I climbed up the sloped road, dragging my foot along the ground, until I arrived in front of the Azumi Clinic. The pain in my ankle had multiplied during the journey. Every step now sent shock waves through my entire right leg.
What if I really contracted tetanus? My mind was anxious as I pulled open the glass double doors of the entrance.
Just as Yusuke had forewarned, Nazuna was sitting in the waiting room.
She’d chosen a corner of a bench untouched by the harsh afternoon sun that glared in through the windows. When she heard the door open, she looked up. It was the fourth time that day for our eyes to meet.
Oh man… She’s really here… Why’s she wearing a yukata?
It was the first time I’d ever seen her dressed like that. The difference was stunning. The navy-blue garment was accented at the waist with a vermillion sash. It made her look very mature.
So this means she wanted to get dressed up and go see the fireworks with Yusuke…
Her eyes appeared disappointed—or perhaps even accusatory. It seemed that my arrival instead of Yusuke’s had caught her by surprise.
I knew I couldn’t bear that gaze very long. I sought refuge, turning to face the reception window.
“Excuse me. I’m a friend of Yusuke’s…”
My throat felt dry, and the words came out like sandpaper.
“Huh? What’s that?”
The chubby, middle-aged nurse was sitting on the other side of the window chewing on a cracker. Yusuke and I had both known her since we were babies, but in truth, neither of us knew her actual name. We’d always just addressed her as Ma’am.
“Um, I kinda injured my foot.”
“Heavens! Come on in.”
“Thanks…”
I sensed Nazuna’s gaze at my back. It felt as if I were running away from her as I walked into the examination room.
✦ ✦ ✦
Treating the wound took all of one minute. The nurse applied some disinfectant and a strip of gauze, then went around and around my foot with a long white bandage. My eyes took in the events, but I wasn’t really paying attention.
“Tetanus? Honestly, the things that boy says… You don’t need to worry about tetanus for a scrape that size…”
A putting green was rolled out along the examination room floor. Yusuke’s father spoke with an air of disbelief as he sent a ball rolling toward the hole. I wasn’t sure what to say, so my reply was almost involuntary.
“Oh… Ouch!”
“Come on, now, hold still.” The nurse’s hands had never been very gentle. Complaining that something hurt didn’t make any difference. She’d just go on doing the same thing as before.
“So where’s Yusuke at now?” Yusuke’s father asked.
“Um, I think the fireworks display—or something like that…”
The nurse, who had finished wrapping the bandage, spoke up. “Ah, that reminds me. A girl from his class came into the waiting room.”
“Fireworks display, huh? Honestly, all he thinks about is fun… We should have put him in a private school,” Yusuke’s father muttered as he struck another ball.
Every shot he’d taken had gone rolling off the green, and balls were now scattered all across the room. I gazed at the stray golf balls, noting how round they all were. It was an obvious thing to notice, but it struck me nonetheless. Nazuna’s mysterious orb came to mind, as did the photographed fireworks from the poster.
“…Do you happen to know whether fireworks are round or flat?”
“Huh?”
I’d let the question slip out without really thinking. The nurse and Yusuke’s father both stared at me.
“Um, I mean… Never mind…” I scrambled to take back what I’d said.
✦ ✦ ✦
When I returned to the waiting room, Nazuna was sitting on the same bench, just as before. This time, she didn’t look up at me. Her eyes remained fixed on the floor.
“We’ll get you a bit of medicine to take at home, so just wait here,” the nurse instructed from behind the window.
“Thank you.”
I sat down and waited on the far edge of a bench, some distance away from Nazuna. Mixed among the calls of the dusk cicadas outside, I could also hear a distant booming—the sound of test shots courtesy of the fireworks crew.
“…”
“…”
Thirty seconds went by… Then a minute… Come on! How long does it take to get a prescription ready?!
I focused all my prayers on the reception window, but its little sliding door remained shut. I stole a few glances at Nazuna and saw the side of her face. She steadfastly refused to look in my direction. The ticktock of the waiting room’s old grandfather clock was clearly audible, underscoring our awkward silence. I felt a bead of sweat roll down the back of my neck. I couldn’t handle it anymore.
“…Are you waiting for Yusuke?” I called over to Nazuna.
She gave no response. I couldn’t tell if she’d heard me or not. Trying my hardest to sound casual, I spilled the news. “…He’s not coming.”
“…I see.”
Nazuna’s reply came nonchalantly. Still without looking at me, she lifted herself from her seat and put a hand to a rolling suitcase waiting beside her. With a light click-click from her wooden sandals against the floor, she walked out of the clinic.
What was up with that huge bag? Surely she couldn’t be planning on taking something so bulky to the fireworks display?
The fireworks crew seemed to have finished firing their test shots. The cries of the cicadas again dominated the waiting room.
At long last, the nurse’s face appeared at the window.
“Here’s your medicine. Come by again later to take care of the bill.”
“Got it…”
I shoved the little paper bag containing the medicine into my pocket and walked over to the exit. When I grabbed the door handle, it felt warm, as if Nazuna’s touch still lingered on it.