Sorry guys for the delay, writing scenes from different point of view is much harder than I initially predicted. I have a hard time keeping each point of view distinct and persistent.
Your review warmed my heart, it felt good to know that my story is good enough for you.
I also decided to add a first name for Takagi since I wanted to have scenes from the point of view of Takagi's mother.
Slowly I blinked my eyes open, entangling myself from the clutch of sleep. My gaze came to focus on the white tile ceiling above me.
'Good, I am still in the hospital' my mind gave a sigh of relief.
"Good morning Takanashi-san", a happy voice rang by my bed along with sound of curtains being retracted. Not long after, the familiar face of the hospital's nurse came to view.
"Do you have a good sleep ?", she asked.
I just nodded in reply, leaving her to jot down a few notes on her clipboard. She briefly ducked out of view before popping back.
"You better fill up that bag so I can take it away. Don't want your friends to see that, right ?", she smilled and go out of the room.
'Right ... forgot about that. At least she has the courtesy of giving me some privacy', my mind quipped as I try to do my morning routine.
As expected, the nurse re-enter the room with the bucket in her hand, no doubt containing the replacement bag. Quickly she ducked under the bed and pop back up.
"I will be back in half an hour with your breakfast. Hopefully, there is enough time afterwards to tidy you up before your friend arrive", she smiled and left the room.
"I really wish she won't come", I muttered.
Really, I do. I am not looking forward to Takagi's teasing, especially with me practically strapped down to the bed. Maybe I should ask her not to do any teasing. After all I got nowhere to run from her, if she insisted in doing so.
'Running, huh ...', I glanced at leg legs, both in cast and suspended above the bed.
"All this because I forced myself to practice running ... this really sucks", I shook my head bitterly.
"Are you sure you can do this by yourself ?", my mother asked the minute she stopped her car by the hospital entrance.
"I'll be fine. Are you sure you can pick me up ? The call sounded really urgent ?". I tried to calm down my mother.
"Yeah, they suddenly need my help there right away", mother rolled her eyes in disbelief. "But I am sure this won't take long so I'll pick you up at lunchtime"
"All right mom, don't be late", I opened the door and exit the car. Immediately it lurched forward and zipped out of view.
"I'll be fine ... Just follow the sign", I tried to encourage myself as I walk past the entrance.
Thankfully there were plenty of helpfull sign to guide me, so I soon find myself pacing the hallway of the fifth floor towards the treatment hall.
"503 ... 504 ... 505", I counted the room number until I got to where Nishikata is supposed to be.
The door is currently closed so I took a moment to prepare myself.
"I got this ... say I am sorry ... don't tease him", I took deep breaths and repeat those words.
As my finger reached out to the door, it suddenly opened and a nurse came out carrying a tray and a pouch.
"Excuse me, is this Nishikata's room ?", I ask her for confirmation.
"Yes, it is", she said as she took a few steps back. "Nishikata-san, you friend is here", her voice sounded from inside the room. A few seconds later she popped out again. "Please go ahead", the nurse gestured as she continued to walk out.
Unconsciously I patted my hair and run my hands along my blouse. Then I took a step into the room, with trepidation.
I glanced at the clock by the wall as a nurse gave my hair a final comb. It's almost time for Takagi's visit, luckily she was just about finished giving me a wipe and tidy up after breakfast. Thankfully the other beds are empty so no one bare witness to that embarrassing moments.
"There you go all done", the nurse smiled as she tidied up her tools.
Pretty soon Takagi will be here. First I need to ask her not to tease. Then I guess I will ask for any update about school. Class should be winding down after by now since it is almost time for graduation, I wonder if they will allow me to take makeup exams.
"Nishikata-san, you friend is here", the nurse interrupted my wandering mind.
I nodded my thanks and kept my gaze on the door as she exited. In came Takagi, as expected.
'Takagi looked different ... That one piece skirt looked classy', my mind gave a review as soon as she came to view.
'Is she hesitating ? That's wierd ... surely she cannot be afraid of hospitals', I frowned at the timid look that Takagi showed.
"Good morning, Nishikata", Takagi tried to smile as she approached.
Immediately my eyes were drawn to the pair of hair clip on the side of her head. Red in color, they have a single similarly colored flower in the end. Their sizes are not too large to dominate, just enough to give an attractive accent. I guess it complemented her well.
"Morning, Takagi-san", I gave her a polite reply while waiting until she stood by the bed.
As Takagi approached, she undoubtedly noticed all the cast and bandages that I am in, so I tried to watch her expression to determine her reaction. To my surprise I saw some relief but the scared vibe that I sense earlier did not completely go away either.
