RCR
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"BREAKFAST is held in the main dining room, but before that we're going to meet with Daichi-san. I hope you're not hungry yet." Hinata said rather mockingly.
"I'm fine," replied Kageyama shortly. He was kind of hungry actually, but the rumbling in his stomach was still faint enough to be ignored. The pain he felt whenever he took a step also worked well to distract him from his basic necessity.
"I don't think Daichi-san will keep us too long, so you don't need to worry," Hinata continued on as if he knew Kageyama was only telling a half-truth. "How're your wounds by the way? Can you actually walk by yourself or are you just acting tough?"
"I can walk just fine!" Kageyama snapped. He regretted it a moment after though when the bruise on his chest suddenly throbbed painfully. He sucked in sharp breath as he staggered and reached out a hand to lean against the wall.
Meanwhile Hinata just watched without a word. He waited until Kageyama caught his breath before walking down the hallway again. "Just don't faint on me. I don't think I'm strong enough to pick you up."
"I thought you were hurt just as badly as I was last night. How can you recover so fast? You're not a RCR, are you?"
"Nope! I'm just an ordinary boy with a naturally high metabolism. That doesn't mean all my wounds are healed magically though. I do still have bruises too."
"Really? You look as if that doesn't affect you at all."
Hinata smiled wryly. That's because I'm used to it, was what he thought but didn't say out loud. He kept on walking instead until he stopped in front of a door with a nameplate on it. A simple Daichi-san was written on the nameplate in childish cursive.
"Daichi-san, it's Hinata. I bring Kageyama with me." Hinata called out and waited until he got a reply before opening the door. He glanced at Kageyama, making sure the dark haired boy was following, as he stepped in.
The room itself wasn't that big. The only furniture there was a work table right across from the door, two chairs for guests and bookshelves on the side. The room looked like a typical office, but a large window which was held open sent in enough sunlight and the morning's breeze to make it seem more welcoming. Suga was there. The silver haired man stood leaning against the window while looking out of it. The gentle breeze played with his hair, ruffling it, until he lifted up a hand to fix the strands. He glanced at Hinata and Kageyama, lips forming a warm smile in greeting, but he didn't say anything.
"Good morning, you two."
The voice that welcomed them was deeper than Suga's and full of authority. It made Kageyama straighten up almost unconsciously, although he felt slightly better when he found Hinata was doing the same thing. He took his eyes off of Suga to the source of the voice. His gaze took in the figure of a man, roughly in his late twenty or early thirty, sitting behind the work table. The man was bulky, his muscles obvious even through the black shirt he wore. Though the thing that caught Kageyama's eyes longer than it should was his left arm. It was different—in the way that it wasn't an arm at all. At least, not a natural one. The man's left arm was mechanical. It looked very similar to his normal arm at first glance, but the way it reflected light showed it was made of metal. It took all of Kageyama's will-power to stop himself from gawking and to move on with his observation of the man's appearance. Kageyama took in the way the man's brows were furrowed lightly, giving him a strict expression but not angry, while his sharp jaws were tightly shut. The man's eyes were sharp and intense when they met Kageyama's. One thing that made him swallow unconsciously, for under those eyes Kageyama felt like he was being tested.
"Good morning, Daichi-san!" Hinata replied to Daichi's greeting cheerfully. Almost like he didn't care about the tension in the room—or maybe he just hadn't caught on, considering how oblivious he was sometimes.
Daichi's eyes softened considerably as they turned to Hinata. His lips formed a thin smile that still looked warm. "I'm glad you two seem to be better. At least without any additional wounds," he started, prompting Hinata and Kageyama to flush in embarrassment and Suga to snicker from behind. The smile on Daichi's face spread into a grin. "Something I'm sure wouldn't happen had I not sent Tanaka and Noya before."
