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Arisu sighs. This is just his luck. Now he'd be missing at least half of his next appointment with a client and a new one at that. Great first impression. Well, at least Sasaki would entertain them with paperwork until he's back. If he didn't scare them off until then that is.
He looks at his thumb, hoping it's only bruised and not broken. ‘Yes, let's climb onto a rotating office chair to reach the highest shelf and drop a heavy folder onto your hand… and head.’ Obviously the last part wasn't part of the plan, neither hand nor head, but it became part of the execution nonetheless. Does he have a concussion now? He doesn't feel concussed. Would he feel it? Maybe he's concussed and the concussion prevents him from noticing the concussion. Are those concussed thoughts?
Well. If he didn't have a concussion until now, those thoughts may be the cause of one soon if he keeps spacing out instead of watching where he's going. In the last second, he avoids walking into a nurse that seems to be in a hurry. Hold up.
This isn't the emergency room.
Shit. Stupid concussion. Or not concussion. He sighs, sinking down on the next best row of chairs that may as well be called a bench. At least he only had to walk into the adjacent building to end up in the hospital, even if he's probably on the wrong floor. Yeah. Taking multiple stairs should have been the first hint that he isn't on his way to the emergency room.
Just when he thought it couldn't get worse, a voice interrupts his thoughts. “You're not supposed to be here.”
You don't say. “Am I really ever supposed to be anywhere…”Arisu sighs, paying them no mind.
“While the philosophical aspect and the search for a deeper meaning as well as turning one's life into steps that aren't just wandering and stumbling is an intriguing thought, I am talking about the physical aspect. Your physical manifestation of flesh, bone and whatever you had for breakfast sits in the way.”
He looks up at the blonde man speaking. Oh no.
Oh no no no.
HE'S HOT!
‘Calm down you absolute disaster bi’ Usagi’s voice says inside his head. Okay, it's possible his mind came up with a sentence a bit unlike her usual brand of advice. Or maybe she did say that before? Arisu once noticed in mild horror how she started being more blunt ever since she started dating his best friend, Karube. Don't get him wrong, it was a good development. The confidence looks good on her, unexpectedly sudden nonetheless. The fact that 90% of her jabs are directed at Karube makes it even more funny though. Their love language is probably bickering or something.
Arisu isn't sure about his own love language but it's great they figured it out. The fact that both of his best friends started dating each other makes him feel more single though. Well, Chota is single too but Karube’s lovey-dovey eyes would make everyone feel single. Maybe his own love language would be acts of service? He does like to do things for people to show he cares.
Or is it physical touch?
All of them. Preferably they just exist in his general vicinity. Case solved.
A scoff brings him back to reality. “Of course that gets your attention,” the blonde man — he now realises is wearing a doctor's coat — says. “Your gluteus maximus is blocking my cane.” he speaks almost condescendingly slowly.
Arisu snorts. The man stares as if there's never been a more serious thing said. That's when Arisu realises the guy meant that one. Unironically. Oh god, he's dealing with a case of resting bitch face that could compare to Kuzuryu’s. Worse, even…
He's hot and funny, intentionally or not. Well. It's not like Kuzuryu isn't objectively attractive, Niragi probably agrees with whatever crush he has going on (Arisu doesn't want to know details), but going by his own unbiased opinion..- Okay. Maybe he has a type and it's Mr. Grumpy doctor’s coat.
“Hi,” he smiles a derpy smile at the pretty guy. The guy glares and Arisu severely questions his type because the only thing this does is reassuring him in his assumption.
“Oh! Right, here,” he reaches for the cane and holds it out for him to grab. This earns him a disapproving frown. He takes mild offense when the guy takes it and proceeds to wipe the cane with his doctor's coat.
“I wash my hands,” Arisu states dryly.
“So do I.” The man says, wiping them at his coat before walking a step closer to contradict his distance policies by sitting down right next to him. Arisu notices the slight limp in his step.
He subtly glances at the man's leg for just a second.
“Ask your invasive question. Go on.”
“I wasn't going to..-”
“But you'll be sitting there, making assumptions about me either way so you might as well ask.”
“I don’t want to ask.” Arisu pauses. “You don't like things you can't control, do you?”
