[CH.44] Returning Home After a Long Time (Part 3)
**TL Notes: So as not to confuse you all, I made a list of the characters that get mentioned in this chapter that you may have forgotten before. Sumire Matsuda: MC Nao Okamoto: Sumire's close friend Fumika Takahashi: Sumire's close friend |
First, visit Nao's house and give greetings to the elderly woman who was at home. After informing her of the plan to visit Fumika, it was mentioned that they intended to go by train. The elderly woman handed Nao a 1,000 yen bill. Since the destination was the next station, the round trip train fare was about 120 yen. She probably gave the rest as pocket money, just in case they get thirsty or need something.
After leaving Nao's house with the elderly woman, who mentioned she was going to work, they watched her ride away on a bicycle and then started walking towards the station together.
"Oh, Nao-chan. Are you going out with a friend? I don't see you with friends often."
"What are you saying, Aunt? It's Su-chan."
"Well! Sumire-chan, you've come back. I'm glad you're able to return."
It's a small town, so they often run into acquaintances while walking. Each time, they have exchanges like this, and they both give somewhat awkward smiles. Just as Nao's aunt mentioned last summer, it seems like the town's adults are well aware of our family situation and circumstances. Even in that environment, there was an unspoken pressure, but it's impressive that my sister, in her own way, managed to get through it. I don't think anyone directly criticized my sister, but she didn't change her attitude even when admonished by our parents and grandparents in that atmosphere.
Apart from the topic of returning home, I received compliments about my appearance, like "You've become so pretty" and "You've polished up." It made me feel somewhat embarrassed, and my cheeks grew warm. When people I've just met or adults I don't know well compliment me, I can accept it gracefully, but when it comes from people I've known for a long time, I get a bit shy. Somehow, I managed to get past my aunts and continued to the station, where I finally caught my breath when we boarded the train.
"Nao, do I look that different before and after going to Tokyo?"
"Su-chan, you've always been cute, but I think you've become more stylish since you started working."
As Nao smiled and said that, I felt the warmth in my cheeks rise again. But it's true. I've been going to the salon specified by Yoko-san to get my hair cut, and Ai-san and Maho-san have been helping me with things like shaping my eyebrows and removing facial hair. And, most importantly, my clothing has changed from what I used to buy at the local supermarket to hand-me-downs from the photo shoot. I might look a bit more stylish now.
It must be because it was the early afternoon on the first day of a long weekend, but even though the train was heading toward the city, it was nearly empty. Nao and I chose to sit facing each other in a box seat. However, we would be getting off at the next station, so our time on the train would be just a little under five minutes. As the train quickly began to slow down, I stood up, being careful not to stumble, and moved to the door.
After getting off the train and passing through the ticket gate, Nao immediately takes my hand. I'm not sure if she's trying to guide me or just worried that I might get lost. Well, Nao seems to be having fun, so I'll let her do as she pleases. More importantly, if we're going to visit someone in the hospital, it's a good idea to bring something. I think they can probably start eating things like okayu (rice porridge) or zosui (rice gruel) today, but if they've been fasting until now, it would be a bit cruel to bring food. Flowers might be a better choice. As for food, I can ask the nurse today, and if it's okay, I can bring it tomorrow.
"Do you have any plans to go somewhere during this long weekend? I'm thinking of visiting Fumika's place while I'm here."
"Yeah, I'm worried about Fumika, and I want to be with Su-chan, so I'll come too."
It seems she doesn't have any plans, but Nao is such a kind child. It's a child's nature to want to play on school holidays, but she's restraining herself and accompanying me for Fumika's and my sake. It would be a bother to stay with Fumika all the time and tire her out while she's still recovering. So, it's a good time to wrap things up and go for some delicious snacks with Nao. This time, Fumika will be left out, but I'll take her with us on the next homecoming visit.
There's a flower shop inside the supermarket near the station, so I tell them it's for a hospital patient and have them make a small bouquet for me. If it's too big, the hospital might not have the right-sized vase at the nurse's station. The hospital can't provide rental vases in every size, so it's best to be cautious about that.
I had them make a bouquet that I could easily carry and headed to the hospital this time. The entire seven-story building is a hospital, and I'm pretty sure they handle emergencies in addition to outpatient services.
