Here's the next chapter.
A reminder that my sister is no longer editing my stuff.
It's kind of short I didn't have very long to write it. Mostly gironatsu stuff.
Giroro had a problem. And that problem revolved around Natsumi Hinata.
He liked her. No, maybe a bit more than liked her. She had easily taken over his thoughts and his goals seemed to revolve around her. At first his mad obsession of love had been a sort of admiration, his nightmares of the war were replaced with the knowledge that if she had been there- the warrior princess, she wouldn't have been scarred like he was. She would have conquered and gotten through it, perfecting every technique and her fighting being noble unlike his where he had to commit war crimes for his country.
But slowly as he slipped over and started talking to her more and more his love for her grew larger and larger, they shared many common interests, she was easy to talk to and her laugh was adorable when he was making a joke or something like that. It was easy to converse with her, although lately he was getting rather tongue tied.
What was worrisome though was the knowledge that his relationship with Natsumi would never progress to a place that he wanted. His nightmares of his past had been replaced by good dreams about her, he wanted to go outside into the outer world and hold her hand, to date her. He wanted her to see him as an equal and just as important as she was making him feel.
Giroro focused harder than ever on getting better. To try to learn how to actually function in society. He had never once had a goal in this hospital, a drive. There was nothing outside waiting for him.
A broken family, crimes that he had committed, a flame filled legacy of war. That was all he had. And even when Garuru had joined the hospital staff, the only member of his family that he actually liked, the guy barely visited him. He wasn't like the strong sibling bond that Natsumi and Fuyuki shared.
But Natsumi was changing his life. She was giving him a goal and something to focus on. She doesn't like it when I'm violent. When I snap. Giroro recalled. She...She probably thinks I'm some deranged psychopath. He could understand. Natsumi probably never even had an inkling of on an urge to date him. Heck, she probably didn't even want to be his friend while he was in this state.
She probably was frightened of him. She thought he was dangerous. After all that was what society and this hospital had been telling him for a while. Mentally ill people were dangerous and they had to learn to hide their symptoms for the safety of the general public.
Giroro had never wanted to hide something about himself before. But for Natsumi's sake, he'd do it. I just want to be normal. I want...I want her to see me as normal...
He didn't want to be deranged to her. And no matter how much it hurt him to think about how he'd never reach that 'healthy, normal' level, he would attempt. Because he loved Natsumi Hinata.
And he wanted her to notice him. Even if he knew deep down all his efforts were futile. They were just in two very different worlds.
He never stood a chance.
Unbeknownst to Giroro, Natsumi didn't think anything along the lines of his fears. She didn't think he was dangerous or deranged. If he stepped out of line, she was more egotistical than anything, knowing she could handle him.
Maybe it was because she had a short, unnatural fuse too, that she understood him. But she never once thought he wasn't normal or dangerous. Instead her conversations with him after their initial meeting were pleasant and she felt like she was just chatting with a friend. It was surprising to say the least how easy it was to get along with Fuyuki's fellow patients, and she felt somewhat guilty for talking to Giroro during her one hour visiting time at times, but she really just saw him as a normal friend.
Not that she ever told him that, she didn't know it was an issue or worry of his. He always put up such a strong front.
"Hello Fuyuki!" Natsumi sighed as she sat down in front of him. It was the weekend so she was free to visit Fuyuki as she wished. "How...How have things been going...? Anything new?" She was glad enough that Fuyuki had mentioned aliens a little less. Maybe this place really was helping him.
Fuyuki bit his lip and neglected to mention the dead person. "Nope. Nothing much. Sai started singing."
Natsumi tilted her head. "W-who's Sai...?" Maybe she didn't want to know.
"Sai's one of the therapist's. Super annoying." Koyuki pulled herself over to Natsumi to give her input. Natsumi hadn't spoken to Koyuki very much but it always creeped her out to know that a girl her age was in this place. That they were supposedly just trying to reintegrate her and make her 'normal'. Other people could do that! Not this place...Koyuki could do that on her own with friends.
It was like they were trying to make her obedient.
"However...She hasn't been like herself lately...Not since Yue..." Koyuki got quite and almost sympathetic towards the therapist. She never liked any of the therapists but she wasn't a bad person. She cared about people's feelings. That was part of the reason she had latched onto Dororo early on to take care of him and they had formed a friendship to rival anyone elses in the institution.
Natsumi wanted to ask about Yue, but decided not too. She didn't really need to know all these girls names, nor did she really care. "So...You're Koyuki, right?" Natsumi tried to be kind and smile, "Fuyuki's friend?"
Koyuki nodded. "You're his sister. It's very nice how you visit him. I like you." She pulled her hand out as if she was going to karate chop Natsumi with it instead of handshake. Natsumi had to withdraw her hand a bit so Koyuki could meet it.
