AN: So while I had this story as a human medical story from the beginning, it takes a drastic turn later. It ends up becoming a mystery medical genre. I had reasons for this though. Despite having a main plot originally decided upon and already in mind, it just did not fit with the whole 'human medical genre,' so that is why the story takes a new turn in the later chapters to finally enter the main plot of the story. The next few chapters are pretty lighthearted and happy, but after that, it'll take on a different and darker tone.
If there are any mistakes (grammar, story plot holes, etc.), please either PM me or review about it.
"" - speech
BOLD ITALICS - Memory
Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroko no Basuke.
Reimi sighed in her seat. Akashi glanced at her.
"I hate planes. They make me feel sick." Her skin looked paler than usual.
"Do you want some water?" He offered.
"No, it's fine. I took some motion sickness medication an hour ago. Wake me up when we arrive. I'm going to sleep." She closed her eyes before rubbing her side temples.
"Alright." He settled back into his seat, watching her lean against the wall of the plane. Her face held a constant frown, conveying to him the discomfort she was currently feeling.
It was only a two hour flight from Tokyo to Beppu, but clearly, Reimi was unable to handle even that short of a distance when it came to flights.
Akashi sighed inwardly as he recalled how the chief forced them to go to two conferences as the main representatives of their hospital. The one they were currently en route to was a week-long conference in Beppu and the next one was another week-long conference in Kanazawa. While he understood why they had to go, considering they were useless in the ER at the moment due to their injuries, it did not mean that he was pleased about this situation. He almost hated the fact that their injuries took around two to three weeks to heal completely. At the very least, he was not alone in these thoughts. He watched Reimi squirm in her seat again with an amused smile.
"Good morning, everyone. My name is Kise Ryouta and I will be your pilot for this flight~ We will arrive at Beppu in approximately one hour and forty five minutes, so please keep your seatbelts fastened as you keep your eyes on the screen while the safety procedures are being shown. The air attendants will now check the cabin to ensure that we can take off in a few minutes~" A very familiar voice called out energetically over the intercom.
Akashi's eyebrow quirked in further amusement after which he then closed his eyes as if to catch up on sleep during the flight. He soon felt the plane move. The speed quickly increased as they headed upward into the air. Reimi grumbled to herself, which made him chuckle under his breath.
"Will you take care of Tsukishiro-sensei over the next two weeks?" The department chief, Gosha You, asked Akashi with a serious gaze.
"I am quite sure that she is capable of taking care of herself." Akashi replied matter-of-factly.
"Professionally, she can take care of her own matters, but not when it comes to her own health. She has really bad habits. I just need you to keep her in check, especially since she isn't working during the conferences."
"What kind of bad habits are you talking about?"
"She tends to forget that she needs to sustain herself properly. She also has an annoyingly stubborn attitude, but for some reason, she seems to value your opinion enough that she isn't that stubborn around you. She doesn't sleep well, so she ends up staying up for far too long. She forgets the normal details of daily life. She tends to eat the same thing over and over again, even if it has no nutritional value. When she's busy, she usually eats the unhealthiest thing she can easily get her hands on. She is very directionally challenged, even if she has a map. I really need you to make sure she doesn't get lost." The chief rambled on and on with an aggravated expression. Akashi noted with slight amusement that he probably learned more about Reimi at this very moment than during the many days he had spent with her as her work partner.
"I understand, Chief. You can stop now." Akashi's lips formed a tight smile, as if resigned to his fate.
"Thank you, Akashi-kun." The chief smiled. "She respects you a lot, so she's definitely more likely to listen to you than me. Although do be careful when suggesting anything to her or when ordering her around… She can become even more difficult."
"I will keep that in mind. Thank you for your warning."
The chief paused momentarily before continuing. "Even after… Take care of her for me, will you?"
Recognizing the implications of the chief's words, Akashi acquiesced, directing a reassuring smile at the chief. "Of course."
Akashi's thoughts were interrupted by the voice over the intercom. He turned towards Reimi.
"Tsukishiro-san. You need to wake up. We're about to land." He shook her shoulder, causing her to frown in response. She muttered gibberish as if refusing to wake up. Soon, she opened her eyes and sleepily stared at him with a blank expression. Reimi appeared to not recognize him as she continued to stare at him. Finally, recognition started to pool into her jade green eyes and she gave him a nod of acknowledgement. She rubbed her eyes and yawned in her hand before taking a sip of water from her water bottle. The two leaned back against their seats until the plane landed on the ground. As it headed towards the chosen gate terminal, they heard the familiar voice from the intercom once more.