'This is wierd ... She has good poker faces, doesn't she ?', I frowned.
Silently Takagi approached my bed and sat on a chair there. "Nishikata ... I ...", she tried to speak.
"Takagi-san, will you do me a favor ?", I wanted to make sure that she does not tease me.
"What is it ?", she blinked.
"Don't tease me", I stared at her intently, watching her eyes widened but no other visible reaction.
'When we go home together and the guys invited me over top play games. I think I said something like I prefer to be with her than play games ... She just stood frozen at that time', my mind tried to recall a similar reaction.
"Of course, not while you are here", Takagi answered with a smile.
Hearing her reply, I let out a sigh of relief.
"Can I ask about what happened ?", this time Takagi tried to gauge my response.
"It is dark, I think I slipped and bumped into a broken fence. Then I fell over and a car went over my legs", I gave a highly edited and condensed version of what happened.
Takagi grimaced. "They will get better, right ?"
I shrugged in reply. "Anyway, how is school ?", I tried to change the topic.
"Welcome, table for two ?", a young man greeted us as we enter the restaurant. He then led us to a table by the window.
"Would you like to order right now ?", he asked once we are seated, giving us two menu sheets
"Spaghetti for me", I slide the menu back towards him.
"Omelet rice", my daughter ordered. "And a half portion of hamburg steak", she added as she returned the menu.
"Thank you for your order. You can choose your own drinks by the counter", he pointed towards the back where there is a long table with several soda machines, two pots of what I assume were coffee and tea, several pitchers of juice and two large pitchers of water.
I turned my attention to my child, sitting sulking in front of me. I took note her hairpin, she rarely wear any, and the outfit that she chooses. A stylish one piece dress with an overcoat, slightly above her normal clothing.
'I wonder if she intentionally dressed up this nice for him', my mind chuckled.
A loud rumble interrupted my inspection. My daughter sunk further into her chair, both hands covering her stomach in embarrassment.
"You really are hungry", I chuckled.
"That's because you are so late !", she replied with a pout. "Plus I missed breakfast", she mumbled softy.
"Sorry, the event run into some delays", I rise out of my seat. Her eyes followed my movement, but she stayed silent.
I walked towards the drink counter, observing the available option while trying to make my choices. Soon I sat back and slide a paper cup towards my daughter.
"Water ?", she raised her eyebrows.
"They only got apple and pineapple juices", I shrugged while taking a sip from mine. She sighed, opting to run her finger on the rim the cup instead.
'Yeah, even their coffee tasted average', I grimaced.
"So, how is Nishikata ?", I tried to break the silence.
"Better ... I guess", she kept her gaze on the cup.
"But ... ?", I tried to pry her for further detail.
"It still scared me", her reply came out, vague and succinct.
"What do you mean ?", I kept my gaze on her.
"The cast and bandages ... knowing that I unknowingly caused all that", she took off her hand from the cup and kept it fisted on the table.
'Ah ... she still can't get over her guilt', I guess that will take a while. I really hope that this ends up soon in a good note. She is too young to bear such burdens.
"Did you talk about anything else ?", I tried steering the topic to something less gloomy.
"School, exams and the end of term ... Nishikata wished he could be there at the start of the new term", she raised her gaze towards me.
I took another sip of coffee and match her gaze. Clearly she has something to say, I just need to wait it out.
"Ne mom ... do you think he can ?", come her question as expected.
"Hmm ... I wonder if he can ...", keeping my tome level
"Cousin Hikari had a cast on his leg last year, right ? When he was about to enter high school ? And it took him about a month to heal ?", this time I can clearly hear hope in her question.
'I wonder how I should break the news to her ', I sighed while putting down my cup.
"Listen to me, Yui", I reached out and grabbed her fisted hand. "Even if those casts are removed in a couple of weeks, it does not mean that he can just jump off his bed and walk the next day. Most likely there will be a rehabilitation period. Then he needed to catch up of last term material and take makeup exams", I tried to lay out my reasoning as clearly as possible.
"What are you trying to say, mom ?", she tried her best to follow but clearly there are things in there that she could not understand.
"Pray for him. Wish him speedy recovery. But also be prepared for the worst thing that could happen", I summarised as I let go of her hand.
She opened her mouth, trying to protest. However, any further action is thankfully interrupted by the arrival of our waiter.
"Thank you for waiting. Here are your orders", he said as he laid down our plates on the table.
As the waiter went away, my daughter's stomach decided to let out another protesting roar.
"Come on. let's eat", I chuckled at the timely intervention.
