Rumors had begun circling about a patient who'd been admitted a few days ago—a middle-aged woman suffering from diabetes, kidney failure, and a list of complications better left to the charts.
But none of that was the subject of interest.
"Risa-chan, have you heard?" Ayumi leaned in from across the table, elbows planted, eyes sparkling.
"Hm?" I looked up, wrapping both hands around my cup of hot tea. The rising steam warmed my cheeks.
"There's this cutie who keeps checking on a patient on the third floor!" Her voice dropped into a giddy whisper. "I think the patient's name was…" She glanced upward, searching her memory.
"Meguriya Akari."
"...I see…" I murmured, casting a sideways glance at her.
Normally, I would have let the conversation drift past me, like all the other harmless gossip in the break room. But when I heard that name—
"…Meguriya?" I tilted my head.
"Mm!" Ayumi nodded so fast her ponytail nearly whipped off her head, her whole body practically vibrating with gossip-energy. "He's tall, slender, his hair looks so soft, and he's got this… overworked vibe going on."
She squirmed in her seat, cheeks puffing with contained excitement.
"Honestly… I kinda think that's hot. But then—" she threw her hands up dramatically, "the way he wears those baggy clothes makes him look like a total softie! Ahhh!"
My gaze dropped to my cup of tea, the surface trembling slightly in my hands. "Meguriya…"
Ayumi's smirk sharpened. She leaned in until her chin nearly touched the table. "Heee~ Risa-chan~ You interested?"
"N—No!" I jolted upright, waving my hands so fast my tea nearly spilled. "That's not it. It's just… I've just been assigned as Meguriya-san's caretaker…"
Ayumi froze.
Utter, absolute stillness. Even the clock on the wall seemed to go quiet.
"Uh… Yumi-chan?" I leaned forward carefully.
"Risaaaa!!!" Her wail shattered the break room's peace. I flinched so hard my chair screeched backwards.
"You're the luckiest person on earth right now!!" she cried, practically vibrating as tears welled up. "Uuu… I wish I was her caretaker too…"
I let out a helpless, nervous laugh and reached over to rub her back. "There, there…" I murmured, patting her gently as she continued to sob dramatically into her hands.
***
The hospital was unusually quiet that afternoon. I made my way down the hall. The soles of my shoes echoed softly against the polished floor. The familiar scent of antiseptic and medication hung in the air. Cleaner bots drifted along the corridor, misting disinfectant and wiping down panels with mechanical precision.
I stopped in front of her door.
Room 314.
Meguriya Akari.
It was just another room.
A room filled with loss.
But in this room...
I lifted my hand towards the panel and the door hissed open. "Excuse me," I stepped in.
A figure stood by the bed, resting a hand on its railing—tall and slender. A light breeze from the open window grazed his soft and silky hair. His eyes were half-lidded from a clear lack of sleep. And the afternoon sun cast his silhouette—engraving it into the back of my mind.
He turned his gaze upon me—and I felt my breath hitch. Our eyes met for a long moment that I had wished could've lasted forever.
"Good afternoon." He said, with a voice that felt as vast as the ocean. At least, that's how I recalled it.
I opened my mouth—but my lungs were not ready for an answer.
We've just met.
I've only laid eyes upon him at this exact moment.
But something about him...
His Figure. His presence. His sheer existence felt... familiar—pulling me into him like gravity.
Do I know him from somewhere?
Have I seen him before?
...
Perhaps I have.
Perhaps our paths had crossed once...
Perhaps... I had overlooked his presence in the past.
I clutched my digi-pad close and stepped in to answer. "Good afternoon..."
A miniscule smile formed on his lips—barely noticeable, but it exists.
"I'm here as Meguriya-san's appointed caretaker..." My eyes drifted to the bed. It was empty.
"Huh...?" I blinked, then turned to him. "Where's... Meguriya-san?"
"Oh," He followed my gaze, then pointed. "Mom's in the bathroom."
Mom...?
So he's Meguriya-san's son...
Then the bathroom door hissed open.
Clinking noises came as Meguriya-san exited. Her steps were shaky—though she was holding on to the wall and her IV stand for balance.
"Ah, Meguriya-san!" I quickly stepped closer.
I held her up by her free hand—and at the same moment—her son held up her arm and steadied the IV stand.
"Be careful. You can barely walk." His eyes were pained with worry.
Meguriya-san gave him a small, rasped laugh—dismissing his concern. "I'm fine, I'm fine." she said with a wet voice.
"Thank you too, miss..." her gaze turned to me.
But when our eyes finally met—her face lightened. Her eyes glistened wide. Then her shoulders dropped as she exhaled. Like she had reached her destination. Like she had finally found something she'd been searching for her entire life.
I tilted my head. "Meguriya-san? Are you okay?"
Her lips were trembling. Then she nodded. "Yes."
We guided her to the bed. I held her hand as she sat. And her son lifted her legs onto the bed. Her legs were swollen—like a balloon filled with thick fluid, ready to burst at any given instance.
As she settle down, I gave her a polite bow. "Allow me to introduce myself." I raised myself and offered a smile "My name is Ayase Risa. I will be your caretaker as of today."
Meguriya-san put her hands together and smiled. "Alright! Can I call you Risa-chan?"
I blinked. "U-Uh... Yes..."
"Nice to meet you, Risa-chan."
I smiled. "Yes. I will do my best to care for you, Meguriya-san."
"Ayase… Risa?" her son asked.
I turned toward him. He had one hand on his chin, brows knit in concentration—as if reaching into some distant tide of memories.
"Oh…!" His eyes brightened, the realization blooming across his face. "The one from high school."
I blinked. "High… school?"
"Yeah." He placed a hand on his chest. "Class 3-C. Meguriya Rion. Nice to see you again, Ayase-san."
"Meguriya… 3-C…" The name rolled through my mind, stirring old, dust-covered recollections.
Then it clicked.
"Oh! Meguriya-kun? Nice to see you again!" I felt a smile pull naturally at my lips.
"Risa-chan," Meguriya-san—his mother—called softly.
I turned to her.
"Just call him Rion."
My shoulders stiffened. "Huh—? But—"
"Wh—Mom?" he sputtered.
She pointed at herself. "Meguriya."
Then at her son. "Meguriya."
Then vaguely waved a hand in the air. "It's gonna get confusing."
I let out a tiny laugh under my breath, then turned back to him.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
I simply looked at him—at the faint tiredness under his eyes, the way his posture held a quiet sadness, the soft halo of the room's pale lights brushing along his cheek.
Then… his gaze lifted.
And when his eyes finally met mine, something in my chest shifted—no, rippled. Quiet. Sharp. Unexpected. Like a string being tugged somewhere deep inside me.
Here…
In a room filled with loss…
"…Nice to see you again." I whispered, the words strangely warm in my throat.
I found…
"Rion."
Him.