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[MEDICAL BAY, 08:30]
After the morning game and breakfast, Hirose and Isoda were remaining in the medical bay for the day, since their peers were reckless and Denden wanted to talk to them more.
Kumada was sitting on one of the medbay beds, giving sarcastic responses to innocent questions from the ice sculptor handcuffed to her, who didn’t catch any of it. Hirose had given up on making it clear to Denden too.
The utaite he was chained to was quietly glancing around the medbay, having not visited much and wanting not to get in the surgeon’s way.
“Forget this,” Kumada declared, hopping off the bed. “I’m outta here. Hirose and Isoda can handle it from here.”
“W-Wait, but-!” Denden tried to protest, but Kumada was already headed out and dragging the ice sculptor with her by the handcuffs.
Hirose and Isoda only watched them leave, Isoda only blinking as Hirose sighed, “Denden’s not going to be very happy about that.”
“It should be fine, right?” Isoda turned to Hirose. “I mean.. maybe you can teach her how to run the medbay when she isn’t chained to someone who’s completely uninterested.”
Hirose shrugged his shoulders, “I suppose you’re right.”
Isoda nodded, “If someone does come in here with an issue, I’ll try not to get in your way.”
Hirose looked down at them, raising a brow before raising his right hand a little, enough to remind Isoda of the chain keeping them together that was now softly jingling.
“..I said I’d try.” Isoda reiterated, tilting their head.
Hirose shook his head, trying to pass a chuckle off as a scoff before a light tug from the handcuffs made him look up at Isoda again.
“Ah- sorry,” Isoda apologized. “I just wanted to sit down. There’s a book I think Denden left on that bed, I wanted to skim through it.”
Hirose couldn’t help but stare at Isoda’s neutral yet expectant expression, before humming as he looked away, “Go on, it’s not like I’m trying to stop you.”
With another tug on the handcuffs from the utaite, the surgeon followed them towards the book. Isoda hopped up onto the bed, picking the book up and turning it around in their hands. “..It’s a solid colored cover. Real exciting.” They said with an eyeroll as they opened it.
Hirose let himself snicker, “Did you expect a book from the medical bay to be entertaining?”
“Can’t hurt to hope,” Isoda replied, skimming through the pages.
Hirose leaned back against the wall, folding his arms as he observed Isoda slowly become more bored of the book.
“..Y’know,” Hirose found himself saying. “..You’re not what everyone assumed you’d be.”
Isoda’s eyes lifted from the book, their fingers stopping on some random page as they gazed nowhere in particular.
“..You’re a celebrity. A talented one,” Hirose complimented. “Usually, that fact can.. get to people’s heads.”
“..You assumed I’d be pretentious and.. I dunno, snooty even?” Isoda looked up at him, blinking.
The lack of an answer, though temporary, was enough of an answer for the singer.
“..You’re clearly not,” Hirose tried to be sure Isoda knew he was attempting to say something positive.
“..Thanks. I guess,” Isoda glanced away, before smiling and looking back up at Hirose. “I think you’re actually warming up to me, Doc.”
Hirose’s cheeks reddened at the term Isoda used to refer to him. He liked how quiet and gentle Isoda’s voice got when they’d call him that, but he would rather have to pull shards of glass out of his body than admit that.
“Y-Yeah, yeah.. Only because you proposed we form an alliance.”
Isoda blinked, keeping their mouth shut before they could express their surprise at Hirose taking their earlier words seriously. That’d be hurtful. Besides, maybe it’s a good thing they’re on Hirose’s good side.
“..Right. We’re the dream team.”
Isoda winked, and Hirose turned his head with a scoff, a crooked grin on his face as he tried to hide the fact that he was blushing again.