Lovesickness, part 01
(slightly long oneshot)
Such a failure on the Shinsengumi First Division Captain, Okita Sougo, to be sent to the hospital with serious injuries.
...and such a failure to be falling for a mere nurse too! *anger*
Tsk! Why the bloody hell did it end up this way?
I had never thought that I would ever fall in love with someone...
...and this is the outcome?
Bull sh*t!
Ahh, but then here I am, in love with a woman.
And what's more, it didn't take me long to accept that fact... (though I will SEPPUKU myself if I EVER let that slip off my tongue without an excuse!)
And then, there are things I've come to realize, because of that feeling.
I had found out that "love" isn't something you decide upon.
It relates to neither logic nor morality.
Only just the rapid thumping of your heart and the body that decides to pilot the body on its bloody own!*anger* (once again!)
How scary this "sickness" is...*sigh*
So the super fast healing body decides to move on its own with a crutch in one hand, escaping the room. Again.
And where my legs lead me, is to the sofa that aligns with the reception of the nurse station, where I see her flustering about the most.
I lower myself onto the sofa and sighing at my incompetence self.
Then as if the sofa had a nurse bell, as soon as I set my ass on it, the one I hear my name being called from across the corridor.
"Ah-! Okita-kun! You're straying about again! How many times have I told you to. stay. put. in. bed!"
The nurse, who comes stomping towards my way with a frown, is the one who makes my pulse rate rise high.
Seriously... she fails as a nurse at that.
"Kotobuki-san! Address him as 'Okita-san'"
"S-Sorry..."I immediately apologise, but this is all because Okita-k... Okita-san had told me not to call him that way...
"Hey, Miss Nurse. I think I'm getting slightly dizzy, so can you assist me back to my room?"
The sly boy smirks as he stares up at me from the sofa.
"If you were able to come all the way here, you should be able to get back on your own! Please go back on your own!"
"Kotobuki-san! It has only been a week after his operation! How rude of you to talk in that manner to a patient like that! Be sure to assist him properly to his room without excuse!"
Immediately after my rant at this troublesome patient, I am scolded by the head nurse again.
I once again apologise deeply before glaring towards the source of problem who returns me an evil smirk.
"Are you allowed to glare at a patient like that? You're gonna get scolded by the head nurse again, Miss Nurse."
He's definitely making fun of me. Playing with me.
Even though he's younger than me!
But then there's me, who just forgives him in the end.
Because this prank-loving Okita-kun just seems too cute to be unforgiving...
I let out a small sigh before helping Okita-kun stand up and snake my hands around his waist to support him to his private room.
I am easily able to support Okita-kun's body, which should be much heavier and harder to support.
I can feel that Okita-kun tries hard not to put his weight upon me.
If he had truly needed support, there would be no way that a weak person like me would be able to even hold him up!
Then why he is making me do this... is definitely because he's trying to bother me and my work!
...but though I complain, my inner self is actually filled with overjoy.
To be able to be in physical contact with Okita-kun is such a happy thought, that I am worried if I am doing a good job at hiding this feeling.
"Hey"
"Yes?"
When Okita-kun lies down on his bed, I pull over the blankets over him, and that's when he starts speaking to me again.
"What's your name?"
Is he trying to bother me again?
"Doesn't it say right here? It is read . ," I say clearly as I point my finger at my name tag.
To that, Okita-kun pouts as he feels that he's been treated dumb and can't read kanji.
But that expression is just so cute...
This kind of cute aura that he emits, definitely tells me that he has an elder sister!
When I think of something, I quickly take action, so... I ask Okita-kun before I know it.
"Um, you don't happen to have an elder sister, do you, Okita-kun?"
"Huh? Ah... yeah, I did."
For a second, he gives me a blank stare for the abrupt question out of the blue, but then replies.
But that reply...
...past tense?
"She passed away last year..."
