You Lie That Time | NicoMaki

Chapter 5: Her Final?

Maki sat down in her chair and buried her face in her hands. She hated that her friends and her lover had to see her as a doctor at such a young age.

"I hate this," Maki cursed under her breath.

Within a minute, the nurse who had assisted with Nico's transfer entered.

"Dr. Nishikino? You have another patient."

Maki quickly rubbed her eyes, nodded, and stood up. As the nurse led her to the patient's room, Maki thought, "I don't know what I'm doing anymore." Her eyes softened with sorrow.

Meanwhile, the others were calming down, but Nico remained distraught. Nozomi tried to comfort her, but her face was etched with worry. "I hope this doesn't get worse," Nozomi thought.

"She's a licensed doctor at her age? That's... intense," Umi said, her arms are crossed.

"It's getting late now. Nico, are you going home?" Eli asked, looking at her with concern.

Nico shook her head, looking up at them. "No, not yet. I'll just go back tomorrow," she said with a faint smile.

"Oh. Okay then, we'll be going now. Take a good rest and don't forget to eat," Eli said, her tone maternal.

Nozomi quietly giggled, finding Eli's gentle demeanor endearing.

"Yeah. Take care," Nico replied, maintaining the strained smile.

The rest of the group waved and closed the door. Alone in her room, Nico looked at the bedside table and saw the food they'd bought. She opened the container and saw the macaroons. Nico managed a genuine smile.

"I wonder how she's doing now. It reminds me... Maki used to give me these before," she thought.

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10:00 PM

Maki stepped into Nico's room. The sound of the door opening woke Nico. She saw Maki standing there.

"Sorry if I woke you. How are you feeling?" Maki asked, her expression carefully casual.

"I-I'm fine," Nico answered, still groggy.

"I thought you would have gone home today. I guess you decided to leave tomorrow?" Maki noted.

Nico nodded, then looked down before asking, "Y-You?... H-How are you feel...ing?" Nico stammered, concerned for her.

Maki raised an eyebrow and looked away, nervously playing with a strand of her scarlet hair.

"W-Well..."

Nico looked up, noticing Maki's stuttering and actions. She giggled softly, finding her nervousness cute.

"I-It's not like... I want to admit it, but to be honest... I feel comfortable when I'm checking on you" Maki confessed, completely blushing.

"T-That's all! You can go back home tomorrow. Bye!" Maki quickly rushed out of the room, her composure completely shattered.

Nico was left smiling, then sighed happily. She lay back and soon fell fast asleep.

Time Skipped: Next Morning

Nico was finally ready to leave the hospital. She gathered her things, took a deep breath, and looked back at the room before stepping out. But as she closed the door and turned, she bumped right into someone, causing them both to yelp.

Nico touched her nose. "Hey! Watch ou—!" She stopped dead when she looked up and saw Maki. Both girls immediately blushed and looked in opposite directions.