Chapter Text
As Hibiki nervously jittered in front of Tsukiko, it was as if neither of them ever started their friendship in the first place. Unable to even look her in the eyes, he quietly shrank into himself and tried disappearing entirely.
TSUKIKO: Uh… hey, Hibiki?
HIBIKI: …
TSUKIKO: You… You good, dude?
HIBIKI: …
HIBIKI: …Ts-Tsukiko, I d-don’t think we should be seeing each other anymore.
Despite Hibiki’s words being a mere whisper, they had the same effect on Tsukiko as if they were shouted at her. She looked at him in awestruck disbelief, but from the horror in his gaze, she knew this was far beyond some petty reason she wasn’t aware of.
TSUKIKO: …What brought on this?
HIBIKI: I… I-I just think it’s not really smart for a government official to be getting so close with people.
TSUKIKO: (awkward chuckle) Then you could have told me this the last four times we talked? Or stated it outright the first time we met?
HIBIKI: …
TSUKIKO: …Look, you strike me as an earnest enough guy, Hibiki. But it’s pretty obvious there’s something you’re not letting me know.
TSUKIKO: If this is about your status, can’t you at least explain what’s making you think about this sudden shift in priorities?
HIBIKI: …S-Sorry, b-but with all those non-disclosure agreements I signed about my job-
TSUKIKO: Dude, who’s going to know you talked about this, the other people in this building? Just speak quietly, and you’re going to be fine.
Hibiki peered nervously over at a camera high above them, gulping noiselessly at the notion it might be on. Still, he steeled his nerves, and found the ability to speak.
HIBIKI: …D-Despite what you might think, I don’t usually help the public.
HIBIKI: Th-That’s not to say I never did, b-but most of that stemmed from small medical breakthroughs th-that my agent took the credit for. F-For the most part, though, all my c-clients were ones the government assigned to me, a-and usually worked in some branch of it.
HIBIKI: S-Sometimes, I’d get a lower-ranking client, but only if they were important enough to keep alive. U-Usually, th-this was because they had information about f-full-scale massacres and potential terrorist attacks we’d try to circumvent.
HIBIKI: …A-And getting friendly with them, especially if they were a lead suspect, was completely forbidden.
HIBIKI: S-So, uh, I just figured, it wouldn’t be a good thing to get into that sort of habit. B-Being a bit of a hermit’s h-helped my career, s-so I figured I shouldn’t jinx that anytime soon…
TSUKIKO: …Is that seriously your reasoning, Hibiki?
TSUKIKO: I don’t exactly blame you for wanting to be diligent, but… if you’re trying to stop friendship from getting in the way of your job, then what about that girl who got you your job to begin with?
Tsukiko could see Hibiki start to visibly shake. Quickly, she realized just how much of a mistake she made questioning him, but didn’t dare back down from what was bothering her friend now.
TSUKIKO: …Something tells me you’re still not being fully honest with me, Hibiki.
HIBIKI: …
TSUKIKO: I… have no clue what’s going on with you, but I can promise you I’m here to listen to whatever’s on your mind. Just… be open about this, Hibiki.
With the amount of times Hibiki stopped and stalled, Tsukiko was positive she'd flown a little too close to the sun. Still, he finally managed to speak.
HIBIKI: …I-I’m a screw-up. I’m nothing but a screw-up.
HIBIKI: I-I honestly can’t believe I was ever confident in my abilities. J-Just because I managed to save one important person’s life, th-that didn’t make me capable of saving so many others. A-And I didn’t even manage to do that right, because…
He choked on his words, as Tsukiko could still feel the pain encapsulated in each word. With as much friendliness as she could muster, she smiled gently his way.
TSUKIKO: …From what I’ve seen out of you, I find that hard to believe.
TSUKIKO: You’re certainly a pile of nerves, but you seem completely competent in everything you’ve managed to do. Even something like saving a girl’s life improperly isn’t a problem for-
HIBIKI: People have died because of me, Tsukiko.
Tsukiko’s stomach sank, as she watched tears quickly well up in his eyes. As he continued, his voice could only come out as a mere whisper.
HIBIKI: A-As much as the government tries to hide it, s-so many people have died because I was making stupid mistakes. Stupid mistakes that actual professionals shouldn’t have ever made, j-just because I was overwhelmed and n-not thinking straight.
TSUKIKO: …Hibiki, these things happen. You’re a competent person, but you’re not a flawless one.
HIBIKI: Don’t try to justify this! For once, I deserve to be held accountable for my failures!
HIBIKI: I’m the Ultimate Surgeon! I shouldn’t let anyone be hurt because of my own stupidity! I shouldn’t have ever been failing surgeries, or losing patients, or watching people I’m close to die because of me or-
Tsukiko clamped down a hand on Hibiki’s shoulder, causing him to jump.
TSUKIKO: …Breathe, Hibiki.
Reluctantly, he did so. As he slowed down the pacing of his breath, his nerves calmed down slightly. Still, from the continued shaking, Tsukiko knew it only did so much.
TSUKIKO: …I think you’re putting too much responsibility on yourself, Hibiki.
HIBIKI: …N-No. Frankly, I d-don’t think I’m putting on enough .
HIBIKI: S-Speaking of which, I n-need to go to the infirmary and practice. I… c-can’t afford to get rusty.
Hibiki shuffled off, not even bothering to re-collect his slowly-resurfacing nerves. However, before he left her for good, he turned back to her one last time.
HIBIKI: …I-It was nice chatting with you, Tsukiko.
And with that, he was gone.
Hibiki’s Report Card has been updated based on your experience with him.
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