Part 18: Taking A Test

Part 18 - Taking a Test

Warning

The following update contains Orgel Seira, and is therefore Not Work Safe.





This doctor was the very picture of "a sincere older man." His face was aged, but he wore a soft expression, and more than anything, those qualities came out in his demeanor and the way he spoke.

He hadn't changed a bit since the last time we'd met, four years ago.

I found myself all but reading to believe that he was unaging. Although I had never been aware of exactly how old he was.

The desire to cling to him grew stronger and stronger inside me.

I could rely on him. He would save me.

I was truly happy that I'd been able to reunite with him.

At least until I heard the first words he said to me--



His voice was indeed soft, filled with a kindness that would set anyone at ease. But there wasn't the sense of intimacy I'd felt in the time when I commuted to this hospital in the past.

As though he were only coming in contact with me as part of his job--

That was why I told him my name without hesitating.

"Eh, uh, um, I'm Nishijou."
"Hm? Ah, how polite of you."




"Nice to meet you."

Was that he had said to me just now. No mistaking it.

He had.... forgotten about me. Of course, four years had passed since then....

But he.... I'd thought he, if no one else, would remember me.

I'd embraced such expectations all on my own.

But upon having them shattered, my heart abruptly began to overflow with loneliness and emptiness. I felt that he'd denied my existence.

He looked me in the eyes as he spoke. I averted my gaze.



"Has something happened?"

Yes, that was what I'd written on the questionnaire form. But there was no longer any point. If he didn't remember me, then....

NSFW:
Orgel Seira

"Big deal."
"Whether the doc remembers you or not has nothing to do with it, right-o? You mustn't forget why you came here in the first place!"



I hadn't come here to see Dr. Takashina.

I'd come to prove that I was a normal human being.

Reuniting with Dr. Takashina was nothing more than a bonus. So he'd forgotten me? So what?

If Seira-tan hadn't warned me in time, I'd have been in danger of losing sight of myself. Fuu....

"U, um...."



"Hmm."
"An acquaintance.... Pointed it out to me.... Got me really mixed up...."
"Do you think it's possible that your acquaintance was joking with you?"
"........."




"I don't.... know...."
"I see."



"Haa....?"

What was he saying all of a sudden? And what did it have to do with anything?

"No, I phrased that poorly. Let me try again."



Oh, so that's what he'd meant. I shook my head.

"So there's no proof."

I shook my head one more time.

"Sh, she.... thinks she's some kind of.... d, detective. She threw all kinds of evidence at me...."
"Hm, is that so."



"N, no...."
"Have you ever woken up early in the morning and found yourself sleeping somewhere other than your usual bed?"
"N, no."
"So your acquaintence was the first person to tell you something like this?"

I nodded feebly, then took the plunge and opened my mouth.



"Could it be that you're frightened? But there's no need to take it so seriously."
"Ah, no.... um...."

That wasn't it-- That wasn't what I'd wanted to say--

But I didn't know hot to explain it, and I couldn't get my thoughts in order, and as I remained at a loss, I lost the chance to speak up.



"Hazuki-kun, I need a moment."




What was going on....?

As I sat there in confusion, Dr. Takashina turned back to face me. Next, he told me all about somnambulism in a gentle tone of voice.





"Because your brain isn't at its normal level of activity, you can't process and deal with everything quickly, but you'll respond to people and can do things like go down the stairs without misstepping."
"In terms of possible causes, it occurs especially readily when you're under psychological stress."
"It's a common symptom among children, but adults often experience it as well. Now do you understand why I said you didn't need to take it so hard?"
"Ha...."

But....




Is this really what you call somnambulism? I wanted to ask him.... But Dr. Takashina was steadily advancing his side of the conversation.



"However, there are circumstances under which it won't manifest in the absence of certain prerequisites.
For instance, it might have to be your own bed.



"The prerequisites could also have to do with your state of mind. You can relax atop your own bed, but it'll be hard to relax in the same way here."
"What would you like to do? Will you try sleeping a bit?"




Due to the fact that it wasn't meant to be slept on, it was hard and uncomfortable.

Well, I had no trouble dealing with it once I compared it to the sofa I usually slept on.



This nurse was awfully cute....

Lying on the bed, I stole glances at her while avoiding meeting her eyes.

Her slightly childlike features made her seem undependable, somehow, and she gave off an aura of misfortune, but she was brisk and efficient when it came to her work.

She felt like the type of heroine who might appear in an old-school eroge. One about twisted sex in hospitals. Hehehe.

"I'll do my best to keep from taking my eyes off you, so please rest at ease."

In other words, she would make sure of my safety even if I manifested symptoms of sleepwalking and started wandering around.








No matter what I did, the guro photo from "Shogun" and the cruelly murdered body from the scene of the staking seemed about to float into my head.

And so I forcibly began picturing Seira-tan.

OST: SEIRA

NSFW:
Seira-tan is back

"Takkii, you hate going outside, so it's amazing that you came to the hospital!"
"I've thought this for a while now, but Takkii, you're a really strong boy."

Seira was quite lively in my fantasies. She sang out to me in that cute voice of hers.

"I love how strong you are, Tak-kii~"
"Besides, you're not a sleepwalker. I watch you every night. That's how I know."
"You mustn't let 3-D girls trick you. You have me, right-o?"
"Let's spend all our time together back at that container house, dummy~"

Hehehe. You're so adorable, Seira-tan.

Seira-tan was my ideal bride, after all. No woman could surpass her.

The third dimension? What the heck was that?

Ahh, I want to go home. I want to go back and have Seira-tan greet me with a smile and "Welcome home."

Wait for me, Seira-tan. I'll be home soon, so--



It's time for another trigger!

Positive, Negative or Neutral?