"Daichi, teasing them like that isn't good. I'm sure they've learned to get along by now," said Suga. He then pushed himself away from the window to stand beside Daichi. The smile on his face hadn't changed in the slightest. "You should go straight to the point. I've started to get starving here and I really don't want to miss Shimizu's food."
"Ah, you have a point there," said Daichi before turning his attention back to Kageyama once again. "I'm glad I can finally meet you, Kageyama Tobio. Welcome to The Nest. I'm Sawamura Daichi, leader of Karasuno. First of all, I apologize for our rough treatment last night. Although, had you been willing to listen to Suga, things would've been really different."
Kageyama shrugged lightly. "I was trained to attack first, talk later—if ever. Back then, you were an intruder. Therefore, you were my enemies."
"I guess you're right. Well then, as an apology, I'll try answering any questions you may have as best as I can."
"Any questions?" Kageyama asked to make sure. When Daichi nodded, he continued with the first question he had. "Then... why did you bring me with you? I'm still part of the government. Shouldn't it be better to kill me instead of bringing me to your stronghold?"
"Hmm, that's true, but," Daichi's eyes softened once again. "you're just a kid, aren't you? We're not going to kill children, even if it was one whose hands were painted in blood. Besides, we know living in the government's facility isn't exactly rainbows and sunshine."
"But I'm your enemy," said Kageyama. He really couldn't understand Daichi's answer.
"Are you, really?" mused Daichi. He leaned back against his chair as he continued, "True, the government is our enemy, but whether you also count as one or not still depends. I may be only a Normal, but I have friends, both RCR and those who have been discarded by the government alike, who had told me what happened inside the government's facility. At the very least, we all know people like you don't have many choices. For all of your life, you've been told to obey orders and you act accordingly. That doesn't make you our enemy. After all, that's the only life you've ever known.
"Of course, that will change if you actually take pleasure in breaking your enemies' minds and killing them. Which, I'm afraid, would mean that we'd have to execute you after all." Daichi's calm voice hadn't change at all although his eyes narrowed minutely. "So, tell me, Kageyama. Are you really our enemy?"
There were a lot of meanings behind Daichi's question that Kageyama couldn't immediately answer. He curled his hands into tight fists, conflicting with his own feelings. In a way, Daichi was right. His life in the facility was all Kageyama had ever known. Thus, he had never bothered to consider his own feelings whenever he was given a mission. It might be more accurate to say he'd never felt anything. He never felt pity for any enemies he'd killed, but on the other hand he didn't feel thrilled either. Maybe that should be enough.
"No, I'm not your enemy." Kageyama answered at last. He still wasn't perfectly sure about it, but it was the best he could give for now.
Daichi seemed to weigh in the answer. In the end he nodded, though, and a pleased smile cracked his strict countenance. "Good. Then that's all the answer I need. Now, I'm sure you still have many questions, but I'm afraid they'll have to wait for now. It's breakfast time now and it'd be too cruel for me to hold you two up for any longer."
"But—!"
"Kageyama," Suga spoke up. He smiled kindly at the younger boy. "We'll answer your questions later. For now, I think Daichi's right. You'll need energy to get better soon."
The look on Kageyama's face made it obvious he didn't particularly like the idea, but in the end he simply nodded. He still had many questions, but asking them now would only be pointless. Daichi and Suga didn't seem willing to give any more information. Besides, breakfast sounded like a good idea now since his stomach had started to growl from hunger.
"Alright. As long as you promise to give me answers."
Suga grinned. "Yes, we promise. Now go on, you two. Oh, and Hinata, please don't forget to bring Kageyama to our doctor after breakfast, okay? You two need to be checked up."
"Do we really have to, Suga-san?" Hinata whined. He really didn't want to meet the doctor so early in the morning. They weren't exactly the best of friends.
"Hahaha, you should at least pretend to be a bit happy about it!" Suga chuckled seeing Hinata's sour expression. "But you can't ditch this time. I'll make sure to inform Tsukishima you two are coming."
