Volume 1 Chapter 5 A Second Helping of Hospital Visits
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
After our heart-pounding nap time, we moved on to snacks and let our conversation drift wherever it wanted to go.
The nurse who came to swap out my IV bag looked more than a little bewildered to find my two visitors sprawled out comfortably on the bed while I-the actual patient-was relegated to the sofa. …Yeah, sorry about that.
Time doesn’t just fly when you’re busy; it disappears when you’re having fun, too. Before I knew it, the sky beyond the curtains had bruised into a deep crimson and black. It was well past quitting time, and so, unfortunately, our little party had to break up. Toda Sayaka and Mamiya Kei began gathering their things.
”You two, thanks for coming today. I mean it,” I said.
”No, thank you! I had so much fun getting to talk with you so much…!” Toda-san beamed.
”Man, Paisen, your guard is way too high! I’m totally waving the white flag-ssu…” Mamiya-san sighed.
”Well, I’ve survived my fair share of war zones in the office, you know,” I replied.
Mamiya had been relentlessly trying to pry into my private life, but I’d kept my lips sealed. It was a matter of life experience… or rather, my private life mostly consisted of more work, so I literally had nothing to tell them. Thinking about it that way actually started to make me feel a little hollow.
”Well, we’ll finish this on LiNE-ssu!” Mamiya said.
”Sorry for the intrusion,” Toda added.
”Oh, wait a second…”
””?””
Remembering something, I stopped them. I pulled my wallet from my bag and produced two crisp ten-thousand-yen bills-the war chest I’d set aside for a massive meat feast-and handed one to each of them. This should be more than enough.
”This is for your train fare and whatever else you spent to get here,” I said.
”Oh, no… I couldn’t possibly take this…” Toda-san stammered.
”Exactly-ssu! It’s not like we’re strangers, Paisen-ssu!” Mamiya exclaimed.
”It’s pretty standard for a senior to take care of his juniors. Besides… well, I had a great time because you guys showed up. I won’t be able to sleep unless I pay you back somehow,” I explained.
””……””
The two of them traded looks. I could understand their hesitation; having someone suddenly shove cash at you is awkward.
But these two were first-year hires. Their salaries were low, and since they weren’t allowed to work overtime yet, their take-home pay must be pathetic. I just hoped they’d appreciate a senior’s desire not to be a financial burden.
Besides, getting to spend half a day with two girls this cute for only twenty thousand yen? I felt like I was getting away with a crime. Maybe I really am a pathetic man.
”…If you don’t take it, I might have to make your OJT¹ ‘Spartan-style’ starting Monday,” I threatened.
”!?”
”Well, that doesn’t sound like it involves me-ssu, but for Sayaka’s sake, I guess I’ll play along and take it-ssu,” Mamiya said.
”…Thank you very much,” Toda-san whispered.
”We’re coming back tomorrow-ssu!” Mamiya added.
”Kei-chan…”
Mamiya’s sudden pivot from humility to shamelessness was almost refreshing.
”Okay, for real this time, we’re going,” Mamiya said.
”Sorry for the intrusion,” Toda said with a bow.
”Yeah. Get home safe,” I replied.
I watched Mamiya wave goodbye while Toda gave a polite, formal bow. As the door clicked shut, the room became deathly quiet.
I thought I was used to being alone, but now, the solitude felt crushing. Maybe I’d been too quick to turn down that share-house invitation…
I spent about ten minutes wallowing in my loneliness on the bed before my phone buzzed.
===
Kei: Paisen²!
Satake: What now?
Kei: We’re coming back tomorrow too!
Satake: I’m happy to hear it, but don’t you have anything better to do?
Kei: Gasp!
Kei: Did you just think I was some total loser with no life!?
Satake: Pretty much.
Kei: Wow, Paisen is only honest at times like this.
Kei: I have a life!
Kei: Getting on the good side of my seniors is a vital social duty!
Kei: So I’m just practicing what I preach.
Satake: It’d be a lot faster to just butter up the big bosses, you know.
Kei: Hey, “Haste makes waste,” right!?
===
So they were coming back tomorrow…
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt this genuinely excited for the next day.
Oh, right. I needed to send a thank-you text to Toda, too.
===
Satake: Thanks again for coming to see me today.
Sayaka: No, thank you!
Sayaka: I had so much fun talking with you!
Satake: It feels a bit backwards for the guy in the hospital bed to be getting thanked… but if you had fun, then I’m glad.
Sayaka: Um!
Sayaka: Kei-chan said she wants to come again tomorrow.
