April 22nd, 2016: Friday.
Only a few days had passed and they were already out of the medicine given to them by Takemi.
It worked wonders, all things considered. Akira still had trouble wrapping his head around the whole thing. Because their cognition believed it to be a healing aid, it was able to restore them to a certain point, better than any pain killer in the real world.
Alas, they had used it all. Interestingly, food items also helped keep up their health, but the snacks they brought in were paltry compared to what the medicine did. They were able to get about halfway through the Palace, but Akira wasn't going to let them go any further without it. They needed to restock, and he couldn't keep delaying going back to the Palace.
So, here he was, in front of the medical clinic. He set his jaw, trying to think of the best way to go about this. Morgana poked his head out of the bag and asked, "So, any ideas?"
"That's what I'm trying to figure out," Akira said. He crossed his arms and leaned on the sign. "I can't just ask for stronger meds, right?"
"She did say to come back if they weren't doing the job," Morgana pointed out. "Go with that angle, maybe?"
Akira nods. That probably is the best way to go about this, but he still doesn't like lying to her. "Head back to LeBlanc, I'll meet up with you later."
"Sure you won't need my help? I'm sure I can do something with this damn cat body of mine."
"Let's not risk our medical supplier on the hope she's a cat person," he said, lowering the bag to let Morgana run free. Once the weight was lifted, Akira readjusted it on his shoulder. "Go bother Sakura-san for some more food, I'm sure he's more than willing."
Morgana scampered away as Akira took a breath and entered the clinic. Takemi was sitting behind the window, typing away on a computer like the last time. She looked focused, her brow furrowed. He wondered what she was doing.
He stepped up and waved. "Uh, hi. You remember me, right?"
Takemi turned to him and tilted her head. "The kid from LeBlanc, yeah. What are you here for? Did those painkillers do the job?"
"Uh, actually, I was hoping I could get some of that… 'special' medicine I've been hearing about?"
Takemi's face went blank. "Uh-huh."
"Yeah, the painkillers, they helped but I don't think they were strong enough," Akira lied, rubbing the back of his neck.
For a brief moment, Akira was sure she was just going to turn him away right then and there. If he were being honest with himself, he'd do the same in a heartbeat.
"Very well," Takemi said, surprising him. She got up and gestured to the door. "Head into the exam room."
Akira nodded his thanks before stepping in. He took the same seat he had been at last time he was here. Rather than sitting across from him like last time, though, Takemi came into the room and immediately headed towards the door.
She made sure it was closed before she turned around to face him. She leaned back and asked, "'Special' medicine, huh?"
That's when she locked the door. Akira's face fell.
"I heard you eavesdropping the other day," she said, calling him out. He grimaced and cursed the freshly waxed floor. "I don't know what your game plan is, but that medicine I gave you should have been more than enough for the stress. So, what are you actually using my medicine for?"
"I thought you didn't care?"
"That's before you decided to press your luck and ask for more. Spill."
Akira frowned and looked to the side. He needed to think quickly. Why would a high schooler like him need drugs from a shady doctor like her? Well, there really was only one correct answer, wasn't there?
"I need it for my exams," he lied, looking back up at her.
"Your exams?" She shook her head. "That's stupid. No drug of mine will give you perfect scores. Only studying."
"I'm using it so I can study longer."
"That's not the worst reason I've ever heard," Takemi said, frowning at him. She shook her head and unlocked the door. "Regardless, I'm under no obligation to help you with your studies. Pass or fail, makes no difference to me."
"Please," Akira said, getting to his feet. "I need that medicine."
"So you keep saying." Takemi shot him a sideways glance and let out a huff of frustration. "You're really persistent, you know that? Look, the medicine is really expensive. As much as a car. No way a high schooler like you can have that much."
"I'll work for it." Akira thought about stepping closer to her, but instead he chose to take his seat again. He didn't want to make it seem like he was threatening her. "I'm... I'm kind of desperate here."
She looked off to the distance before asking a question he wasn't expecting. "How's your stamina?"
Akira blinked. "What?"