The groan Hinata uttered at that was totally heartfelt. "Okay, then. Well, I'll see you two later, Suga-san, Daichi-san. Let's go, Kageyama. I'm starving!"
After that, Hinata immediately grabbed Kageyama's wrist and dragged him out of the room. He didn't seem to care about Kageyama's muffled protest which made Daichi and Suga chuckle in amusement once again. Once the door had been closed behind the duo, Suga moved to sit on the edge of Daichi's desk. He was considerate enough to make sure there was no important documents squished under him though.
Daichi took a look at that and couldn't help an exasperated sigh. Even so the smile on his face was fond. He reached out to rest his palm atop Suga's hand. They shared a comfortable silence for a moment, indulging in the warmth of each other even after years of being together. A lot of things had happened to them in the past. Most of them were bad memories neither wanted to experience ever again, while the rest would always be remembered with a smile. Though it was those difficult times that actually brought them closer—despite Daichi being a Normal and Suga a RCR—and that led them towards the present.
"You're thinking of sappy things again aren't you, Daichi?" said Suga, his voice gentle in his teasing.
"Like you're not thinking the same," replied Daichi. His smile still hadn't left his face. "I'm just always grateful for everything whenever I'm with you like this."
The sincerity in Daichi's voice pulled at Suga's heart. There was regret and a little bit of guilt in his eyes now. "Even though you lost your arm because of me?"
"Koushi." Daichi's voice was exasperated. He hadn't pulled his hand away though. As Suga offered him a mere shrug before turning away, he tightened his hold and pulled lightly, making sure Suga's attention was fully on him once again. "I thought we'd talked about this."
"Yeah," Suga whispered softly. He swallowed the feelings that seemed to choke him. The warmth of Daichi's hand on his became his anchor to stay in the present without being pulled by his own guilt. "Yeah, we have, but I can't just stop feeling guilty about it. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't be hurt. If only I'd become a good little soldier who obeyed orders. If only I hadn't tried to run away. You wouldn't be hurt, Daichi. You'd still be whole."
"Well, at least I still feel whole even now," said Daichi in flat tone. He flexed his mechanical arm as if to prove his words. "Besides, the kids think it's cool and Asahi's really fixated on it too. Really, from my point of view, there's nothing bad with losing an arm."
"You certainly didn't say that when Asahi attached the bloody thing to your bones."
"Hey! That was different! The pain was really terrible, you know?"
"No, I didn't know," but Suga could imagine. Daichi's scream still haunted his nightmares. Even now he was still amazed Asahi actually had the nerve to complete the procedure. He'd half thought the gentle man would've got cold feet and stopped the procedure right after witnessing how much pain Daichi was in. Of course, once it was over, Asahi had looked even paler than Daichi and he never once left Daichi's bedside until he completely recovered.
"I just made you feel even guiltier, didn't I?" Daichi sighed. "Honestly though, Koushi, I didn't regret anything. After all, I owe you my life so of course I'd have to return the favor."
"You're exaggerating, Daichi," mumbled Suga even though there was light pink dusting on his cheeks. There was truth in Daichi's words. Suga had—technically—saved Daichi's life once.
They were enemies at first. Suga was one of the government's soldiers and Daichi part of the rebels since he was young. They met when Suga was given an order to repress the rebellion in the tenth ward's slum and they fought quite intensely. Of course, as a Normal—and a teenager at that—Daichi had no chance to win. Suga beat him soundly and he should've ended Daichi's life right there and then, but he didn't. Instead, he had stopped once Daichi couldn't get up again and left him until the other rebels came to fetch him.
Apparently it was the beginning of Daichi's fascination with him. Ever since then, Suga would meet Daichi whenever he came to the slum. They didn't talk much at first, both still too wary about the other, but Suga was lonely and Daichi offered him a companion he just couldn't resist. The friendship that grew between them was inevitable. They became closer each time they met, sharing thoughts and dreams and ideas.
