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1. "Nagisa, what in the world is that thing?"
Shun had always known Nagisa kept strange company all over the city, if the abundant of gifts scattered around his bedroom was any indication. Pressed yellow roses, collection of bounded books, stylish sets of clothes, down to more unconventional things like guitar music sheets, part-time vouchers or even photos of Nagisa himself. Heck, Shun gave the boy a bunch of recipes as a sign of their friendship, so he wasn't qualified to comment either. But the thing perching on the shelf was too inconspicuous, too eye-catching, that ever since this study session started, Shun's eyes had not once looked at the textbooks. He kept stealing glances at that cursed thing, and it stared back, daring him to speak. After a while, his concentration waned to the point he blurted out the question.
"What?" Feigning ignorance or genuinely detached from common sense, Nagisa confusedly replied.
"That. Right there. " Shun pointed at the shelf behind the boy. Smack dab right in the center, a cylindric jar with ominous colored-liquid was the house to a single eye. Shun had zero clue if the thing was a model or not, but the details alone were enough to make him uncomfortable. The fact the the eye was positioned right at his direction didn't help.
"Oh, that? Pretty realistic, isn't it?" It was too realistic, that was the problem - Shun so badly wanted to comment. "I thought it came from a real person at first too." The nonchalance Nagisa carried was killing him.
"Why would you even have that?" And so prominently displayed too, in fact. Was he about to discovered another of his friend's weird quirk?
"One of my friends gave it to me." Nagisa turned to look at the eye as well. "It's a sign of his complete trust in me, so I want to keep it where I can see it. He probably won't give me another tangible gift any time soon."
Maybe it was Shun's imagination, but he detected a bit of disappointment in Nagisa's voice.
"But the mini tank and the liquid? That I built myself."
"...It's real impressive." Nagisa beamed at him. The boy must be really proud of it if he wanted to show it off to him. Shun could only accept the weird decoration with a reluctant smile. They resumed their study session, but once in a while, just like him, Nagisa's eyes would glance towards the tank. Called him overthinking - truthfully, no one had ever called Shun that - but the face Nagisa made was much softer than he usually look.
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2. 'Eh? You're looking for another part-time job?"
Tomoko and Nagisa had their shift together at the pharmacy today. Miraculously for a weekday, they didn't see the usual surge of customers, so the two of them were allowed to leisurely chat at the counter.
"Yup. I figure if there's anyone I can ask, it's you."
Tomoko smiled, flattered and bashful at the same time. The thought of being known as the part-time girl gave her a pause, but she was more happy at being helpful to the friend that had always helped her.
"Where have you worked at already? I don't want to bring up hope just to find out you already apply to that place."
"Hmm..." Nagisa drummed his temple. "Here, Ore no Beko, 7/11, the crepe shop, Hanasaki in the Underground Mall, the fried food stall at Kichioji,...oh, and Heritage Kitchen. That's all of them."
Tomoko quietly stared back at him.
"Kamishiro-kun, are you perhaps...in debt?" Her voice lowered down to a whisper. "It's not too much, is it? Did you get involved with loan sharks? Are they pressuring you because your parents are overseas?"
Nagisa blankly stared back at her before it clicked in his mind.
"Oh, no, not at all. I'm debt-free." He shook his head profusely, hands waving in the air as if to shake off the imaginary debt. "I want to buy gifts for someone, and I don't want to use my parent's money, that's all."
"But, shouldn't uh...7 part-time jobs be enough?" Even more questions swirled in Tomoko's head.
"Hmm, it's complicated. I have other places in need of expense as well, and the gifts for this person is a bit on the expensive end." The boy clapped his hand together and half bowed. "Please, if you can help me out."
Tomoko was already in imaginary land when Nagisa mentioned expensive gifts. Speculations rose up: did Nagisa have a lover? A needy one who demanded lots of gifts? Who he was willing to sacrifice time and money for? Tomoko wasn't well averse in love at all, so any chance of witnessing romance in her life got her excited.
"I know a bookstore in Shinjuku is hiring!" She enthusiastically pulled out a leaflet. "Here. You can probably get it if you call now. Go on! I'll hold the fort for a few minutes."
Nagisa took the leaflet and flashed her a grateful smile before disappearing into the break room. A few minutes later, he reemerged with a thumbs up, though she had never doubted his capability before.
"So...." It was almost time for their shifts to be over, so Tomoko grasped the opportunity. "What's that person like?"
"Very eccentric." It was all Nagisa divulged. He gave her a mysterious smile and a wink. It was enough for her to back down, but not enough for Tomoko's theories to go wild. Was this some sort of forbidden relationship? Taboo, even? Different social classes? Age-gap? A foreigner, even? Something told her Motoha would love to get in on this topic.