"It's too hot ... maybe I should wear a shirt instead", I nervously tugged at my long sleeve as my feet took me past the some what familiar hallway.
"And the collar itched too", again I mumbled as my finger scratch the turtleneck's collar.
As I approached my destination, I noticed the closed door making me hesitate.
'Should I knock ?', I glanced at my watch. 'Still too early for visiting hours though, maybe I should wait'.
I about to turn around and walked to the waiting room that I just passed when the door suddenly opened and the same nurse came out carrying a tray with empty bowls and eating utensils.
"Sorry, I know it's not visiting hours yet but can I come in ?", I ask the nurse.
"Do you mind waiting a couple of minutes ? I need to change something first", the nurse said as she hurriedly walked towards her station.
I decided to walk towards the other end of the hallway, where a window is placed. Instead of looking at the scenery, I choose to observe my reflection instead. Briefly I touched both hairclips on the side of my head and tugged on my collar and sleeves. Satisfied, I walked back and stood beside Nishikata's door.
Soon the door opened, the nurse come out carrying a bucket. I peeked down and saw a plastic bag containing some sort of yellowish liquid.
"You can come in now", she said that she walked towards the opposite end.
As I walked in, I noticed that three of the other beds were still empty. Nishikata is looking at me with a frown on his face.
"Morning Nishikata", I smiled as I stod by his bed.
"You are way early", he sounded as if he is grumbling.
Thankfully most of the bandages were gone, though I can see some pink skin on his forehead where a bandage used to be. Both of his legs were still in cast and part of his left arm is also had the same wrapping.
"Holiday just started, so I still wake up early I guess", I smiled back as I took note of various equipment around him.
It seemd nothing had changed from my first visit. Gone were the mask and tubes sneaking under his collar. One tube remained attached to his left, coming from a clear plastic bag hung by a pole on the opposite side. I walked towards it in order to get a better look.
'Hmm ... the bag looked smaller and the content is clear ... I wonder where that other bag was placed', I pondered as I looked around.
"What are you looking for ?", this time Nishikata sounded suspicious.
"That nurse is taking out a plastic bag with a yellow liquid inside ... I wonder where it came from ...", I ignored Nishikata's panicked expression and squat down to check under his bed.
'Ah there it is ... but it's empty ...', I frowned.
"Nishikata, what is this bag for ?", I pointed towards said bag while looking up at him.
"I have no idea", Nishikata said in a clipped tone as he looked the other way.
'Hmm ... he is acting rather weird'
"Really ?", I tiltled my head in confusion.
"You said that you would not tease me", he grumbled. "Yet now you do", he glared at me.
"I am just being curios", I smiled, hoping to calm him down.
However Nishikata kept his glare, furthermore his scowl intensified. I need to do something to dissipate his anger.
"Oh, right I forgot ...", I dipped my hands into my shoulder bag. "This is for you", I took out the charm that I previously bought and and hand it out to Nishikata.
This time he looked at me puzzled as he plucked said charm.
"A charm ? For what ?", Nishikata turned it around to inspect it.
"The temple said that it was a get well charm for operation and such", I tried to remember what the attendant told me.
"Thank you", Nishikata nodded as he put the charm on his bedside table.
I smiled back and unconsciously raised my right hand to my ear to tuck an loose stray of hair.
'Should I tell him now that I am sorry ?', I debated.
"Ano ... Nishikata ...", I tried to get his attention.
Nishikata turned towards me and raised his eyebrows in question.
"I'm sorry !", I half shouted as I bowed towards him.
"What for ?", his tone sounded guarded.
"For teasing you that day, Your mother said that you go out right after you arrived home, saying something running around the block", I elaborate while keeping my head down. "It's because of what I said, right ? That you are a slow runner and cannot keep up with me ", I took deep breath to calm myself.
For a few seconds silence reigned. I dare not to look up, too afraid to find out what kind of expression Nishikata wore on his face.
"Apology accepted", Nishikata finally answered.
'Huh ? What does that mean ? He really forgive me ?', my mind shouted incredulously.
"That's it ? You are not mad at me ?", this time I stared at him with a puzzled look.
"I am, but you said sorry so that's it", Nishikata explained in a calm tone.
'I could not forgive myself, but he forgave me that easily ? How could he ?'
"That's a relief", I mumbled as I sank down on the chair by his left side.
A sudden click raised me from stupor. I looked up and find Nishikata looking at his phone.
"I finally got Takagi to broke her poker face", he smiled. "And I got it on camera too", that smile grew into a grin.
"Delete that right away !", I lurched forward trying to grab his phone.
