"(Y/n)? (Y/N)!?"
Rohan rushed over to her side and scooped up her limp body in his arms. His first instinct was to check her pulse, and when he did, he was relieved to find that she had one, even if it was faint. Rohan would've let out an eased sigh, but her sporadic breathing, which went from large gulps of air to quick, choked breaths, kept him from doing so. Not to mention, she was burning up immensely from her fever.
"Come on, please wake up." Rohan muttered as he gave her body a gentle shake. He got a response, although it was one that he didn't want. Rohan felt the blood from her eye leak onto his hand, and now he was more distressed than ever.
"(Y/n)..." He didn't have any time to waste. Right now, there was one priority, and that was to get (Y/n) to a doctor as soon as possible.
So, in one fell swoop, Rohan ran to the bathroom to grab a towel and wrapped it around her eye, rushed downstairs and out to his car, then reclined the front passenger's seat and buckled (Y/n) in. Before he sped off to the hospital, Rohan glanced over at the nine-year-old, watching her chest rise up and down with every pained breath she took in. In an attempt to reassure himself and (Y/n), he gave her head a gentle stroke, then proceeded to drive off.
"Hang in there (Y/n), you'll be ok. I promise."
<><><>
"And...perfect."
Inside of a doctor's office sat a picture frame that protected a memory of a boy and his family from being lost with time. In the photo, the boy, who was five years old, sat on his mother's lap and pressed a stethoscope against his grandfather's chest. Anyone looking at the photo could see that their smiles held so much love for each other, a love that inspired the boy to speak these words:
"Mama, Grandpa, when I'm older, I'm going to become a nurse! I want to help people who are hurt and sick smile again!"
When looking at the photograph, one may ask the question: who exactly was the boy? Why, it was none other than Josuke Higashikata, a person who inspired many in Morioh for his compassionate and allegiant spirit. He was also quite famous in his hometown for his hairstyle, one that people either deemed as suave or completely foolish. By the way, whoever told him the latter often ate their words after.
It was the first day of Josuke's work-study, where he was taking his first steps at Budogaoka Hospital to achieve his dream of becoming a nurse. As he finished polishing off the picture frame, his mind began to wonder about the day ahead of him. Josuke felt great excitement knowing that he was going to have the honor of reuniting patients with their lost happiness, like his grandfather, Officer Higashikata, had done before his passing. However, this excitement did not come without its anxieties.
Tomoko Higashikata, Josuke's bold yet endearing mother, creaked open the door to her office and peeked her head in. She expected the creak to catch Josuke's attention, but she found that her son's gaze was instead fixated on the family picture. Tomoko's face fell into a bittersweet expression, then she walked over to Josuke and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Hey Josuke, how are you feeling?" Tomoko asked. Although, thanks to a mother's intuition, she already knew the answer. "It's a big day for you! Are you excited?"
Josuke snapped out of his daze and looked up at Tomoko with a gentle smile. "You bet I am!" He exclaimed, hoping that his voice didn't show any signs of unease. However, the look on Tomoko's face told Josuke that she caught on, so he changed his answer. "Well, at least I think I am..."
Tomoko squeezed the hand that was placed on Josuke's shoulder. "Aw, what's eating at you? Not thinking of backing out, are we?" She teased.
"Oh no, not at all!" Josuke said with a wave of his hands. He averted his gaze from his mother and focused on the picture frame in front of him. "It's just that Grandpa...he protected Morioh...he made so many people feel safe and happy to live here. And I want to do the same to carry his legacy! But what if I mess up and disappoint, Mom? What if I can't make his spirit live on?"
"Josuke..."
Then Josuke, knowing full well that he would not be able to hear a sound, placed the stethoscope over the photograph.
"Why did Grandpa have to go?"
A somber tranquility settled in the office. Tomoko, maintaining her confident attitude, lifted Josuke's chin and turned his head towards her. Her face was plastered with compassion, a contagious trait that soon caught onto Josuke's face.
"Josuke, do you know what made your grandfather a great police officer in the first place?"
Josuke brought a finger to his chin. "Well, he was exceptionally brave! He always rushed in to save others, and no matter how bad things got, Grandpa never lost sight of his benevolence-"
"Bingo." Tomoko interrupted. "Josuke, you're only a student, not a fully-fledged nurse. You're going to mess up from time to time, and that's ok. But with every fumble you have, make sure to keep your benevolent spirit going; it's what will truly heal your patients and make Morioh and your grandfather's spirit live on in the end."