They passed the duty to the next part-timers and leave the pharmacy. Before going their separate ways, Tomoko threw out one last question.
"What kind of gift do you usually give them?" It wasn't too personal an inquiry, surely? Her anticipation climbed as Nagisa registered the question.
"These." He proudly showed off the collection already stashed in his bag. Tomoko peeked in and saw -
Gag glasses.
A dozen of them.
"How expensive are they?" That wasn't what she meant to ask, but absurdity overtook common sense.
"30, 000 yen each pair."
"That's so expensive!"
"I told you." Nagisa shrugged. "Thanks for the job rec, Noge."
He left for Shibuya station, leaving behind a very confused Tomoko. She immediately opened her phone and shot a message for Motoha. They had something fun for girl night's topic.
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3. "Ow ow ow!"
"Are you alright?"
Motoha wanted to say yes, but the pain lurking in her stomach said otherwise. It was the worst day to have cramps: she promised to accompany Tomoko to her rehab session, and was so ready to do some baseball training with Nagisa as well. The sudden painful bout of the month intent to ruin her plan, on the other hand. She slumped on the table and groaned hard.
"Not alright at all..."
"Want to go to the infirmary?"
"We have a 15-minute exam next period. If I don't take it I'm done for." Motoha bemoaned her fate.
Nagisa quietly thought to himself for a few second before turning away to rummage in his bag. Before long, he produced a pouch filled to the brim.
"What kind of pain?" From the pouch, the mysterious content turned out to be medicine. Motoha stared wide eyed at the collection before her: neatly bundled together with small notes attached, it was as though he carried with him a mini pharmacy. She detected medicine for stomachaches, migraines, fevers, allergies, even some expensive salves and cream she had to save for so long to have. If she peered a bit deeper, Motoha could probably see bandages and antibiotic as well.
"Let's see...this one!" She scanned through the pouch and picked out a pack of white pills, just the type she would use for pain relieving. Nagisa handed her a bottle of water, and Motoha gratefully accepted.
"Hah, I'm alive again! Thank, Nagisa." She let out a huge, relieved sigh. "Am I looking at a future doctor now?"
"No way." Nagisa returned her teasing with a chuckle. "This was from my friend."
"Oh?" The way his face softened considerably did not escape Motoha's eyes. The messages exchanged with Tomoko flashed in her head; was this perhaps the same person? Nagisa had a lot of acquaintances all over the city, so she would need more info to determine.
"He knows a lot about medicine, even gives me advice on which one is more effective and when you should take it too." Motoha looked closely at the small notes attached to the various packs. The handwriting on there was crude, fast, different from Nagisa's neat one. "These all came from him; he probably got sick of me asking him for treatment."
He might say so, but the twinkle in Nagisa's eyes clearly showed that he jest. Motoha played with the packs in her hand. They were separated by categories, with clear instruction for when and how many to drink at a time, along with details for treating injuries. It was done with care, and if the whole pouch were from one person, then that person must have worried for Nagisa a lot. A person like that sounded like he deserved a 30,000 yen pair of gag glasses, though for what reason, Motoha would not know.
"You can take the whole pack if you want." Mistaking her focus as desire, Nagisa pushed the pills towards Motoha.
"Woah, woah, stop. This is enough for me. I can't take such a precious gift for granted." A gift with much care embedded in always carried with it the soul of the giver, and Motoha would feel guilty of taking even a small part of that away.
"It's alright, you need this more than I do now." Nagisa insisted, a hint of mischievousness entered his eyes. "Besides, I'll have more excuse to visit him that way." He winked. It took Motoha a while before she returned the gesture back. Something told her this friend Tomoko mentioned and the one they were talking about were the same.
"So, who is this guy? Is he the same one you go to for our Mementos healing stash?" Seizing the opportunity, she edged the seat closer and threw the questions out, all while concealing her curiosity lest Nagisa decided to run away.
"Different person. He's the one that gave me tips about gun." The boy slowly organized the packs back inside the pouch. "Remember how we can reload immediately instead of waiting for hours now?"
"Oh! That! It was super helpful when we met all the Shadows that block electricity." Motoha shuddered. "We were in so much trouble that one time in the dam."
Nagisa only nodded. As sociable as he was, Nagisa tended to be on the reserved side. His face was also on that end of the spectrum too, though three Palaces together had taught Motoha that under the expressionless countenance hid a silly yet emotional personality. Only when he allowed you could you see the minute changes, like how his voice went a little higher when mentioning that friend, or how he fondly mimicked the act of shooting when she commented on the dam.
