#enough rambling. i think i shall go eep soon

[naenaex0xx]

just went thru my kirby board and shed a tear fr how can you not love this squishable creature

[kakiokuru]

NOBORIZAKA: NOVEMBER RAIN

Chapter Three | Steamed Buns & The Rolling Stools

There was an uncomfortable air clouding the hall as the three made their way to the infirmary. Kazumi’s unending optimism, matched with Nanase’s clearly pissed expression, only made the poor first year in their company more anxious than she was before. She didn't dare speak up or make a sound, expecting either the worst or the words of a complete idiot. But even with that silence, Kazumi couldn't help but interject with anything to ease the tension.

“Hey, did you know, Naachan is actually amazingly strong?” Miona looked up at her with slight concern. Was that supposed to make her feel at ease? “When we were kids, she started to beat up boys when they said she looked like an otter.”

“Kazumin.” Nanase pushed her arm slightly, pursing her lips. “Don't tell people that.”

Kazumi only chuckled and ducked her head in a slight bow, raising one hand up in a half-prayer fashion while the other held onto Miona’s wrist. “Sorry~”

Nanase smiled slightly to herself, a smile only Kazumi would recognize no matter how hidden it was. Nanase could never be angry with Kazumi, even if she had been less than perfect before.

Taking initiative of the walk, Nanase turned the group into the pure white infirmary, flicking the light on. The smell of bleach and cleansers was prominent, mixed with fresh, clean linen. She sidestepped to let the other two in, taking a place in the corner.

Kazumi gingerly plopped Miona onto one of the bed and bounced over to any and every cabinet, drawer, and shelf she can see. Alcohol, plasters, cotton balls, and rolls of bandages were jumbled into arms. She just grabbed anything that seemed useful for treatment, though it seemed a little much for a few minor scrapes and bruises. The girl just wanted to help.

“Okay… hold still.”

Nanase picked at her nails idly, leaning against the filing cabinet as she listened to the ramblings and noisy attempts of Kazumi’s amateur medical attention to Miona’s wounds. Every few moments, she would glance up to see the tall girl with her tongue sticking out from between her lips with her eyes laser focused on the gauze she tried to wrap Miona’s wrist in. She mentally and physically cringed with each time her best friend would exclaim 'Did it!' when all she had done was a poor man’s patchwork of loosely bound dressing around the injured girl’s wrist. This was how Nanase could tell that Kazumi wasn’t hurt often.

Finally Nanase had enough, watching her friend starting to overuse the plasters on even the smallest things. No one needs a bandage on a tiny blemish on the nose.

“Move over.” She scoots Kazumi with her foot to the side with a strong push, causing her to roll away on the wheeled stool until she stopped against a side table. Nanase wasted no time, undoing as much of Kazumi’s horrid work as she could manage. “Kazumin, you wasted too many supplies.” She sighed heavily, grabbing a fresh pack of gauze. Taking extra care, she lifted Miona’s wrist. It looked like it was a sprain but it wasn't anything serious. A light layer of gauze was wrapped around the joint, tightened and clasped down on the back of her wrist.

“Wahhh, Naachan! You’re good at this!” Kazumi shuffled her feet against the tiles, moving her rolling stool closer to examine the girl’s work.

“Yeah, well…” She had managed to get a lot of practice before this. Something of this degree was less than child’s play for her.

“Where'd you learn how to do that?" A gasp. "Are you finally studying?” Kazumi beamed with happiness for her friend, grasping Nanase’s arm and shaking it while she attempted to finish her patch job on Miona. “Are you really going to pursue nursing finally?! Congratulations, I’m so proud of you!”

“No, I just had a lot of practice before.” With a sharp tug, Nanase yanked her arm out of Kazumi’s grip. Although that was true, she really didn't want to delve into the details of her practice. “You can go now. I suggest taking the main roads home, you won't be attacked if a lot of people are around.”

Miona nodded slowly, lowering her gaze to the dark blue uniform she had on. “What about…”

“They told you to put on a tracksuit, didn’t they? It’s not my responsibility to make a safety plan for you. Take the main roads, or change and throw that shitty uniform in the furnace. Get out.”

With a small ‘eep!’ Miona rose to her feet and bowed to both Nanase and Kazumi, thanking them for their help and hurried outside the door.

“Well that was harsh…” Kazumi puffed her left cheek, turning the swivel seat back and forth. “You’re still bothered by something, aren't you? Is it–”

“No.” Nanase cut her off, cleaning the supplies the two had used.

“You're lying~”

“You’re noisy~”

Kazumi smoothly glided over to Nanase, teasing and poking at her waist. “Come on~ You can tell me~”

Nanase responded by turning to face her, flicking the girl in the forehead. “I’m not mad.”

