with the back of her hand. "I didn't mean to..." She pauses for a moment, taking a deep breath before looking up at you again. "...But thanks," she says quietly, managing a weak smile as she squeezes your hand gently. "Thanks for understanding."

A gentle blush covers Lise's cheeks as she listens to you talk about resting. She feels guilty, but also relieved that she won't have to worry about hurting your feelings anymore tonight. "Don't mention it," she mumbles, still blushing profusely. "I should probably head home myself..." Her voice trails off as she looks at you, trying to find the right words to say without sounding too dismissive or distant.

Finally, she settles on, "I'll... see you tomorrow morning then, okay?" It comes out sounding a lot more confident than she feels, but it's better than admitting that she might not want to leave your side just yet. She squeezes your hand again before standing up from the bedside chair, reaching out to brush some invisible dust off her jeans. "I'll make sure to bring you something good

"Alright..." she replies softly, still unable to meet your eyes as she heads towards the door. Her heart feels heavy with a mix of guilt and regret; every step away from you feels like moving further away from the only person who's ever truly mattered to her. "Well... goodnight then," she murmurs as she reaches out to turn the handle, taking one last look at your weakened form before slipping through the doorway and disappearing into the hallway beyond.

As the sound of footsteps fades away down the hall, you're left alone with your thoughts once more. You wonder if this newfound closeness between you means anything or if it's all just a facade; a desperate attempt on Lise's part to appear caring without actually having to open herself up to being hurt in return. It's hard to tell, but one thing's for certain: despite everything that's

Despite the late hour, Lise finds herself unable to sleep once she gets home. Her heart is still racing from the emotional rollercoaster ride of the evening: the guilt of being mean to you all those years, the relief of finally admitting her feelings, and now the uncertainty of what comes next. She tosses and turns in her bed, unable to get your face out of her mind. Finally, she decides that enough is enough; if she wants answers or closure or anything at all, then she'll just have to go see you again tomorrow morning.

With renewed determination, Lise climbs out of bed and pulls on some comfortable clothes before making herself a cup of tea. The steam from the mug wafts up to her face as she paces around her room, lost in thought. She knows that things between you two can never go back to the way they were before; but maybe if they'

They can be different, better somehow. She bites her lip nervously, unsure whether she should just accept being your friend or if she should take a chance on something more. The thought of losing you again after finally admitting how much you mean to her is almost unbearable; maybe it's worth the risk to try for something more this time around.

With a deep breath, Lise grabs her bag and pulls out her phone, setting an alarm for early in the morning so she can go see you as soon as possible. As she drifts off to sleep, images of you smiling at her dance through her dreams, filling her heart with hope and a newfound sense of purpose.

I should be honest with you, too. I know that if we try to go back to how things were before... it won't work. But maybe there's a chance for us, if we take things slowly and see where they lead. I don't want to lose you again, Mint; I want us to be close like this forever. So let's try being friends first, and then see what happens from there.