"Family sticks by each other." Natsumi nodded. She then bit her lip awkwardly. She didn't know if Koyuki had any family. Was she bragging? Oooh geez...
Koyuki noticed her discomfort. "It's all right. It doesn't bother me that I didn't have any biological family. My gang was my family after all." She looked down realizing that they hadn't visited her either though. It probably put them in danger.
"I'm sure you have a family." Natsumi tried to cheer up the girl. "I mean all your friends here are like a family, right? You got..." She pointed to Dororo because she had forgotten his name.
"D-dororo...My name is Dororo." Dororo cried. Why did everybody forget it?
"And you have Fuyuki, Giroro and even that stupid frog looking thing." She was of course referring to Keroro's frog hat. "And I can be your family too. I visit here every weekend after all."
Koyuki sniffled for a moment and threw her arms around Natsumi and gave her a hug, much too tight for comfort. "Oh Natsumi! That's so nice of you! I'll never forget this pact that you've made with me!"
Natsumi was so confused. But she giggled a bit as she tried to wrangle herself free. "Y-you're welcome. I'm glad you're happy, Koyuki."
Geez she was making too many friends here. She wasn't even able to be here that much. But secretly she was happy that she had finally made Koyuki's friendship. It was something she had always wanted, something she felt guilty for not doing.
Koyuki just smiled and Fuyuki grinned. Things were getting more and more normal.
Natsumi had a fun time hanging out with everyone at lunch, but at the end of it before she was kicked out she went over to get some more cake from the buffet table so she would be able to talk to Giroro alone.
He of course was hanging out there as usual, as if trying not to be too obvious that he wanted to talk to her and wanted her attention. Instead he was just being clumsy and knocking over all sorts of ingredients. It was like he was a human magnet for disarray.
"So...Tell me something, Giroro," Natsumi finally spoke to him.
"...Yes?" Giroro asked hopefully. Crap! Did she figure out my crush. Her tone sounds so accusing. But maybe she'd accept his feelings...? He could dream.
After all dreams were all the poor sucker had.
"How's Fuyuki really doing?" Natsumi asked, her voice filled with trust. If there was anyone she trusted for some reason to look after Fuyuki while she was away, it was Giroro, and she enjoyed talking to him about her brother's well being. He was honest and he just looked like he'd protect him.
Maybe it was the scar. Looks like he got in a bad fight and lost his eyesight. Still he's able to do a lot considering he can only see out of one eye. Natsumi nodded to herself. He really did look capable.
And for some reason despite not knowing him for very long she trusted him with her most important person- Fuyuki. Giroro didn't know how much trust she had in him.
Giroro looked downcast, wondering what words to choose. He knew selfishly if he told Natsumi about the death of the girl on the fourth floor that she might pull Fuyuki out of the institution. And then he'd never see her again.
But seeing the way she looked at him, like she depended on him for something, made him happy. Like he could offer her something. And that was something he was striving for. He didn't think there was anything he could offer her in his ill state, but he didn't know why Natsumi was depending on him now.
"He's doing...Well. I mean we're all shaking up from what happened this week." Giroro admitted.
"W-what do you mean, what happened this week?" Natsumi asked.
"A girl died. Her name was Yue." Giroro replied.
Natsumi looked shocked. She covered her mouth in a gasp. "Is...Is Fuyuki in danger? I thought the staff were professionals...? Did they mess up?"
"Rumor has it the girl committed suicide. But she showed no signs of suicidal idealization before her death..."
"She was murdered?" Natsumi was even more shocked.
Giroro sighed and looked deeper in shame. "Garuru told me she was dared into licking an electric wall socket. And the idiot apparently fell for it." Garuru had seen the cameras.
What a way to die. Really was a shameful secret.
Natsumi just looked at him blankly. She didn't know what to say about that. She knew that some of the patients there got into some weird business, but...That was weird. "Is Fuyuki sad? Does this effect Fuyuki in any way?"
"Well, here's the thing. She died up in floor four. I...I can only assume what prodded her into licking that wall socket like a lollipop, but apparently this whole dumb hospital has latched onto the idea that the fourth floor kills people and is haunted. Not me of course. I mean I know what's going on here, but...There couldn't be ghosts at all in addition to that. No siree!" Giroro started shivering.
Natsumi giggled a bit. "Aww, you afraid of ghosts or something? Don't worry, same."
Giroro blushed and hid under his collar. "Don't tell anyone."
"I won't." Natsumi promised. He's cute. "Anyway...What does floor four have to do with Fuyuki?"
"He thinks it's haunted." Giroro sighed, "And you know how Fuyuki feels about the occult."
Natsumi's eyes widened as she realized what Giroro was implying. Fuyuki might try to explore the fourth floor. "Oh...Oh no...And...And is him going up there...Bad?"
Giroro didn't explain anything but he gave her a small nod.