"What kind of person is he? Not someone dangerous or fishy, right?" She trusted Nagisa's judgement - not always, since the airsoft owner ranked on Motoha's top list of suspicious Shibuya people - but what sort of person would even teach highschoolers about shooting? Guns weren't even legal here, yet the knowledge that passed to them was incredibly precise. The image of those intimidating, weirdly dressed gun gurus they encountered every once in a while in Shibuya emerged in her head, before Nagisa thwarted it with a sweep.
"No, definitely not. He might be quirky and menacing at first glance, but he is anything but dangerous." Nagisa corrected her immediately. His face remained unchanged, but the agitation in his voice and how quick he was to get work up over her words were refreshing. Nagisa could be quite adorable this way.
"I'm just joking!" She patted the boy's back before he reached his daily quota of expressions. "So who is he? An Olympic shooting medalist? Police? Oooohhhh, is there another airsoft shop out there that I don't know?"
"Nope." It was Nagisa's turn to stop her from getting too out of line. "Just someone very good at shooting games."
"Aw, I thought we were taught by someone cooler." Motoha sighed, though she couldn't help but notice that all this time, Nagisa still avoided giving her any information that could give away this friend's identity. Someone both well-versed in medicine and guns, like a walking contradiction between the path of life and death. She wondered, what were the chances?
"Is he a surgeon?" Like that one manga character with two-toned hair and a scar across his face, who operated outside the law. Wouldn't that be a very cool character to hang around? Motoha got lost in her imagination a little, but the silence brought her back; Nagisa hadn't answered her.
"Earth to Nagisa~?"
"..."
"Hey, are you ignoring me?"
"I'm not."
"You just did! Don't tell me I'm right?"
"I have the right to remain silent."
"You can't just do that to me! Come on, just a little hint?"
She shook his shoulder back and forth, eliciting a laugh out of that stoic face. They didn't stop fooling around until Ms. Katayama returned to the classroom and demanded them all to be back to their seat. Unfortunately, Motoha's mind couldn't be any further from the test at hand. She kept coming back to this mysterious figure and wondered about two questions: was this guy a doctor, and was he the object of Nagisa's fancy? Assuming that both were true, along the fact that he was also good at gunslinging...
Alright, this needed some looking into. She could totally rope Shun into this after school. Motoha pumped her fist with determination, before the reality of the test came back and pummeled her in the face. Oh, who cares about some test? The happiness of her friends were more important than anything.
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4. "Ah, welcome, welcome."
The after-school period was the calm before the storm, a moment of breather before rush hour arrived and the Taisho shop got flooded with customers. The shopkeeper sometimes missed the day when this small discount shop wasn't so popular, when customers hung around and chat instead of just giving him the side eye whenever he initiated a conversation. It was such an old-fashioned complaint that he never brought it up to his part-timers, but it weighed on his heart nonetheless.
He just finished restocking some of the wares in the storage room when the red-haired boy caught his eyes. The boy had been frequenting the Taisho shop lately. Red hair, Kokatsu uniform, an owl plushie peeking out of the bag, it was quite hard to overlook. It was always the same aisle that he visited: one which display the soldier figures from an old TV show.
"You sure like that series a lot, eh, sonny?" The shopkeeper decided to try, regardless. It was his nature to be talkative, even if it didn't fit the busy, bustling lifestyle of Shibuya. Worse came to worst, the boy would just ignore him. and he had another story to bemoan to his wife and sons.
A minute, then two passes. Just when he had resigned his attempt to the void, the red-haired boy spoke.
"They're from a series?"
"Oh, yes!" Flustered, he responded immediately. It had been forever since a customer, much less a young man, engaged in casual talk with this old crook. "A military series that aired 30 years ago. It didn't catch on at first, but fans would consider it a cult classic nowadays. The figure series is discontinued due to lack of demand, though. What a shame it is."
"Oh." The boy only nodded along with his story, eyes locking into the figure on his hand. "I didn't know that."
"You didn't? Even though you have been buying them?" The shopkeeper's eyes went wide. Even though this was a discount store, the price of these figures were still not cheap, especially for an old series. He hoped the boy didn't think him a little creepy for keeping track. "You have been buying almost all the variants in this series. I was so sure that you are a hardcore fan."
"Sorry, I hardly know the show." Perhaps sensing the excitement lurking beneath his words, the boy gently let him down. What a considerate student. "A friend of mine liked it, so I bought them. Sorry, that was a shallow reason."
