Her Favourite

Hinako opened her eyes and looked confused at an unfamiliar ceiling.

“What the… where am I?”, she mumbled as she sat up.

She was lying in what appeared to be a hospital bed. Left and right of her were Curtains. Hinako heard a chair rolling and moments later the head of Yukiko appeared over the foot of her bed.

“Oh, you’re awake already?”, she exclaimed with a hint of surprise in her voice.

“What happened?”, Hinako demanded to know.

“Kuro brought you here after you collapsed from magical exhaustion. I gave you some concoctions to help with the recovery, but I recommend that you refrain from casting a spell for the rest of the day.”

“Where is he?”

“He said, he had to take care of some business.”

Hinako slumped back onto her pillow. Yukiko scootched closer.

“I think he has taken a liking to you”, She remarked with a smile.

“Huh? What gave you that idea?”, Hinako snarked back, furrowing her brows.

“Well, for starters… He is willing to train you. That alone is close to a miracle for him.”

“I would not call that training… we didn’t even get to any real combat stuff…”

“Really? What did he make you do?”

“Cast my most powerful barrier spell one after another, only to smash it to pieces with his damned rocks… and then just say, again, faster and stronger…”

Hinako’s stomach rumbled suddenly.

“You wouldn’t happen to have something to eat, maybe?”, She asked a bit embarrassed.

“Ah, yeah. It’s a common side effect from magical exhaustion… Let me see… I think I have something around here…”, Yukiko replied with a smile and pushed herself back.

She slid with her chair out of view. Hinako heard her rummage through some stuff.

“Ah, there it is.”, Yukiko exclaimed.

She came back on still rolling on her chair.

“Sorry, I only have some Senbei. Better than nothing, but you should get a proper meal later.”, Yuki said and tossed Hinako the bag.

“Thanks! I haven’t eaten anything today…”

“Didn’t you guys eat any lunch?”

“No, we trained the whole time since we came here…”

“Wait, what? You trained the whole time? Seven hours? You’re telling me you casted for SEVEN HOURS non-stop?”

“Yeah… and I still didn’t get any better…”

Yukiko raised an eyebrow and blinked in disbelief. She watched the young woman devour the Senbei hungrily.

“Say, Hina-chan… They measure your Magic Capacity at the academy, right?”, Yukiko asked after a while.

“Yeah, they told me I got the highest reading in years!”, Hinako replied proudly.

“Interesting…”

“What is interesting?”

“I’m starting to understand, why Kuro has taken a liking to you.”

Hinako still looked unconvinced about that statement and continued to munch on the snacks.

“Say… You know Kuro quite well, right?”, She asked after finishing the bag.

“I do.”, Yukiko replied.

“Do you know what magic he specializes in?”

“Hm, that’s an interesting question. I have seen him mostly use Earth Magic, so the obvious guess would be that, but in all my years knowing Kuro I learned, that you should not trust the obvious when it comes to him.”

“So you don’t know?”

“I have my theories… Probably only the Grandmaster knows the true answer… and maybe…”

“Maybe who?”

Someone knocked on the door.

“Come in! Ah, speaking of the devil!”, Yukiko yelled.

Kuro came in with a bag in hand.

“How are you feeling, kid?”, He asked and looked at Hinako.

“A little tired and very hungry, but aside from that fine.”, She replied and wiped some crumbs off herself.

“Here.”

Kuro held the bag out for her. Hinako reached for it and looked inside.

“Oh! Spicy Lamichiki! My favourite! And some Melon Soda too! Yay!”, She rejoiced and began hastily devouring the fried chicken.

“Oh? One day and you already know her favourites?”, Yukiko remarked and looked at Kuro with a raised eyebrow.

“Who doesn’t like Lamichiki?”, Kuro countered.

Yukiko nodded in agreement. Both watched Hinako wolf down the first piece of fried chicken, washing it down with a gulp of melon soda and then immediately grabbing the next piece of meat.

“Say Yukiko… You know if there are some unused uniforms or combat clothes around?”, Kuro asked suddenly.

“Uhm, no idea… I think there are some old ones down in the armoury, but they are all really nasty… especially after the Namekujira incident two weeks ago. Why do you ask?”, Yukiko inquired.

“She needs some new clothes…”

“Hm… you probably have to wait until after the holidays for the new gear to arrive. Well, we could call Sacchan, maybe she cou-“

“No, don’t call her for that. Forget it…”

Yukiko grinned, watching the panicked look on Kuro’s face.

“Ahh! That hit the spot! Thanks for the food, Kuro!”, Hinako said with a blissful expression after eating the last bit of chicken.

“No worries… You fit enough to walk?”, Kuro asked.

“Sure!”

“Oi, Hina-chan. Don’t overdo it! And remember… No Spells today anymore!”, Yukiko reprimanded, after Hinako jumped out of the bed and started doing a few squats. The young woman just grinned and went to throw the waste from her meal in the appropriate bins.

“Ah, Yukiko, one more question before we leave… do you have anything for an upset stomach?”, Kuro asked a bit hesitantly.

“Huh? You of all people have an upset stomach? What the hell did you eat?”, Yukiko gasped in surprise.

“Umm… I think about two dozen eggs… most of them raw, some were more charcoal than egg, two hard-boiled ones and one soft-boiled… Ah, and two pieces of spicy Lamichiki as well.”

“What the…”

Yukiko looked aghast at Kuro, then to Hinako. The young woman averted her eyes and looked very guilty. Yukiko shrugged and rolled to her desk.

“Here, take two of these, that should solve your problem.”, She said and tossed a pill bottle to Kuro.

“Thanks…”, Kuro replied.

He immediately took three of the pills and throw the container back.

“Well then, let’s go, kid.”, Kuro said and turned to Hinako.

“Where are we going? And don’t call me kid!”, She retorted.

“Shopping, Miss Egg-Cooker.”

Kuro went to the door. Hinako gave him an angry look but followed. Yukiko watched them both leave.

“I should keep an eye on her…”, She mumbled and began to scribble something into a notebook.