“You know, if it’s about Waka, you can always tell me to beat her up. I mean, she’ll probably destroy me but…”

Once more a switched flipped in her. All facades dropped at the mere mention of that name. Nanase stood up with enough force to knock the chair over in a huff. “I told you I’m not angry!!”

The guard straighten her back in a jolt from being startled from the scout's knee-jerk reaction. “Okay, okay! Sorry…” Kazumi frowned as she rolled away in her stool, spinning herself in the process.

Regret pooled in Nanase’s stomach when she saw Kazumi frown. Frowns were horrible, frowns never fitted her image. Then again, Nanase was never good at heartfelt apologies. She paused for a moment, watching Kazumi swirl back and forth in the chair. She couldn’t figure out how to even start an apology let alone give one.

“Hey… Kazumin. Do you… want to get steamed buns from the convenience store on the way home? They’re still on sale. My treat?” If all else fails, bribe with food.

The tall girl her spun on the stool, once, twice, and then three times before coming to a halt with biggest and brightest grin plastered over her mouth. There was the Kazumi she knew.

Nanase strode over her side, hand extended to her with a smile to match her best friends. “Shall we?”

“Yeah!” Kazumi nodded, gripping onto her hand. However, rather than stand, Kazumi stayed in the chair, gripping onto the cushion. These two had a special relationship. Nanase didn’t need instruction; she didn't even have to be prompted. Without hesitation, she began to wheel the overjoyed girl out by the hand.

“You’ll have to return the chair later, you know!” Nanase laughed, starting to run when the two entered the hall.

Yes, Kazumi knew but that’s a worry for later. Because being together like this made her best friend smile.

Suddenly, realization hit her. “Oh wait!!” Planting her feet into the floor, the wheels of the stool clattering against surface. “My umbrella, Reika’ll scold me if I leave without it again.” Kazumi rotated in her seat and began scuttling in the opposite direction in the hall, this time leading Nanase along.

The scout sighed. “Did you lose it again?”

“Uh… Don’t know. I was just going to check the umbrella rack.”

“Last time, we found it under the couch of the clubroom.” Hurrying along, Nanase kept her fingers entwined with Kazumi’s, walking around her to pull her to the room. “The other time it was under a coat rack in the clubroom… I’ll wait outside while you look, okay?”

“Sure!” Kazumi gave her best friend and smile along with a peace sign in the air.

She placed her hands at the base of the stool, gripping into the seat's leather as she pushed herself down the halls in uneven bursts of long and short strides.

Erika heard the loud clattering down the hall, lifting her head with a death glare, prepared for the tornado of a girl. “I thought we were rid of her for today…”She mumbled under her breath, craning her neck to look at the door.

As expected, the door slid open revealing exactly who she knew it was. But when she tried to ride herself in the room, the chair wheels wedged itself into the gap of the doorframe, causing the not-so-bright member to tip over and fall face first onto the floor.

Nanase peeked in the doorway to witness the chaos, pointing and laughing just as much as she had when the two wheeled down the hall. That was until she caught glimpse of Erika’s unamused expression at the mess on the floor. She only chuckled in response. Grumpy as ever but it was wiser to leave than to face the pianist’s wrath. “Kazumin, hurry and find your umbrella, the sale will end soon if we don’t run.”

“Ah!!” Nanase’s words triggered something in Kazumi, her flipping over to her back and rising to her feet, not a single scratch appearing on her. As swift as she can, she began to leap and bound all over the room and around the clubroom in search of her light yellow parasol. “Here? No… Uh… Here! No… Damn it. Hm…” Kazumi peeked into and prodded every possible hiding spot she find but to no avail. Her investigation made her completely unaware that her teammates were still here, watching her every move.

“What’s she looking for this time…?” Yumi’s brow rose at the sight of the team guard crawling on the floor.

“Ahem.”

“Hm?” The sound shook Kazumi out of her focus and she pouted slightly, looking to Reika who lazily waved her hand to the overrun coat rack beside the door. Beneath the pile of clothing was the slight glimpse of yellow. “Oh yeah!” The tall girl skipped to the long piece of furniture and slowly shimmied her umbrella from under the mounds of outwear. “Here we go.”

With that, Kazumi swung the status symbol over her shoulder and turned to face the room. “See everyone tomorrow! Waka, don’t get into bad fights. Ikuchan, remember your breathing exercises. Reika, be sure to get home safe. Maiyan, I still think you’re pretty cool.” With an enthusiastic beam and a salute-turned-wave, the wall of a girl made her exit, grabbing her best friend by the hand. Her loud and bellowing voice can be heard echoing down the hall. “Time for steamed buns~!”

The remaining females all stared at the door until the voice finally faded to silence.

“Didn’t she just eat like four lunches?”

“Black hole.”

“Well… at least she remembered her umbrella this time.” The student body president sighed as she noted it in Kazumi’s account.

To be continued…