Josuke allowed a moment of silence to let his mother's advice resonate with him. His lips twitched upward, and he pulled Tomoko into a hug. "My benevolent spirit, huh?"
"It's the best medicine," Tomoko replied as she leaned her head against Josuke's. "Grandpa and I will always be so proud of you, Josuke. Never forget that."
"I won't..." He replied, copying her gesture. "Thanks, Mom. You've really helped me a lot...you know, if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be here right now."
"Yeah, I know you wouldn't be here without me," Tomoko replied in a sarcastic yet playful tone. She and Josuke let out a genuine laugh as he placed her head into a headlock, ruffling her hair with his knuckles.
"Oh, shut it."
Tomoko tore away from his grip and fixed her hair, irked that her locks were now in a messy state. She shot her son a dirty look who, in return, pulled out his reliable comb and brushed his pompadour, striking his mother with a pompous look. Tomoko rolled her eyes and laughed, before being interrupted by the ringing of her office phone and Josuke being interrupted by the dinging of texts.
"Oh, I've got it! Josuke, check your phone, they're probably from your friends!" Tomoko said as she walked over to her office phone. Josuke did as he was told, and sure enough, they were from his closest friends, who sent him pictures of their first days on the job.
OKUYASU: Hey bro! Is this crazy or what? Now that we're making our own cash, we can finally stop leeching off of Shigechi! Good luck today, don't sweat it! I'll bring over a celebratory dish tonight!
Paired with Okuyasu's message was a photo of him and Morioh's acclaimed chef, Tonio Trussardi, dicing tomatoes in the kitchen of Trattoria Trussardi. While Tonio's smile held a sense of fatherly pride, Okuyasu had his usual goofy smile that never failed to charm those around him.
KOICHI: Hey Josuke! Have a great first day at your work-study! Tell me all about it tonight, ok? We're all rooting for you!
Koichi's photo showed him and his older sister, Ayana, giving peace signs to the camera. In the background, a class of 4th-grade students all waved, their faces beaming with happiness; all except for one boy, who was tucked away in the back, staring out of the window with a camera on his desk.
The rest of Josuke's friends also sent him pictures: Yukako stood in front of the Cinderella Beauty Salon with Dr. Aya, Yuya (whose face took up most of the picture) and his girls hugged his motorcycle in front of a mechanic shop, and Mikitaka stood inside of a replica of the Apollo 11 spacecraft at Morioh's new planetarium. The only person who didn't send a picture was Hazamada, although it was somewhat understandable; working at a dinky carpentry shop after Rohan had rejected his pleas to study under him wasn't going to exactly put him on cloud nine.
Josuke let out a hearty chuckle. It delighted him to see his friends chase their ambitions, and even if some people didn't quite reach their goal, there was still the possibility that they could get some good out of whatever they were doing. He would have sent a picture back, but he heard the click of the office phone connecting with its cradle. He looked up to see Tomoko staring him down, wearing a determined smirk on her face. Josuke bit his lip; he knew what this meant.
"Ok Josuke, we just got a call, our patient is downstairs in the lobby. Now tell me, are you ready to make the hurt and sick smile again?"
Josuke looked to the photograph to boost his confidence one last time. The love present on his family's face spoke volumes; it told Josuke that he was going to be a brilliant nurse, one who would help patients heal from their wounds or ailments. A nurse who would reconcile people with the joy that they had forgotten. A nurse that Morioh would remember for the years to come.
"I'm ready!"
<><><>
Well, this was awkward.
A simple wait for the doctor shouldn't have drawn the unwanted attention of patients and doctors, and yet it somehow did. Rohan, now seated with (Y/n) cradled in his arms, found it difficult to relax when the gaze of every single person in the lobby locked onto him, a unified hum of murmurs breaking the stillness of the atmosphere.
"Say, who's the child in Rohan-sensei's arms?"
"And what happened to her? Especially her eye!?"
"Hold on, you don't think that the child is actually-"
"YOU KNOW, IT IS QUITE RUDE TO STARE!" Rohan shouted, calling out the people in the lobby. They took that as their cue to mosey along, and the mangaka's leg began to bounce out of impatience. "Where could that doctor be?" He muttered to himself.
"Rohan!? Is that you!?"
At that moment, Rohan felt the world around him stop. He hoped, PRAYED, that he didn't just hear the voice of the one person he couldn't stand most. Alas, when he cranked his neck towards the voice, it was Josuke; or, as Rohan liked to call him, 'the pompadoured brat'.
