Vol 1 Chapter 4 (2/2)

”I still can't tell when you're kidding or not”

I sighed Yeonji made an expression like a cat that had been pulled by its whiskers while sleeping, then said,

”For sure, we are going to have to go in that rooate”

”That's true”

”To do that, ill have to pull that woman out of that room somehow”

”Stop saying 'that woman, that woman' She's still a teacher”

”Nyuu-t”

I only co with her teeth clenched What are you, a rattlesnake?

”A-anyway! Now there are two routes We should wait for that woman hmph, wait for her to exit on her own, or one of us lures her outside”

”Let's just wait for her”

It was obvious that 'one of us' was going to end up being e its course, but Yeonji's de response came

”How long do ait? We only have 15do ait for a woo out for lunch?”

”Wouldn't she at least go to the washroom?”

”She won't go with us being here”

Yeonji pouted

Then we just have to wait every day-- was going to be estion, but that could not work Unless the nurse is an idiot, she would think it strange that there are people visiting the infirmary on a daily basis

But that meant we had to see an end to this within today I asked Yeonji,

”If we lure her outside, how long do we have to stall? Looking through a co time”

”I don't need much time One minute, no, thirty seconds? I need at least thirty seconds”

”That fast?”

”It's 'cause I have this”

Yeonji proudly stuck out her small chest and showed me a camcorder

It was sht in Yeonji's small, childlike hands, and it looked like it could have cost a fortune to buy

Where were you hiding this sort of thing?!

”Hehehe This has a built-in ti the caone, I can attach this in the room at the perfect location, then coet it back It'll only leave a glue mark”

It seened for nefarious purposes from the start As Yeonji proudly caressed the camcorder, I asked once more,

”So what are you going to do about luring her out? Do you have a plan?”

”Nyuu-n-- About that”

Yeonj entered her strategizing meditation

Ion , but that didn't matter at this point, because-

”You should knock on that door and say, 'Help, my lower part of my body suddenly beca to die now? Please save me~' After that woman leaves to call the police, we can install the camcorder”

-Because, for an everyday, normal mindset much like my own, there was no way I could come up with such insanity

”You should do that kind of crap!”

”Iirl”

Were you going to do it if you were a guy?!

Even as she was blacks that I would and wouldn't do I glared at her, full of contempt and resolution

She seemed to be taken down a notch

”Okay, we don't have to go that far Maybe you should ask her out on a walk in the park, saying that the weather is pretty nice Or, ask her out for a coffee-milk date”

”I' that!”

In this day and age, not even preschoolers would be convinced Yeonji's severely outdated social mannerism had left me at a loss for words

She had a strange expression on her face, and I could not tell if she found it a or sad that I declined

”Ngh, fine Then I'll lure her out, so you go in that room and install the camcorder”

”Huh?”

I expected that I would be the one to lure her out, so it was a surprise that she had volunteered for the job

As I gave a surprised look, Yeonji had a heavy, dark atmosphere around her, perhaps from her mood She said dejectedly,

”I have a failsafe plan that will 100 succeed if I use it Well, I would prefer to not use it, but I have no choice”

”Is-is that so”

I strangely felt sorry for her Though, honestly, I was not confident that I could lure the nurse out on my own, so I decided to take the plan with the 100 chance of success

It wasridiculed

Yeonji instructed ets to cover As Yeonji had said, the ca starts after 30with the camcorder itself

It was a relief for me, since I could almost be considered a technophobe

”Alright, then I'll go out and lure that woh, you must immediately enter that roo”

”Okay”

Yeonji's hands were slightly hen she handed over the camcorder She was nervous, too

”Then I'll be right back”

”Okay be safe”

Yeonji bit her lips and headed towards the nurse's roo of responsibility

Thinking back to it, for a criminal duo about to cause a ruckus, that was quite a roe

Part 2

Sometime after Yeonji left, I heard indistinct voices between Yeonji and the nurse They were followed by sounds of the infir