“That’s not the invasive question I was talking about. I don't like broccoli or clowns,” the guy scoffs. “If you feel like there are things you can't control, that's simply failure as a human being.”
“You mean failure is human,” Arisu corrects. Before the guy can argue with him, he adds, “and nobody likes clowns.”
The situation feels less tense and maybe the stranger almost laughed. “Or broccoli,” Blonde guy adds in the same dry tone of voice despite making a joke.
“I like broccoli.”Arisu points out and he could have sworn the guy relaxes in his seat.
“Abysmal.”
“What do you have against broccoli?”
“I do not wish for my food to look like tiny trees.”
Arisu giggles.
“Why are you laughing. I prefer my food to taste according to its appearance and name. Broccoli tastes like broccoli but looks like trees.”
“...would you prefer it to taste like trees?” Arisu asks, slightly lost.
“If it accepts a legal name change to a species of tree.”
“If broccoli was called ‘pine tree’ you’d be happy?”
The man looks at him in horror. “Absolutely not.”
“So broccoli should be classified as a tree itself?”
“Why are you entertaining this idea?”
“Because it's funny?”
“You're a clown.” The man rolls his eyes.
“Are you saying you don't like me?” Arisu teases.
“I am saying only a fool would entertain this question seriously.”
“Aren’t you entertaining the idea by talking to me?”
“Are you calling me a fool?”
“Depends.”
“On what could this possibly depend.”
Arisu shrugs. “I don’t know.”
“But you just said it depends.”
“Yeah but I don’t know the answer.” He pauses. “And you can’t control me knowing the answer. Maybe I’m just talking bullshit,” he shrugs.
“You are.” The man states dryly. “Are you trying to prove a point here?”
“Depends.”
“I’m not gonna fall for it again.”
Arisu smiles. “I’m Arisu Ryouhei. I might have a concussion.” He adds when his head aches suspiciously. Or maybe he was imagining that.
The guy’s eyes widen for just a second. So he does have different facial expressions. “Headache?” He asks.
“Huh?”
“Do. You. Have. A. Headache.”
“Are you worried about me?”
“I’m a doctor.”
“I noticed.”
“I usually have more cooperative patients which is surprising.”
“With that answer I would have guessed you’re a vet. You know, treating little gremlins that really don’t want to be stabbed with a needle but well…” Arisu gestures at the hospital floor. “Unlikely.”
“Eh. Something like that.” The man says and Arisu has the feeling he just made a joke because he actually smiles to himself, quickly putting on a frown again once he notices Arisu staring. The man clears his throat. “What brings you here exactly?”
“The view,” Arisu deadpans before quickly looking away from ‘pretty blonde’ to not be mistaken for a cheap flirt.
“I would have called you a liar if you said ‘the food’.”
“Not a fan of hospital food?”
“Had enough of it. I frequent the cafe down the street. It’s a decent choice.”
“Mhm…”
“I think this conversation requires me proving my point.”
“Huh?”
“Regarding the cafe.”
WAIT. “Are you inviting me to grab coffee?!” LIKE A DATE?
The man frowns. “No. I am saying you should go there. I didn’t include my presence in said recommendation. In fact, I am explicitly excluding it.”
“What, are you not good company?”
“You can’t seriously be enjoying this.”
“This is the most interesting conversion I’ve had all day and all that even though I might have a concussion and a broken thumb.”
“The thumb is a new symptom."
“No, it’s been pretty consistent actually.”
“Show me,” he reaches for his hand and Arisu’s heart makes an embarrassing jump. Oh my god..- We’re holding hands..- “HEY!” He exclaims as the guy (who still didn’t introduce himself) moves his thumb with surprising gentleness. Arisu winces.
“This hurts?” He lightly brushes his hand over the back of his hand and Arisu shakes his head. “Try to move your thumb this way.” He does as asked.
“It’s sprained at worst. Keep it from moving and avoid heavy lifting. If you want to see a doctor with it to get something prescribed, I recommend not sitting in the hallway of the pediatric clinic. The emergency room is on the first floor but you're better off seeing your general care doctor with this unless you enjoy waiting for hours in a crowded room.”
Arisu makes a face. “I'd much prefer that invitation for coffee.”
