All right. 3rd chapter written by runwithscissorsXXXbattlescars. Not much to say here.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Not even my own room. I have to share that with my sisters.
The secretary Meruru reached her hand forward, and Natsumi gave her Occult Monthly with nothing more than a small sigh.
"Thank you, Natsumi," said Meruru in a calm voice. She leaned back into her office chair. "You may now visit Room 168." Her lips curled into a slight smile. "Wish your brother a happy birthday for me, will you?"
Natsumi nodded, not daring to say another word after what she'd confided to the woman. Instead she gripped the handles of the pink bag holding the cake and walked off into the dark hallways.
Through the windows, she could see the sky seeping into gentle shades of orange and yellow, brightening the underside of clouds with golden hues. Off in the distance, just above the trees, the blue sky faded out and slipped away. Evening was approaching. There would be just enough time to catch Fuyuki at dinner, which was 6:00 to 7:15 so any announcements could be squeezed into the time slot.
Natsumi hoped Fuyuki would enjoy the cake. It was vanilla, his favorite. Fuyuki wasn't as big on sweets as his older sister; he was more of a fan of the plain and classic flavors than anything really fancy or too out-of-the-ordinary. It probably wouldn't do much to take his mind off the magazine, but there wasn't anything Natsumi could do about it, even though Fuyuki wouldn't like it.
Meruru was right. It would only add fuel to the flames. Likewise, that had been Natsumi's thought behind the lie she told earlier that morning. She would just have to explain to Fuyuki, on the chance that he would ask where the magazine was… which was an unfortunately rather high chance.
The patient rooms were numbered starting at 100 on the first floor, and Natsumi kept her eyes peeled for that familiar "168" that belonged to her brother. All patients were kept on Floor 1, except for the really dangerous and difficult cases, who were on Floor 2 along with therapy rooms and staff offices. Floor 3 was for hospital/sick rooms and doctors. Natsumi was always a bit confused by this since it looked from the outside like there ought to be four floors, not three, but at some point she reasoned that the fourth floor must have been used for storage or something.
Natsumi passed door after door, all leading to rooms belonging to patients who weren't her brother. A few months ago, when Fuyuki had recently been admitted, she used to wonder to herself why there were so many young people with mental problems. She used to think that these kind of issues should have been rarer, and so why did so many kids fall victim to them? Now she walked past these doors like she'd seen it all. There were no more surprises after all that she'd been through.
She passed Room 115, a place that looked just as messy as Fuyuki's. She passed Room 120, where a crowd of people were stuffed in, looking like they were partying. Natsumi didn't know if that was allowed but she decided not to say anything. She passed Room 129, from which a foul odor seeped out that smelled like a mixture of weed and methane. She passed the room next to it, Room 130, and felt a chill travel up her spine.
She'd seen it all. There were no more surprises after all that she'd been through. But whenever she saw a patient her age, she couldn't help but feel disturbed. Room 130, she knew, belonged to that girl with the black ponytail and an adventurous look in her green eyes. It always disturbed her to see that normal-looking girl, her age, here in a mental institution. She seemed so out of place at the Hinata House, until Natsumi had learned from another patient that when she was a kid, she ran away when from her parents to join a gang, but the Hinata House caught her and now it was trying to reintegrate her into society.
But don't they know, thought Natsumi, don't they know that when she leaves, who will be waiting for her? She has no one. Her parents probably don't want her, or don't know where she is anymore, or they're probably gone already, just like… just like….
She decided to stop thinking about the patients that felt too close to home. In a place literally named the Hinata House, she had mastered ignoring those kinds of familiarities.
Eventually Natsumi passed Room 150, and the cafeteria opened up around her, but she walked past. She wasn't sure if Fuyuki was in there and so she figured that she might as well check to see if he was still in his room, because it was only 5:59. After walking past another thirty-eight rooms, Natsumi finally reached her brother's. When she opened the door, no one was inside. The cluttered mess on the floor made it look like a robbery had been committed, something that she wouldn't have had a problem believing, what with all the kleptomaniacs and criminals in the Hinata House with a record of thievery in tow. What would be more believable, however, was if Fuyuki's dumb roommate was the thief.
Natsumi checked her watch, and saw that it was now 6:00. She shut the door and backtracked to the cafeteria, where Fuyuki most likely was. She started looking around but couldn't spot her brother. The cafeteria during the evening was always way too crowded, because all three floors had to come down to have dinner together, unlike the other meals, where the groups ate separately.
She had become accustomed to all the diverse faces, people, and ages that were seated at each table, though it had shocked her in the beginning. Now it was just common knowledge to her that any youth could end up here, whether twelve years old or twenty-five.
Natsumi weaved through the crowd of patients, searching for the table that Fuyuki normally sat at. After so many weekends of visiting him she'd gotten memorized his whereabouts at mealtimes, since those were the hours that visitors were normally allowed.
"Sis!" someone called from behind her. Natsumi looked around, but then gave up after a moment. It sounded like Fuyuki had called her, but really anyone's older sister could have been visiting.
"Sis!" the voice called again. No, it definitely sounded like Fuyuki. Natsumi turned around and saw her brother standing before her, looking overjoyed that she came back.
"Fuyuki." Natsumi threw her arms around him, being careful not to swing the cake onto his back and crush the frail boy. She pulled apart and presented him with the cake from the pink bag. "Look what I got! Vanilla, your favorite."
"Cool!" Fuyuki took the cake delightedly in its round plastic box. "It looks yummy. Can we go eat it now—"
Natsumi cut him off. "No cake until you finish your dinner." She gave him a stern look, though there was playfulness in her eyes.
