58 and a Half Hours/September 8, 2016

Yuu stared at the empty seat next to him. As the hours passed, a nameless anxiety started to gnaw at him. He supposed that it was still possible for it to be a flu or something, but that seemed too convenient.

As lunch started, he caught up with Erina before they could leave the classroom. “Okay, I'm starting to get worried about Nanami as well,” he said. “Yeah. I tried calling her last night, but there wasn't an answer. With her gone today as well...” she said. “Do you know where she lives?” Yuu asked. “No... when we weren't hanging out at school, we were always out doing something.”

As they got out into the school's short hall, Minako and Valen caught up with the two. “What're you two plotting over here?” Minako asked playfully. “We're both really worried about Nanami, actually,” Yuu said. Minako just rolled her eyes. “Look, I think something might seriously be wrong. Put yourself in her shoes. Wouldn't you be here, trying to salvage what you could of your plan?” Yuu asked. “Salvaging her plan?” Erina asked. “We'll explain later,” Minako said, before continuing. “I guess you have a point there. So what do we do?”

“Well, going to her home to check on her seems like it would be the best course of action, but Erina doesn't know where she lives. Did you copy any information from those files before you gave them back?” Yuu asked. “Duh. But I don't have the information with me right now, that's at home,” Minako answered. “Well, we may have to just go get it,” Yuu said.

“What's up my homies?” Cupcake called as she walked toward the small group, munching on a corn dog. “I know it's unlikely, but I don't suppose you have any idea what's going on with Nanami,” Erina asked. “Nope, haven't met her,” Cupcake answered.

“Alright, Minako and I are going to go home and get her address, then go check on her,” Yuu said. “I'm coming along too! I... I can't stand not being sure that everything's alright,” Erina insisted. “Ok then. Valen, Cupcake, you two stay here. We don't need a full third of the class missing for the afternoon. “You can count on me to give you some cover,” Cupcake grinned.

“... crud. We're going to need a car,” Yuu said in a moment of realization. “Don't sweat it,” Cupcake said. “Once you get the address, text it on over to me and I'll get you a ride.” She pulled a slip of paper from one of her pockets and offered it to Yuu. “Here's my number. I was waiting for you to ask for it, but considering the circumstances...”

---

“I'm sorry, Nanami isn't here at the moment.”

After making it home and retrieving the address, Yuu had texted the information to Cupcake. Several minutes later, a cab arrived and brought them to a small gated mansion. The gate was opened after Erina buzzed the inside and let them know who she was.

“We just came by to check on her, we got worried since she hasn't been coming to school,” Yuu said to the woman who answered the door. “Please, Ms. Clark,” Erina said. “I just want to make sure she's alright.”

“The stress of preparing the school for opening had run her down to exhaustion. She promised me that she'd go after taking a week off to recuperate, then asked me to stay here and watch her sister while she checked herself into the Four Seasons downtown to relax. I've been checking with their staff daily to make sure she's alright,” said Ms. Clark.

“Could you give me her room number? You know me, we've been friends for years,” Erina said. “I'd just feel a lot better if I could talk to her.”

“Of course, sweetheart. The room number is 11-204,” the woman said. “Thanks for your time!” Yuu said as Erina said goodbye. The three piled back into the taxi. “Alright, we've got a new destination...”

---

“Second time in a week...” Yuu muttered to himself as the three stood in front of door 11-204. “This is where Miku stayed?” Minako asked. “Huh? Oh, no, that was a different hotel. It's just the second time this week I've tracked down someone I'm worried about to a hotel. Anyhow, here goes nothing,” Yuu answered as he knocked on the door. When there was no answer after half a minute, he tried again.

“Maybe she's not in there...?” Erina tried. “Minako, could you try checking the spas here to see if you can find her?” Yuu asked. “We'll wait here in case she comes back.” “Alright,” Minako said and walked off.

Yuu and Erina waited quietly by the door for several minutes. Suddenly they heard a loud thumping sound coming from the direction of the elevator, before Minako turned the corner and came barreling down the hall. “What's going on?” Yuu shouted, alarmed, as Minako caught up to them. “No time to explain,” she said as she jammed a keycard into the door. The lock clicked, and Minako opened the door.

Yuu was about to ask Minako how she got the key as they stepped into the room, but the thought sputtered out as Yuu got a good whiff of the room. “Smells like Mom's birthday...” Minako muttered. The smell of whiskey hung heavily in the air. Besides the smell, nothing seemed out of place in the front room of the suite. Two doors led off from the main room; presumably, one for the bathroom and one for the bedroom.

