The Keith Hospital
"Father? Where's Zepyra?
"She…"
"What!?"
"Jodai!"
I scream and quickly run to him at the patient's bed.
"!!"
And I hug him immediately, and he's quite shocked.
"Zephyra…"
He hugs me back while he's lying down.
"You're an idiot!"
I shout at him and hit him on the head.
"Ah!"
He gets up and touches his head.
"!!"
His father and the rest of the room are stunned a bit.
"Don't do anything unless I ask you to. Is there anything you don't understand about that!?"
I scold him.
"You wanted to save them."
"I know…. Idiot."
"Heh."
He chuckles.
"Thank you for waking up."
"Thank you for coming after me."
"Kaiza is a big part of it."
"…"
"Thank you."
Jodai turns his face to see Kaiza behind me.
"I was after you because of my Zephyra, not you."
Kaiza steps ahead.
"Kaiza."
I call him and give him an eye.
"Right...You're welcome. I might die in your arms if she didn't come to get us."
Kaiza.
"…"
Jodai shifts his eyes to me.
"Here... your sword and this."
I give him a sword. Which doesn't have any scratches or burn marks, and the locket.
"Thank you, Zephyra…"
He sees the emerald locket and looks at me.
"You lost that boy? You said it's very precious, and you lost it?"
"I was...passed out, Father."
"Did you see it?"
He asks consciously.
"…"
I smile with a tear in my eyes again.
"Do you want me to see it?"
"..."
He says nothing, only gives me a wavy look.
"If you don't want me to see it, then no."
I hold him again and pat him on his head.
"You're precious to me, too."
I say to him.
"!"
He holds me tighter and holds my head over his shoulder.
"If you do something like this again, I let you go with your father."
"I won't do it again."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
"Ah!"
Kaiza drags me out from Jodai's arms.
"Don't make me regret saving you."
Kaiza tells Jodai.
"Hahaha. Let's them have a chat. You come with me."
Mr. Yamazaki.
Kaiza is about to follow Mr. Yamzazaki.
"I mean you, young lady."
The big grown man turns to talk to me.
"Ah... yes."
I follow Mr. Yamazaki.
"Just don't kill each other."
Mr. Yamazaki tells them.
"…"
I turn back to Kaiza and Jodai and raise two fingers, point at my eyes, and point at them.
I follow Mr. Yamazaki's back outside. He keeps walking ahead, passing the patient room hall and the counter where the nurses gather. Then he's leading me to the visitor lounge.
"Sit. I'll bring you tea."
"Let me do it, Mr. Yamazaki."
"I insist. Please sit."
I sit on the couch, waiting for him to make tea with the machine. Then, he turns back to sit next to me, giving us a little space to sit comfortably, And gives me a cup of tea.
"*Sigh..."
Mr. Yamazaki breathes out heavily.
He must be mad about what has happened to Jodai, and I was the one who took him on this path.
"Thank you...for not leaving him behind."
He tells me.
"Kaiza was the--"
"I know I already had a talk with him...I'm very thankful, but you are the real reason. It isn't the first time that you brought him to me..."
"I told you...He's very important to me."
"....Yes...hic..."
I look at him as a big guy who is the greatest and that everyone is afraid of. The leader of the house of samurai has the power to kill everyone only by his glance.
He's crying. He's vulnerable.
Showing his emotion to me doesn't make him weak. He's so much stronger than people who are trying hard to keep their valuable sides to themselves. He's not afraid to show them to me. He doesn't care what I think of him as weak or defenseless because he knows himself well who he is.
Even the strongest of them all, or the most powerful, have tears in their body systems, and he allows them to be a part of him. He is the strongest man I've ever known.
He's the father, after all.
"I'm forever indebted."
Mr. Yamazaki.
"..."
I put my left hand on his hands.
"...Heh...hehe. Wow..."
Mr. Yamazaki wipes his tears and chuckles.
"Actually, there's another thing I want to tell you."
He turns to face me directly.
"The Hungers in Keithland…are gone."
"!!!"
"We got rid of them."
"All?"
"All.. Heh. It's a tough mission that you assigned me, but there's nothing I can't do for you. Honestly, I really hate those kinds of businesses... I'm glad they're gone…and don't worry about them returning. I already made sure that it's not happening."
"...Thank you so much...Mr. Yamazaki...I appreciate it... everything..."
"..."
He pats my head.
"Only Hwaland and The North Mountain..."
I tell him.
"Don't worry, you got help."
"?"
I face up to look at him.
"He really misses you, Zephyra..."
"..."
He's talking about the Masked man again.
"Mr. Yamazaki, can I ask about something?"
I ask.
"Um."
"Is...he..."
"..."
Mr. Yamazaki's expression starts to get shocked even though I haven't said anything yet.
"Is he the person in the family frame in your house?"
"Ah...that...You saw it?... Well, yes. He is my best friend. He's been with me for… as long as I can remember. Support me, be there for me. When it's wrong, he's not afraid to point it out or even hit me in the head...hehe. He's like my brother to me."
"You let him hit you?"
"Haha...Well, yeah, just like Jodai lets you hit him."
"Heh..."
I smile a little.
"So his name is Kajiya...Mang...something..."
I try to remember the name on the picture frame.
"Kajiya Airen Mangetsu."
"Ah...yes."
"What an odd name with an odd attitude.."
I speak my mind.
"Hehe. Yes, I agree. But...he's a very decent man...a good friend...he can be a good father too."
"...I think his kids probably get a headache."
"Hahaha. You're right...Don't worry about your hometown. He's going to take care of it."
"Him?"
"Don't tell him that I told you this. But yes, Kaji is taking care of it."
"!!"
"So, next time... you have a chance to meet him, give him some love, alright?"
"...I'll...Yes, I will."
I smile at him.