Kourin was scheduled to go to the hospital to visit Seiichi and check on his condition the next day. Of course, she knew she had to ask for the older Knights' permission first. But even so, she was sure they would allow her to go there. There were assigned bodyguards in that hospital that the other leaders had ordered to guard the place, especially Seiichi. However, they were doing it without the young man's knowledge. And she did mention to Tetsuya and Shuji that she'd do what she could to figure things out that had relations to Seiichi.
An alert tone from her cellphone caught her attention. To her confusion, she saw that she received a message from Seiichi.
"This guy's still awake?" When she checked the time, it was already past ten in the evening. What was going on for Seiichi to stay awake up to this hour?
~' I have a feeling that you're still awake, but I don't have plans to disturb you. I only want to send a message to you since I can't sleep for some reason. Anyway, I hope you take a good rest tonight.'~
Kourin couldn't help smiling after reading that. There was nothing unusual about the message. And yet, how come it could still make her smile like this as if he had given her a special gift? Then again, seeing him alive after going through that ordeal was indeed a gift for her. Regardless of the circumstances, she was glad that he was alive and that he made it through.
She knew that it had been a tough battle for him. But that guy, even though she couldn't believe it at first, was still able to smile at her as if nothing nightmarish had happened to him. How could he do that?
Another message tone alerted her and she frowned—but with a smile, this time—at the sight of a second message from Seiichi.
~' Dream of me when you go to sleep. Okay?'~
"What is this guy up to right now?" Despite the incredulous stare that she'd given to the message she had read, the smile on her face didn't fade. "I could seriously use this guy's enthusiasm and optimism about the nightmarish events of my life."
But even with that thought, Kourin could tell that he was trying his best to be strong for a reason. Seiichi wanted to continue living to find out the answers that he so desperately seek. He'd been through a lot and she was aware of that, even if it was only recently. Maybe the only thing she could do to help him get through it was to be there for him, even as Fujioka Rin. If she was going to be honest, however, that last past felt as if thousands of needles pricked her heart.
It might have been late. But if this guy was still awake, then she could at least take advantage of it and talk to him.
Not long after, she dialed Seiichi's number and looked at the night sky from the window of her room as she was waiting for him to answer. It didn't take more than 5 seconds before she heard his voice.
"You're still awake?"
She couldn't help chuckling at the way Seiichi started that phone call. "I'm supposed to be the one asking you that question. You should be resting."
"I told you, I can't sleep."
"Are you... having nightmares because of what happened?" Well, she couldn't help asking that, as it could be a reason.
But Kourin frowned at his answer.
"I did have nightmares, but not only because of what I went through recently. I could only feel rage toward the people who killed my parents and also the other important people in my life."
"W-what do you mean?" She could be prying into his private life that way. But she just had the urge to know the truth; especially if she'd discover like this that the Dark Rose killed Seiichi's parents.
Kourin heard Seiichi's sigh on the other line and chuckled. However, her heart twisted as she heard his bitter chuckle.
"I learned a lot that day I woke up, bound on a post. Now I just want to leave this place so that I could find them and finally avenge the people I lost in my life. But I'm not foolish enough to risk my life senselessly in fighting demons like them. My friend made sure I'd stay safe, until his last breath."
For some reason, Seiichi didn't say anything after that which made her frown. "Hey, are you okay? Are you asleep already?"
"You're crying, aren't you?"
That question hit her like a lightning bolt. What in the world? "What are you talking about?"
"Call me crazy for saying this but I sensed that from hearing your voice. Did the things I say a while back remind you of something?"
A speechless Kourin felt as if her mind turned blank after hearing that from Seiichi on the other line. This guy was starting to become scarier to her by the minute.
"Are you becoming a psychic now for saying that?"
"Rin, this conversation is starting to become weird since we're only throwing questions that neither of us would end up answering."
She ended up bursting into laughter when she realized the truth in Seiichi's words. How could this guy have the ability to do this to her regardless of the situation? Though it doesn't always happen, she was glad that Seiichi could pull through after a tough situation. His laughter that mixed hers soothed her worried heart. She couldn't help feeling lucky to hear that again after a long time.
"It's late. You should rest. I'll go there to visit you tomorrow," she promised.
"Yes, my lady. Since you requested it, I have to power to deny that."
Kourin smiled at that. "Stop being silly. Seriously, you have to rest. You need it so that you could go out of the hospital faster."
"Will you be there for me when I get discharged?"
"You know what? I don't know if what you've experienced back there just made you a little bolder than you usually are. You're asking weird things again."
She heard Seiichi laugh after that and her smile widened. The stars in the night sky even looked like they were shining brighter than she would usually see them. Was it a weird thing for her to notice?
"I just couldn't help feeling comfortable whenever I'm with you or I'd hear your voice. But that feeling... would scare me at this point," Seiichi said soon after.
Kourin couldn't help frowning. "Scare you? Why is that?"
The silence between them remained for a few moments. But Kourin knew that Seiichi was still on the other line. She just had to wait for him to talk again.
"It scares me that... I would lose you all of a sudden. The same way I lost them."
Of course, those words squeezed her heart. She knew who he was talking about. But it only made her think that any comforting words she'd end up thinking would further fuel the grief that Seiichi was feeling. She couldn't think of what to do or say to help him ease that.
"I don't know what to say to that," she blurted all of a sudden before she could even stop herself. "It's not like I can promise anything to you, you know."
But the next words he said made her feel as if her heart stopped beating.
"You'll stay with me, right? I'm not losing you in any way. Is that possible?"
Before she could even stop herself (again), tears fell from her eyes. No matter how many times she scolded herself for letting those words sway her heart, those tears won't stop falling. How was she supposed to answer that if she was unsure of what her life held for her? She still has a battle to finish. A battle in which her life would always be uncertain if it would last longer or end abruptly.
"Rin? You're crying again, aren't you?"
His concerned words snapped her out of her tearful reverie. She sniffled and wiped her tears, even though Seiichi could hear her doing so. "I just didn't expect you... to ask something like that to me. And to think we haven't known each other that long."
"I can't understand it, as well. But I'm sure I've spoken the truth a while ago. I can't afford to lose you or anyone in my life ever again."
She sighed after a few moments of silence. "I know." 'Because I'm feeling the same way.' Then again, he had no idea about that part of her life, so she'd rather not blurt out that thought to him. "Don't worry. You're not going to lose me."
Whether it was an assurance or a promise, Kourin couldn't tell at the moment. But she knew she had only spoken the truth. She just had to prove it.
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