1-01 Reflection

	'I don't know if I'd call it curiousity, exactly.'

	'Then what's wrong?' Saki asked, leaning closer in her chair.

	I wish I could tell her. Taking a sip of tea, I reflect if it was a good idea to ask her here. We've been sitting here for ten minutes and that's the first thing I've managed to say. She's trying her best to be a good friend, but she can't help me, not really. How can she if I don't even know what's wrong? Her dark eyes are boring into mine in the silence, but I don't know what to tell her.

	I eventually collect myself and respond, 'Suppose... suppose I told you there was a boy--'

	Saki's eyes shoot open with delight as she clasps her hands over mine, 'Tell me everything! Is he in our class? Is he cuuuute? Oh, is he an older guy, you know I always took you for the type to chase after older guys!' I'm not given a chance to respond before she pulls me up off my chair, narrowly avoiding spilling my tea everywhere, and throws her arms around me; bouncing up and down with what I assume is joy. I fear she may have misunderstood the situation. I pull myself out of her embrace (with great difficulty).

	'No, Saki, he is not my sweet-heart. He's just a new student.'

	'That you're in loooove with!'

	I put my hand up and keep going, 'No, I don't think so. We met each-other in the nurse's office, I'd had a little bit of an episode, so I wasn't in the best condition.' I frown at the memory, in all actuality I'd broken out in a cold sweat and swooned in the middle of the hall. Briskly shaking my head, I continue, 'The nurse had gone to answer the phone, so he came in and sat on the chair beside my bed and introduced himself, but before I could do the same the nurse reappeared.'

	I go over everything that happened.

	'Ah, you must be Mr. Nakai, push yourself, did you? I suppose you didn't take your heart medication today, either?' The nurse didn't look please as he stood and tapped at his clipboard. Nakai didn't look happy, either.

	'I was, uh, running late this morning.' He squirms and fidgets, looking like a guilty kid.

	'Uh-huh, sounds a lot like your last visit. You realize that you have limitations, don't you? And the medication does help you prevent those limitations being the death of you.' The nurse shakes his head, but notices I'm still here.

	'Oh, Miss. Katayama, I'm sorry. I didn't intend to scold Mr. Nakai in front of you. You should be alright to leave, but I'll have you miss the rest of classes. I'll send a note, but you go home and get some rest.' Nurse smiles at me, motioning at the door. I get the message and leave him to scold Nakai more.

	'That's all? What's so special about some guy getting told off by Nurse? Half the school gets his lectures.' Saki asks, with a look of confusion on her face.

	'Heart medication, weren't you listening?' I snap, surprising myself.

	'So what?' She doesn't seem to notice.

	'So...' I pause. So what, she's right. Why has that been echoing throughout my head since I left the nurse's office?

	'... Rika?'

	I put my hand to my chest, holding it gently over my heart. He was flushed when he came in, I could see the shine of sweat on his face, like he ran the whole way there. But that wasn't it. Nakai was pressing his hand against his chest when I was leaving, too. Palpitations, his palpitations mustn't have calmed down yet. Like mine a few minutes before. Is it that simple, is it just that he's like... he's like me?

	'Rika! Anybody home?' Saki shouts, waving her hand in front of my face. I snap out of it.

	'He was just... he just looked like someone I knew.'

	'That's it? Why were you in such a state over that?' Saki folds her arms and pouts at me. I just smile.

	'Just being silly, of course,' I raise a hand to my forehead, 'you know Saki, I'm feeling a tad unwell. Do you mind if I go to bed early? I'm sorry for dragging up here.' I smile at her, but Saki meets my gaze in silence. She looks suspicious, but she sighs and raises to her feet anyway.

	'Alright, get your rest then. I'll see you tomorrow in class.' She gives me a last smile, and leaves me to my own company. I lean back in my seat, staring at the ceiling. I've never been one to let my condition matter to me, so why does his? Wrapping my hand around my cup, I take another sip, and immediately spit it out. It's gone cold.

	Brushing myself off, I stand and head to my desk, where my medication is sitting. Take two every day, the bold lettered sticker proclaims upon the bottle. I open it and shake one into my hand to inspect it. A little beige capsule. I wonder if his medication are little beige capsules. With a sigh, I slip it back into the bottle. I'm over-thinking this, is all. There's more than two people in Japan with less-than-functional hearts, I'm sure. My thoughts are interrupted by a knock at the door.

	'Saki, what is--' I start, before noticing the figure in front of me is Hisao Nakai.

	'Rika Katayama?' He tilts his head.

	'Present.' What's he doing here?

	'I'm Hisao Nakai, I don't know if you remember me from Nurse's office.' What's he doing here?

	I laugh, 'How could I forget such a lecturing?' What is he doing here?!

	'Sorry to bother you, but you left this on the bed.' He lifts up a bright red medical alert bracelet. Arrhythmia and cardiac disease is inscribed along it. I blush.

	'Oh, goodness, it must have fallen off.' I snatch it from him and hide it behind my back, straining a smile.

	'Arrhythmia, huh?' Nakai flashes me a nervous grin.

	It's not returned. 'I'm sure there must be some faux-pas about reading a lady's medical alert bracelet.' I say, but he just laughs.

	'I didn't know what it was when I picked it up until the nurse told me, I'm sorry,' his smile flickers, 'but I, um... I have the same problems, weird huh?' I wish I could tell you, Nakai, I really do.

	'Aha, what are the odds of that?'

	'Not much, not much.'

	I shuffle my feet. He does too. Eventually he breaks the silence.

	'Uh, so I'll be on my way. I'll see you around.' He turns and starts to head down the hall without waiting for a reply. I have to poke my head through the door-way.

	'Oh, yeah, we're not in the same class or anything but I'll probably see you in the cafeteria or something!' I yell down at him. He turns back around and nods, waving. I wave back.

	Closing the door, I slump down against it. The gold cross on the medical alert bracelet shines up at me from my hand. I fling it across the room and curl up into a ball.

	We're not the same.