"Well Well, if it isn't the pompadoured brat." Rohan hissed. "Here to finally get your head checked?"
Josuke, pushing aside Rohan's boorish attitude, answered him. "Heh, not exactly. Today's the day my friends and I start our work studies! Didn't Koichi tell you about it?"
"All I remember is that Koichi will be studying under his older sister at the elementary school here in Morioh. I guess I didn't care enough to remember what you or your other friends are doing." Rohan replied with a smarmy shrug. "But I must congratulate you, Josuke. You've finally learned to grow up."
Oh, the irony.
"You must be Kishibe Rohan!" Tomoko greeted rather cheerfully as she held out her hand to introduce herself. To Josuke's satisfaction, the mangaka actually accepted her hand with great delicacy, although it was pointless since Tomoko had such a forceful handshake. "How may we help...oh."
It only took one look for Tomoko to get a basic understanding of (Y/n)'s story. She released her hand from Rohan's and brought it up to her mouth in utter shock. Josuke, also understanding the predicament, followed suit, and a string of questions dove into the pool that was Josuke's mind.
"Say Rohan, who's the squirt!?"
Rohan rolled his eyes at the ridiculous nickname Josuke had given to the girl. "The 'squirt'," He mocked. "Is (Y/n)."
"(Y/n)..." Josuke whispered as he leaned in to get a better look at the girl. His heart melted at the way she gripped Rohan's tie for safety. Funny enough, neither she nor Rohan were even aware of what she was doing. "Daw, she's so cute! How do you know her?"
Rohan didn't have to spare a glance to know that he once again had the full attention of the entire lobby. The people's curiosity chained down any breaths from escaping their throats, and they leaned in, intrigued to hear what he had to say. The mangaka felt his previous anxiety rise up, but considering that people were going to find out sooner or later, Rohan took a deep breath in, then answered the question on everyone's mind.
"You see...(Y/n) is my daughter."
God, that felt so weird to say.
The lobby became so silent that if a pin were to drop, it would sound like a devastating crash. Everyone had a universal expression on their faces: mouths agape, eyebrows raised, and eyes wide. The only person who didn't share this expression was Tomoko; if anything, she looked more puzzled than shocked.
The incoherent sputtering from Josuke broke the silence. Once he was able to form a full sentence, he said, "Wanna run that by me again? Did you say your daughter!?"
"Yes, that would be correct," Rohan confirmed. A squeak escaped from Josuke's mouth, indicating that he was about to speak up again. Before he had the chance to do so, Rohan threw his hand up to silence him. "And no, I did not have her with me this whole time. I only found out about her this morning, thank you very much. (Y/n) is under my care until her mother comes back for her."
Josuke crossed his arms and tapped his foot in thought, the clicking of the tips of his shoes drowning out the murmurs of the lobby behind them. "(Y/n)'s mother, huh?" Josuke asked with the tilt of his head. "And I'm assuming she was your girlfriend at one point?"
Josuke could see that his question had unintentionally struck a chord with Rohan; the mangaka had pursued his lips into a thin line and lowered his head down, exhaling loudly through his nose as he did so. The expression was enough for Josuke to get the general picture, so he gave Rohan a moment to collect his thoughts.
"Yes, (M/n) was my girlfriend at one point,"
(Y/n) stirred in his arms.
"but that's a story for another day. I need to focus on (Y/n) right now. If I'm being honest..." He gulped, almost hesitant to say what he was going to. "I don't think (Y/n) is going to last much longer."
"And my Mom and I are going to fix that!" Josuke said with confidence.
There was a pause. A cloud of awkwardness formed over Rohan, Tomoko, and Josuke's heads, and it was due to the fact that Josuke braced himself for Rohan to reject his offer. The student half-expected the mangaka to walk away in search of a different doctor, or give a snide remark. Luckily, only the latter happened.
"Uh...we ARE, right?"
"Normally, the Great Kishibe Rohan doesn't accept help from an amateur like YOU. But, considering the weight of this situation, it looks like I have no choice. For once, I will let you help. And don't expect this to be a regular thing, Higashikata!" Rohan sneered.
Instead of getting angry at Rohan, Josuke couldn't help but roll his eyes and smile (unlike Tomoko, who gave the artist a death glare). "Typical Rohan..." He thought to himself. Josuke then clapped his hands together and flashed an encouraging smile to maintain an optimistic atmosphere. Josuke didn't want his first day to turn sour, after all. "Alrighty then, that settles things! Let's go to my Mom's office and help (Y/n), shall we?"
