Chapter Text
Harumasa closed his eyes, hoping to shut out the blindingly bright white of the hospital walls. His face scrunched up in disgust at the light seeping through his eyelids, a distasteful reminder of where he was. He took a deep breath.
Day 3. Three whole days in New Eridu's 'best' hospital. Three days of having various needles in his skin, various medicines in his stomach, and various existential questions popping into his brain. And in those three days, a whopping zero visitors.
Sure, he couldn't blame them. With a new companion hollow opening up in a vital part of New Eridu, Section 6 had no choice but to mobilize their best against the Ethereals there. In his mind, Harumasa replayed imagined scenarios of his team fighting without him. The gleam of Soukaku's knife, the elegant maneuvers of the Deputy Chief's naginata, and the absolute stillness with which Chief Hoshimi executed her blade. His own fingers drummed the side of the hospital bed, itching to feel the pull of a drawstring. It was true that he had a penchant for slacking off, but the one thing he despised even more than work was the exact situation he found himself in now.
"Harumasa?"
An unexpected voice, bright and bubbly, marked a breath of life in the stagnant hospital air. Harumasa's eyes fluttered open, settling on the girl in front of him. Small in stature, dark blue hair fixed in place by a signature pin, and a sweet smile – it was none other than Belle, the younger proxy sibling. To think that the infamous legendary proxy Phaethon was a moniker of such a cute girl was absurd. That is, if he didn't already know it was the case.
"Well, if it isn’t the proxy!" Harumasa gasped in welcome surprise. Part of him felt a little shame that her next meeting with him would be in such a pitiful state. He straightened up in the hospital bed as best he could.
"What brings you here?" He continued.
"Well," Belle said, taking a seat at the chair by his bedside, "I heard from a certain oni that you would be here. Since the others are dealing with the situation in the city and the video store has been slower these days, I figured I would come and keep you company."
"Oh?" Harumasa replied, feigning his usual cheery grin.
"I'm flattered. The legendary proxy going so far out of her way just for weak little me," he put his hand to his forehead dramatically, "But Soukaku probably over exaggerated things, anyways. I'm healthy – and I mean that. No one knows this body better than me."
Belle gazed intently back at him, her discerning eyes looking as if they could see right through him. But if they could, the proxy showed no signs of it, continuing softly.
"I'm glad that you're okay. But regardless, wouldn't it be better to have some company in this dull room?"
Without waiting for his response, she carefully stood and turned around to face the window. Harumasa watched quietly as she pulled the white curtain back, revealing a vivid blue sky outside. The light spilled into the room like honey, coming to rest on Harumasa's bed while his face remained propped up in the shade.
"U-um, well, yes..." Harumasa stammered a reply to her earlier question. He was so uncharacteristically nervous. Usually around the proxy, he maintained his goofy and laid back demeanor. But something about her figure outlined in the ordinary sunlight made his heart skip a beat.
In truth, Harumasa had always felt a twinge of... something, towards the proxy. Her bubbly voice, her positive attitude, a goofiness that was only matched by Harumasa's own – even her occasional smugness around her brother. She was breathtaking. But after witnessing her proxy skills firsthand, he became all the more impressed by her resilience and courage in the face of adversity and terror.
It had been a few months since she had helped him with his... situation. As Chief Miyabi would put it, "training relating to his past self." At that time, Belle had become someone Harumasa realized he could trust. Her wisdom in those moments, her desperation to fight with him until the very end... When he had closed his eyes back then, he was content knowing that her voice would be the last thing he ever heard.
And yet, it was that same voice he heard calling him back after he regained consciousness in the hospital. The usually warm and bubbly voice was stricken with fear and concern. But not today.
Today was just an average day in the hospital. After the Kirishima incident, he had spent a good couple of months dodging hospital visits and taking all of his medications. But this disease of his still had flare-ups, even after he received the incomplete 'cure' from his turned master. And a few days ago, he found himself once again shrouded in white and tucked in a lonely room.
"Sorry for the trouble. Thanks for coming all this way. It's always good to see a familiar face in this place." Harumasa continued, clearing his throat as he regained some composure. “I don’t suppose you’re here to guide me out?”
"Not a chance,” Belle laughed, sitting back down in the seat next to him. “But if you're feeling alright, let's chat!"
The afternoon continued merrily. Though he was grateful that Belle opened the window, he felt a twinge of sadness as time flew by. He learned about all sorts of new movies they stocked at Random Play, the new tracks for sale at Bardic Needle, and about Belle's immense affection for the dog running the newspaper stand on Sixth Street.
And in the process, the sun slowly dipped in the sky, Belle’s figure losing its outline of light and eventually being replaced by the shadow of nightfall. Harumasa internally grumbled about the fact that his third day in the hospital seemed to pass so much faster than the first few.
"Oh, is it already that late?" Belle muttered, glancing at the time on her phone and then the dark sky outside. "Wise will be worried if I don't head back about now."
"Ah, well, thank you for stopping by today, proxy. It was nice to be able to chat with you again." Harumasa feigned yet another grin. The twinge of sadness in his chest started to feel heavier by the moment. There was never enough time.
"Likewise." Belle said, still sporting a smile from ear to ear. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow, then!"
"Tomorrow...?"
"Well, of course! Your stay here is going to be a bit longer, isn't it?" Belle looked at him as if this was the obvious course of action. Harumasa hoped the confusion on his face was at least hiding the fact that his body temperature was rapidly rising.
"O-oh! In that case, see you tomorrow!" he chirped. After a brief second of prolonged confusion, he snapped back to his usual self. "Until next time, proxy."
He watched as Belle carefully closed the curtain and then waved her goodbye. His eyes lingered on her silhouette as she stepped out into the hall and then out of view. Even after she was long gone, Harumasa found his eyes trained on the last place she stood.
"Tomorrow..."