"Do you consider yourself someone with a good amount of stamina? I've been looking for someone with that quality, but so far I haven't been able to find anyone. I even put out an ad in the papers and everything."
"Uh, yeah, I guess. Why?"
Takemi chewed on her lip before pushing past him. "Wait there."
Akira sat patiently as she rummaged through her refrigerator. Eventually she pulled out a glass with a blue liquid. She presented it to him and issued a single commanding word. "Drink."
He looked from the glass to Takemi, hesitantly taking it for himself. "What is it?"
"That's what is going to get you my medicine," she informed him. "You'll be performing clinical trials for me. Do that, and I'll get you all the medicine you can ask for."
She crossed her legs and leaned back, waiting in silence. As Akira continued to stare at her in bafflement, she just raised an eyebrow and began tapping her foot.
Akira took another look at it. It didn't seem like it was dangerous. It was just a blue liquid. For all he knew it could just be water with some food coloring.
But it could also be literal, actual poison. Akira is fairly certain Takemi wouldn't just kill a man in her clinic, but he also can't be one hundred percent certain.
"Don't want to drink it?" She asked. "The door is right behind you."
It was becoming increasingly clear that he didn't really have a choice. A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he raised the glass in a toast. "Bottoms up."
In a single swig, he downed the entire contents of the cup. Takemi's eyes flew open and she leaned forward in shock. "Wow. You actually drank the whole thing…"
It took all of his willpower to not immediately spit out the liquid. It tasted awful. One time when he was younger, he tried to cook for his mother. It ended quite poorly and Akira wasn't able to taste right for weeks after that. But this? This was so much worse.
He shudder as he swallowed it before leaning forward. "There. I drank your demon drink."
"Yes you did…" Takemi shook her head and began writing down on her notepad. "Interesting. And you're feeling okay?"
"Aside from the garbage you just had me drink?" Akira nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. Woah…"
"What is it?"
"Nothing just… just feeling a little… Oh, no…"
He collapsed onto the floor face down. Takemi raised an eyebrow as she looked down at his prone form.
"Huh." She made another note. "Interesting reaction…"
He wasn't sure how long it had been when he woke up. Last thing he remembered was collapsing onto the floor, so he found it rather strange that he was on a bed now.
A groan escaped his lips as he sat up, rubbing at his head. He had a massive headache right about now and he felt dizzy.
"Oh, good, you're awake."
Akira looked over and saw Takemi swing around to face him. "Looks like you finally got a good rest after all."
"How long was I out?" he asked, wiping away any tiredness from his eyes.
"Long enough." She placed her clipboard to the side. "Tell me, what do you remember?"
"I drank whatever that was and now I'm on a bed." He looked up at her. "Did you put me on here?"
"I did," she confirmed. "Took some effort, but I was able to lift you onto the bed. Those clothes must hide it quite well, because you are heavier than you look. You actually did wake up a little bit beforehand, but you were talking pure nonsense. I was able to finish the examination before you passed out again at least."
Akira nodded and looked around. Sure enough, the room was a little darker than it was when he first got here. "Sorry I took so much of your time. Did you try to wake me up again?"
"No," she said. "I figured you earned a little rest, so I put up the closed sign and let you sleep it off. I actually have something important I needed to ask you anyway."
"Which is?"
"Are you out of your goddamn mind?" Takemi scolded him. Akira looked away, his cheeks turning red. "Only an idiot would have drank that."
"It's… for my exams?"
Takemi rolled her eyes and rolled back to her computer. "Of course. By the way, you only passed out because of the taste. It mixed with your gastric acids and produced a foul order."
"What was that stuff?"
"Don't worry about it."
"That makes me worry even more."
"Anyway, it's time to honor my part of the deal," she announced, completely ignoring him. She leaned in closer and leveled those brown eyes of hers at him. "I want this to be kept secret, understand? Rumors are all well and good, but the second someone begins to spout that I'm giving them medicine with proof? I'll be done for, and you won't get your drugs. Understand?"