Rohan gave Josuke a curt nod, and Tomoko flashed him a thumbs up for staying positive. The two adults began to talk about (Y/n)'s symptoms, and Josuke tried to listen in. Keyword being 'tried'. His mind was in a state of shock about this whole situation.
Rohan Kishibe actually has a daughter.
And at one point, his arrogant and cocky soul actually managed to find love.
Speaking of...
...What was (M/n)'s story?
<><><>
"...I'm sorry, you did WHAT to a spider!?" Josuke exclaimed. Hearing the absurd story made the student drop the latex gloves that he was slipping over his hands. Tomoko actually gagged.
"Why the hell would you do something like that!?" She exasperated.
Rohan quickly came to his defense. "Look! (Y/n) asked me how I capture the aspects of reality, and I did so by..."
Rohan's argument was cut short by a subtle weight on his tie. He looked down to see what Josuke had seen in the lobby, and he felt a blade of guilt stab him in the chest.
"Scaring her..."
Josuke and Tomoko simultaneously exchanged glances and shook their heads.
"Freaking weirdo..." Tomoko mumbled to herself. "Anyway, Rohan, can you lay (Y/n) down on the bed right there? I'm going to have to check her vitals first."
Rohan would've done as he was told if it weren't for the fact that he felt (Y/n) stir in his arms. He immediately looked down and felt a great weight lift off his shoulders. "Josuke! Dr. Higashikata! (Y/n)'s waking up!"
The doctor and nurse rushed over to the artist's side right away. The three adults watched the girl awaken from her black-out, and they sighed in relief seeing (Y/n)'s eye flutter open, adjusting to the lighting of her new surroundings.
"(Y/n)? Can you hear me? It's Rohan-Sensei." He whispered in a gentle tone. (Y/n) fully awoke at the sound of his voice above her, groaning as she grabbed her pounding head. Her body ached all over, her throat felt like it was lined with sandpaper, and her eye? Luckily the bleeding stopped, but she was in an unbearable amount of pain.
"W-Where am I?" She muttered to herself. She took a second to think, then all of the events that lead up to this very moment flickered through her head like a roll of film: Rohan entering the hotel room. (Y/n) saying goodbye to her mother. Rohan talking about his manga.
The spider.
It wasn't until (Y/n) remembered the incident in his house when she noticed that she was in Rohan's arms. Panic crawled into the crevices of her mind, and acting out of it, (Y/n) gasped as she began to kick, claw, and squirm to get out of his grasp.
"Stop it (Y/n)! NGH! You're ok!" Rohan shouted. Keeping in mind the fragility of the girl Rohan, as much as he hated to do so, had to wrestle her in his arms to keep her from falling onto the ground.
"(Y/n), sweetheart, please calm down! We want to help you!" Josuke pleaded. Their requests to the girl were to no avail, since her panicked state only worsened to the point where it was impossible to form words. The adult's heartbreak transitioned into apprehension when they saw (Y/n)'s chest heave up and down from hyperventilation.
"Guys, (Y/n) is panicking! Telling her to remain calm isn't going to help! Rohan, you're going to have to put her down and keep your distance!" Tomoko commanded.
Rohan listened to the doctor's orders and placed (Y/n) down on the ground. When Rohan distanced himself from his daughter, he did so with the intention of subsiding her attack. On the other hand, (Y/n) purposely backed herself into the office door so she could escape from the adults' threatening presence. Much to (Y/n)'s dismay, they all caught on when they saw her hand connect with the doorknob. With a grunt, Rohan made a mad dash towards the door.
"NO ROHAN, NO!" Tomoko and Josuke shouted.
(Y/n) screamed and bolted out the door, but only made it a few steps out of the office before Rohan clutched her arm and dragged her back in.
Then, with that single gesture, (Y/n)'s entire demeanor changed. No longer was the girl choking for air and fighting off the figures that tormented her. Instead, the color in her face completely flushed. Jolts of adrenaline shot down to her stomach, making it twist into a sickening knot. Not a single muscle on the outside of her body moved.
(Y/n) became still. Hauntingly still. And that was because of the realization that struck her mind.
She tried to escape.
"(Y/n)...?" Rohan and Josuke whispered to themselves. Tomoko could only widen her eyes.