"Sonny, you still fund my shop. I'm not going to complain about that." The shopkeeper bellowed. "But hey, make sure this relationship last, eh? I can't refund the hundred thousands of yen you spent even if your heart is broken." After all, what sort of 'friend' would you be willing to spend so much for? The boy's shy expression only confirmed his speculation.
"You know, son, I reserve this just for you." He rummaged under the counter for a few minutes before unveiling a newly wrapped figure that had just arrived the day before. He put it on the counter and waited for the boy's reaction.
"I haven't seen it before."
"Model number x-o2. Last of the batch to be produced before the whole series was cancelled. You don't see many of them on the market these days. If your friend is a huge fan then this should be a good gift."
The boy picked up the soldier figure from the counter and scrutinize the details, as if making sure the model was genuine. After a while, a smile finally cracked that icy countenance.
"Am I paying a fortune for this?"
"Son, what type of shop do you think you are in?" The shopkeeper jabbed a hand towards the storefront sign. "Taisho Discount Shop", ir proudly displayed. "It's gonna cost more anywhere else, but for my loyal customer, 20,000 yen, just like normal."
"I'll trust you on that." The boy chuckled. He paid for the figure and even got it wrapped properly, just in case. He carefully placed the gift inside his bag, and for a second, the owl seemed to move.
"Thanks for this." Leaving back a curt but grateful reply, the boy left the shop. The shopkeeper waved him goodbye, feeling joy welling up in his heart. Connections were such precious things, however brief they were. These snippets of life were what that had kept this shop going. Somewhere in his heart, a desire to connect reemerged.
"Good job over there, Nagisa."
"I didn't do much."
"You reignite a human's desire, that alone is tantamount." Lufel moved around in the bag to make room for the new addition.
"No need to give me too much credit. This figure is first and foremost for my desire, after all."
"Hoom, if you insist." The owl tilted his head. "This is for that doctor, isn't it?"
"You know it." Nagisa smiled. "Alright, we have to get to the fried shop at Kichioji. My wallet is getting thin after that."
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5. "Wonder. Hey, wake up, Wonder."
He woke up on the train tracks. The Shadows attacking them had been burnt to crisp thanks to Cattle, but not before it dealt considerable damage to Wonder first. Path of Chemdah was precarious enough with only two members, the fact that they were on level 5 was simple cherry on the top.
"Hop on." Lufel turned back into his van form, doors opened wide. "We're going to the nearest safe room."
"But...we're so close to the target."
"Your safety is our priority." Lufel sternly reprimanded. "It will all be for naught if you fall here."
With a honk and a sweep, the van scooped up the injured leader and sped for the safe room.
"Achoo!"
It had always been cold in Mementos, but it felt like the world froze around him right now. Wounds mended and stamina replenished, but the effect left behind by the Shadow didn't quite left. He coughed a few more times before slumping on the bench.
"The freeze effect is taking a toll on you, I see." Cattle jumped on his shoulder, one wing tapping gently on his burning forehead. "My spells can't cure it completely either."
"It's alright." Wonder replied breathlessly. "The safe room should fix me up after a while."
"We can always go back another day."
"No." Wonder replied, his tone firm and final. "I want this quest done as soon as possible."
Cattle sighed out loud. He felt a little guilty, but this was one thing he wouldn't budge on. Time itself was on the line; he needed to deal with this Shadow today.
"Let's at least do something about your drenched outfit." The owl jumped off, giving him more space to breathe. "Hoom, try conjuring something from your cognition. Think of the warmest piece of clothing you can imagine. The safe room should be able to manage that, at least."
Wonder exhaled and tried to focus. A piece of warm clothing...He should be thinking of a blanket, or a fur coat, or at least, a wool sweater. But all Wonder could think about was the meeting at the hospital, the twinkle of light that lit up the patient's face, the cruel rejection from the preceptor, and that man's clenched fist, as his heart slowly sunk into despair and the desire seeping away, snatched by pettiness. From that figure, for just a brief second, Wonder saw the golden gleam in those eyes.
He could never let that happen.
Something warm draped over his face. Wonder pulled it off to see a white blouse with deep pockets lining.
"Not the most comfortable thing to warm you up." Cattle said, disappointed. "Apologies, Wonder, I overestimate what Mementos could offer."
"It's alright." Nagisa wrapped the blouse over his shoulder. It was a size bigger than him. "This should be enough."
Cattle settled himself in Wonder's lap, and combined together, the warmth was enough to ease the freezing chill. Wonder sunk onto the bench, grasping tight onto the blouse for some lucidity. It smelled like disinfectant and jelly, just like its owner. Guess it was really a product born from his cognition, after all. If he closed his eyes and let his mind wander, maybe this warmth could come from an embrace instead, and not from a part of his imagination. Wonder chuckled to himself. What a futile dream.
