It is usually pretty easy to guess whether Shizune and Misha have shown up to class yet before I even get to the door, which is why I am surprised to find them both situated at their desks first thing in the morning despite a completely quiet classroom. Misha, uncharacteristically, seems to be preoccupied with schoolwork, leaving Shizune sitting quietly next to her with her nose in a book.
I take a moment to glance around the room as I head to my desk. Naomi apparently hasn't shown up yet even though Natsume is already here, surprising given that they usually come in as a pair. Attendance is always spottiest on Monday morning, which is clear from the four or five missing students. Granted, some of them may just not have gotten to class yet, but I am hardly early myself. Then again, class is supposed to be starting just about now, and yet there is still no sign of Mutou anywhere.
I wave briefly to Natsume before heading to my seat, and Shizune lifts her head just enough to greet me.
"Good morning," I say uncertainly.
Obviously, she can't hear me, but apparently she can tell I said hello because she gives me a smile and a small wave. Unfortunately, that is about the extent of our ability to communicate with one another.
"Misha."
"Hm?" Hearing her name called, Misha throws her head up from her desk, and the drills in her hair bob off the side of her head like yo-yos. "Oh, sorry, Hicchan! How are you this morning?"
"I'm alright." I take my seat and glance at the schoolwork on her desk, which she conspicuously covers with one arm. "Isn't it a little late to be finishing your homework?"
"Mm… Shicchan and I were pretty busy yesterday…"
"Well, did she finish it?"
Misha glances over at Shizune with a self-conscious frown. "…She's better at it than me."
"Could have asked her for help."
"I know that! We usually do our homework together." She energetically jabs a finger in the air, which slowly droops as she trails off. "It's just that yesterday we had Student Council obligations, so I couldn't work on it until late at night… and then I kind of… fell asleep…"
"Why didn't you just do it on Saturday afternoon?"
"Why are you so curious, Hicchan~?" Misha asks with a grin, turning away from her papers for the first time. "Didn't you finish yours?"
"Sure I did. But I was busy yesterday, too. I thought it was pretty easy, which is why I was curious…"
Apparently this embarrasses Misha a little bit, because she immediately becomes a little defensive and turns back to her desk. "What were you so busy doing?"
"Newspaper stuff." I shrug. "Not that it's any of your business."
"Hahaha! If you keep spending time with Inoue, you're going to make Shicchan jealous, you know! She is already a little upset that you haven't been hanging out with us lately."
"What? I thought you wanted me for work…"
"Well, maybe it's a little bit of both…!"
She giggles loudly and waves a hand at me before making another attempt at finishing her homework, which completely and immediately deadens her enthusiasm.
A few minutes pass in silence before anyone else enters the room, though to my surprise it is not Mutou but Naomi, who has apparently decided to come to class separate from Natsume for the first time in almost a week.
She spots me almost immediately and smirks, throwing her backpack over her shoulder to fish through one of the pockets and taking off toward my desk. Shizune sets down her book with irritation as she approaches.
"Morning, Hisao," Naomi murmurs absentmindedly, not looking up from her backpack.
I lean into my desk. "You do realize your desk is back there, right?"
"I don't need your lip." With a sigh, she pulls a rolled-up newspaper out of her backpack and drops it limply on my desk. "Take one of these. I have seven, and they're clogging up my backpack."
"Cool. Thanks." It's actually fortuitous that Naomi was carrying around spares, because I never got a copy yesterday afternoon. Maybe I would have if I hadn't left early to get my homework done… if only I were as dedicated to extracurricular obligations as Misha is.
Naomi stands around for a moment as she readjusts her backpack, giving Shizune just enough time to raise a hand above her head and get everyone's attention with a loud snap. Misha turns to her, distressed, and Shizune gestures to Naomi before signing something.
"How do I file a complaint with the newspaper, Inoue?"
"Oh, man." Naomi throws up her hands, unimpressed. "I don't know. Nobody has ever filed a formal complaint before. We don't have a procedure. What is the problem?"
"You're publishing libel." Misha giggles aloud as she interprets this, which prompts a harsh glare from Shizune.
"We publish school news. Is this about the food shortage during the festival? Because as far as I've heard that can all be traced back to a filing error that the Student Council made."
Shizune frowns disapprovingly but hesitates when she tries to come up with a fair retort.
"Look, I didn't write that story. Natsume did." Naomi points a finger toward the back of the room. "If you have a problem, you should be taking it up with her." She glances at me out of the corner of her eye. "Hisao's in the newspaper club, too. Why didn't you go after him?"
