fox on the run | miya osamu

restaurant dream

"Miya-kun, I think we'll be needing some privacy," her mother asks him and he's more than eager to fulfill the request. He nods enthusiastically, with a smile even.

And surprisingly, that's also the last time he got to see Suiren.

"I'm her boyfriend," Osamu claims the following day as he comes for a visit.

"I'm sorry, Sir, but the family restricted visitors from coming," the nurse tells him in an apologetic tone.

"Wha- What?"

"And the patient's family also prohibited gifts," he adds, seeing a glimpse of the stacked lunchbox on Osamu's bag.

"Wow," Osamu mumbles. He takes a guess, thinking this is all because of her brother's sudden appearance, "But can I ask if she's doing okay at least?"

The nurse sighs, not out of annoyance, but more on concern. If one thing's for sure, it's that Suiren is not okay.

"Oh well, thanks anyway," Osamu says then goes to one of the benches nearby. He fishes out his phone from his pocket and his index finger taps on the home button.

The first thing he sees is his new wallpaper, a picture of Suiren from a sports magazine. Now that he's thinking about it, they never had a picture together.

"Ah, that's not the point," he scolds himself.

He taps on a messaging app, then on Suiren's profile picture. Their recent chat has been nothing but his delivered messages. Not a single read one.

"Can't I just sneak in or something?" he sighs, evidently full of worry.

Running out of options, Osamu gives up and stands up from his seat. "Maybe tomorrow," he mumbles as he exits the hospital.

"Guess I'll have this all to myself," he tells himself, referring to the bento he made for her.

He shortly arrives at the bus stop and as he takes a seat, he notices a familiar face. "Suiren's brother," he mouths. He isn't so sure what to do by now.

"Oh. The guy last night," the man recognizes him as well.

"Hey, you," the man calls out.

"Me?" Osamu asks, pointing at himself.

"Yeah, ya were at Suiren's hospital room last night, weren't ya?"

"Ye- Yes," he answers.

"Lemme guess, ya were also banned from entering that damn room today too?"

"They don't allow visitors anymore," Osamu answers. "Well, unless they just banned me and this guy," he guesses in his head.

"Ugh, Mom has always been a pain in the ass when it comes to Suiren," the older whines.

"Um, what?"

"I just wanted to have my own noodle restaurant. Then, what? She disowned me," the man continues to whine. Osamu could tell he wasn't the least sober. But at this hour? Man, people are weird. "And now, Sumi and Suiren think I ran away!"

"Eh, wait, who are you again?" the man asks.

"Miya Osamu."

"Oh! Yer the boyfriend!" he exclaims. "Suiren talked about ya before Mom interrupted," he added.

"Now, I like ya, buddy, so just a lil' tip from me, don't ever mention yer restaurant dream to Mom. Unless ya wanna be banned from Suiren's life for life!" the man chuckles, but this one isn't a laughing matter for Osamu.

"How come?" Osamu dared to ask.

"She doesn't think of it like a professional job, or uh, somethin' like that."

"Oh."

"But Suiren loves ya anyway, so I dunno," the man continues.

"She, she does? She told you that?"

"Whatever, how old are ya? Wanna have a drink with me? My treat! And oh, the name's Sanjiro. Call me Nii-chan or somethin," Sanjiro introduces.

"I'm, I'm just seventeen, so no thanks," Osamu rejects.

"Aw, too bad! Wait, Suiren's older than ya?"

"Uhuh."

"Woah!"

"It's just one year," Osamu clarifies.

"Oh, haha, okay!"

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"NO VISITORS, I'M SORRY." The same old response from the nurse the next day.

"Still? Can you deliver this to he-"

"I'm sorry, the family specified that they won't be accepting gifts. Especially from her fans."

"I'm not a fan, I'm literally her boyfriend," Osamu whines before turning around and walking to the same bench as yesterday.

He checks his phone once again. No reply from Suiren. She hasn't even read his messages.

"Seriously? She was last online three days ago?" he hisses.

MIYA RESIDENCE.

"What's with yer grumpy face?" Atsumu notices as soon as Osamu comes home.

"I'm not grumpy!" Osamu denies before storming to their room.

"I bought coffee jelly!" Atsumu raises his voice to be heard.

"No!" Osamu rejects. No pranks today, Atsumu.

"Come on, I bought one for you too, you dummy!" Atsumu exclaims.

Though skeptical and still cautious for his brother's pranks, Osamu comes out from their room and he goes back to the living room.

"If this is one of yer lame ass jokes, yer so dead to me, 'Tsumu," Osamu warns, glaring.

"Come on, I've always been this kind to you. You wound me."