"Why do you insist on dealing with this Shadow alone?" Cattle cut off his train of thoughts. He pondered about the question for a moment. Why exactly did he want to deal with that doctor - Furukawa - alone?
"It's personal." That was all Wonder said. Perhaps because Kira had always been strong in his eyes, both in conviction and action, that he felt such animosity for this Shadow in particular. Perhaps because Kira was special, that he didn't want to expose his vulnerable side to anyone else. Or perhaps he was just being selfish for wanting to be the one to solve Kira's problem, just him, no one else. Whichever it was, the reason didn't come from noble cause.
"I see." Yet Cattle understood him anyway. The owl knew all of his confidants - hiding his true intention was useless in the first place.
"Not very becoming of me, is it?" Wonder absentmindedly tugged himself further into the coat. "Being a leader and all."
"Knowing what your heart desire is not inherently bad." Cattle turned around to face him. "In this world where desire is so fleeting, so easy to fade away, it's individual like you that move it forward."
"You made for a bad counselor, Cattle."
"Fortunately, we are business partners." The owl smirked. "I shall not deny you the potential to grow your desire, Wonder. That is our deal."
"Thanks." At first, he had decided to go to Mementos by himself, but fighting alone was more of a hurdle than Wonder initially thought. Maybe he wasn't meant to be alone. After all, Wonder became a Phantom Thief precisely because he retained his will to help people, even when it was actively being taken away. His mind unconsciously returned back to that day at the hospital, as he watched Kira's trembling hands. He got Lufel with him now, but who was with Kira that understand his struggle? A flash of image assaulted his brain, of a mangled asylum, and the doctor he knew, eyes sporting the color of gold, of dread. He had no time to rest, no more than it took for turmoil to corrupt one's heart.
"I'm fine now. Let's go, Cattle."
With a swoop, a van appeared in place of the owl. Wonder climbed in and drove it straight to the crimson abyss, where a malevolent shadow named Furukawa Tokuya needed some common sense beaten into him.
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6. "Hey, Kitazato, want to grab lunch?"
After the third time, Kira couldn't afford to ignore the invite anymore. He was in a foul mood, had been for a few days, but social etiquette dictated that he should at least be civil to a fellow resident. What was this guy's name again? Sato, Tanaka, Yamada,...If he listed the top 50 most common surnames in Japan he was bound to hit the target eventually.
"I already have my lunch here." For now, Kira was going to simply not mention any name ever. The colleague turned to the jelly drink on his hand and let out an involuntary groan.
"You call that food?" The guy scrunched up his nose. "Come on, if both of us go we can make an excuse to grab something from the food truck or whatnot outside. Cafeteria food here sucks."
It was Kira's turn to groan, albeit inwardly. Being dragged away from the lab for such mundane activities felt like a chore, but he supposed he shouldn't do anything to jeopardize his reputation for now, not until there was a chance to convince that entitled preceptor. Just thinking about that face made him grit his teeth.
"Kitazato? Earth to Kitazato?"
"...Give me a second."
With great reluctance, he put the energy drink down. The two of them strolled down the hospital hallway, with this still unnamed co-worker babbling on and on about tough shifts and ungrateful patients. Kira could only hope that the food truck out there could shut this incessant noise up. They reached the reception table when another voice called out for Kira.
"Oh, just in time. Kitazato-kun, there's a delivery for you."
The receptionist waved towards the two, a paper bag perched on the counter. Kira narrowed his eyes a fraction upon his name being mentioned.
"Delivery? For me?"
"You sound more surprised than I am." She raised an eyebrow as well. "These had been coming more frequent lately. I thought you would know whom it was from by now."
"I know whom it was from." After all, aside from his sister, there was no one else who loved to meddle in Kira's life than that boy. "I just didn't expect it to last more than a day."
It wasn't a joke, but it did elicit a laugh out of the receptionist. She handed it over to Kira; seemed like he had an excuse to not get out of the hospital.
"Oh? Is that a bento?" Without permission, the co-worker -- Yamamoto, Suzuki, Ito,... nothing really came up -- looked inside the paper bag. Indeed, neatly wrapped inside was a bento box and a small flask, which he assumed contained soup inside.
"Oh boy, so it's like that, huh." An infuriatingly annoying grin was thrown at Kira's direction.
"What?"
