CH 62

(… Huh, What’s that?)

After finishing gardening, I wanted to take a shower and so I was now on my way to my room.

There I found a comic book dropped in front of Lilia’s room.

It was a Japanese comic book translated into English.

Incidentally, Japanese comic books are distinguished from American comics by the term “Manga”.

Probably, Lilia dropped the object in surprise when I waved to her from the courtyard.

(I see! So Lilia reads manga in her room!)

Now that I found out about Lilia’s hobbies we might get a chance to know each other better.

However, the manga was a title I didn’t know.

Feeling a bit guilty, I flipped through it on the spot, trying to see what it was about.

This book was the third volume in the series, so I didn’t understand the connection between the stories.

However, one thing did bother me.

(… What’s with this character? Doesn’t his face look like mine?)

He was doing some pretty terrible things to the heroines and forced his enemies to get down on their knees.

I felt that my face was similar to that of the sadistic character “Yuma Kujou,” who is considered a scumbag character.

Was it because of this that Lilia is afraid of me?

(For now, let’s give it back. She lost it and may still be looking for it right now…)

“Lilia-chan, a book fell outside!”

I knocked on Lilia’s hospital room door.

Then, I heard a sound as if something had fallen off the bed in surprise from within the room.

But the door did not open, and silence continued.

I guess she was pretending she was not there.

(Maybe I did something bad, I hope she didn’t get hurt…)

I had no choice but to return the manga another time.

◇◇◇

“Kashiwagi-san, I actually have a favor to ask you…”

“What is it?”

It was during the afternoon examination.

I felt very uncomfortable saying this, but then I started talking to Kashiwagi-san, who was sitting right in front of me.

” —Please lend me some money!”

Bowing my head in sincerity, I held out my hand.

Seeing me like that, Kashiwagi-san thought for a moment and then nodded.

“Hmm… Well, that’s right. Since you’ve come all the way to the U.S., you’d want to try it out for once.”

When she muttered something to herself and looked somewhat satisfied, Kashiwagi-san then pulled out her wallet.

And placed a card in my palm.

“All my salary at this hospital is in there. The ATM is at the entrance of the hospital. The PIN is—.”

“W-wait a minute!”

I stopped Kashiwagi-san, who was about to reveal something outrageous to me.

“I don’t need that much! About fifty dollars is all I need! What do you think I’m going to spend it on?”

“What do you mean… isn’t it gambling? See, in Japan, gambling is prohibited. Feel free to spend it, I don’t care how much I spend if it’s for you.”

“I won’t! Or rather, don’t give me your card so easily!”

I explained to Kashiwagi-san, who was still confused.

“The thing is, it seems that Lilia likes this manga, so I thought I would read it too and find a common topic to talk about. But… to my embarrassment, I am almost broke and don’t have money to buy it.”

“I see. Indeed, I have seen Lilia sitting on a bench in the courtyard reading something at night. So she was reading a manga, huh.”

“That’s right! So, if I go to the courtyard at night, I might be able to see her…!”

“Well, money is never a waste. You also need a stuffed bear. Withdraw about $10,000 and keep it for yourself. The PIN is—”

“I told you not to tell me!”

I borrowed 50 dollars on the spot from Kashiwagi-san, who was lacking in security awareness, and headed to the bookstore inside the hospital and the hobby shop that sells stuffed bears.