Nishikata raised his right hand upwards and away to keep me from taking his phone. Unknowingly I put my hands on Nishikata's left, the one put in cast, to balance myself as I tried to tiptoe and reached for it.
"That hurts", he winced causing me to recoil back in fear. "This need to be handled with care, you know", he added in a mocked glare, raising his casted left arm to me.
"I am sorry", I apologised.
'I almost hurt him ... again. I really need to think twice before doing anything', I berated myself.
"Arghh ... I wish they would take this off sooner ...", Nishikata groaned as he tried to scratch the inside of his left arm.
"Did they tell you when it can come off ?", I pounced at the change of topic.
"Next week, maybe", Nishikata shrugged. "Those though will stay for a couple of weeks more ... probably", he pointed to his legs.
'Didn't my mother mention something about rehabilitation ?'
"Ne Nishikata ... you can go back to school after that right ?", I hesistantly asked.
"Hmmm ... I wonder ...", Nishikata trailed off. "Did anyone miss me ?", he looked at me expectantly.
"Nakai asked about you. The other boys too", I pretend to ponder. "I think Tanabe-sensei missed you, he did paused awhile after calling out your name in roll call on graduation day".
"Really ?", Nashikata's eyes widened in disbelief. "That's a little bit creepy", he grimaced.
"Yeah, I agree", I nodded.
And so I told him some more story about what happened in our class. That went for about thirty minutes, but eventually I ran out of stories to tell. I wanted to ask Nishikata to tell his story but he seemed to be occupied with his phone.
"Arggh ... I am bored", Nishikata exclaimed.
"Maybe you need to change your phone ?", I smiled and ask with a teasing tone.
Immediately Nishikata stared at me with a frown.
"Sorry, I am being rude, aren't I", he smiled sheepishly.
I just gave him a knowing smile. "What are you doing on the phone ?", I asked.
"Chatting ... with the boys", he sighed.
"And you got bored ?", this time I am the one who frowned at him.
"Well ... they did not reply back", he let out a heavier sigh.
"Hmmm ... maybe they are busy", I tried to placate him.
"Yeah, I got stuck here while they are playing around", he pouted.
"Do you want to play ?", I asked as a sliver of idea came to me.
Nishikata looked at me with suspicion, clearly expecting some sort of teasing. I will need to defuse his fear.
"I think I have some board games at home", I started my explanation. "Maybe I could bring one of them and we can play ?"
Nishikata still stare at me with suspicion, as he began to ponder at my suggestion.
"If you give me your number, I can text you the games that I have", I tried to further reason with him. "Then you can choose the one you want to play"
Nishikata pondered for a few more seconds before nodding. I tried to suppress a giddy smile on my face as I took out my phone to receive his contact info.
With a sigh I plopped down on the floor. All around me were chaos with opened drawers and upturned cardboards.
"One ... two ... three ... four ... five", I counted a set of three boxes stacked by the door and two more in the middle of the carnage.
Gingerly I stood and picked up the two boxes, grabbing a tissue paper from my desk to clean them up. Then I do the same to the stack by the door. Then I placed them on the foot on my bed before sitting down on said bed.
"Let's see ..." I began to examine each box more carefully.
"A princess theme ...", I stared at the picture inside box one. "Nah ...", I shook my head and put it down.
"This one would do", I closed box two and placed down separately.
"Snake and ladder huh ...", peeking inside box three, I shrugged and put it on top of box two.
"Hmm ... where is the dice ...", I rummaged inside box four. "Not good", I put it on the reject pile.
"The game is OK ...", I stared at the cover of box five. "But the title ...", I grimanced.
Looking at the two pile, I reached over and grabbed my phone.
"I found some games ...", I muttered as I tapped the keys.
"What do you have ?", came an immediate reply from Nishikata.
"Snake and ladder ... Jinsei Game ... and Love Letter", I typed in.
I stared at the screen while waiting for his reply. 'Please don't freak out on the title', I silently prayed.
"Definitely not Love Letter", came his reply with a begging sticker.
'Just as I tought', I sighed.
"So ... Jinsei Game ?", I typed again.
This time Nishikata posted a sticker of a person thinking.
'Is there any other game we could play ?', I looked around while racking my brain.
"Or maybe we can play the one you have at home ?", I tried to offer him an alternative.
"When do you want to come again ?", out came his question.
'Tomorrow ... or maybe I should give him some more time ...', I hesitated while my fingers hover over the phone.
"How about the day after tommorow ?", I finally typed my answer.
This time there is no sticker nor any immediate reply.
'Should I suggest tomorrow ?', I debated with myself.
"I asked my mother to bring Machi Koro", suddenly Nishikata's reply popped out.
