The next day, Aiko moved with as much luggage as she could. The room he prepared was on the second floor, facing east. It had a built-in closet, the bed was simple wood and the springs were good.
In the morning, a bright light reached Aiko's bed. Until now, Aiko has never lived in such a sunny room. After moving to the doctor's house, Aiko woke up better.
On the third day after Aiko started working, the doctor handed her an envelope after breakfast.
"Aiko, you're working today. I want you to go to the city of Shibuya and buy a uniform. "
"Uniform ...?"
"Yes, for you, Aiko. You should prepare this in advance, but it's today because the sample data submission deadline was until yesterday. And I don't know the size of your clothes "
"My uniform ..."
"If you go by yourself, you can adjust the size. You are also my maid ... Well, I think a simple black blouse, a long black skirt, and a white apron dress are good. Well, for the detailed design, just choose the one you like, hmm.. something unique. The budget is ¥40,000. Buy three blouses for the summer, including replacements. Similarly for the apron, there are two skirts. "
Aiko hurriedly took notes in front of the doctors who proposed one after another.
"Save your travel expenses to Shibuya from here. I want to formulate a new drug from now on. I'll do it alone, Aiko."
"Yes"
Aiko took the train to the center of Shibuya. Aiko, who came to the street lined with department stores and tailors, opened the door of the store with shop windows decorated with work clothes.
There were various kinds of uniforms in the store. Everything look same and since the doctor told she could choose anything she wanted Aiko chose a blue skirt with frills on the hem, about ten centimeters above the ankle.
When she chose a white blouse or a white apron dress, the clerk recommended a blue headdress to wear to match to her head. It was within budget, so Aiko bought it too.
Upon returning home at 3 pm, Aiko put her sleeves on her new maid outfit.
The cloth wasn't familiar yet, and it felt hard. When she put on the headdress, she felt like she was a maid both physically and mentally.
"Doctor .... I'm back from your errand."Aiko looked into the doctor's lab.
He was writing at the desk facing the window, but Aiko's voice turned his face toward the door.
"Welcome back. Oh, you're wearing a uniform .... It looks good. The fluttering of your head is cute, isn't it?"
"He called me cute !?" Aiko instinctively loosened her mouth. "I just said that my fluttering was cute, but I didn't say that I was cute ... but I'm happy!"
"I bought a headdress because it was within my budget. Thank you, Doctor."
While pretending to be as calm as possible, Aiko holds the skirt hem by hand and bowed.
"No, you're welcome. Instead, I'll do my best at work."
"Yes!"
The next day, Aiko was typing in his lab. Next to the doctor sitting at the desk facing the window, attach a small table, It was Aiko's job to type the test results of the samples he said.
When typing the type, the doctor told her to write the element symbol as well.
"... and as a result of adding acetic acid, there was no change in the sample."
Aiko stopped typing for a moment.
"What kind of chemical formula was acetic acid ...? Well, I can't remember ..." she couldn't remember the chemical formula, so Aiko left that part blank. "Let's look it up later and type it in "
When Aiko thought so, she heard the doctor's voice.
"Aiko, can you throw away the sample?"
"Yes"
Aiko dumped the reagent sample into the room sink and brushed the test tubes used. Looking at the clock, it was 12 o'clock.
"Doctor., I'd like to prepare lunch ..."
"Oh, you may go. I'll eat later. I'm working a little more."
"Sure, doctor, please come when it's ready"
Aiko decides to cook lunch in the kitchen. When she cooked, she forgot about the chemical formula of acetic acid. After eating lunch, she cleaned up and returned to the laboratory on the second floor, she saw the doctor was checking and stapling the report.
"...Ah!"
she noticed that she had forgotten to write the chemical formula and turned pale.
"What's wrong? Aiko"
"Doctor., I just typed in a blank. I'll fix it, so don't bind it yet! "
"... Oh, is it acetic acid? I checked it and it was missing, so I put it in by hand." He held a bundle of bound paper and adjusted the height of the paper.
"Ah ... I'm sorry !!"
Aiko bowed to the doctor. She was full of apologies and embarrassment.
It was a double mistake because she forgot the chemical formula and forgot to correct it.
The doctor stopped and looked at Aiko.
"Hmm ... Well, I hope you'll be careful from now on. Don't worry so much. Let's do it little by little."
"Doctor ..."
Aiko raised her head and looked at the doctor. Afternoon light shined through the window, and the black hair of the doctor sitting in the chair was shining. His eyes gently stare at Aiko. Aiko's head became dull as she met his jewel-like eyes. But the next moment, she realized she was at work.
She slapped her face to wake up
"No. I'm not afraid. The doctor is kind. I also have to be firm from now on. If you don't work properly, it will bother the doctor ..." Aiko turned down and told herself.
The doctor saw Aiko and called out to her. "... You're young and you're just starting to work, so you're not used to making mistakes. When you're about my age, you make mistakes all the time. I made it"
"Doctor ..., how old are you?"
"I? I'm 26 years old. It's nine years older than Aiko. By the way, I'm not married yet.
"But you look so young" she giggled
"I get that a lot" he replies to her
He sees her smile and was dumbstruck, he called her again
"Do you know such a song? "
"I'm not good in singing"
"I see, would you like to hear mine"
"You can sing"
The doctor made her to sit and took a deep breath and sang a humming song. It was a song that Aiko had never heard of.
