The first message arrived slightly past noon.

Yui: I’m sorry... I can’t come to lunch today.

Just a couple of seconds later, there was a second message.

Yui: Emergency practical test.

Then there was the third message.

Yui: Again.

Kuro read the message, then smiled slightly.

This was the third time Yui couldn’t come to lunch in two weeks.

But not because she didn’t want to come.

Because she couldn’t get the medical school to let her.

He typed a short reply.

Kuro: Have some food when you can.

The reply came in just a few seconds.

Yui: I will try.

He knew what the reply meant.

She likely wouldn’t have the time to have some food.

Across the town, the university hospital was bustling with life.

Medical students wearing their white coats were rushing down the corridors while holding clipboards and textbooks.

Doctors were looking through patient charts while nurses were hurrying through rooms.

Everything was moving at a brisk pace.

Nobody seemed to stop.

Except maybe first-year medical students.

Yui was standing by an examination bed while having a notebook in her hand.

The professor was lecturing hastily while pointing to the anatomical models.

"Remember the innervation pathway. There is a test next week."

Yui tried to write as fast as she could.

But the professor immediately continued.

"And don’t forget the practical test tomorrow."

Another page.

Another lecture.

Another assignment.

Yui took a silent breath.

"...I’m so tired."

When the practical test finally finished, it was already half-past noon.

Other students rushed towards the cafeteria.

Yui took out her wallet.

Then looked at the clock.

Only fifteen minutes to go till the seminar.

Not enough.

She silently put the wallet into her pocket.

"...I’ll eat later."

Her stomach protested loudly.

But meanwhile...

Kuro was standing in front of a small restaurant located near his university.

Thinking for a few moments, he decided to order two lunch boxes instead of one.

The owner smiled.

"Your friend couldn’t come today?"

Kuro nodded.

"Somewhat like that."

Twenty minutes later...

He was standing in front of the hospital entrance.

Now he could see that the building was much bigger.

Doctors were constantly entering and leaving the building.

Sometimes an ambulance arrived.

Patients were silently sitting in the waiting area.

It was a totally different world compared to the peaceful psychology department.

Kuro sent a message.

Kuro: I’m standing in front of your university.

Some minutes later, there wasn’t any reply.

It wasn’t surprising for him.

Five more minutes...

Then there was a vibration from his phone.

Yui: Outside?

Kuro: Hospital entrance.

No reply.

Instead, there was...

Automatic door opening noise.

Yui came out of the building.

For a second, she was just staring.

"...Kuro?"

Kuro showed her a paper bag.

"I thought that you haven’t had anything to eat yet."

Yui blinked twice.

"You... came to such a place for me?"

"You skipped lunch."

"...I told you that I would eat later."

"I didn’t believe you."

Yui opened her mouth.

Then closed it again.

Because he was right.

"...Thank you."

She smiled weakly.

---

They walked towards the university hospital garden.

The garden wasn’t big.

It was just a quiet place with benches, flowers and a fountain where the students and doctors could take a break between classes.

Compared to the crowded corridors of the hospital...

It was absolutely another world.

---

Kuro gave her one of the lunch boxes.

Yui looked into the box.

"...My favorite."

"You always order this one."

"You remembered?"

"You’re ordering it every Tuesday."

Yui laughed softly.

"If you say it like that, then I sound predictable."

"You are."

"I’ll try to pretend that it was a compliment."

---

For a few minutes...

Yui didn’t say anything.

She just was eating.

Very quickly.

Like she was trying to get back several missed meals in one.

---

Kuro silently ate beside her.

Without interrupting.

Without asking any questions.

---

Finally...

Yui put the chopsticks down.

"...I’m exhausted."

Her voice sounded somewhat quieter than usually.

Not dramatized.

Just honestly.

---

Kuro looked at her.

She was gazing at the lunch box.

"I’m studying until midnight."

"I’m waking up before six."

"Every lecture gives us new mountains of material."

"It seems to me that however much I am studying..."

"It’s not enough."

---

She laughed weakly.

"I thought that I am doing well."

"But recently..."

"I started wondering if I’m cut out to be a doctor."

---

Silence.

---

Kuro didn’t interrupt her.

He didn’t instantly assure her.

He didn’t say,

"You’ll do well."

Because for some reason...

These words sounded too small for her.

---

Instead, he listened to her.

---

Yui kept talking.

About strict professors.

Failed quizzes.

Sleepless nights.

Pressure that she was putting on herself.

The fear to make mistakes.

Responsibility for someday treating actual patients.

---

The words weren’t stopping.

It was weeks of frustration...

Silently flowing out of her.

---

Kuro sometimes nodded.

Sometimes he asked her a question.

Nothing more.

Just enough to show her that...

He is listening to her.

---

When she finally stopped talking...

Several minutes had passed.

---

"...Sorry."

She laughed awkwardly.

"I talked too much."

Kuro shook his head.

"No."

"You needed to."

---

She was looking at him.

"...That’s all you’re going to say?"

"For now."

"You don’t have any advice?"

"I don’t think that you’re asking for advice."

---

Yui blinked.

---

"You just needed somebody to listen to you."

---

The phrase hung in the air.

---

Slowly, Yui smiled.

The sincere smile.

Not big.

But honest.

---

"...You’re unfair."

"Why?"

"You always know what I need."

Kuro smiled slightly.

"I’m still learning."

---

The breeze was bringing the smell of flowers into the garden.

Students who were passing there didn’t pay attention to them.

The fountain was playing its rhythm.

For the first time in weeks...

Yui felt the relaxation of her shoulders.