Then, a highly unnatural cough resounded It was Yeonji's signal

Yeonji had successfully lured the nurse outside, however she did it Already prepared to jump out, I hastily bolted out from behind the curtains I dashed into the open room

A glance into the roo our expectation that soainst a wall, full of medical books and documents Few couches crowded around a short coffee table in the center

There was nothing that was special or extraordinary in this rooe in the corner Nonetheless, soht my attention

It was a computer

Attached to an 18-inch-or-so monitor, there was a perfectly ordinary desktop co away to the back wall

I checked the ed out I needed the password to investigate further

So, she had so to hide, after all

And thus, et for surveillance beca area

To get a nice view of the monitor there's nowhere to put the camcorder!

The desk was too close to a nearby wall so that only a single chair could fit in between There was no optimal location to place my device I momentarily panicked

Quickly, I pulled out a chair out from under the desk, and then I stood on it with ainst time, so I chose the immediately available option; I chose a place on the very top of the bookshelf, to the left of the computer Fortunately, there wereon the shelves, so I placed the camcorder in one of the inconspicuous crevices in between

The ca an elevated view of the le fro my situation at the time I quickly pushed the chair back in and jumped back in my shoes to leave

I felt like I was playing out a situation froa experience

Same day, after school,

After the coe of 'Operation: Capture the Infirmary', we retreated back to our temporary outpost (my room) to discuss our next move

I coet soood information from the camcorder that I had installed

Yeonji's fourth appearance atthe clubroo but sadly, there was nothing to discuss

Well, really, after I installed that ca to bea trip to the infirs, there was nothing to talk about The only thing we couldcaught on the camera

Yeonji, who already proclaimed the title of Clotaku Club President for herself, commented on the subject,

”Hmm? It'll be fine, probably To that we need on film, for sure”

I wish I knehere she was getting all this courage I swear she has endorphins flowing in her body instead of blood

”Heh Otakus know Otakus The irl was an irredeemable Otaku Icouldn't miss that opportunity”

Said Yeonji, as the eminent leader of the Otaku social order As an aside, I did not suspect the nurse to be an Otaku at all when I saw her I'm an Otaku, too!

It was only wasted effort to have abetween an unabashedly optimistic person and an unashamedly pessimistic person As loathsome as it would be to crush the hopes of a person anticipating fortunes frole lottery ticket, I left Yeonji in her own happy dreams

And, if this was all she planned on doing, why did she even corumbled under my breath at Yeonji, as now excited like a little brat before Christmas

”By the way, this afternoon, how did you lure the nurse outside?”

”You really want to hear it?”

”No, I don't, sorry”

Looks like we all made sacrifices on that day

At the second day of Operation: Capture the Infirmary,

Yeonji and I aiting outside the infirain, it was our precious lunchtime; Yeonji's patience was as thin as the atmosphere of Mars, so it was no surprise that she wanted to see the contents of the caht correct, Yeonji's face shone brightly like the face of a far his yearly harvest

Why aren't you starving?!

For two days straight, I had faced the travesty of having to miss the opportunity to haveI protested that we should return after school, no, after at least having so to eat, but Yeonji looked at ) and said,

”Hmph, and you call yourself a man Sometime before, I fasted for thole days and I was fine I realized then that the saying, 'necessity has no law' is a complete lie”

”I bet you were just playing visual novels instead”

Personally, I believe that the governram to Somalia or someplace

While I vented ainst Yeonji, she quietly spied inside the infirmary Then she remarked in a focused tone,

”The atmosphere is the sa in that sao in first this time”

”Wait, you're really going in first?”

Yeonji nodded,

”If we go in the saet suspicious At least I can make excuses about how it still hasn't ended for me”

What hasn't ended, exactly?

I did not believe that the matter was the order ent in, since ere already incredibly suspicious for having been here only yesterday

I was filled with doubts and worries, and yet Yeonji see Like an ar her troops from the forefront, Yeonji raised her fist and shouted,

”Alright, let's go get our caroup up at the beds behind the curtains, and I plan out a perfect lure Then, we get back the camcorder and use the contents to discuss, I mean, threaten Ni-hee-hee~!”