The name rang a bell, but I could not remember the detail. Quickly I opened a search and typed in the name.
'City building game, huh ? Nishikata liked that genre ?', I smiled while reading the result.
"You like city building game ?", I typed my question.
"Jinsei Game is old, this is more recent", his explanation came quickly.
"I am looking forward to beating you", I typed and put a smiley at the end.
"No bet allowed", immediately came Nishikata's reply. He also sent a sticker with a man crossing his arm in an X sign.
"Spoilsport ...", I sighed.
I am about to send a thumb up when my mother's voice interrupts my reply. "Yui ... are you in there ?", came a knock on the door.
"Yes", I shouted, then I saw all the mess in my room and my eyes widened. "Don't come in. It's a mess right now", I immediately added.
"Clean it up in fifteen minutes or I won't give you pudding for desert", my mother replied in a stern tone.
Hearing the word pudding, I rushed to pick up everything on the floor.
"Come on ...", I tiptoed and pushed the last box on top of my closet.
Fifteen minutes to the dot, the door opened and my mother stepped in. She swept across the room in close scrutiny before nodding in satisfaction.
"Come down and make sure you wash your hand", she said as she went out the door.
With a sigh of relief, I plopped down on my bed.
"Argh ... a nine", Nishikata exclaimed as the dice stopped their roll.
"And I don't have any mine", he looked over his card and what remained of his coins.
"What are you going to buy ?", I asked nonchalantly, eyeing his half a dozen coins.
"One orchard", Nishikata picked said card and put four coins to the center pile.
"Do I owe you anything ?", he glanced at me.
I quickly glanced at all the card on my side.
"Let's see ... three mines ... four family restaurants ...", I counted all the cards that have nine on top. "Give me eight coins, Nishikata", I asked as I take nine coins from the pile at the center.
Grumbling Nishikata handed over said coins while I prepare to roll both dice.
"Seven huh ...", I looked at my deck for any cheese factory.
I have one, so that means that I got three coins for each ranch that I own.
"Three ranch, so that means nine coin", I said plucking the coins from the pile.
Let's see does Nishikata owe me anything this turn ? Too bad, there is nothing else that activated on seven.
"Will you buy anything ?", Nishikata asked in trepidation. His eyes kept glancing to my last unturned establishment card.
"I will buy ...", I slowly counted my coins one by one. "Radio tower of course", I slammed my coins on the pile and turned that last establishment card.
"Argh ... you win again", Nishikata pouted.
Inwardly I sighed. 'I wonder if he wanted to play again ... I should have let him win'
"Hahaha ... you are making funny faces again, Nishikata", I laughed.
Nishikata's pout deepened. "Yeah, laugh at my expense. Just like before", he grumbled.
His word sent a shock of shame through my heart. 'I should apologize', I decided.
"You guys have fun ?", a middle age man in a white garb suddenly stood at the foot of Nishikata's bed. He looked at the two of us with twinkle on his eyes and a soft smile on his face.
"Sorry sensei, we are to loud aren't we", I tucked my head in apology.
"The room is empty, so it is fine", he offered another smile as he jotted down some notes.
"Now Nishikata-kun, any complain other than being bored ?", he looked up to address Nishikata.
Nishikata shook his head, "Is my x-ray good, sensei ?", hope laced his question.
"It's good. I will tell you mother all the details tonight when she came to visit", the doctor nodded.
"Could you tell me now, please ?", Nishikata asked.
I silently prayed that the doctor would be kind enough to grant Nishikata's wish.
"So eager, huh", he laughed. "I am confident that we can remove that by the end of this week", he pointed towards Nishikata's casted left arm. "However, these will have to stay for a few more weeks", he lightly tapped the cast on Nishikata's feet.
Nishikata looked relieved as he heard the explanation. I could not help to also rejoice hearing the good news. However something kept on nagging me about what my mother said with regards to those cast.
"If you excuse me, I have other patient to check", the doctor smiled and turned around.
My mind screamed at me to go after him and confirm my suspicion.
"I need to go to the bathroom", I mumble to Nishikata before I ran out of the room.
"Sensei ...", I called softly once I passed the door.
The doctor stopped and turned around, looking at me in confusion.
"Once everything is removed, Nishikata can go back to school, right ?", I asked.
"Of course he will", the man answered with a smile.
"The very next day ? ... No rehabilitation ?", my voice started to quiver as I stook a few steps closer.
An alarmed look crossed over his face.
"That is not a common term, who told you that ?", he started to frown.
I wonder if I can tell him the truth ... better not.
"I overheard someone talking on the phone outside the hospital, so I searched about it", I decided not to tell the truth.