As if he had read my mind, he replies with a sad smile, and it makes me realise that he had truly loved his sister.
"Oh, sorry..."
My heart throbs.
"Doesn't matter. Anyways, your name."
"Huh? Um... Kotobuki..."
"Name"
"Like I said, Kotob-"
"Name"
"Koto-"
"Name"
I nearly groan at Okita-kun's annoyance, and was going to complain, but when I stare at him, I see his crimson eyes staring right back at me with such seriousness that I come to realise that he's not trying to annoy me.
but the his motive... is it...?
"...Ritsuna."
I try out saying my given name.
And to that, again he emits that "little brother" aura while he enlarges his eyes with surprise.
"Heh~, what a cute name you have."
His smirk comes back on and a reply that makes me heart jolt.
Ah~! Don't say things like that! You're gonna make me blush, you moron!
" R-really...? I think it's a fairly normal name..."
Ah, yes. My face is fully blushing isn't it?
Okita-kun looks at my face and starts chuckling.
"Ri. tsu. na. Okay, you're 'Ricchan' then."
I become surprised at the sudden nickname I'm given, and Okita-kun starts laughing at me again for that.
And like this... I am always washed away by him and his wildness.
Even though it's still only one week since the first day we've met...
*sigh*
The first time when Okita-kun had been carried in to the hospital, he had been unconscious.
Apparently he had protected a fellow mate from a bomb and had been thrown onto a nearby building, breaking a leg, puncturing his guts, and major bruises here and there.
To have such an injury when he's only just 19...
I had felt relieved to know that he hadn't been thrown head first onto the building...
That's what I had thought when I had heard of his condition, and had sighed in relief.
It was then that the injured boy had groaned and had started to stir awake.
"Okita-san. Can you hear me? You're at the hospital now."
The eyes had squinted before revealing breathtaking, beautiful crimson eyes which had stared right into mine and had made my heart skip a beat.
"Okita-san. Can you hear me? You're at the hos-"
"Shut up! Once said is enough!"
"..."
His rudeness had shocked me so much that I had become speechless.
...how indignant!
The boy had seemed really frustrated with something.
And from then onwards, he had hid his face with an arm and had stayed silent.
After the operation and a night's worth of rest, I had to go and visit the boy.
But as I had thought, he still had a very infuriated look, which it had made me hesitant to go near.
But as a nurse, I should do my work without an excuse!
That's what I had said to myself and stepped forward.
"How are you feeling?"
I had bravely start a conversation as I check the meter on his medical systems surrounding his bed, but not receiving a reply, I had switched my gaze towards the patient.
"How are you feeling?"
He didn't reply the second time either.
In fact, he hadn't even looked towards my way and had just glared outside the window, which had nearly made me sigh.
Well, I guess there are these kinds of patients too...
I had almost given up on this patient, and was about to move to the next patient, when I thought I had seen those crimson eyes flicker towards my way for a second.
Huh?
I had stared at the patient again, but I saw no difference with his face expression or the direction he was staring, so I nearly think that it had been just my imagination, but he gave me proof that I hadn't been seeing things.
"...The nurse from last night?"
"Eh? Oh, um... yes," I had replied.
To that, he had then slowly faced my way and before I had realised it, his previous scary face expression had been wiped away.
"...my bad."
That's the only thing he had said, before he had turned back to what he had been doing.
But only those few words had made me feel warm inside, and echo in my mind like bells chiming tranquilly.
After that, he had started talking to me bit by bit.
Although according to the other nurses, he doesn't give a word to anybody else.
Well, he doesn't talk to me at all either if I address him as 'Okita-san'.
He says that since he's younger, it's weird for me to be calling his name with a '-san'.
Well... he does have a point...
But consequently, I am the only one special to him.
But how I am special to him is that I'm just a really good toy to be picked on and teased at with his pranks!
Because he has pulled a prank at me from the first ever actual conversation we've had!