Daichi's stories made Suga realize how much he longed for a different life, one where he wouldn't have to kill anybody. He told Daichi this one time when he felt particularly gloomy after a mission and he couldn't hide his surprise when Daichi replied with a suggestion to run away. Suga had laughed back then. He thought Daichi was only joking because really, that was one hell of a crazy idea. He should've known though that Daichi wasn't the type of person who could joke at something like this. Not when Suga had poured his heart out—telling him all of his reluctance, insecurity and fear at being a part of the government's RCR army—so much that he trembled by the end of it.
Once he realized Daichi actually meant his words, Suga was filled with hope and dread. It was tempting to accept the idea and run away together with the black haired boy, but at the same time he knew the chance of them actually getting away from the government was slim to none. Suga had never been one who believed in chance. He'd never take any decision without proper thought. One that might end up badly was usually discarded and Daichi's idea should've been one of them.
In his confusion, Suga had taken the only choice he could think of. He ran away. He ran and left Daichi alone without any explanation. Daichi called out to him but didn't chase after him—which was a wise move because Suga couldn't think clearly at that time. He avoided Daichi after that. He took more missions than before, hanging out with the other RCRs in the facility or simply practicing alone just so he wouldn't have to return to the slum. Still Daichi's words lingered in his mind. They clung tightly and bugged him day and night until finally Suga couldn't lie to himself anymore.
"I was so afraid you'd avoid me forever back then. So afraid my silly idea had cost me your friendship. I could barely sleep for the whole week you'd been gone." Daichi murmured softly. His mind also went to the past. To the start of everything.
"And that's why you snuck up to the facility? Just to meet me? Honestly, Daichi, there must be something wrong with your brain."
"Mm, don't blame me for being crazy in love with you," said Daichi although he couldn't hold back his own chuckle at the cheesy words. He played with Suga's hand, linking their fingers together and squeezing tight. "In all seriousness though... I was really afraid. I needed to make sure you were still there. I'd been so used to seeing you everyday so when you suddenly disappeared for a week, I was... in panic. Kuroo helped me with the sneaking in, and in my defense, I was really only meant to see you back then."
"What made you change the plan then?"
Immediately an image of Suga sitting on his own bed with both knees drawn up to his chest flashed in Daichi's mind. He remembered the stunning shock he felt when seeing it. Suga in his memories was always smiling or laughing so it was the first time he'd ever seen the silver haired man in such a despondent position. His body had moved by its own will, bringing him closer to Suga as if to answer his wish to gather him into his arms and protect him from everything cruel in this world. Suga'd lifted his head up in his direction and even now the sight of Suga's silver eyes glazed with unshed tears was still clear in his mind.
"You may say that I'd just come to a conclusion back then. When I saw you again after so long, I made a decision, the best one I've ever made, and that decision was to always spend my life with you."
Suga smiled wryly. "And that decision of yours got you shot, infected, even lost an arm literally. I hope you've learnt to think more before taking huge life changing decisions next time."
"Don't worry, I just lose my mind when it's about you." Daichi said with conviction. After all, the only person he'd ever felt the urge to kidnap was Suga. Not that he really succeeded at that either, because halfway through the facility's guards had caught up with them and he'd gotten shot not long after. Daichi didn't really remember what happened after that. He was sure he'd passed out eventually and the next thing he knew, he was waking up in his own room. The next day he heard that the government's facility was destroyed by an explosion but he couldn't remember that either.
He kinda had an idea who might've done that, but Daichi never voiced his speculation out loud and Suga never said anything so he decided to simply disregard the news. All that matter was having Suga by his side. Daichi couldn't care less who he'd hurt or even killed in order to achieve that one wish. Their lives after that only got better. They never spent a day apart from each other and their family slowly grew with each 'stray' Suga would take in. Truly, Daichi had never felt more content with his life before this.
