Chapter 862: I have the worst boss ever

At the same time...

Nina sat down on the chair beside Finn’s bed, clasping his hand with a beautiful smile on her face. She had dolled up a bit, knowing she had to look presentable, even though it was only a reunion — not even an alumni reunion.

"If you were awake, I’d be your plus-one," she whispered, moving from the chair to sit on the edge of the bed. "Of course, that is, if this reunion happened way back."

Her smile faltered slightly as she squeezed his hand gently. "I’ll be back, Finn," she whispered. "Everyone’s going to be there, and I’ll tell you all about it when I’m back, okay?"

"I’m just going because I know Penny needs some moral support. She doesn’t like the attention, and hopefully, she doesn’t get too much of it," Nina remarked, almost laughing at herself as she realized how that sounded. But her intention was pure — Penny hated too much attention.

Penny could tolerate a little attention, but too much was like torture for her.

"It’ll be quick," Nina continued, sighing heavily as she stared at Finn’s face. She slowly reached out to caress his cheek with her fingertips. "Don’t get too bored, okay?"

Nina sat idle for a while, knowing it was still too early to be there. However, she didn’t stay long, bidding the patient "see you later" before picking up her things. When she reached the door, she looked back at him one last time before slowly closing it behind her.

Silence quickly dominated the ward the moment the door shut. With only the heart rate monitor beeps filling the loud silence, the eyes underneath Finn’s eyelids flickered. Soon, his eyes cracked open weakly.

Finn blinked his eyes until his vision cleared. He stared at the ceiling quietly and motionlessly, catching the door slide open in his peripheral vision. Soon, the person who entered the ward stood beside the bed, and Finn slowly turned his eyes to meet the person’s gaze.

A shallow breath slipped past Finn’s nostrils, his lips parting as he tried to get out a word, which he eventually succeeded. "Nina... protect her... not me... please," a tear rolled down his temple, aware of all of Nina’s efforts since his accident, right up until now that he was awake.

As he thought about it, his chest moved up and down heavily, making the heart rate monitor beep loud and fast.

***

It only took Nina half an hour to reach the Summit School of Excellence. The school and the hospital were just thirty minutes away from each other, so she didn’t have to rush. In fact, she was probably the closest to the venue.

Walking through the driveway of the school, Nina couldn’t help but smile as she took in the scenery around her. There weren’t many changes at the school, aside from a few additional buildings and some updated landscape designs. However, the exterior still looked as new as if it hadn’t been over a decade since she left the school.

"It’s still the same," she whispered with a smile, holding her hand behind her as she walked slowly, appreciating the scenery.

There were bad memories tied to this school — one of them being the flowerpot incident. There was also bullying, but Nina knew it was what she deserved for her past actions. However, there were also good memories to cherish from her time at the school.

"I learned a lot from this place," she murmured, smiling. "Despite all the good and bad, I appreciate everything I’ve experienced and learned here."

Nina raised her brows when she noticed someone on the side. Turning her head, her lips stretched into a smile the moment she saw a petite woman waving at her to get her attention.

"Yuri," she breathed out, watching Yuri tap her feet a few times before she took a running stance. After a beat, Yuri sprinted toward Nina, making Nina’s smile twitch slightly.

"Nina!" Yuri exclaimed, causing Nina to lean back a little as Yuri nearly couldn’t stop herself in time with her speed.

"Yuri, that was scary," Nina blurted out quietly. "I thought for a second you were the Flash."

"Haha!" Yuri grinned, scratching the back of her head. "As a physical education teacher and the detention adviser, I need to be fast. Students run pretty fast, and someone has to catch them."

Nina smiled awkwardly. "Is that so?"

"Yep! So!" Yuri grinned from ear to ear, tipping her eyeglasses up her nose. "You came!"

"Hehe. Am I early?"

"I don’t think so. Some of your friends have been here since morning."

"Some of my friends... you mean Lily?"

"And Ginnie, and a few others. The former varsity players from the basketball team are also here to help Lily. Of course, I helped too. They’re really fun people," Yuri grinned excitedly, which was rare since she usually acted like she was at the last strand of her life.

"Oh." Nina rocked her head, her mouth forming an O-shape. "They should’ve told me so I could lend a hand too."

Yuri waved her off. "Would they be your friends if they asked you for help when they already know that you’ve been working hard and taking care of an ex-fiancé?"

Nina smiled subtly, pressing her lips into a thin line as her eyes softened. She nodded, her hand reaching to hold Yuri’s arm.

"Yuri, I missed you," she said. "I always stop by the house, but you’re always so busy with school."

"Blame the school for that," Yuri shook her head mildly and sighed. "I thought once I became a teacher, my life would be easier. It’s either that, or I applied to the wrong school. I have the worst boss ever — reminds me of my nonsense, evil brother."

Nina chuckled as Yuri cast her a look. The two of them laughed, heading to the gymnasium with Nina’s hand clinging to Yuri’s. Although Nina was obviously taller than Yuri, she felt like the little sister between them. After all, Yuri might have been a meek young girl growing up, but whenever anyone tried to pick on Nina, she would always transform into a monster, someone Yugi was terrified of.

Moreover, Yuri had looked after Nina like a big sister, even though they were only a few months apart.

As the two of them walked toward the gymnasium, a car slowed down and pulled over to their side. It stopped, and Nina and Yuri turned their heads, only to see Jonathan lower his head to look at them.

"Hey there," he smiled kindly, making Yuri furrow her brows.

When Yuri glanced at Nina, she saw her smile falter briefly before stretching back to its usual form. Yuri pursed her lips and carefully set her eyes back on the man.