Akira grunted, not feeling up to speaking — arguing, really — more than necessary.
"I'll take that as a yes," she said, sounding pleased. "Of course, that goes both ways. I won't tell anyone about you. Think of it this way; the more you buy, the more I might even be able to add additional selections."
Akira nodded his thanks.
"Great," she said, picking up her clipboard. "I'm glad we got that all worked out. So, when can I expect you back for the next clinical trial?"
"Trial?" Akira asked, narrowing his eyes at her.
"You don't remember? I told you that teenage test subjects are quite valuable in the industry. In exchange for the medicine I'm giving you, you'll be my little guinea pig."
"Honored," Akira grunted out, still feeling the effects of that god awful concoction.
She handed him his school bag. "I put some more medicine in that. Even some of the 'special' kind. It's not my strongest blend, but I'm sure you'll make due. Don't worry about cost, consider it compensation for your first trial."
Another grunt. Another acknowledgement.
Takemi chuckled and then gestured to the door. "If you can move, you're free to go. I'll reach out to you when the next trial is ready."
"Yes, doc," Akira groaned, hobbling towards the door.
"Oh, and make sure to be careful on your walk home," she called out after him. "You're obviously still feeling some dizziness."
"So many pretty lights…" he muttered as he opened the door and left. Takemi smiled and returned to her computer.
Today has certainly been productive. He was now a test subject. Part of him thought that was honestly the most outlandish thing about this whole Tokyo stay up until now.
He could see a world where he'd be thrown into a supernatural ordeal, but being labeled as a guinea pig? That was unexpected.
Still, new medicine. They could continue the Palace tomorrow. Or maybe the day after that, so he could sleep off this headache. Two days? Whatever.
The second he stepped back into LeBlanc, he was greeted with the welcoming sound of Sakura-san's demanding voice.
"Where the hell have you been?" Sakura-san demanded. "I've been trying to get ahold of you, but you haven't been answering your phone. It's too slow to keep the store open and I wanted to close up hours ago."
"Right, sorry about that," Akira said quietly, not wanting to argue. He limped past the bar and began to head up the stairs to the attic.
"You look like crap," Sakura commented. Akira could vaguely hear a tinge of concern in there, but maybe it was just the wind. "Seriously, where were you?"
He turned back towards Sojiro and shrugged. "Got a job."
"A job?"
"A job."
Sakura crossed his arms and nodded. "A job…"
He shook his head and began to take off his apron. "Look, if you're going to be that late again, just call me, okay? I don't need to keep waiting for you, got it?"
"Careful, Boss." Akira grinned, too tired to hold his tongue. "Keep talking like that and I might think you actually care."
Sakura glowered at him and didn't say another word as Akira finished the ascent up the stairs. He'd deal with Boss's wrath later. Right now it was time to sleep like the dead.
That new kid would prove to be rather useful, Tae thought to herself as she began writing up her report.
She was fairly certain his claims of needing the medicine for studies was an utter fabrication, but she didn't really mind. She got someone to help with her medicine, the last piece of the puzzle she needed.
He really was a strange kid. One second he was stammering out an obvious lie, the next he was standing firm and resolute with what he needed. She couldn't quite get a read on him, but he seemed earnest enough. She didn't have any real worry that he would turn her in.
Especially given she can point the finger back and get him in trouble.
All that being said, she wasn't completely honest with him about when he woke up either. It wasn't pure nonsense. It was completely irrelevant to the examination, but the things he was saying…
"Doc, I don't think I've ever seen someone more beautiful than you."
Obviously the result of a drunken stupor. Really, she should just stop thinking about it. But for whatever reason, his praises of her just kept ringing over and over in her head.
It wasn't that she wasn't used to being commented on for her looks. She was. But it was never the straightforward and earnest way the kid was doing. He wasn't being a creep about it, he was just… telling her how beautiful she was as if it was just a fact of life.
It was certainly a confidence boost, Tae thought to herself, finishing up the report. But that's all it was. A confidence boost.
She was certainly curious as to what else he'd say. Another little bonus to the deal they had going on.