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.
「That’s right. But isn’t it wrong to call them customers?」
「A customer is a customer. This is an infirmary and I’m a doctor.
Regardless of how many people come in, I don’t make any money」
Noriko glanced back at her with a smile on her face.
Well, actually, she’s 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.
**a
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.
「Sensei, you are also a certified nurse teacher, aren’t you?」
「Hmm? Yeah, I guess」
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.
「But isn’t it cool?」
「...Takatsuki, are you going to follow suit?」
「Yes. That’s what I’m aiming for」
It’s 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.
「Well, I wouldn’t recommend you to become a doctor at a training
school. The salary is low and the work is hard. Whether it’s better than being
a general practitioner depends on your luck」
And then she stopped talking and looked at Aika.
「Speaking of not recommending, Takatsuki」
「Yes?」
「What do you like about Izumi?」
Aika blinked.
Looking back at Noriko’s face, she didn’t find her face
particularly interested. She didn’t seem to be sarcastic or complaining.
Rather, she simply doesn’t understand why. That makes Aika feel a little
unhappy about it.
Still, Aika thinks about it for a while before answering.
「All of them」
「So, you’re a stupid couple」
For some reason, her thoughtful answer was immediately met with
criticism.
...Although she was being serious.
「I understand that it’s all in the blink of an eye. How did you
fall in love with him?」
「How?」
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.
「Because Chihiro-kun needs me」
「...need you, huh?」
「Yes」
Aika nodded.
And after a while, Noriko said, "Hmm", as if gathering
her words.
「You should use contraception」
「That’s not what I meant!」
Aika refuted her while turning red.
No, it’s true that she said she wanted to cuddle Chihiro, and
that’s one of the reasons. But that’s not the whole reason.
「As expected, all men are after your body」
「That may be so. But Chihiro-kun isn’t just about that. It’s like
he can’t live without me」
「Yeah yeah. You’re the type to fall for a bad guy」
「...I won’t deny it」
「You should」
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.
**b
「Kamishiro, right? He confessed his love to you too, didn’t he?」
「How did you know that?」
「I heard about it from a girl who came by during lunch break and we
chatted. I think it’s a shame to dump a guy like that」
「Is that so?」
Noriko had also met Kamishiro Yuuki several times. He doesn’t 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.
『Unlike Izumi, Kamishiro is injured in a reasonable manner』
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.
「Kamishiro-kun is good-looking, isn’t he?」
「Then you don’t still have a crush on him?」
「No, not at all」
Aika shook her head and smiled, and Noriko looked as if she had
been caught off guard then sighed.
Sigh...
「Oh good grief. You must like Izumi a lot」
「Yes. Because I’m Chihiro-kun’s girlfriend」
No other man could take her heart.
Although Kamishiro and she have a lot of chances to talk in the
infirmary, it’s all as friends. Unless she breaks up with Chihiro, she doesn’t
see him as a romantic interest.
No, if she breaks up with Chihiro, she won’t be able to recover
for a while. She might spend a month or so crying every day.
In the first place, she doesn’t intend to break up with him
easily.
If it’s someone else’s fault, she’ll fight with them thoroughly,
and if there’s something she doesn’t like about Chihiro, she’ll 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, she’ll make it up as they go along...
「Takatsuki? You look scary」
「Oh, I’m sorry. I was just thinking about Chihiro-kun」
「...I guess it’s true what people say, love is blind」
The school’s female doctor, who doesn’t trust men and has never
had a boyfriend, let out a deep sigh again when she saw her student’s smile.
