Hiyama kept on alternating lightly tapping on her face and a loud smacking sound of the cheek.

The mixed emotion of the faces that stared at Hiyama and Aizawa made the night still. Awkwardness was indeed in the air but if you would look at it, Fujikawa would always be there to break the silence.

“Wha- Ho-... So Hiyama.. Aizawa… you saw her… is- ah- ?”

For people like Hiyama or Aizawa who says they don’t really care about what others say, it is still difficult to disclose their situation.

Breathing in, Hiyama smiled and laughed it off. “See, this is the reason why I never told you that I found out who the owner of the apartment is. My pride had diminished so much. To think that I had to continue on living there with this arrogant man.” 

A part of Hiyama thinks that it would have been better if others have not known at all, she can feel it, but is going against it. Going against the thought that it felt special to have that kind of a relationship with Aizawa, whatever it is. But nevertheless, she can’t handle the truth and how others would definitely react to it.

Fujikawa tried to laugh as well, “Ah, it must be because of the rent huh? Since it had been so long since you complained about the unit owner, I actually thought you moved out already.”

Shiraishi got a hold of herself, nodding with what Fujikawa had said, “Yeah, Hiyama-sensei, we thought you looked for another one already. But we can help you look for, since you know…” Shiraishi trailed and tried to make her point across.

Immediately Hiyama’s cheeks burned hard knowing that those words really came out from . She tried her best to say something but was beaten to it by Aizawa who was quiet throughout that time.

“Why, is there a reason her boyfriend can’t see her like that?”

Hiyama muffled her scream into her pillow. She glanced at the clock, two hours. She had been like this for almost two hours now. And by just her luck, it would soon be her duty again. Looking around her room, her face reddens again at the sight of her scattered clothes.

“I can’t even look at them, how am I supposed to pick it up?” She pounded her head against her fist.

It’s not like those words affected her too much. Indeed it did not. These are the example of the lies that she puts into her mind. She shakes her head and proceeded to fix the clothes that were on the floor. Liar, Aizawa is a big fat liar. In her head, Aizawa had grown ten more layers of skin in his face to be able to think of those kind of lies. Indeed those were lies.

She was back to sitting at her bed when her phone rang. Speaking of the devil. She fought hard to just slide it off and not answer his call, but her doctor instincts are kicking in and she just can’t seem to not answer any call in fear of an emergency.

“Moshi moshi?”

“My grandmother is there.”

Hiyama scoffed at the words she heard, “Really? No greetings? You should know that it is common courtesy to- WHAT?” She kept her voice down. “What? I thought you said you would bring her here after we exchange shifts.” She prides in herself that she can keep herself composed in many situations, but truly, this one is not.

“She just texted me that she won’t bother me at work so she’ll just wait for me outside the apartment.”

“So what now? You can’t possibly ask her to come there.”

At the other end of the line, one’s expression softens and felt lighter. The travel time of Aizawa’s grandmother had already been long and it is against him to make her come to the hospital.

“Let her come inside.”

“Like magically slide the key under the door? We don’t keep keys in the doormat right? Don’t you think we should?”

Again, at the other end, one’s lips had turned upwards.

“I said let her come inside. Greet her.”

“Are you serious? Should I say that we use this as a boarding house? It’s quite close to the hospital-” Hiyama was cut off and even after the man at the other end finished talking and hung up on her. It took a while to make her foot move.

“Just tell her we have been living together. She knows you as my girlfriend. If she frowns at that, tell her we’re getting married anyway.”

Liar. Aizawa is a big fat liar. He just keeps on piling up lies on lies. And it is Hiyama who would indeed be suffering.

Gathering up her last ounce of pride, shame, and embarrassment, she looked at herself in the mirror. She was already getribg ready for work so she already took a bath and was wearing at least decent clothes.

She opened up the door and found Aizawa’s grandmother using a portable chair and getting ready to read. It made her chuckle a little knowing that she was so prepared in her trip. At her age it does seem that she would be a target of sickness, but other than the reasons she was admitted back then, she is still strong.

“Ohayou gozaimasu, Kinue-san.” Hiyama bowed to the elder and smiled. Aizawa’s grandmother was surprised at the sudden greeting but politely smiled and greeted back.

“Ah, you should come in. Ai- Kousaku would be here. He’s just finishing up his shift and he told me you were here.”

They went inside and Hiyama helped her with her things.

“That boy, I told him to just focus on his job. I did not mean for him to bother you.” Hiyama served some water and tea. She just nodded and smiled. She sat at the couch opposite Aizawa’s grandmother.

“He told me that you would be having your annual physical exam.” The other nodded and urged Hiyama to sit next to her.

“Again, that boy does not listen to me. I told him that I don’t need to do this. I’m old enough and happy to see him achieve great things. In fact, I came here so that I can talk him out into wasting his savings for my exams.” She smiled at Hiyama and looked at her hands. “You would probably tell me to continue it too, right? You both have that image of a righteous doctor.”

Hiyama shook her head. “If I was him, I would probably tell you to continue it. But, I’m, I guess, me, and I value what the patient wants. You have been through a lot, and this decision is just one of them. I would probably let you not take it.”  Indeed it was one of her flaws. As a doctor, she tried so hard to leave out her emotions in these kind of situations, but nevertheless, she is not heartless.

“Would you help me convince him?” Aizawa’s grandmother smiled and tried to plead with her.

“He won’t listen.” As if in a trance, Hiyama smilingly recited the next lines. “He is that hard headed when it comes to the safety of his patients. He is not aftaid to go and operate on his own if he needs to. He is ready to switch with you when you get the nervousness, he would throw you out but nonetheless he still thinks of his patients. Even if it was already years ago since I became his patient, he still reminds me of my condition everyday. So I definitely know how you feel.”

Unbeknownst to the two women, Aizawa had opened up the front door, he was about to greet but decided against it after seeing the two talk.

“That’s because he knows that you have a long life to still live.” Hiyama frowned at that, knowing where the conversation would turn to. “I probably only have a few years. What I have seen of him, of what became of him, that’s enough for me. I could not ask for more.” Hiyama could see it in the elder Aizawa’s eyes. She is content in the life that she had lived.

“How about our wedding? Baa-chan, are you not looking forward to it?”

If Hiyama can transform to anything other than her right now, she would have used all her savings for that to happen.