Yuu peeked his head in one of the doors, and was almost overwhelmed by the whiskey smell. Inside he saw Nanami lying face down on the bed, a bottle held loosely in her hand. There was still a small amount pooled inside, with a dark stain in the sheets around the bottle; like she had passed out with the bottle still half full, which had then drained out onto the bed. It couldn't have been long ago, as the spot still appeared wet.

Yuu quietly moved over to the bed to check on her. When he got close he noticed another, smaller bottle on the nightstand. He picked it up to take a closer look, and a jolt of alarm shot through his chest as he read the label.

Erina stepped into the room and began to panic as Yuu dropped the bottle of Xanax on the floor. He started pulling at Nanami so he could get at her face. “Minako! Call 911, she's trying to kill herself!” Minako pushed in past Erina and pulled out her phone as she spotted the now spilled bottle of pills on the floor.

Yuu opened Nanami's mouth and tried jamming a finger down her throat. Her body made a small convulsion, like it was trying to gag. 'Good, she's not dead yet...' Yuu thought to himself, and he pulled her a bit further up so he could start pushing on her diaphragm. After several sharp thrusts, he tried jamming his fingers down her throat again.

The abdominal thrusts apparently helped, as this time Nanami threw up. The smell of it immediately overwhelmed Yuu as he then threw up himself. He spat the remnants out onto the floor, then flicked off his fingers and started to clear out Nanami's mouth so she wouldn't aspirate.

Erina stood paralyzed in her spot, crying, as the seconds stretched into minutes. After what felt like an eternity, paramedics finally rushed into the room. Yuu got out of their way as they got to work. A moment later, a stretcher arrived and the paramedics lifted Nanami onto it. “I'm coming along! She's my friend!” Erina said as the paramedics started wheeling Nanami out. “These two are with me!” she added.

The trio followed the paramedics through the hotel. As they crossed through the hotel lobby, the hotel manager strode over to them. Without saying anything, he handed Minako, Yuu, and Erina each a sheet of paper before walking away. Yuu took a brief look at it as he continued to follow the paramedics. The top read, 'Notice of no Trespass'. Yuu shrugged it off, reminding himself to ask Minako about it later. This was more important at the moment.

---

Cupcake was sitting in class, listening to the afternoon lesson, when she felt her phone vibrate. She saw Valen surreptitiously checking her own phone as Cupcake pulled hers out. She quickly read the text message, before shouting out in class. “Holy fucking shitballs!” Every head in the classroom had turned to look at her, and at the front Dianne had been stunned into silence. “Nanami – the girl that belongs in that desk that's been empty all week - tried killing herself! She's in the ambulance on her way to the hospital right now; Yuu, Erina, and Minako are with her!” she told everyone. At that, the whole class started murmuring.

---

Yuu, Erina, and Minako sat in the hospital room with Nanami. She hadn't woken up yet. “Well, we've got a moment,” Yuu said. “Could you explain why we've been kicked out of the hotel?” “Well,” Minako started, “I got to the spa to check for Nanami, when I spotted a key that one of the housekeepers had put down. So I swiped it. Once I got a short distance away, I started booking it since I knew I probably only had a few minutes at best before they called the front desk to report it missing and the key would stop working.”

“I guess it's not like we were ever going to be staying there anyway, I guess. Anyhow, I'm sorry to keep asking you to run errands, but do you think you could call Faye to pick you up, and bring me a change of clothes? And maybe a toothbrush?” “Sure thing,” Minako said as she stood up. She moved over to give Yuu a peck on the forehead, but stalled as she got close. “... I'm sorry, maybe after you've gotten changed. The smell is a bit overwhelming.” “It's fine, I understand,” Yuu gave a half-hearted smile as she walked off.

A minute after Minako left, Erina took a deep breath. “I have to ask about something you mentioned earlier. What did you mean by 'salvage her plan'?”

“Well, Natsumi built the school with this plan of setting me up with a bunch of girls...” Yuu started, before Erina interrupted him. “I know about the plan, I asked her to make me a part of it. I meant the salvage part.” Yuu was stunned into silence for a moment. “I... I had no idea you felt that way, I didn't even know...” Yuu started before Erina interrupted him again. “It's not like that. Tell you what, you finish your explanation and then I'll explain.”

Yuu took a moment before starting again. “Well, last week, before classes started, she had me coming in each day for 'private tutoring' with Di... I mean Ms. Kuroi. It was really just an elaborate ploy to blackmail Ms. Kuroi and I into cooperating with her plan. As you can imagine, we didn't take it too well. On top of that, Minako had been listening nearby. While I left to try and console Ms. Kuroi, Minako had words with Nanami. I don't know exactly what was said, I just know that she got Nanami to give up on the idea that we could be blackmailed. And obviously we were not inclined to cooperate after that. I told her that we'd attend the school so that nobody would have to make any last minute transfers, and left it at that.”