"I think that's enough talking about the past," Suga jumped off of the desk without releasing Daichi's hand. He gave a little tug so that Daichi would stand up too. "We should join the others for breakfast, though I'm not sure there'll be any left by now. Nevertheless, we should at least check how many disasters Hinata and Kageyama have caused and make sure no one was traumatized."
"Oh, come on, surely they can't be that bad."
Suga outright laughed at that. "Oh, Daichi, my poor Daichi," he shook his head in mock sympathy. "I think you're gonna be having frequent headaches in near future."
"Koushi. Please tell me you're joking."
"I'm perfectly serious. Those two... well, you may say they have a rather complicated bond between them."
"Oh great," Daichi groaned. "Why can't you just take in someone normal and sweet like Yachi? I'm quite sure we don't need anymore troublemakers after Tanaka and Nishinoya."
"Aww, don't say that. I know you love them nevertheless!"
Daichi snorted. He didn't bother replying since they both knew the answer to that. He simply let Suga lead him towards the main dining room, pleased with the warmth he still could feel through their linking hands.
BREAKFAST was quite an interesting affair. Everyone from the orphanage actually gathered in the main dining room just to share the meal together. The fact that the room itself wasn't big enough for all of them didn't seem to matter. Everyone just sat wherever they wanted; be it on another person's lap or even on the floor. The smaller children were given high chairs while the oldest ones—like Daichi and Sugawara and two beautiful girls called Shimizu and Yachi—watched them carefully, although Nishinoya and Tanaka actually acted more like a kid than the toddlers. They only calmed down once Daichi gave them a sharp glare.
Kageyama was saved from the chaos only because Hinata skilfully took him to the quieter corner of the room. They were greeted by a very big man who immediately made Kageyama's hackles rise. That man looked very intimidating with his long hair and beard, but then the man smiled sheepishly and the tension in Kageyama's body immediately disappeared. It was difficult to feel afraid at someone who looked more scared of him despite his look.
The man introduced himself as Azumane Asahi. Hinata said he was an engineer—to which Asahi himself tried to deny weakly—and that he was the one who designed Daichi's mechanical arm from scratch. Kageyama was instantly impressed. Sure, he had heard about the development of mechanical limbs, but as far as he knew, not many people had actually managed to create one. He certainly hadn't expected someone like Asahi, who obviously had no funding back up from the government at all, would be capable to make something like that. After that their conversation went around the current technology. Apparently it was a topic Asahi actually enjoyed because he gradually became more at ease. They spent the whole breakfast while having that interesting discussion even after Nishinoya suddenly joined in.
After breakfast Hinata told Kageyama they were going to see a doctor. This made Kageyama frown a bit. Medical check-up was actually an obligation for both RCRs and Divers due to their complex genetic conformity, but not every doctor could treat RCRs or Divers. Since their body physiology was completely different than Normals, RCRs and Divers could only be treated by specialized doctors. Like everything else related to RCRs and Divers, the education needed to take that field was also monitored very tightly by the government. Kageyama was sure none of the district's resident would be allowed to enroll.
When he brought this matter to Hinata, he had just shrugged.
"Tsukishima's a bit different," Hinata wrinkled his nose as if unwilling to continue at first. "He's... good, but he isn't officially a doctor. We don't really have the luxury of high education like that."
"Are you sure someone like that can be trusted?"
"Mm, like I said, Tsukishima's skill is good. I can assure you there won't be any mistake in his diagnosis or medical check-up. The only problem is that he doesn't have any bedside manner at all."
"He sounds like a fun guy." Kageyama said sarcastically.
"Oh, you have no idea," Hinata grinned. "I'm just glad you're the only who'll need a check-up this time. At least then I can spend my time with Yamaguchi and just watch you suffer."
Kageyama snorted. Hinata looked far too smug when he said that. It made him wonder how bad this Tsukishima was. Maybe Kageyama should expect the worst because then he wouldn't be surprised by anything and there would be no unnecessary fights.