---

"...Can I stay here for five more minutes?"

she said softly.

"You have another class?"

"In twenty minutes."

"Then for five minutes."

---

She nodded.

"...Thanks."

---

Their conversation naturally finished.

There wasn’t any awkward silence.

Just a peaceful quiet.

---

Yui sat down.

Closing her eyes for a moment.

---

But she hadn’t realized how tired she actually was.

Warmth of the afternoon sun.

Gentle breeze.

Comfort of the person that she trusted sitting beside her.

It all was becoming too much.

---

Slowly, almost unconsciously...

Her head tilted sideways.

---

A few seconds later...

It lay softly on the shoulder of Kuro.

---

Kuro looked down.

Yui was sleeping.

Her breathing became quiet and deep.

She hadn’t even noticed that she was falling asleep.

---

He smiled softly.

Adjusting himself so she wouldn’t wake up.

Students who were walking through the garden smiled warmly at them.

An elderly doctor passed nearby, stopped for a moment, then quietly continued his way.

---

"...Poor kid."

he said, smiling kindly.

"She must be exhausted."

---

Kuro didn’t move a muscle.

He knew that she hadn’t been able to sleep properly in weeks.

If these minutes could help her...

Then it was enough.

---

Nearly fifteen minutes later...

Yui opened her eyes lazily.

Then blinked.

And understood where she was.

---

Her face instantly became crimson.

"I-I fell asleep?!"

"You did."

"How long?"

"About fifteen minutes."

"Oh no!"

She quickly sat up straight.

"I’m sorry!"

Kuro chuckled.

"You don’t need to apologize."

---

Yui looked at him for a long moment.

Then...

She smiled.

Not that tired smile from earlier.

Not that polite smile that she gave to her classmates.

The peaceful smile.

Free of stress.

Smile that she hadn’t worn in weeks.

---

"...I feel better."

she said softly.

"Good."

---

She stood up, taking her bag.

"I should go."

"You’ll be late."

"I know."

She laughed.

"But somehow..."

"I think that I can do it today."

---

She walked towards the hospital entrance.

Halfway there, she turned around.

---

"Thank you, Kuro."

---

Kuro just nodded.

"See you Tuesday."

---

Yui smiled again.

Not that nervous smile that she used with everybody else.

Not the polite smile that she wore to her classmates.

The calm smile.

The smile that she hadn’t worn in weeks.

Then she disappeared through the hospital entrance.

Leaving Kuro alone in the garden.

Looking at the fountain.

And praying...

That whenever the burden of the world becomes too heavy for her...

She will always know that there is somebody who is willing to listen to her.

The next week, Kuro’s lecture ended sooner than he expected.

Rather than going back home immediately, Kuro found himself walking toward the university hospital once again.

Unlike last time though, he didn’t bring any lunch along.

Instead, he was just wondering whether Yui had bothered to eat anything.

"...Maybe I’m worrying too much," he whispered to himself.

Nevertheless, his feet were doing their own thing.

---

When he arrived at the hospital garden, Kuro saw an all-too-familiar sight of the white coat of Yui, alone sitting on the bench.

She was looking at some thick pharmacology textbook with an utterly defeated expression.

In one hand, she had a pen.

In the other - a sandwich, which was still not opened.

Kuro walked to her quietly.

"...Do you plan to digest the information using your eyes?"

Yui glanced at him.

She grinned.

"I wish it would work like this."

She picked the sandwich up.

"At least I managed to get some lunch this time."

"But..."

"I forgot to eat it."

"...Yeah."

Kuro smiled.

"I guess you did."

---

Finally, Yui unwrapped the sandwich and ate it.

After taking a bite, she sighed contently.

"I didn’t even realize I was hungry."

"You usually don’t."

"Am I that easy to tell?"

"You begin frowning when you look at the textbooks."

"I do it all the time."

"That one was different."

She couldn’t help giggling.

---

For the next half an hour, the two of them were sitting under the big cherry tree and enjoying each other’s company.

Kuro was reading some psychology book, while Yui was checking her notes.

From time to time, one of them would ask a completely random question.

"How is your professor?"

"Still frightening."

"How about yours?"

"He assigned us to write one more research paper."

"Better than memorizing two hundred muscles."

"I prefer the paper."

"So do I."

The conversation flowed freely from studying topics to the comfortable silence.

Neither felt the need to fill all the gaps of the latter.

---

After a while, Yui put the textbook aside.

"...You know..."

"Hm?"

"I began to look forward to this time."

"To hospital lunches?"

"No."

She smiled sweetly.

"To you coming."

Kuro glanced at her.

"I never know on which day you’ll come."

"I never know whether you will bring me anything to eat."

"But whenever I see you..."

"It seems that I can breathe once again."

The words escaped from her mouth without warning.

Yui blushed a bit.

"I-I mean..."

"I understand you perfectly."

He smiled gently.

"I’m glad."

---

Nurse walking nearby saw those two from far away.

She smirked knowingly to another nurse standing by her side.

"The psychology student came again."

"The one who always waits?"

"The same one."

"They are dating?"

"I don’t know."

"But they seem to be."

The two nurses silently walked away from there before Yui or Kuro noticed them.

---

While Yui was returning to her afternoon lectures, she felt herself smiling automatically.

The amount of work was still enormous.

The tests were as hard as before.

The stress level was still very high.

However...

With the knowledge that somebody would occasionally come here with some lunch, would sit down beside her without asking for anything in return and check if everything was alright with her...

Made the hospital not that lonely.

Without even realizing it, those visits became their weekly ritual.