Asuna knocked on the door to a patient's room. The sound rang out hollowly through the old wood. On the thin, silver plaque that hung from the door read the name: Konno Yuuki.

"Come in," Called out a male voice from behind the door. Asuna slowly opened the door to see a frail, doll-like girl, and at her side sat a doctor. The girl lay on a sterile, white, hospital bed. Her sleek purple hair fanned out around her like a mane. She had pale skin, the color of early morning, perfect and smooth. But what captivated Asuna the most were her clear, crimson eyes, that seemed to see deeper into the world than everyone else Asuna had met.

With a squeak, the doctor pushed back his chair and stood up. He held out a hand for Asuna to shake.

"Hello, Miss Yuuki. This is Yuuki Konno, who you will be watching over for the rest of the year. I hope you two will get along, and that you are able to learn more about working in a medical field."

"Yes, thank you, sir. I'm honored to be working with you." She shook the doctor's hand and smiled.

"Now then, I have some paperwork to attend to. Why don't you introduce yourselves? And while you're at it, please take her temperature and heart rate and record it on that sheet over there."

"Alright, sounds good."

The doctor strode out of the room, closing the door quietly behind him. Asuna pulled up a chair and began the tasks the doctor left her. As she was taking Yuuki's heart rate, the frail girl spoke up, her voice quiet but surprisingly clear and sweet. "Your eyes...They're the color of the sea."

"Haha, really?" Asuna responded, "Have you ever been there? The sea, I mean."

"No, I haven't but I've seen pictures. Someday I want to see the world. And I want to draw it all. But I've been stuck in this hospital for a long time…"

Asuna immediately felt a surge of sympathy for this poor girl. She was only four years younger, but there was so much she had not been able to experience yet.

"Tell you what, once you get a little better, I'll take you to the sea, and anywhere else that you want to go."

"Great! But I...don't know if I'll get better anytime soon…" Yuuki's voice tapered off.

"A-Anyway, you said you like drawing?" The bluenette attempted to change the subject, seeing as the younger girl was growing a bit sad and wistful.

"Yes, more than anything. Someday, I want to draw something so beautiful and moving that it can touch the hearts of many. And until then, all I want is to keep improving- more and more." The frail girl's eyes shone with passion as she talked.

Asuna could definitely see how much she cared about drawing. It was as if the girl was transformed into someone stronger, healthier, and brighter. She could see the true girl inside the bony body. Yuuki was brilliant.

As Asuna walked home from the hospital that night, she thought about if she had ever been that way. There wasn't much she wanted to do with her life. Her parents forced their own ideals on her. She didn't much mind that, as it gave her a goal, but sometimes she wanted to decide things on her own. Asuna was average in most things, but excelled in math and science due to the years of studying and extra classes that her parents made her take. She liked to read, she supposed, and art was fun for her. She couldn't play any instruments, but she could sing. Asuna was average at sports, and did find them a good way to exercise, but wasn't sure if playing sports was a hobby of hers. Perhaps, taking on the challenge of working with Yuuki would not only prepare her for a medical career, but also discover more about herself.