When Yayoi Natural opened her eyes again, the scene she saw was—
"Please don't cry, don't cry…"
Mr. C.B. desperately trying to soothe a crying baby.
Seeing Mr. C.B. flustered for the very first time, and her own child fussing noisily in the other's arms, Yayoi Natural suddenly felt like smiling.
The faint laughter quickly caught Mr. C.B.'s attention.
Noticing Yayoi Natural awake, Mr. C.B. wanted to say something—but…
"Let me take her."
Though her voice was a bit weak, Yayoi Natural still reached out toward Mr. C.B.
Seeing Yayoi Natural's outstretched hand, Mr. C.B. instinctively handed the crying infant back to her mother.
Looking down at her child, still fussing and unsettled, Yayoi Natural paused for a few seconds, then freed one hand and started to unbutton her clothes.
"Eh?!" Seeing Yayoi Natural's actions, Mr. C.B. immediately turned around.
"She's just hungry." Yayoi Natural's expression softened into a maternal smile, but she didn't stop her movements.
Hearing this, Mr. C.B. froze for a second—
Then, she suddenly realized she hadn't even prepared the milk bottle.
Just as she was about to say something—
"C.B.-senpai! The formula is ready—Ah!! Sorry! Sorry!"
The voice filled with embarrassment, followed by the hurried slam of the door, came so quickly that Yayoi Natural didn't even have time to look up before the door was shut again.
"That was?" In the room, however, there was another person who could still ask questions.
"Sakura Chiyono O. She's Maruzensky's kouhai. While I was dealing with Student Council business, she's been helping look after you and Mochizuki."
Hearing Mr. C.B.'s explanation, Yayoi Natural quietly considered for a few seconds before finally responding softly, "I'm not worth all this trouble from you both."
"I'm just pissed at Rudolf, that's all. Sure, she's a fine rival on the racetrack, but privately..."
Mr. C.B. paused slightly, then continued, "Her character is seriously awful."
Yayoi Natural clearly heard Mr. C.B.'s assessment of Rudolf.
Though Yayoi Natural knew Rudolf would change greatly for the better in the future, that didn't stop her from silently agreeing with Mr. C.B.'s judgment of the current Rudolf.
After a long silence, Yayoi Natural spoke again: "But there really isn't anything about me worth all this, right?"
Hearing Yayoi Natural say something she normally would never voice aloud, Mr. C.B. wondered if her illness had somehow made her talkative.
But in reality...
The words she spoke were entirely unpleasant.
This was Mr. C.B.'s honest first reaction to Yayoi Natural's remarks.
"If you're hoping to take something from me, I wouldn't refuse either. After all, there's nothing good I can even—"
"Don't talk like that!"
Mr. C.B. abruptly interrupted Yayoi Natural's words, turning around with a visibly upset expression.
Clearly, her tolerance for such self-deprecating words was quite limited.
Yayoi Natural stared into the face now almost pressed against her own, causing the words she had intended to say to shift slightly:
"...I'm sorry."
Seeing Yayoi Natural apologize, Mr. C.B. turned away again. "No, I overreacted."
Looking out at the sky through the window, Mr. C.B. steadied her emotions slightly, then spoke again, "The doctor said you need proper rest for a while, no strenuous activities. I already told Maruzen about your condition—she can't come back right now, so Chiyono O and I will take care of you."
"Thank you."
"You've already cooked meals for me for so long, after all. It's only fair I look after you a bit, isn't it?"
As Mr. C.B. said this, her gaze shifted slightly to another pane of glass nearby, where the reflection showed Yayoi Natural still quietly breastfeeding Mochizuki. Seeing this gentle scene, Mr. C.B. fell silent for a long while before finally speaking again:
"I'll go and properly confront Rudolf about everything."
"...You don't have to."
After a brief hesitation, Yayoi Natural softly denied her.
Hearing that answer, Mr. C.B. almost turned around again—but she barely restrained the impulse.
"Why?"
"You're clearly the one hurt most by her. Why aren't you even willing to ask for answers?"
There was a hint of anger in her voice, as if she was frustrated on Yayoi Natural's behalf for being so passive.
"Tokai Natural is already registered as dead." Saying this, Yayoi Natural lowered her gaze to the baby in her arms. "For Yayoi Natural, she's the only important thing left."
Hearing those words, spoken with something like acceptance, Mr. C.B. fell into silence again. After more than ten seconds, she softly began to speak again:
"I…"
A brief pause.
Then she continued, "If the one who found you back then had been me instead, what would things be like now?"
The courage she had originally summoned changed entirely just as she voiced her question. Though Mr. C.B. was usually carefree, even she had things she was hesitant to say—such as the question she'd just now managed to utter.
"I don't know."
The answer Yayoi Natural gave matched the image Mr. C.B. had imagined herself.
She could easily picture Yayoi Natural sorting her clothes every day if they lived together.
She could vividly imagine Yayoi Natural cooking for her.
She could even imagine herself teasing Yayoi Natural by playfully withholding her identity documents.
But that initial scenario—finding Yayoi Natural that day, living together in daily routine—Mr. C.B. found herself entirely unable to imagine clearly.
So she merely fell silent again, and after a few seconds, replied softly, "Yeah, I really don't know either."
Having said this much, Mr. C.B. intended to say something more—
But Yayoi Natural interrupted before she could speak again.
"You can turn around now."
Hearing that, Mr. C.B. finally turned.
And there, she saw Yayoi Natural smiling gently at her.
Seeing that smile on Yayoi Natural's face, Mr. C.B. felt as though her earlier unspoken thoughts had all been completely seen through.
After another long silence, Mr. C.B. finally called out loudly: "Chiyono O, you can come in now!"
"Ah! Okay!"
A small voice came from outside the door.
Then, as the hospital room door opened, Yayoi Natural saw a girl step inside. She had a cherry-blossom ornament dangling from her right ear, and in her hands she held a freshly prepared bottle of formula.
Faced with Yayoi Natural's gaze, Chiyono O appeared somewhat nervous.
Fortunately, Mr. C.B. quickly helped her out.
"For the next while, whenever I have Student Council duties, Chiyono O will take care of you."
"Ah, yes! That's right."
"Mm. Thank you very much for taking care of me during this time, Chiyono O."
"Ah—no! This was something Maruzen-senpai entrusted me with, so it's no trouble at all."
"Still, thank you."
---
T/N: hehehehehe yes eys