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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Nekorune
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Miyuki entered the small hospital entrance and, while engaging in friendly conversation with the nurse, wrote something on the registration form. Then, she handed it to me as I approached.
“You have to fill out the rest, Matsuda-kun. Or do you want me to do it for you?”
“It’s fine. It’s not like I broke my finger or anything…”
I nonchalantly took the form and barely managed to suppress a laugh when I saw what Miyuki had written in the guardian section.
[Guardian: Hanazawa Miyuki]
[Contact Number: 080 – XXXX – XXXX]
I loved the word ‘guardian.’
And I loved how Miyuki had written her name without hesitation.
As I filled out the form, Miyuki stared intently at it. I asked curtly,
“What are you looking at?”
“No… your handwriting is just worse than I imagined…”
“…Will it get better if I go to a calligraphy academy or something?”
“Shouldn’t you go to a penmanship class…? But your handwriting will improve if you practice writing neatly… I don’t think you need to go that far…”
“You’re so serious about everything… It’s exhausting.”
“Do I seem like a serious person?”
“Very.”
I replied indifferently, finished filling out the form, and handed it to the nurse.
She clicked her tongue, looking at the bruises on my face, then examined the form carefully and pointed to a corner.
“Please wait over there.”
“Sure.”
We sat side by side in the corner, chatting while waiting for my name to be called.
“Matsuda-kun, did you see how the nurse was looking at you earlier?”
“I did.”
“Aren’t you angry?”
“Not really.”
“Why?”
“It’s a pain to care about that kind of stuff.”
Satisfied with my answer, Miyuki’s lips curved into a smile.
“The old Matsuda-kun would have yelled at her for looking at him like that…”
“You know me pretty well. Have I been in your radar for that long?”
“W-What are you talking about…!”
Miyuki’s voice rose in panic.
Her outburst drew the attention of the other patients in the waiting area.
I shook my head and said,
“Keep your voice down, people are staring.”
“Ah…”
Realizing her mistake, Miyuki bowed apologetically to the surrounding people, her face flushed with embarrassment.
Then, she glared at me, frowning.
“This is all because you said something weird…!”
“Maybe you’re overreacting? Don’t try to shift the blame. And I’m a little hurt.”
“Hurt? Why…”
“If you weren’t interested, you would have just ignored it. You didn’t have to get so flustered.”
“W-What are you talking about… It’s just because you said something that made no sense…”
Did you really think it made no sense? Hmm, I wonder…
You’ve started to see me as a man, even if just a little.
You might still have a negative image of me, but still.
“Matsuda Ken-san, please come for your initial CT scan.”
The nurse called out in a clear voice.
As I stood up, Miyuki said,
“I’ll be waiting here. Call me when you’re done with the scan, before going into the doctor’s office.”
“Okay.”
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After an interview with a grumpy old doctor, I was diagnosed with a mild concussion and bruises.
The concussion would heal with enough rest, and as for the bruises… Well, my body was tough, so they would heal quickly.
I was also relieved that there was nothing wrong with my ribs.
The conversation was going smoothly when something unexpected happened.
“I’ll prescribe some painkillers, take them if you get a headache. Do you live together with your girlfriend?”
The doctor had mistaken Miyuki for my girlfriend.
I expected a more intense reaction from Miyuki than when we were in the waiting area.
But,
“No, we live separately. He lives alone too.”
Miyuki answered the doctor’s question calmly, maintaining a neutral expression.
I was speechless, completely caught off guard by her unexpected response.
Miyuki, noticing my dumbfounded expression, chuckled and continued talking to the doctor.
“Really? Then you should keep a close eye on him for the next few days. It’s dangerous if he starts collapsing or complaining of dizziness.”
“Thank you, doctor.”
“And you, young man, stop getting into fights. Were you trying to show off in front of your beautiful girlfriend? Do you want to die before me?”
Snapping out of my daze at the nosy doctor’s scolding, I said,
“Huh? No, I wasn’t trying to show off… Wait, doctor, why are you talking so kindly to her and threatening me?”
“Because you’re a pitiful punk.”
Was he like those eccentric and grumpy old doctors in battle manga and sports anime who scolded the protagonist for pushing their body too far?
I should just shut up.
“Ha… Just write me a prescription.”
“You ungrateful brat… Avoid… you know, ‘strenuous activity’ and make sure to get plenty of rest for the next few days. Light daily activities are fine.”
Miyuki’s face flushed red at the doctor’s casual remark.
She realized that, by ‘strenuous activity’, he was talking about sex.
My opinion of the doctor instantly changed.
He was actually a likable supporting character who helped the protagonist.
Not a grumpy old man, but a benevolent angel in a high position.
We left the doctor’s office with the prescription and went to the pharmacy next door to get painkillers and ointment without exchanging a single word.
The evening breeze was cool.
Miyuki seemed to feel the same way, stretching comfortably.
Then, she turned to me and said,
“Matsuda-kun, you know you would have been in big trouble if it wasn’t for me, right?”
“What are you talking about?”
“If you didn’t know you had a concussion, you might have gone out and gotten into another accident. So you should be grateful to me.”
“Oh yeah, you’re my savior. But what’s with you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Earlier, you were freaking out when I asked if you were interested in me, but why did you just let that old geezer…”
“The doctor…”
“…Right, why did you just let the doctor misunderstand?”