Why did it have to go from 'discuss' to 'threaten'? It was also quite saddening, seeing her get overly gleeful about it

I thought about hoould cal on the camcorder, and saw Yeonji off

Wait, hold on

I asked a question that had suddenly popped into my head, just as Yeonji turned around to leave

”Hey, if you're going in first, what kind of excuse do Iin with you?”

”Use the trick from yesterday, you idiot You can rub your own forehead or so”

I'm pretty sure she said 'there's no way I'd do so as stupid as that' before, and there she was, telling me to do just that

Moments later,

After waiting for an appropriate length of time, I opened the infirmary door and took a step inside

Of course, the 'necessary duration' refers to the length of tiy fro my own forehead in a middle of a hallas, subjectively and probably objectively, pretty da If anyone saw me, I could be blackmailed for a new reason

Hoping that I would never encounter the words 'I knohat you did last infirmary visit', I went further inside the infirmary for the second time

Needless to say, nothing had changed inside, like the strong smell of the medicines unique to an infirmary, or the stupidly prominent 'self-aid-service' desk, or the needlessly abundant beds

Surely nothing had changed since yesterday

But as this feeling that soht?

I couldn't quite put er on it, but there had to be some sort of a problem Nevertheless, I knocked on the door to the back room as planned and called the nurse It could have been proble

”Yes, yes-”

When I knocked, a sleepy voice called out from within, like a koala that stuffed itself with eucalyptus leaves

If she taught language in this school instead of being a nurse, she could very easily make an entire class fall into slumbers with only her voice

The door opened

”Okay, what kind of sickne- Oh, ain~”

The nurse again covered the view inside her room upon exit She formed a curious expression on her face

Okay, my description of 'curious expression' was only based off of the nurse raising her eyebrows very slightly, but anyway

”Yeah, I'm still sick from yesterday”

I quickly answered, as I noticed a feeling of suspicion was lare Honestly, if I really had headaches and high fever for two days straight, I'd just take a trip to a proper hospital

”That's a big problem Do you have any other symptoms?”

The nurse asked with one hand supporting her chin

”Uhh, umm No, not really”

When I said I had a fever yesterday, she used her hand to take my temperature Then, I wonder what she'd do if I were sick anywhere else?!

-The thought ood ti auditory sense, so that she could catch everything wrong that I may say

”Hmm Is that so”

Drawing sently curved chin, the nurse added,

”I guess a siet an injection on your butt?”

”Whaa-t?!”

What are you saying?!

I was in utter shock The nurse narrowed her eyes and gently laughed

”I'es Here, take these pills and lie down for a bit It should be more effective than the ones from yesterday”

The nurse took out a bottle of ave me two pills

”Uh”

”Here, water”

And in another pocket, a sly well-equipped

”Thank you”

The nurse fixed a gaze atback inside the room I had to s the pills

Thanks to Yeonji, I got to take so s that I never needed to

”Good Now, go over to that bed and lie down”

The nurse shtly as I aardly handed the water bottle back It was a mature smile unlike Yeonji's, I'd say; it was pretty nice to look at

The nurse retreated to her room after I returned both bottles to her I rushed over to the beds where Yeonji had planned to be

”ZZZ”

There lay a girl, short in stature, with jet-black hair

Froirl who yelled atin this place like an idiot?!'

”Hey, hey, coet up!”

”Nyuu-n”

Yeonji nodded off like a chick vigorously pecking at seeds I lightly tapped on her cheeks, but her only replies were sleepy groans I felt helpless for a moment

After much consideration, I pinched her baby-smooth cheek

”Oow! ?”