"You know, among our peers, you're the last person I expect to have a sweetheart." The man sighed dramatically. "Oh man. I was hoping that in this tiring career where chances for going on a date almost hit zero, at least I would still get a girlfriend before you. Ah, who am I kidding? I can't compete with a handsome genius."
"You talk like a worse version of my sister."
"Man, I wish. Can I get some of that gene as well?"
Ignoring the wail of the yet no-name man, Kira waved him goodbye and walked back to the break room. He dislike troubling someone more than necessary, but for this once, he needed to thank Nagisa again. Seemed like he owe Nagisa more than he could repay. From the study to encouraging both him and his patient. All that effort, and yet Kira still couldn't accomplish anything. He almost crunched the box in his hand before the warmth of the food inside pulled Kira back to reality.
He lifted the box open. Rolled eggs, bite-sized chicken, some vegetables, rice, and a flask of miso soup. Never the same meal, and always a reminder to that conversation they had in the diner, when Nagisa was appalled that Kira lived on jelly drink for a week straight. Ever since then, bento boxes would occasionally appeared at where he worked, all delivered by an owl, allegedly. No name was attached, but who in this world would care for Kira in this way? Not his family, especially his sister, because he specifically told them to not interfere with his life too much. Not his friends, because Kira barely had any. Not his co-workers, because they either put him on a pedestal for being a genius, or they were like Furukawa.
There really was only one person he could think of.
The taste of food felt foreign after a few days of chucking essentially energy drinks. A smile graced Kira's face without him knowing. Basked in this warmth, he temporarily forgot about the injustices that befell him, or the dread that had started settling in his stomach. It felt as if he was sitting in the diner, watching Nagisa devour the meals that the boy insisted they share.
When he lifted the flask up, a note fluttered down. Kira caught it and smoothed the piece of paper out. Written upon it was a row of neat handwriting, so different from his own.
"Everything will work out."
Kira's smile turned back into a deep frown.
He didn't know what, but Nagisa was clearly planning something, though the sky might fall before the boy ever disclose it. They had known each other for quite a while, yet there were still so many things he didn't know about Nagisa. The boy seemed to always be moving around, helping others as much as he cared for Kira. Maybe he wasn't anyone special in Nagisa's eyes, but Kira would hate if somehow he involved the boy in more trouble than he should, especially if Furukawa was mixed in. That man was powerful, both in status and authority; whatever Nagisa wanted to do, it better not endanger himself.
Kira looked back at the note. "Everything will work out." Nagisa had always been assured of himself, even more than Kira was. If the boy said things would work out, maybe it would. Kira stuffed the note inside one of the various pockets of his blouse, chuckling to himself. Forget it, how could a student even help him with this? Him trying to cheer Kira on was already enough.
Little did he know, a few days later, Furukawa, infamous nepotistic doctor, would actually apologize to him and allowed the surgery to go through.
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7. "Nagisa?"
It was already dark when Kira was released from his shift. He stepped off the train just in time for the first few droplets of rain that signaled the upcoming storm. With a sigh, he pulled the umbrella out of his shoulder bag, careful not to disturb the bento box that didn't fit in initially. The path towards his home was dark and gloomy as ever, doubly so with the rain, but the silence could only mean good thing. Then it shattered, not unlike when thunder tore the sky apart, and along with it the notion of peace in his heart.
First, it was an inhumane roar, something unimaginable in this world. Then it was the squeal of tires breaking on asphalt, though he couldn't detect any headlights. Finally, it was footsteps hurriedly running from an alley, along with two voices, one urging the other to get out of the rain. The figure staggered in the darkness, unrecognizable, until it reached the main street where Kira stood. Red hair, yellow and white uniform, he could never mistake Kamishiro Nagisa for anyone.
The boy jolted upon seeing Kira. He didn't even attempt a greeting, much less an answer. In fact, he was actively hiding himself in the darkness. If not for the stumble on his part, Nagisa would have ran away from him. Kira caught him before he could fall down and further drench himself in this rain.
"Hey, what are you doing out here without an umbrella?"
His next question lodged inside his throat when he saw Nagisa's state. Bruises colored part of the boy's face in blue, cuts and scrapes on every parts that was not hidden under clothes. The stumble was caused by a sprained ankle, and he could faintly smell blood underneath. Nagisa averted his eyes when he saw Kira's gaze, unwilling to respond. Even now, he was trying to get away.
"You..." Kira's voice went lower than even he expected. "What were you doing?"
Nagisa refused to answer. Kira felt something bubbled in his chest. Anger? Worry? Frustration? He hadn't felt something this strongly since forever. The sight of Nagisa made his grip on the boy's arm even tighter; if he let go now, would Nagisa disappear to somewhere dangerous again?