Gee, thanks, Naomi.
I shrug hurriedly. "Hey, I don't want any part of this!"
Shizune and Naomi both shoot me the same look, and I slide back in my seat.
"Hicchan is just an editor!" After a moment of thought, Shizune turns back to Naomi and taps Misha on the shoulder. "Besides, I thought you were supposed to be in charge, Inoue."
"Well, everyone knows I'm the boss, but only in practice. Technically, there is nobody in charge."
"If you are going to insist on being the boss then it should be your duty to speak for your newspaper. I take issue with what is being published, not just written, so that is a problem of leadership! You are making me look bad!" Misha bursts out laughing after interpreting this, which prompts a brief sign-language exchange between her and Shizune. "Oh, what Shicchan meant to say was, it makes the Student Council look bad~!"
Naomi crosses her arms smugly. "We report the truth. If you don't want the Student Council to look bad, then maybe you shouldn't do things that make you look bad."
"That's an easy way to deflect blame. The reputation of our student government reflects on the whole school. You should show some respect for authority!"
"Speak for yourself. It's the media's job to keep the people in power in check, Hakamichi." Naomi smirks condescendingly. "One day, when you're supreme dictator of the universe, we are going to be the only ones keeping you in line. Maybe you should show a little respect yourself! Personally, I am proud of what we publish."
I turn the newspaper in my hands to the second page, where Natsume's treasonous article is printed. Shizune's name does not actually appear anywhere in it, but I imagine she takes any criticism of the Student Council as a personal affront. Not hard to believe, considering she literally does half of the work for it herself, or possibly more.
"On that note," Naomi continues proudly, "I think this issue turned out really well, Hisao. You did a great job considering this was your first time."
I flip through the pages to the back cover and give a small shrug. "Thanks, but I just did what Natsume told me to. And besides, it's my job now, right?"
"Natsume is even more of a control freak than I am, so as far as I'm concerned just being able to meet her specifications is pretty impressive by itself. And technically it's Takashi's job."
"Oh. Right."
Takashi and I are listed with our photographs side-by-side at the very bottom of the page, below Naomi's giant advertisement for the newspaper club. We're both listed as "Editor", though as far as I know Takashi did not actually contribute anything to this week's paper.
"I know you don't like your picture, but you have to admit: it feels kind of good to see your name in print, doesn't it?" asks Naomi encouragingly.
…Yeah, actually, it kind of does. It surprises me, considering how little it feels like I actually contributed, but I feel a small twinge of pride at being credited here. I suppose when it's in print, it feels like I've made some kind of permanent impression on something. That's an unusual feeling.
"I dunno. I guess."
"'You guess'. Alright, whatever, tough guy. You'll get a taste for it; everyone always does."
"Maybe."
Naomi snickers at that, but gets cut off before she can speak as the classroom door bursts open and Mutou barrels in, looking exhausted.
He only glances up once from the book in his hand, gesturing toward Naomi. "Please take your seat, Inoue."
With a sigh, Naomi slumps away from my desk and starts off toward the back of the room, exchanging glances with Natsume.
"I'm sorry I'm late everyone; I just want to get right to work today." Mutou drops the book he was carrying on his desk and glances around the room briefly, still disheveled. "Okay, we'll be doing group work, so once everyone is paired up, I'll collect your homework and we can start class.
Misha glances back and forth between him and her desk. "…Uh, oh."
"This is the end for me…"
"No, it isn't."
"Yes, it is…"
"Why can't it be the end for you in 45 minutes, when we're actually finished?"
"You don't understand, Hicchan…" Misha sighs, sprawling her arms out on the desk with an exaggerated pout. "This doesn't come naturally to me… I don't have the motivation for it…"
Despite her imitation of fatigue, she still apparently has enough energy to jump up and sign it all to Shizune.
"Some luck I have, stuck with this group."
I say that, and yet looking around the room I am the only one who doesn't just have a single partner (save for Hanako, of course, who is working alone). But I don't think three heads are better than two unless they are all actually working together.
"It's okay, Hicchan… I'm already on thin ice with Mutou, he can just scold me for this when he stops to scold me about my homework…"
"Misha…"
I take a few moments to figure out how to coax her out of it. In the meantime, Shizune- apparently not feeling very diplomatic- comes up with a solution of her own, and smacks Misha on the back of the head with a rolled up stack of papers.
"Ow!" Misha whines sorely, though her grimace quickly morphs into a smile out of affection. Shizune, in turn, signs something that does not seem very affectionate, but Misha doesn't translate it. They have a brief conversation that I am completely excluded from.
