Maki event! But it's a cool, I need pures...but I'll probably try to get into T2 so I could idolize. Have you seen the Valentine Stories on JP? Everyone is giving chocolates to each other! Harasho! Of course Nico and Maki give each other chocolates, which is ooooookaaaaaayyyyyyy. I'm ascending.

Also mfw the rating for this is still M. I changed it last time! Wut? Ahem.

So yeah, next chapter time. It reveals quite a bit, and no Nico. But well, I dunno, enjoy? Belated Happy Valentines or something.


The Science of Spectral Magnetism

Chapter Two

The hunger for answers had always been a prerequisite of many sciences. The more I treated this whole situation as some kind of scientific research made the pursuit of Nico's past a lot more fun, almost like an adventure. There were so many mysteries surrounding her that a whole day won't ever be enough time to solve the puzzle. Needless to say, the past few months have been a lot more fruitful than my initial blind searching. I now stood in front of the establishment that more or less contained all the things I wanted to know. It was funny that it was a place I was very familiar with.

"Ah! How nice of you to drop by! How have you been?" Nagayama Minami the head nurse greeted me as I entered the reception area.

"I've been well Nagayama-san, how about yourself?" I greeted back. "How are things here? It's been a while."

"It has. Things are more or less the usual. Nishikino-sensei had been more involved in operations than usual," She explained.

I raised a brow in question. "Papa has?"

"Yes, but I don't think it's something you should worry about, young miss. We just need more hands is all."

"Alright..." Papa and mama hadn't informed me about this particular info, I could have helped like I usually did in the past. Then again, they haven't really been saying anything ever since I started University.

"What brings you here today, young miss?" Nagayama-san asked, noticing my sudden silence. I nearly forgot what I came here for too, yikes.

"Oh, right..." I cleared my throat. "Do...do we have the records for the recent deaths for the hospital?"

The golden haired woman stared at me curiously. As if I asked for the most unusual thing—and maybe it is. Who suddenly comes in to ask for deaths?

"Well, yes. I'll try to look into it...for how long should we backtrack?" She asked, surprisingly accommodating to my odd request.

"About...4 months back perhaps?" I was unsure myself. "Actually, make it 5. Sorry for the trouble."

"Understood young miss." She turned around and was about to dart for what I asked, but she faced me again, her eyes questioning. "I don't mean to pry miss...but what do you need it for?"

I can't tell if the uneasiness showed on my face, but I managed to think up of an excuse to cover this very crazy expedition.

"A science thesis."

"I see. Please have a seat over there, this might take a bit." She explained before walking out the reception desk, leaving a fellow nurse to hold her place. I gingerly walked myself towards the waiting area. Readying myself for the waiting game.

I took one of the many seats and let out a heavy breath. It's not that I was tired, but I felt like I've been running about ever since I met with the day that impish ghost appeared in my room. I was pretty determined to get rid of her initially, and I still do want her to come to terms with her death—but with less hostility than I treated it in the beginning.

Nico was, to put it simply, a very educational companion. She knew of things—surprisingly fun things I otherwise could have ignored my whole life. She was also very domestic, a trait I was able to learn a lot from. I'm proud to say I can now cook a hearty meal as opposed to getting Chinese take-outs or convenience store food—which was the lifestyle I imposed on myself after I left home and prior to meeting her. Having her around, as much as I hate to admit, made every day eventful. It was one of the handful of things I'll never tell her though.

As these things ran through my head, I failed to notice that there was someone standing before me.

"Red," A little boy said, his index finger pointing at me almost accusingly. He wore a hospital gown that told me he was a patient. Something about the hue of his eyes peculiarly reminded me of her.

"C-can I help you?" I tried to say, my inexperience with children showing.

"Red," The boy repeated, staring at me as if I was some kind of criminal.

"Hey, Koutarou! What are you doing?! That's not nice!" An exasperated voice exclaimed to my left, most likely calling out to this boy before me. As if to torment me, it was a voice that oddly reminded me of her.

"Koko-neechan..." The boy muttered, looking at the direction of the voice. I followed suit and saw a scarily similar form of the Nico I know—only a lot younger.

The girl held the little boy's hand and looked at me apologetically. "I'm really sorry about the trouble miss. My brother hasn't been out of the room for a while..."

"Red." I blinked several times as the boy continued to point at me. Even he looked similar now that I think about it.

"Gosh Koutarou, what are you even saying? Don't point at people."