Sayaka: Is it okay if I come too?
Satake: Of course.
Sayaka: Thank you!
===
What a sweetheart. I’m the one who should be saying thank you! It was only natural that I felt like offering a prayer of thanks to my smartphone.
===
Kei: Paisen!
Kei: Why are you only being nice to Sayaka!
Kei: Where’s my sweet talk!?
Satake: Eavesdropping on other people’s chats is a bad habit.
Kei: And why does she get a DM while I’m stuck in the group chat!?
Satake: Just felt like it.
Kei: “Just felt like it”!?
===
Actually, it was just that Mamiya’s response time was so fast that Toda and I kept getting left in the dust. I didn’t want to kill the vibe.
===
Satake: Thanks for coming today. Seeing you really cheered me up, Mamiya.
Kei: Paisen…
Kei: I knew you were a real man if you actually tried…
Satake: Spend enough time being ground down by society and flattery just starts popping out of your mouth like a reflex.
Kei: I was actually having a moment!!
Kei: Why do you have to say stuff like that!?
===
Mamiya was fun to tease because her reactions were so dramatic. She’d probably make a great comedian. No, she’s too good-looking; the audience wouldn’t find it funny.
Toda, on the other hand, was like an oasis for the soul. Plus, she was the only one who could actually rein Mamiya in.
The messages kept bouncing back and forth between the group and individual chats until the night started to get late.
===
Kei: Paisen.
Kei: Here’s Sayaka today.
Satake: Good work.
Sayaka: Um…
Satake: Taking secret photos isn’t very nice.
Sayaka: In revenge, here is Kei-chan today.
Kei: Wait, what!?
Kei: Uh.
Kei: Paisen?
Kei: Why aren’t you saying anything?
Kei: That’s actually kind of depressing!
Kei: You reacted to Sayaka’s instantly!
Kei: I can see you read it!
Kei: Helloooo?
Satake: What’s up?
Kei: What did you think of my private shot!?
Satake: What private shot?
Kei: You’re pretending it didn’t even happen!?
===
Toda’s photo showed her in cute, modest room-wear, similar to yesterday. She looked like a fragile, lovely angel as always.
In stark contrast, Mamiya was wearing a gray camisole and tiny shorts-showing a hell of a lot of skin. If she had a bigger chest, it would have been… wait, she’s definitely not wearing a bra, is she?
…
Sending a stimulating photo like that… what are these girls trying to do to an old guy like me?!
And they’re just sprawled out on the bed like that!
I can still smell their scent in the air here, and now I’m starting to get into a weird headspace!
Is this just… normal for young girls these days?!
Whew. Thank god this is a private room with its own toilet…
* * *
The next day, just as they’d declared, the two of them showed up in the morning.
Toda was wearing a light blue sleeveless shirt and a long, airy pleated skirt with a polka-dot pattern. Below the knee, the fabric was sheer, which gave it a surprisingly s*xy edge. Also, the occasional glimpse of her armpit was… well, erotic.
Mamiya, meanwhile, was showing off her toned legs in denim short-shorts, layered under a long, black see-through cardigan over a white top.
They both looked great, but wasn’t this a bit too much skin?
”Paisen, I brought a deck of cards-ssu,” Mamiya announced.
”You’re really planning to play, huh?” I asked.
”Heh. I figured this was the only way to make you talk.”
”…What do you mean? Sticking a card in my mouth isn’t going to make me confess anything.”
”Who said anything about doing it physically!? I meant the game-ssu! The game!”
Mamiya’s retort³ was as sharp as ever. It even got a good laugh out of Toda.
”It’s a simple game-ssu. The winner picks a topic, and the loser has to answer,” Mamiya explained.
”Ah… the kind of thing they do at mixers⁴,” I muttered.
It was basically just a King’s Game.
”Paisen… have you actually been to a mixer?” Mamiya asked.
”No comment.”
”…Fine. When I win, you’re gonna tell me-ssu.”
”Wait, hold on.”
I stopped Mamiya as she started to deal, buying myself time to think.
”…I want to change the rules. The winner doesn’t pick the topic. The person who lost the last game picks the topic. And they get to pick what game we play, too.”
Mamiya and Toda were definitely in cahoots. For someone who looked as inexperienced as Toda to not show a single hint of nerves… wait, was she actually the mastermind here?
If I lost, they’d hit me with some merciless question. If one of them lost, they’d just pick something safe. And even if I won, I couldn’t exactly ask them anything too personal without it coming off as s*xual harassment, so I’d be forced to play it safe, too.
