While Kaede was entertaining Satsuki by demonstrating some of her techniques including the roundhouse kick, Tsubaki stepped outside the room. She wanted to go to the pediatric ward.
Even though she had just met Little Kouichi once, she felt that there was some affinity between them. If not because of the incident the other day, she might already went to see him at his house. She just wanted to try her luck here, who knew if the young boy came to the hospital.
"Oh, my gosh! No! Ah! Why did this have to happen now?"
Tsubaki was startled when she heard a sound coming from the corridor to her left. She turned her head and saw a young woman dressed in white were looking distressed. The woman turned her head to her back while her hands were grabbing the skirt at the back.
"Ah! I hate this!"
The woman looked so close to crying. She repeatedly grabbing the backside of her skirt while muttering complaints.
Tsubaki contemplated for a while before finally deciding to ask the woman if she needed any help. She turned her head left and right, there was no one here. She went to the woman's direction.
"Miss, do you need any help?"
The woman was slightly startled when she heard Tsubaki's voice. She looked at the petite woman in front of her. Her eyes were teary yet it brightened at the sight of Tsubaki.
"Oh... I..." Her cheeks flushed red. "This..."
Tsubaki peered at the woman's back. There were tiny blood spots on her white skirt. Something dawned on Tsubaki. Without thinking, she grabbed the woman's hand and brought her inside a toilet near their location. The woman didn't object. She just followed Tsubaki without asking questions.
"We couldn't wash off the stains properly considering your fabric. But, what's important is for you to quickly wear something." Tsubaki rummaged inside her bag. "Are you okay with pads? I don't wear tampons."
"I'm okay with anything..." The woman was still teary eyed yet the way she looked at Tsubaki now was like looking at a saviour.
"Okay, here you go. This is just a precaution. You need to go home directly or head to department store after this. Or you could make do by buying disposable panties."
Tsubaki passed her a pad which was still wrapped in plastic. She always brought some with her even though her menstrual cycle hadn't started. She had encountered problems with strangers like this for a few times already.
"Thank you!"
The woman quickly entered a cubicle. Tsubaki didn't leave immediately. Remembering the young lady's white skirt, she felt bad to just leave it as it was. As the woman exited the cubicle, Tsubaki gestured for her to come nearer.
"Eh? What are you doing?" The woman was baffled when her saviour suddenly stood behind her.
"I don't think you want to walk around outside with these stains." Tsubaki untied her scarf and quickly tie a knot around the woman's waist. The scarf fell right below her knees, completely covering what should be concealed. "This should do for now."
"Ah! I can't accept this!" The woman wanted to give the scarf back to Tsubaki but Tsubaki adamantly refused.
"You could consider it as my help for a fellow comrade," Tsubaki winked. "You could help another woman too if you want to repay me."
"But... Your scarf could be dirtied because of me.... Wait! Miss!"
The woman called out to Tsubaki when Tsubaki quickly left the toilet. She wanted to chase after her but a ringing halted her steps. She quickly took out her phone, eyes wandering to look for the woman who had helped her but her petite figure had disappeared from her sight.
"Kanako, where are you?" An elderly woman's voice could be heard from the phone.
"I'm in the toilet. Where are you, Mom?"
"Your Dad is looking for you! Hurry up! He said he wanted to meet Mr. Fuse after this."
"Alright! Alright! Wait for a sec!"
Kanako held her head in frustration. She really wanted to thank the lady but she was nowhere to be seen already! Looking down at the scarf wrapped neatly around her waist, she smiled.
Aiya! I think I could meet her again somehow!
Tsubaki had reached the pediatric floor. The nurses recognised her and were happily sharing new stories about Kouichi. Apparently Kouichi had came to the hospital once since the last time for a check up. His health was good, there was nothing to worry about.
"He did ask about you but I said I had given you his address. He seemed so eager to meet you again, miss." The young nurse who Tsubaki met before said.
Tsubaki sighed, feeling regretful. She jotted down her contact information on a piece of paper. "Some things happened and I couldn't visit him. It's okay, I'll definitely go to him. Please give him my number if he came here."
"Will do, miss. And... I don't know whether I should tell you this but..." The young nurse hesitated. She looked at Tsubaki's confused face for a while. After a moment of silence, she spoke, "You really resembled her."
"Her?"
The nurse nodded. "Little Kou's mother. He showed us his mom's picture the other day. We were so shocked because it was as if... we were looking at you."
What?
Tsubaki was dumbfounded.
"Misa!"
"Ah! Coming!"
The young nurse quickly left the station and headed towards her colleague. Tsubaki was left alone behind. The nurse's words resounded in her mind repeatedly. Her heart was beating faster, as if sensing something bad from what she had heard.
"Ugh!"
Tsubaki leaned over the counter slightly. A wave of headache suddenly caught her off guard. Steadying her body, she slowly went to sit at a bench nearby. She rubbed her temples, trying to ease her pain. In her confusion, she still repeated the nurse's words at heart. Something had made her feeling uneasy.
A vauge shadow of a man coming near her flashed across her mind. It was a dark place and he was looking at her intently. She didn't remember his face but she knew he brought danger. Her body felt chilly all of a sudden.
"No... Nothing happens..." She muttered slowly. "I want to go back..."
Tsubaki stood up, wanting to leave the hospital as soon as possible. She entered the elevator and directly went back to Satsuki's ward. She clasped her hands together, trying to breath evenly. An image of a man smiling warmly at her chasing the sinister image away, easing her heart. A smile curled up her lips.
She wanted to meet him.