|| 4/23 Saturday ||
|| After School ||

Closing her notebook, Mikono placed it in her bag. She zipped it up and stood from her desk with a sigh. Placing her bag on her shoulder, she was prepared to leave before being stopped by Akira.

"Mikono," he called out to her. "Do you have to work today?"

"Nope. I was planning on heading straight home." She tilted her head. "Why? Did you want to hang out together?"

"I was hoping you'd come with me to the clinic," he explained.

"Clinic..." She mumbled. Then, her eyes widened in realization. "Oh! The one in Yongen-Jaya! It's not far from Leblanc, right?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "So, will you come with me?"

"Sure," she smiled. "Let's go."

They left Shujin Academy and headed to Aoyama-itchōme Station, boarding a train to Shibuya. After a fifteen minute train ride, they transferred lines and headed to Yongen-Jaya.

Exiting the train station, Akira and Mikono headed to the backstreets. The streets were crowded, but they were able to make it to the clinic a few minutes later. They entered the building and saw no one tending to the front desk. Deciding to wait, the two teens took a seat.

"So, why did you want to come here?" Mikono questioned. "Are you not feeling well?"

"I'm fine," Akira reassured her. "I came here the day before we sent the calling card and bought some medicine. While I was here, I overheard a conversation between a man and the doctor about an enhancement drug."

"And you want to know if this drug is real?"

"Yeah."

Just then, Takemi appeared at the front desk. She saw the two teens and questioned them. "What are you here for today?"

Akira stood up and approached the front desk. He decided to not beat around the bush and told her the truth. "I want that rumored medicine."

"A-Akira..." Mikono flew to her feet in disbelief. She couldn't believe how straightforward he was.

"Huh?" Takemi's facial expression didn't change. It remained stoic. "You're the kid who was at Leblanc, but I don't recognize the girl with you."

"She's my friend," Akira replied before redirecting the conversation to the previous topic. "About that medicine..."

"Regular medicine won't do the trick?" She sighed.

"I have my reasons," the boy replied.

"You're not doing a very good job at not sounding suspicious, Akira," Mikono commented.

"I'll say..." Morgana muttered from the boy's bag.

"Fine..." The woman, once again, sighed. "Just head into the examination room for now, and take your friend with you."

Akira nodded and headed into the examination room with Mikono. He sat down in the chair while the girl stood beside him. They waited patiently for the doctor. In the meantime, the cerulean-eyed girl looked around the room. "If there's only one doctor maintaining this office, this place must not have too many patients. With a small patient database, that would give any doctor time to develop and test an array of drugs without being caught." She examined the x-ray images located above the desk. "Are you sure about this, Akira?"

"Honestly, no," he answered. "But I can't stop thinking about that drug. If we can get our hands on it, maybe it could help us if we ever have to go back to the Metaverse."

The two fell silent when the door opened and Takemi entered the examination room. She closed the door before leaning against it. "That "medicine," huh?" She reached down to the handle and locked the door, alerting Akira and Mikono. "So...which conversation of mine did you eavesdrop on to hear that?"

"I-I..." Akira tried to speak, but he didn't know what to say.

The doctor rubbed the top of her head. "It was obvious, actually. You call that hiding?" She pushed herself off the door. "Not that I care, of course."

"Why's that?" Mikono questioned out of curiosity.

"I was going to dispose of that medicine anyway. I got a little too carried away with it," she explained. "But tell me; why would high schoolers like yourselves be so interested in that medicine? It's very strange, indeed. Neither of you seem to be very athletic, so... What exactly are you both up to?"

Mikono desperately tried to think of an excuse, but Akira already had one made up. "It's for studying."

Takemi's eyes widen. "Studying...? Oh, for your entrance exams?"

"Yes!" Mikono accidentally shouted. "I don't particularly need it, but Akira has difficulty studying. He kinda gets sidetracked every few minutes and forgets information easily. He also has a terrible habit of exerting himself during study sessions."

The doctor focuses her gaze on Akira. "So you're looking to improve your concentration and reduce fatigue?"

"To put it simply, yes," Akira responded.

"Hmm... That's not the best idea, but if that's what you want to do..." She unlocked the door and stepped aside. "Then good luck with that. I have no obligation to help you with that. Why don't you have an energy drink or something?"

"I need that medication."

The woman sighed. "You're really annoying, you know that?" She turned to him, tapping the clipboard against her shoulder. "The medicine is really expensive. And it's not something high schoolers can get their hands on. It'll costs almost as much as a car. Got it? So how about you two just go home?"

Mikono stepped forward to offer the woman a sum of money, but Akira stopped her. He stared into the doctor's eyes with determination. "Can we work for it?"

Takemi glanced between the two. "What, like part-time help?"

"Yes," Mikono nodded.

"Do you both consider yourselves to have a good amount of stamina? Because earlier, it sounds like you don't have much if you exert yourself just by studying," she pointed at Akira.

"He has good stamina. It's just that he doesn't know when to give up," Mikono claimed.

"I admit I have been looking for a young person around your ages to help me out. But I haven't been able to find one, even after putting an ad in the paper. And now, two high schoolers present themselves to me and want to help. This must be my lucky day." Her eyes narrowed as they bounce between them. "Are you two up for it?"