"Young lady ... you are his classmate, right ?", he politely inquired.
Why is he asking ? Is the information only for family ? I began to panic.
"Don't lie sensei, please", I whispered.
The doctor sighed. "There is no way to know for sure until we take off those cast", he explained. "So there is no need to worry Nishikata-kun about it, do you understand", he stared sternly at me.
I stared back at him, trying to process what I just heard.
"Promise me, do not tell Nishikata-kun", he bend down, trying to look at me at eye level.
I dumbly nodded at him, he immediately rose and turned around before resuming his walk.
I staggered towards the wall, trying to catch my breath and calm myself down.
'In ... and out ... in ... and out ...' I chanted.
Feeling much calmer, I leaned against the wall.
"I better check my face before going back", I muttered before walking toward the bathroom.
I stared at my left arm, turning it over and over again for the umpteenth time. It really felt good to have the cast taken out. Just to be sure, I tried to wiggle all my fingers and rotate my wrist.
'Yup, no pain', I shouted in glee.
"Morning Nishikata", a familiar face suddenly show up in front of me.
"Oh, Takagi. You surprise me", I looked up to see her carrying a plastic bag. There is no longer any clip present on her hair, probably because they are recently cut.
"The cast is taken off", Takagi gasped and immediately went to my left. "Last night, right ?", she asked at she stared at my left arm. "I totally forgot", she grimaced.
"Stop staring ... it's just an arm", I mumbled, suddenly feeling shy.
Takagi just hummed in reply before extending her index finger and poked at my arm.
"This does not hurt, right ?", she glanced at me.
I shook my head, curious to find out where this would lead.
Takagi then put her hand on my arm. "Does this hurt ?", she asked.
I felt my skin tingling under her touch. Unconsciously I shivered.
"Nishikata ?", Takagi looked at me worried. She must have noticed my reaction.
"Cold ...", I muttered.
"Oh ...", Takagi exclaimed before retracting her hand.
"Erm ... what do you bring ?", I gestured towards the plastic bag, laying on the floor.
"Well, I figure you are bored with Machi Koro. So I brought a few alternatives", Takagi took two board games from the bag.
"Let me guess, Jinsei Game ?", I glanced at their title. "Snake and ladder too ?", I raised my eyebrow.
"Well, do you feel lucky today ?", Takagi smirked.
Hmm ... I do feel good today. Maybe my luck would improve too.
"Snake and Ladder then", I send Takagi a similar smirk while pulling the side table over my feet.
Takagi nodded and began to set the game. Pretty soon we began to test our luck in rolling the dice.
"One ... two ... three ...four ... oh no, I fall down", Takagi groaned as she hit the first ladder going down.
"Seven ... yes !", I exclaimed as I reached the ladder going up. "What's wrong, Takagi ?", I frowned as I notice Takagi staring at my cast.
Takagi looked at me in surprise. "Oh ... just wondering about your legs. Did sensei tell you anything ?", she tilted her head.
"Hmm ... another x-ray at the end of the week ... the rest depends after that I guess", I shrugged.
"Ne Nishikata ... new term will start in two weeks. Do you think you are going to make it ?", Takagi voice somehow turned quiet, almost like a whisper.
"I don't know", I gave her another shrug. "I am afraid about the homework though ... I am missing like what ... two months worth ?", I gave her a feeble laugh.
To my surprise Takagi joined in my laugh. "A month of homework and makeup test ... boy do you have your work cut out for you Nishikata".
"Yeah ...", I grimanced imagining the load. "Can you help me ?", I blurted out.
"With what ... study ?", Takagi raised her eyebrows in question.
"Well ... your grades are still good ... right ?", I stammered.
Takagi blinked a few times but kept her silence.
'Did I ask her the wrong question ?', I am confused.
"The day after tomorrow then", Takagi suddenly nodded. "For now, let's finish this", she exclaimed while reaching for the dice.
'Huh ? Does that mean yes or no ?', I grew more confused.
I let out yet another sigh as I stared at the stack of textbooks on my desk.
"Oh well ... why not ask him", I muttered as I grabbed my phone.
"Which one you wanted to study first ?", I typed in.
"Huh ?", came Nishikata's reply.
"Oh come on", I half shouted. "Japanese, English, History, Math, Science, Civic which one do you want to study first ?", I typed all of the subject hoping to get a better reply.
"You are willing to teach me ?", Nishikata asked another question.
"You ask for my help, right ?", I let out an exasperated sigh as I type my response. "So, which one ?", I added.
"History, I guess", Nishikata's reply took a few seconds to appear. "But I don't have my textbook", another one came immediately after.
