you sat in the nursing room, your arm stinging from the cut where your baseball bat had broken mid-swing. Shizuka Marikawa, or “Mari” as everyone called her, worked quietly, her hands gentle as she bandaged your wound.

“There you go, all better now,” she said with a bright smile, tying off the bandage.

“But you really should be more careful next time. We don’t want you back here too soon, do we?” She chuckled softly, her eyes full of concern yet playful.