"...Miss Nurse. I think this miso soup is a bit too spicy for me..."
"Eh? I wonder why... That shouldn't be so..."
"Please try it out yourself."
And before I had been able to refuse him, he had put the miso soup bowl right against my lips, so I take just one sip from the bowl.
"~~~~~~~~~!"
I make out an eerie voice as my eyes water.
The soup was...
...EXTREMELY SPICY!
Indeed it was spicy... but this taste...
It's definitely mustard! And not only that, it was a WHOLE HEAP in there!
Something that shouldn't ever be in there.
And I don't even have to ponder who had put it in there.
Beside me, is the culprit who is laughing his head off with his crimson eyes gleaming with sadistic joy.
Such situations keep coming on and on by the never-ending sadistic thoughts by the infamous extreme sadist, Okita Sougo.
There's even a rumour that he is the most sadistic torturer of the Shinsengumi police.
With no doubt his glare and infuriated face is so fearsome that it makes the back of your spine chill...
Such a beautiful face structure, yet a bloodcurdling expression.
Like a tiger.
But I now come to realise that that's only a mere mask to hide his weak side.
The Okita-kun who sets mischievously pull pranks, and then laughs evilly but cutely in victory when his pranks are a success, is like a cub without fangs.
And it makes me feel, that this side of Okita-kun is who he truly is.
Even on the first day that we met, he had probably been mad at himself for being in such a pitiful state and was such a failure for a person like him to be here.
He was drowning so deeply in those emotions, that he accidentally put his anger out on me.
But he understood that he was at wrong and had apologised to me properly.
And before I knew it, I just wanted to see that side of him so much, that I know he's up to something but I just throw my self forward to those pranks and go visit him frequently.
Okita-kun isn't the fearsome guy that everybody says he is.
He's just slightly clumsy at making friends.
Just slightly putting on his guard too strongly and can't loosen it well.
His inner self, is just a gentle and caring person... is what I think he is.
So then time flies quickly and two weeks after Okita-kun's operation, he is ready to leave the hospital already.
"Please be more careful from now on. Don't overdo yourself and put yourself in danger! Please make this the last visit to the hospital, okay?"
I smile warmly and send Okita-kun off.
"Okay. Then, I'll see you again when I'm severely injured again."
He warmly smiles back in reply.
"Are you listening to what people are saying!? I JUST SAID to NOT OVERDO yourself and to BE CAREFUL! Please, don't put yourself in danger anymore!"
I growl at Okita-kun who had purposely teased me and glare at him who bends over from laughter.
...is it THAT funny!?
"Sorry, I can't promise that, Ricchan. That's the kind of thing I do for a job."
He laughs and replies like that as if he is being sarcastic.
It's not something to be laughing at, you idiot!
I then suddenly remember the first time I saw Okita-kun.
The bloody appearance and the gruesome wounds...
And then the expression he was wearing when he was drowning with hate directed at himself...
"...I don't want to see... that suffering expression of yours anymore, Okita-kun."
Ah... I probably made a face I shouldn't have.
As a nurse, I was supposed to send off patients with a warm smile...
Yet I probably failed at that and I'm probably looking as though I'm about to cry.
Because Okita-kun looks a bit troubled.
"Well, I guess I can be a bit more careful... just for your sake, Ricchan?"
Okita-kun says that, and then puts his big, gentle hand upon my head.
I memorise the feel of his hand that gently pats my head before he turns round and raise a hand while he sets off, without looking back.
"Thanks for taking care of me."
Cye: It took soooooo loooong to update! Urgh! So many stuff going on and motivation and etc etc.
This oneshot was longer than I expected... so I'm going to break it into two parts.
So yes, THIS IS NOT THE END! There will be a part 2!
And this isn't as angst-y and depressing as my usual.
I attempted to make it funny even! TRIED! XP
And tried to make it a bit romantic.
Thanks for reading and faving and reviewing!
Love to all the supporters out there for me!