Chapter 11: 1_ ch 9: A. day of discharge

Knock. Knock.

“Alice nee-Chan.”

Hmm.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

“Alice nee-Chan”

Hmm, leave me be.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

“Alice nee-Chan, wake up”

Hmmm, just another millennium, please.

I am sleeping now.

Knock. Knock.

“Alice nee-Chan, are you awake yet?

You said that you’ll play with us”

“Yeah, you said .”

Hmm, but .....

“ruu-kun, rii-chan, I am sleepy now, wait for later.”

“eeeh, will you lie to us, Alice nee-Chan ?”

“yeah, will you ?”

“Tsk.”

To use this card against me, of all people.

“of course I am not lying.”

Instantly standing from my bed, I walk to open the door.

“so would you mind giving me some time to prepare ?”

Hmph, to think someone would doubt my credibility.

If my credibility is being doubted, what will happen to my job? are you trying to destroy this world’s economy? or maybe are you trying to end this world itself?

To call me, of all people, a liar? What a felony.

But first of all, do you know?

“you shouldn’t yell at a hospital.”

“but only Alice nee-Chan is in this side.”

“even so, you shouldn’t.”

“Yeah, you shouldn’t.”

“wha... what side are you with,rii ?”

“hmph, Alice nee-chan's of course.”

“b-but I am your brother, why ?”

“eeh, but ruu is also in Alice nee-chan's, right”

chuckle.

She caught him.

Good one, rii-Chan.

“......”

See, he is silent.

But moving on, I should wash my face and have breakfast, and so

“Okay, Okay. That’s enough ruu-Kun, rii-Chan. Just give me a moment and I will follow you, is that alright ?”

“yeah”

“yeah”

Finishing this gag play, I move to wash my face.

“so, did you bring it ruu-Kun ?”

“Yeah, mom didn’t see it.”

“And what about him ?”

“Uncle George too, he didn’t see it.

So is this enough money to make a game?”

“of course, it is.”

In front of me is some chocolate bars. Some are mine, while others are ruu-kun’s. and to our side, is rii-Chan eating hers.

What we are doing is playing cards.

But ruu-Kun thoughts that it was boring to just play normally, so here I am, teaching him how hard life can be.

“i-impossible, y-you are cheating Alice nee.”

“And ? do you have proof ?”

“Yeah, do you have proof ?”

Good support, rii-chan.

“b-but, ....”

Whisper

“Alice nee-Chan, isn’t it enough already? Anymore, and he will cry.”

Whisper

“Got it, rii-Chan.”

“ n-next time, I-I w-won’t lose, okay ?”

Wow, he really is planning to cry.

“Okay, okay. You can take it back ruu-kun. No problem.”

“wah, thank you, Alice nee.”

What a fast change, was he faking it after all?

“and you rii-Chan, can take my chocolate bars. After all, I just had breakfast.”

“Yay, you are the best, Alice nee.”

“what? that‘s unfair, Alice nee. What about me ?”

“ho, ho. And who is saying that ? is it the same one who was fake crying before? Huh.”

“..... sorry.”

“it‘s okay. We were just playing after al-Ouch.”

Hey, no need to hit the head, you know?

Looking to who hit me, I find Dr. Smith as I expected.

“playing, or is it just teaching gambling to kids. You know that it is a bad habit, that some adults have. And to teach it to kids. Are you an idiot ?”

Oh, is that how you will play? then I too would do it.

“so you are already playing the dad role, ho? Did you confess already ?”

“W-what are you talking about ?”

“trying to deny ?”

Turning to the chocolate duo, I speak.

“hey, ruu-Kun, rii-Chan. Would you mind going out? I want to talk to Dr. Smith alone ?”

“Okay.”

“Okay.”

And like that the two of them left, leaving me and Dr. Smith alone, with each of us sitting at a side of the table staring seriously at the other.

And breaking such silence, I speak.

“so did you confess your love to Anna, or not ?”

“H-how did you know ?”

“It was clear on your face the whole time. So did you ?”

“w-well....., Not yet.”

“hmm, so you don’t deny your love, is it ?”

“w-wait, that is not ....”

“you have just said it, not me. So don’t try to lie your way out of it. Mr. LoveSick Doctor.”

“shit, so it was a trap.”

Oh, by the way. Anna is a female doctor’s name, and she is ruu-Kun and rii-Chan’s mother.

Simply put, she is another acquaintance here in this place.

And this guy here is in love with her.

“Oh, just saying but I think you have a good chance with her, you know.”

“R-really..., I mean. Caught, I didn’t come to speak about this. But abo..”

“but about my discharge procedures. Am I right ?”

“...... right.”

“I know. Let's finish them now then, while I still have time.

Don’t want it to take my time later, after all.”

“....Haa, Okay.”

Standing from my place, I follow Dr. Smith to finish the Procedures, and then go back to my patient room, to take my travel bag, full of what little luggage I had.

Turning back I speak to Dr. Smith.

“Say, is It there ?”

“ah, yeah. It was delivered yesterday with the other pack.”

“good.”

Smiling, I was preparing to walk when two kids stood in my way.

“Alice nee-Chan, are you going ?”

“won’t we see you again, Alice nee-Chan ?”

“now, now, you too, don’t stop Alice from walking.”

“It is okay, just give us a second.”

“Okay.”

Finished my words with the doctor, I turn to the kid duo.

Though they look as innocent and naive as any other child, my 2 years of knowing them, proved that they were actually bright for their age.

And so it seems that I underestimated how big a shock the goodbye is going to be for them.

“Listen to me you too. You know that I am just being discharged from hospital right ?”

“yeah.”

“yeah.”

“so don’t make a fuss, it ‘s not like I am disappearing, okay ?”

At least not yet.

“so even if I am discharged, I will still visit.

Just like how you visit me all the time, okay ?”

“is it a promise ?”

“is it a promise ?”

“yeah, it is.”

Saying so, I put my hand in my bag.

“here. look.”

And take two coins from my hand, I then throw them into the air.

“and now ....”

Catching each coin in hand, I make two fists, and then

“tada .”

“It is empty.”

“empty ?”

Indeed, my hands are empty.

“Now look at your hands.”

“my hand? wah, a ring.”

“a pendent.”

Yes, in their hands, is a pendant with a ring in it.

It is simply a ring in a necklace chain. A simple but nice silver design.

“but Alice nee-Chan, where did the coins go ?”

“Well, that is a good question, rii-Chan. You see, the coins disappeared, because I had to pay for the pendant.

You know they are not free. Right ?”

“ha, Lies.”

Oh, you caught me.

“so what? it was a nice magic trick, with a nice memento at the end, so why bother thinking ?”

“right.”

“right.”

Looking at the two smiling kids, I once again talk to them.

“so will you keep those two as a gift from me, they are proof that you two are my first friends, so use them to remember me.

So do we have a deal now ?”

“Deal.”

“Deal.”

“Then until I see you later, don’t cause trouble, okay ?”

“but you will cause it right, Alice nee-Chan ?”

“Right.”

Smiling at the two, and nodding to the doctor

I turn back, walking.

And just like that, I start making my way to the parking.

Happily remembering the smiling face of the duo as they were receiving my already prepared gifts, I reach the parking.

And here I...

“found it”