CM Chapter 8

Chapter 8 – Tutoring

Chapter 1, Part 4.1

Novel Title: ひとりじめ (Completely Mine)

Author：椎崎 夕 (Shiizaki You)

Illustrator：小山田 あみ (Oyamada Ami)

Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)

Protagonists: 細川 湊 (Hosokawa Minato -MC) & 荻原 浩志 (Ogiwara Koushi -ML)

*Please read at knoxt.space, the original site of translation. TQ*

֍֍֍

“How much time do I have?”

“About thirty minutes, I think. I’ll be going out, but I’ll be back before time’s up. So do your best.”

“Understood,” Ogiwara nodded, preparing his writing materials. Minato watched him, then glanced at his wristwatch. After giving a short signal, he adjusted the angle of the blinds at the window, which had been bothering him since earlier.

From the window of the hospital room on the sixth floor, you could clearly see the main road in front of the hospital and the townscape beyond. On this midsummer day, with temperatures soaring above 40 degrees Celsius, it still looked scorching even in the late afternoon. While the hospital maintained a comfortably cool temperature inside, Minato knew the heat would feel even worse when heading home.

Looking back briefly, he saw Ogiwara sitting on the edge of the bed with his legs down, focused sharply on the makeshift test on the side table.

Taking care not to make noise, Minato exited the hospital room and headed to the elevator hall.

He descended to the first floor, turned right, and walked through several junctions to another elevator. By that point, he had passed through three separate buildings, as Ogiwara himself had once explained. During his post-surgery downtime, Ogiwara had explored the hospital in a wheelchair and discovered that the top-floor shop of this elevator sold a drink he’d liked for a long time.

―――Maybe they have a different supplier. I don’t see it in the other shops.

As one of the largest general hospitals in the area, the building boasted six shops, three cafeterias, a post office, bank ATMs, a small flower shop, and even a hair salon. The hospital’s complex structure, a result of repeated expansions and renovations, frequently caused patients and visitors to lose their way. To address this, a dedicated information desk near the main reception helped people find routes to patients’ rooms by name.

Ogiwara had been admitted early in the summer break and underwent surgery on his right knee a week ago after preliminary tests. Now, he was wearing a specialized brace and diligently working on rehabilitation. Yesterday, he was given crutches and began walking training in earnest.

Minato, who had served as Ogiwara’s chauffeur and tutor until the day before summer break, temporarily paused his tutoring duties when Ogiwara was admitted. After the surgery, Minato visited him regularly while preparing for the first round of the teacher certification exams. Having completed his exam three days ago, he visited the hospital again with a makeshift test to plan the summer study sessions starting tomorrow.

“Oh, there you are, Hosokawa-sensei!”

As he returned to the elevator hall near the main reception, a familiar face called out to him, making Minato smile unintentionally.

“Hello. Visiting Ogiwara-kun?”

“Yes, but as soon as I said hello, he told me he’s in the middle of a test and to leave him alone. How much longer will you be tutoring him?”

The cheerful boy had a petite build and youthful face, making him look like a middle schooler, though he was actually Ogiwara’s classmate and a track team member. Despite being in different classes, they were close. The boy had been visiting Ogiwara frequently since his admission. Today, he had brought along a group of friends, likely from the track team.

“Probably another 10 to 15 minutes. Can you wait?”

“Yes, we’ll wait here! Just let us know when you’re done.”

The boy agreed promptly, bowing his head in gratitude. Following his lead, the others mimicked the gesture, except for one who stared sharply at Minato without moving.

Pretending not to notice, Minato parted ways with the group and took the elevator back to Ogiwara’s room. By the time he returned, only seconds remained before the scheduled end time.

As the second hand hit the appointed mark, Minato drew the curtain and said, “Alright, time’s up.” The mechanical pencil on the table rolled slightly as Ogiwara stretched his arms wide.

“Good work. Let’s take a break.”

Minato placed a plastic cup he had purchased on the table in exchange for the test paper. Ogiwara looked up at him in mild disbelief.

“Did you really go all the way there just to buy this?”

“It was a good walk. …Well, let’s call it a day for now.”

As Minato slipped the fully answered test sheet into a clear file and placed it in his bag, Ogiwara looked up at him with dissatisfaction, holding the cup.

“Are you leaving already? I thought your summer lecture job doesn’t start until tomorrow.”

“I just came to check on you today. We’ll start serious studying tomorrow. Oh, by the way, some friends from your track team are here to see you.”

“…If it’s Ishizuka, I already sent him away. Where did you run into him?”

Realizing the name sounded familiar, Minato recalled their earlier encounter. “At the elevator on the first floor,” he replied, prompting Ogiwara to let out an exaggerated sigh.

“Just ignore him. It’s exhausting having him around so often, and we don’t even have anything to talk about. Honestly, it’s a pain. I quit the team ages ago, so why is he still bringing first-years along?”

Ogiwara’s sharp remark was accompanied by the sight of him biting his straw with an annoyed expression. Minato, who had grown accustomed to seeing Ogiwara’s unfiltered reactions since becoming his tutor, found the display oddly endearing.

“They probably just care about you. Even the first-years spent a couple of months with you.”

“Care? All they ever did was mess around. They’re just here to gawk under the guise of a hospital visit.”

Ogiwara’s irritation was likely something only a few people close to him had seen. None of the track team members waiting downstairs or the teachers who visited his room would have noticed. Feeling a mix of amusement and self-restraint, Minato couldn’t help but smile.

“You shouldn’t say that. Who knows? Talking with them might actually lift your spirits.”

“…If Hosokawa-sensei stays with me, I might consider it.” Ogiwara leaned his elbows on the table and looked up at Minato with a pout.

“Ever since the surgery, we haven’t had much time to talk. I was really looking forward to today. So, you’re not allowed to leave yet.”

After staring at each other for a few seconds, Minato realized he was being playfully stubborn. Suppressing a chuckle, Minato opened his mouth to respond.

“Sorry, but I have plans to meet someone today. It’s someone I haven’t seen in nearly two months, so I can’t cancel. …How about tomorrow? After our study session, I’ll stay with you until lights-out. Does that work?”

֍֍֍

Next update: 2026.08.06

֍֍֍

I’m working for free. Would appreciate some donation. Thank you!