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Hakuri was weird.
Not in the normal way, by making silly faces or doing silly things at random times (though he did that). Not in the kind of creepy way by spacing out or yelling all of a sudden or having mood swings (though he did some of that too, especially spacing out when he thought no one was looking). Not even in the way where he knew a lot about a little and wouldn’t stop talking about it (but he really liked talking about bugs and Chihiro). He was all of those she supposed, which was fine. But he was also something she really, really didn’t like.
With Chihiro and Ms. Hinao it was easy. Chihiro was quiet and really nice and really strong. So, she could go to him if she was scared or upset. He made lots of tasty food when he wasn’t busy too, so if she was hungry, she knew who to ask.
Ms. Hinao was nice and lots of fun. They played dress-up together, watched TV, and Ms. Hinao taught her lots of things. She couldn’t go back to school yet so she was doing “home schooling”. It seemed to be a huge pain in the butt at first, but when Chihiro said that’s how he learned too, Char knew she had to do the same thing. And Ms. Hinao was always there to help explain things she didn’t understand without making her feel like a little kid.
Mr. Shiba was kind of a problem too, but Ms. Hinao helped her with him. Mr. Shiba was loud, said lots of weird things, ate weird stinky fish snacks, smoked a lot, and was really grumpy sometimes after he got back from work. But he was nice too, like when he saved her from the bomb man, bought her ice cream, and let her ride on his shoulders. Ms. Hinao explained it by saying he was a gross old man who tried to do nice things. It was okay to laugh at him or tell him he was lame- he’d never hurt her. She was used to old guys doing strange things and Mr. Shiba was just a nice version of that. Easy!
They all said and did things that annoyed her sometimes too. Chihiro wasn’t the greatest conversation partner. Ms. Hinao tried to show her how to be girly, which was boring and dumb. But Hakuri was weird weird in a way no one wanted to explain. Somehow, it was okay to them that he was a liar.
Sometimes she wished he was scary so that she could figure it out easier, but he wasn’t. He was the silliest person ever. He even called her “Char-sensei” when she taught him everything she knew about Chihiro and healed his wounds! She shouldn’t think badly of him. And what would Chihiro think if he knew she thought his friend was a kind of weird she couldn’t put up with?
It bothered her so much that she decided to hatch a plan.
---
It was way past dinner time when Chihiro, Hakuri, and Mr. Shiba got home from work. Her trap was set long before then and she’d been patient most of the day, only bothering Ms. Hinao less than a hundred times about when they’d return. Very mature of her if she said so herself. Once she heard the door open and Mr. Shiba yelling that they were back, she jumped off the couch and ran to greet them.
All three of them looked super tired. Chihiro especially seemed like he wanted to lay down and go to sleep right there. They were all covered in blood too, making her stomach flip-flop with worry.
“Welcome back! Are you okay?” she asked.
“Yeah, we’re fine, kiddo. None of this is ours,” Mr. Shiba said kindly while patting her head. “Man, I’m beat though. Need that beer I stashed in the fridge…” he walked off and she immediately turned to the other two.
Chihiro staggered a bit while taking his shoes off then said, “We’re okay Char, thanks for asking. Did you have dinner yet?”
“Yeah, ages ago!” she replied. “Do you hurt anywhere?”
“No, I’m alright. Really.” He smiled faintly which reassured her immensely. “I just need to rest.”
“Go to bed early then! No staying up late,” she said sternly.
“Of course.” Chihiro started to head further in then paused. He turned back and looked at Hakuri, who was standing there a bit awkwardly after taking off his boots. “Hakuri probably needs some healing, though.”
“I’m fine!” he said. Char looked at him, then at Chihiro, then back at Hakuri. Chihiro seemed a little upset, but Hakuri didn’t seem like he was lying. It was kinda hard to tell with how dirty both of them were though.
Chihiro’s eyes narrowed and Hakuri flinched. Uh oh.
“Really, I’m fine! I’m just tired too! It was just a few hits- nothing big!”
Hakuri tried to defend himself, but Chihiro’s sharp gaze made him really nervous. “Let Char check you out before you go to sleep,” was all he said before heading for the kitchen.
