She entered the old man’s room once again, expecting to see him engulfed into another gigantic novel. Maki’s already lost track at how many his read after she’d been transferred to him. Maki expected another battle with him, especially at this time.

“Yamaa-san, it’s time to take your medications.” She announced as Maki placed the tray on the bed side table. Just as she’d expected, he was in his world of novels. Now, there wasn’t anything bad about reading gigantic novels. In fact, Maki’s been told that she’s quite the reader herself. But to this old man, it was like a drug addiction to him. It also made her life harder than it already was.

He didn’t lift his head from the page but grumbled for her to leave him alone.

‘Not this routine again,’ Maki lightly hit herself in the forehead as the thought rushed into her head. “Yamaa-san, please? I’ve had a horrible day, I don’t need you to add onto it.” Maki begged.

Maki knew that she was supposed to keep personal matters away from work but she couldn’t help it. More and more problems just kept adding to the scales. More and more money added to her family’s debt because of a gambling drug addict she calls her mother and an ill grandmother that needed constant medical treatment. She slumped down on the chair which was meant for visiting guests.

The old man looked up from his novel and stuck out his arm, waiting for his injection. She straightened up, shock clearly stamped all over her face. He did seem to have some sort of heart, hidden behind his wrinkling skin.

“Well? Hurry up.” The old man’s arrogance snapped her back to the real world. She nodded and stood up to give him his daily injection.

“Thank you,” Maki smiled as she handed him his tablets and a glass of water.

He nodded, acknowledging her thanks and returned back to his novel. “Don’t think I’ve gone soft on you,” he warned as she was about to make her exit. Maki smiled.

“Oh, excuse me.” A middle aged man stood on the other side of the old man’s room door. “Is this Yamaa-san’s room?”

He was taller than her so she had to tilt her head up a little. The old man seemed to have heard him as he yelled for the man to come in. Maki immediately moved out of his way and bowed as he walked past her.

“Have you got it?” Maki heard the old man ask as she walked out of the room.

‘A family member?’ She thought but didn’t think of it any further as she was called to come to the front desk for a phone call.

“Hello?” Maki picked up the phone.

She heard the sound of a fading siren in the background. “Maki! Maki! You’re grandmother has just collapsed. The ambulance is taking her to the hospital now.” The landlord informed her frantically.

She dropped the phone and let the waterworks drop from her eyes.

---

“Yes Yamaa-san, it’s all here.” The old man’s visitor handed him a perfectly filed folder with documents. “What’s with the sudden interest in her, Yamaa-san?”

The old man smirked, “Just curious.” He ruffled through all the documents, trying to find some sort of answer to his question. “How’s everyone back home?” He caught the other man completely off guard.

“The usual,” he casually replied and eyed his boss with suspicion.

“Aha!” The old man exclaimed in triumph as he held up a piece of paper and didn’t take much notice to the answer of his previous question. “I knew there was something up with her.”

The other man hovered closer towards his boss and checked which paper he was looking into. “Yamaa-san, what are you up to?”

The old man smirked once again as he stared at the document in front of him. “I’m going to teach them a lesson.”