She grabbed onto Giroro's arm and gripped it, shaking.
"Hey! 15 inches apart if you're of the opposite gender!" A staff member yelled at them like he was a chaperone.
Natsumi withdrew herself. "I...I can't be here to watch him. I can't stop him! I'm in school, I have work...Oh noo...He'll be hurt. Because of his delusions."
"He won't." Giroro told her, wanting desperately to stop her fears. "Fuyuki's a tough kid. He might be deluded and not see reality as it is, but he's smart and observant. He can solve mysteries when they don't have to do with aliens. He'll keep himself out of trouble. And if he doesn't..."
"Will you protect him? Giroro, please...Take care of my brother." Natsumi begged.
Giroro nodded as if he was a knight in shining armor. He hadn't been a good soldier. War wasn't as noble as his mother had led him to believe, but for once he could do the right thing. "I'll protect Fuyuki in your steed. I promise he won't die, Natsumi. He'll be safe."
Natsumi's fears seemed to ease. "Thank you, Giroro."
And just those words were enough for him.
Fuyuki was still in a glum mood even though his sister had visited that day. He didn't know if it was because on weekends Momoka wasn't around or because the knowledge that someone had died was still looming over him.
It was probably about even. He couldn't tell what was bugging him.
The person who was by far the most upfront to Fuyuki about how bothered they were over Yue's death was Sai though. She had stopped singing and being chatter.
She may have been obnoxious to some of the patients but she really did care about them as if they were her children. And she had never wanted someone to die.
"Are...Are you okay, Sai?" Fuyuki asked. She wasn't leading the therapy session with a sing along. She was just sitting on the couch.
"Maybe you need therapy." Tamama teased.
"Nice one." Keroro high-fived him.
"Heh. Keroro's proud of me." Tamama grinned to himself.
"I really did want to make a difference in her life. I didn't...I didn't know I could make a mistake like that. It was just a mistake...I didn't know the fourth floor was that bad!" Sai whispered.
"It's...It's all right." Fuyuki tried to comfort. He no longer saw the men in white or therapists as weirdos. They were his friends. Like Sai was. "It wasn't your fault."
"You're right! It's never my fault!" Sai perked up. "You know, I've had problems like this before. Mistakes."
"You're responsible for people dying?" Koyuki's eyes widened in horror.
"No, silly!" Sai giggled, "Bad things have happened that I wasn't at fault for. You know the hardest part of my childhood was how everybody loved me too much. I was too beautiful for everyone, the world made me too gorgeous. And people were jealous. But eventually the mistake ran out that they made being jealous and they learned to love me and my kind personality."
"That's...Completely off topic." Giroro didn't care about Sai's (TM) tragic backstory, or what she thought was a tragic back story.
"This is just like then. I had nothing to do with her actions, it didn't have to do with me. I can only control how nice I am." Sai seemed to be completely over her sadness. "I want to remind you all that I love you and care for you as if you were my children, that's why I took this job after all. Because I care about people and want to make them better."
"That's not too horrible of a dream..." Keroro was trying to look at the bright side of Sai.
"That's not my dream. My life dream is to find true love and have be seduced by someone amazing who cares about me and our romance extends to the stars." Sai grinned. "It's hard to fulfill this dream because honestly so many men are competing for me," She trailed off, playing with her hair.
"Don't lie." Keroro frowned. He should be able to tell lies, after all he was a pretty compulsive liar.
"Why are you telling us your dream, Sai?" Dororo asked.
"Well to inspire you. Someday I'll achieve my true dream just like the rest of you and will get married and be happy! You should aspire to brush bad things off like me. Just remember to be more like me. My life was hard too and you don't see me all depressed." Sai tried to give a motivational speech.
"I don't think being too well liked is 'a hard life'." Koyuki said under her breath. She should know what a hard life was having to fight people for food.
Sai frowned. "Fuyuki cares about my goals. He's a good friend unlike you, Koyuki." She pouted, like a child. "Right, Fuyuki?"
"Yeah. I hope you find someone who will understand you one day and like you." Fuyuki's wishes weren't too honest and were mostly out of a plea to make this conversation stop but Sai smiled.
"Thank you, Fuyuki." Sai got out her booklet of what to talk about. She was finally out of her stupor. "Now let's talk about our family and how important family is."
Several people, including Koyuki, Tamama and Giroro groaned.
"Making a family and having another legacy is important too! It's everybody's dream to have children one day." Sai ranted.
By this point everyone was tuning her out. But Fuyuki was pretending to listen.
After all, it didn't matter if his weird, poyon alien space police friend was ditzy and weird. He should listen to her because she was an alien. That and if he didn't the sarge would be taken away for trying one of his classic 'get rich quick schemes'
Oh that silly alien Sai. Fuyuki laughed to himself. Sai wasn't helping his mentality at all.
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