Char and Hakuri looked at each other in confusion. Then Hakuri sighed and drooped like a wilted flower. “Oh man, he’s really upset…”
She wondered about that. Chihiro was the nicest person ever even if he looked mean and scary a lot of the time. He wasn’t happy for sure, but he probably wasn’t mad at Hakuri. Well, maybe a little. But only because Hakuri was being stubborn when he was hurt. He did that a lot and it made Chihiro glare more than anything, even more than when they talked about the Hi-sha-koo gang.
Char put on her best Doctor face and told him, “I’ll see you after you have a bath. Don’t be late!” and scurried off to remake her plans. She heard Hakuri sigh again, but if he didn’t have room to complain then he’d just do what he was told. Maybe she should tell Chihiro that so he didn’t worry so much and make Hakuri worry in return.
---
“Char-sensei, I’m here for my appointment.”
“Come in.”
Hakuri stepped into her makeshift bedroom office about an hour later, freshly washed and full of food. He looked a million times better already and Char wondered if maybe Chihiro was a little too worried. But as soon as he sat down on the floor next to the bed she and Ms. Hinao shared, he winced just the tiniest bit.
“Where does it hurt?” she asked him in her most no-nonsense tone while peering at him closely. He always wore such baggy clothes that it was hard to tell if he was hurt at all most of the time. But her professional experience told her he probably didn’t have any broken bones at least. Even Hakuri had a hard time pretending about that.
“Um, my wrist…”
“Let me see!”
The long sleeves of the coat Ms. Hinao had given her flapped as she waved her hands enthusiastically. He was being good tonight! Maybe Chihiro’s glare had done the trick!
Hakuri rolled up the sleeve of his shirt a little and held his right arm out. She carefully put her fingers on the puffy, bruised skin and wished for the pain to go away. And just like that he was all better.
Or was he?
Char blinked at him, wide-eyed and curious. Hakuri smiled at her but it looked like it hurt as much as his wrist did until a second ago. He was being weird again in the way she really didn’t like.
“Where else?” she asked.
“Eh? I’m fine now, thanks…”
She considered dragging him in front of Chihiro to be glared at again, but remembered that he was asleep already and decided against it. Mr. Shiba and Ms. Hinao never got through to him either. It was up to her and her clever plan now.
“Sit!”
Hakuri immediately stopped standing up and sat back down with his hands folded in his lap. She tried to do a Chihiro Glare on him, but it didn’t work of course. He just looked back at her in confusion. She sighed in helplessness- it was always the hard way with this one.
“Tsk tsk, Hakuri,” she admonished him with a Doctor’s professional finger waggle. “It’s not good to lie.”
“Huh?”
“I said, it’s not good to lie.”
“I know. I mean… I’m not? Wait, what did I even say?!”
It was really funny how alarmed he was and she had to hold back her laughter. He was like a floofy dog not sure what he was being scolded for. Time for step two!
“I’ll forgive you this time. But you have to make a deal with me.”
“I, uh…” Hakuri shifted uneasily under her Serious Doctor gaze. Why was he always so darn stubborn? “I don’t even know what you’re talking about…”
“Yes you do! You’re a liar! And it makes us all worry!”
Char’s own vehemence surprised her as much as it did Hakuri. Her eyes tingled with tears and she held them back with a furious scrub. This wasn’t part of the plan! Quick, get back to it!
“Lying is bad! S-So I’ll make a deal with you and forgive you, okay?”
“Uh, alright…”
All the shock was gone and he was worried now too. Great. Hakuri’s obvious concern for her was nice but it made her angry enough to yell again too.
Char took a breath and sat up straight with her eyes closed. It was easier if she didn’t look at him. “There are two things! First, you must say sorry to Chihiro, Mr. Shiba, and Ms. Hinao for lying! Second, you must stop lying to everyone forever! That’s it!”
“...That’s fine, but… Sorry. What am I lying about, exactly?”
Oh, he’d really done it now. She let the tears fall as her plan completely unraveled in an instant. Stupid, stupid weird and stubborn Hakuri! Why did he make it so hard to feel normal about him?! She’d given him the perfect excuse to stop being weird and he’d blown it completely!
“Char, what’s wrong?” Now he was leaning in and gently patting her on the head!