The rest of their ten minutes walk towards Tsukishima's place—a small, humble building with Tsukishima plate name upfront—was spent in silence. When they finally arrived, the clinic itself looked almost abandoned. Hinata didn't seem bothered by the lack of people around, though. He simply walked in straight pass the reception-slash-waiting room to the treatment room. Kageyama had no choice but to follow him.
Turned out there was actually a patient in. It was a little girl who needed treatment for her scrapped knee. The doctor—Tsukishima—calmly dressed the wound without words while the nurse, a young man with kind smile and freckled face, soothed the girl with calming words. Hinata tugged at Kageyama's hand to get his attention. He then nodded towards two plastic chairs at the right side of the door, indicating they should wait for their turn. Kageyama nodded in understanding.
Thankfully they didn't have to wait too long. Well, a scrapped knee wasn't really a serious case, so that was to be expected, but still Kageyama felt relieved when the little girl was escorted out by both the nurse and the doctor. He never liked hospitals or clinics. The smell of antiseptic reminded him too much of the lab and all the tests he'd gone through. Just thinking that made Kageyama shudder involuntarily. He sucked in a deep breath and turned his attention to Hinata to distract himself.
Kageyama almost jumped in his seat when intense bronze eyes immediately met his gaze. Hinata was staring at him and there was something in his eyes that made Kageyama uncomfortable.
"W-what are you staring at?!"
"You look pale." Hinata answered plainly. "I guess you don't like being here either, huh? It's alright. I can understand. Tsukishima's quick in doing check-ups, so I think you'll be fine."
Heat crept up Kageyama's cheeks. The soothing tone Hinata'd used only made him feel even more embarrassed by his silly fear. He could feel his anger rising from the humiliation. Rationally, he knew his fear wasn't something he could control, but to have Hinata talked to him like that wasn't something his pride could accept.
"I don't need your pity," Kageyama growled.
Hinata blinked innocently. "I'm not pitying you. Besides, you're not the only one who has bad memories about hospitals, you know. Thinking that I'd pity you just for that is a bit too arrogant."
Kageyama narrowed his eyes. "How dare you say that when you don't know anything about me."
"Well, excuse me! We've just met! Of course I don't know anything about you, Idiot! Besides, it's not like I'm interested. I'm just here because Daichi-san and Sugawara-san asked for my help! If not, I'd be more than happy to avoid seeing you altogether!"
"Well then I don't need you here! You can run back to the orphanage for all I care! It's not like I can't take care of myself!"
"Yeah, I hope someone actually shot you down on the street," murmured Hinata under his breath.
"What's that, bastard?!"
"Please don't tell me you're fighting here. I have neither the time nor energy to handle you two right now."
A third voice cut into their argument. Kageyama closed his mouth in reflex while Hinata flinched visibly. Curious with the other's reaction, Kageyama turned his attention to the source of the voice to find Tsukishima and his nurse standing right behind Hinata. The blond haired doctor lifted his brows in condescending manner. Though this was their first meeting, Kageyama could understand why Hinata disliked him so much.
"So, you're Kageyama," said Tsukishima in a drawl. His lips lifted into a smirk as he leaned towards Kageyama. "The newcomer. I hope you won't get into too much trouble unlike this shorty here."
"Who did you call shorty, you four-eyed jerk?!"
"Maa, I'd love nothing more than to escort the two of you out, but unfortunately Daichi-san's asking for my help directly so I have little choice but to treat both of you." Tsukishima continued as if he hadn't heard Hinata's complain at all. He put his hands on his coat's pockets and walked pass them towards the first bed. "Come on, I'll start from you, Kageyama."
"Please, come this way, Kageyama-san," the nurse said with a timid smile. He patiently waited until Kageyama stood up and followed him. "Your injuries from last night seemed to be healing well. That's good. Tsukki—I mean, Tsukishima-sensei won't have to do much. A standard medical check-up will be enough for you today."
