Chapter Text
Amatsu Imperial Medical Centre, Eiyuu Republic City Centre, 11:22 p.m.
It’s been around 20 minutes since Dr. Minh Vũ delivered the news to both Estelia and Yuno about the next step of treatment progress and its consequential side effects. Both of them remained in an awkward silence. Estelia still sat in her stool, remaining in the same posture, and had been quiet since its delivery. Yuno couldn’t help but worry for his sidekick. He attempted to reach out to her.
“Don’t.”
He paused, stopping his hand before reaching her shoulder. Glancing, he noticed that Estelia remained still but he could see that she was slightly trembling in her seat, unable to remain completely still but it wouldn't show much in her body language.
Estelia was facing downwards ever since that news was delivered. He could know that she wasn’t responding well to it, and he wanted to comfort her but she didn't want any of it.
“Estelia?” Yuno called out yet again with a hint of worry in his voice.
Estelia didn’t respond nor twitched from the question. She still remained at that same position.
Yuno sighed, and still stressed out his hands and placed it on her hair and caressed it against her will. After a while, she finally responded to it.
Estelia hurriedly grabbed his hand and attempted to move it away from her hair yet… She couldn’t bear to move it away. Silent sobs could be heard from her. Yuno hadn’t noticed yet but he would soon later hear it too, but deep down he knew that she needed someone to comfort her even with that despair.
“Estelia, please allow me to comfort you..” He said it weakly yet affirmed to comfort her. Meanwhile Estelia, in her mind, was attempting to process what was being delivered.
15 minutes prior
Dr. Minh Vũ was still telling Yuno about the potential side effects and all yet, Estelia wanted to voice out but couldn’t….
“....We can’t do anything to further prevent the spread due to its nature but…,” Dr. Minh Vũ paused as he pondered at his clipboard, “... We have tested various simulations with various attempts and yet, sadly, we have, as a collective group, concluded that the best option for you is to continue your treatment within a contained care unit…”
Yuno covered his mouth and began to laugh with a saddened tone. Dr. Minh Vũ paused for a while, allowing Yuno to recollect and gather himself before further continuing.
“... Well as I mentioned before, your body and that… that cancer cells, well, it’s pretty, to put it mildly, took over and destroyed most of your organs as mentioned before. So it’s a miracle that you are still able to move and work before you are admitted.”
“Well, that’s….”
“There’s that… And here you are now…,” He gripped his clipboard, bit more tighter, and continued, “If you had come sooner…. You won’t be ending up in this situation but I guess…,” He took off his glasses before putting it back on, “You neglect your health to the point where work is your life, just as the first conversation we had before admission.”
Yuno fidgeted.
“Well…,” Yuno couldn’t come up with any further excuse as the doctor was hitting every single pointer. He paused, then looked at Estelia, who was now quietly trembling in her seat. Yuno then looked at the doctor who then noticed Estelia’s reaction to his delivery of the news.
Dr. Minh Vũ paused and then said to Yuno, “So Mr. Gasai, I do suggest you make a decision by tomorrow morning at the latest. Because the longer we drag on…. The worse it turns out for you.”
“Thanks doc. I’ll let you know by then but can you, uh….” Yuno’s eyes motioned towards Estelia, who is now sinking her face into her palms, with her knees curled into her chest on the stool.
Dr. Minh Vũ noticed it and then nodded. He quietly left the room, leaving both to converse for maybe the last time. And as he leaves the room, he really does hope that it won’t be the last conversation between the two or it may….
He shut the door behind him, and whisked away those thoughts. He flipped over his clipboard and proceeded to visit his assigned patients and deliver the news to them.
Both of them remained in the same position as before. The only difference is that Yuno finally managed to break her still silence by placing his hand on her head.
Her train of thoughts finally halted, her grip on his hand loosen and allowed it to nest on her head. Estelia, for the first time, muttered quietly, breaking her quiet nature. Yuno didn’t catch it.
