ãTodayâs customers flowed in surprisingly quicklyã
Koiwai Noriko, one of the two school nurses at Shibahou Academy, stands by the window, fluttering the hem of her lab coat. The sunlight reflecting off her glasses was fading, but it had not yet turned orange.
Aika, who was in the middle of organizing her supplies, answered her with a smile.
ãThatâs right. But isnât it wrong to call them customers?ã
ãA customer is a customer. This is an infirmary and Iâm a doctor. Regardless of how many people come in, I donât make any moneyã
Noriko glanced back at her with a smile on her face.
Well, actually, sheâs right. Noriko is not a school nurse, but a full-fledged doctor. The use of the infirmary is free of charge, and the school pays her salary flatly, so the fewer the number of users and customers, the better.
Considering that their job is to deal with injuries and illnesses, it is a good thing that the school doctor has no time to waste, before the salary or cutting corners.
Opening the window, Noriko takes out a cigarette from her pocket.
Seeing the air go into a rest mode, Aika asks her to continue the conversation.
ãSensei, you are also a certified nurse teacher, arenât you?ã
ãHmm? Yeah, I guessã
Shibahou Academy is unusual in that it has two school doctors on staff. Unlike most schools, there is no specialized school nurse, but rather Noriko and another school doctor.
Since the incidence and severity of injuries are much different from those of a normal school, this system is easier to operate.
ãBut isnât it cool?ã
ã...Takatsuki, are you going to follow suit?ã
ãYes. Thatâs what Iâm aiming forã
Itâs not that Aika is thinking of succeeding Noriko in the future, but it seems to be a good idea to keep it as she helps out in the infirmary every day.
Noriko laughed, spitting purple smoke from her mouth.
ãWell, I wouldnât recommend you to become a doctor at a training school. The salary is low and the work is hard. Whether itâs better than being a general practitioner depends on your luckã
And then she stopped talking and looked at Aika.
ãSpeaking of not recommending, Takatsukiã
ãYes?ã
ãWhat do you like about Izumi?ã
Aika blinked.
Looking back at Norikoâs face, she didnât find her face particularly interested. She didnât seem to be sarcastic or complaining. Rather, she simply doesnât understand why. That makes Aika feel a little unhappy about it.
Still, Aika thinks about it for a while before answering.
ãAll of themã
ãSo, youâre a stupid coupleã
For some reason, her thoughtful answer was immediately met with criticism.
...Although she was being serious.
ãI understand that itâs all in the blink of an eye. How did you fall in love with him?ã
ãHow?ã
Of course.
The beginning of their relationship is too unique. But not wanting to draw attention from Noriko, whom she respects, Aika tries to explain it in another way.
Not because of the situation, but because of her feelings.
ãBecause Chihiro-kun needs meã
ã...need you, huh?ã
ãYesã
Aika nodded.
And after a while, Noriko said, "Hmm", as if gathering her words.
ãYou should use contraceptionã
ãThatâs not what I meant!ã
Aika refuted her while turning red.
No, itâs true that she said she wanted to cuddle Chihiro, and thatâs one of the reasons. But thatâs not the whole reason.
ãAs expected, all men are after your bodyã
ãThat may be so. But Chihiro-kun isnât just about that. Itâs like he canât live without meã
ãYeah yeah. Youâre the type to fall for a bad guyã
ã...I wonât deny itã
ãYou shouldã
Noriko looked rather amused as she gave a short shove.
She then put her finished cigarette away in the ashtray and looked up at the sky through the window again.
ãKamishiro, right? He confessed his love to you too, didnât he?ã
ãHow did you know that?ã
ãI heard about it from a girl who came by during lunch break and we chatted. I think itâs a shame to dump a guy like thatã
ãIs that so?ã
Noriko had also met Kamishiro Yuuki several times. He doesnât have the same recovery ability as Chihiro, and the intensity of his training is completely different.
He often comes to the infirmary when he is injured, and people remember his face.
In particular, he has recently joined the Public Morals Committee and is leading a more fulfilling training life. He seems to have frequent meetings with Yuse Shuka of Class A and other senpai of the Public Morals Committee, and frequently visits the infirmary.
ãUnlike Izumi, Kamishiro is injured in a reasonable mannerã
Well, Aika recalls that Noriko said so some time ago.
It is not that Chihiro almost broke his arm frequently, but if he was taken to the infirmary twice in half a year, it is understandable that he would be evaluated as such by her.
ãKamishiro-kun is good-looking, isnât he?ã
ãThen you donât still have a crush on him?ã
ãNo, not at allã
Aika shook her head and smiled, and Noriko looked as if she had been caught off guard then sighed.
Sigh...
ãOh good grief. You must like Izumi a lotã
ãYes. Because Iâm Chihiro-kunâs girlfriendã
No other man could take her heart.
Although Kamishiro and she have a lot of chances to talk in the infirmary, itâs all as friends. Unless she breaks up with Chihiro, she doesnât see him as a romantic interest.
No, if she breaks up with Chihiro, she wonât be able to recover for a while. She might spend a month or so crying every day.
In the first place, she doesnât intend to break up with him easily.
If itâs someone elseâs fault, sheâll fight with them thoroughly, and if thereâs something she doesnât like about Chihiro, sheâll do her best to fix it. If the reason is that Chihiro is doing something wrong, she will correct his behavior even if it means beating him.
If it becomes necessary, sheâll make it up as they go along...
ãTakatsuki? You look scaryã
ãOh, Iâm sorry. I was just thinking about Chihiro-kunã
ã...I guess itâs true what people say, love is blindã
The schoolâs female doctor, who doesnât trust men and has never had a boyfriend, let out a deep sigh again when she saw her studentâs smile.