A few days have passed since I got into the infirmary due to catching a cold. My childhood friend, Isami Tachibana is in charge of my health.
"Alright, your medical check-up for today is pretty much the same as usual. Looks like someone would get discharged earlier than I expected."
"Haha, and seems like a doctor's prediction is not always true, huh? Are you sure you are a doctor, Tachibana?"
She giggles to my banter about her medical skills. "Well, just like people said; 'an apple for a day, keeps a doctor away', right? And in your case, the girls."
She rolled her eyes and smirked.
"You know, Wakui. Sometimes I'm really surprised you know. When I heard some a new sophomore come to this academy with the name 'Toru Wakui', I thought that just a coincidence. I mean, why did my childhood friend want to enrol here in the first place?"
I silently listened to her story while eating some lunchbox that was sent by the girls.
"But, after all the events that happened lately... I know it was you. Because I know, you are the type of guy who will stand up for a girl. Well, not the time but you know what the points are here."
Yeah, what she said is true. Since kid, I'm the one who will be covered for some girls' mistakes or wrongs. I don't know why I did that, you can call me a simp if you want but it's just like my instinct to help them out of the trouble, you get me?
"Especially me... you always helped me from time to time when we were kids. At first, I just thought you are some boy who always wants something in return but... the more I know you, the deeper my understanding of you." She smiled while leaning forward towards me.
After I finished my lunchbox and put it away. I drink water beside me.
"Meh, I just do what I think it's right to do, Tachibana. I mean, if no one doesn't do it, who will right?" I said with a smile.
She slightly blushed and responded to my smile with her smile.
"And that's the reason I like about you, Wakui. Naive, kind, dense... well not so much and... caring. If we on the same years, maybe I already joined your family myself you know?"
I was stunned for a while before continue speaking.
"Oh yeah, speaking of house. I heard about you never joining any household since you enrolled here, Why's that?"
She paused and took a deep breath before answering my questions.
"It's just no one to have me in their family, wake. You know what would happen if I tried to make friends. I just bragging anything like some prodigy or something... and in the end, I'm the one who in the third year who didn't join any household or have kids on my own."
Oh. Now I remember something about her. Tachibana always has a loose mouth when she is a 'cheerful person'. Always running her mouth without consideration toward others. And that's why she doesn't have any close friends besides me. So, she always ends up... alone.
"But how about now? I mean you are the third year although you didn't join any household, maybe you created new friends right?"
"Well... I did have a few. But it's not stay longer than you imagined tho. And I'm back to being alone once again. That's how I'm working as infirmary stuff."
She back to being alone, again?! How's unfortunate for her? But, I know deep down inside she wants to make a friend who accepts her for who she is instead of leaving her alone. Hmm... how about the girls?
...
Later at noon, the girls (Hikari, Shiori and Kaori) visited me again.
"Hey, Toru, we come to visit again" Hikari spoke up first before the others followed by.
"Yeah, we come again, Toru. Hope you are ready for another exercise advice from your senior Kaori??" Kaori spoke the next after.
Shiori pat Kaori's shoulder to stop her. "Hey, knock it off. Toru is still in recovery you know. Please don't let him hear more about your story"
I smile as I watch their conversations throughout their visit. Maybe, they can accept Tachiba as well?
"Hey girls, can I have your time for a moment?" The girls stopped and turned their heads towards me. "It's about Tachibana. What do you think of her?".
...
At night, after Tachibana is off duty. As usual, she becomes a cheerful person and becomes a childhood friend once again.
She hangs her lab coat and sits next to my bedside. However today, we have a bit changing of daily routine.
"So, Wakui. Do you want to talk about school as usual? Or something happened! Oh I'm so excited!!"
Suddenly the door slammed open and the girls stepped in. Tachibana gasped and quickly tried to grab the lab coat but too late.
"Hey, you three! This room is off-limit at night! Please leave this place at once." She squeaks mad at the three.
I hold her arm to calm her down. She looked at me and realised that this was my doing. She then fixed her glasses and took a sit again.
"Girls, do you still think the same opinion at noon? Do you still her can be a friend?"
The girls looked at each other and laughed. They approached my bedside and sat next to Tachibana.
"What, do you plan, Wakui? Some prank or trick on me?" Tachibana said with a cold tone.
Suddenly, Hikari pats her back and speaks up; "oh come on~ stop with your cold demeanour, Tachibana-san." Tachibana raised her eyebrows confused. "Yeah, Tachi-senpai. Just be yourself around us, can't you?" Kaori follows the conversation.
"Tachi...senpai? What's wrong with you?" Tachibana replied with annoyance. Shiori awkwardly speaks up from behind with a nervous and timid voice. "Ano... senpai. If it's okay with you. You can just relax around us."
Tachibana looked at me with a sceptical look in her eyes.
"Toru, what meaning of this? What you and your girls talk about?"
"Relax, Tachibana. I just asked about you to them. For opinion."
"Opinion?"
...
[Flasback at noon]
"It's about Tachibana. What do you think of her?".
They looked at each other confused by my sudden question. Then, Hikari responded first.
"What do you mean by think of her?"
"Yeah, what do you mean?" Kaori followed by.
"Um, Toru. All we know about her is she is your childhood friend... so we don't know much about her." Shiori explained.
I sighed but smiled afterwards. Maybe my sudden question sometimes can be confusing huh? Oh well.
"Okay let me rephrase it once again."
Then, I explained to them about my sudden question about Tachibana. I asked them about their opinion of her.
At first, they were still confused but each of them started giving their opinions.
Hikari thinks of her as a respectable person in her work line. Being a doctor although just in the infirmary, has been helpful to people who have kids or are Injured.
Shiori thinks she is a very lovely and caring person towards every patient she attends. And a careful person when being a doctor.
Lastly, Kaori thinks of her as... well, a doctor. In her opinion, as long as she is helpful in Kaori's athlete's career, her opinion doesn't matter.
And that's my conclusion come. This girl is the perfect friend for a person like Tachibana in her life.
...
[Back at present]
"You three, thoughts that about me? But why..." Tachibana responds softly.
The girls nodded with a smile on them. Tachiba looked at me with teary eyes. I surprised. Because this is the first time I have seen her this emotional. This is good for her though. She always put on that cold demeanour mask. But now I know it's time to take it off.
...
After taking some time to calm down, the girls leave us alone. And now, only me and Tachibana were left in the room.
"Say, Wakui. Why you always kind although you know you will have nothing in return?"
"Like I usually said. I did what a right to do."
She smiled and huffed. "Time for injection, Wakui." She takes off her glasses and holds them down. She leaned forward.
"Injection?"
Chu!
But suddenly she leaned closer to my lips and kissed them. A few moments later, she let it go and put on her glasses back with a slight blush on her face.
"Tachibana... did you just.."
"What do you mean, Wakui? I did what exactly? I just give you an injection, right?"
She giggles. She gets up from her seat and walks to the door. She looked back at me and smiled. "Good night~" Then she stepped out of the room and locked the door.
...
With that, part 1 of Isami's arc has reached the end. Looks like Toru will get another girl in his house. How lucky of him. As an author, I'm very envious too TvT. Anyway, this is the last girl for volume 2 and another volume will come to an end with two extra chapters. Stay tuned, everyone!
P/S: A new novel with a real plot and longer chapter will be coming out soon. Because this novel just a one short story. HAHAHA. Thanks for the support guys!