Yeonji jumped up in surprise and opened her eyes

She woke up, but her eyes were unfocused, unaware of her surroundings

”Slurp”

With a blank, sheepish face, she sucked a long drool back inside her mouth Oh God

No

While I discovered my new appreciation for the clear boundary between reality and i up She wiped her mouth with her sleeves and asked in a weak voice,

”Nyuu-n- S-so sleepy What time is it?”

This isn't a sleepover!

Yeonji groaned like she was suffering froover I looked at my wristwatch and answered her (20 minutes before the end of lunch) Yeonji ed around, saying 'Ngh, I have no time for this'

”What's wrong, are you really sick?”

”I don't know My head hurts like it's going to crack open I got enough sleep, so why am I so sleepy?”

”Hey”

I couldn't understand how she became as frail as an old lady, when she was just fine earlier On the one hand, I was dumbfounded, but on the other, I orried; I supported her body up as she slumped back down into slumber

”Seriously, what's wrong with you? Did you eat some spoiled food?”

”Nyuu No I haven't eaten anything yet Other than taking those pills from that woman”

”Pills?”

Maybe that was it Of course, considering that her sickness wasn't real, it was very possible that she was suffering fro's side effects

”She gave , yellow pills to take, two of theet suspicious, so I took the pills, so she ground them into a fiiine powdeeeerrrr”

Yeonji drawled as if she were deainst my chest

”Wha- hey!”

I quickly pulled her back up, but she was asleep already She looked like she wouldn't wake up even if aliens abducted her away

”What the hell, seriously”

I looked down at Yeonji, as sleeping with her body resting against my chest Then it occurred to me,

--'She gave , yellow pills to take, two of them'

Yeonji's last words Two strange, yellow pills

Oh, crap, son of a-

Thethat her description of the pills matched mine, my consciousness was severed, and I fell into a deep sleep beside Yeonji

My head was pounding

Itas usual, where some people have no care for others who suffer fro frouess this illness is serious business~'

Although, I really think that the cause and the effect ay too close together this time

In accordance to Yeonji's co It felt like so into my head to punch my brain around

--Disregarding the fact that the brain itself feels no pain

If I could have this kind of nonsensical discussion with myself, it meant that my consciousness must have mostly returned I blinked and felt my eyes water up

The fluorescent light on the ceiling was extreht

”Ugh”

I tried to lift e

”What the?”

In confusion, I tried to lifton, but that was equally futile It felt like I had lost control ofparts of ue

Oh crap

Headache struck again, unforgivable and unforgettable as the noise of a flying ht I did what I could to spot s

Ho, I entered this infirs Then, I panicked when Yeonji fell asleep, and then I ended up falling asleep too

It was such a cliche progression I could see hoe ended up here

”Hey, Seo Yeonji, are you there?”

I asked, still facing the ceiling I felt the voice linger inmy mouth, but it must have been heard by Yeonji nonetheless; she replied from somewhere to the side

”Yes, I'm here! Are you finally awake? You idiot!”

Thanks forme as soon I'm awake, you jerk

Yeonji's thin voice was subtly shaky Of course she'd be scared I was shaken up froirl like Yeonji must be stricken with fear

It was up to me to remain calm I cleared my throat and asked,

”Well, okay Are you at least feeling well?”

”Feeling well?! I can't even et ahold of that woe I'll kill her kill kill KILL!”

It wasn't fear that she was shaking froe

Yeonji spouted her death threats in her girlish voice I kept my mouth shut, intimidated, and then a lazy voice drifted to my ears

”Oh uys are still pretty young; I thought it would take longer”

”Nyuu-t!”

The voice belonged to the nurse Yeonji began hissing like some bipedal unmanned anti-personnel war n Before Yeonji was enraged further, I quickly interjected

”Excuseon here?”

A relaxed giggle echoed in the room

” 'What's going on'? That's a vague question You guys tookon separate beds Also, I' watch It's also one-twenty right now, but I convinced your homeroom teachers to let you stay, so don't worry Be thankful!”

The explanation was needlessly lengthy, and completely unhelpful in our situation

Reaching the li fit

”You sneaky, old fart! I knew you did sos!”

