The next morning arrived far less peaceful than the previous one.
I had just finished enduring another round of "don't move your arms" lectures from the hospital staff—who, thanks to certain financial incentives arranged by Mei Mei, were now conveniently less curious about inconsistencies in my condition—when the door to my room slid open again.
I expected a doctor or a nurse.
Instead, what I got was two nukes.
"Naoya!"
"Idiot!"
Two familiar voices hit me at the same time. Before I could even react, both Maki and Mai rushed into the room like a pair of small storms. They ran straight to my bed, completely ignoring the concept of personal space or patient recovery.
Maki got to me first and immediately bit my cheek.
"OW—what the hell?!"
"That's for being stupid!" she snapped, pulling back just enough to glare at me, though her eyes were suspiciously wet.
Mai climbed onto the other side of the bed and smacked my shoulder—not hard, but with enough force to show she meant it. "We heard what happened! What were you thinking?!"
Both of them started talking over each other.
"You went alone!"
"You got hurt again!"
"You didn't tell us anything!"
"We thought you were going to die!"
I blinked at them, slightly overwhelmed, and then I slowly turned my head toward the doorway. Standing there was Mei Mei. She raised one hand slightly in a helpless gesture.
"They wouldn't stop bothering me," she said calmly. "I had no other option."
I stared at her.
"You betrayed me."
"I fulfilled a client request."
"That's worse."
She smiled faintly and leaned against the wall, clearly enjoying the situation.
Meanwhile, Mai had already grabbed an orange from the small tray beside my bed. Without asking, she began peeling it carefully, her fingers working with surprising focus despite the lingering irritation on her face.
"I don't need—"
"Shut up," she said flatly.
"…Yes, ma'am."
She finished peeling it and started feeding me piece by piece. I tried to turn my head away, but with both arms bandaged and useless, my resistance was purely symbolic.
"I said I don't want it."
"You're eating it."
"I refuse."
She shoved a piece into my mouth.
"Your refusal has been denied."
Maki crossed her arms, nodding in approval like she was supervising a military operation.
"Good. Feed him more."
I chewed slowly, staring at both of them. This was my life now.
After a few pieces, the atmosphere shifted slightly. The anger was still there, but it softened; both of them grew quiet for a moment, exchanging a glance. Then they looked at me.
At the same time, they stretched out their hands toward me. I blinked.
"…What is this?"
"Promise," they both said together.
"Promise us," Maki continued, her voice firm despite the childish gesture.
"That you won't do anything that harms yourself," Mai finished, her grip tightening slightly as if she were afraid I might disappear again.
Their chubby cheeks were puffed slightly. Their expressions were serious in a way only children could manage—pure, direct, and completely cute. My sugar level is spiking.
I almost laughed. Not because it was funny but because it was so different from everything I was used to, but I held it back, and instead, I decided to tease them.
"What if I didn't?" I said lightly.
Hearing me, both of their expressions froze.
Their eyes began to water. Enough that I could tell if I pushed even a little more, they would actually cry.
Yeah, I didn't want that; I was just teasing them. All of a sudden they became serious; big brother can't even catch a break.
"…Ah." I exhaled slowly. "Alright, alright, "I promise."
Their eyes snapped back to me.
"Really?" Mai asked.
"Really."
"I won't deliberately do anything that harms me," I said, choosing my words carefully but keeping my tone gentle.
Their faces instantly brightened like someone flipped a switch. The tension vanished, replaced by relief so obvious it almost hurt to look at.
Just after I gave them my word, they fist-bumped each other, like they had just won a battle.
I stared at them in disbelief.
"You two planned that?"
"Of course," Maki said proudly.
Mai nodded. "It worked."
I sighed and leaned back against the pillow. "…I got outplayed by children."
From the corner of the room, Mei Mei chuckled softly. "Correction," she said. "You got outplayed by people who care about you."
~~~
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