"We have landed in Beppu on time! The weather is perfectly clear and sunny. It's definitely a nice day to be out and about in the city~ Now, make sure to keep your seatbelts fastened until the light turns off! Also, until the air attendants indicate that it is safe to leave the plane, please stay in your seats~ We thank you for traveling with Japan Airlines and hope that you enjoyed your flight with us. Once again, thank you and have a great day~~"
Soon, the two grabbed their carry-on bags and trudged out of the terminal. "Do you have everything?" Akashi inquired as he assisted Reimi with picking her bag off the ground. She was still struggling with the sling for her left arm.
"I think so. I don't remember leaving anything in the pocket of the seat." She murmured to herself as she checked over her items.
"Are~ Akashicchi! You were flying with us!" A tall blonde haired male wearing a black blazer with four gold stripes on the arms of said blazer waved at Akashi energetically.
"What is that annoying thing waving at us?" Reimi blankly muttered under her breath.
"Ah… Well, it's someone I know." Akashi responded as the blonde approached the two.
"Akashicchi, I haven't seen you in ages!" The former Kaijou player greeted the red haired doctor with an excited grin.
"It has been a while, Kise." Akashi smiled warmly.
"Oh no, it's talking to you now." Reimi rubbed the space in between her eyebrows as she whispered to him. "I question your taste in friends." Akashi lightly chuckled at her words.
"So is she your girlfriend?" Kise motioned to the grumpy female.
"Does he have any brain cells or is he just lacking of it?" Reimi glared at the dense male. She inched further away from him.
"She's my partner and a very competent surgeon." Akashi introduced, appearing to be amused by the two judging by the slight smile on his face.
"Oh…?" The former small forward stared at her with a calculating gaze. In response, she returned his gaze ten-fold.
He soon smiled widely. "Kise Ryouta. Nice to meet you~"
"Tsukishiro Reimi." She answered with a stone face.
"Kise-kun! We need to go to the next flight!" One of the flight attendants called out to him.
"Ah, I'll be right there!" He yelled out with a grin. "Well, gotta go now! Bye, Akashicchi! Tsukishirocchi! Enjoy your stay in Beppu!" He then dashed off without waiting for a response.
"What is that abomination of a name he just called me now?" She grimaced. "No offense but I don't want him to lump me in the same category as you, Akashi-sensei."
"He only calls people that way if he respects them." Akashi explained.
"I feel sorry for his boss." She sighed, shaking her head. She then struggled with her bag before trotting off to the supposed exit. Akashi quickly latched onto her right arm which was holding her bag. "What…?"
"It's the other way."
"..." She minutely froze as silence permeated the air.
"To the exit." He further clarified.
Her ears and cheeks turned red in embarrassment. "Right." She then turned around and headed towards the correct direction this time, finally noticing and looking up at the signs on the walls.
"I can see why Gosha-sensei wanted me to check on her now…" He chuckled under his breath before following her.
Reimi typed furiously on her laptop. Her focus never wavered as her eyes scanned the information nonstop. When her energy fell drastically, she still made no move to do anything about it, fully immersed in absorbing the information before her. While her mind told her to go eat, her eagerness to learn overrode everything else. It was not until she literally felt dizzy that she grabbed an energy bar from her bag. Chewing and swallowing the bar in less than a minute, it managed to keep her from fainting. She was about to take out another bar when she heard Akashi's voice calling out her name. "Come in." She said without turning her head to greet him. All she heard next was the door to the room sliding open.
"Is that an energy bar?" His voice sounded entertained.
"Problem?"
He ignored her question. "Are you going to keep eating those until you have energy again?"
"...Yes." She was slightly miffed by his question.
"Do you normally do this?"
"..." Reimi did not know how to answer his question because she quite frankly did not know if she really did this on a regular basis. No one kept track of her, except for her older sister, so she never bothered to think about it. "I don't know."
"There are many disadvantages than advantages to eating those energy bars continuously, as you're well aware… Eating a meal would be a far more effective long-term plan, no?" He carefully worded. "I'm about to head to dinner if you'd like to join me."
She stopped typing. Finally looking up at him, she noticed the soothing light blue color of his yukata. The random thought of how aesthetically pleasing he looked in it briefly crossed her mind before she answered him. "That is acceptable. I'll be ready in five minutes. Just need to type this before I forget."
He heard the dismissal from her without her explicitly saying it out loud, so he gave a small noise of understanding before leaving the room. She finished typing and then scanned the report one last time. Within seconds, she closed the laptop, stored it in her bag, and then fixed her yukata. Sliding the door open, she found Akashi leaning against the wall with a thoughtful expression on his face.
"Let's go." She motioned for him to lead the way, which he gladly did. As the two walked in silence, she examined the comfortable ryokan, from its smooth and wooden architecture to its detailed and delicate decorum. "Did you use their onsen?"