"Use mine", I offered.
"Do I need to take notes ?", Nishikata asked.
'Hmm ... he raise a good point', I pondered. 'He will need something to help him revise later'
"Yui ... are you in there ?", came a knock at my door with my mother's muffled voice.
"Yes, come in Mom", I replied.
The door swung in and my mother took a step inside.
"I just wanted to ask if ...", Mom suddenly stopped her question as she saw the stack of books on my table. "Throwing them away already ? I thought you still needed that for your third year ?", my mother narrowed her gaze at me.
"No !", I empatically shook my head. " I just wanted to help Nishikata study", I added in a more quiet tone.
My gaze followed my mother's motion as she walked towards my bed where she sat and stared at me. Unconsciously I also turned toward her and sat straight, drawing the wheel on my chair forward to where my mother sat.
'Oh, no. She has her serious face on', I started to panic. 'Did I do something wrong ? I just wanted to help'
"Yui, why do you care so much about Nishikata ?", mom started her questioning.
"I felt responsible for the accident", I tried to explain.
"You have apologized for that, right ? And he accepted your apology ?", mom continued.
I nodded my head in reply, waiting for her to make her point.
"Yet you kept on visiting him every other day. You brought games and now you wanted to bring textbooks. Why ?", mom gazed at me relentlessly.
"Nishikata said he was bored", I stared back at her.
'Why does this matter ?', my mind spin in confusion.
"The textbook ?", mom raised her eyebrows.
"Nishikata realised that he has to do makeup test to catch up. I offered to help him study", I answered.
"You offered ? He did not ask for it ?", mom now narrowed her eyes.
"He asked and I offered", I explained. "Why all the question ? Did I do something wrong ?", I tried to get some answer.
My phone, placed on my desk, suddenly buzzed with incoming notification. Mom gaze flickered to my phone but I purposedly kept mine on her.
"You often chat with Nishikata ?", mom's gaze returned to me.
"Yes, he said he was bored", again I re-iterated my answer. "Would you like to see those chats ?", I narrowed my gaze.
"You chat with him and visit him every other day, why ?", mom ignored my question and raised another question. "Certainly not because of guilt", she added.
"Is it wrong to visit a classmate in the hospital so often ?", I grew exasperated.
"It's holiday. Kid your age go to the mall, the pool or beach. Not to the hospital", my mother answered. "Did Nishikata ask you to visit so often ?", she finished with another question.
I shook my head in reply. My mother continued to stare at me.
"So why do you feel that you need to visit him ?", my mother's tone suddenly turned gentle.
'Why ... how do I put the reason into words ?', my mind pondered.
"... I ... miss him", I stuttered. "His desk is right beside me so we talked a lot", I began.
'Yeah, you teased him a lot', my mind snickered.
"We often walk home together, talking all the way", I added.
'Don't forget that you tease him on the way too', again my mind quipped.
"Sometimes we met on the way to school too", I continued.
This time my mind just sent me affirming nod.
"It's like ... I turned my head and he was there ... but now he isn't", I choked a sob.
Mom leaned forward and drew me closer until our knee bumped to each other.
"Yui ...", she softly called my name to get my attention. "One last question, please take your time to think about the answer.", my mother warned.
I stared at her, anxiously waiting for her question.
"... do you like Nishikata ?", mom finally asked her question.
That is ... actually easy to answer since I have realised it for a while.
"Yes", I immediately replied.
"That's fast", mom said in surprise. "More question then", she sighed. "You obviously realised you liked Nishikata for quite a while ...", she gave me a knowing look.
I purposely looked down to avoid her gaze. 'Damn ... I got the feeling that she will tease me', I cursed silently.
"How long ago did you know ?", mom raised my chin so she can look me in the eye.
"A few ... weeks after ... entrance ceremony ...", I muttered while trying to look elsewhere.
A few months would not be believable ... I can't really say a few days ... even if it is somewhat true.
My mother's eyes widened in disbelief. "Did he know ?", her voice grew quiet.
Did he ? Nishikata is somewhat dense. Not to mention he saw the wrong side of my eraser.
"I don't think so ...", I finally answered.
"Did he give any sign that he likes you ?", my mother's voice got even more quiet.
Nishikata liked me ? That one time when we walked home was a joke right ? What about when we took shelter from the rain ? It took all my willpower not to blush with him literally behind me.
"He blushed once ... I think ...", I kept my answer vague.
'Please don't ask for detail ...', inwardly I begged. That story would be too awkward to tell your parents.
"I see ...", my mother muttered instead.