"Are you done?" I ask curtly.
"Shicchan says I'm being a defeatist… but I don't think I can be a defeatist if I've already been defeated. You should settle it, Hicchan~!"
Misha grins, though there is a hint of guilt to it which reads to me like stalling.
"I don't think it really matters one way or the other."
Shizune glares at me for not taking her side and signs something directly at me. "That's a copout!" Misha chirps.
Even when she is supposed to be on my side, Shizune can never let me off the hook for anything. Maybe Hanako has the right idea.
I rap my pencil on my desk impatiently and briefly lock eyes with Mutou, who has apparently been solely focused on our group for the last couple of minutes. Misha's voice is easy to hear even despite all the other groups working… if we get in trouble, I will never let these two forget it for as long as we live.
Mutou narrows his eyes, clearly considering whether or not to say anything, but before he gets the opportunity, our stare-down is interrupted by a well-timed cry from the back of the room.
"-Excuse me!"
Naomi's voice cuts through the noise in the room in an instant, more of a shriek than a request. She stands and shoots a hand in the air with cold urgency, and everyone else's voice dies down near simultaneously.
"Mutou, I think I'm about to have a attack."
…Oh, God, that doesn't sound good.
Mutou seems alarmed for about half a second before collecting himself, letting out a quiet groan and putting a hand to his head uncertainly. After a moment of thought, he says, "You're sure? Are you fit to go to the nurse?"
"Err…" Naomi puts a hand to her forehead and blinks slowly, apparently considering the question. "…I don't think so. –Call the nurse, please."
"Ooe, would you please…?" Mutou says sternly, taking on a serious tone that I have only heard from him a handful of times before. "Everyone be quiet for a moment."
Anyone who was still murmuring shuts up immediately, save for Naomi and Natsume, who chatter anxiously to each other in the back of the room. The air is tense enough to cut with a knife as Mutou picks up the phone from his desk, even though Naomi herself really does not look all that worried.
Naomi slumps inelegantly onto the ground next to her chair with her arms spread out behind her, and the few people around her pull their desks away to give her more floor space. Hanako leans uneasily on the cabinet in the back of the room with her hands at her chest, looking on the verge of a panic attack.
And then Naomi has a seizure, just like that. On the ground, in the back of the classroom. Natsume rushes to try and help turn her onto her side, but Naomi's whole chest spasms as she does and she rolls right onto her back again. After that, Natsume just throws up her hands and backs away.
The room is extremely quiet and self-conscious for half a minute, like everyone is waiting in suspense for Naomi to injure herself or something. She never seems to; instead she just alternates between convulsing violently for a few seconds and lying still and rigid on the floor.
It's hard to watch- much harder to watch than I would have expected. Maybe it's just the fact that it's one of my friends, but there's something so objectifying about it- like she is completely out of control, at the mercy of her body. Thinking about it makes me sick.
Nothing like this has happened to me- or around me, I suppose- at Yamaku before, though I guess it was bound to sooner or later. I wish it weren't Naomi, not that I would ever want to wish it on anyone else, instead. But with her… it makes me feel especially helpless, just sitting around watching it happen.
Eventually she stops convulsing altogether, and her limbs slump dully to her sides. After about ten seconds of this, Natsume kneels down next to her, and Naomi finally shows some uneasy signs of consciousness.
Mutou approaches quickly and exchanges a glance with Natsume, who straightens her glasses austerely. Naomi half-rolls over and sits up, though she looks very faint.
"Naomi?" Natsume holds onto Naomi's shoulder, speaking slowly and precisely.
Naomi blinks once and tilts her head a little to the side, looking disoriented.
"Naomi?" Natsume repeats. "Are you alright?"
"Mm."
"Yes? Do you know what happened?"
Naomi closes her eyes and nods groggily. "Mhm. Had an attack. I remember."
"Did you hurt yourself?"
"I don't think." She groans quietly and presses her tongue against the inside of her cheek. "Mm. Bit my tongue."
"Is it serious?"
"Don't think so. How long…?"
"About a minute."
"Oh…"
"I'm going to take you to the nurse. Okay?"
"Mm. Yes." Naomi nods again, more firmly in order to be reassuring. "Yes. Thank you."
"Can I help you up?"
"Yeah. Thanks."
Naomi digs her hands into Natsume's shoulder and pulls herself to her feet, stumbling a little. Natsume holds tightly to her side.
