"Nakamachi-san. I don't think anything of what happened back then. If anything, I feel bad for the trouble I caused you. So let's both stop worrying about it. Let's just be happy that we've managed to become friends like this, okay?"
"U-um... Okay!"
Chika's face lit up with a radiant smile.
"Now then, Sister. Get back to work."
"Yes, yes. Good luck, Chika-chan!"
"Thank you!"
Haruno waved with a smile and disappeared back into her office. It seemed that, regardless of the past, she had taken a liking to the current Chika. Hachiman felt a quiet sense of relief as the three of them finished their tour, finalizing the plans for the office greenery.
"Is that everything?"
"Yeah. I tried to narrow it down, but it's still quite a lot of plants."
"In that case, Nakamachi-san, please send the estimate and delivery schedule to us at a later date," Bara instructed.
"I'll get them to you as soon as possible!"
Bara returned to her duties, and Hachiman led Chika back down to the Kit. Once they were inside the vehicle, Hachiman seemed to remember something.
"Oh, right. Nakamachi-san, there's one more place I'd like to place some flowers or plants. Do you mind accompanying me a bit longer?"
"Oh, of course! Where to?"
"Ah... a palliative care facility, I suppose."
"Eh? Is that also related to Soleil?"
"Yeah. It's a bit of a special place within our organization. We don't want just anyone going in there."
"I see..."
Chika wondered if someone like her was really allowed in such a place, but at the same time, she felt a flutter of joy that he was willing to take her there. When they arrived, she looked at the sign on the building.
"The Forest of Sleep?"
"Yeah. Most patients haven't been moved in yet, so there are only two at the moment."
"Oh, I see."
"Come on, let's go inside."
"O-okay."
Meguri was there, though Kyouko seemed to be out. Hachiman went over to greet her.
"Me... ... ...Meguri."
"There was a huge gap there, but well done!" Meguri chirped.
"Give me a break. I'm still not used to skipping honorifics."
"You'll get used to it eventually. And who is this?"
"This is Chika Nakamachi. She's a friend of mine and Orimoto's. She's a florist. And this is Meguri Shiromeguri-san. She was my senior in high school."
"I'm Chika Nakamachi. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Oh, so you're Kaori-chan's friend! I'm Meguri Shiromeguri. Nice to meet you. So, Hikigaya-kun, what brings you here today?"
"I was thinking about whether we could place some plants or flowers here."
"Oh, that's a lovely idea! Since this is a specialized facility, indoor plants might be tricky for hygiene reasons, but I think being able to see greenery from the rooms would be wonderful."
Hachiman looked visibly relieved. "When those two wake up... if the only thing in front of them is machinery, it would be pretty lonely."
"I see. You really are kind, Hikigaya-kun."
Hachiman scratched his head awkwardly. "Well, I'm going to go check on them with Nakamachi-san."
"Go ahead."
As they walked down the hallway, Chika looked at the equipment under construction with curiosity.
"What are they building here?"
"This? Well... have you ever heard of a Medicuboid?"
Chika, being surprisingly well-read, seemed to recognize the term. "Oh, wait. Is that the... urban legend?"
"Urban legend? Is that how the public sees it?"
"Yeah, I saw it on a summary site."
"I see... Well, I guess this is the real-life version of that urban legend."
Chika gasped. "Wait, seriously?!"
"Yeah. This is the Medicuboid. It's a machine that keeps a patient's consciousness connected to a virtual world, regardless of whether they're conscious in reality or not."
"Even if they're unconscious...?"
"Yeah. It uses the technology that was in the NerveGear. Currently, Soleil is the only one that possesses this tech."
"I see... Is it safe?"
"Yeah, it's fine. Anyway, the room with the two I mentioned is right here."
"Oh..."
Inside the room, two girls lay in bed. Large machines were fitted over their heads, covering them almost entirely.
"These two have a serious illness. It's been about a month now... they've been living in the VR world the whole time."
"The whole time?! I-I had no idea..."
"Apparently, once you get used to it, it's more comfortable than the real world. I go in to see them occasionally."
"Are they being treated while in there?"
"Yeah. One of the features of the Medicuboid is that the patients don't have to suffer through the pain of the treatment process."
"Oh, that makes sense."
"So, I want to place something where they can see it from the inside. Do you think you could come up with something?"
"Y-yes! If you're okay with me doing it."
"Thanks, Nakamachi-san."
The look in Hachiman's eyes was so incredibly gentle that Chika felt a lump in her throat.
(Hikigaya-kun really is the kindest person I know.)
"Well, sorry for keeping you so late today. I'll drive you home."
"Thank you."
As they left, Chika turned back toward the twins and sent them a silent cheer.
(I'll pick out the perfect plants for you both, so please, hang in there.)
After returning home, Chika worked with her parents to draw up the estimate. The total was higher than she had expected, which made her nervous, but when she contacted Bara, the reply was that the price was perfectly fair.
In the car on the way back, Chika had mentioned to Hachiman that her parents were a bit hesitant about the scale of the job. To put them at ease, Hachiman had added a clause to the contract: if Soleil were to terminate the agreement prematurely, they would pay a cancellation fee equivalent to three years of maintenance costs.
When Chika's parents saw that, they were moved to tears, apologizing to Chika for doubting the opportunity.
That night, Chika lay in bed, her thoughts consumed by Hachiman.
"You didn't have to go that far for me... you're way too considerate. Seriously, if I'm not careful, I'm going to end up falling for you..."
She buried her face in her pillow, her cheeks flushed crimson.
"...Just for tonight, I'll call you by your name. Thank you... and goodnight, Hachiman-kun."
Wrapped in a haze of bashful happiness, she drifted off into a deep, peaceful sleep.
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