“I didn’t think it was necessary to correct him. It would have just prolonged the conversation beyond what was necessary for the consultation.”
Even so, with Miyuki’s personality, she would have immediately denied it if she had absolutely no interest in me.
She reacted sensitively to my question about her feelings and smoothly brushed off the doctor’s misunderstanding.
In conclusion, today’s gains were substantial, including the bonus.
So was this the right time to tease her?
“Really…?”
I trailed off, a mischievous smile spreading across my face.
Miyuki’s eyes darted around nervously.
“W-Why are you looking at me like that…?”
“I’m disappointed.”
“Disappointed about what…?”
“The doctor said I should avoid strenuous activity the next few days.”
“M-Matsuda-kun!!”
Miyuki’s face turned bright red again, and she yelled at me.
She glared at me as I chuckled, then shook her head in exasperation.
“Ha… You’re only teasing me more because I keep reacting.”
“You’re right. It’s more fun to tease someone when they react in an amusing way.”
Miyuki let out a small laugh.
“I agree. I sometimes feel like teasing you too, Matsuda-kun.”
“Well, I’ve gotta admit it’s very fun to bully me. That’s why I got beaten up like this.”
I said self-deprecatingly, pointing at my swollen face. Miyuki chuckled.
“You’re very optimistic.”
“Thanks, I try my best. So, are we studying tomorrow?”
“Hmm…”
Miyuki pondered for a moment before replying.
“The doctor said we should keep an eye on you for the next few days… so it’s probably best if we do. But we should see how you’re feeling first, since it involves using your brain.”
“Alright.”
“I should get going now.”
I rummaged through my pocket and found three crumpled bills.
Three thousand yen. I straightened the bills and held them out to Miyuki.
“Take a taxi.”
“What…? It’s fine. I’ll just take the bus, I’m not in a hurry.”
“Just take it. I hate being indebted to people.”
“I said it’s okay. And it won’t even cost a thousand yen to take a taxi from here to my house. This is too much…”
“Then let’s do this. I need to take a taxi somewhere, and you happen to be going home too. Being the kind person I am, I decided to give you a ride. We’ll stop by my house first, and then I’ll tell the driver to take you home. I’ll pay. Why? Because I was going to take a taxi anyway.”
Miyuki’s jaw dropped at my hastily concocted scenario.
I grinned and started walking briskly.
“Let’s go.”
“W-Wait, Matsuda-kun…! You shouldn’t walk so fast…!”
She hurriedly caught up to me and grabbed my arm.
No matter how many times I thought about it, Miyuki was too kind.
I wanted to start dating her already…
So I needed to start planning the next event.
It might be a few days away, but it was never too early to start brainstorming.
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Whirr!
The fan started spinning rapidly as soon as it was turned on.
Miyuki, fresh out of the shower, sat in front of the fan, trying to cool down.
It was still hot even after a cold shower.
I wish we had an AC at home.
As she closed her eyes, enjoying the breeze, she suddenly felt like going to Matsuda’s house.
‘Matsuda-kun’s house is so cool…’
Unlike her house or Tetsuya’s, his house had AC and was built like a traditional Japanese house, with good ventilation.
Sitting on the tatami floor, eating watermelon or melon, was the perfect way to beat the summer heat.
They said it was going to be even hotter tomorrow, so it would be best to leave early and avoid the worst of the heat.
Miyuki took out her phone and opened the messaging app.
[Matsuda-kun, thanks for the taxi ride.]
She had sent him a message as soon as she arrived, but Matsuda hadn’t replied even after she finished her shower.
Worried that something might have happened to him, she was about to send another message when,
[Sure.]
Matsuda’s reply arrived.
What an arrogant response. Even his text messages reeked of smugness.
Miyuki chuckled and typed,
[Is it okay if I go over early tomorrow?]
[What time?]
[Around eight? I want to get there before it gets too hot.]
[You miss me that much? Then you can come early.]
He always had to add something weird, even when he was agreeing.
Miyuki shook her head and replied,
[Can I take that as a yes?]
[Yeah, whatever.]
[Could you be a little nicer in your replies?]
[What am I supposed to do? This is how I type.]
[You can type nicely even if you talk like that.]
[Are you going to nag me even in your texts? What’s next, am I going to start hearing your voice in my dreams?]
Miyuki giggled, picturing Matsuda covering his ears in agony as she lectured him.
It was amusing.
[So I’ll be there by eight?]
[Yeah, whatever.]
[Matsuda-kun…]
[Please stop. I can already hear your voice in my ears.]
There was something entertaining about talking to Matsuda.
It felt… fun to bully him, as he had said himself earlier.
Maybe that’s why she wanted to tease him more and keep the conversation going.
But she should stop for today.
He might actually get annoyed for real if she continued.
[Okay, I’ll stop. Get some rest, see you tomorrow, Matsuda-kun.]
[Yeah, whatever.]
She wanted to tease him again.
Resisting the urge, Miyuki sent a frustrated emoji with clenched fists and ended the conversation.
‘Oh, right.’
She had completely forgotten to call Tetsuya.
She had promised to call him, but she hadn’t done so yet…
Feeling guilty, Miyuki started typing a message to Tetsuya.
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