"I did. You should try it." He answered.
"Not a fan of hot water, but perhaps I will after tomorrow's conference." Finally, they stood in front of another room. She raised her eyebrow at him. "A private dining room?"
"I thought you might dislike being around a lot of people. Reminds you of the job." He commented nonchalantly.
"I do dislike being around a lot of people, but not for the reason you gave." She murmured to him in a thankful tone. "It just gives me a headache when there are too many people. That's why I tend to avoid social events."
They entered the room and took their seats. Soon, an okami slid the door open as the ryokan workers proceeded to lay out two sets of fifteen different dishes of food on top of the table. Reimi's eyes sparkled a little when she spotted a bottle of hot nihonshu. When the workers left the room, her hand reached out for the bottle. However, Akashi stopped her. "Let's try the food first."
She grumbled a little but did as he suggested. She took a bite of each dish, savoring the local flavors of the famous onsen city. After readjusting the ice pack on her left shoulder, she began to fully crave the slight bitter burn of alcohol. Without allowing Akashi the chance stop her, she quickly poured some in her ochoko. While she clearly heard the chuckle from Akashi, she ignored the enjoyment he felt in regards to her actions and sipped her alcoholic drink. The burn was slight but it was perfect in resetting her taste buds. However, her cheeks and neck already began glowing red.
As the two ate, she noted how Akashi avoided eating wakame and any other type of seaweed. Feeling like it was a waste, she took and ate the seaweed for herself. Akashi never said a word to her about her actions. When she finally took his untouched pickled ginger since he always pushed it to the side of his plate, he looked at her dishes.
From his brief examination, he easily concluded that Reimi avoided eating raw bell peppers, carrots, and cabbage. His suspicions were confirmed when she cringed a little in response to those food items. He decisively took them from her plate, eating them for her. She glanced at him in surprise before returning her attention to her food while he watched her with entertained eyes.
Once they realized that the other would consume the items they hated, they placed the food on an already empty plate for the other to have easier access to it.
The dinner continued in that pattern with Akashi observing her with amusement and Reimi enjoying her alcohol and local specialty food. When it was over, she rubbed her stomach. "I ate too much." Exhaustion and sleepiness pooled into her jade green eyes.
"Let's head back then." Akashi suggested as they both exited the room. Without her really realizing it, she grabbed ahold of the sleeve of his yukata with her right hand, allowing him to lead them back to their rooms. He almost paused mid-step, contemplating whether to pinpoint her actions or not, but he continued onwards without further comment when he noticed the series of yawning coming from her.
The moment he wished her a good night, her forehead leaned against the arm that she had been latching onto. "Tsukishiro-san?" She said nothing but continued to lean against him as if she was frozen. Her breathing turned shallow and slow. When he caught a glimpse of her closed eyes in between the silver strands of her bangs, he observed how long and thin her eyelashes were before dismissing the thought. "Tsukishiro-san, you need to go to sleep."
"Mm…" She made a small noncommittal noise. He wondered if she was complaining about having to sleep, recalling that she doesn't sleep well according to Gosha-buchou.
His lips turned upwards. "You can't sleep standing up." While he said such words, he made no big effort to push her away. Instead, he found it rare to see her so attached - if that was even the correct word to use in this situation - to him, even if she was not drunk. After all, she was clearly only a bit buzzed and very sleepy.
A light giggle suddenly bubbled out of her mouth as she finally let go his arm, making his own arm feel a little cold. Her next course of action involved something along the lines of sliding the door open in a dramatic fashion. "Maybe she's a little tipsy." He corrected himself quietly.
Her relaxed and easygoing manner soon caused him to chuckle out loud. At the sound of his laughter, she swiftly turned on her heel to face him with a contemplative gaze.
In seconds, she crossed the distance between them. Without warning, she grabbed his shoulders and took a step forward until they were facing each other eye to eye, breaking the distance that she had implicitly set between them from the very beginning of their work partnership.
The two were close enough that Akashi could feel the warmth radiating from her body. Her cheeks were heavily stained with red due to the alcohol and her jade green eyes focused in on him. He stood still. Though he appeared to be outwardly relaxed, he looked at her straight in the eye, waiting for her to speak.
"..." Her face expression turned serious. "...Akashi-sensei."
He patiently waited for her to continue, showing that she had his attention.
"You're funny." Those words cut through his thoughts like a knife, catching him off guard.
"..." Uncharacteristically, his mouth hung open a little before he closed it. He was speechless.