In an effort not to look stupid at the sight of a younger looking Nico speaking in a polite and courteous manner—which was totally unlike the boisterous girl who yapped about in my house like there was no tomorrow—I gave them a smile. At least the most natural one I could muster.

They both stared at me for a while as if they were studying a painting. I felt myself sweat coldly at the attention I was given. In spite of myself not being good at remembering or even caring about children, these two looked scarily similar to the ghost in my apartment. Could they be related? The similarity was uncanny.

"Maki-neechan?" The girl called out to me.

I stiffened in response. They know me? I suddenly felt bad for not remembering them. But I need to save face here, I somehow felt that I shouldn't let them down.

"Yes, it's me. How have you been?" I tried, wanting to punch myself for sounding so weird.

The pair only looked at me blankly, as if they knew I was only bluffing.

"I'm glad you look well," The older of the two said, her look rather wistful. "I apologise again for my brother."

"I-it's no problem..." I stammered out, not really sure what else to say.

"Well then, please excuse us." She gave a small smile and led her younger brother towards the left wing. My eyes followed until my attention was called out by Nagayama-san.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, I have what you need," The older woman said, holding up a heap of documents. Still a bit surprised by my prior encounter, I only managed to nod in acknowledgement. "Ah, the Yazawa family, been a while since you've seen them, is that right?"

I swallowed. "I know them?"

Nagayama-san stared at me, a look of worry becoming evident in her mature features. "Yes? During the times you've come to help out in the hospital, they were the family you spent the most time on." She placed the stack of papers onto one of the empty seats and sat beside me.

"When was this?" I asked, wondering why such an important detail escaped my memory.

"Roughly around your high school days? I'm afraid my memory is not as good as it used to be." She chuckled, her voice apologetic.

Just then, something clicked. Something about the words she uttered made me remember, albeit vaguely. I was a second year then, it was around summer, the busiest time of the year in the hospital. Papa had to formally request for my help, so I did.

"Yazawa..." I absently murmured.

"You remember now, miss?" Nagayama-san asked, seeming more eager than I was about this whole thing.

"I think so," I answered. "It was...3 years ago, I think? I don't remember what they were here for though..."

The head nurse was silent for a moment, I silently anticipated what she was going to say next, all the while trying my hardest to remember the past.

"The youngest Yazawa had cardiomyopathy."

"Had?" I repeated, all of a sudden the information too much for me to register. Cardiomyopathy. The deterioration of the heart muscle. Making it difficult to pump blood and deliver it to the rest of the body. It often leads to heart failures. I shuddered at the thought of the boy from earlier having this sickness, suffering from it.

"Yes. The surgery was successful and he's currently just going through therapy. He should be discharged in a few weeks."

"Surgery?" I asked, waiting for an answer I probably already knew.

"A heart transplant." She explained simply.

I smiled, feeling triumphant over the fact that science saved a life. Glad over the fact that the hard part was over for such a young boy. Thankful for the kind soul who offered their own heart to help the child live.

"It's a shame," She said, putting a palm to her face. "The eldest Yazawa could have been here to celebrate for it."

"The eldest Yazawa?" I felt my eyes widen in surprise and, strangely, expectance.

Nagayama-san nodded, her apparent attachment to the person I asked for showing. My curiosity turned up a notch at this reaction; somehow dreading it at the back of my mind.

"Do I...do I know her as well?"

"Funny as it sounds, you have never seen each other." She explained fondly, as if she was expecting it. "What I'm sure of is that she's a few years older than you, and whenever she's around, you never are and vice versa."

Everything was falling into place. Unless I was sorely mistaken, my next question would be the game-breaker for this wild goose chase.

"Where is she?"

The head nurse frowned solemnly, looking at the direction where the two children from earlier walked.

"She...she died. Five months ago," She said in a weary tone. "And the eventual donor for the heart transplant her brother needed."


DUN DUN DUN~!

Bleh.

I can't tell if it's shorter than usual. But I can feel it's a bit predictable. I dunno though, you decide.

So far I've neglected adding any of the other cast in here, but somehow Nagayama Minami from LLSIF is here?! What kind of atrocity?! But you know, I always imagined she'd be a great nurse for some reason. There'll probably be more of those normies being thrown here and there as the story progresses...and of course, μ's too! Thanks for reading so far!

Feel free to leave me a line on PM or a review to shit on this, haha.