“Now it's your turn,” Yuu said. “Why did you ask Nanami to be a part of her plan?” Erina looked very uncomfortable. She took a look over at Nanami laying in the hospital bed before answering. “The reason is because... I think I'm in love with her,” Erina said nervously. “I had to resign myself years ago to the fact that nothing would ever happen between us. Regardless of how I feel about her, she just isn't attracted to other girls. So I took what I could get and kept being her friend.”

“When she told me about her plan, I asked her to let me be a part of it; I figured it was the only way to be able to get closer to her, all things given. I wasn't too terribly bothered by it; while I am attracted to her, it's not like I'm grossed out by the idea of being with a guy. If it was the same guy as her... that would be close enough for me.”

“Maybe you can clear up a couple of things for me. Just what is it she was trying to accomplish?” Yuu asked. “She wants to save her family as an institution,” Erina said like it was obvious. “She can't have children. Her sister probably can't either. So unless she could find some way to become a mother, then her family line was going to end with them.” “And why couldn't she adopt?” Yuu asked. “I suggested that to her. She wouldn't hear of it. The rest of her family would reject any heir that wasn't actually descended from somebody in the family. Descended from you if you were her husband would be acceptable.”

“And why me?” Yuu asked. “She's actually had a huge crush on you for a couple years now,” Erina said. “I went into this knowing it would probably be you I'd end up with, and I was fine with it as long as Nanami was there.”

Just then, Ms. Clark stepped through the door, with a girl not much older than Rika in tow, who Yuu assumed was Nanami's sister. “Nanami!” the girl exclaimed, and ran over to the bed. “Hi, Kana. It's good to see you here too, Ms. Clark,” Erina said. Ms. Clark stepped over and gave Erina a hug. “I'm so glad you went to check on her today! I'm going to have some words with the hotel manager, they were supposed to be keeping an eye on her! And I'd like to hear their explanation on how she got ahold of those things!” Erina sat back down, as Ms. Clark joined Kana by the hospital bed.

Yuu turned back to Erina. “Well... let's get to know each other then. I mean, if that's how you think it's going to turn out, I'd like to know more about you. Tell me about yourself.” Yuu said, making Erina blush.

---

Minako arrived with a change of clothes and a toothbrush. Faye came in with her to see how things were going. “Initially Mom was furious at you when she got the call that you were sluffing class during the first week of school,” Faye said. “But she cooled down considerably when Minako explained the situation to her.” “Thanks, I appreciate it,” Yuu said as he took his things into a nearby bathroom to clean up. A few minutes later he came out, and dumped his dirty clothes into a bag Minako had brought. “That's better,” Minako said, now kissing Yuu on the forehead.

Just then, the group heard a slight stirring from the bed. Everyone looked over, and saw Nanami's eyes blearily open. “I'm... in the hospital...?” she muttered. “I... wasn't... supposed to wake up...”

Yuu and Erina moved over to the bed, as Kana stood back up. “Nanami!” Erina exclaimed. “I'm so glad! I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't...!” she started. “Erina?” Nanami groaned. “What happened? Who's that other blur standing next to us?” “Yuu saved your life!” Erina exclaimed. Nanami groaned again. “Where are my glasses?” she asked. “Here you go!” Erina said, putting them on Nanami's face. As the world came into focus, Nanami felt a sinking in the pit of her stomach as she realized that Yuu was indeed standing there.

“Why did you...?” she started before Yuu interrupted her. “I'm not okay with what you did to me, but this isn't the answer! That doesn't make anything better!” Yuu insisted. “I'm... truly sorry for what I did...” Nanami started. Her body seemed to be trying to cry but didn't seem to have the strength. “I really am, and I hope... you can forgive me... but... that isn't... the reason,” she struggled to get out. “I... don't know how... I can... save my family. This, at least... I could control.”

“Let's give her some room,” Ms. Clark said, and everybody filed out of the room. “What were you talking about there?” she asked. “Nanami's been feeling more and more down lately about not being able to have children,” Erina said, giving about as much of the truth as she thought Nanami would be okay with. “I didn't realize it had gotten this bad though.” “My goodness, I had no idea she was feeling that way! I... don't know what I can do. I'll try having a talk with her about it later,” Ms. Clark said, walking off with Kana. “Let's head home,” Minako said. She and Faye turned to leave and Yuu moved to follow them, but Erina caught his hand, and he turned to face her.

“Before you go, I just wanted to thank you for today. If you and Minako hadn't been there... I don't think I could have saved her,” Erina said. “Thank you.” Erina looked nervously at Yuu for a moment, before moving in and giving him a quick kiss on the lips. After the initial surprise, Yuu smiled at her, before running off to catch up.

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