"You intrigue me." Her awed tone then instantly shifted to one of warning. "Don't intrigue me. It's dangerous." When she received no reply, she continued. "Don't make me curious. If you do, it'll only make me cross the line." Her eyes narrowed. "We can't have things like emotions and hormones to ruin our work partnership. Surely you understand this?" Her disdain of emotions as a whole was obvious from her tone of voice.
He did not reply. His eyes flickered of something, but it quickly disappeared before she could recognize it.
She sighed deeply and took a step away from him. "But I understand that this problem lies with me, so I shall do my best to get rid of my curiosity and hopefully squander anything that tries to go past the line we set."
Satisfied with her own answer, her shoulder relaxed and she brightly smiled at him in a free-spirited manner, catching Akashi off guard again. She skipped to her door after giving him a short wave to indicate that she wished him a good night.
Before she could close the door, however, Akashi reached out and grabbed her free wrist, forcing her to face him again. Her eyes widened in surprise when she found herself extremely close to him in proximity. Her heart lurched abruptly from shock. Remembering to breathe again, she focused on the yukata that Akashi was wearing and then proceeded to look up.
She instantly regretted her decision.
His maroon eyes concentrated on her, calculating, analyzing, and observing the essence of her. It disconcerted her a little. A tiny voice from the back of her mind warned her, telling her to back away from this man now.
She couldn't move.
"Why did you act strangely after the S.A.D.?"
"..." She furrowed her eyebrows. She could not understand how she could express her dilemma to him without him possibly misunderstanding her. Her mouth, on the other hand, had other ideas. "I care for you."
He waited but she said nothing else. Her shock towards her own words was apparent on her face. When she recovered from her realization, she continued. "I shouldn't care for you of all people. You're just my work partner. As long as you get your work done as my partner, then that's all that matters. I shouldn't have to personally care about you just because we're partners."
She glared at the hems of his yukata before losing all of her energy. Her shoulders slumped lifelessly. "But I thought you died or at least got terribly injured in that tunnel. I thought that… I thought that I... let another person that I cared for die under my watch."
She visibly shivered.
Unconsciously, she tightly grabbed Akashi's arm with her right hand as if making sure that he was actually alive and wasn't an illusion. She took a deep breath to calm herself. The warmth radiating from his body soon comforted her.
"It's not an everyday occurrence for me to realize that I care for another human being, especially when they're male." She then took a step back, releasing her hold on his arm. "Does that answer your question?"
He nodded with a satisfied expression. She noted that there was something else in the depth of his eyes, but for her own sanity, she decided to ignore it. It was then that she realized that her tipsiness and mood changes were fading away as she talked to him more.
It was simply unpleasant to realize how much of a loose talker she was after consuming alcohol. It only served to remind her that she was not allowed to drink with other people, except with her older sister. "Is that all that you wished to ask me, Akashi-sensei?"
"For now."
She noticed his choice of words with displeasure. That only meant trouble and trouble was something she desperately wanted to avoid in a world full of chaos. She hoped in the back of her mind that her work partner would never become interested in her in any way because it would only make it harder for her to lose interest in him if he was curious about her.
She locked eyes with him, searching for any signs of anything she considered to be bad. Fortunately, she found nothing but his usual normalcy in the depths of his maroon eyes. It meant that nothing had changed. She inwardly sighed with relief. "Well, good night then."
"Good night." He voiced out. The moment she turned her back on him, the normalcy that he used as a shield broke down, allowing his true feelings and thoughts pool into his eyes as he watched her close the door behind her. He stood there in silence for a few minutes, lost in his own thoughts, before going back to his own room.
Standing in the middle of her room, she stared at the futon. After that disconcerting conversation, she strongly felt the need to examine and analyze her memories of it.
Realizing that she was not going to get any sleep again, she sat down and instead went on her laptop to continue with her previous work. Once in a while, she thought about the conversation she had with Akashi before acknowledging how stupid she was acting at the moment. She would then skim through the reports and start typing again. It was an endless cycle that lasted until she passed out on her futon in the middle of the dark night.
When she woke up early the next morning after sleeping for only a couple of hours, she was dead tired once more. Nothing seemed to change that aspect in the morning whenever she wasn't working at the emergency room.
"I hate myself." She said out loud.
She then screamed obscenities into her pillow before turning her head again.
"Why did I say such things…? Why am I so stupid…? Why am I so loose lipped after drinking…? Ugh..." She pulled the blankets over her head again. "I hate myself."
After a long moment of silence, Reimi threw the blanket to the side, staring at the ceiling.
She chastised herself. "There is a time for everything, Tsukishiro Reimi. You obviously lack all of that when you drink a little bit of alcohol."
This time, she hit her head against her pillow a few times before slumping like a dead log.
"I need more sleep." She commented for the last time.
Review? Thank you.
