On the first weekend of April, the brothers missed practice for the first time since joining the club. They were driven to the hospital corridor, unable to focus on their phones, and could only pick up scattered bits of news from passing doctors and nurses. The more they heard, the more anxious they became.
"Amniotic Fluid broke for Bed 2 an hour ago..."
"...the cervix still isn't favorable..."
"...the Amniotic Fluid is cloudy. The baby may be at risk of suffocation..."
Outside the operating room at the end of the hall, Mr. Sasaki paced back and forth. Their grandparents stared fixedly at the sign reading Surgery in Progress. The brothers sat quietly on chairs separated by a cross-shaped corridor. Doctors hurried past them, tossing out fragments of information before vanishing behind various doors. The building was perfectly symmetrical, connected in the middle to another inpatient building by a glass corridor. From above, it formed an H shape. There were countless doors and hallways; only people who had been here for a long time could quickly find their way around.
Shen Qing was having a C-section. It was still dangerous for an older mother. Kōshū's mouth had been tight the whole time. He swallowed, only to feel acid rise from his stomach, while Lang Zhi sat beside him, yawning with wide eyes.
"You're sleepy?" There was clearly no trace of drowsiness on his face, so why did he keep yawning?
"I don't know. I'm so nervous I can't stop yawning. Quit shaking your leg. It's so annoying to watch!" Lang Zhi pressed down on his brother's leg, and Kōshū ignored this act of "insubordination."
After who knew how long, Lang Zhi stood up. "Going to the bathroom?"
"Why are you looking at me? Isn't the bathroom at the other end of