So Strange

You do What I Want You to

Chishiya's POV

  It's day five of my time at the hospital. Currently, I'm taking another walk; outside this time. The hospital has a nice court yard and a large grass field. The Metropolitan Hospital has a similar layout. Not as big, though. Then again, this is the Central hospital. I feel a sudden tap on my shoulder.

  "Excuse me, sorry to bother you. Have you seen an older woman in a wheelchair? Shortish brown hair, totally white outfit?" A tall woman in a pink shirt asks, seemingly worried.

  "If I have, I didn't pay any mind to her. Do you want help searching?" I try to appear polite.

  "Um, no... no, I'm fine. Thanks anyway." Her worried expression is still apparent. The woman turns away for only a split second before she turns back to me.

  "Um, again, sorry to bother you. But... have we met before?" I pause to process the strange query. Have we?

  "I know that sounds weird, but I feel like I've seen you before." I take another moment to think, racking my brain for any memory of the woman before me. The longer I stay silent, the deeper the frown on her lips becomes.

  "Sorry, that was stupid of me to ask. I'll leave you alone now." Before she can divert her presence, I impulsively grab her shoulder.

  "My apologies, but... I think we may have met. You seem familiar. I'm Shuntaro Chishiya." I keep my hand held out for the familiar woman to shake. She obliges.

  "Hikari Kuina. Nice to officially meet you." Kuina smiles, then let's go of my hand. We maintain eye contact for a while. Neither of us make a move to do anything else. That is, until I veer away first.

  "Well, I'll see you around, Kuina." She nods.

  "Yeah, see you around, Chishiya." We part ways, and I head back to my hospital room.

  When I open the door, a hideous scent envelopes my nose. I enter the room fully and notice clouds of smoke wisping in the air. I also notice five childish men giggling and intoxicating themselves in the corner. And they're on my bed.

  I wave the smoke out of my face and clear my throat to draw the group's attention. It works; they all turn to me, and their eyes widen. Niragi is the first to stand up and approach me.

  "Ha~, Shuntaro. Sorry for the... this. My friends brought me some 'life support', and we all got a little carried away. You're not gonna tell, right?" The ravenette blurts out hastily, completely dazed. I'm not really in the mood for these shenanigans.

  "Why are they on my bed?" Niragi blinks a couple of times.

  "So we could be closer to the window. But you're not gonna tell on us, right, Shuntaro?" Niragi persists. I sigh.

  "Tell the hospital that you're abusing an illegal drug in what is supposed to be a sterile environment? No, no. Not unless your contraband isn't packed up within the next few minutes." I hear groans on the far side of the room.

  "Really? We have to pack up right now?" Niragi whines, and I scoff at his juvenile behavior. I can't take any of them seriously with those watery red eyes.

  "Yes, now. I'm being generous, y'know. You shouldn't even be breathing this stuff in. Not in your current state, at least." I walk toward my bed, toward the other children.

  "C'mon, Chishiya. You don't want just one hit?" What was his name? Ah, Maki bribes.

  "I want you and your posse to get this stuff off my bed and out of my room." The quartet groans again. As if I care.

  "But-" Kenji gets cut off by Hiko

  "No, guys, Chishiya is right. We should leave before a nurse comes in and gets us in trouble." I nod, and the group gets up from my bed, packing their contraband asking with them.

  "Call me later, yeah?" Hiko whisper shouts to me as he walks past. And everyone heard him.

  "Oo~! Hiko makin' moves!" Maki shouts, and the others laugh. Well, Niragi doesn't laugh. He face-palms.

  Once the four men are gone, I walk to the window and open it fully to amplify the ventilation. God, I can hardly breathe. I look back at Niragi. He's already facing me.

  "Please don't call that idiot. You'll just encourage him. And boost his ego along with it." The ravenette lies down facing the other wall.

  "You don't act like you like your friends very much." Niragi huffs slowly.

  "I like them. They are just overbearing sometimes. And so fucking loud." He clenches the pillow his head resides on.

  "Then tell them that." Niragi rolls over and faces me.

  "I can't just tell them not to be themselves. They don't listen to me anyway. Everything I say is a joke to them." I see.

  "Well, I don't have much experience with friends, but I do know how to reason with people." Niragi smirks.

  "I'm listening."

  "Simple, you explain what you want to happen in a subtle, not too formal way. But you can't hesitate. You must let the person know what you want in an undemanding way. And then you support your request with positive outcomes, and-" The ravenette cuts me off.

  "Woah, woah, stop. You sound like my English professor." He's in school? "That's not how you have a conversation with someone. Seriously, when is the last time you've casually hung out with friends?" That's a tough one.

  "Um... never, I think. I don't like keeping company." Niragi sits up with a groan and sighs.

  "You don't mind keeping me around. And you converse just fine with me." Wait... he's right. Since I first learned Niragi's name, I haven't hesitated to speak to him.

  "You're correct, and I don't quite know why..." The ravenette smirks again.

  "What, am I special or something?" He says teasingly, and I roll my eyes.

  "No, you aren't. I will say, however, that you are easy to talk to. Must be the unthreatening demeanor you exude." Something in Niragi's relaxed expression changes. He is disappointed, maybe even discouraged.

  "You hardly know me, and you already think I'm unthreatening?" I nod. I don't see why Niragi is upset.

  Suddenly, the ravenette is on his feet and in my space. He moves jaggedly. I look up at the man clearly trying to prove himself, but it doesn't phase me. Then he puts his hands on my shoulders and pushes me back onto the mattress. What does he think he's doing?

  The taller man straddles my hips and digs his palms into the subacromial space of my shoulder. He pushes hard enough to possibly leave a bruise. I keep a calm demeanor and controlled expression. The former moves his face closer to mine.

  "Still think I'm not intimidating?" Niragi hisses out. How immature.

  "Yes, and don't see how this is supposed to change my mind."

  The taller becomes enraged by my comment. Displeasure is written all over his face. In one quick wave, Niragi's palm collides with my face. Wow. I smile and look up at the pathetic man. The laugh I'm holding back gets caught in my throat, and I cough softly.

  "Violence is not going to coax me into submitting to you. Don't waste your breath. Come to think of it, don't hurt your arms either. You're straining your muscles so much digging them into my shoulders. Your bones might just snap. Now," I say deeply, "get off of me." As if the tone in my voice had manipulative powers, the ravenette jerks away from me.

  I sit up and roll my shoulders. Niragi is standing in front of me, shocked. What by? I don't know exactly. Maybe by the assertion I revolted with.

  "See, I told you, Niragi. That's the way to get people to do what you want them to." I smirk.

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