Strawberry Kiwi: ItaFushi

Chapter 4

The hospital was always a cold place. It was Megumi's first time visiting the East wing of the hospital in Sendai since he adopted the puppies. Word had gotten around at his job—thanks to Gojo and his merry goons—so Megumi decided it would be best to refer to his intake of the dogs as an "adoption" rather than "finding them," treating them as objects.

Tsumiki, his older stepsister, had been in and out of the hospital their entire lives. That was an "act of kindness," as Gojo liked to refer to their odd relationship—an "adoption." Her stays were typically brief, but she did have autoimmune deficiencies that would flare up depending on the scenario. However, her stays seemed to be increasingly long and less sporadic.

A distant male voice emanated from Tsumiki's room, "And that's really how it happened."

Tsumiki's laughter was indistinguishable, though rarer as the days continued, "Hahaha! Really? And you didn't talk to him still?"

Was she talking to a doctor? No, the only male doctor who saw her was an Attending Physician who was almost geriatric. This male voice was deeper, more vibrant, and velvety. A boyfriend? No, Tsumiki was cute, but was not a catch nor did she have any interest in men.

"I know, I know. I should have. But I heard the old man was here, and I figured I should stop by with a check. When I heard you were back in again, I told myself it was time to assemble the 'Older Sibling Club' yet again," the man's voice echoed into the hall.

Megumi slowly approached the door, timidly knocking, almost embarrassed to enter. "Older Sibling Club" — what the hell was that? Tsumiki didn't have many friends who visited since the move to Sendai, but whoever the man was seemed to be rather close.

"Looks like I better take my leave. Have a good afternoon, Ms. Fushiguro," the male voice said amidst some rustling.

Megumi felt a twinge of guilt but wanted to see what type of man was visiting his sister. He stood idly by until the man exited. His skin was pale, seemingly imprinted with dark circles under his eyes. His nose was slender and pointed under his heavily-lidded stare. But he smiled upon seeing Megumi.

"Ah! Nice to finally meet you. I am Kamo Choso, though I doubt there is a situation in which we'll meet again. Have a good visit, Mr. Fushiguro," the man said with a polite bow.

As Kamo Choso walked away, Megumi couldn't help but feel as if he had seen that kind spirit before. He was odd, but he must have had someone else in the hospital. A father perhaps? Mr. Kamo did appear to be older than Tsumiki, probably more akin to Gojo's age. There was one thing off about Kamo Choso, and that was his set of pigtails.

Megumi entered Tsumiki's room to see her sitting up, which was also rare. When she was in the hospital, it was more likely she would be somewhat elevated rather than fully sitting. But she was. Her hair was brushed and braided to the side in a neat braid of several strands. Only nimble fingers that Tsumiki didn't possess would be able to create such art.

"What? No puppies?" Tsumiki frowned.

"I can't bring dogs into the hospital," Megumi dismissed.

"You could have tried!" Tsumiki exclaimed.

"You're rather lively. Is that thanks to Mr. Kamo?" Megumi narrowed his eyes.

Tsumiki blushed, "No! He may be a stud, but his heart is somewhere else."

"Don't call anyone a stud, Tsu," Megumi frowned.

"Have some fun, geez. Who pissed in your porridge? Seriously though, let me see the pics of the pups! I've been dying to meet my nephews," Tsumiki grinned.