“I didn't invite you.”
“I'm inviting myself considering…” He looks at his phone where a new message appeared.
[Sasaki] @Jackofthefrontdesk
[Sasaki]
Your client dipped
He left a cryptic message that makes me sure he’s well but had better things to do
As in, he’s not here and neither are you but I am
[Arisu]
He’s gotta pay for the appointment either way I guess
I’ll go grab a coffee so just go home early today
[Sasaki]
Oh? 👀
[Arisu]
What Oh
[Sasaki]
Coffee?
Someone has a date~
[Arisu]
Someone will now be turning off his phone
[Sasaki]
You’ll make me blush with this attention
[Arisu]
Go and annoy your bf
[Sasaki]
*brighten up his day
He shuts off his phone. “Well, I have nothing to do today except for this.”
“And why would you voluntarily choose to do me then?” The man asks before the words seem to register. “That did not sound like I wanted it to,” he adds dryly. Both of them look at the wall in front of them.
Arisu clears his throat. “Coffee?”
“I suppose.”
There is a pause.
“Doesn’t the saying go ‘take me to dinner first’ anyway?”
There’s silence. Arisu tries to retrace his steps that led to this moment and finds this endeavour fruitless. Does it matter though. Probably not. All of this is going suspiciously well.
“Maybe I do have a concussion,” he mumbles to himself.
“You mean your schroedinger’s concussion,” the man nods.
“Pardon?”
“One could say you’re in an in-between state of concussion or no concussion considering neither me nor you can know for certain unless we have you undergo some tests. My assumption is the cat being alive though.”
“I think you skipped a few steps there. Why’s there a cat now?”
“Are you not aware of Schroedinger's experiment? If we’re assuming the concussion to be a cat, it being dead would correlate with a positive result while ‘not dead’ would be a negative one. Not in the sense of actual positivity and negativity but simply a change from its original state of being and no change. Thus, a positive result, in this case being you having a concussion, would be equivalent to a dead cat.”
Oh god. He’s intelligent too! And maybe he’s lost a few marbles but maybe Arisu is very much into that.
“So you don’t think I have a concussion then? And I do know Schroedinger’s cat.”
“I also have a cat. She’s alive,” the man says.
“I sure hope she is,” Arisu laughs. “Is her name Schroedinger?”
“I don’t think I ever said anything that would imply I would name my daughter after someone who speaks of such vile experiments.”
“You know Schroedinger’s cat is a thought experiment, right? There’s never been an actual cat and the idea wasn’t to find out if the cat is dead or alive. It should show that you can’t apply quantum mechanics to the observable world.”
He silently thanks Niragi for being a nerd and talking off his ear about this a week prior. He doesn’t even remember the context but who knew that it would come in handy eventually.
The blonde man swallows, hard. “I do know all of that and I’m pleasantly surprised that you do too. We didn’t get past the introduction earlier. My cat’s name is Chichi. It’s short for Cheshire”
Arisu blinks. This not being the expected answer. “I was expecting your name instead?” Somehow the cat’s name seems familiar. He can’t quite place it though. Why would he know the cat… Maybe it just sounds similar to a patient's name.
There’s a pause for longer than one would expect considering people usually know their own name. “Tatsuta Shuntarou.” The man says and somehow he sounds… unsure?
Surely Tatta wouldn’t mind Chishiya borrowing his name for a moment.
“Well, Tatsuta, do you-” “I much prefer to be called Shuntarou.” He quickly corrects because being called by his year-long acquaintance’s name (‘just finally say I’m your friend you goof’) is a bit odd.
“Are you… sure? I mean, it’s your first name and-”
His lie would be exposed if he doesn’t act fast now.
“It’s my chosen name and being called by it makes me feel great joy and euphoria while I wish to distance myself from my family name.”
Nailed it.
Did Tatsuta..- Shuntarou just come out to him?
“I didn’t mean to pressure you into telling me that…” Arisu pauses. “Shuntarou.”
To his surprise, Shuntarou turns a faint shade of red and goes quiet.
He did not think this through.
“Thank you for sharing that trust with me,” Arisu says and Chishiya isn’t quite sure where they got lost in translation. Oh. Right. He did just come out, didn’t he? Well, it’s not like he has particularly strong opinions on how people think about him.