Come to think of it, I forgot to ask for the room number. Nao said she didn't know, so I decided to inquire at the reception. In the late Heisei period, they might be strict about personal information, but in the early Heisei period, it should be no problem to get the information without any fuss. With these thoughts in mind, I walked up to the reception area.
Since it's a holiday, the outpatient department is closed, and the hospital seems empty. However, perhaps for accommodating visitors, there are only two nurses inside the counter. By the way, it's more common to call them nurses now, so I follow that convention when speaking.
"Um, I came to visit a friend. I forgot to ask for the room number... Is it possible for you to tell me?"
As I timidly asked, one of the nurses came out from behind the counter and crouched down to meet our eye level.
"You came to visit as sisters? Both of you are so cute!"
Well, no, we're not sisters. Nao and I are actually classmates, but I suppose people might think we look like sisters due to our appearance, primarily because of the height difference... I wouldn't mind being a bit taller, though, to match my age.
"Nee-chan, we're not sisters. Nao and I are classmates."
"Oh, really? I'm sorry, I got it wrong."
"No problem at all. So, um, where is Fumika Takahashi's room? She's hospitalized for appendicitis."
With Nao's correction, the nurse looked at me and apologized. But I didn't want to delve too deeply into the height difference, so I asked again about Fumika's room, which was my original purpose. The nurse seemed to remember something, stood up, entered the counter area, and glanced at what appeared to be a ledger before looking back at us.
"May I have both of your names?"
When asked by the nurse, we introduced ourselves. It turns out that Fumika's aunt had apparently informed the hospital in advance, saying, "These kids might come to visit," and had provided our names. From there, we received information about Fumika's room and took the elevator to the sixth floor.
Fumika seems to be in room 601 of the internal medicine ward. Since it's a four-person room, there might be others in there, so I told Nao to be quiet as we entered. Fumika was sitting on a reclining bed with her back against the bed, basking in the sunlight pouring in through the large window.
"Hello, Fumika. How are you feeling?"
"I brought Su-chan just like we promised."
When Nao and I greeted her with subdued but cheerful voices, Fumika, who had been looking somewhat downcast, suddenly raised her face as if her spirits had been lifted. Then, our eyes met, and for some reason, Fumika's large eyes began to well up with tears, surprising me. We had just arrived, and I hadn't done anything unusual, so I was bewildered by Fumika's unusual reaction.
"Su-chan, you came... I'm so happy."
Listening to Fumika's choked-up words, it seemed she had been anxious that I might not come. She had just experienced surgery, likely for the first time in her life, and was emotionally unstable. Nao, who was next to her, pouted and said, "I told you Su-chan would come!"
"Well, if you cry too much, your surgical incision might open up. I also brought flowers for your visit, and we can borrow a vase and arrange them."
"Oh, Su-chan, I'll go get it. You should stay with Fumika."
As I said this, Nao eagerly volunteered and left the hospital room. She's such a kind child. It's heartwarming to see the child I've watched over since she was little grow into such a kind person. I took advantage of her offer, placed the bouquet to the side, and sat in one of the pipe chairs provided for visitors.
While wiping away Fumika's tears from the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, I brought up topics like "Are you feeling okay?" and "Were you scared of the surgery?" Each time, Fumika would respond, and gradually her sobbing subsided, and she returned to her usual self. From our conversation, I learned that her aunt had briefly gone back home. There were dishes to wash, and she needed to bring a change of clothes, so she probably thought the hospital staff could handle anything that came up, and it would be okay for her to step away for a short while.
I also found out that she had started eating meals since last night, as expected, starting with okayu. She was gradually moving on to five-minute rice porridge and seven-minute rice porridge, and from tomorrow, she could have regular meals. So, it seemed that bringing food for tomorrow's visit was a good idea. There's a cake shop near the local station, so I'll get something delicious.
While I was engaged in conversation, Nao, holding a vase, returned, so I received the vase and artfully arranged the bouquet I had bought, thanks to Nao having already put water in it. The light pink roses and freesias gently bloomed, making the hospital room feel brighter.
