The Ghost of His Past (BNHA)

Chapter Nine

~Enji's POV~

               By lunchtime, Mel still hadn't returned from the nurse's office. Skipping lunch, I bypassed the cafeteria and made my way toward the nurse's office.  As I rounded the corner of the hallway where the nurse's office was located, I spotted the annoying blonde that had carried Mel off. He called her Mel and it annoyed me. She'd said only people she regarded highly were given that privilege though I thought maybe at the time she was just trying to make me feel better.  His bright blue eyes turned to me and he raised his hand in greeting smiling happily.

               I brushed past him coolly, without a word, I didn't have time for such a nuisance. He turned with an aloof 'huh?' and watched me walk away as he stood there scratching his head like the idiot he was. It irritated me that Mel let someone as annoying as him get close to her. When he'd carried her away earlier, I thought I might accidentally set everything around me ablaze.

               Stopping at the door to the nurse's office I hesitated as I realized I didn't really have a good excuse to be here. Gritting my teeth in frustration I knocked on the door. There was no answer. Perhaps the nurse had stepped out for lunch. I opened the door and peered inside. There were two hospital like beds in the room. My heart stuttered in my chest as I looked to the occupied one and saw Mel's sleeping form, resting soundly.

               I stepped forward, slowly. The cuts that had appeared all over her body were now closed but some of them appeared to have left faint scars. I traced one of the crisscross shaped scars on her arm with a frown. What was she doing here? This was supposed to be my time to get stronger, so I could keep her safe and already I was failing. My gaze fell on her dark raven hair splayed across the pillow before sweeping down to her pale face. She looked so angelic when she slept. I'd noticed it the night of her birthday when I'd spent the night with her in the mausoleum.

               "...Enji..." She breathed my name in her sleep, sounding like she was in pain.

               "Mel?" My heart dropped at the pain in her voice and I reached out to take her hand. "It's okay."

               "Enji, help." She sounded so helpless. I thought I'd seen a flicker of a mischievous smile wriggle onto her lips for a brief moment but it was gone in an instant, perhaps just a trick of the light.

               "Mel, wake up." I squeezed her hand in mine.

               "Only one thing will help." She trembled looking so pale and feeble. I wanted to hold her in my arms.

               "What?" I asked unsure if she could hear me or not. She was having some kind of vivid dream that seemed to be distressing her. "What'll help, Mel?"

               "Flaming Fu Manchu!" She giggled as her bright blue green eyes fluttered open.

               I released her hand and shot her a glare as I felt my entire body begin to burn with embarrassment, she tricked me, again. "Why do I bother?" I grumbled bitterly but I couldn't keep from smiling as her beautiful lyrical laughter filled the room.

               Mel sat up with a sly smile, "You're too easy, Enji-kun." Though she was putting on a brave face I noticed her wince in pain as she sat upright. Whatever that third year had done to her, even Recovery Girl's healing was slow to fix.

               "Yeah, yeah." I sighed, "Are you done playing invalid?"

               She smiled, "Maybe."

               I folded my arms in front of my chest, "What's that supposed to mean?"

               "Well there's something you could do to make me feel better, Enji-kun." Her smile turned wicked.