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More than anything, Tenko hoped that whenever they discovered the awful, degenerate mastermind who set up this killing game, she'd get the pleasure of unleashing her aikido skills on them. These motives were getting more and more ridiculous. The first blood perk, time limit, motive videos... At least all of those things made logical sense despite their utter cruelty. The same couldn't be said for the latest tool of chaos Monokuma had unleashed.
There was no such thing as a despair disease. What sort of virus could be deployed so selectively, with such a bizarre variety of psychological symptoms? Tenko was no doctor, but it just didn't make sense. The physical symptoms like fever and fatigue, yes, but not the bizarre personality changes. It had just been announced the previous day, and already, four people were sick. A solid third of their class!
(The fact that there were only twelve of them left standing was upsetting even without the rest, but she tried not to think too hard about that. Everyone had to keep fighting to make sure those deaths weren't in vain!)
In any case, with that many sick — two girls and two degenerates — everyone had to chip in to the caretaking effort. So there she stood, in Iruma's doorway with a lunch tray.
"Iruma-san, how are you feeling? Tenko brought you some soup." She took a few careful steps deeper into the room, letting the door shut behind her. Iruma was sitting propped up in bed, blankets pulled over her lap. She was still in her pajamas (remarkably modest ones by her standards, Tenko noticed), and her hair was a rumpled, unbrushed mess. She looked absolutely miserable.
"I feel awful," she groaned, raking a hand through her hair. "Monokuma really wasn't messing around with this shit. I can't remember the last time I've felt so sick." Though complaining was well within Iruma's typical character, it wasn't quite as intense as usual. Saihara had suggested she might have the Wholesome Disease, or something along those lines. The timid, almost wimpy side of her had been amplified, while her vulgarity drastically decreased. Tenko had heard more than one person commenting that they preferred the sick Iruma to her usual self.
"Well, hopefully this'll make you feel a little better!" she announced, passing her the tray. "And we're not gonna rest until we find a way to cure this thing!" The smile Iruma offered in return looked completely foreign on her face. It wasn't a smirk, wasn't smug or lascivious. It was just a sweet, genuine smile. It was adorable, but somehow, she found herself missing the mocking sneer that should have been there.
"Thanks, Chabashira. Maybe you're not so bad." Lips still curled into a pleasant expression, she picked up her spoon, turning her attention to her lunch. Tenko gave a soft hum of acknowledgement, fidgeting and rocking back on her heels, not sure whether to stay or go. She didn't want to leave any girl alone who wasn't feeling well, but Iruma wasn't usually the type to want her company.
"No problem! Can Tenko do anything else for you?" Even as the words escaped her lips, she was expecting a no. But that wasn't what came.
"Stay." Iruma reached out and grabbed her hand. She wasn't wearing her gloves, and her palm was sweaty. Her nail polish was scraped up and uneven. Tenko nodded, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. It was a simple gesture, but apparently something about it embarrassed the other girl, whose face went red.
"Just...for a little while, I mean, it's not a big deal or anything. It's just boring as hell being all alone here with nothing to do, so..."
She chuckled, nodding her assent and giving Iruma's hand a little squeeze. The only potential concern was the risk of catching the disease from her, but hopefully it would be okay as long as she was careful. She could sense the anxiety lurking under the surface, the fear that Iruma so clearly felt but wouldn't admit to. Was that a symptom of the despair disease too, or had it been there all along?
"Don't worry about it. I'll stay as long as you want! C'mon, eat your soup before it gets cold." Tenko settled closer, wrapping an arm around Iruma and trailing her fingers through her hair. She seemed to welcome the contact, melting into her side as she obliged and started to eat her soup. For awhile, things were quiet. When she was done eating, Tenko took the tray and set it aside on the desk. The sheets rustled quietly as Iruma curled in on herself, rolling over on her side to face Tenko.
"All of this is really scary," she mumbled, gazing at her through the messy fringe of her hair. "I wanna go home and get back to my life."
"Yeah, Tenko feels the same way." She kept petting Iruma's hair, careful not to let her fingers catch painfully in the tangles. She wondered if she'd let her brush it later. "But she's gonna protect you, and all the other girls too. There's no need to worry."
Iruma hummed vaguely, closing her eyes.
When she started to doze off, Tenko supported her weight as she slumped against her. She pressed a kiss to her feverish forehead. Iruma would probably be mortified about all of this when she got better, but that was okay. Tenko could keep a secret.