"Dad… Is something wrong with him?" Miyajima Tsubaki asked with some concern after entering the ward and seeing Miyajima Kiichiro sleeping soundly.
But thankfully, it was also time for the doctor to examine him.
The male doctor in a white coat listened to his heart rate with a stethoscope, then pulled out a large blood pressure monitor and took a reading, concluding:
"Elderly people get tired easily, and this old man had such a serious fall." …It seemed Miyajima Kiichiro had publicly stated he had fallen: "It was already difficult for him to maintain such energy before; now he's fallen into a deep sleep. But everyone, rest assured, he will wake up in at most twenty-four hours."
Miyajima Tsubaki and her daughter nodded together.
Hayato even gasped when he nodded. "Holy crap, this might be the best hospital in all of Tokyo, no, all of Japan, to be able to accurately determine that he'll wake up in twenty-four hours…"
"I say, Doctor, do you perhaps look a bit like a frog? Huh?"
"So… what did you talk about with Father?" Miyajima Tsubaki turned and asked.
"Nothing much, just everyday family matters." Hayato said indifferently, pulling out his phone and pretending to look at it. "It's almost time, I'll be leaving first," he said.
As he turned, he glanced back at Miyajima Tsubaki, who was biting her lower lip.
He paused, then kindly added:
"If anything happens, you can call me. You have my number."
"…"
"Okay."
Miyajima Tsubaki was about to say something, but her daughter answered first.
Tsubaki quickly fell silent… From Sakura's perspective, how could she have her classmate's phone number? Sakura probably thought Hayato was talking to her.
Tsubaki did not answer.
Hayato stretched and walked out.
He walked down the corridor, pushed his black-rimmed glasses, and then walked almost straight around a corner without looking back.
But his hand reached out and smacked someone's head.
"Let's go."
"...Huh?" Aiya Yayoi winced in pain.
She didn't understand how she had been discovered, having hidden so well.
"Are you done with your check-up?" Hayato asked.
"Done, it was gas," Aiya Yayoi said.
"Then take your medicine properly. I won't say anything if you pee everywhere, but if you get an upset stomach and throw up…"
"Gross, don't say it." Hayato said with distaste, "…Hey, besides Miyajima, there's someone else, right? Is that her older sister?"
"It's his mother," Hayato said, then paused.
"His mother!?" Hayato was startled: "His mother is that young!?"
"Yes, his mother is that young," Hayato said.
See, they weren't cursing, they were really just talking about his mother.
"She looks younger than me," Hayato muttered.
"Yes, children of people your age are already this big. Aren't you anxious at all?" Hayato raised an eyebrow and said.
Aiya Yayoi puffed out her cheeks as if holding back anger, seemingly displeased: "How can I be anxious?"
Hayato was slightly taken aback, then thought for a moment and comforted her:
"Don't worry, she's at least ten years older than you…"
"…" Aiya Yayoi was truly comforted. His mother was ten years older than her, looked younger than her, and was even prettier than her!?
This was an insult.
"Oh, right." Hayato, who had been walking ahead, suddenly turned back to Hayato: "…You used to be a delinquent, right?"
When her past was mentioned, Hayato always looked triumphant.
But when asked by the boy in front of her, she scratched her head a bit awkwardly:
"I was foolish when I was young…"
"Then, while you're still young, be foolish one more time. I need your help with something," Hayato said.
Aiya Yayoi: …Huh?
… … …
The next day, after school, Kendo Club.
Although an accident had occurred with Miyajima Kiichiro, Miyajima Sakura still didn't give up her Kendo Club training. Today, she reported to the Kendo Club training room with full energy as usual.
Those who didn't know couldn't tell that something had happened in the club president's family.
Hayato, on the other hand, was uncharacteristically punctual in reporting.
However, unlike the other club members who were swinging their swords or doing physical training, he merely squatted in the corner, fiddling with his phone while watching Kase Masafumi and Kato Takeshi spar nearby.
Perhaps he felt the pressure of academics.
Or perhaps he was moved by Hayato's words about "all-round development in moral, intellectual, physical, aesthetic, and labor education."
While sparring, Kato Takeshi also took the time to ask Kase Masafumi to quiz him on English words.
"Mama!"
"Mother!"
Kato Takeshi answered fluently.
"Meow!"
"Puss... c-cat!"
Kato Takeshi pulled back from the brink.
"Father!"
"Motherfu*k!"
Kato Takeshi... Kato Takeshi barely managed to answer correctly.
…Ridiculous.
Hayato thought to himself while fiddling with his phone.
"Hey, what are you doing?"
A clear female voice asked from behind Hayato.
The only person in the entire Kendo Club who could speak to Hayato like that was Kobayashi Ayaka.
Hayato turned around.
Sure enough, his Ayaka-senpai was standing with her legs apart, arms crossed over her chest, and a proud expression as she questioned him.
"...An alpaca charm." Hayato picked up his phone, "Doesn't it look more harmonious when used as a set?"
Kobayashi Ayaka's heart secretly rejoiced.
But her expression remained unreadable.
"I actually think it looks pretty good used alone... But since you think it'll look better as a set, then I guess I'll..." She pulled out her phone, intending to hand it to Hayato.
But Hayato already had two phones in his palm, both with alpaca charms hanging from them.
Kobayashi Ayaka was stunned, then held her phone in front of her, letting the alpaca charm hang down.
"Heh, it definitely looks better used alone," Kobayashi Ayaka said.
You have one and you're still saying that?! Ayaka thought to herself.
Hayato didn't answer; he silently looked at the two slightly swaying charms, as if entranced.
He looked at the charms.
Kobayashi Ayaka looked at him.
One was entranced, the other fascinated... "Cough cough." Kobayashi Ayaka lightly coughed twice, finally forcing herself to snap out of it: "I heard Miyajima's grandfather fell?"
"Mm."
"Do you want to go see him together after school?...I, I just think since you've been to Miyajima, you should go see him now that something's happened to his family," Kobayashi Ayaka said.
Then chat with me on the way, have dinner with me after seeing grandfather, and if it's late, just open a hotel and sleep with me. Three accompanies... Hehehe~ Ayaka thought to herself.
"Mm... Okay," Hayato said.
The old man should be waking up soon, it's time to go finish him off. Murae thought to himself.
"Oh, right, you also met Aunt Tsubaki, didn't you?" Kobayashi Ayaka squinted her eyes at Hayato: "Isn't she very beautiful?"
"Not as beautiful as you," Hayato said casually.
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