After short, friendly conversation with Naegi, Hinata was directed straight to the ward. Five hospital rooms. Door leading to ICU. Corridor painted with characters from „My Neighbour Totoro". Rooms for parents and common room.
"We usually play with kids here" explained Komaru, still holding his arm, as if afraid that he is going to change his mind and run away. "Today me and Sonia are on duty, which is actually quite good. You're just going to sit here for a moment, so they can get used to you. Later you need to help with the sheets and all that stuff".
She knocked into glass door of common room. After a while slender, blonde-haired girl apeared on the corridor, carefully closing the door behind her. She had very pale complexion, blue eyes and European features.
"Sonia Nevermind" introduced her Komaru. "Princess of Novoselic and new transfer student in the Academy".
Obviously. Transfer student and an arictocrat at the same time. She had no problems enrolling to the best school in whole country.
"Hi" she said cheerfully, smiling at Hinata."So you are the new guy, right? Komaru told me that you're going to join us today".
"Uhm" answered Hinata, blushing slightly. "Hinata Hajime" he introduced himself quickly. He tried too look over the glass door to see what –more or less- he can expect.
"Nervous?" asked Sonia. 'There's no need, the kids are cute. Come on, they shouldn't stay on their own for too long".
"Yeah, yeah" he said, feeling that his face is burning from heat. He loosened the collar of his shirt.
"Don't worry" he heard familiar voice. Komaeda. He was standing in the treshold of one of the rooms, with his face still hidden under the hood. He held his comic book in one hand. Sonia gave him a stern look, to which he answered with slightly mocking smile. "They already know what kind of person you are, from the very first moment. They just want to check and make sure".
Hinata nodded his head, wondering how exactly he should understand that.
"Maybe you'll join us, just for a change?" suggested Sonia.
"Fourth Angel has just attacked" answered Komaeda, looking at his comic book."So no, I think I'll pass".
"As you wish. Hey, everybody!" she said, opening the door to the common room and peaking inside. Someone gave out a small laugh. "I have a very special guest for you. Hinata, there are everybody… well, almost everybody. Everybody, this is Hinata".
He was welcomed by at least six pairs of curious eyes. Five and a half, he corrected himself. A boy sitting next to the table had a bandage on his left eye. Left side of his face was all swollen. He couldn't be more than eight years old. He poke his tongue at Hinata and he came back to his drawing.
"Kuryuzuu" said Sonia, furrowing her brows. Hinata felt a little bit disturbed, hearing the surname associated with local mafia. "Apologise to Hinata right now!"
The boy tightened his mouth and shook his head.
"Don't worry about it, Hinata" advised Sonia. "It's not his best day, that's all…"
Hinata shook his head. They both knew that it wasn't the case. Kuryuzuu knew what kind of person Hinata really is. That he's not the right person in the right place.
Through few weeks following, Hinata was sharing his time between regular, by any means dreamed school and the "Totoro ward". He was gradually learning the names of the patients, their interests, their history, their group he was trying to entertain wasn't the same every day. Someone new appeared. Someone came back from ICU, someone was sent home, someone had tests or was resting after more or less drastic medical procedurę. He hardly ever got to see
Komaeda, who was completely drawn into his comic book series and he apparently valued reading more than spending time in the common room. Hinata didn't want to insist. The atmosphere surrounding woud-be Super High School Level Luck was too disturbing for him. Even in the place that was disturbing itself.
The first person to win his heart was Nanami. She was fourteen, which made her one of the oldest patients on the ward. She was wearing pink wig and she had a deep affection for videou games. They hardly ever talked. When Hinata came from school, she just moved to make him place in fornt of the TV and gave him second power pad. They played in almost everything: adventure games, strategy games, war games, horror games. She was the first patient Hinata hasn't ask about the diagnosis. He didn't want to ask. He didn't want to know how serious is her condition, he was just hoping that they will be able to finish newest game about zombie she received from Make a Wish foundation long before official release date.
When she got weaker and she wasn't able to come to the common room, she asked Hinata to visit her. He sat on her hospital bed. She gave him second power pad. They kept playing.
She got injections and IV drop. They kept playing.
She reveived oxygen through mask. They were still playing.
She was too weak to keep the power pad in her hands. Hinata kept playing, allowing her to watch and comment his clumsy attemps.
That day they were playing really long. Longer than Hinata was expected to work in the hospital. Nanami didn't want to stop the game in the middle of the most interesting quest and she almost forced her substitute player to get to the last checkpoint before the final. She fell asleep when the fight with final boss was about to start, so Hinata just saved the game and he left the room as quietly as he could. Huge Totoro on the corridor was staring at him, hiding from the rain under leaf umbrella.
"Have you finished the game?" asked Komaeda. Hinata almost jumped. He didn't notice him at once. Super High School Level Luck was sitting on the wide windowstill with the comic book on his lap. He wasn't reading. He was just staring at the glass covered with small raindrops.
"Almost" answered honestly Hinata."We still have the final boss to deal with".
Komaeda just sighed and shook his head.
"You are getting too attached" he warned."This is going to hurt"
"It's none of your business" said Hinata, furrowing his brows.
Komaeda was looking at him with something strangely close to sympathy. City lights were reflecting in his big, silvery-gray eyes.
"If you want" he said quietly. I can finish that game with you".
"There's no need" Hinata angrily zipped his jacket."Me and Nanami are going to finish it together. Tomorrow, after I finish my classes".
Komaeda was looking at him for a moment, then he carefully shook his head again. He didn't say a word, but he started to write something on steamy windowglass. Hinata followed the movement of slender pale fingers.
„HOPE"
That was the word Komaeda has written on the glass.