"I talked to the nurse," says Mutou. "Will you two be alright on your own?"
"Yes. Thank you," Natsume replies quietly.
"Okay."
"Sorry," mutters Naomi.
"It's alright, Inoue. Just try to get some rest."
"Thanks…"
Naomi straightens herself out a little to shake Natsume off, though Natsume still holds onto her arm. The two of them walk promptly out of the classroom without giving anyone else a second glance, including me.
"Straighten the desks out, please," Mutou instructs as he walks back to the front of the classroom. "Sorry for the interruption. –Erm." Looking a little disheveled, he sorts through a few of the papers on his desk before remembering what he was talking about. "You can continue working. I'll expect your worksheets tomorrow at the beginning of class."
Everyone converges into their groups again like nothing happened. Mutou picks up the phone again, I assume to touch base with the nurse.
Misha slides her chair loudly into her desk and signs something to Shizune, then turns to me. "Are you okay, Hicchan?"
"Huh?" I look Misha uncertainly in the eye, taken a little aback by her look of concern. "Yeah. Of course…"
"You looked really worried about her."
"No, I just… I was just surprised. Has that… happened in class before?"
"Mhm, once or twice. But she's going to be okay! You don't need to be worried about her~!"
"Alright. Thanks."
Misha grins brightly and turns to the side to return to our group work, which Shizune seems more than eager to do as well.
The rest of the class drags on for an eternity, and I find myself much too distracted to be any use to my group, leaving poor Shizune with her hands full between Misha and me.
Natsume returns to the classroom before too long, and works on her own for the rest of the class. I can't help but notice how odd it seems to see Natsume and Hanako both working alone even though they are the only two without a partner, and they're sitting a desk apart from one another.
I do my best not to think about Naomi, which of course makes it very difficult to think about anything else. My thoughts drift back to the festival, and how forlorn she looked sitting around by herself when I went to see her. It seems unfair to me that Natsume couldn't stay there with her.
At the same time, this same exact thing happened to her just last week… does she have to get stuck by herself in the nurse's office every single time she has an attack? I feel so guilty leaving her by herself, and yet I don't know why I feel any sense of obligation in the first place…
By the time Mutou lets us out for lunch, my mind is basically made up, even while I realize how petty and counterproductive it is. I stand to leave at the earliest opportunity, but am swiftly cut off by Shizune, who smiles and signs something to my face.
"Do you want to have lunch with us, Hicchan? We could finish our homework together. That is, if you aren't too busy running off with the oh-so-important newspaper club…!" Misha says it without a hint of Shizune's obviously intended sarcasm. Sometimes I wonder if Shizune is even aware of the conspicuous disconnect between her signing and Misha's interpreting.
I raise a hand and awkwardly attempt to brush past her, though Shizune makes this difficult. "Sorry. I already have plans."
"Just because I was going to invite you doesn't mean it isn't rude to assume, Hisao." As though conjured by my attempt to escape the conversation, Natsume materializes at my side, even more expectant than Shizune, as though that's possible.
"Oh." I turn and take a step backward to face the small crowd gathered around Shizune's desk. "Uh, thanks for the offer, Natsume, but I was talking about something else. I was thinking I might… go check on Naomi, see if she's doing okay…"
"Is that so?" Natsume raises an eyebrow with intrigue. "Well, I doubt there will be much to see, to be honest. She's probably asleep right now. But if she isn't, wish her well for me."
"Do you want to come along?"
"What I want is to eat lunch. But I think Naomi would rather see you on your own anyway."
"What? Why?"
"I just think that sounds like a personal affair," Natsume replies dodgily. "But thanks for the invitation. I'll see you this afternoon."
With a flourish, Natsume excuses herself, leaving me alone with the Student Council brigade. The two of them sign briefly to each other, but Misha doesn't translate it, as though I wasn't feeling out of the loop enough as it is.
"We will excuse you this time, Hicchan, since it's not a matter of business," Misha declares loudly, getting out of her seat. "Tell Inoue we said hi, okay~?"
"Will do."
"Okey-dokey! See you later, Hicchan!"
Misha brushes past me, and Shizune follows shortly after. I always feel like they know something I don't when they starting signing in private to each other.
I realize I am setting myself up for embarrassment by going to see Naomi, of course, but I'm not going to feel comfortable until I do, so it's not much of a deterrent. Without anything else to do beforehand, I sling my bag over my shoulder and head straight outside to go to the auxiliary building. Yet another beautiful day outside, and here I am planning to squander it… again.