“I’m a man,” he adds just to make sure Arisu’s irrelevant assumption has its origin in the correct reality.
“Well, we have that in common,” Arisu attempts to lighten the mood and the corners of Chishiya’s mouth curve upwards in an involuntary and coincidental, not related to the situation, facial expression.
At least Arisu wouldn’t recognise his last name now.
Shuntarou smiles softly and Arisu’s heart does a little jump.
True to his not-quite-invitation, he is shown the way to the cafe Shunatou was talking about. He isn’t sure what he expected when they got up and he offered him a hand that was declined. Maybe he would have expected a third clicking sound each step from the cane though there is none since he moves it perfectly in sync with his bad leg. Arisu glances to the side.
“You’re staring.”
“I’m looking at you. I’m sorry if that makes you uncomfortable?”
“Tatta wants me to say I’ve been hit by a meteor because he thinks it sounds cooler. It’s what he tells people when saying he’s a retired pirate gets boring.” Shuntarou changes the topic.
“He sounds funny. Your brother?”
“My what?”
“Tatsuta. That was your last name, wasn’t it?”
“It’s a coincidence. We just have the same name.”
Arisu chuckles. “That’s funny. So he’s a friend?”
“Acquaintance of multiple years. He invites himself for dinner once a week and gives me a metaphorical heart attack by trying to cut vegetables with one hand.”
“Usually people call that friends, you know. The vegetables thing is a weird choice though. Usually people opt for a knife instead of a hand.”
“What?”
“I was making a joke,” Arisu laughs. “I still wouldn’t cut tomatoes with one hand, holding a knife either.”
“He only has one hand.”
“Oh-”
“We were in the same accident.”
“You don’t have to tell me-”
“The Shibuya incident.”
Oh.
Arisu remembers that one. It was all over the news. A bus driver had a heart attack, lost control of the vehicle and a truck crashed into the side of the bus. Many passengers were hurt badly, some died, including the driver. One of the passengers managed to grab onto the wheel and steer the bus into the wall of a building, barely avoiding hitting so many more people if it drove straight across Shibuya crossing.
“I’m sorry.”
“Why are you sorry? You weren’t driving, were you?”
“It’s just something people say.”
“Don’t be sorry for things you can’t control.”
Things you can’t control. Arisu noticed that phrasing. He certainly isn’t as cold as he pretends to be. He chooses not to comment on it. There’s no use in pushing people further than they’re comfortable and clearly this is a sensitive topic for Shuntarou. Control. Maybe the fact that he had no control over the incident is what made the situation worse.
Okay. Arisu. Stop. You’re not here to analyse his behaviour. You wanted to grab coffee with the pretty guy who lets you call him by his first name- Oh my god.
They walk a while and Arisu is the one who has to make sure he doesn’t get lost because Shuntarou walks at a fast pace, maybe despite or maybe because of the cane. Maybe he has to prove something to himself. Okay, stop it with the therapist's thoughts. He’s not your client.
“Tatta was the one who grabbed the wheel,” Shuntarou mentions. Oh..-
“And then he stole my chocolate pudding when I wasn’t looking which means he’s eternally stuck in the state of acquaintances."
Arisu snorts. “Are you salty about chocolate pudding?”
“We shared a hospital room and he is a thief without morals.” Shuntarou states dryly. Arisu shakes his head in amused disbelief.
“I take it, if you’d like chocolate pudding, you prefer hot chocolate too?” He asks just before it’s their turn to order.
“No. I prefer enough caffeine to kill someone.”
Arisu raises an eyebrow.
“That’s how you get through medical school.” He elaborates.
“So an espresso for you?”
“No. I prefer my caffeine mixed with enough sugar to kill someone.”
“One coffee with murderous intent for you. Understood,” he laughs and maybe Shuntarou also laughed a quiet laugh. Arisu isn’t sure, considering the cafe isn’t exactly quiet itself. He has a feeling he has a pretty laugh though.
They sit down in the most secluded corner and Arisu has to admit, Shuntarou eyes the chocolate-caffeine-whipped cream abomination with a kind of adoration that makes him feel warm and fuzzy. And be slightly jealous of a drink. Which is concerning.
