"Huh?" Alex asked back, not getting Shiro's words. And by that, Shiro snapped back from his daze. "Ah, it's just, I stumbled upon this name, and I never knew something like this ever existed. So I wanted to check up on that.
By then, their drinks arrived. "Dude, something it feels hard to digest that someone of a straight-faced like you prefers his drink this sweet. I mean, who drinks a latte, with extra chocolate syrup and choco chips? Aren't that insanely sweet? Are your teeth fine?"
"That sure are," Shiro sipped on his latte, having a contented look on him.
"Surely, this contradicts your image," Alex also took his coffee cup.
After meeting with Alex, Shiro went straight to the city hospital, with some flowers in hand. He slowly went towards the elevator, and pressed the button five. Then he walked towards room 510, getting out of the elevator. Entering the room, he saw a nurse checking up on a girl lying down on the bed there. That girl had a bright skin tone, but being sick, her complexion was pale right now. She had some bandages wrapped around her head, and an IV drip attached to her vein. The nurse was changing the nutrient liquid bag to a new one when he came into the room.
"How's she doing, nurse?" Shiro put those flowers in the flower pot on the bedside.
"She is doing good, although she is still unconscious," the nurse noted down the temperature and other counts in the card and placed that at the bedside drawer. "Doctor said she is improving slowly, so you can be rest assured." With that saying, the nurse went away, letting Shiro stay there.
He took a seat beside the girl lying on the hospital bed. "Hey, how're you doing? You know, today I met Alex. We talked and had a coffee in your favorite cafe. They had a new blend of marshmallow coffee you like. So I hope you can try it quickly, that I do."
Shiro took a pause and continued to talk, "You remember some days ago, I talked about a dream? I dreamt of a war. Actually the after condition of a war. It was such a mess. And then again, I saw someone. A girl. I couldn't see her face but she… was pretty, that she really was. That dream was so vivid that I felt like it was happening in real life, right before my eyes. But the most strange thing about it was. I felt like I know this dream. Like I have known this, like I have seen this before, so many times. But I couldn't remember if I had read anything about something like this. Suddenly I heard the name of the place in my dream. Can people hear sounds in dreams? I don't know. But I heard the name 'Riverlorn', that I clearly did. So I asked for reference books from Alex."
Then he looked at the girl, lying there as if she were sleeping peacefully. "But I didn't get any clue. I got a lot of information, and it was fun reading it. But I don't remember if I had read anything like this before. Somehow, that bothers me, that it does. I feel like I should've remembered that, I should've known that, but I don't."
"See, I brought you some beautiful flowers. Do you like it? I want you to say that you like it. When are you going to wake up? I want to talk to you a lot, that I do. I am waiting, Sayuri."
Shiro felt like his voice was getting choked up, so he hurriedly got up, picked his stuff, and left the hospital room.
------
"Oy Ryo… why the f*ck… huff… we ran here… haah…," Airi was huffing, catching for her breath. On the contrary, Ryo was completely normal, as the running didn't bother him a little bit.
"Wouldya spill out already? Why did we start runnin' all of a sudden?" Airi shouted out loud, seeing no response from him.
"Just felt like it, nothing else." He started walking ahead, with hands in his pocket. "And moreover, you had a really sweet drink, so you should better curb down some carbohydrates. You just gulped down an entire latte, with your extra chocolate syrup and chocolate chips. Don't you feel goosebumps, drinking such sweet coffee?"
"Sweets are meant to be sweet, duh!" Airi paced up a bit, to walk alongside him. "And I like sweet things, what's there to get goosebumps?"
"This much sweet? This is insane." Ryo sighed.
"Try it sometimes, you gonna get your brains outta world, that much good it feels."
"No, thanks. I feel sick just by seeing it. I prefer keeping my brains to myself." Ryo joined his hands in an apologetic manner. And seeing that, Airi laughed out loud.
After taking their time to walk, they both reached in front of Airi's home. "Get in, and relax for the day. You got a recording two days later, right?" Ryo asked, turning back to her.
"Yep, I'm a money-man now, haha! They must be so happy to hear this, ne Ryo?" Airi asked him back, with a shine in her eyes. And Ryo nodded. "Sure they will. So go tell them."
"Yeah," Airi moved ahead towards her door, then suddenly she turned back to him. "Ryo! Thanks for today, really! I never knew hangin' out with someone was this fun. Should've done it way earlier, right?"
"Was this your first time?" he asked back, only to get a happy smile and affirmative nod. "Yep, it was. And I'm glad I got such a nice companion as my first hangout. Well then, I get goin'. See ya later!"
Airi went into her home, while Ryo kept standing in front of the house until she completely went out of his sight. "It was fun for me too, thanks for that," he mumbled to himself and left for his own place.
------
"Maa, I'm home!" Airi shouted out loud from the door.
"Welcome home, dear!" Max replied to her, removing his eyes from the television. "Where have you been for so long?"
"Paa, you home too?" She ran towards him and hugged him. "Paa you know what happened today! Guess!"
"Eh? Guess? I am bad at these. And how would I know that?" Max scratched his head. "Do you want to guess, Sara?"
"I would better let our daughter say it," Sara brought a bowl full of baked potatoes, and put that on the table.
"Aww, you guys are such a spoilsport. 'Kay, imma tell ya. I got a job!" Airi excitedly told, with a wide grin on her face.
Hearing her, both of the parents were surprised. "Job? What job?"
Airi described everything that happened in the morning. Of course, she left out the part of Ryo being with her, and them being in a cafe and all. But apart from that, she told them how she found a job as a voice actor.
Seeing her all happy and bright, both of them felt happy too. But they were also concerned. And they voiced out that carefully, lest they should hurt her feelings. "But dear, why did you go find a part-time? We could give you money if you needed…"
"No, Maa. your pampering already spoiled me once. I can't let myself get spoiled by you. I should know the value of money, and who ain't doin' part-times these days?"
"But…"
"No buts, I'm almost 18. I should act like a responsible adult. How long I'm gonna burden you? I've already hurt you in more ways than possible." Airi felt a bit sad remembering those past events. But she lifted her mood up immediately, flashing a bright smile to them. "Now I want to keep myself and you two happy in the right way. So let me. And I tried it out, and it is super fun. So please?"
Max and Sara couldn't complain anymore seeing their baby daughter with the pleading puppy eyes. "Okay, fine. You win. Do what you think is right. And have fun." Sara gave in to Airi's cute face.
"But if you ever face any problem, leave that immediately." Max strictly alerted her, but he immediately softened his voice remembering how frustrated she got when they told her to back off before, "We are not discouraging you or telling you to back off but…"
"I know, Paa. you are concerned about me. Don't worry, I'll be careful. Any problem, imma make a run away from it." Airi's words relieved them. seeing that her daughter has become more composed and understanding nowadays, they were feeling so much happy and relieved.
"Our daughter has grown up now, huh." Sara patted her head, while affectionately saying it.
"Yeah, I guess we should think of a nice grown-up gift for our daughter on her 18th birthday, haha!" Max laughed out, saying it.
"That's hella late Paa…" Airi stopped in the middle, when a thought crossed her mind.
When is my birthday here though?
She couldn't remember when her birthday was as Arne. "Well, that's not important, I just keep a tab on myself so that I don't let any slip offs," she wondered to herself.