"(Y/n)? What's going on...?" Josuke asked once more. His worry tempted him to reach out and comfort the child, but he read the room and refrained from doing so.
(Y/n)'s entire body started to shake at the sound of her name, making the doorknob jiggle as she clung to it. Her legs buckled underneath her and she fell to the ground, where she retreated into a ball and started to cry. Anguish spread amongst the three adults at the sight, so Rohan turned to the most experienced of the group.
"Dr. Higashikata? What are we going to do?"
Eyebrows furrowed with determination, Tomoko came to Rohan's rescue by kneeling down next to (Y/n), ready to show them what to do in case an episode like this occurs in the future. The woman introduced herself to the girl then started to ask a series of questions to help her get through the panic attack. Rohan and Josuke observed closely.
"(Y/n), is it ok if I touch you?"
(Y/n) shook her head, so Tomoko scooted back a smidge.
"Is there anything that I can do to help you?"
"I-I don't k-know..."
This time, Tomoko stayed in her spot. "Ok. I want you to know that no matter what happens, we'll find a way to make it right. I will be right by your side to help you."
Oh, how badly (Y/n) wanted to believe the doctor. She really did. But her mind had become accustomed to the belief that she would never find help, and despite the empathetic eyes around her, (Y/n) still felt alone. She wailed despondently, wanting nothing more than to find something-or someone-to bring her comfort in such a confusing and scary situation. Josuke bit his lip to keep himself from crying and Rohan blinked a few times. He didn't know why, though.
"D-Dr. Higashi-shikata? May I have a tissue p-please?" (Y/n) asked in between sniffles and hiccups.
"Of course you may, (Y/n)." Tomoko said as she got the requested item. "Here you go."
(Y/n) thanked the doctor with great gratitude then, to everyone's surprise, didn't wipe away the tears that streamed down her cheek or blow her nose. Instead, she snuggled the tissue close to her chest as if it were some sort of security blanket, finding a shred of relaxation in its soft texture.
And then, that's when Rohan figured it out; the very thing that could possibly help (Y/n).
"Dr. Higashikata? May I try something?" Rohan asked. Tomoko nodded at the mangaka, so he knelt down beside (Y/n), who backed away from him.
"(Y/n)?" Rohan asked. "Is it possible that I can help-"
"I-I'm sorry..."
"Sorry...? (Y/n), why are you sorry?" Rohan asked, reaching out to her in concern.
When (Y/n) saw Rohan's arm advance towards her, panic invaded the crevices of her mind and she practically begged for her life, saying, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'M SO SORRY-"
"(Y/n)!"
The girl yelped and covered her head with her arms. She whimpered and trembled from the anticipation of being punished, shutting her eye tight and gritting her teeth together to endure whatever pain she was about to go through. No punishment was given.
Rather, (Y/n) got a sense of déjà vu when she saw Rohan hold his hand out to her with apologetic eyes. The warmth and candor he showed (Y/n) at the hotel resurfaced to his face, and they both separated themselves from their surroundings to focus on understanding each other once more. For a few minutes, all was silent and still, until Rohan said,
"Everything is going to work out, (Y/n). I promise."
Rohan lowered his arm further and (Y/n) placed her little hand into the palm of his without breaking eye contact. With her face crinkled from a flurry of emotions, (Y/n) let out a choked sob and squeezed his hand tightly.
Then, (Y/n) felt her aggrieved body and mind be gifted with a tremendous amount of comfort. It was paired with hypnotizing drumming, one that she knew existed, but never heard from another human being in her life. When she peeped her eye open, she saw that Rohan had his arms protectively wrapped around her, and the drumming was his heartbeat telling (Y/n) that she was going to be ok.
"Shh...there there, (Y/n). I promise you that you're safe. I'm right here to help you."
Surprisingly, (Y/n)'s first instinct was to shove Rohan away from her. The instinct wasn't because of spite or fear, however; it was, in fact, because of the newfound affection. Her body simply couldn't handle or comprehend how...genuine it felt. (Y/n) squirmed in his arms a little, but the warmth of his hug, the hushing in her ear, and the humane beats of his heart made her relax. Everything felt nice. Right, even.
Rohan soothingly rubbed her back, and (Y/n) melted into his hug. She nuzzled her face into his chest and clutched his shirt, her frightened cries subsiding to sniffles and hiccups.
"Shh, take deep breaths."
