Chapter Text
Tsubasa Sekanji.
Nakamura-san hadn’t shown much of her thoughts over her visage, nothing more than the faintest twitch on the very edge of her lips. The ghost of displeasure. When Ai had volunteered to just take the box back with her and store it at her dorm’s empty closet, the ghost whispered away, fingers tracing cold over her skin, burning into curiosity.
It was none of her business, honestly.
Nakamura-san even said she was free to throw it out, as “Sekanji-kun” had long since passed the acceptable time slate to retrieve his things. Technically, this box was hers, kind of. For a…given definition of the word.
It weighed heavily in her arms, as she walked back to her dorm. Like a secret she shouldn’t have seen. She had a deep, irrational sense oto try and hide it, somehow, to keep it out of other’s eyes.
(Keiko-senpai hadn’t even spared the box more than a fleeting glance, probably assuming it was from one of Ai’s lost-and-found diving adventures, as she had a tendency to do whenever she wanted new stuff, just because. She wouldn’t be wrong, even.)
So why was her heart beating against her chest, anxiety tightening her stomach? Her hand was laid flat against the top side of the box, worn and still somewhat dusty, the tape peeling off at the sides with grey.
It would be noticeable, if she opened it.
Ai bit at her lip.
She let her fingers scrape at the very end of the dusted tape, before pushing the box in. It slid right under her bed.
She wondered if he had a bed to sleep in, tonight. Ai stood, closing the window next to her bed, and wished the boy – the boy, who, held fear so brightly in young eyes that it cut into his youth, stripping him of the jadedness he held when they first met – some peace.
(In her memories, the area behind his eyepatch bled red.)
********
And in other news—
Thefts of pharmaceuticals in transit to retail pharmacies have been on the rise over the past few years. While exact figures are unavailable, experts are alarmed by thefts of drugs from warehouses, shipping carrier distribution centers, and semi-trucks, despite numerous security and tracking measures.
The most recent example would be –
********
“Akagawa-san, right?”
“Eh?” Ai tried to stand up, only to bump her head on the underside of the table, “Ah, wait—”
Straightening in a manner which she could only hope was even moderately dignified, Ai peeked from where she had been arranging various boxes under the table of the makeshift Samaritan clinic they’d set up. It was still within campus bounds, of course, but near enough to the gates that made it clear anyone was welcome.
And easy enough for the campus guards to close the gates if need be. Ai was fairly sure of the reason why, memories flickering through Miho’s grim face as she investigated around the school.
The last theft had been not too far from here, involving a fistfight that left victims, injured but not dead, and no one was sure if the main thief had been caught in the crossfire.
People around town had been upping security, in their own ways. Local pharmacies having a little more people looking out for them than usual. The Samaritan clinic, funded and staffed by the main school clinic with the nursing students helping out even though it was Ai who had suggested the idea, was almost nearly perfectly timed along with the string of thefts. It was a good idea, as far as Ai was concerned, they’d had a client walk in before they had even finished setting up, an elderly couple who couldn’t exactly make the trip downtown, with more people coming in at a steady pace.
Still, the overhanging threat of theft and possible grievous injury to their students – and more importantly, their reputation – had the university board pulling a few strings to get more protection around the entire set-up.
Hence, the squad car.
Hence, Haruki-san’s current and continued presence at the clinic. He and his partner were to be stationed at the clinic for a shift, before another duo would replace them.
“You need help with that?” Haruki asked, jutting his chin at the boxes piled under the table, behind her, all around the small shed they were using as temporary storage. It was mostly bandages and other dry materials, the actual medicine having a close eye kept on them at all times by no less than three students and the school nurse and doctor.
Ai gave him a small smile, “If it’s not too much trouble?”
He gave her a wink that was almost ostentatious if not for the fact it was obviously exaggerated. It drew a giggle out of Ai, which in turn made the officer smile, even as he hauled a few more boxes into his arms, then fell into step beside her.
“You know, the chief had announced this whole Samaritan clinic thing,” Haruki said, Ai’s gaze sliding over to his cheerful visage, “All everyone could think of was the whole theft strings. This entire thing would be one hell of a perfect target.”
Ai hummed. It hadn’t been quite so bad when she had first suggested it, along with Keiko-senpai’s help, but the closer the opening date came, the worse the thefts got, making it harder and harder to make the push.
When the school doctor asked Ai why, exactly, she was pushing for this so hard, Ai’s answer had been simple:
“The thefts are making it hard for people to go to pharmacies, or even to local clinics. They’re scared. That means that people who may need their medicine aren’t getting treatment, or people simply aren’t going to work at the clinics so they can lock down to minimize the chance of theft. Either way, people won’t be treated. Even if the thefts are happening, someone needs to do something.”
And that was exactly what she had told Haruki, eyes wide and bright.
He gave her a wide-eyed stare of his own, face unreadable.
“Eh?” Ai blinked, “Haruki-san?”
Bewilderment made her jaw go slack, because those were, in fact, tears.
“I-I made you cry! I’m so sorry—”
“No, no – it’s just that,” Haruki seemed to pause, then brightened as he turned back to her, “It was touching! You really care about people, don’t you, Ai-san?”
Ai flushed happily, “Well…it’s my job.”
*****
The doctor had ruffled her hair and chuckled, the voice coming in deep from his throat, and said, “I see. I’ll go and talk to the board, then.”
(“Taking to the board” really meant “I had enough dirt to pull this entire institute to the ground.” But Ai didn’t need to know that.
Now did she need to know the doctor’s many, various strings and what he pulled, to get the cops to come by and possibly catch more clues like this. Debatably amoral? Sure. Probably efficient? Maybe!
Either way, the little miss had a point. Something had to be done.)
*****
“You know, it was my partner who volunteered to do this,” Haruki continued on, Ai beside him arranging the boxes I a more orderly manner. The main tent was a busy thing, with people milling about, or chatting about a condition or another. Gossip filtered in about the recent thefts, which Ai supposed was inevitable.
And then reality snuck back in and finally let her process words.
“Eh?” Ai struggled to string together words that could maybe slightly convey coherence, but ultimately found herself stuck with, “I…really? Did he say why?”
Haruki grinned, “Ah, who knows, who knows?”
He tipped his cap, ruffling at his bangs, “You can ask him yourself, though.“
He jutted his chin towards the squad car, where Shirogane stepped out, hair swaying lightly in the breeze.