Knock!, Knock!
"Please, come in," Okamoto Dousuke said from the bed, wearing a striped hospital gown, looking towards the ward door.
Creak. The door handle turned, and the door swung open.
Tap… tap.
A familiar tapping sound of footsteps approached, and a young girl in an orange short-sleeved shirt entered the room. Her long hair flowed over her shoulders, the ends curling slightly. She had a solemn yet playful and cute demeanor, and a brown lunch box rested on her arm.
"You're here, Sister Ritsu," Okamoto Dousuke greeted the approaching girl.
"Huh? Why are you sitting up? Doesn't your wound still hurt?" Hyuga Ritsu asked with concern, taking out delicious dishes from the food box and arranging them on the table in front of Okamoto Dousuke.
"It's alright, Sister Ritsu. I am a doctor myself, after all, and I know my current condition," Okamoto Dousuke answered, looking at the array of food Hyuga Ritsu was placing on the table.
"Okay, eat quickly. I have to go and check on Captain Nakajima Sodai and Aburame Takuto later," Hyuga Ritsu urged him.
Hyuga Ritsu had been hospitalized for a few days and was discharged yesterday.
She hadn't suffered any serious external injuries. Aside from the prick from the steel needle containing the stone lizard's gland fluid, there were no other significant external wounds on her body. Most of her injuries were minor abrasions.
So, Hyuga Ritsu had been discharged yesterday, stating that she couldn't bear the smell of disinfectant in the hospital any longer.
With nothing else to occupy her, Hyuga Ritsu started preparing lunch for Okamoto Dousuke after being discharged.
Looking at the table laden with delectable food, Okamoto Dousuke couldn't help but say, "Sister Ritsu, this is too much! You must have visited so many shops to buy all this. It must have been quite expensive."
"Hehe," Hyuga Ritsu covered her mouth with her small, pale hands and giggled.
"It didn't cost any money; I made all of this myself, Dousuke," Hyuga Ritsu said with a hint of pride.
Okamoto Dousuke felt a challenge to his preconceived notions. He hadn't expected Hyuga Ritsu to have this particular skill.
Is this how the children of prominent families are? Skilled in battle, capable of caring for their families, a lady in the living room and a cook in the kitchen all in one.
"Wow, this is delicious!" Okamoto Dousuke exclaimed, picking up some food with his chopsticks and taking a large bite. He couldn't help but give Hyuga Ritsu a thumbs up. "I really didn't expect you could cook, Sister Ritsu, and that your cooking would be so delicious!"
"It's nothing special. This is a required skill in our family tradition. Girls have to learn it from a young age, especially girls from the branch families." When speaking about branch families, Hyuga Ritsu's tone paused momentarily before she continued.
"In the Hyuga clan, girls are usually assigned a fiancé around the age of fifteen. So, we've been learning these customs and skills of managing a household since childhood," Hyuga Ritsu explained, a slightly somber look clouding her eyes.
"Eat quickly, because after you finish, I need to go and see Captain Nakajima Sodai and Takuto," Hyuga Ritsu said, noticing Okamoto Dousuke staring at her, and couldn't help but urge him to eat.
After saying that, Hyuga Ritsu sat down next to Okamoto Dousuke, resting her elbows on her thighs, her waist slightly bent, her body leaning forward, her hands clasped together, supporting her head as she looked at him
Hyuga Ritsu, who was sitting on the hospital bed, had her legs hanging in the air because of her height.
Her calves swayed back and forth, and under the midday sun, her delicate legs, like polished white jade, were particularly radiant.
The wooden clogs, held precariously on her toes, made a soft scraping sound as their bases brushed against the floor with the gentle sway of her legs.
She used the big toes and middle fingers of both feet to tightly grip the remaining thongs of the clogs.
With such effort, the pink skin of her toes turned slightly white.
"Eat quickly, stop staring," Hyuga Ritsu said, noticing Okamoto Dousuke watching her, and lightly slapped him on the shoulder.
"Eat, eat. I need to eat more. Otherwise, I won't get any food after Sister Ritsu gets married," Okamoto Dousuke said with a chuckle.
"I'm twelve years old this year and already a Chunin. If I can't be promoted to Jonin by the time I'm fifteen, the family will likely assign me a fiancé. If I'm lucky, it might be from the main family. If I'm unlucky, it could be someone from another branch family," Hyuga Ritsu said, her tone tinged with disappointment and helplessness.
Looking at the solitary figure of Hyuga Ritsu, Okamoto Dousuke felt a pang in his heart.
"Don't worry, Sister Ritsu, you will definitely become a Jonin. Not only will you achieve that, but you'll also be able to make your own decisions about your future," Okamoto Dousuke said with conviction.
"Haha, thank you very much, Dousuke," Hyuga Ritsu couldn't help but laugh, seeing Okamoto Dousuke make such a serious promise with grains of rice stuck to the corners of his mouth.
"Wait a moment," Hyuga Ritsu said, stopping Okamoto Dousuke, who was about to return to his meal.
She leaned closer, reached out her right hand, and gently wiped the corner of Okamoto Dousuke's mouth.
Okamoto Dousuke looked at the girl approaching him and felt a strange flutter in his heart.
The girl's fair and clear face drew closer and closer to his.
As Hyuga Ritsu's right hand brushed across his lips, a tingling sensation surged from the corner of his mouth, spreading warmth into his heart.
"Dousuke, I brought you some delicious food!"
Thump.
The door of the ward was abruptly pushed open from the outside. A small figure appeared in the doorway.
The purple dress made Yukino look noticeably different from her usual nurse's uniform. In her uniform, Yukino typically had a solemn and serious air.
Now, the purple dress lent a more lively and adorable charm to her usually serious demeanor. Even the sunlight filtering into the room seemed to possess a warmer hue in the vibrancy of purple.
Her hair, usually neatly tied up and hidden under her nurse's cap, was now styled into two playful ponytails that bounced and swayed behind her head, seemingly reflecting her mood.
Yukino stood at the door, holding a plastic lunch box.
"You… you… you…" Yukino suddenly stammered, looking at Hyuga Ritsu wiping the corner of Okamoto Dousuke's mouth.
As if sensing her owner's sudden shift in mood, the two bouncing ponytails finally settled down, resting quietly behind her head.
"So… Dousuke, you've already… eaten… ?" Yukino's voice trailed off slightly, her gaze falling upon the table filled with food.
"Sister Yukino," Okamoto Dousuke called out.
"Oh! I'll go and see if Doctor Koyasumoto has had his meal yet. You should eat quickly, Dousuke!" With that, Yukino quickly closed the door.
Tap… tap… tap. Listening to the receding footsteps outside the door, Okamoto Dousuke couldn't help but cover his face with his hands.
"I didn't realize little brother Dousuke was so popular," Hyuga Ritsu said, standing up with a forced smile.
"She's a colleague… from when I used to work at the hospital," Okamoto Dousuke explained, though he wasn't entirely sure why he felt the need to.
"Hmph!" Hyuga Ritsu simply ignored him.
"I'm going to check on Captain Nakajima Sodai and Takuto now. Take your time and finish eating," Hyuga Ritsu said, picking up the food box beside her, turning around, and walking out of the room.
"I'll go with you! Sister Ritsu, please wait for me!" Okamoto Dousuke called out, quickly taking two large mouthfuls of rice.