"2094?" Sato said with a wearied expression on his face.
The doctor did some more physical checks to see if Sato was responding normally. He came to a conclusion soon after.
"The patient seems to be suffering amnesia. Other than that, his condition has more or less stabilised. "
"Doctor, is this short term or long term amnesia?" Gray was worried.
"I do not know how long this may last for. It could go on for a few days and maybe even a few years. "The doctor shook his head, before leaving the room to Gray and his mother. When Sato went back to sleep, Gray sat by his side as he clasped his hand with Sato's. His eyes were dim as if it lost a part of it's soul.
"Mother, what do you think is the right move?" Gray asked Melanie for advice. His eyes never lost sight of Sato.
Melanie placed his hand on her son's shoulder as she spoke honestly. "I think this amnesia may be a good thing after all. After all, your current line of job is too dangerous for a 17 year old to accompany you."
"Yeah that is true."
"Maybe in the future, you could come back and find him when it is more peaceful." Melanie comforted his son. He had never seen Gray anguish over someone before. "By then, this young man will be older and he will be more independent."
Gray listened to every word his mother had said. From young, he had come to realise that his mother has very good reasoning and analytical skills. This was certainly true since Melanie has a PhD in psychology.
"Okay. I will do as you say." Gray followed her instructions. For the next half of the day, Gray never left Sato's side. He kept him company and watched the late teen sleep in peace.
At night, when it was time for Gray to leave, he stroked Sato's bandaged forehead. He planned to leave right before the doctor did his next checkup. Gray stood beside Sato's bed in his crutches as his eyes started tearing up in downheartedness.
"Goodbye." Gray said to the sleeping boy. "I will find you one day."
With Gray's departure, Sato was all alone. The doctors were instructed to tell Sato that he had gotten into a car accident on the way to school. Gray had also left the boy a sizable amount of money, under the guise that it was given to him by a generous philanthroper. It was this reason that till this day, he didn't understand how Sato had gotten himself into this state.
What Gray did not know was that Sato did not feel like he deserved it. Thus, he had donated all the money away to a charity organisation. Sato then worked hard to earn his keep through scholarships.
The whole incident was fresh in Gray's head, where as for Sato, it was as unclear as muddy water.
An hour after the hike, Sato woke up vomiting out acid from his stomach. The dehydration had gotten the better of him. He realised he was still alive and a handsome figure sat beside his with an overjoyed expression.
Gray immediately leaped onto the exhausted Sato. Gray's voice that came out from his mouth was filled with regret. "Good. Good. Your alive. I'm sorry for everything. I am truly sorry for everything."
"It's okay, Mr Gray. I'm fine." Sato petted the Gray's back as he hugged him back. He could tell that Gray was really worried for him. What did I do to deserve such a great person in my life?
Sato was the only person that Gray would show this side of him to. He tend to hide his emotions from the outside world as it would hinder his thought process. Only when things came down to Sato, he would lose all common sense and chain of thought. Sato meant the world to him.
Ever since he was promoted to Major General a year ago and his life became stable, he started to look for Sato again. It was around 6 months ago when Gray found out about Sato's whereabouts.
However, he did not know how he could talk to him again without sounding weird. Thus, when the fortuitous encounter came along, Gray seized the opportunity.
"Young boy." Master Choi called out to Sato. "Are you feeling better?"
"Yes, sir, thank you for treating me." Sato said responsively. "If it weren't for you, I would probably be dead."
"Well, I was the one who got you into this predicament. Hence, it is to be expected that I treat you."
"Oh?"
Master Choi explained to the confused young man that it was a test set by him to see if he had the willpower to push through toughship. Gray wanted his master to teach Sato the way of Taekwondo for he wanted the boy to be more fit and sturdy.
"If it weren't for me, my disciple, Gray would not even want you to go through such a test in the first place." Master Choi finished explaining. "Anyways, are you willing to accept me as your master?"
Sato understood that Gray had done all of this for him. He felt very warm on the inside. Other than Ming, the past few years for him was rather empty and it was only now he felt like he belonged somewhere. Not dissapointing Gray's efforts, he replied.
"Yes, Master Choi!"
"Good. Good. Rest well for the weekend, from now on, every Saturday will be your training. The venue will be decided when the day gets closer."
Master Choi sent the pair out of his compound. The two drove back home where they were welcomed with a table of food that spanned over 15 dishes. Sato was rather shocked at how many kinds of meat and vegetables were present.
"Eat up. I ordered the butlers to cook this for you." Gray reminded Sato to dig in.
"I thought no one in the house knew how to cook?" Sato cheekily replied.
"..." Gray quickly delivered a slice of beef into Sato's mouth, before eating his meal quietly.
Sato smilingly thought to himself. How sneaky of Gray to lure me into his house. Oh well, at the end of the day, it is a house I do not mind being lured into.