Seishun Buta Yarou Series - Volume 13 - Chapter 4.5

5

When he regained consciousness, he felt his body rocking.

He must be in a vehicle.

Then he heard the sirens.

They didn’t seem to be getting closer or farther away.

Sakuta opened his eyes.

A cramped interior.

Walls and ceiling close at hand.

“He’s awake,” someone said. He knew that voice.

Rio was sitting next to the bed.

“It’s likely a concussion. Doesn’t seem serious, but head injuries are always worth a closer look once we reach the hospital,” explained an EMT who had checked his pupils and taken his pulse.

The man looked to be in his early thirties.

Only then did Sakuta realize he was in an ambulance.

“Why are you here, Futaba?”

This was the first question that came to mind.

“I told you yesterday that I’d be at the event.”

“Oh yeah.”

He finally remembered just why he’d needed an ambulance.

“Mai?”

“She’s fine.”

This came from Ikumi, who was sitting next to Rio.

“A curious pairing.”

“Oh, there’s more,” Rio said, looking ahead at the driver’s seat.

“Sakuta, don’t scare me like this.”

From where he lay, Sakuta couldn’t see, but he knew that voice. His friend from high school, Yuuma Kunimi.

He was now working for the fire department.

“Didn’t think I’d need your services so soon, Kunimi.”

“Don’t let it happen again.”

He was laughing, but he also clearly meant it.

“I’ll try.”

“Please do!”

The ambulance stopped at a light, blinker on. It turned right.

“What happened to the Santas?” he asked, looking at Ikumi, then Rio.

“The police are interviewing them,” Rio said.

“Sakurajima said she’d catch up after the cops fill her in,” Ikumi added.

“Makes sense. She’s their chief today!”

“Almost there. Prep,” Yuuma said in the deeply reassuring tone of a professional.

And the ambulance reached the hospital.

He was taken straight to an exam room, where the wound on his head was stitched up. Once that was done, they checked his cognitive functions again. Asked if he felt nauseated or dizzy, any numbness in his hands or feet.

“I feel fine.”

“You’re walking straight, but let’s do a CT scan just to be sure.”

“Okay.”

“This way.”

A nurse led him to a whole other section of the hospital. The CT room had a machine in it that looked like it would send him back in time.

The room was filled with a mysterious hum, and he was laid down on a cold bed, following instructions delivered from a doctor in the room next door. The exam finished without his really being sure what was going on.

“Stay in the waiting room until the results are in,” the nurse said, and she sent him on his way.

He went back down the hall alone.

His head turned this way and that, as he tried not to get himself lost—and he found the waiting room successfully. And even more familiar faces within.

“Oh, Azusagawa, you okay?” Takumi asked, jumping up.

“You don’t look okay,” Nene said, eyes on his head. He had a dramatic bandage wrap.

“I’m waiting on the final results, but the doctor who did the CT scan said I’d be fine,” he said.

His gaze settled on Nene’s clothes. She must have changed after they’d split up at Tsujido Station. She was no longer a miniskirt Santa.

That wasn’t really an outfit meant for wandering around town, especially now that everyone could see her.

“If you’re fine, then we’re in the way. Let’s go,” Nene said, poking Takumi.

“Huh? We just got here?”

“It’s a hospital.”

She wasn’t taking no for an answer.

“Uh, okay, then. Azusagawa, see you on campus.”

“Yep.”

He waved them out.

They were soon out of sight around the corner.

“I’m going, too. I’ve got a lesson to teach,” Rio said.

“Oh, sorry. Thanks. Kunimi’s…?”

“Already off to the next job.”

With that, Rio left.

Leaving just Sakuta and Ikumi.

“You don’t have to stick around, either,” he said.

“Are you okay alone?”

“I should be. My sister’s here.”

Rio and Kaede had bumped into each other at the corner, and Rio was pointing the way.

Their eyes met down the hall. Kaede gave him a look that was only half-angry, and she walked quickly his way.

“What were you thinking?” she demanded, lips screwed up.

“Sorry about this,” he said, meaning it.

“You should be!”

Kaede was not placated that easily.

“Sounds like everything’s fine, at least,” he said.

“If you’re at a hospital at all, nothing is fine.”

He couldn’t argue with that. Over Kaede’s shoulder, he saw Ikumi break into a laugh.

Ten minutes later, Sakuta was called in to hear the results of the CT scan. Ikumi took that opportunity to go, “You do seem fine,” and make her exit smoothly.

Kaede insisted she wanted to be there with him.

“Nothing out of the ordinary,” the doctor said. “You’re free to leave.”

That was it.

Sakuta left feeling slightly underwhelmed, and he found two policemen waiting for them.

He knew why.

They’d come to ask about today’s events.

They talked for about half an hour.

Not wanting to get in the way of other patients or the staff, they found a break room with a couch and a vending machine.

All he really said was that he saw the crowd surging and thought Mai was in trouble, so he jumped out.

Their questions covered his actions today, when he reached the venue, and his relationship with Mai Sakurajima… They tackled several angles.

One of them wrote down everything he said, but Sakuta didn’t think he’d mentioned anything that would impact their investigation.

Sakuta would rather like someone to explain those Santas to him.

As things wrapped up, he actually asked, “So what was the deal with all the Santas?”

The officers exchanged glances.

“We’re looking into that. Thanks for sparing us some time despite your injuries.”