”Old fart that's harsh That hurts s, you know”

Yeonji went 'o' fro her cheeks pinched like before It wasn't all too pleasant to hear, so I interjected once more

”What did you give to us? Were they sleeping pills?”

”Hmm Don't know if I can call them that I added in some pancuronium bromide, with maybe some thiopentone sodium mixed in”

Muscle relaxants and general anesthetics, if I recall

”Wait, what? Aren't they used in lethal injections in the United States?”

Yeonji squirnorance is bliss, sometimes

”Yes, you're correct”

The nurse spoke in aher relaxed voice

”Well, I diluted them to a safer concentration myself, so it won't be too harmful to your body Hmm it'll keep you conscious, but your entire body will be numb, for a bit So, relax”

That's not relaxing at all!

Yet, Yeonji was relaxed already, as she resury shouts

”Nyuu-t! Why would you give that kind of drug to us?”

”Hmm No, even if you ask that way,”

The nurse spoke, upset,

”You two left this thing inthis

”?!”

I didn't need to turn my head to know that Yeonji flinched Fro her

The camcorder had been found

As I had expected, a familiar, small camcorder entered my vision A white, smooth hand played around with the device

”I' liar I wonder what you were trying to film with this”

”Ugh”

I was too embarrassed to answer

Feeling my face redden, I closed my eyes The nurse put the camcorder away and continued,

”Froe There were two children co to the infir their sickness”

She was far rieved for my wasted efforts thus far, the nurse's voice went on

”So I kept watch, and this girl was trying to lure me out of my room She made some silly lies, but I pretended to fall for them and left the room Then this device appeared in my room when I came back!”

”S-silly lies-?!”

Yeonji exclaimed in shock

”I can't believe it! That had to be the ot nothing on it, and you saw through it?!”

”Hmm Yeah, about that”

In a clearly embarrassed tone, the nurse explained,

”There's a boy with us, so I won't explain it directly That lie, it was a bit too obvious, I should say I got embarrassed by proxy when I heard it, I should say Please don't ever do that again, as a lady”

”Nyuaaaaaaah--?!”

And Yeonji received a ing them What the hell did she do?!

”Now”

Ignoring Yeonji's volcanic eruption of a scream, the nurse turned her attention to , but now it held a certain power to it Eht from her half-open eyes, the nurse asked,

”Why did you guys do this? Won't you explain it to the dear nurse?”

I can't take this anymore

In our state of complete paralysis, we had no choice but to confess our criminal motive(!) to the nurse

Now I understood what it would be like to be in the shoes of those captured leaders in grand strategy gaated by the nurse

From the fact that we are Otakus, that anted to forh drastic methods since nor the infirmary, we revealed it all

I never wanted to confess that we are Otakus, but Yeonji was shrieking every ti done to her) so I had no other options

The nurse reacted as expected e confessed that ould threaten her with a video proof of her being an Otaku

”Hs like these I really don't knohat to say, no”

”Sorry”

I apologized At this point, there was really nothing else I could do

”I understand how much you want a club, but did you really have to blacks in the world that you should never do”

”I have no excuses”

Every word froive up yet; every ti, but she was suppressed immediately

I implored earnestly,

”We won't ever do soive us just this time!”

”Hmm, what should I do”

The nurse hesitated I coughed loudly to pressure Yeonji into begging with me, but Yeonji only answered with a 'hmph' each time

Just as the infir sound effects, the nurse asked with a hint of dissatisfaction,

”Before that, I want to ask so”

”Sure! Ask away!”

I became desperate If our actions this day were notified to the school or to our parents, it was going to be a one-way trip to hell And so I struggled to extend ru, and soon asked,

”So you guys, how did you find out that I'm an Otaku?”

””Huh?””

We exclaiard for what I assume to be utter shock expressed on our faces, the nurse continued,

”I really don't know I always thought I covered my tracks well; I wonder what exactly