“Uh…,” He was looking a bit confused, “What were you saying?” Yuno was about to lift his hand away from her head.
Estelia, didn’t say anything, proceeded to grab his hand and place it back onto her head, bit forcefully. They remained in this position for a while. Yuno was confused and was about to voice up. She then looked up, embarrassment shown on her face, slightly turned away while lifting one of his fingers towards Yuno’s mouth to silence it. She then retracted it and said, in a slightly louder tone, “...Don’t stop… I need it for my comfort.”
Her face slowly further reddened due to the words she spouted out and turned her face away from him, and slightly pouted while still holding Yuno’s hand on her head.
He was processing her words for a while then smirked. He couldn’t form any words to tease her as he knew that she required this comfort to enable her face whatever was coming next in the conversation. He pondered as he roughly figured that Estelia might think this is probably their last conversation for a long while till then.
They remained as such for the next 5 minutes or so. Yuno picked up a physical book from the table, which Estelia had brought prior visitation, and read it in the meantime. Estelia let go of his hand and allowed him to read his book.
She finally composed herself and looked at Yuno, who was now seemingly at peace as he read his book. She then focused and built up her courage to ask the question she had been longing to ask since the news.
“Can we no longer talk anymore once you decide to go through it?”
Yuno stopped reading, as he closed and placed the book on his lap. Slowly, he turned toward her and then paused to ponder for a while. With a slight smile, he replied, “Maybe our last but…” He paused and turned his face to look out the hospital window.
For a while, his grey eyes looked at the night sky over the brightly lit city skylines. He was hoping to be able to see the starry sky one more time but guess his wish won’t be fulfilled for now. He chuckled then turned back to Estelia and questioned her thoughts.
“That’s something in the future, so before that,” He paused and proceeded to grasp both of his hands. Startled, she looked up, now her gaze directly meeting his eyes. Yuno then smiled, “Shall we talk? We still have quite the time between us both before I decide.”
Estelia sniffed. She pondered about the possible question she wanted to ask but before she could ask any, Yuno interjected her train of thoughts.
“So, Ms Estelia… What would you like to know? About me, the work or something else that has been bothering you?” He paused.
“Benefac- I mean, Yuno,” She started, “I want to know more about you…. It- It’s been quite a long time since we last caught up since you know…”
He smiled and began to recount his early days during his mercenary life since he left his mentor a year ago and came to wider Terranova, his affiliation with various mercenaries and mercenary factions, and many others.
Estelia sat there and listened, every single one of it, didn’t matter to the world around her for he was her entire world.
There were a few coughs and there, he mentioned the time when he was labeled as the Infamous Six and then the time when…
“.... There was one time where a child in red… literally injured me by shooting a rocket launcher or something at my workplace, Blue Oyster Bar,” Yuno chuckled as he recounted the event, “It took me out pretty badly with much of the wall and kitchenware… crashing down on me. Somehow I survived but had to be in a full body cast…. (Cough) Fun times indeed.”
Estelia listened, her face slowly twisted a little, perhaps in anger, and she questioned.
“Can I find this ‘child’? I might need to talk to them on your behalf.”
Yuno shook his head. Later, he drank a cup of water and replied, “Ah don’t need it. It’s just friendly banter between mercenaries of the same affiliation. After all, it’s been a few months since then. Me and her already made up for it as we worked together during the missions.”
She paused then retracted her statement. After a while, she then asked, “I remembered you mentioned the bar. Wasn’t that place, well, the origin of the epidemic? Are you not involved with it?”
Yuno coughed, as he began to sweat, he doesn’t exactly have the fondest memories over at Blue Oyster Bar. But he thought for a second before answering her.
“Well, technically I wasn’t involved. But Blue Oyster Bar was mostly a workplace for me and used that as a front during most of my mercenary career anyhow,” He stopped then explained, “Blue Oyster Bar was a nightclub technically in name, but it’s mostly a hang out spot for mercenaries or meeting in secret for certain members of mercenary faction at some point, like the Phantom Dragon Mercenary group which I’m apart of along with several others.”