Natsumi followed him to his usual table, where Fuyuki always sat with his friend, roommate, and his roommate's two friends (Natsumi preferred the term "lackeys").
"Ooh! A cake!" The youngest boy at their table, a red-head in dark blue clothing, made a dive for the sweet, but Natsumi brought her hand down on his head and pushed him down onto the table, his jaw meeting the hard wood.
"No cake for you, Tamama. That's Fuyuki's."
"Aw, it's okay, Sis," Fuyuki said with a dismissive laugh. "He can have some." Fuyuki sat down and placed the cake in the middle of the table. Tamama was still rubbing his jaw from the impact, but his eyes shone at Fuyuki's words.
Natsumi left momentarily to get some food. In a short while when she came back, Fuyuki's friends were already engaged in excited chatter about the cake. She took a seat next to her brother, as far away from Fuyuki's weird friends as she could possibly get. When she was comfortable, she began to dig in, forgetting all the stress from that day.
"So, did you get the magazine?" asked Fuyuki.
Natsumi paused just as she was about to take another bite of her food. She put her food down and became very silent, until she said, "I…. I'm sorry, Fuyuki. The secretary at the front desk won't allow…. Won't allow magazines like that." She dared to meet his eyes. "I'm sorry," she said again.
"Oh." Fuyuki looked downward. He tried to hide it, but Natsumi could feel his disappointment. "That's all right. I liked the other books you got me. I can probably just catch up on the issue later."
Right. Later, thought Natsumi. When is "later?"
"No, I really am sor—"
"What was that secretary lady's name…" he tried to remember, "…Meruru? Oh, yeah, she's the mail Keronian, isn't she?"
Natsumi fell silent. She had hoped that Fuyuki wouldn't start talking about aliens over dinner, but when he started, trying to get him to stop was inevitable.
Across the circular table, Fuyuki's roommate covered his mouth and laughed. "Keronians? What is this one—"
"Shut up, stupid frog," Natsumi snapped at him.
This time Fuyuki laughed, but his laughs always sounded so forgiving, instead of his roommate Keroro's teasing, manipulative ones.
"You should know, Sarge. You're a Keronian, too."
"Uhhh, I guess I just forgot or something." Keroro watched his words under Natsumi's harsh gaze and casually resumed his eating. Natsumi was good at giving harsh looks, even as someone as dumb as Keroro who always wore his dumb green frog hoodie. Probably to try to make himself look younger than he actually is, Natsumi always thought. And oh, did she wish he was younger than he actually was. Personally, she never really liked the idea of her brother having to room with a guy in his early twenties.
When all of them finished their dinner, Natsumi took off the plastic covering from the cake. Then she picked up one of the plastic knives from the table and began to cut. It was a difficult task, since the plastic knife was so dull. All of the knives had to be, or else they wouldn't fit safety codes. She dished out slices to Fuyuki, making sure that his was the biggest, then to Keroro, Tamama, Fuyuki's friend Momoka, and Keroro's other friend who didn't really talk much, Mois.
"Wow! This is really yummy!" said Tamama, taking a huge bite out of the cake with his fork.
"Tamama!" Natsumi scolded. "Wait for Fuyuki."
"It's all right," said Fuyuki with another of his forgiving laughs. He took a bite himself and smiled. "It's really good. Thanks, Sis." He swallowed his piece of cake. Natsumi frowned, but giggled a little at Fuyuki's childish behavior. "This has been a great birthday."
Fuyuki turned to Keroro and Tamama. "And thank you guys, too, for your platoon not invading on my birthday. It means a lot to Sis and me."
"Uh… sure," said Keroro. He exchanged an uncertain glance with Tamama.
Natsumi smiled. It was so painful to see her brother like this, but for once, she was glad that he at least thought that he was happy. Maybe things are okay after all, she thought. Maybe they don't have to be so painful. There's going to be no more pain today. No more crying, just smiles and laughter. Maybe I can do that for him. Maybe they're actually getting better.
So maybe Fuyuki can get better, too.
"Oh, and Sis?" Fuyuki turned to Natsumi with a smile on his face. "Can you call Mom and say hi to her for me? I know she's really busy at work so she can't come home right now, but—"
Natsumi stood up, knocking her chair over.
"…Sis?"
"I—I will, Fuyuki." Natsumi struggled to look down at her brother. Her eyes were blinking rapidly, but she managed a smile just like his own. She checked right wrist. Her watch was on the other one, but she didn't care. "It's been an hour. I've got to leave. To—To call Mom right away. And she's going to wish you a happy birthday. Okay?"
"Sis!" Fuyuki called, but Natsumi was already weaving past the waves of patients coming through.
Natsumi promised herself that she wouldn't cry today. But as she ran out of the cafeteria and through the halls, she broke that promise. Along the way, she bumped into a tall, muscular man making his way through the halls, and they both fell to the floor.
"Watch where you're going!" Natsumi snapped at him.
The man stood up, and Natsumi realized that he was much taller and much more muscular than she had thought at first. There were scars all over his body, except for his face, which was completely unmarred. Across his right arm was a decorative dragon tattoo. As if it made him look any tougher.
Dragon man picked up Natsumi and pushed her against the wall, staring at her with a look of fury in his eyes.
"No, you watch where you're going." His voice was stern, but it sounded calm. He tightened his grip on her shoulder. "Don't you dare tell me what to do."
Natsumi didn't buy into his act. She brought her foot up and kicked him in the side of the head, sending him right back onto the ground. He shouted and yelled, getting to his feet to chase after her, but Natsumi was running down the halls by that point.
Thanks, dragon guy, thought Natsumi, for taking my mind off of that.
In only a few seconds she lost the man, and Natsumi exited through the doors of the Hinata House.
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