Ezreal: God Makes Miracles. The one book that made Callisto fall in love with reading stories.
"It's the final volume..."
Callisto remembered reading the volume of Ezreal before the final one a few years ago. The time gap between the two volumes was due to the story entering indefinite hiatus because the author did not know how he would have wanted his story to finish.
"So OwariDa02 finally decided how the story would end," said Callisto to herself just as she picked up the book from the shelf.
She looked at the back cover and found an announcement written in the corner.
"Thank you all for reading the final volume," Callisto read the first sentence out loud. "I really appreciate everyone who waited so long for me to finish it. Now I can't wait to see you all again in the new story I'm making, a prequel to Ezreal. A story about a girl who hates troubles tries to save the world from an unknown enemy, the world of Alteria."
"I suppose you already found the one," Raymond commented from behind his daughter.
The father was sure his daughter had found the one until he was left puzzled as Callisto's other hand reached for another book. However, it wasn't just any other book that took her notice like Ezreal. This other book was written in a foreign language.
"JoJo, huh," said Raymond. "But it's in japanese."
The doctor could read and understand a few japanese thanks to a certain half-japanese friend.
Meanwhile, Callisto's eyes appeared to be gliding through the foreign letters in the front cover. The moment he took notice of it, Raymond asked his daughter;
"Calli, can you read it?"
Calli nodded wordlessly as she turned the book to read the back cover next.
"Not only that, I feel like I could speak it, too."
Returning to the front cover of the book, the girl began deciphering the kanji for herself and her father.
"The seventh part of JoJo enters a new universe. Set in the 1890 United States, it stars Johnny, a former jockey who desires to regain the use of his legs, and Gyro, a disgraced former executioner who seeks to win amnesty for a child on death row."
With JoJo part seven being set in a different universe from the first six, it allowed readers to pick it up even if they haven't read the previous parts.
"I'll be taking this one, too," Callisto declared before facing her father. "Let's go, Papa!"
With excitement drawn on her face, the young lady led the way towards the cashier on the other side of the book store, unaware that her father remained still where he used to stand behind his daughter.
With a look of disbelief on his face, Raymond asked himself, "How is that possible? No one taught her how to read and speak it."
Before long, the doctor decided to follow his daughter to the cashier and paid for the books.
The two then left the book store and went straight to Raymond's car. Callisto was stopped by an orange cat sitting right where the door was to the young lady's seat.
Meow~
"Oh, hello," Callisto replied at the cat. "You're a cute one."
Meow, eow~
The young lady beamed a wide smile at the orange feline.
"Thank you!"
Both the orange cat and Callisto's head turned to the direction of the car door that was opened from the inside.
"Get in, Calli," Raymond urged his daughter.
Meow, meow, meow, eow!
Letting out its final meowing at the young lady, the orange feline left the scene.
"You be safe, too, kitty!"
And with that, they finally headed towards the apartment.
*
*
*
After a short drive from the Megaverse book store, they reached the Bayabas street. It didn't take long for them to find a small apartment connected to a parking lot.
"We're here," said Raymond whilst taking a vacant spot in the parking lot.
As Raymond opened the door on Callisto's side, the young lady accepted his father's helping hand and left the car.
For the first time, she got to have a look at the exterior of the apartment building she found on her father's tablet.
"It looks exactly like the picture from Papa's tablet," said the young lady, voicing her first impression about the building out loud.
The apartment signified the beginning of Callisto's second chance at life. And she could not help but gleam with gratefulness and excitement.
"I wonder what my room will look like," the young lady thought to herself, imagining it exactly as the abode of the main heroine in the anime that she watched.
"Welcome, new guests."
A voice pulled Callisto from her thoughts. In front of the father and daughter stood a man with a kind and gentle face, around the same age as Raymond, introducing himself as the owner of the apartment building.
"My name is Oner Aguardia. It's nice to finally meet you, Callisto. I'm surprised you're actually letting your extra ears in full view. I thought you're supposed to hide them to avoid unwanted attention."
For a brief moment, Callisto was stunlocked, save for her fluttering eyelids. At least until the kind-looking man's statement was finally processed by the young lady's brain.
"What," she recoiled in a delayed shock. "How did you..."
Raymond appearing from behind his daughter, pats her shoulder.
"It's fine, he's someone you can definitely put your trust," said the doctor reassuringly. "Oner is a friend of mine."
Unbeknownst to Callisto, after she had made her decision to live alone in the apartment, Raymond, who recognized the place, immediately contacted the owner, Oner, to discuss the matter with him as well as his daughter's secret.
"To be honest, I was quite relieved when you picked Oner's apartment," Raymond said as he took his hand off his daughter's shoulder. "Knowing that you're close with someone I can trust, I can definitely feel at ease with letting you live alone."
"Raymond has helped me out a lot, especially when I couldn't afford my late father's expenses," Oner chimed in, his voice was filled with sincerity and gratefulness. "It's only right that I return the favor by making sure you and your secret are safe."
"I see, thank you so much, Mister Oner," Callisto said sincerely.
Shortly after the conversation between the three, Oner had the father and daughter follow him towards the supposed room of Callisto in the apartment building.
"This will be your room from now on, Callisto," Oner stood aside, giving the young lady a clear view of the door.
"101..."