Estelia nodded as if she understood his explanation.
“But….,” He sighed, “I didn’t expect IS-15 to keep radioactive material in the Blue Oyster Bar. So, Estelia, please don’t hold grudges against him. It’s just a work-related incident after all.” Yuno placed one of his hands on Estelia’s shoulder as if to ease her and ensure she won’t bear a grudge over an incident that no one expected it to happen.
Then he continued his story.
Unit 069, Intensive Care Wing, Amatsu Imperial Medical Centre, 20th May 2047 (1:09 a.m.)
“... After all that we, well technically I didn’t do much, took down the infamous pirate king of the Blackmarket City.” He stopped, and he clapped his hand together, “As I said… I didn’t do much, so I was only there to witness it…”
Estelia, now curious, asked, “So who took the big bad of Terranova?” Her eyes were sparkling, as she hunger for it with the mention of the event.
Yuno scratched the back of his head. “Well technically speaking it was IS-15….” He then just shrugged mostly and continued, “He did too much of a sacrifice that day, it nearly turned the entire Terranova upside down. All parties were panicking, mostly on TuahBjorn side.”
Estelia heard his answer and continued her questions, “So, it's the same IS-15 you mentioned, was the one responsible for the epidemic?”
“One and the only. That’s why I told you not to hold it against him.” He reminded her.
“Well, as long as he doesn’t ghost you then, maybe?” She said it in a cheerful tone.
“Alright then, I’ll take your word then…,” Yuno then continued, “He was the best of our group, he always did things that we never expected and he was always the one who took the blunt for everything. I still haven’t had the chance to repay him, even now on my near death.”
His face turned into a bit of regret and yet still showed a smile to stay strong and confident for Estelia who was now looking up to him even while he was technically dying as they continued along their conversation.
“So no more questions for this frail person?” He joked.
Estelia sat there, looking at him, and thought for a while, with her hands on her lap.
‘His story seemed incredible but….’
She couldn’t help to think that some part of the story wasn’t fully the truth. It seemed it was hiding much of the greater picture but didn’t dare to ask much about it out of respect for him.
She then shook her head to answer his question.
Yuno didn’t seem to notice anything, so he nodded. He then lifted his head to look at the time and it showed 1:18 in the morning. It’s been nearly 2 hours since they began their conversation.
He then slowly turned his attention to Estelia. He watched her just sit there smiling during the whole time he was sharing his stories. He expected her to be tired of some stories but it was the opposite, she heard it all and took it all in.
For the first in a long while, he genuinely smiled. Not since the Infamous Six incident. Not since the fall of the Pirate King. Not since….
He had to stop his train of thought right there. He should have focused on her as of now. Estelia was maybe, she maybe would…
He stopped himself from delving even further. Meanwhile, Estelia pondered on what his smile back then meant.
Yuno then asked her, “So Estelia, is everything doing alright so far?”
She nodded and straightened herself, “Hmm… Yeah all things considered, it’s been well….” And she started to explain to him about some of his early missions.
“.... There was one point, a giant cyborg, led by a bald spaceman I assume, injured a group of people by crashing into them. And I, my own fault, kinda started the fight by shooting them in the arms due to well… suspicious,” She explained while trying to hide her embarrassment behind her face.
“That….,” Yuno facepalmed, “That’s so you… Shoot first and question later. Now, I wonder how I survived my encounter with you.” He recounted the time when he first met Estelia while staying with his mentor.
He also noted about the cyborg and spaceman, and replied, “So you met Nick Hurt, the ‘greatest’ lawyer to ever exist, and his cyborg.” She nodded and he continued, “They are pretty good people indeed. Could make some con-”
“About that….,” Estelia interrupted, “We may or may not have been involved with the missile issue….”
“You what?” Yuno frowned while hearing what she said.