"I am fine with it", I tried to assure her. "Pretty soon Nishikata will be back to school, sitting beside me again", I smiled.
"Yui ...", my mother gave me a concerned look. "Do you remember the day your seat was re-assigned ?", she suddenly asked. "What do you feel when you find out that you and Nishikata got separated ?", she added.
I took a moment to recall that day. I seemed to remember a feeling of dread.
"Worry ... panic almost", I whispered.
"And when I got your seat switched back ?", my mother inquired.
"Huge relief ... like an enormous burden suddenly gone", I smiled.
"What about when you heard there was an accident ?", mom asked.
"Like something gnawing here", I fisted my shirt in front of my chest.
"What about when you saw him at the intensive care ?", she asked yet another question.
"Like my heart is ripped open", I whispered while tightening my first.
Suddenly mother leaned over and hugged me.
"Oh Yui ...", she whispered. "It's new term soon ... you and Nishikata might be in different class ... Even if you get the same class, there is no guarantee he will sat beside you again", she added before letting me go.
"I just don't want to see you hurt when that happened", mom smiled as she looked at me.
Nishikata in different class from me... that's impossible ! ... Well statistically speaking it is possible ... But we manage to stay together after our seat got re-assigned, so we will get lucky again ... right ?
I opened my mouth to deny such possibility but suddenly a familiar melody interrupted me. Mother reached inside her blazer pocket and retrieve her phone.
"I got to take this", my mother muttered as she saw the caller.
"Hello ?", immediately my mother rose and walked out of the room.
I just sat there frozen, pondering on the probability of me and Nishikata not sitting next to each other after the new term.
I stared at my phone, in particular the big number at the center of the screen. Then my gaze flickered to the door before going back to my phone.
Letting out a sigh, I pickup the phone to open the chat app. There at the top I clicked on her name and scroll down to read our last conversation.
"See you tomorrow. Get ready for sensei from hell", I read them out loud.
"Did Takagi change her mind ?", I muttered.
Why am I hesitating ? I can just ask her if she is coming or not.
"It's almost noon, does this mean you won't come ?", quickly I typed in my question.
I guess this means we will not be studying together. That's a shame since I am quite looking forward to it. I think that I enjoyed the last time we study, even if I am very nervous at the beginning. I remember being suspicious of Takagi teasing me on every problem that we worked on. But the teasing never come, at least until we finished studying and went home.
The loud noise of the door being pushed to the side caused me to jerk my gaze to the entrance.
"Sorry I am late, Nishikata", Takagi exclaimed.
Takagi leaned against the doorframe, while inhaling deeply to calm her breath.
'Did she ran here ?', I stared at her in disbelief. 'No way ! The nurse would scold her if she did', I reasoned.
Having regained her breath, Takagi stepped inside. As Takagi came near my bed, I can now see that she cary her school bag and something like a stiff board with a carrying handle on top.
'She looked different', I frowned, while scrutinizing her from top to bottom.
As Takagi bent down to place her bags on the floor, I noticed that her hair was pulled back into a ponytail. However most of her hair at the front and some at the side came loose, creating a peculiar look.
'It's like Takagi does not have time to properly do her hair', I frowned. 'Is she that busy ?'
"What is that big thing you are carrying ?", I directed my gaze at the stiff board by her feet.
"Oh this ?", Takahi lifted the board. Then she opened it and reached inside. "I created a memory aid for you", Takagi pulled what looked like a sketch book and gave it to me.
Curious, I opened the cover page to glimpse at the content. On the first page I saw greek names being circled with labelled arrows leading to other names.
'Looks like a genealogy chart', I shrugged.
"We will start with history, as you requested", Takagi handed me a notepad. "Use this to take notes", she said.
'But I don't have anything to write with', I hold my retort as Takagi placed her pencil case on the table next to my arm.
"Can I borrow your pen ?", I hesistantly asked.
"Go ahead", Takagi replied while taking out her text book and putting them on the table.
With trepidation I opened the case, expecting to find frilly pink utensils inside. To my surprise, there were nothing pink and none of them have any picture. I took out an orange pen, popped off the cap and opened the notepad ready to take note.
"On our last week at school we began to cover greek city state", Takagi opened the history textbook to the appropriate page. "Sensei list down Athens and Sparta but there are many smaller ones too", she began her explanation.
I focused myself listening to Takagi's word, while also trying to read the text book and the memory aid chart. Not to mention I have to try to take notes too.
'Oh boy ...this is going to be an exhausting day', I muttered inwardly.
That's it, for now. Hopefully I can cover the start of new term in the next chapter so you can have scenes in classroom and school again.
Please leave a review and let me know what I need to improve.