He sips on his cappuccino.
After a while of sitting there in silence, drinks and an additional piece of cake long gone, Arisu breaks the silence. He also saw at least ten different pictures of Shuntarou’s cat during this time. She is indeed adorable. "Say, since you’re a doctor, do we have a conflict of interests now?" He asks, mostly joking.
"Do you need surgery any time soon?" Shuntarou asks.
"... No? At least I hope so?"
"Are you a child?"
"No?"
"Then we don't."
Right, he didn’t even ask what kind of doctor Shuntarou is.
"Pediatric..."
"Heart Surgeon."
What a coincidence.
"Oh? That's funny because my next client was also..- Wait."
"It appears I need a new therapist." Shuntarou smiles. WAIT! Wait a moment!
"YOU KNEW!” He exclaims. “You’re Chishiya Shuntarou!"
"And I successfully got out of therapy. You dodged a bullet there. I planned all of this.”
“No you didn’t.”
“I did.”
“You ran into me by coincidence.”
“Nuh uh.”
“You saw my name tag and panicked. And then you introduced yourself as your friend and came out to me to not be caught lying.”
“I did not. This was all my brilliant plan. I didn’t lie though. I just wasn’t truthful about the name I do not wish to be associated with. I never said it was the one I told you. In fact, you just assumed I gave you my name. Maybe I just like to say random names together.”
Arisu laughs at the ridiculousness of the whole situation. “Take your therapist out on a date before the first session so he can’t be your therapist anymore. Never had that one before.”
“Was this a date?” Chishiya Shuntarou asks.
“Do you want it to be one?”
“I would like there to be a conflict of interest.”
“You know, you didn’t have to take me on a maybe-date for that. Wait, why would you wear a doctor's coat to your appointment!"
"Intimidation tactic."
"Clearly it's not working."
"Who's not in therapy, me or you."
"Well, I do have a therapist. And you should go to one too since it’s nice to talk to someone. I can recommend you to a colleague..-"
"You have a therapist. The therapist's therapist."
"Well, it can be beneficial for mental health and-"
"The therapist's therapist may also have a therapist."
"You’re not even listening, are you?"
"I'm concentrating on my job just like you're trying to therapy me."
"...heart surgery?"
"Mental heart surgery."
"Thats not a thing."
"Says the one contributing to the therapist matryoshka"
"I'm beginning to see why you need therapy.”
Shuntarou smiles innocently. “Take me out to dinner before you can psychoanalise me.”
“Then I can psychoanalise you as… acquaintances?"
“Only if you steal my chocolate pudding.”
Arisu laughs. “I think I know a place.”
“I think I like the conflict of interest of a possibly-date,” Shuntarou says.
“I’d ask for your number to agree on a time but I already have that one,” Arisu laughs. “In the non weird way. Because, you know, appointment.”
Wordlessly, Shuntarou reaches for the napkin with the various flowers printed on it. He scribbles something down with a pen he pulled out of his pocket.
“My private number,” he slides over the napkin.
Oh.
Oh!
“Thank you,” Arisu smiles. “Wait, let me text you so you have my number too.”
Later that evening he texts the group chat.
The Basement (and Usagi)
- Currently in basement jail: Karube for bad puns -
Members:
[Chota] @Chotasegawa
[Daikiwi] @Karubekiwiman
[Yuzu] @Usagirabbit
[Ryou] @Arisunotalice
[Ryou]
Guys (genderneutral)
You won’t believe what just happened to me
[Yuzu]
Happy, sad or neutral situation?
Do I need to come over?
[Ryou]
You won’t believe what just happened to me /I am not sure how to feel about this but it is a positive situation I think, even if really confusing and of the ‘nobody can make that up’ brand of ridiculous
[Chota]
Your tone tag is longer than your sentence
[Daikiwi]
Let the man talk
I am getting popcorn
[Yuzu]
I am getting the intervention hat
[Ryou]
Hey! I didn’t even start talking yet!