"How do you know I was injured?" Kageyama asked. He was genuinely curious. All of his wounds were covered up by shirt right now so this nurse—whom he had never met before—shouldn't have known about them. "And what's your name? I'm guessing you're friends with Hinata and the others too?"
"Ah, I'm Yamaguchi Tadashi. Just call me Yamaguchi. Yes, I and Tsukishima-sensei have known Hinata and everyone from the orphanage for years. We're rather close. About your injuries... well, I simply feel it. I was supposed to be a Diver, but my ability never develop further. Instead of going into people's minds, I'm just capable of sharing what they feel. I'm particularly accustom with pain too, so it works well with my current job."
"I see," Kageyama was rather astonished actually. He'd met so many people in his short stay here and most of them were unique. Of course he knew in the eyes of the government, people like Yamaguchi or Hinata (who was still a mystery even for him) would only be considered as Defects who should be discarded, but to actually speak with them was fascinating for Kageyama.
"Please sit on the bed," Yamaguchi instructed and Kageyama started a bit. He hadn't realized they'd been walking that far. Thankfully Yamaguchi didn't comment anything. The nurse simply gave him a kind smile as Kageyama obeyed.
"Thank you, Yamaguchi. I think I'll be fine by myself. You should go back to shorty's side and make sure he doesn't make a mess."
"O-oh, alright then, Tsukki. Just... call me if you need anything," said Yamaguchi with a soft smile.
Tsukishima merely nodded. He watched as Yamaguchi nodded at Kageyama before walking back towards Hinata who was still sulking. Once he was sure Yamaguchi had managed to calm Hinata down, Tsukishima finally turned towards Kageyama.
"Okay. Now, take off your clothes." He ordered in no-nonsense tone. When Kageyama didn't immediately obey, he raised his brows and gave a long suffering sigh. "Look, you're wasting my time. I need to look at your wounds to know how fast your body is healing. I can only give you meds after I've decided your regeneration rate. So, please take off your clothes now."
Kageyama glared at Tsukishima. He was tempted to continue on being stubborn just to make the doctor angry, but decided against it in the end. With reluctance clearly shown on his face he finally took of his shirt.
Tsukishima rolled his eyes but didn't comment on Kageyama's childish manner. His expression became more serious as he observe the bruises on Kageyama's body.
"Hmm, they're already healing, but not at such high rate like RCRs. I'd say your regeneration speed's probably just a bit above Normals." He walked towards a glass drawer and took out a vial of some cell-suppressant complete with a syringe. He brought all the items with him when walking back to Kageyama. "What kind of suppressant you usually take?"
"Just the standard, over the counter ones, I guess," Kageyama watched warily as Tsukishima took out the drug with syringe. "The doctors at the facility also said my cell regeneration rate isn't anywhere near RCR's so there's no need for any special suppressants. I didn't take them daily either. It's more of a weekly dose. Though, I've heard RCRs actually need to take suppressants twice a day. Else their own new cells would eat up their old ones."
"That's true," Tsukishima took Kageyama's arm and tried to locate the veins. "RCRs regeneration ability is like a double edged sword. It's practical, of course, since it makes them basically immune against all kind of wounds and/or illness, but at the same time, the regeneration of new cells will destroy their bodies if left uncontrolled. That's why RCRs need to be given suppressants daily—or even twice daily as you've said—to slow the splitting process of their cells. Even with that, though, RCRs still generally have shorter life-span than either Normals or Divers."
"So in the end, those defects... they who escape from the facility... will actually die?"
"Yes, because getting access to RCRs' suppressants isn't easy. Only qualified doctors are allowed to purchase them. Those who escape but can't get access to the suppressants won't last long. At most they'll only live for a week before their bodies start to itch so badly. Usually they will kill themselves in the end or lost their mind instead. It's a lost-lost situation so really, those who tries to escape are fools."
