Chapter Text
Lloyd.
When I opened my eyes, I didn't see the ceiling I was familiar with. Yes, ceilings are all the same, but usually I see a different ceiling in front of me. A different bed arrangement, a window on the other side from which light falls.
I scanned the room with my eyes as best I could in the dark. At this time of year, the nights are usually dark. This is definitely not my room. This place looks unfamiliar, but it feels like I've been here before.
There's only one question in my head... How did I get here?
Suddenly, memories of what happened before I ended up here came to mind.
…
It was a normal Saturday morning, and the monastery was pretty peaceful, even the students hadn't gotten into a fight over the bathroom line or the last piece of pie yet. It had been about two weeks since the last adventure, so the team could afford to live a little more like civilians. That morning, Arin and I decided to go to Crossroads and buy something tasty. No department store or shopping center can compare to this place.
When we got there, Arin immediately went to the store where he buys most of the ingredients for his delicious pies. We agreed that I would go for a walk and meet him in an hour.
I was walking around Crossroads and enjoying the wonderful weather that day. Suddenly, I felt someone grab my sleeve. I looked up and saw a little girl with teary eyes. She said her parents were in danger, so she was looking for someone to help her. Everyone ignored her and didn't take her seriously. To be honest, it made me believe her, I felt incredibly sorry for her. Especially since I am a ninja. It is my duty to help and save, so without hesitation, I followed her.
She took me to a pretty deserted place outside the city. As soon as we stopped, I felt a sharp pain in my lower back. I looked down at the spot where it hurt and saw that this girl had stabbed me in the side with a knife. After that, she immediately ran away, leaving the knife in me.
It seemed like it wasn't just a regular knife. It might have had something on it that would kill me faster. Or at least weaken me. Some kind of poison or substance.
I couldn't stay on my feet, so I fell to the ground. I didn't pull the knife out so as not to cause even more bleeding. I began to try with my last ounce of strength to contact Arin by phone, but I didn't make it in time.
After that, everything ends.
…
Remembering everything that had happened, I grabbed the spot where the knife had been stabbed into me to make sure it wasn't a dream. And under my fingers, I felt bandages and bare skin. It seemed that someone had found me and given me medical attention. For a moment, this calmed me down. But where were my clothes?
I got up and began to search with my hands for the bedside table, where there should have been a lamp. I didn't find a lamp on the bedside table. I only found a lamp and a switch above the bed. I turned it on, and a dim, warm light spread throughout the room. It wasn't enough to illuminate the entire room, but it was enough to see everything that was happening on and around the bed.
It didn't look like any room in a monastery or a hospital ward. It looked more like an average cheap hotel room. The only interesting thing I saw was a chair next to the bed with my clothes neatly folded on it. The gentleman who saved me also ironed my clothes. That was nice. There weren't even any bloodstains left. But my sword and phone were missing. Strange, but okay. I hope I can get my things back.
I hurried to put on my clothes, but not completely. I decided to rest a little longer, and all this equipment would prevent me from lying comfortably. In the end, I only put on my pants.
I'm not used to sleeping naked. In a monastery, there is no such thing as "personal space." Even when I lived alone, I couldn't allow myself to sleep without clothes.
I turned off the light, lay back down on the bed, and covered myself with a blanket. But no one let me fall asleep.
I heard a sound that indicated the door had opened and felt a dim, warm light seeping through the crack in the open door. I hurried to turn on the light to see who it was. I thought it was the gentleman who had saved me. But I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw her standing there...
It was Harumi! How? And... why? On top of that, she was wearing a pink silk nightgown. I never thought I'd see her in something like that. But that wasn't the point. Why her?!
"Are you awake?" her voice sounded. And in such a natural and familiar tone, as if it were nothing.
I was so surprised that I couldn't say anything. Our last meeting didn't go as I had hoped. She helped me and the team, but then quickly disappeared without saying anything. She argued a lot last time. It seemed to me that she thrived on arguing with me. I expected our first meeting after the Merge to be warmer... I didn't expect such audacity! Even though we hardly touched on personal matters during that meeting, I still almost fell in love with her again. Almost... I don't know how I feel about her.
Before I could say anything, she spoke again.
"When I was on a mission with my people, I found you with a knife in your back. You looked pathetic."
I don't even know what to say.
"I felt like I owed you something. So I decided I should save you," she continued. "The local doctor and nurses got you back to normal, and the maid washed your clothes."
"Where are the rest of my things?" I said. That was really the first thing that came to mind.
"You'll get them if you're a good boy," she replied in a sickly sweet voice.
"Rumi," I said reproachfully. But she didn't listen. She just turned around and walked away, adding, "I'll tell you everything in the morning."
With an irritated groan, I flopped back onto the bed and covered my eyes with my hands.
Eventually, I fell asleep.