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When the door to the hospital room opens for what feels like the hundredth time that day, Mizi feels like she could die.
Still, she plasters on a smile, wondering who has come to visit her this time. Hopefully it's just a nurse coming in to check on her condition, but she knows they aren't scheduled until at least another hour later. Possibly another classmate of hers, here to add to her steadily growing gift pile by her bedside. She's really tired of these visitors. She doesn't even like pear, but it's in season, so it's in every gift basket—
Her eyes meet the person at the door, and all at once, relief settles in her heart.
"Sua!" she gasps. Holy shit. She could thank the gods right now. "Sua, you're here!"
Sua gives her a small wave, closing the door. "I'm sorry I couldn't get here earlier. I had a student council meeting, and it overran because the president wouldn't stop talking again…"
Mizi shakes her head. Whatever the reason, it doesn't matter. Sua is here right now, and Mizi finally feels like she can breathe.
"Does it hurt?" Sua asks as she sits on the stool by Mizi's side, leaning over her.
At last, Mizi can drop the smile on her face. She pouts, averting her gaze. "Only a little bit. I'm more upset that I have to sit out of cheer for a while. The football team's championship finals were supposed to be next week, and now I can't participate. Oh, I hope Ivan isn't too mad at me!"
"Why would he be?" Sua sighs, reaching out. She smooths Mizi's hair to the side, then tucks it behind her ear for her, a gentle smile on her face. "I'm just glad you're safe."
Despite having been miserable for a while, Mizi feels a little bit of that discomfort alleviate in that instant. She hurt her leg badly while practicing a stunt during cheer practice. It was in the middle of a complicated flip, where her foot accidentally slipped on one of her base's palms, sending her crashing to the ground.
According to the doctors, she's lucky she only got away with a leg fracture, but Mizi felt her world collapse when she was told she couldn't practice for six months. Even more so when they told her she had to keep the cast on for at least three months.
She looks to her cast again, which was elevated a while ago. It's thick and ugly, in her opinion, but she's been trying to avoid thinking about it. She doesn't want to cry or something.
Sua, as if sensing her thoughts, rests her hand over Mizi's. At the same time, she looks to her bedside table. Her eyebrows pinch together. "It seems like a lot of people got to you before I could."
Mizi hums. "Are you jealous?"
"No." She turns away with a little huff.
"You are! My Sua is so cute…"
"I told you I'm not jealous."
A bubble of laughter rises from Mizi's chest. She turns her hand such that she can interlace her fingers with Sua's, feeling irrevocably fond.
"Anyway," Sua says, reaching for her bookbag. She takes out a clear plastic folder, decorated with a star sticker on the front. "This is everything you've missed out on for the past week. You have a lot to catch up on."
At that, Mizi groans, thunking her head on the bed frame. "Ugh. I'm already behind on math, and the teacher already hates me."
"He doesn't hate you," Sua disagrees. Pointedly, she does not bring up the amount of math homework Mizi has overdue. "Tell me if you need any help. I'll tutor you."
"My saviour."
A little blush hits Sua's cheeks. She turns away, tucking the folder under all of Mizi's gifts, maybe so she doesn't have to think about it. And Mizi feels a little giddy at the subtle act of care that she squeezes Sua's hand, hoping she can feel the weight of her adoration.
They continue talking, with Sua updating her on what else Mizi has missed, and Mizi sharing her own experience. As hard as she's been putting on a brave face since getting injured, she likes knowing that she doesn't have to do that with Sua. She likes being taken care of by Sua and Sua only, listening to her talk about how she'll make her food, watch over her, anything she needs, as soon as she asks.
At one point, a nurse comes by to check on Mizi's condition. Sua holds her hand the whole time, and Mizi learns that she is allowed to be discharged the next morning.
"You're going to keep on that same cast?" Sua asks after the nurse leaves, pointing to Mizi's leg.
"Yeah, until I have to come back to get it changed." Mizi tries to lift her leg and manages a slight twitch. She frowns at her own weakness, but doesn't say anything. "I hope they give me another colour next time… I really don't like this one."
Sua tilts her head. "Really? Then… Can I sign it?"
Oh. The idea didn't even cross Mizi's head, but now that it's been brought up, it makes Mizi so excited that she almost vibrates out of her skin.
"Of course you can!" she squeals, clapping her hands together. "Only you, Sua!"
Sua laughs, digging into her bag and pulling out her pencil case. She takes out a few markers—pink, blue, red, the colours of the rainbow, basically. As she brings her stool over, Mizi cranes her head, trying to see what she does.
Sua starts off simple, signing her own name and adding a heart next to it, all in pink. Then she starts doodling, and Mizi stares in awe as her creations come to life. Jellyfish of varying colours, stars, rainbows, and other cutesy doodles. Very Sua-like, in her opinion.
Soon enough, Mizi's cast goes from dull and boring to an explosion of colours. She brings her hands to her lips, gasping in delight.
"Thank you!" She turns to Sua, eyes sparkling. "I love it so much! I'm going to show it off to everyone when I get back!"
Sua ducks her head. Her cheeks are even pinker than before, matching Mizi's hair and the vivid colour of her markers. "They're not that good…"
"They're the best," Mizi insists. She makes a gesture for Sua to come over, and Sua does so obediently. When she arrives, Mizi leans forward, planting a big, appreciative kiss on Sua's apple cheeks.
Sua brings her hand to where Mizi just kissed, mouth open in shock. "What was that for?"
"A token of my gratitude," Mizi replies, and then with a grin, asks, "Give me one too? To make me feel better?"
Easily, as if swayed by the wind, Sua's expression softens. She leans down, landing a kiss on Mizi's forehead, then her nose, and finally, to Mizi's smiling lips.
It's perfect. Mizi is really glad Sua visited her—she would prefer no one else.