The halls near the nurses' offices are definitely busier than they were the night of the festival, but the building is still pretty quiet compared to the rest of the grounds. It is probably for the best that the atmosphere here puts people at ease.
Without any better idea of where to go, I head straight for the head nurse's office and knock twice on the door. It swings open almost immediately, and I am ambushed by the overly-enthusiastic face of our purple-haired nurse.
He looks me over swiftly before I even have a chance to say hello. "Well, well- Nakai! Now there's a face I haven't seen in a while."
"Er. Yeah. Hello."
"How are you feeling?" He leans against the door frame, like he knows he has me cornered here. "Do you feel like you are starting to get into the swing of things at Yamaku? I hope you aren't feeling too intimidated to stop in and see me."
I shrug. "No, not at all… I do think I am starting to get the hang of everything, thanks. I just haven't had any real issues since we last spoke."
"Is that so? Well, that's very good to hear." He raps his fingers on the wall, thinking for a moment. "Emi said you decided not to make a habit of coming down to the track in the mornings. Have you been keeping up with regular exercise?"
Figures Emi ratted me out to the nurse. It's always the ones you think are the nicest.
"Um… sort of?" I say quietly.
He seems thoroughly unimpressed, and his smile suddenly fades. "…'Sort of', or 'yes?'"
"…Sort of."
"Nakai. You told me you would get more serious about this."
"I'm sorry."
"Sorry's not going to cut it with me every time. Like it or not, this is very important. You have plenty of options available to you to get the proper amount of exercise."
I almost apologize again, but stop myself. I don't want to try to make excuses, since I know this is my own fault for not bothering to take care of myself properly.
Noticing my speechlessness, the nurse takes pity on me for a moment and diverts the subject. "You said you haven't been having any problems, right? So I'm sure there's something you came by to get my help with."
"Oh, well… I actually didn't stop by for myself… I was wondering if Naomi Inoue was around." I cringe at my own response, given that 'I'm not here for me' is probably the worst thing I could have said.
"Oh." He crosses his arms, contemplating how to respond to that. "…Well, yes, she is here, upstairs, in the office right at the end of the hall. She isn't feeling all that well, but you can check to see how she is feeling about visitors. But don't think that means you're getting off the hook with me." He straightens himself out and steps slightly into his office, uncertain. "I would really like to have the opportunity to sit down with you about this, but I suppose in-between classes is probably not the best time for that, especially when you have prior arrangements… I'll tell you what: I'll let you go today, but I want you to come in to see me tomorrow afternoon so we can come up with some kind of plan for you. Deal?"
"Okay, deal. Tomorrow, after class." Of course, there is no other way for me to get out of this.
"Alright. Thank you." With a small sigh, he leans out of his door and points down the hall to the staircase at the end. "You can speak with the nurse there about Inoue, though I don't expect her to be feeling very chatty."
"Thanks."
"Of course." He grins again, apparently just to make sure I don't leave on a sour note. "I will see you tomorrow, then. Try to take care of yourself until then."
"I will, thanks."
"Take care, Nakai."
He closes the door in my face, and I take off down the hall. Climbing the staircase, it occurs to me that this is the same office Naomi was in on the night of the festival… which means that I probably could have headed straight there and avoided getting chewed out by the nurse altogether. I kick myself for that.
The female nurse that greets me at the door is the same, as well, and she recognizes me almost immediately. "Oh, you're that boy from the newspaper club, right? Are you here to see Inoue?"
"Yes, I am; thank you. Hisao Nakai."
"Nakai. Got it. Inoue is still recovering, but I can go check on her. Just a moment, dear."
She leaves me waiting awkwardly at the door for half a minute before returning, flashing me the same unnatural smile that the head nurse uses.
"Okay, go ahead in," she says cheerfully, opening the door to allow me inside.
I step in after her, and she takes a seat at her desk, waiting for me to tread in on my own. I'm here completely of my own volition this time, and yet I feel even more awkward about it than I did last time.
When I enter the back room, Naomi is already sitting up in bed waiting for me, her legs half-under the covers. I wave uncertainly, and she flashes me a bright smile.
"Hey, Hisao. You really didn't need to come in during lunch, you know."
"Oh, uh. That's alright. I don't mind."
She leans back against her bedpost, gesturing for me to approach. I take a seat on the bed next to her, not totally sure what to say.
"Well, I appreciate you going out of your way," Naomi says with a shrug, "but Natsume was already gonna bring me the stuff from class today, so…"
"Oh, yeah, I guess that would make sense." I swing my bag onto my lap, frowning. "I… actually didn't bring you anything from class. Though that would have been a good idea, in hindsight."