“S-Stupid! Stop pretending you don’t know!” she sobbed. “You always say you’re fine when you’re not! That’s lying!”
“But I really am-”
Char got up and stomped her foot. He made her angry, so angry like this! “YOU’RE NOT! You’re always so weird and never let us help you! That’s why Chihiro glares at you and we all ask you tons of questions! You won’t even let me heal a little ouchie unless Chihiro makes you do it!”
Hakuri’s eyes widened in shock. But she couldn’t give him room to complain or he’d get away again. She pounced on him, hugging him tight and crying into his shirt. “I just want to like you, so stop lying already! If you’re hurt let me help!”
Hakuri patted her back and let her cry. Char grabbed his shirt and kept telling him the same thing over and over so it would finally sink in. She wasn’t smart like Chihiro, or good at talking like Ms. Hinao, or wise like Mr. Shiba. She couldn’t even follow her own little plan to get him to admit he was lying and make it all better. All she could do was get his shirt all wet and messy with her snot and tears while he held her.
It took a while for her to cry it out, and by the time she was done, her head hurt and her throat was scratchy and she felt awful. But Hakuri let her stay in his lap and whispered some soothing words to her. It was really unfair of how good of a big brother he felt like sometimes. She wanted to cry some more about it, but she didn’t have any tears left. So she sniffled and wished he’d say the words that would make her feel better.
“All done?” he asked softly.
“...For now,” she said grudgingly.
“That’s good. You really needed to get that off your chest, huh?”
Char nodded. He was talking differently than usual, all gentle and understanding. It wasn’t a bad thing though. This Hakuri was even better than his silly version- it reminded her of Chihiro. Safe and warm. If only… if only he wasn’t a liar.
“...I’m sorry, Char.”
She perked up a bit. This sounded different from his usual apologies too.
“I was worried that I was asking for too much, but I guess I hurt you instead. I’m really sorry.”
“Mm.” She had no idea how someone who never asked for anything could ask for too much, but she couldn’t really think about it right now with her head being so stuffy.
“I’ll go apologise to everyone and promise not to lie again. Okay?”
Char felt like she could collapse with happiness and she buried her face into his shirt and hugged him tight. She’d gotten through after all! Thank goodness! “Okay. But I’ll be really mad if you break it,” she warned, voice muffled.
“That’s fair. Thanks, Char. You really helped me a lot.”
“Mhm.” Hakuri was finally saying normal things. But she wouldn’t let him off the hook just yet. “Let’s go do it right now.”
He laughed – a real laugh that made her tummy feel warm and fuzzy- and messed up her hair with a big gentle hand. “Alright, alright! But we’ll have to wait for tomorrow morning to tell Chihiro.”
“First thing in the morning! Before breakfast!”
“Of course, Char-sensei. You’re so strict!”
“It’s part of your treatment,” she replied sternly, heart light at last. Somehow Hakuri was really good at making her feel better. Not like Chihiro did, but it was just as good. She wanted to get used to this.
Char stood up and planted herself in front of Hakuri with all the authority she could muster. He was smiling now, a real one at last. She gave in and smiled back even as she shook her head at her most hopeless patient. She’d have to keep a close eye on him for a while just in case.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes ma’am!”
Hakuri got up and let her lead him out into the living room where Ms. Hinao was watching one of her boring dramas. They got her attention, called Mr. Shiba in from the porch where he was smoking, and Hakuri properly apologised as promised. He was sincere about it and even bowed.
Mr. Shiba and Ms. Hinao were amused and told him it was about time he finally came around (to what exactly she wasn’t sure, but it seemed positive). Hakuri’s face was cherry-red with embarrassment but he’d done a very good job. Char nodded in approval and freed him to go do whatever he did at this time of night. For her, it was far past time to brush her teeth and go to bed.
So that’s exactly what she did. Ms. Hinao tucked her in as usual, but before leaving, she also gave her an extra hug and thanked her for talking to Hakuri. Char tried to say, “Of course, all in a day’s work!”, but she was so sleepy after so much crying that the words might not have come out properly. She still had her work cut out for her anyway when they faced Chihiro tomorrow, and making sure Hakuri kept his promise after that anyway. She’d have to keep checking in on her problem patient for a while yet. But at least he wouldn’t be a liar any more.