Kageyama frowned. "Does that mean your nurse is a fool too?" he asked and promptly hissed when the needle bit his skin. Tsukishima didn't even give any warning before injecting the suppressant. Bastard.
"We're done here. Wear your clothes and go home. I'd like to spend the rest of my day in peace." Tsukishima ordered curtly. He threw the syringe and empty vial to a yellow box nearby before walking towards his work desk. "I'll give you some pain killers for your bruises, but other than that you're quite healthy. Just come back for another check up next week."
Kageyama grumbled under his breath about doctors and bedside manner even as he wore his shirt. He knew the bruises would feel slightly worse now because of the suppressant, though, so he really needed that painkiller. When he walked towards Tsukishima, the doctor had already written a prescription.
"I'll give you enough painkiller for about a week. Don't take too much though. It'll be a lot more annoying work for me if you ended up addicted."
"I won't get addicted," Kageyama took the prescription with a scowl. "We're taught better self-control back in the facility. We'll never rely on drugs that can dull our senses."
"Most people will say that before they're hooked on drugs," Tsukishima drawled aloofly. "Anyway, what's with your gloves? I feel hot just by looking at it and it doesn't even go well with your clothes. Why don't you just take them off?"
"... I can't take them off."
"Oh? Are they glued directly to your skin per chance?" Tsukishima asked with mock seriousness in his voice.
"No, it's nothing like that," Kageyama scowled. He crossed his arms on his chest. "I just... can't. If I took them off, bad things might happen."
Kageyama's voice was no louder than a whisper by the end of the statement. Tsukishima narrowed his eyes minutely, but held himself back from commenting. In the end he just shrugged. "Suits yourself. Though, I'll feel a lot better if you never touched me with your hands. Do you even wash those gloves?"
"Of course I wash them!" Kageyama snapped. His ire only got worse when Hinata laughed out loud at that. "Don't laugh, Hinata! We're done here. Let's go!"
With that Kageyama stomped his way out of the clinic, followed by a snickering Hinata behind him.
Yamaguchi and Tsukishima watched until the two of them disappeared from their line of sight. Yamaguchi let out a soft sigh before turning towards Tsukishima. "Tsukki, you teased Kageyama a bit too much."
"I'm merely voicing out my opinion. If he couldn't take it then it's his own problem." Tsukishima leaned back on his chair. "He doesn't look that weak to me."
"Well, that's true," still Yamaguchi was a bit worry. He bit his lower lip in contemplation. "I'm curious about his gloves too, though. I wonder what's the real reason he wears them."
"It's his pacifier."
"Pacifier?"
"Some Divers usually need something to... dampen their ability, I guess. Those who can't control their power at first might feel overwhelmed from hearing people's thoughts all time. They might even got into the wrong people's minds and from what I've heard, diving into people's thoughts isn't exactly pleasant. So some Divers usually take an item—anything really—as their focus point. When they wear that item, they can control their power better. It's all just psychological though. The gloves are just ordinary gloves, but for Kageyama, they are the only thing preventing his power to get out of control."
"So... all Divers need a pacifier to control their power?"
"No," Tsukishima shook his head. "Like I've said, only some Divers need it. Those who're actually skillful won't need any outside interference to control their power. Those are the exceptional Divers, ones considered as elites even among the government's military rank. They are really strong and, consequently, really dangerous. I really hope I won't meet any of them in my whole life."
A shudder ran through Yamaguchi's body. "B-but the government won't bother dispatching people like that to our district, right? I-I'm quite sure we're not that dangerous."
"Yeah, you're right." Tsukishima gave a thin smile. "Don't worry, I'm sure we'll be safe."
Although even as he said that, Tsukishima wasn't sure it was the whole truth. There was something about Kageyama that set him at unease. Something more than mere personal dislike. He just wished they hadn't bitten more than they could chew and hoped the eyes of the government wouldn't be turned towards them.
-END OF PART I-