I was the only one at a disadvantage. It wasn’t fair.
I needed to make sure they were both at risk of being hit with a merciless topic. That was the only way to force them to keep the topics safe.
”You or Toda can pick the first topic. Deal?” I asked.
”Hehe… fine by me-ssu. I’m gonna strip you bare, Paisen-ssu,” Mamiya said with a grin.
Mamiya gave me a predatory grin. To me, it looked like she was just digging her own grave, but would she be okay?
”Okay, Sayaka, you pick the first topic,” Mamiya suggested.
”Eh? Um… okay. Then… let’s go with ‘How many mixers have you been to?’ like before,” Toda-san said.
”Alright, let’s go-ssu! What’s the game?” Mamiya asked.
”Let’s stick to something safe. Old Maid,” I replied.
”Hmm, the Joker is a bit boring. Let’s pull one card out of the deck at random to make it more of a mystery,” Mamiya suggested.
”…”
Damn. Toda was getting dangerous now that we were getting closer. I thought I only had to worry about Mamiya, but Toda might actually be the ruthless type.
I mean, the first topic could have been way safer. An impression, a funny face, or having to end every sentence with “yo” or something…
And so, the heart-pounding game began-
”Alright, Mamiya. Spill it,” I said.
Mamiya lost the first round. Since we’d pulled a random card instead of using the Joker, no one knew what the losing card was until the end. There was no room for a psychological war of reading faces; the game just ended at a brisk pace.
”………Once-ssu,” Mamiya admitted.
”That’s… kind of unexpected,” Toda-san said.
”Which way do you mean that-ssu!?” Mamiya snapped.
”No comment. If you want to know, win a game,” I said.
”Paisen, that’s cheating-ssu!”
Since Mamiya was so socially savvy, I’d assumed she’d been around the block, but I guess not. I felt like telling her, but to keep the topics safe, I had to be a cold-blooded professional.
”Oh, and I want to add another rule. You can’t use the same topic twice. It’s a waste of a match if someone loses twice in a row,” I added.
”Paisen, you’re so shrewd-ssu…”
”Spend enough time in my line of work and you naturally learn how to rig things in your favor.”
”Ugh… so immature-ssu…”
”Take it as a learning experience. This is how you grow,” I said.
”Guh…”
Mamiya bit her lip in frustration. Honestly, what was so interesting about how many mixers I’d been to, anyway?
”Fine! Then the next topic is ‘How many people have you dated’-ssu! We’re playing Tycoon⁵!” Mamiya declared.
And then-
”Alright, Mamiya.”
”Kei-chan…”
”Hey, Paisen… aren’t you a little too good at this-ssu?” Mamiya asked.
”Well, I like to think I’m not bad,” I replied.
”Paisen, are you like, super smart or something…? Where did you even go to college-ssu?”
”…Is that the topic?”
”Come on, just tell me that much-ssu… Sayaka, Paisen is being mean to me!”
”Kei-chan, you have to answer the question properly,” Toda-san insisted.
”Uuuh… Sayaka has started acting just like Paisen… My Sayaka is gone…!”
Toda gave Mamiya a comforting pat while simultaneously delivering the finishing blow. What did she mean, ‘acting just like me’? Does Toda actually have my back?
”………I’ve never dated anyone-ssu,” Mamiya confessed.
”I see,” I said.
”Gah! I can’t tell if that ‘I see’ is a burn or not-ssu!!”
Withholding information-or manipulating the info you give-is basic strategy for any situation. See? She learned something else today.
We kept at it for a while, taking breaks for snacks and chatting. We must have played over thirty rounds.
Toda and I each lost maybe five times. Mamiya, however, lost by a landslide. She was staggeringly bad at this. Why did she even suggest it?
In the final game, I lost. Honestly, she was just getting too pitiful…
Besides, the topic was “Last month’s salary,” so it wasn’t like it would hurt me. And if anyone else lost, no one would actually gain anything from the answer, so I decided to read the room and take the fall.
Maybe hearing my salary would finally convince them to think about switching careers.
”Can I change the topic for Paisen-ssu?” Mamiya asked.
”…Isn’t that against the rules?”
”If you listen to the request of a girl with a broken heart, your likeability will skyrocket-ssu, you know?”
Mamiya looked up at me with watery eyes. Oh, wait, is she actually crying…?
”Well… okay. Mamiya is being a bit too pathetic, so just this once,” I relented.
”Yes! Okay, then!!”
She recovered in a literal second. I want my sympathy back. You really can’t trust a woman’s tears.
