Ryô made a face when looking at the dishes he had just washed. Many things had changed again in the last few months, but fortunately not all of them. Time having passed much faster than he would have thought, their humanitarian team had joined them again for a new season, thus breaking the routine that had been established between him and Seishi-san, alone in the camp. The same team had been reconstituted under the direction of Ikeda-sensei and he had to get used to it again... The difference was that this time people seemed much less cold towards him. But he did not manage to establish privileged relationships such as those he had with the young doctor.

He brushed with a smile the light-wood box placed on a trunk a little away in the common room and remembered the victory hard-won from Seishi-san the night before. To his great amazement, the doctor had made a point of marking his birthday at the camp with a meal with some cakes... And this gift, a little game of checkers. Seishi-san claimed to find this game more convivial than chess and had taken advantage of his stay in France to obtain this gift to entertain them. He blushed thinking about it. He had remained very sober in front of Seishi-san, the latter had had the delicacy to pretend that it was self-interested and that it would benefit both of them so as not to embarrass him, but this gesture had touched him deeply. It had been a long time since anyone had given him anything and his birthday no longer meant anything to him. It hadn't taken long for Ryô to grasp the subtleties of the game and, over the months, their games had become essential during their evenings and had remained so even after the return of their companions. The other members of the team did not disdain some games but in a more episodic way. With the children, these moments spent with Seishi-san, whether it was playing, practicing (also a habit quickly acquired) or simply chatting, were what he had come to appreciate the most here. There was now an increased mutual respect between him and the rest of the team, but they remained... kind of colleagues. Seishi-san him... He left the canteen hut and headed for the treatment center. To tell the truth, he would not have known how to define his relationship with Seishi-san. Without doubt they could be considered as always quite reserved, at least on his part, but he knew that he had never been so close to anyone.

As he passed the room, he couldn't help but frown as he thought for the umpteenth time of the events of the previous night... and many others. When the full humanitarian team had returned, it had been necessary to return the camp to the community and sacrifice the comforts that he and Seishi-san had previously been able to claim for themselves. The individual hut, for him alone, had been one of these. Not that he had so many personal belongings, but at least it was his domain, his refuge. Now the three dwelling huts had to be divided among the six members of the team. However, during their absence, close bonds seemed to have been formed between Moussah, the young helper of African origin, and Irène, the French nurse. So they had been assigned a common hut and he himself had been welcomed, to his great relief, by Seishi-san. He had finally mastered his reserve in front of the doctor to cohabit naturally... but he had thus been thrown quite involuntarily into the intimacy of the latter. And it was after nights like these that he regretted having lost his total indifference and thus become attached to the young doctor.

The first time, he woke up with a start and went through quite a moment of panic before realizing that the voice and the scream he had heard were Seishi-san's. Truthfully, Seishi-san rarely spoke in his sleep... but the few times it happened was enough to make Ryō angry. It wasn't the fact that he occasionally talked at night, it wouldn't have bothered him or prevented him from sleeping, but what the doctor was saying... and his own powerlessness in relation to it. At least he had an explanation and confirmation of one of his hypothesis regarding the sadness haunting the doctor. This name regularly chanted by Seishi-san followed by pleas and then heartbreaking sobs: Soma. His fists clenched impulsively. Oh, he'd give a lot to know the person who could break someone as admirable as Seishi-san... To know it and... and... He didn't know what he would do to her but... but... How one could hurt someone so kind, so... so... He paused, exasperated by his inability to speak, then sighed. Why should it matter to him after all? Seishi-san himself had not seen fit to open up to him on this subject... No more than the others, however, he reassured himself... And in any case, he wouldn't have tried to inquire with them either.

But still, he kept wondering, was it really possible to love someone to such extent that he suffered so much and for so long? After all it had been almost two years since Seishi-san had arrived here. He had always believed that such a passion was only good for novels or movies. Oh by all the gods, Ryô shouted at himself, I really have to stop. If this continues, I won't even need Seishi-san to have nightmares anymore! But he couldn't stop the doctor's painful calls from repeating themselves endlessly in his head. "Don't leave"... "Why?" over and over again... But what could he do? He would have liked so much to be able to help the doctor just as the doctor had so often offered to do for him...

But he did not know how and did not dare. That night, to his great surprise, he had barely caught himself at the very last moment at the edge of the doctor's bed, ready to take him in his arms to comfort him. He was really going to go mad! But it was also unfair that Seishi-san was tortured like this, and he had to find a way to help him. Still, if he had the person responsible for all this at hand, he would explain one or two little things to her. Soma, who could it be? Not a French name unquestionably... someone detestable in any case, certainly... And not worth the torments to which the doctor was prey. Seishi-san had to turn his back on this past and enjoy the happiness of the present day.

Ryō stopped, suddenly realizing that he had arrived in sight of the medical camp. He glanced around and then took a few steps to sit down, leaning against the mud wall of one of the huts. As he had become accustomed to doing for some time now, he began to observe the young doctor dispensing his care. The day before, Seishi-san had been called to another village nearby for an emergency operation. He tended to forget that the latter specialized in surgery.

Imagining the sensitive Seishi-san "cutting up" human beings was something surprising. For the time being, he was placed next to the infirmary in a miraculously shaded corner and several people were waiting near his small office. Today, a series of mass vaccinations had been decided. And it was apparently Seishi-san's turn to perform the injections. After so much indifference, he had come to enjoy observing others in his free time. Seishi-san's smooth but precise gestures, the smiles and thoughtful little words to each one and the reactions of the patients. He smiled. Their reaction to the injections was particularly entertaining.

He stretched lazily and crossed his arms behind his head when the doctor turned to him. To his great satisfaction, this time he manages not to jump and turn away like a guilty person caught at fault. He immediately stood up when he saw that the doctor was beckoning him to join him. What could he possibly need? Seishi-san greeted him with a cheerful smile... As if nothing had happened...

- Yes, Seishi-san? he murmured questioningly.

- I've seen you stand aside and watch several times.

Ryô stiffened, feeling himself blush without being able to prevent it.

- Do you want to learn? continued the doctor.