Rohan looked to Josuke and Tomoko for approval, his face screaming, "Am I doing this right?" Tomoko's lips curled upwards as she nodded and Josuke flashed Rohan two thumbs up, honestly surprised to see the otherwise prideful and arrogant mangaka give affection; to a child nonetheless. Even if Josuke tried to deny that any of it was real, all he had to do was look at the mirth in their body language and on their faces.
And it made Josuke's heart melt.
"How are you feeling, (Y/n)? Rohan asked as he wiped away the tears that hung from her lashes with his thumb. (Y/n) shook her head.
"Not good, Rohan-Sensei. It really hurts..." She croaked weakly. Rohan clicked his tongue and nodded at Josuke, signaling him to come over. Josuke gave a bright smile and walked over to the two of them with Tomoko following behind.
"Hey there! I'm Nurse Higashikata, but that might be a bit of a mouthful, so you can call me Josuke! You're (Y/n), right?" Josuke asked as he squatted down to her eye level. From force of habit, (Y/n) covered her eye, making Josuke shake his head sadly. "Aw, you don't have to hide your eye from me! I wanna see my first patient's face when I help her!"
(Y/n) hesitantly separated her fingers, but still kept her palm over the towel. "You...really want to look at me? You don't think I'm gross or scary?"
"Oh sweetheart, not at all." Tomoko chimed in. "As a doctor, I see people who have injuries and illnesses every day. It doesn't make them gross or scary, they're just people who are in need of a healing touch."
"And we're going to give you the healing touch you need," Josuke said. He booped (Y/n)'s nose, which made her giggle in delight. She reached up and tugged at his ear, so Josuke leaned in so that she could whisper into it.
"I think Rohan-Sensei needs a healing touch too!!"
Josuke looked at Rohan with a playful twinkle in his eyes. He winked at (Y/n), then commented in her ear, "I think you're right! I'll certainly give him one, but I don't think it will work without your help. So I need you to give him a healing touch too, ok?"
"Ok, Josuke!" (Y/n) giggled. Rohan raised an eyebrow and darted his head between the student and the girl.
"What are you two doing-"
"BOOP!" (Y/n) and Josuke poked the tip of Rohan's nose and kept their fingers there, patiently waiting for some sort of reaction. To their disappointment, the mangaka's lips moved in the opposite direction from what they had anticipated, but that was because his emerald eyes bored into Josuke's aquamarine ones. The student moved his gaze to (Y/n), telling Rohan to look at his daughter. The artist took the hint and did so.
"Did my healing touch work, Rohan-Sensei? Do you feel better?" Asked (Y/n). It took all of Rohan's power to fight off a smile, and yet he lost the battle when he saw her beam with pure innocence and hope. Even the grumpiest and most aloof manga artist couldn't deny it: (Y/n) was simply too cute for words.
Rohan gave (Y/n) a sweet smile and stroked his chin, pretending to think. "Hm...you know (Y/n), I think it did work! I do have a strange feeling in my chest, after all..."
"That's weird, I have a strange feeling in my chest too!" (Y/n) exclaimed. She pressed her hands against her own chest, a little scared at the feeling. "It's all warm and fuzzy...Josuke, Dr. Higashikata? Are Rohan-Sensei and I going to be ok?"
Tomoko and Josuke looked at each other and chuckled; the answer was crystal clear to them.
"You two are going to be just fine." Tomoko and Josuke answered confidently.
(Y/n) tugged at Rohan's tie excitedly and said, "Did you hear that? We're going to be just fine!"
The feeling in his chest tightened, and because of it, he found it difficult to put his relief into words. So instead, he hugged (Y/n) closer to his body.
"Alright (Y/n), are you ready for your checkup?" Tomoko asked. (Y/n) searched her and Josuke's body language and eyes for any potential trickery. Only empathy and sincerity could be found. Upon seeing this, (Y/n) confirmed to them that she was ready by holding their hands, and the three adults led her to the doctor's bed. As they did this, Josuke muttered something to himself.
"So, Kishibe (Y/n). My first patient,"
A girl who could be considered a living contradiction: while her feeble physique and stolen eye told Josuke that she was ready to surrender to the world, her soul told him otherwise. Just like a diamond, it had the potential to radiate a valiant light, one that would tell the world that she was going to fight and live on. It just needed to be polished off with a little bit of time and kindness, that's all.
And, as a nurse to be, Josuke vowed that he would help her soul shine brighter than any diamond that the world had ever seen.
"Ok, everyone!" Josuke exclaimed enthusiastically. "Let's get this check-up started!"