"Mom, I'll go too."
Tsuna hurriedly stood up from the tatami. Hearing what his mother said, he felt even more worried. After all, when an elderly person falls, it's not like when an adult or child falls and can just dust themselves off.
Shizuka nodded, agreeing to take Tsuna along. She rubbed Shouko's head, who was still sitting on the tatami, and said softly, "Shouko, go home for now. Come back later, and Tsuna will come play with you."
Shouko nodded and stood up obediently. "Then, Auntie, please be careful," she said sweetly. As soon as she finished, she walked out of the living room, followed by Tsuna and Shizuka.
At the entrance, Shizuka changed into her outdoor shoes first. Just as she reached for the door, she turned back and said, "Tsuna, wait here for me, I'll bring..."
Before she could finish, Tsuna already crouched down, putting on his shoes interrupted her, "I know, Mom. You go get the car, I'll come out when I hear you."
Before leaving, Shouko turned to Tsuna and said gently, "Tsuna, don't worry, Grandma Yu will be fine." She'd wanted to hug him, but was too shy, so she just comforted him with her words instead.
"Yeah. Shouko, stay home and don't run around," Tsuna replied, nodding. He knew worrying wouldn't help; he couldn't fly to the hospital any faster. He watched Shouko walk home, then stepped outside when he heard the car horn.
After driving for a while, Shizuka glanced at Tsuna through the rearview mirror and saw that he hadn't said a word since getting in. Her tone softened: "Tsuna, don't worry, Grandma will be fine."
"Yeah," Tsuna nodded, but felt it wasn't enough, so he added, "Mom, don't rush. Drive slowly."
As the car hummed along, Tsuna found himself trying to recall his impression of his grandmother, but it wasn't very deep. He only remembered she was a lively, energetic old woman. He and his parents usually only visited her during holidays.
He remembered how, when he was little, he'd only ever seen his grandmother alone. For a while, he'd wondered if she'd been divorced or if his grandfather had passed away. Later, when he was old enough to ask, his mother had told him it was the latter; his grandfather had died in an accident in his fifties.
Every time his parents visited, they'd try to convince her to come live with them. His mother always promised that if she came, she wouldn't have to lift a finger, just enjoy life.
But Grandma always rejected them firmly, saying she wasn't used to living with them. At home, she had her close friends; they'd play mahjong, hang out, and gossip about the neighborhood. Moving in with Tsuna's parents would mean sitting around all day watching TV; she found that unbearable.
In the end, Shizuka and Daisuke could only give up. It was just a thirty-minute drive, after all, and the neighbors kept an eye out for her anyway.
In the end, Shizuka drove a bit over twenty minutes to reach the hospital. After asking the neighbor who'd brought Grandma Yu in which room she was in, she and Tsuna rushed over.
"Mom! How are you? What did the doctor say?" Shizuka called anxiously as soon as she reached the ward's door.
Tsuna couldn't keep up with her fast pace. Just as he reached the doorway, he heard a voice inside complaining:
"What's wrong? I told them I was fine, but the doctor won't let me leave!"
Tsuna looked toward the voice and saw his grandmother, a kindly, gray-haired woman, lying on the bed at the back of the room, holding a bright red apple that stood out vividly in the sterile room.
A crisp crunch echoed as she bit into it.
She spotted Tsuna standing by the door and called out through her chewing: "Tsuna!?"
"Grandma." Tsuna walked over and greeted her obediently.
"Come here, let Grandma see you," Yu said, handing Tsuna the half-eaten apple so she could check whether her grandson had gotten thinner.
This warm, doting look was completely different from her complaining tone a moment ago.
Shizuka, meanwhile, ignored the grandmother-grandson interaction for now. She turned and thanked the elderly neighbor sitting nearby.
"Hehe… don't be so formal," the old man chuckled, waving his hand dismissively. Then he glanced at his old friend in bed. Satisfied she was truly fine, he stood and said, "Alright, Yu, I'll head back now."
"I'll walk you out."
"No, no, no, no need."
In the end, he couldn't refuse Shizuka's insistence. He gave Yu a quick goodbye and left the ward with Shizuka.
Back at the bedside, Yu cupped Tsuna's cheeks with both hands, frowning slightly as she pinched them. "You've gotten skinnier, haven't you? Not as soft as at New Year's…" She squinted at him suspiciously. "Is Shizuka's cooking not to your taste?"
"Grandma! I eat normally!" Tsuna protested quickly, afraid that if he didn't, his grandmother would start suspecting his mother of starving him.
Shizuka reappeared at the doorway, holding the medical report. "Mom, once you're discharged, come stay with us for a few days just to be safe."
She'd already checked with the doctor, who'd said Yu was in good health but recommended keeping her for observation for two days, just in case. Shizuka decided she'd rather bring her home to care for her.
"Well…" Yu hesitated. She wanted to get back to her mahjong games with her friends.
Shizuka patted Tsuna's shoulder and shot him a look. Tsuna understood immediately. He leaned closer and said sweetly, "Grandma, come stay with me for a few days, please?"
As soon as he said it, Tsuna felt deeply grateful that Shouko wasn't there; if she'd seen him act this cute, his dignified image would be ruined forever.
Even Shizuka, standing by, regretted not recording it. She'd only meant for Tsuna to say a few words she hadn't expected him to misunderstand and lay it on so thick, but the result was perfect.
Yu's resistance melted instantly. She rubbed Tsuna's head and laughed. "Alright, alright, I'll come, no problem."
"Mom! How are you!?" A hurried voice came from the door, and the three of them turned to see Daisuke leaning on the frame, panting and dripping with sweat.
Yu opened her mouth to answer, but Shizuka got there first: "She's fine! What did you do, run all the way here from the office!?" She hurried to his side, handed him a tissue to wipe his sweat, and grabbed a bottle of water from the cabinet for him.
Hearing that his mother was fine, Daisuke let out a sigh of relief. He took the water, drank half of it in one go, then explained, still out of breath: "No, there were too many people waiting for the elevator downstairs, so I ran up the stairs."
"Didn't I tell you on the phone that I'm fine?" Yu said softly, looking at her son's sweat-soaked shirt with a helpless smile.
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