”The topic is: ‘What’s your type’!” Mamiya shouted.
”……”
”Come on, Paisen! Answer up-ssu!”
”Can’t I just tell you where I went to college?”
”No-ssu!”
”……”
Mamiya had a wicked grin on her face. I looked to Toda for help, but she just looked… expectant. You traitor!
”………………Someone who’s good at their job, I guess…” I muttered.
”Paisen…”
”What?”
”Do you even know what the topic means-ssu? Is that even a type? Do you literally only think about work-ssu?”
”………That’s not true.”
…I think.
* * *
And so, my fun holiday came to an end. The hospital bill was surprisingly high, but the satisfaction was worth every yen.
”…Paisen, go straight home-ssu, okay?” Mamiya warned.
”What, are you my mother?” I asked.
”Hehe…”
”Paisen’s mom would have her hands full-ssu… I’m serious, you aren’t thinking about stopping by the office to grab your laptop, are you-ssu?”
”……I… am NOT.”
”Exactly what Nozawa-senpai predicted-ssu! You just got out of the hospital, so behave-ssu! If you collapse and end up back here, I’m not coming to see you, okay?”
”……I’ll go straight home.”
”If you promise, I’ll send you a ‘killing’ photo of Sayaka later-ssu.”
”I hereby declare that I will return home immediately without making any detours,” I vowed.
”Kei-chan!? Satake-san, you too!!” Toda-san cried.
”Okay, Paisen, see you tomorrow-ssu!”
”Seriously! ……See you tomorrow… I mean,” Toda said.
”Yeah. See you tomorrow,” I replied.
—
Summary:
Toda and Mamiya spend a long day visiting Satake in the hospital, engaging in games and chatting through LiNE after they leave. Satake gives them money for their expenses, demonstrating his senior responsibility despite his awkwardness. The chapter concludes with a second visit and a ‘King’s Game’ style card challenge that reveals character secrets.
—
Trivia:
- Satake used his ‘meat war chest’ money (20,000 yen) to pay the girls’ expenses.
- Mamiya sent a provocative ‘no-bra’ photo to Satake through LiNE.
- The girls visited two days in a row.
- Satake manipulated the card game rules to ensure fairness (or safety).
- Satake’s ‘type’ is someone who is good at their job, highlighting his work-centric mind
—
Character Insight:
Satake is beginning to feel the weight of his loneliness, nearly regretting his rejection of the share-house. Mamiya shows a surprisingly inexperienced side (never dated, only one mixer), while Toda proves she can be ruthlessly observant when necessary.
—
Behind the Scenes:
The use of ‘Paisen’ (slang for Senpai) and ‘-ssu’ (slangy copula) are classic markers of ‘junior’ character archetypes in modern Japanese fiction.
—
TL Notes:
Notes:
• Toda Sayaka – first-year hire under Satake’s OJT, she is a soft-spoken mediator to her roommate Mamiya, her modest dress and careful manners reflecting a pure, almost old-fashioned grace. Slender and pale with long, pitch-black hair flowing softly down her back, she carries a delicate beauty—wide, gentle eyes, easily flushed cheeks, and a quiet, almost fragile presence. Called an “oasis” and even a “guardian deity,” she moves through life with self-effacing kindness, cooking for others and blaming herself for small faults, her innocence preserved yet shaped by a constant, tender effort to care for those around her.
• Mamiya Kei – A spirited first-year hire at Satake’s firm, she moves through the office with quick wit and brighter energy, her light-brown ponytail and athletic frame marking her as both poised and playful. Off-duty, she lounges in casual comfort, sharing a lively home with her roommate Toda. She teases seniors—calling Satake “Paisen”—yet deeply admires him, her informal dialect and easy laughter shaped by club days, independence, and a life that taught her to stay light on her feet.
• Satake – The protag. Tall and lean in a rumpled suit, with faint stubble, tired dark eyes shadowed by deep circles, and a perpetually composed expression, he carries the quiet wear of overwork in every line of his posture. A 28-year-old software engineer and OJT mentor, he is “Paisen” to Toda and Mamiya, the unseen “Satake Wall” shielding them from burnout. Beneath his poker face lies dry cynicism and a self-mocking “ojisan” complex, shaped by years of isolation, relentless duty, and a life lived at his desk, now culminating in a hospital stay born of exhaustion.
• Nozawa – Satake’s colleague from the same hiring class (douki). He is responsible and strictly follows company security protocols, having recovered Satake’s work equipment from the hospital.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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