When people wish what is good for those they love for their own sake, it is not from a mere feeling, but in accordance with a moral state, because mutual affection involves choice and choice develops out of a moral state. When a good person becomes a friend, they become the other person's good. Each loves their own good and reciprocates by giving the other pleasure and wishing the good for the other.
It was super embarrassing, but after Maki left (she said she was due home soon after their initial discussion), Nico had to call her mother and explain why Maki was asking those medical questions and tell her it wasn't dire.
After Nico stuttered out an explanation, her mother, to her surprise, laughed. She explained that Maki's mother, Doctor Nishikino, had called her and said that Maki wasn't going home after all. She should be at the door soon. They were to take the train going near the hospital and Dr. Nishikino could work in a full exam for Nico. Because it was before Nico's 18th birthday, it would be less expensive for everyone if something came up. Still, it was likely Maki was right, so Nico should look forward to this appointment. It occurred to Nico that Maki had already come up with a soothing birthday present for her.
They reached the hospital without any incidents. Maki held Nico's hand and smiled at her, which put her at ease.
While Nico had lots of blood tests that wouldn't be back for a few days, Doctor Nishikino told them Maki was right; Nico was only now approaching her first menstrual period, and didn't show any physical signs or symptoms of a dangerous syndrome or ailment.
It wasn't all good news: Apparently, that the run-up to her period was so unpleasant was a sign that Nico was quite unlucky. Normally, girls with long-delayed periods at least had relatively pain-free periods. But Nico was probably going to have periods so painful it would be classified as dysmennorhea.
" Women with primary dysmenorrhea have increased production of endometrial prostaglandin, Nico-chan, resulting in increased uterine tone and stronger, more frequent uterine contractions, it's easy to diagnose without a lot of work or tests," the doctor said. Seeing the blank look on the girl's face, she continued, "Your cramping pain will be worse than it is for most girls, and so will your other symptoms. It's not because of some serious condition - it's just your particular nature. We're trying to get you prepared for it."
Seeking for a silver lining, it finally occurred to Nico that she would - finally - be getting that growth spurt she'd kept predicting, hadn't really believed in, and been roundly mocked for proclaiming, for years now.
"Nico won't be a shrimp any more! Nico will have breasts like Eli and Nozomi!" she exulted.
It turned out, it wasn't quite that way.
"How tall is Ayase, Maki?" the doctor asked.
"About 162 centimeters," her daughter said.
"Okay, Nico, please visualize along with me," the doctor said, gently.
"It's medically unlikely you will shoot up — let's see - 7 cm, though it does happen."
"Picture yourself simply growing that tall overnight and none of your proportions change, all right?"
Nico closed her eyes, pictured it, and nodded.
"You would be above the middle of your pack of girls, and probably have a bust size a couple of centimeters bigger than Ayase. But your shape would still be that of, no offense, a child. So your cup size would be flat, still. You would look like a tall bulky child, not a woman."
Nico went still hearing that.
"However," the doctor continued, "girls don't grow like that. First of all, since you are now one cm taller than you were the last time you were measured this year, and your bust has actually reached and exceeded the 74 cm you falsely claimed, according to Maki-chan ... I would say you have gotten your growth spurt. It will go slower than average, and you may have already gotten most of it. Most girls hit puberty a couple of years before their first menstrual period, so if you haven't shot up in all that time ..."
Worse and worse!
"However, your breasts will grow more than your size, your shoulders and so on won't keep pace with your height, even. The likelihood is you will be somewhere below the middle of the pack in bust and cup size in your group of girls. How big is Rin-chan, Maki?"
"Umm, about 75 cm?" Maki said, unconsciously playing with her hair.
"Ah. Well, then, Nico-chan, you've already reached parity with Rin, who is your height or a cm or so taller. So when you go past her, please remember how you felt being flat, and be generous and kind with your friend."
"Oh goodness!" Maki exclaimed. "She's going to look like Umi!"
"I agree," the doctor, who knew Sonoda Umi well, said. "She already bears a strong resemblance, and if it weren't for her unusual eye pigments, people would, I think, mistake her for being Sonoda's little sister."
"Yes," she continued, "either that or she may look, proportionally, a little more busty than Umi, being shorter. By the way, Maki, did you suggest to her she talk to the younger Kousaka and Ayase girls?"
Maki nodded. A lightbulb flashed for Nico.
"Ah, because they haven't had their periods long."
"Exactly," the doctor said.
"Wait," Nico said. "If this happened to Nico, maybe Rin ..." but Maki shook her head.
"No, she got it. Somewhat late, which is what put it in my mind, but they're very light, and don't hinder her. You don't even really know when she's having one." Then, changing the subject, she added, "I called Alisa and Yukiho right after I phoned my mother, they were already together at the Kousaka house, and they agreed to meet us this weekend. After that, I think it'll just be the three of you meeting for a while. Like I said, they're good girls. Nico, you need to learn to tell people things. This is just like your backup dancer thing, and your year spent hiding in the club room. The people that ... that like ... care about you can't help you if they don't know what you're going through."
The way she spoke about all of that told Nico that Maki had been more upset, and for far longer, than she'd ever guessed.