Kindergarten Bully [Oikawa Tooru] | ✔

Week End

There is no one I hate more than myself. For being the way I am, I've brought shame onto our family. No matter what Naoko insists, I will always be different. And being different isn't always a good thing.

- Tadashi Makoshima

xXx

For millions of people, Friday was the best day of the week. In Western culture, there were even slogans and maxims revolving around the sheer brilliance of Friday, such as TGIF, the acronym for "Thank God It's Friday".

For Sumire Makoshima, Friday held something different.

As she shuffled down the white halls of the hospital, she fingered her headphones nervously, wondering what she would say when it was realized that Naoko Makoshima did not walk beside her.

"Good afternoon, Sumire-san," one of the nurses, Aiko Nakamura, greeted. Her blonde curls were lovely as usual and the clipboard she tucked in the crook of her elbow gave her a professional air. "Makoshima-san seems to be quite lively today. She'll be very happy to see you."

"That's good," Sumire replied. "And good afternoon to you too, Nakamura-san. It's always nice to see you." She fidgeted nervously in front of room 1408. "Ah... Nakamura-san?"

"Hah? Is something wrong, Sumire-san?"

"My sister couldn't come with me today."

"Oh." Nakamura's facial expression changed to one of concern. "No matter, Makoshima-san will brighten up just by seeing you anyway."

"If you say so."

Deciding that it was time to bite the bullet, Sumire opened the door and entered room 1408. "Obaa-chan?"

"Sumi-kun!"

Her grandmother's bed rested against the wall. The woman herself was hooked up to all sorts of machines and IV drips. Her hair was white with age, but the wrinkles on her face were all from smiling.

"I'm not a boy, Baba," Sumire reminded gently, using the affectionate nickname she gave her grandmother.

"I know that, Sumi-kun. But I prefer 'Sumi-kun' to 'Sumi-chan'. Wouldn't you agree?"

"I guess." Grinning, she hugged her grandmother as carefully as possible. "I've missed you, Baba!"

"I've missed you too, child. Where's Naachan?"

She couldn't make it because she has to pull a late shift again. She couldn't make it because she's busy earning money for all of us and there's nothing I can do to dissuade her from it. Our parents left us lots of money but Naachan likes to plan ahead. I'm sorry Baba. All of these answers circled in her mind but she hated the sound of all of them.

"Sumi-kun?"

"Friends!" Sumire blurted, hating herself even more for lying to her grandmother. "Naoko-nee is hanging out with her friends." Oh god, that was even worse. How selfish can you be to pick friends over family? I've painted nee-chan in an even worse light!

But to her surprise, her grandmother smiled. "That's good. I'm so glad Naachan is finally opening up to people again. Tell her that I love her and miss her."

"Obaa-chan... don't make it sound like you're dying."

"Me? Die? I'm not dying anytime soon, child! I still have my other granddaughter and grandson to see before I pass. When is Tadashi going to visit again anyway? He never visits."

Sumire did not know how to explain. Should I tell them that Tadashi is terrified of hospitals because of childhood trauma? But that would raise even more questions and Baba doesn't know... about what happened to him.