Naomi half-frowns, briefly confused. "Oh, really? Then…?"
"I just, uh. I just thought it- I thought I would see how you were doing, that's all."
"Oh! Well…!" Naomi looks me over with a very intrigued expression, genuinely at a loss for a moment. "I, um… well, hey, that's a really sweet thought, but…"
God, I don't know if I could possibly be handling this any worse than I am. I wish there was some good way to explain my own irrational behavior.
I slap my hand to my forehead. "-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to assume anything, or… you just seemed kind of out of it after this morning."
"No, no, you don't need to apologize, really! Really, I mean- I'm fine. My head hurts a little bit, but I'm feeling a lot better than normal, given that it's only been… what, an hour?" She shrugs. "Bit my tongue, so I've been sucking on cotton balls every waking moment. But other than that, I'm totally fine. Thanks for looking out; that's a really nice thing to do."
"Natsume said she thought you'd be asleep."
"Yeah, I was sleeping up until maybe five minutes ago. I really feel alright though." She grins playfully, though in a fake kind of way that makes me think she's just trying to put me at ease. "Honestly, the only reason I'm still in here right now is that I can get out of afternoon classes as long as I make it through lunch."
I laugh self-consciously. "Well, I won't tell."
"You'd better believe it." She puffs her cheeks out, like she's hesitant to say something. "The head nurse is already giving me a hard time after my attack last week, 'cause I didn't take my medication. He may not even let me get away with it today."
"Damn, I know what you mean."
…Well, I instantly regret saying that.
"How so?"
"Just, the nurse. He's been on my case too."
She laughs earnestly and sits up a little more, to look me more eye-to-eye. "Ha, oh yeah? What'd you do?"
"Nothing, really. He wants me to exercise more."
Naomi tilts her head slightly. "…What for?"
Knowing how curious Naomi is, I could have seen this coming from a mile away. I hate to make the conversation about me, especially right now.
"I have a heart condition. So I'm supposed to be getting regular exercise."
"Oh, really? You've never mentioned that before. What kind of heart condition?"
"Arrhythmia. My, uh- I have an irregular heartbeat."
I shrug uselessly.
She glances away from me for a moment, frowning. "Uh, do you… not wanna talk about it, Hisao?"
"No, it's alright."
"Is it actually alright, or are you just saying it's alright to get me to shut up about it?" She looks me in the eye again.
"I don't-" I stop myself. I feel like this conversation has suddenly spiraled out of my control, but it seems so petty and stupid to lie to Naomi about this. "I don't want you to shut up. I just am not very used to talking about it. That's all. I swear it's okay."
"Thanks for saying that." Naomi slumps down onto her pillows. "Look, I'm sorry for pestering you. You said that the health stuff didn't bother you, but obviously I know it's more complicated than that. You probably got pretty freaked out in class when I had my attack today, right?"
"I- well, it just seemed…"
"I don't blame you at all, alright? I get that it's not easy to watch; I mean, God, I think it's the most embarrassing thing in the world. I think it's sweet that you were worried about me. Just take my word for it that I'm okay, okay?"
"I believe you, really. I… I'm not even really sure what I'm doing here, to be honest."
"Wasting time you should be spending on lunch, I'd say."
"I'm not that hungry."
"Sure you aren't. That's what I say when I'm lying to the nurse."
I cross my arms. "Well then that just makes us even, doesn't it?"
"Yeah, you think you're so clever." She stretches out comfortably, looking at the ceiling. "Tell you what, considering all you have at stake here is my goodwill anyway. Why don't you go down to the cafeteria while you still have time to kill, get enough food for both of us and then eat it here? You'll still get back to class in time to explain how I was totally passed out in bed and in no condition to be there."
"That just sounds like a convoluted way of telling me to do your dirty work."
"Are you seriously not used to that by now?"
She shoots me a friendly smirk, challenging me.
"What do you want to eat?" I sigh.
"I'm more interested in seeing what you think I want."
"Then don't set your expectations too high."
"The funny thing is, Hisao," Naomi hums, "my expectations are not set at all."
Naomi dismisses me hurriedly, as I'm pushing the clock as it is. The nurse smiles cheerfully at me as I slip out of her office and down the staircase.
The cafeteria is a whole building over, and it hits me after a few moments exactly what a pointless trudge I just agreed to. As I pass by the head nurse's office on my way out, I can't help but realize how much better Naomi is at motivating me than he is.
