9. Heart

"To tell the truth, we need you back in here as soon as you can," the voice on the other end of the phone spoke to his sternly, "get your next day off. Actually, come right now."

"Matsukawa-sensei, I'm telling you, you don't just call me in the middle of school and tell me you need an emergency appointment right away," Nao groaned, nursing a headache building up, "sick leaves don't work that way and-- no, you called me in yesterday. I'm not going. No. I came up here for class, you're not getting me down the mountain before it happens. I don't care if you're a doctor, screw you. I don't give a fu--"

"Hey, language in the staffroom, Kunomasu-sensei!" Korosensei materialized.

"Oh jesus lord--" Nao stepped away in surprise at the yellow thing's sudden teleportation jutsu, "hey, privacy in a phone call, octopus!" 

"You're mean!" Korosensei retorted, "this is an educational platform and proper conduct should be observed--"

"Another word," Nao glared, "and I'm throwing grape juice on you, mollusc."

"It's a criminal!" Korosensei shrieked in fear, "I'm being threatened!"

ー

"Hmm," Nao mumbled, "since Terasaka, Maehara, Mimura, Nakamura and Yoshida didn't get their work done on time, what do you guys suggest we do to them?"

The class went nervously silent.

Nao folded his arms, eyeing the five questionably and contemplatively. He wasn't trying to be threatening, but he wasn't in the greatest of moods.

He was having difficulty focusing, especially since he was currently ignoring a hospital summons for a session of class. He decided to go right after school hours ended, but still--

Karma raised his hand.

"Can we hang them upside down?" he suggested jokingly.

Nao took the response quite acceptingly, nodding once to acknowledge, "that sounds great and all, but Terasaka would be a hassle to hang. Any other suggestions?"

The class sank into horror. Did Naomasa just take Karma's joke seriously? 

In contrast to the class, Karma was highly amused. "Then, wasabi-" 

"Stop, Karma!" Sugino panicked, raising a concerned tone toward his teacher, "Kuma-sensei, are you alright? You've been out of it all day today."

Nao flinched, gripping the corners of the teacher's desk in an attempt to remind himself he was currently at work.

Biting his lip, he forced out a smile.

"Well, punishments need to be educational--" he chuckled dryly, "since we're a Japanese Lesson, I want all of you to write a three-page reflective essay, and hand it in by tomorrow along with all the work you owe me."

This erected a surprised gasp from the five.

"Understand?" Nao smiled.

  ー  

Naomasa sighed. 

Well, they can probably do it if they try. How else are they gonna improve? Language had no level-up function, unlike Math or Science.

Closing the door behind him, Nao made his way back to the staffroom. His phone buzzed like an old car on his desk, but he didn't bother picking it up.

Irina sat two tables down, near exploding from the annoying noise.

Nao watched the phone ring like the uncaring irresponsible human he was. He glared at the phone, at the screen that told him Doctor Matsukawa was calling him. It told him it was the thirtieth missed call. Another call came.

Nao glowered at the phone as if it was a poisonous piece of shit, slouching at his chair and not making any move to take the phone that was within arm's reach of him.

Korosensei trembled in the corner, fearful.

"PICK IT UP!" Irina yelled.

Nao jumped in absolute horror, his heart skipping a beat painfully at the sudden noise. 

The call stopped ringing-- Nao turned to it, confused.

A message notification ringtone chimed.

Message from Doctor Matsukawa.

Picking it up carefully, Naomasa gulped nervously as he clicked on the button to read it.

I'll tell Ms Sakurai.

Naomasa paled. Dropping everything on hand, he leaped off the chair, gathered his things, and called back telling the doctor he'll be in the hospital right away.

  ー  

"Seriously, are you a kid? Go to your checkups regularly!" Dr Matsukawa reprimanded the teacher, "this time it's serious!"

Matsukawa was an older man, looking a little rough and sporting a scar on his face like a typical gang boss leader or something. He folded his arms, displeasure marring his expressions as he looked like he was ready to chew Nao's head off.

"I mean, every time I come in here you tell me something's bad," Nao grumbled rebelliously, "I don't see the point in getting some lame treatment if all you're gonna do is tell me I need more. Also, I don't like your face."

Matsukawa sighed in resignation. He officially gives up.

"Well, you're not wrong," he decided to say, erected a disgusted scowl from Nao. Matsukawa slides a lollipop in his mouth, casting a side glance to his monitor and the papers strewn about his desk, "I'm sorry to say but-- we think you've got another hole in your heart."

...Uh,

"Sorry," Nao laughed nervously, "did I hear that right?"

"Your heart has a hole in it," Matsukawa repeated absent-mindedly, gathering the stuff on his desk to make the area neat, "a ventricular septal defect. the septum, the wall that separates your left and right heart chambers have a gap in it because--"

"Stop copying things off the internet, author!" Nao snapped, "I've heard that a ton of times, doc. Too many times to goddamn count-- what on earth is going on?"

This wasn't the first time.

A decade or two ago, this same event occurred to Naomasa. At that time, they simply had a surgical closure to due with the issue. 

It was a defect from birth, Matsukawa had told him at the time. They had done the surgery twice in the span of the first eight years of his life.

"Look, I ain't taking this bullshit any longer," Nao stood up, "this ain't normal."

A hole in the heart was a defect most survived with no lasting issues. For it to reopen, twice? It would either be a shitty doctor or a shitty god. Hell, it can reopen?

"You aren't normal!" Matsukawa raised his voice, "look, we're trying to figure out just what is wrong here. I promise it won't take too long, just--"

"That's what you tell me every time!" Nao yelled, fists crashing against the table.

This was exactly why he hated hospitals so, so much. They never brought in good news for him. They never told him anything about him getting better-- only about things turning for the worse. It was like the hospital was constantly sending him portents of just how much he wasn't allowed to live long in this world.

And this world wasn't even fucking real.

His heart throbbed, ached, cracked in agony that he was trying to ignore. He wasn't angry-- just disappointed. Upset. So, so, grievous. His chest swelled with a burning ache, as if it was crying even before the tears could reach his eyes.

This wasn't fair.

"Can't you just leave me alone?" he wanted to give up, "stop wasting some petty cash on someone who will never be healed... can't we?"

Matsukawa crunched the lollipop in his mouth.

"You are my patient, and I've been put in charge of you and your stupid heart," he growled, evidently very, very angered, "so if you say anything more than that, I'm signing you up with a counselor, Naomasa."

Nao knew that was a kind gesture to the doctor. A harsh gentleness, a conflicting oxymoron in the doctor that spoke a hundred emotions that came out in a way that wasn't meant to hurt.

Matsukawa was a stern, serious man that did his very best in anything he did. He was strong-willed and shed no wasted tears. He was the best cardiologist in the hospital, some said-- btu he really didn't act like it.

His crass words always made Naomasa stand up strong against the gales-- but never left him without a wound.

He didn't deny at all that Naomasa was without hope.

And beyond anything else Matsukawa had ever said-- that hurt him a lot.