Visitations

After inquiring about Shiori, a nurse led Yuta to the third floor of the hospital and down a hallway that looped around to the opposite side of the building.

She stopped in front of a door and faced Yuta, gesturing to the door. “This is her room. It’s kind of you to drop by.”

“I wanted to check on her since she wasn’t at school.”

“Sounds like you’re a good friend to her.” The nurse curtsied. “I must attend to another patient on this floor.” She moved past Yuta, leaving him alone.

“Thank you for helping me find her room,” he called. His attention returned to the door. He gave it a little knock and opened the door.

As soon as he entered the room, Shiori hid her face under the covers of her bed.

He stopped and put a hand on his hip. “Ozaki, what are you doing?”

“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m not Ozaki, I’m… Ichinose!”

Yuta sighed and approached her bed. “You’re not fooling anyone like that. I asked the nurse for your room.”

Her head popped out from under the covers. She kept her gaze averted from Yuta. “What brings you here?”

“I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“I told you I was fine…” She shifted in her bed, still looking away from Yuta.

“Why are you at the hospital, if it’s not related to your fall?”

Silence filled the room for the space of a minute. Shiori sighed. “It’s the same reason I need a tutor…”

Yuta sat on the edge of the bed, paying close attention. “Which is?”

Her voice fell to a whisper, barely audible to Yuta. “I had an accident last year… The doctors said I was in a coma for nearly six months… I suffered a severe brain injury… Lucky to be alive, they said…” There was a long pause between each sentence. “I used to be able to make friends…” She hugged her knees. Tears came to her eyes as she reflected on her memories. “But the accident changed me…” It took effort to hold back her sobbing. “I’m sorry, I can’t keep talking like this…”

Normally, Yuta didn’t care about what happened in others’ lives, mainly because it didn’t affect him. However, Shiori’s story caused his heart to ache. “I’m sorry to hear that. But… how does that relate to why you’re here now?”

“...After effects.”

“After effects? Like what?”

Shiori squeezed herself tighter. “A lot…”

Shiori’s body language told Yuta that she didn’t want to talk about the subject any longer. “Did you get the assignment I dropped off?”

She nodded. By now, her tears had stopped flowing. Her eyes were red, but her cheeks were dry due to the amount of times she wiped the tears from her face.

The bed creaked when Yuta stood up. “Once the hospital discharges you, make sure to do it. Now that I know your limitations, I should be able to make assignments to match your learning ability. Can we meet again on Saturday at noon? I want to go over some lessons with you.”

Another nod was the only response he received from her.

His hands slid into his pockets. “Then I’ll see you at school tomorrow.”

Just as he was about to leave, Shiori asked a question. “What day is it today?”

He looked over his shoulder. “Tuesday.”

“Why schedule the lesson so far out?”

“Because you need time to recover. And I’m sure you’ll be stressed if you spend even more time doing schoolwork than normal.” After he finished his sentence, he left the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

…

The bell rang, signaling the start of school. To Yuta’s relief, Shiori sat in her seat reading a book. Shifting his gaze, he spotted Kurosawa staring at Shiori, most likely wanting to talk to her.

“Alright class, settle down.” The sound of papers against a desk turned the class’s attention to the front, where Mr. Sawajima stood, holding a stack of paper. “Today I have an announcement to make. We’re going on a trip to the beach at the end of the term with class 2-A. In my hand is the information about the trip.” He passed the papers out to the students.

The students’ faces lit up with excitement and they started chatting with their friends about the vacation.

“However…” The class stopped talking and returned their focus to the teacher. “In order to go, you must get no less than 70 on all of the final exams this term.”

Whispers broke out among the students, and Yuta could hear groans as well. He sat back, not worrying about a thing. He was already preparing for the exams, so he was sure to get perfect scores. He glanced at Shiori, wondering what she thought of the situation.

She had set her book down to read the flier, but her face did not betray her emotions. Her expression was unreadable.

Given her situation, Yuta figured she wouldn’t be comfortable going. There would be a large group of people there, after all.

“Hopefully this will give you an incentive to try harder than you already do. You need to do well in school to be accepted to a good university, after all. That’s the only announcement I have for you today.” Mr. Sawajima cleared his throat. "Remember, success comes with effort, and…"

Yuta returned to studying his textbook, ignoring the teacher and the students around him. He didn't need to hear the old 'do your best so you can get into a good university or job' speech again.

When the teacher stopped talking, several students got out of their seats and began talking with their friends. Yuta was glad when Hitomura didn't come up to him. A familiar voice attracted Yuta's attention.

"Ozaki, right? What happened to you yesterday?" Kurosawa stood by Shiori's desk with her hands clasped behind her back.

"Nothing of concern," came Shiori's quick reply.

"Okay… I'm glad you're back. Have you thought of a club to join yet?"

Shiori shook her head. Even from his distance, Yuta could tell she was getting increasingly more uncomfortable.

Closing his book, he pushed himself onto his feet. "Kurosawa, could I talk to you for a moment?"

The class fell silent. Undoubtedly the thought going through everyone's mind was 'Is the studyholic, who never leaves time for anyone, really trying to talk to the most popular girl in class?'

"Oh, sure." She waved goodbye to Shiori and crossed the classroom to where Yuta stood. "What do you need?"

He lowered his voice to a whisper so no one could overhear. "You were making her really uncomfortable. If you want to be her friend, try taking things slow, like a passing greeting."

Kurosawa's volume matched Yuta's. "You honestly think having a small conversation is too much? How am I going to establish a friendship then?"

"Just read her body language and you'll know even enough is enough."

She sighed. "Fair enough. You do have a point there." The stares from her classmates frustrated her. "I have a request to make, Ichikawa."