Hijniigh
"Phew." Junior let out a sigh of relief as he finally reached his room door. His fingers fumbled slightly with the handle before pushing it open, his shoulders sagging under the weight of exhaustion. The dim light from the hallway spilled into his room, casting long shadows across the floor. He stepped inside, his body aching, his mind still racing with everything that had happened.
He was relieved—Helen was okay, everyone had survived. But the mory of her nearly draining him dry in that bedroom sent a shiver down his spine. His legs still felt weak, his energy not fully returned. He rubbed his face, trying to shake off the lingering fatigue, then leaned against the doorfra for a mont, catching his breath.
But relief wasn’t the only thing on his mind. A nagging question gnawed at him—how had they survived? The last thing he rembered was fighting Serah, then everything went black. He clenched his fists, frustration bubbling up. He hated not knowing, hated that he’d been useless when it mattered most.
"Damn it," Junior muttered, staring down at his hands. His fingers trembled slightly—not from fear, but from the raw irritation of feeling weak. "When I thought I’d started getting stronger... damn it."
Then, like a spark igniting in his chest, a fresh wave of determination hit him. His grip tightened, his jaw set. "I’ll train harder," he told himself, his voice low but firm. "I’ll get strong enough to protect everyone. I’ll find out what happened tomorrow... but for now, I need rest."
With that, he pushed the door open the rest of the way, stepped inside, and locked it behind him. The bed looked like heaven after everything he’d been through. Without another thought, he collapsed onto it, his body sinking into the mattress. Within seconds, sleep pulled him under.
---
"Yawn." Junior stretched his arms high above his head, his back popping as he arched against the mattress. Sunlight stread through the window, warming his face. He blinked a few tis, still half-dazed, when—
BAM BAM BAM!
A sharp knock rattled his door.
"Young master, young master, are you awake?" Susan’s voice called from the other side.
"Yes, I am awake, Susan. You may co in," he replied, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"Thank you, young master," Susan said as she pushed the door open and stepped inside. Her usual neat appearance was slightly frazzled, her hair a little ssier than normal, like she’d been rushing.
Junior sat up, running a hand through his own tousled hair. A heavy feeling settled in his chest as he looked at her. "I’m sorry about your sister," he said quietly, his voice thick with guilt. "I wasn’t strong enough to protect her."
Susan froze for a second, her fingers tightening around the tray she was holding. Then she turned, her expression softening. "You don’t need to apologize," she said, shaking her head. "I know you tried your best. And you’re the one who saved them from dying. My sister told everything."A bright smile spread across her face. "So... thank you. For saving her."
Junior’s eyebrows shot up. Saved them? His mind spun. He didn’t rember any of that. The last thing he recalled was passing out mid-fight.
"What do you an by saving everyone?" he asked, confusion written all over his face. "I don’t rember that happening."
Susan burst out laughing, like he’d just told the funniest joke. "There’s no need to be modest!" she said, grinning. "My sister doesn’t have any reason to lie about you saving her. She’d never lie to ." She crossed her arms, looking unbearably proud.
Junior said to himself "I better shut it. Better to just go along with it for now, he thought. He’d ask Helen himself later".
"Yeah, I did," he said, forcing a chuckle. "Just trying to be modest, I guess."
Susan rolled her eyes playfully before her expression turned serious. "How’s your body, young master?"
"I’m fine now," he said, offering her a small smile. "Thanks to you taking care of . I really appreciate it."
The second the words left his mouth, Susan’s face turned bright red. Junior blinked. "Why is your face red?" he asked, tilting his head. "Are you sick? Is it because you’ve been overworking yourself taking care of and your sister?"
Without thinking, he reached out to touch her forehead, but Susan jerked back like she’d been burned. "Don’t touch !" she yelped, spinning around so fast her skirt swished. She refused to look at him, her ears still pink.
"Then why are you avoiding looking at ?"* Junior frowned. "Did I say sothing wrong?"
"No! You didn’t do anything wrong!" Susan huffed, her voice higher than usual. "Just—stop worrying about ! I’m fine! Anyway, I need to go check on my sister!"
Her thoughts were a jumbled ss. Why am I blushing so hard? I only love my sister! I need to get out of here—NOW!
She bolted for the door, but Junior’s next question stopped her in her tracks.
"How’s Helen doing? I was hoping to et her this morning to ask her so questions."
Susan paused, her shoulders tensing. "Helen’s fever got worse this morning," she said, her voice dropping. "I don’t know why, but she can’t have visitors right now. Not until her body cools down."
Junior’s stomach dropped. Oh no. Oh no no no. If Susan found out what he and Helen had done all night, he was dead. He swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry.
"I’m sure she’ll get better fast with you taking care of her," he said quickly, forcing a smile. "You’re like a guardian angel."
"T-Thank you!" Susan stamred, her face burning even redder. Before Junior could say another word, she practically sprinted out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
"Huh?" Junior stared at the closed door, baffled. What just happened?
He shook his head. Whatever it was, he hoped Susan wasn’t getting sick. Her cheeks had been so red—but she wouldn’t even let him check.
"I hope she doesn’t overwork herself," he muttered, running a hand through his hair. "If it were my sister hurt, I’d be stressed too."
With a sigh, he pushed himself off the bed. "No ti to dwell on it. If I want answers, my sword master’s probably in the training room right now."
He hurried to the bathroom, washed up, threw on fresh clothes, and bolted out the door, heading straight for the training grounds.
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