"Ouch. That hurts, doc." The jokey tone snapped him out of his daze, but not enough to douse his anger. He wanted to yell, to pry for answer, but first and foremost, he was a doctor. Swallowing the overwhelming feelings back, Kira tilted the umbrella so that it covered Nagisa instead.
"Do you want to go to the hospital?"
The red-haired boy shook his head.
"My house it is then. No objection."
He wrapped an arm around Nagisa's shoulder, making sure they both nestled under the umbrella. If needed be, he could always carry Nagisa on his shoulder, though something told Kira that he would not agree to that. Always independent to a fault; but then, who was he to admonish that?
Up in the sky, he caught sight of an owl flying above despite the rain, as if it was watching over them.
He practically threw Nagisa into the bathroom first - best get those wet clothes off first of all. Kira didn't have anything else in his wardrobe that would fit, so an oversized pair of pajamas would have to do.
"Don't take too long in there, don't touch the wound, try not to faint." He tapped Nagisa's head, underlining each word with a grunt. He was in no mood for disagreement, and Nagisa must have sensed that as well. He only nodded and obediently went inside the bathroom. Meanwhile, Kira decided to clean his bedroom. His house was a mess - Kira didn't particularly care for a healthy lifestyle - and in his defense, he never expect a guest any time soon. He managed to get the bedroom into a decent state when there was a knock on the door.
"Hey..." He almost couldn't recognize the timid voice, but maybe it was for the best. He had more questions for Nagisa than he could count. Kira opened the door and felt his eyes twitch. In the loose pajamas, the bruises and wounds not yet close were even more prominent on the fair skin. He pushed Nagisa towards the bed and sat the boy down; there was no resistance.
"Wait here." Kira fiddled with the closet before coming back with a first aid kit, filled with disinfectant, gauze, and bandages. This would have to do for now.
"Tell me if something feels off, even the smallest change." He dabbed the wet towel and removed the debris out of the deep wound across the forearms. The bruises would need some ice, and the various scrapes could be dealt with later, but the deep cut needed attention immediately. He couldn't fathom what Nagisa had gotten into to warrant such an injury, but he needed to focus first.
When the alcohol touched the cut, Nagisa winced. Kira waited for him to say something.
"It's...It hurts a little."
"Good."
At least he was honest.
Time passed without either of them uttering a single word. Nagisa stubbornly held on to his silence, refusing to elaborate, while Kira was too angry to be rational. At what, exactly, he wasn't sure. At Nagisa, for getting himself into trouble? Or at himself, for not stopping that in the first place?
An hour went by quickly. The wound was covered with ointment and bandaged, the scrapes tended to, the bruises on his face subsiding with a bit of ice. Nagisa didn't look as terrible as an hour ago, but that didn't mean he was out of hot water.
"What happened?" Kira asked again, trying to keep his voice steady. The boy didn't answer at first, but the tight grip Kira had on his face prevented him from looking away. Conflict ran through Nagisa's eyes before he opened his mouth.
"I was running away from a demon lord."
"...Come again?"
"A powerful boss. I managed to defeat him, but his lackeys ganged up on me when I didn't pay attention. They blocked the way to the save point, made the game buggy, so I had to force exit the whole thing. My injuries didn't heal thanks to that."
No words were exchanged for several seconds. Seeing the dead serious gaze in Kira's eyes, Nagisa let out a strained chuckle.
"It's just a joke, Kira."
"...Of course." It didn't sound like a joke. And even if it was, Kira was willing to believe Nagisa's words. It meant that Nagisa trusted him, at the very least. Wasn't that the minimum of being friends?
"You're not going to tell me the real reason, are you?"
"I can't." Nagisa shook his head. "But it's something I have to do."
"For what? For who? What reason could possess you to bare all these wounds?" The anger that had subsided in the silence was bubbling back again, but where could he vent it to?
"You." See, how could he possibly do so when Nagisa said so?
It was a slip of the tongue, made clear by how panic the boy looked when the words hung in the air. It didn't make sense to Kira; what kind of help was Nagisa thinking about that led him to these injuries, one that a normal person would never sport in their whole life? More than anger at Nagisa, he was more frustrated with himself, for almost letting another life slip by his hand when he could have helped. If Kira had not caught Nagisa in that alley, where would he have gone to?
"Ridiculous." Unconsciously, Kira held Nagisa's arm tight. He was making that face again, as if he wanted to run away once more. "I never ask you to endanger yourself!" For the first time since that day at the hospital, Kira raised his voice.