Estelia shrugged it off, and patted his shoulder, “All good though… They blamed the issue on the Sinister Hex, for your knowledge, old man.”
“Uh… I’m not even that old. We just have a few years apart.”
“2 years apart,” she admitted, “And besides, I can take care of myself. Worry less, benefactor.”
She chuckled, and Yuno couldn't help but chuckle along as well. It was a quiet serenity they both finally shared after their reunion a few weeks back.
“How was the car?” Yuno asked as he entrusted her with his only home.
“It's still fine and I’m actually getting a license for that actually,” Estelia replied. Yuno laughed and she quietly muttered something under her breath, “The car seat, tho, kinda smells like you are with me.”
He heard it but he shrugged it off.
He then asked her, “So, any future plans ahead?”
She nodded and answered, “Yea, I’m going to join the expedition to Blue Oyster Bar. Then maybe.. Maybe… We can figure out the source of the epidemic, and save you and the others.”
Yuno then placed a hand on his other hand where the needles for blood transfusion were inserted into, and looked at it. After hearing that she was joining the expedition that he wanted to join, he was proud of her but at the same time, couldn’t help but worry for her.
Yuno straightened himself and slowly shifted himself closer to Estelia and hugged her. One of his hands moved upward and placed itself on the back of her head. Estelia nearly stumbled over her seat due to Yuno’s sudden hug and almost panicked as she didn't expect such a reaction.
“Don’t get yourself killed out there. That’s my advice to you,” He told her, “And also…”
They both broke their hugs. While Estelia was stunned from his actions, he straightened himself back. Yuno’s grey eyes lit up for a moment, and looked at Estelia. Estelia’s phone later rang from the notifications.
Estelia paused for a second then she took out her phone from her pocket, and noticed that the notifications about the stash that was kept in the car was now available for her to use as a temporary permission, as well as more eddie fund access from the Corporalis Bank.
“What’s… What are all of these?” Estelia began as she scrolled through the list of equipment and items that was kept locked in the stash. Now looking frantically, she then turned to Yuno for confirmation. He nodded.
“I have enabled you to use most of my equipment and items. You may use them as you see fit,” Yuno smiled, now getting weaker, as he slowly got more and more tired, “And also, it is maybe permanent, who knows?” He joked.
“Before you go out there, and do those missions,” He patted her head, “Go and get some sleep. Do be proud, not being reckless during the mission. Those things keep you alive by then, trust in their use as you trust yourself.”
Estelia stood up from her stool and bowed towards him. She then grasped one of his hands and shook it, and thanked Yuno and added,”I’ll not let you down, Benefactor.”
He chuckled as Estelia began to leave the room.
Unit 069, Intensive Care Wing, Amatsu Imperial Medical Centre, 20th May 2047 (2:04 a.m.)
As Estelia’s back left the room and closed the door, Yuno left alone now. Silence loomed in his room. His optics lit up once more as he began to contact someone.
“Hey brother…. Yea, it’s me…. I need to put in a delivery request for someone….,” He paused as the call went on one sided for a while. He sighed. “That item I previously requested, yep… Just charge on my personal fund, brother…I'll forward you the number... Yeah, that’s all. Thanks.”
Yuno’s eyes dimmed down as the call ended. He then turned towards the windows once more. He finally saw the stars yet again, as beautifully as they were, contrasted by the work he often dealt with. The city now fell into darkness once again as the nightly abyss, full of stars, lit up the sky and dimly shone on the city below.
After all that, his optics lit up once more, giving him the closure and confirmation he needed. Firstly, he then sent a message to Dr. Minh Vu gave his affirmation on that option. He would be able to treated without worry, knowing now his sidekick would operate in his stead.
Next, he received the confirmation of the package delivery payment being made as his personal fund was reduced by a significant amount. He watched as the amount of eddies being transfered, before he finally blink his eyes to turn off his optics.
Then he finally closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep, knowing tomorrow, would be the awakening he would ever had.