Although it only took a moment for my collar to slip off my shoulder, that fleeting instant was enough for Amy's angelic mask to crack.
"…Haruya."
Her voice was soft, but there was tension beneath it. She gently lifted the collar of my shirt, pulling it back into place with careful fingers. Even though I'd already told her several times that someone ambushed me in the hallway, she'd insisted on checking for herself—and here we were.
"What I saw before… wasn't just a bruise. And what I see now… definitely isn't a bruise."
Amy's gaze lingered on the faint marks on my skin. I hadn't even noticed them myself, but this time, it was undeniably my fault.
"…Sorry," I muttered.
Amy's expression softened, but only slightly. "This time, you don't need to apologize. It wasn't your fault someone attacked you. But Haruya… you shouldn't hide it from me."
She reached into her bag and produced the little badge she always carried—not the one from her idol persona, but the tiny one she kept as a reminder of the only person she believed in. As she clipped it to my pocket, I could see the way her face settled into determination.
"I told you before: why can't I worry about you? And even if I didn't want to, I… I can't help worrying."
Her lips trembled just a little at the corners. That was the funny thing about Amy. Even when she was trying to play it cool, her emotions were always written all over her face.
"It doesn't matter how it happened," she continued. "I won't ask anything more. But next time, don't hide it from me, okay?"
Her voice was steady, but barely. She wasn't angry—she was upset that she hadn't been able to protect me. I knew she wanted to just lean on me and let me be the strong one, but reality had flipped our roles. Even so, she tried to sound normal.
Then she suddenly changed the subject.
"Also… about the class leader." Amy's expression darkened. "She was lying beside you earlier. She definitely didn't faint."
I blinked. "…You're sure?"
"How would I not know?" She lifted an eyebrow. "I tried exactly the same trick with you before. I know a fake faint when I see one."
I wanted to ask when exactly she'd ever pretended to faint around me, but I kept quiet. That probably wasn't something I should pry into.
Amy slowly moved her hands away from my shirt and gave me a small, forced smile. "Anyway… I'm sure someone attacked her too. You don't bruise that badly from slipping."
Her voice wavered, but she steadied herself, propping her legs up on the bed to ease the circulation. She was clearly exhausted, yet even now she was more concerned about me than herself.
"You still think about others even after all that…" she murmured.
Then she straightened up and tapped my shoulder lightly—right on the injured side.
"Ow—!"
"I'm checking if you're really hurt." She said it with a haughty nod, pretending it wasn't intentional. "If you faint from that, you're definitely not faking."
I sighed. "Amy, I'm not the one pretending to faint."
"Good. Then stay that way." She took a breath, then smiled faintly. "Because I'd be really upset if you ever tried to trick me like that."
She reached forward, as if to touch my shoulder again, then hesitated. Instead, she rested her hand lightly against my sleeve.
"…Haruya," she said softly. "Just don't get hurt again."
Her voice was quiet—much quieter than usual. Normally, she'd keep up her idol-like confidence, her diva-like arrogance, or her teasing tone. But right now she sounded like the real Amy. The one who didn't put on a show for anyone. The one who got scared when I got hurt.
She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them again with determination.
"I don't need to know who attacked you. I don't need to know what you're hiding. I won't force you to explain. Just…" She swallowed. "…next time, tell me if something happens."
I couldn't help smiling. "You sound like Lei Feng."
"Don't compare me to Lei Feng!" she immediately snapped back, eyes widening—or at least, I thought they widened, but maybe that was just my imagination, since her sunglasses hid half her face. "I'm not doing good deeds anonymously! I'm doing them because I—because I…" Her voice caught. "…because it's you."
I heard the unspoken words clearly.
Because it's you, Haruya.
She looked away quickly, pretending to check her phone, pretending she wasn't blushing.
"Anyway," she said, clearing her throat. "Just don't make me worry like that again."
She tried to sound bossy.
She failed completely.
After a few seconds, she relaxed her posture and sighed. "Let's just head back. You've missed enough school today."
I nodded. "Yeah. Let's go."
Amy reached for the edge of the bed and braced herself before hopping down carefully—she still wasn't fully recovered. Her legs shook, so I instinctively placed a hand under her arm to steady her.
She froze.
"…Haruya."
"Yeah?"
"If you tell anyone I needed help getting down, I will never forgive you."
"Got it."
She exhaled through her nose like a tiny dragon trying to sound intimidating, then leaned lightly against me until she regained her balance.
"Okay," she muttered. "Now let's go."
I smiled.
Even like this—even when she was pretending to be strong—Amy was still Amy.
And honestly?
I wouldn't have her any other way.