"But I have to!" Nagisa shouted back. The voice startled both of them, snapping the tension in half. They were both reserved individuals; outside of the shared arcade games, neither of them ever show much emotions. It was new for Kira to feel something so strongly outside his profession, and it was new for him to see Nagisa being an emotional mess as well.
"It's dangerous, and I'm selfish, but if I don't do it then you..." His voice cut off there, before resuming with something akin to a sob. "It's a necessary risk. Just trust me on this. You never doubt me before."
The weight deflated in Kira's chest, replaced with resignation. With Nagisa holding onto him for dear life, he didn't have energy left to argue. Kira simply pulled the boy into his chest and wrapped them together in an awkward hug. He felt Nagisa stiffened in his arms, but he wasn't sure what else he should do. They weren't doctor and patient, nor were they a researcher and experiment in this moment. Friends was the closest label Kira could give, but it felt wrong.
"Fine. I won't ask for details." Kira patted the boy's hair. He was only mimicking what his family did in the past, but it should suffice. "But if I catch you wandering around with injuries at night again, I'll lock you up and let my doppelganger watch over you."
"Sure, whatever you say." Nagisa chuckled. The morbid jokes were part and parcel of their routines, but that sentiment didn't feel like a joke to Kira. He finally released them both from the hug, and for a second, he thought he saw Nagisa's face bright red. He better not get a fever on top of all those wounds.
"Drink this." Kira came back with a glass of water and pain relievers. He put their foreheads together to check for temperature, just in case, but Nagisa was too squirming for anything to be sure. Still too independent for his own good.
"Sleep here." He sighed and pushed the boy down the bed. "I'm not letting a patient sleeping on the sofa." He cut off the protest before it could be voiced. In a battle of stubbornness, Nagisa may have an edge, but he was the professional here. The medicine took effect made the persuasion easier, and soon Nagisa sunk onto the mattress without a complaint. Kira could always sleep on the sofa in the living room. His steps were held back, however, when he felt his sleeve being tugged. Nagisa's hand held onto his sleeve tightly. No words were said - perhaps it had turned too awkward - but the lingering request was clear. It was quite refreshing, normally he would have been amused.
Kira decided to sit on the floor near the headboard instead. He could keep an eye on Nagisa easier this way.
"You could sleep on the bed, you know."
"I will not afford any chances of your wounds reopening." Kira flatly stated. "Go to sleep. I'm used to sleeping like this anyway."
"On the floor?"
"Sitting."
"Being a resident sure is tough."
"It is. I would really appreciate it if you don't add into my stress."
Nagisa laughed slightly, but he didn't make any promise; not like Kira expected him to either. The small talk filled in the silence, a stark contrast to the storm outside.
"So you do keep them."
Following Nagisa's sight, his eyes landed on the huge bookshelf. Crammed between medical books and anatomy model, the row of soldier figures stood out like a sore thumb.
"You made it sound like a miracle."
"I just thought you never care for things outside of medical."
"What kind of heartless monster do you assume I am?"
"A loud, eccentric plague doctor?" Nagisa smiled. "But I'm glad you keep them."
"Of course I do." He bumped his head lightly on Nagisa's own; the latter let out an exaggerated yelp. "We are friends, aren't we?"
A look of conflict flashed through Nagisa's face yet again. He looked dissatisfied, but eventually, he smiled for Kira.
"Yeah, we are."
No more words were exchanged after that. The boy had finally reached his limit. Only when he slipped into dream realm did Kira dared to touch his forehead. Temperature was normal, no sign of infections had flared up.
"Friends, huh." Kira muttered.
In a hazy memory, he remembered asking Nagisa what friendship truly was. A doctor and student, a researcher and an amusing experiment, nothing more, nothing less. There were few Kira would consider close, and Nagisa was definitely one of those rare beings, but was what he feel could be described so easily? He patted Nagisa's hair away, where the bruises were visible. Underneath the layer of clothes were more injuries; even if they were healed, the moment he let Nagisa go, the boy might just disappear to somewhere out of reach, somewhere Kira couldn't follow.
Maybe he should just kept Nagisa here, away from harm, either from the outside world, or himself.
See? Those preposterous thoughts had no place in their 'friendship'.
Kira shook those thoughts away. Best not to linger on them for long. The more he let it stayed in his head, the easier it was to justify, until a day when he would inevitably followed through with those dangerous whispers. For now, he was content with knowing that Nagisa was safe in his hand. If Nagisa decided to disappear someday, he simply need to track him down until the end of the earth.
Kira held tight to that vulnerable hand and fell asleep. It was all he allowed himself.
Before those eyes were closed, a golden gleam flashed in the darkness.