Carrying a small assortment of fruits and other comforting items, Lin Yu arrived at the hospital.
Inside the designated room, Ohara Shijuro was lying quite obediently in his hospital bed. Nanako was by his side, diligently attending to him. However, there was another figure beside the bed – a rather thin young man whose facial expression was a masterpiece of barely suppressed despair, as if he desperately wanted to cry but found himself utterly devoid of tears.
"Lin-kun, you're here! I'm so incredibly sorry for all the trouble today. It was all my father's misunderstanding..." Upon seeing Lin Yu, Nanako stood up, her face etched with sincere apology. She offered Lin Yu a deep bow, her words overflowing with regret, even as a delicate blush crept up her cheeks. The thought of what her father had been so worried about filled Nanako with a complex mix of embarrassment for the situation, gratitude for his misguided concern, and a tiny, almost imperceptible sliver of exasperation.
"It's no problem at all, really," Lin Yu quickly reassured her, gently helping Nanako straighten up. He handed her the fruits he had brought, his voice laced with genuine concern. "How is Ohara-sensei doing? Is it anything serious?" As for the specifics of the "misunderstanding," Lin Yu was tactful enough not to press for details.
"It's nothing too serious, thankfully. It seems he's twisted his neck, though, so he'll need to rest and recuperate for a while," Nanako explained, glancing worriedly at her father on the bed, a note of helplessness in her tone.
Hearing Nanako's words, Ohara Shijuro let out a little grunt, rather like a petulant old child caught in mischief, but he didn't say anything further. However, when his gaze met Lin Yu's, there was an undeniable flicker of sheepishness in his eyes. It was clear that before Lin Yu's arrival, Nanako had managed to dispel the wild misunderstandings that had previously clouded her father's judgment. Now, looking at Lin Yu, Ohara Shijuro naturally felt a pang of guilt for having so thoroughly wronged the young man.
"My apologies. I caused you a great deal of inconvenience," Ohara Shijuro stated with surprising frankness. His directness left Lin Yu slightly taken aback, though he simply nodded and smiled, reiterating that it was quite alright. They say you can discern an author's personality from their work, and as the bestselling creator of the "Heroic Havoc" series – a manga known for its bold and straightforward characters – Ohara Shijuro himself embodied that spirit. If he was wrong, he admitted it; there was no stubborn pretense or face-saving with him.
"Qingsong-sensei, I am profoundly sorry for taking up so much of your valuable time..." the young man with the perpetually tearful expression chimed in, also bowing deeply and apologizing with utmost sincerity to Lin Yu.
Nanako made the introductions. "This is my father's editor, Mr. Suzuki."
Hearing this, Lin Yu cast a sympathetic glance towards Mr. Suzuki, a man with glasses and a small mustache. Compared to Nanako's role as his editor, Mr. Suzuki's job seemed pitiably arduous. After all, not every author was like Lin Yu – not only punctual but astonishingly prolific, consistently exceeding his workload. Lin Yu was like a relentless, high-efficiency printing machine, so diligent that the editorial department at Yueisha Publishing had actually grown concerned he might work himself to death, leading them to dispatch Nanako to oversee his daily well-being. If Nanako had to deal with someone like Ohara Shijuro, she would probably be driven to despair, constantly chasing after manuscripts. Given Ohara Shijuro's current condition, Lin Yu could only imagine the mountain of overdue work that would accumulate by the time he fully recovered. Getting Ohara Shijuro to catch up on such a backlog would be no small feat.
"It's quite alright, please don't worry about it," Lin Yu said, waving his hand dismissively. "Since Ohara-sensei is going to be fine, I'm relieved. And Mr. Suzuki, please don't feel bad either." This was one aspect of Japanese culture Lin Yu still found a little hard to adjust to – the sometimes excessive politeness in conversations with people one didn't know well. It could be so courteous it bordered on awkward, especially when the apologies were for things that weren't even his direct concern.
After a round of these polite exchanges, Lin Yu didn't intend to stay in the hospital room for long. In Japan, visiting hours for patients were often strictly limited. Apart from designated caregivers, prolonged visits were discouraged to ensure patients received adequate rest.
Nanako walked Lin Yu out, her expression still apologetic. "I'm so sorry again, Lin-kun, for all the trouble today. I'll take responsibility for the repair costs..."
"Please, don't be so formal. Don't worry about it at all. You take such good care of me on a daily basis; a small thing like this is nothing to be concerned about," Lin Yu insisted. "You should take the next couple of days off and focus on looking after Ohara-sensei. Otherwise, from the look on his face, I think Mr. Suzuki might actually burst into tears."
At Lin Yu's remark, Nanako covered her mouth and couldn't help but let out a soft laugh. Her large eyes crinkled into charming crescents, making her look incredibly cute. She knew the dynamic between her father and Mr. Suzuki well; they were truly like a pair of bickering but inseparable companions, almost like Shinchan and his foils. One was the master of procrastination, the other the relentless pursuer of deadlines. If the law didn't forbid it, Nanako suspected Mr. Suzuki would gladly tie her father to a chair and force him to write day and night.
"I understand, Lin-kun," Nanako said, her laughter subsiding into a warm smile. "In that case, please take good care of your own health during this time. Please don't push yourself too hard with work. I really don't want to end up living Mr. Suzuki's life after my dad is discharged."
Lin Yu chuckled and waved his hand dismissively. Missed deadlines? Such a thing was an impossibility for him, a concept that would never occur in his lifetime. He wasn't one for procrastination. The only issue was whether the publisher could keep up with his output, not whether he could finish drawing! Even if the publisher decided to release his work directly into collected volumes right now, he could handle it, let alone a mere serialization.
"Alright, you should hurry back and look after Ohara-sensei. I'll head back and get some drawing done. Just come by and pick up the manuscript whenever you have the time," Lin Yu said. "As for the publisher, I'll let them know, so you don't need to worry about a thing."
Nanako nodded gently, a deep appreciation shining in her eyes. To be able to work with Lin Yu was, for any editor, an incredibly fortunate circumstance. Not only did he never miss a deadline, but he also managed everything so impeccably that there was never any need for concern – a true model professional in the industry.
After bidding Lin Yu farewell, Nanako returned to the hospital room. She looked at the orthopedic brace around Ohara Shijuro's neck and sighed softly. "Dad, you really mustn't do things like this again. You're not young anymore; you need to take care of your body. It was lucky this time that the fall wasn't from too high and you landed on the grass..."
In front of his precious daughter, Ohara Shijuro was remarkably docile, nodding obediently like a student listening attentively to a lecture.
Once Nanako had finished her gentle scolding, he looked at his darling daughter and asked, a hint of tentative probing in his voice, "Nana, darling... that brat... he really didn't bully you, or try to take advantage of you, or anything like that?" Even though he had received assurances earlier, Ohara Shijuro still felt the need to ask one more time.
At his direct question, Nanako couldn't help it; her pretty face instantly turned a shade of crimson.