Oner suggested to Raymond the room 101 not only because it's one of the only two vacant rooms in the apartment left, but also because it was the closest to Oner's small reception desk that was connected to the same hallway where room 101 was along with the other rooms.
If the need arose, Oner and Callisto could just go to each other in just mere seconds. Liking this idea, Raymond decided to take the room for Callisto.
Stare...
The young girl looked towards the hallway. The opposite of where Oner's reception desk and office was were the stairs.
As if imagining herself going through those steps, her eyes slowly trailed the ceiling from the stairs to right on top of her.
"The room 201 should be right above me right now," Callisto thought to herself. "That's where Tooko Towa lives."
After she had decided to move to Oner's apartment building alone, Callisto did not specify what room she wanted to get to her father. If only Callisto told her father exactly what room she wanted to get, would she be able to get the same room as Tooko Towa from the anime that inspired her to try and live alone?
In her mind, Callisto was shaking her head.
"Forget it," she told herself in thought. "There's no use thinking about it now. I can't be too picky."
Soon after clearing her thoughts, Callisto asked Oner for permission to see her room inside.
Responding with a resounding yes, Oner pulled a set of keys on the side of his pants. Remembering exactly what key goes to the room 101, Oner effortlessly unlocked and opened the door before stepping aside.
"Please come in," the owner invited.
Callisto entered the room 101 before her father and the owner. Her sky-blue marbles scanned the whole interior of the room down to its every corner.
"It's definitely a bit smaller compared to my room back home," said the young lady as she continued her observation. "But it's big enough to cramp a kitchen, a dining place, a bedroom, and a shower and toilet for a single or two people."
Callisto was amazed at how such an amount of space was able to be maximized.
"I like it," she said with a glint of approval in her eyes towards Oner and Raymond.
"I'm glad you did," Oner responded appreciatively.
As the young lady continued observing the interior on her own room, Oner took the opportunity to hand something to Raymond.
"Here's a spare key to her room for you. It's always better to have more than nothing at all. That's what you always said back then."
"That's right, I used to say that a lot back then," Raymond replied as he accepted the key, putting it in his lab coat's pocket. "Huh? My lab coat? Since when I had it?"
Oner stared blankly at his old friend. "You've been wearing them since you arrived."
A realization struck Raymond.
"I see why those kids at the book store thought I was cosplaying with Calli now."
Oner chuckled.
"Looks like even a genius like you cannot win against old age."
The father laughs at his friend's teasing remark.
"You could have told me I had it sooner, you know."
Taking the key from his lab coat into the pocket on his pants, Raymond took the white coat off him and kept it on his grasp.
Oner shrugged at his friend.
"To be honest, I also thought you're cosplaying with your daughter when you two came out of your car. But let's forget about that now. What do you think of the newly renovated apartment building?"
"Are you expecting me to say something else other than nothing has changed just like you intended when you renovated it," Raymond inquired.
Oner shook his head, a satisfied grin played on his lips. "No, that's exactly what I'm looking to hear."
Raymond sighed. "Honestly, you could have made this place into much more if you wanted."
"No. This place holds way too much memories for me to throw it all away for the sake of keeping up with the world."
Raymond could feel the sentiment in Oner's words drawing the same feeling within him.
"Well, I didn't say I'm against your decision."
After that last exchange, Callisto, who got herself out of the bed she was laying on top of comfortably until now, approached the two older fellow.
"Papa, thank you for letting me do this even though it was a selfish wish," she said sincerely towards her father.
A warm, fatherly smile played on Raymond's lips as he pats his daughter's head.
"I already put my number and Oner's in the phone I bought for you yesterday. If there's anything you need, just leave a text or make a call, okay?"
"Yes," Callisto gleefully answered, feeling the shape of the smartphone hidden inside her hoodie's pocket with her hand. "Thank you."
As Raymond removed his hand off his daughter's head and stood on her flank, Oner approached the girl and gave her the key to her room.
"I'm not saying it's all right if you somehow break or lose it, but if anything happens to it, I always have another spare."
"Better to have more than nothing at all," she commented, keeping a firm hold on her personal key. "I'll make sure not to break or lose it."
"I'm sure you will."
Soon after giving her the key, Oner announced his departure from Callisto's room. And so did Raymond.
"Take care," said the young lady as she watched her father and his friend helped themselves out of the door.
Right after that, she turned away from the door and absorbed the room's interior with her gaze once more. Compared to before, now that she was completely alone, Callisto could really feel that this space was hers.
No more nurses entering her room with or without her permission, no more prying eyes from a window connected to a hallway where people go left and right. In this small world, it's only Callisto.
"Now then..."
Callisto checked out the contents of her refrigerator.
"Woah... so many drinks and fruits. There's Moo Moo Choco Milk, too. I'm gonna take one."
The kitchen cabinets.
"So many variety of foods. It should last me quite a while. Hm? I feel a bit tired and sleepy all of a sudden."
And her wardrobe.
"There's some new ones mixed with the clothes Papa got from home."
After closing the wardrobe, an exhausted sigh slipped from Callisto's lips.
"The long commute from Manila must be getting to me now."
Callisto went and laid down on her bed. A brief gaze towards the ceiling was followed by reaching on one of the books she bought on top of the bedside cabinet.
"I don't wanna read the final volume of Ezreal until I've reread the entirety of it. Let's see how good JoJo part 7 is."