Chapter 221 Surprise For Suzume
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Good evening, Kamitsubo-san,” Suzume said with a polite smile.
”Good evening, Suzume-san,” Kamitsubo replied, bowing lightly.
Everyone at Haruto’s massage parlor already knew about Suzume. After all, Haruto picked her up and dropped her off almost every day.
But today was different. He needed a bit of time—so he decided to introduce a new face.
”Ah, right. We had someone new start today,” he said, glancing at the girl beside him.
”Um, I’m Niikawa Yoshimi. I just began working here!” Yoshimi said quickly, her voice slightly tight with nerves.
Of course, both Kamitsubo and Suzume already knew what was going on beneath the surface.
But Yoshimi, not used to playing along with this kind of charade, looked a little stiff as she bowed.
”I see,” Suzume said gently. “I’m Suzume, Akamoto Nana’s sister. She’s been in your care, I believe. It’s nice to meet you.”
”Nana-san should be here shortly, so please feel free to wait,” Kamitsubo said, guiding them toward the waiting room.
”Understood,” Suzume replied with a nod.
Just as Kamitsubo excused himself, the timing couldn’t have been better. The door creaked open.
Creak.
”Good evening, Suzume-san,” said a soft voice from the entrance.
”Oh, good evening, Harue-san,” Suzume replied warmly.
”Nana-san wants me to call her ‘big sister’ today. Would that be alright?” Harue asked, tilting her head curiously.
”Huh… Nana said that?” Suzume blinked in surprise.
It was an odd request. Nana had never said anything like that before.
But since it came from someone she trusted, Suzume didn’t question it too deeply.
She hadn’t stepped past the waiting room since the day of Nana’s interview.
Heart slightly fluttering, she followed quietly behind Harue.
”It’s this room,” Harue said, pressing her finger against the scanner.
Beep!
The door beyond the waiting area required fingerprint access, limited only to employees.
Harue, like a professional doorman, stepped aside and opened the door with a practiced motion.
Creak.
”Welcome back, big sister!” came a cheerful voice.
”…W-what… Nana…? I-is it really you?”
”Really! I can stand all by myself now!” Nana said proudly, standing tall.
”R-really… Th-this is… incredible…” Suzume’s voice trembled as her eyes welled up.
Suzume had taken Nana in right after graduating university, following the accident that claimed their parents.
Only she knew how difficult those ten long years had been.
But Haruto, in his own quiet way, also knew just how much Suzume loved her little sister.
That’s why he couldn’t quite predict what she might say next.
After the two sisters cried together for a while, they finally moved to the manager’s office.
Just like the day they’d interviewed Nana—it was once again a three-person meeting.
”As you’ve seen, Nana has worked incredibly hard,” Haruto said, his tone calm.
”Doctor… thank you so much. To be honest… I didn’t believe your words at first,” Suzume admitted softly, bowing her head.
”O-onee-chan! But I told you my rehab was going well, didn’t I?” Nana said, her eyes widening.
”I’m sorry, Nana. But… do you remember what the first hospital told us? They said there was absolutely no hope of recovery. After that, every place we went to just said ‘there’s a possibility,’ but…”
”…Yeah,” Nana said quietly, nodding.
”But nothing ever changed,” Suzume whispered. “So each time, I just thought, ‘Here we go again…’”
The hospital she mentioned—the first one Nana had been rushed to after the accident—
they were the ones who clearly told them there was no chance of recovery.
Why would a hospital say such a thing with certainty?
Because, simply put… Nana wasn’t profitable for them.
As mentioned before, hospitals are not charities.
Patients who undergo expensive chemotherapy or high-risk surgeries are a priority.
But for someone like Nana, where the hospital could only charge basic hospitalization fees…
they wanted her discharged as soon as possible to free up a bed.
It sounded cruel—but that was the reality.
And that reality extended even to rehab clinics or massage parlors like Haruto’s.
Even if they believed the chances were slim, they’d still say, “There’s a possibility,” to keep clients coming.
That’s just how the system worked.
If Haruto had no real treatment skills and was just running a standard parlor,
he probably would’ve said the same thing to Suzume and Nana—
”There’s a chance.”
”I understand why you’d feel that way, Suzume-san,” Haruto said gently. “But… what do you think now?
Would you be willing to believe in us… just a little?”
”Of course!” she said, her voice steady. “You showed me something like a miracle—right here, right now!”
”Then I’m glad,” Haruto replied with a smile. “Because today… we’d like to talk about the next step forward.”
Notes:
• Kamitsubo – The receptionist and assistant of the Haruto’s clinic.
• Suzume – Female. Nana’s companion, who is just as beautiful as Nana. She has a husky voice, which makes her age and relationship to Nana (sister) slightly ambiguous. She is supportive and polite, accompanying Nana to the job interview.
• Yoshimi – Female. A high school girl who guides Haruto to her grandmother’s house. She is wary of doctors due to past experiences and becomes agitated when Haruto reveals her grandmother’s condition. Her relationship with Haruto is tense, and she sides with her family in distrusting him.
• Nana – The one dating Haruto before she goes to Hokkaido.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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