"How was it"
"It was beautiful"
"Have you heard it before?"
She shook her head
"I don't know..."
"Well, it's a song that was popular when I was a kid.
He looked at her, "say, I feel doctor is kind of formal, since your my roommate Can you call you me older brother or big brother ?" ..
"Huh?" she was totally confused
He remembered when he heard that Aiko was nine years younger. Can you call me, my brother? "
The doctor winked and showed her his mischievously look. Aiko looking at him laughed at me.
"I can't call my brother right away so I can't call you like that"
"Ah It's okay"
"Sorry"
"Hey. Well, whenever you change your mind, call me that. Well, let's continue the work. In the afternoon, I'll teach you how to send sample results. "
Not only did he not blame her work mistakes, but she also touched on the kindness of the doctor who cares for her. Aiko felt like crying. The fact that he was single also brightened Aiko's heart.
On the first weekend of Aiko's work, he left home in the evening.
"I eat dinner outside, so you don't have to prepare it."
Aiko thought it was unusual for a doctor who had been staying at home until then to go out. After a long time, she skipped dinner and only had bread and sausages. She didn't feel the doctor was back that night.
The next morning, he returned with the smell of cigarettes and perfume.
"I'm home"
"Welcome back, doctor"
"I want to take a shower and sleep ..."The doctor disappeared into his bedroom, leaving only that. Usually, he doesn't smoke. The smell of cigarettes and perfume belonged to others. Aiko didn't want to snoop, but she was really interested.
"I wonder if the person he was with was smoking ... The smell of perfume is a woman ...?" Aiko envisioned a nightclub with a doctor.
It's a picture of a woman laughing with a woman smoking a cigarette with a drink in her hand.
"I wonder if he likes playing at night ... I've been to dance parties, but I've never had a full-fledged night out" she thought
The following weekend, he was back in the morning. Aiko wasn't willing to say anything about her employer's life. However, what she had imagined about the doctor. She felt like she was betrayed what she thought was like a fairy tale prince.
One day, Aiko was typing the test results in the doctor's room as usual.
Among the test tubes lined up near the doctor's desk, there was only one in a different color.
"... Doctor., what is the sample in this tube?" Aiko got a test tube to him.
"Oh, that? That's ..."
When Aiko turned to the doctor, the test tube she had in her hand fell to the floor. There was a squeaking noise, and the pink liquid slowly spread to the floor from the broken test tube. It was when Aiko reached out for a broken test tube.
"... Don't touch it!" In his loud voice, Aiko shrugged reflexively.
"I'm sorry, I'll wipe it now." Saying that, Aiko took out a wiping cloth and while wiping the glass shard cut her. The doctor controlled her from trying to get him.
"Don't Aiko, I'll do it," said the doctor. "It's dangerous, so I'll do it. I'm good at typing today, so I'm doing some house affairs. Go take rest "
"...Yes..." she said wiping her blood and putting on her plaster. Aiko was hurt, as if being in this room was said to be an obstacle. At least she wanted to get rid of the mistakes she made, but she couldn't resist the doctor's words.
Back in the lab, the doctor sighs, He takes a broom from somewhere in the room and pulls test tube debris into the corner. Aiko drowned and left the doctor's lab.
In the kitchen, Aiko decides to make mashed potatoes for dinner. The potatoes were boiled, the hot water was discarded, the potatoes were taken out of the pot, and the skin was peeled with gloves.
Aiko was irritated and took off her gloves because the thin skin was hard to peel off. She peeled the potatoes with her bare hands and put her hands in the pot to pick up the next potato.
"Oh, tsu ...!" The pot wasn't cold yet, and Aiko put her finger on the hot pot and got burned.
She hurriedly put her finger on the tap water, but she felt a tingling sensation at her fingertips.
"... I'm not in mood today ..."Aiko said one word.
Even if she put my finger in running water for a while, the swelling of her fingertips did not go away, and the work of peeling the potatoes was difficult.
"... Huh ..." Tears came to Aiko's eyes.
Once she thought that she was in tears, she couldn't stop the tears from coming.
"Huh ..., eh, eh ..." Aiko threw the potatoes out and covered her face.
She happened to get angry at him and just happened to get burned, but she felt very miserable. It took her a while to stop crying. It was when Aiko wondered what her salary would be while she was crying.
"Aiko, I've run out of type paper ..." Aiko froze as the doctor appeared in the kitchen.
"...that..."
"Do you know where the type paper is? ... Aiko, your face is bright red. You, maybe you were crying ...?" he eyes widened
He looked anxiously at Aiko's face. The expression was Aiko's favorite face.
But Aiko thought she had to apologize to the doctor first.
"Sorry, I'm sorry. I think I wasted enough time. Please subtract from your salary."
"No, no ... I wasn't sure what you was saying. I didn't want the girl to touch that drug because it feels like a burn. I'm sorry, Aiko ..." The doctor was staring at Aiko from a distance, looking sorry.
"I wasn't angry ..." she thought, Aiko felt the depths of her heart brighten.
" The doctor said for me, but I misunderstood that I was angry ...
It looks like a fool to cry ...!"
Her heart brightened, but the mysterious and heavy chest pain didn't go away immediately. Aiko tried to smile as the doctor was looking at her. However, for some reason, tears came to her eyes.