[Yuzu]
I felt like we need it
Not necessarily for you
@[Daikiwi] is a constant contestant
[Daikiwi]
Love you too
[Chota]
eww, romance
[Ryou]
I think I have a date
[Chota]
I am listening
[Yuzu]
So am I
[Daikiwi]
I got the popcorn
[Yuzu]
He did actually do that
He’s offering it to me
[Daikiwi]
I am a man of my words
[Ryou]
So, it all started with a cat
Kind of not really
[Yuzu]
Ryou, please start at the actual beginning
Or better even, start where you think the beginning is and then skip back about an hour
[Ryou]
Okay, so
I don’t have a concussion
[Daikiwi]
👏
[Yuzu]
I sure hope so 🤨
[Chota]
I feel this is going to be good
[Ryou]
I also don’t have a cat
But he does
[Daikiwi]
He 👀
[Chota]
He~
[Ryou]
Guys, please
[Daikiwi]
Yuzu started eating the popcorn
I think that’s relevant
[Yuzu]
You put it in front of me, obviously I am eating it
[Daikiwi]
I just want to spoil you 🥺
[Chota]
I am mildly horrified.
Moving on from you two being disgustingly romantic
I want to know more about the mystery cat guy
[Ryou]
The cat isn’t named Schroedinger
[Yuzu]
???
[Ryou]
And he likes sweet things like chocolate pudding
[Daikiwi]
Ryou’s got it ~bad~
[Ryou]
Ryou will steal back his playstation
[Daikiwi]
Please don’t <3
[Ryou]
Anyway
I was sitting on his cane
[Yuzu]
Pardon?
[Chota]
Is that a metaphor for something?
[Ryou]
NO. An actual cane
[Daikiwi]
😏
[Ryou]
And then we talked
[Yuzu]
I think this story may actually be cute
I’ll put away the intervention hat
[Ryou]
He introduced himself with a fake name at first
but
[Yuzu]
I spoke to fast
[Ryou]
No! Okay, So
I think I need to start at the actual beginning.
There was talking about broccoli.
[Daikiwi]
I laughed out loud and I want you to know that
He isn’t quite finished telling the whole story, feeling like he could have retold more little details (the ones that aren’t invasive things Shuntarou may not want to tell people) when his phone chimes with another text message.
[Conflict Of Interests] @CheshireShuntarou
[Conflict of Interests]
Greetings
[Arisu]
Howdy
[Conflict of Interests]
???
[Arisu]
Idk, you said greetings and I panicked
[Conflict of Interest]
Oh
[Arisu]
What Oh
[Conflict of Interests]
Oh?
[Arisu]
Oh!
[Conflict of Interests]
ohhh
He smiles to himself.
The Basement (and Usagi)
[Ryou]
He texted me
attached: greetings.jpg
[Daikiwi]
AND??!
[Ryou]
He’s a dry texter
As you can see
[Yuzu]
There’s worse crimes
[Ryou]
It’s kind of endearing
[Chota]
Arisu has a crush~
[Daikiwi]
Can we please talk about the name he saved him as
[Yuzu]
I think that’s cute
You’re doing amazing, Ryou <3
[Conflict Of Interests] @CheshireShuntarou
[Arisu]
How does Tuesday sound?
[Conflict of Interests]
Here’s a picture of my cat
attached: Chichi.jpg
[Arisu]
Aww, she’s adorable!
[Conflict of Interests]
And alive.
[Arisu]
Lmao
Or Lmeow in this case
[Conflict of interests]
…
[Arisu]
You liked that pun
I know you did
[Conflict of Interests]
I make use of my right to remain silent.
Tuesday sounds good
[Arisu]
It’s a date then
[Conflict of interests]
*Possibly-Date
[Arisu]
Without broccoli
[Conflict of Interests]
Lmeow
[Arisu]
YOU SAID THE THING! :D
[Conflict of Interests]
I am feeling immense regret
[Arisu]
I will treasure this forever
[Conflict of interests] deleted a message
[Arisu]
Too late, I am treasuring the memory
[Conflict of Interests]
Concussions can be the cause of memory loss
[Arisu]
Unfortunately for you, I don’t have a concussion
Because all cats are alive
[Conflict of Interests]
I never said there was a correlation between those two facts, only a metaphorical parallel
[Arisu]
Don’t worry, I am taking the blame for factually incorrect quotes
[Conflict of Interests]
…
That is kind of romantic