Now that Nao had returned and Fumika had calmed down, I decided to give them the souvenirs I had brought. I took two elongated boxes wrapped in wrapping paper from my backpack and handed one to each of them.
"These are presents for both of you. I'd be happy if you could use them."
When I handed them the gifts, Nao asked, "Can I open it?" and I nodded in response. Fumika, watching this, rustled open the wrapping paper and gently opened the box. Inside was a pendant with a charm shaped like a cat looking to the side. In fact, I was wearing the same pendant, so I pulled it out from my clothing to show them.
I had found these at a Tokyo novelty shop and purchased three of them as they were reasonably priced. It might seem unnatural for elementary school kids to have expensive accessories, and it could lead to dangerous situations, so I chose something more appropriate.
As for why I chose matching items, it might seem a bit grown-up for my age, but I had often felt loneliness in Tokyo. I thought that having something to remind us of each other would be nice. If we all wore matching items, it might motivate us to do our best in our respective places, even though I'm a bit calculating in thinking that.
Both of them were very pleased with the pendants we took out of the boxes, and they were eager to put them on right away. However, they seemed to have trouble fastening the clasp behind their necks, probably because they weren't used to it. I went around and quickly fastened it for them, and they both expressed their gratitude with a heartfelt "Thank you." Seeing their happy expressions, I couldn't help but smile myself. I was glad they liked the gifts.
However, even though they were gold-plated, they were made of metal, so it's possible they might be subject to inspection. So, during Fumika's hospital stay, it would be best to take them off just in case. When I mentioned this, Fumika's expression turned gloomy and disappointed, but it couldn't be helped. We might not get the desired results, and when her aunt returns, I'll let her know as a precaution.
After that, we talked about Nao and Fumika's school life and shared humorous stories about my life in Tokyo. It seemed that a transfer student had joined Nao and Fumika's class, but even after hearing the name and appearance, it didn't trigger any memories from my previous life. Starting with my gender being different, the differences between my sister's personality and my career in the entertainment industry, there were several disparities between my current life and the past one. There might have always been these differences, and I just hadn't noticed.
However, I absolutely wanted to avoid any disparities that were not funny. Small differences or changes in a positive direction were more than welcome. It might be a convenient thought, but I genuinely felt that way.
As we were chatting, Fumika's aunt returned, so we greeted her. We decided not to overstay our welcome, as it wouldn't be good to burden the recovering Fumika. We promised to come back tomorrow and were about to leave the room when Fumika followed us to the exit. I knew from my past life when I had my appendix removed that patients are encouraged to walk the day after surgery. It used to be common sense to rest after surgery before we were born, but it seems that not moving can actually hinder the healing of the incision.
Hobbling along with Fumika, who was in pain, I matched her pace as we made our way to the elevator hall. When we arrived and I went to press the call button, Fumika tightly grabbed my backpack. I got worried, thinking her condition might have worsened. I turned around hastily, and Fumika approached me with a somewhat shy demeanor and asked, "Su-chan, is it okay if I... hug you?"
I didn't quite understand what was going on, but there was no choice but to accept Fumika's request. I opened my arms and replied, "Of course." Slowly, Fumika drew closer and wrapped her arms around me, and... wait a minute, has Fumika also grown bigger? Her face was about 7 cm higher than mine.
"Su-chan, do I smell nice...? I haven't taken a bath, so I might be smelly."
"It's okay, Fumika. You smell lovely, like a proper girl."
Hugging my best friend in the elevator hall while we sniffed each other's scents might seem like a strange thing to do when I thought about it rationally, but I didn't care. Fumika's body warmth was comforting, and, most importantly, she wore a delighted smile. Suddenly, I felt someone's gaze, and when I looked in that direction, I saw Nao watching us with a lonely expression. So, Fumika and I took turns hugging Nao.
When the elevator stopped, other patients and nurses got off, so we stopped hugging each other and stepped into the elevator. Fumika waved to us as the doors closed, and we left the hospital. Fumika seemed to be recovering well from her surgery, and she appeared to be in better spirits than expected. I was relieved. As my hunger crept up on me, I remembered that I hadn't had lunch. So, I invited Nao, and we decided to grab something to eat at the local station. We ended up at a café, where we enjoyed some classic pancakes, which were absolutely delicious.
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