After grabbing your P.E. uniform from your gym locker, Minoru led you and Hinata to the third floor girls' bathroom.

Hinata was still crying. She couldn't articulate herself at all. She was barely able to breathe through all her sobbing.

You were filled with remorse, seeing as she probably wouldn't be such a wreck if she didn't see her friend almost murdered in front of her. But that is Oshiro's fault, not mine, you told yourself as you got changed.

Minoru was doing what Minoru did best, though, and pacifying her little by little.

Strangely enough, Minoru was shaking two long, thin pills from an unmarked bottle when you finally exited the stall. She didn't look at you right away, too mindful of Hinata.

"Open up," Minoru instructed, and Hinata's mouth fell open. She placed one of the white rectangular pills on her tongue like it was communion. Then she passed her an open juice carton to drink from.

Once Hinata had swallowed, Minoru's attention strayed to you. She scanned you from head to toe, weighing you like a piece of meat, before snapping a portion off the second pill with her thumb nail and putting a part back in the bottle.

"Open up," she said, advancing on you. You backed away as far as you could, right up to the edge of the toilet, but Minoru kept moving forward until she was a couple inches from you.

"What is it?" You asked, eying the pill with suspicion.

"A magnesium supplement."

"What's it for?"

"Mood stability. It'll make you feel better."

You made a face. You don't think a bit more magnesium in your system was going to make you any less angry at Oshiro. "Nah, I'm good."

"Aina..." Minoru was starting to lose her patience.

But you were starting to lose yours as well. "I don't want it."

"Aina!" She snapped, reaching out to grasp your jaw so tight you couldn't move or turn away. The only thing sharper than her tone was her fingernails, which were leaving little crescent moon indentations in your skin.

Her usual serene frown was now quite severe. Exasperation was written plainly on her face. "It hurts me to know you don't trust me to do what's best for you," she said, nothing short of patronizing.

Now it was your turn to be annoyed. You may be childish, but you weren't a child. There was no reason for her to be talking down to you like this. Still, there was a threatening undercurrent to her last sentence that you couldn't deny. Do what I want or we're not friends.

You opened your mouth obediently, sticking out your tongue just like Hinata had.

Minoru's eyes went half-lidded and shined like champagne diamonds. Her scowl melted into a benevolent smile. Her expressions before and after you accepted her pill were as different as night and day.

She placed the pill on your tongue and passed you the juice carton. You grimaced at the initially bitter taste before washing it away with sugar and citrus.

You didn't smile back as she grinned down at you. You were still unhappy about being strong-armed into taking the vitamin.

"Good girl. It should start working in five to ten minutes. When it kicks in, go across the hall to the library and find somewhere comfy to lie down. I'll come pick you up the second my Student Council meeting ends. Then my chauffeur will drive all of us home."

After dumping all that information on you, Minoru was out the door, off to her meeting. You blinked in her wake.

Hinata gave you a teary smile. "Let's go to the library now. I don't want to be standing when the... Um, magnesium hits."

...

You must have a goddamn magnesium deficiency because the pill worked a little too well. Five minutes later you were struck with an overwhelming wave of relaxation and calm.

Ten minutes later found you and Hinata lying down on the carpet in the poetry section, facing one another. Your words were slurred and your thoughts sluggish. And you were so fucking tired, you could barely fight to keep your eyes open.

Hinata was doing better than you. She was just laying down in solidarity. You couldn't sit up straight if you wanted to. And honestly? You didn't.

"Aina?" Realizing distantly that she was talking to you, you were Aina, you cracked open one eye to look at her.

She was too close again. You two were practically bosom to bosom. You were sharing the same breath... She inhaled as you exhaled and vice versa. Her eyes filled up most of your vision. They were as green as rolling hills. Her pupils were like black holes.

"I wanted to thank you for standing up to Oshiro for me. No one has ever done that for me before..."

That's 'cause your friends suck, you thought, only half-conscious. Oshiro sucks for doing it. Kimiko sucks for joining in. And Minoru sucks for not stopping it. They all suck and you deserve better. Still, her friends were technically your friends so you couldn't say that.

"I know we've only been friends for, like, a day, but... I don't know how I'd live without you. I don't know how I'd breathe."

You'd find a way. You'd have to. She'd probably find someone else to breathe for. Like the dick that would get you killed, the player character. "I'm glad to call you my friend, Hinata," you slurred.

"Aina..." You felt more than heard her gasp.

Then you thought you felt something brush your lips, but you honestly could have been imagining it, because that was when unconsciousness took you.