They bowed their heads and left.

Sakuta glanced at the window. It was already dark. The clock said it was almost five thirty. He’d flown back from Hokkaido that morning—what a long day.

“Is it over, Sakuta?” Kaede asked. She’d been waiting nearby.

He hadn’t done anything wrong, but she was clearly uncomfortable with having her brother talk to the cops.

“It is. It was fine. Maybe getting questioned by the cops at all isn’t fine, though.”

“Very true.”

“Oh, there he is! Sakuta-sensei!”

This cheery girl’s voice sounded very out of place in a hospital.

He recognized it right away—only a select few called him that.

“Why are you here, Himeji?”

“Paying you a visit, of course!”

“I was just leaving…and how’d you know?”

“Tomoe told me.”

Sara turned, glancing back down the hall.

Tomoe was behind her, looking uncomfortable.

“How’d you know, Koga?”

“I heard from Kaede. Told Himeji. We decided to swing by on break.”

“Makes sense.”

They both had their server uniforms on under their coats.

“Sakuta, you owe Tomoe one,” Kaede said. “I was supposed to be working, and she swapped in for me last minute.”

“I wasn’t doing anything else,” Tomoe said, before Sakuta could respond.

“Shame to steal that from you,” he said.

“Sensei, how you doing?”

“I’m fine. You two might not be—you only have an hour break.”

It was almost time for the dinner rush, and the restaurant would be getting busy. They’d never handle that with two waitresses gone.

“Oh crap! Himeji, we gotta go!”

“Ew, already?”

“We agreed to just get a look-see!”

“That’s what you said.”

“I said that’s all we’d have time for. Don’t believe her, Senpai!” Tomoe snapped.

She took Sara’s arm and pried her away.

Such a reliable mentor.

Sakuta watched them go with a warm smile.

“We oughtta leave, too,” he said.

“Oh, wait!” Kaede said, jamming a hand into her coat pocket. She pulled out her phone and checked the screen. “Mai’s on her way here.”

“Then I’d better wait.”

“I’ll head home, though—to Yokohama. Let Mom and Dad know you’re okay.”

“Oof, good idea. Tell ’em there’s nothing to worry about.”

“You call them yourself later!”

“I will.”

“Good.”

Kaede put her phone away and huffed off.

This got another warm smile from him.

Mai reached the hospital about twenty minutes after Kaede left.

She’d changed into normal clothes and found him waiting in the lobby.

“Does it hurt?” she asked, looking at his head.

“Not as much.”

“Your whole face was red. It was rather alarming.”

“You caught me and spared me from hitting my head on the ground, too.”

“I said I’d keep you safe.”

They were already headed for the doors.

“The police uniform made you look badass, Mai,” he said, giving her street clothes a baleful look. He’d have rather she kept the uniform on.

“If you’re joking, you’re fine.”

At the door, they passed the nurse who’d helped with the CT scan. “Take care!” “Thanks for your help.”

And with that, they were outside.

Sakuta wanted to talk about Mai’s police uniform for a while longer, but he let it be for now. They had other things to discuss.

On the way to the parking lot, he asked the first question on his mind.

“Learn anything about the Santas?”

“The police aren’t finished questioning everyone, so they’re not talking.”

“Oh.”

“But they asked a few basic questions where I could hear, and everyone said the same thing.”

“What?”

“They thought they were Touko Kirishima.”

“……”

That left him dumbfounded. He forgot to take his next step. Mai’s news was just that stunning.

It was hard to believe.

But after seeing all those Santas there, how could he not?

Sakuta knew exactly what had happened with Nene, so had to accept it.

“They’d all heard rumors that I was Touko Kirishima, which is why they were there. None of them had any intention of doing anything to me, though.”

“And they didn’t talk to each other?”

“Nope.”

Nene had just been one of many.

Was that what this meant?

Nene had said she was just headed to the event. She swore she’d had no plans beyond that.

He didn’t know much more.

Thinking about it here wouldn’t get him anywhere.

But he knew one thing for sure.

The most important thing of all.

“Well, I’m glad you’re safe, Mai.”

That fact alone was cause for celebration.

“That’s my line,” she said.

“Then it goes for both of us.”

“Oh, Nodoka said she wanted to talk to you.”

“Do I have to?”

Mai forced her phone into his hand. She’d already dialed Nodoka’s number. He gave up and put it to his ear.

“Sis?” Nodoka said brightly.

“It’s me.”

“Don’t make her worry,” she growled.

“You weren’t worried, Toyohama?”

“I was!”

This was a different voice—Uzuki’s.

“I was so, so worried that I could only eat three onigiri before our concert.”

“That sounds like plenty, Zukki.”

Her mouth sounded full, like she was eating something else on the phone.

“Anyway! Thanks for keeping her safe, Sakuta,” Nodoka said. She hung up immediately.

Sakuta stared down at the phone.

“What is with today?” he muttered, and he handed it back to Mai.

“Meaning?”

“It feels like I met everyone I know.”

Takumi, Nene, and Ikumi, then Rio, Yuuma, Tomoe, and Sara. Kaede had been there, and now he’d talked to Nodoka and Uzuki. And Mai was here with him.

“Getting injured is never good, but if you see all your friends, it’s a good day,” Mai said.

That seemed convincing. Words to live by.

“Maybe it was,” he said.

As they walked, they took each other’s hands.