『 Dying of Asphyxiation was seriously not my goal in life. 』
Neither was meeting a Governor of the Afterlife and getting sent to another world for a second chance at life.
Drew was assaulted by a group of men for reasons she didn't understand. Drown...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
27. Hospital
It was an ungodly 3AM, but the Ninomiya Household was awake to see the only son off on his trip. He was headed out to what they believed was a drill camp for his Drama Club.
Sae and Sui staggered drowsily, still rubbing their eyes, half awake and yawning one after another run a constant chain. Dad led them around, making sure they wouldn't walk into walls in their ditzy condition.
"My training camp will last two whole weeks, so I hope the house is still intact by the time I return!" I joked. "I wrote down everything you need to know on the notebook on the dining table. Worst case scenario, contact the Sasagawas or the Yamamotos for any help."
"Yes, Mommy..." See and Sui yawned.
"Yes, mommy." Dad imitated, a mischievous smirk on his face.
I sighed. Guess that title's official. Dammit Dad, if I could, I'd be strangling you right now.
"I'm off." I bid, smiling slightly.
"Have fun!" they respond.
------
How many times? How long more do I have to lie like this again?
As I entered the hospital and registered myself into the Emergency Wards, my face was stuck in a frown. It wouldn't turn up.
You're supposed to be a clown, Rei. What Clown are you if you can't smile? What Magician are you if you keep losing your poker face?
I sat down on the cold plastic chairs, sighing. I leaned against the backrest, slumping down and closing my eyes. The waiting room was quite empty as the sun hadn't risen. It was quiet-- almost too quiet--- and cold. Hospitals were always freezing cold.
The distant smell of disinfectant wafted in the air. It was a smell I had gotten accustomed to. However, it was an odor that gave me a sense of foreboding.
Whenever I step into a hospital, bad news will reach my ears.
Over the years, I'd come to understand that fact, and I've come to accept the truth that the day I come out of a hospital fully recovered will never arrive.
"Good morning, Ninomiya-kun." a hushed tone greeted me. I looked up to see Kuma, wearing a doctor's labcoat, adorning a smile on his face. He looked at me, with eyes of a parent, giving me an assuring smile.
"Good morning, Kuma." I mumbled. I kept my face down. I willed myself to smile, but I couldn't make myself sound happy at all.
I hand ruffled my head. "It's alright, kid." Kuma chuckled at me, "I'm in charge of you, so you'll be alright." he was trying to assure me, I realized. He crouched down to meet me in the eyes. I noticed eyebags. Kuma-sensei never got enough sleep, and in this ungodly hour he should be sleeping!
"It'll be alright, Rei." he smiled.
I perked up. He called me by name.
Kuma grinned, "Have I ever failed you?"
------
"You're an enigma, Ninomiya." Amano-sensei sighed. He flipped through the documents in his hand, looking for the page he was searching for. "It's horribly strange to think that nothing but your lungs are abnormal. Even the blood that runs through your lungs are normal! WHY? It's just the lung structure itself that's making a whole mess of things. What on earth?"
He was irritated, but more annoyed about his lack of ability than at me.
"Maybe he's an alien." Kuma chimed in helpfully, leaning over the railings of my hospital bed, jabbing a pointing thumb in my direction. "Or a zombie. That might explain the lung corrosion."
"Yeah. Maybe I'm actually dead, but my soul hasn't realized it yet, so I'm currently living in a dead body and is undergoing rigor mortis, minus the frozen joints." I decided to join in.
"I swear to jesus, you two could become great authors in the future." Amano-sensei groaned. "Nevertheless, upon your request we'll prep you for the surgery right away." He looked towards Kuma-sensei, who nodded in response.
"The most we can do now is fix up the lung tissue." Kuma explained, "It's probably only a temporary solution, but we don't have enough research to help you out any further."
"It's alright." I told them, managing a small smile on my face, "I'm more than grateful."
Amano-sensei ruffled my hair this time. "And don't worry-" he assured me, "I asked the best doctor in town for your case. You'll be perfectly fine."
My eyes met Kuma's and he gave me a reassuring smile.
And I felt calm. I felt at ease.
I felt blessed.
------
------
-----
AN: This is a short chapter, but I guess I just wanted to put it out here to ascertain Rei's current condition. The next chapter will timeskip to after he's released from the hospital, so I guess this is kinda like an Omake, I guess.
...wait a minute, I just realized 'Amano' is Amano Akira's name. I JUST REALIZED--
Also, I'm actually skipping quite a bit of the Daily Life Arc, because this story follows Rei, not Tsuna. I'll be skipping a few meetings: Fuuta, for example, will only meet Rei in the next arc. I'll also be skipping the Mafia Land chapters, because I'm thinking that Rei should meet Colonello and Skull a little later.
As a sneak peek, the last five chapters of the Daily Life Arc will be:
-Sakura Viewing
-Rei's Birthday
-Swimming at the Sea
-Ten Year Bazooka?
-Summer Festival
And what does that mean? It means-- it's the moment you've all been waiting for!