"What would we be doing?" Akira inquired.

"Do you want to do it or not?" Takemi huffed.

The boy pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "I'll do it, but I don't want Mikono doing it until we know the risks."

"Fair enough," she agreed to his terms. "Okay then. You'll be participating in clinical trials for my medicine. Your friend won't have to do it, but you will. Hang on, I'll be right back." The doctor left the examination room, leaving the two teens alone.

"I can handle doing clinical trials, Akira," Mikono pursed her lips in a childish manner.

"If this first one goes well, we can do the next one together," he said.

A heavy sigh slipped from the girl's lips. "Fine..."

A few minutes later, Takemi returns with a glass filled with a strange maroon liquid. "Here you go." She hands it to Akira, who takes the glass from her. She saw the worried expression on his face as he stared down at the liquid. "Worried about the side effects, huh? Well, you can relax. Rest assured, my autopsy is guaranteed to find out exactly what part of it killed you."

"A-Autopsy...?!" Mikono wailed as Akira's eyes widen in horror.

"What, aren't you going to take it?" Takemi inquired. "The exit's right there if you want to leave."

Mikono knew how desperate Akira wanted to get his hands on the medicine and snatched the glass from him. "I'll do it!"

"Mikono...!" Akira shouted. He tried to take the glass away from her, but it was too late. She gulped down the liquid in seconds and placed the empty glass on the desk.

Takemi's eyes were wide as saucers. "Huh...?"

"Wh-What?" Mikono stuttered.

"I can't believe you actually drank it. I expected him to, but not you."

Akira watched her intently, wondering if she was all right. His heart was racing in his chest as minutes ticked by.

The doctor, like Akira, kept her gaze focused on the girl. "Wow... Still doing okay, huh? Hmm... Not bad, for a high schooler."

"Are you sure that was the medicine? I feel-" Suddenly, Mikono felt a surge of pain in her head and became lightheaded. She fell to the floor, falling unconscious. The last thing she heard was a sigh from Takemi and Akira's worried voice shouting her name.

<--------<<<<<

Thirty minutes pass and Mikono has yet to wake up. Akira sat by the bed, tapping his finger against his thigh. His eyes were focused on the unconscious girl, who now laid on the bed. He was growing impatient and his concern only continued to fester. "Is there nothing you can do for her?"

Takemi continued scribbling notes across a form, not sparing him a glance. "The only thing we can do is wait until she wakes up." She fell silent for a few seconds before laying her pen down. She turned in her seat, crossing her legs. "So, what is your real relationship with this girl?"

"We're friends," Akira said. He remembered telling the doctor about their relationship earlier and wondered why she was asking again.

"Friends don't look at one another like that," she gestured to him. "I know that look. You like her more than a friend. Let me guess-you haven't told her and are too scared to."

"More or less..." He sighed.

"I'm not a relationship guru, but you better make your move soon. A girl like her won't be single for long."

All of a sudden, Mikono's eyes open and she shot up into a sitting position. Akira was alarmed and nearly fell out of his chair. Fortunately, he was able to stable himself before toppling over. Scooting closer to her, he peered into her eyes. "Mikono?" He noticed her eyes were glossed over and she wouldn't respond to him.

Takemi stood from her seat and examined the dazed girl. "Everything seems to be in order." She returned to the desk and picked up her pen. "There's no-"

Mikono's eyes fluttered shut, falling unconscious once again. Her body titled forward, but Akira caught her before she fell off the bed. He gently laid her back down on the bed before sitting back down with a sigh. He tore his gaze from the sleeping girl and looked at Takemi. "What just happened?"

"It seemed she was startled from her coma. It's most likely a side effect of the medicine. There's nothing to worry about. She should awake in the next hour or two."

Akira exhaled, relieved to know Mikono was okay. His racing heart slowed and he tried to relax. Leaning forward, he placed his hands on the foot of the bed and waited for his friend to awake.

<---------<<<<<

An hour later, Mikono woke up. Unlike her first awakening, she slowly pushed herself up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She placed a hand on her head and groaned. "What happened...?"

Takemi turned around in her seat. "Good evening. Do you remember anything from the moment you took the medicine until now?"

"N-No..." She confessed. "Everything's...blurry."

"You briefly woke from your coma, but you were completely dazed during the entire examination. You eventually lost consciousness, and fell back asleep."

"I can't believe-"

"Are you out of your mind?" Takemi interrupted her, glaring. "Only an idiot would have drank that. I thought you were the smart one."

"I only drank it after what you said," the girl rebuttals.

"And you thought it would be better for you?"

"Well..."

The doctor sighed. "Thought so. You worried your friend so much I had to send him on a walk. He really cares about you."

"I'll have to apologize to him when he gets back."

"By the way," Takemi crossed her legs as she leant forward in her seat. "The reason you lost consciousness was because of the taste. It produces a foul smell when it mixes with gastric juices, similar to surströmming."

"Nice to know," Mikono nonchalantly said.

"All that matters is that thanks to you I was able to get some good data."

Suddenly, the door to the examination room opened and Akira entered. When he saw Mikono was awake, he smiled. "Hey, you're awake." He grabbed the seat and rolled it over to the bed, sitting down on it. "How're you feeling?"

"Perfectly fine. My memories a little hazy from after I took the medicine, but I'm all right," she smiled at him.

Takemi tapped her fingernails against the clipboard, grabbing the teens' attentions. She cleared her throat before speaking. "Okay, it's my turn to make good on my part of the deal." She solely focused on Akira. "That's why I waited until your friend woke up. I don't want the general public to know about my original medicines. So you both are strictly prohibited from disclosing what happens here to anyone. Understood?"

Akira nodded. "Of course."

"Yeah, we won't tell a soul," Mikono promised.

"Then it's a deal. As long as you come here for it, I'll give you the medicine at a good price whenever you want. I may even add additional selections, in time. I look forward to your continued patronage. So...when can either of you come back for the next clinical trial?"

"I-I think I'll leave the clinical trials to Akira," Mikono confesses.

"That would be for the best," he replied.

"All right, then," Takemi said. "I'm not complaining. I still get a test subject. A shame I can't convince you both, but one will do. Anyway, I'll provide you the medicine for your entrance exams and in exchange, you'll be my guinea pig."

"Deal," Akira agreed upon the doctor's terms.

Takemi turned and gestured to Mikono with her clipboard. "If you're able to move now, you can go home."

"I'm fine. Let's go, Akira." Mikono hopped off the bed and grabbed her bag.

"Take care," Takemi said as the teens left the clinic.

Once outside, Mikono inhaled deeply before exhaling. "Fresh air~!" She threw her arms into the air. "I can't believe I fell unconscious...twice!"

"Want to stop by Leblanc before you grab a taxi?" Akira offered.

"A cup of coffee does sound nice right about now," she said. "To Leblanc!"

The duo arrived at Leblanc a couple minutes later. The bell announces their arrival as they stepped through the door.

"Welcome," a voice greeted them.

Mikono recognizes the older gentleman from when she first met Akira. "Oh, Sakura-san, it's nice to see you again."

The man lifted his head and smiled once he recognized the girl. "You're the girl we met at Shujin. It was...Tsutsui-san, correct?"

"Yes," she smiled.

The girl's smile was infectious. Sojiro couldn't help but smile back. "Are you here for a cup of coffee or some curry?"

"I was hoping to enjoy a cup of coffee before catching a taxi."

"Well then," Sojiro looked toward Akira. "Make the lady a cup of coffee."

"Right away," Akira responded. He placed his bag down, allowing Morgana to climb out of it.

The cat leapt into Mikono's lap. "What did I miss?"

"Don't tell me you were sleeping the entire time," she whispered.

"Maybe..."

"I think I'll let Akira tell you the details later. Right now, I'm exhausted."

The smell of coffee filled the small shop. There was also a small hint of curry in the air, but the dominant smell was freshly brewed coffee. While Mikono waited for her coffee, she sparked up a conversation with Sojiro. She learned that he'd been teaching Akira how to brew the perfect cup of coffee and make the most delectable curry.

A few minutes passed and Akira placed a hot cup of coffee in front of her. She thanked the boy before searching her bag for her wallet. Before she could obtain a single yen, Sojiro stopped her. "It's on the house. Think of it as a small token of gratitude for keeping him in line at school."

"I should be the one thanking him," she smiled. "After all, it's nice having another friend." She took a sip and savored the warm beverage. When she lowered her cup, she saw Akira eagerly awaiting her verdict. "What's with the worried look?"

"I'm still new at this," he confessed. "I'm kinda nervous how the coffee came out. Since you haven't spat it out, I'm gonna assume it's drinkable."

Mikono giggled. "It tastes amazing, Akira. I give it an A-plus! Maybe you could make me some curry one of these days."

"Sure," he smiled. "Just tell me when you want some and I'll gladly make it."

Sojiro didn't wish to interrupt them and quietly undid his apron. He hung it up before deciding to interject. "I'm leaving. Lock up once you're done." He then looked at Mikono. "It was a pleasure meeting you again, Tsutsui-san."

"You, too, Sakura-san. Have a wonderful night." She waves farewell to the man as he left Leblanc. After he was gone, she took a few more sips of her coffee and felt her entire body be enveloped with warmth from the beverage. "I really should come here more often. Seeing you make me coffee is quite amusing."

"Why's that?" Akira questioned. He leaned against the counter on his elbows.

"You do kinda look like a barista. I think coffee suits you, though. Maybe we could study here one day and enjoy some coffee and curry together." Mikono checked the time and realized how late it was getting. She finished her cup of coffee before grabbing her bag. "I really am glad you invited me, Akira. I wish I could enjoy another cup, but I have to get home."

"Already?" Akira asked with a melancholic sigh. When he realized how he sounded, he cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck. "I mean, yeah. You want me to call for a taxi?"

"Thank you, but I can do it." She stood up from her seat once Morgana jumped out of her lap. "Well then, I'll get out of your hair. I'll see you later, Akira."

He nodded. "Bye, Mikono."

"Bye." She sent one last smile his way before leaving.