C7 Suspicious Coward

“I think I need to prolong renting this room. I don’t think I can’t solve this in a day. And you must accompany me”

“Ha? But I’ve perfectly healthy.”

“Then, just need to make you ill again didn’t I?”

“Ah, yes, just prolong this.”

“Healthy boy sleep on sofa, isn’t he? If I recall, back then you really insisted to sit on that aren’t you?”

“You intend to sleep here? If you’re that rich just rent a new room.”

“This is hospital, not a hotel. You don’t feel guilty to seize their privilege?”

“Should I bring you a mirror?”

“Should I turn on the light?”

“Yes, sofa is enough. I love sofa, bed is for your majesty.”

“Good.”

I’d rather deal with the culprit directly instead of dealing with her.

She has paid for my hospitalization for that I should accompany her. Ok, she has a point, I owe her. She prolongs to rent this room instead of renting new room, so others ill person can have it. Ok, she has a point, it would be bad if we were. She wants me to sleep on sofa and she’s on the bed. Ok, she has a point, what man would let a girl sleep on sofa while he’s sleeps on the comfort bed.

It’s just like I have no choice when I’m dealing with her. This is why I hate to show myself. One who show it would also open a chance for other to play or control it.

But I’m glad. I’m glad that its they are. If she’s the one who bring me here and Sist Renanda was the one who taken care of me for a week, they should’ve known. Normally they would ask, “Where is your parents?”. But they weren’t.

“Gross, why are you grinning like that? Don’t try to do anything strange you’ll regret that.”

“As if I have a power to do that. I just missed my home.”

“Heehhh that’s not like you.”

“Did I? You’ve been away for a week, don’t you mis- Ah, sorry.”

“…”

“Let’s just straight to the point. Tell me the rest of the story.”

This time we sit on an equal manner. She sits on the bed, while I sit on the sofa.

“I won’t, now is your turn to tell me. I feel like you’ve known much about this.”

She glares at me. I think it’s time to tell her.

“Could you lock the door.”

“Why? You seem suspicious. What’s the use of it? You intended to do something strange toward me?”

“Then I’ll let you decide it by yourself.”

I glared back at her.

“Do I… Do you see me as a friend or a foe?”

“Hehh- so yo-?”

“It’s no use if we’re not talking on an equal manner. I’m off playing around.”

“Try to intimidate me huh?”

I still can’t remember perfectly the incident at my school, but I remembered those eyes. It was like that day, those dead blue eyes I saw on that bus and on some scene of when she slaughtered that terrorist. She’s getting serious huh? But I won’t waver.

“Ok, that’s demerit to kill you here.”

She locks the door. Now it’s really quiet. Locking the door won’t make any different neither to the sound that enter nor leave this room. It just makes this room feel more private.

“I have 2 things to tell you. First, do you remember the story I’ve said to that victim?”

“Yes, and that’s true?”

“Yes.”

Nah, it’s easier talk to her like this. Glad she’s also a sharp one.

“As I thought, to leave that part to you was the best choice.”

“Nah, that just a coincidence. I’ve met a healer-man yesterday that tells me the Holy Friday. They bait my curiousness and tell me an incomplete info to made me call the black-box without returned it.”

“They didn’t tell you the ‘Dis’ huh? Oh nope, that would be lack of strategy. They spelled it in the middle of their talk to make you think black-box would be returned by itself. Am I right?”

Wow, she’s so sharp. To eliminate other opportunities with an assumption like “You’re not that stupid to be tricked by misspelling”. If they were just didn’t tell me the ‘Dis’ then I would immediately ask them “Then how to returned it?”.

“Right, 100!”

I smiled, trying to loosen the atmosphere.

“As we get serious you try to loosen the atmosphere with my word huh?”

“Hahaha sorry, it’s smooth to talk to you like that, but the tense just suffocated me.”

Now she laid herself down on the bed and turn her back toward me. Hey, now you’re just getting too loose.

“Next?”

“Do you know about the patrol?”

“You mean, about the strange passerby on each floor?”

“Yes. I assumed they were on the same gang as that healer-man.”

“So that’s it. They work together to loot the people’s black-box in this hospital. The first question is whether it’s only an outsider, or there were someone works here also involved.”

That’s what I curious about. If there was true then that would be troublesome. The hospital who should keep their patient personal info leaked it and work together with some criminal group to loot people’s black-box. But I think to call it criminal itself is wrong while there’s still no official regulation from government about this case.

And more… what I’m afraid of is, if there someone from an army, a government, or law enforcer involved. Jhen said that there was an army involved in terrorism at my school.

“Hmmm that’s what I curious about. Could I ask you something?”

“Yes?”

“What do you think about Sist Renanda?”

She turns herself toward me.

“From all people to be suspected, why her? And from all people whom suspect her, why it’s you itself? I mean didn’t you recently have a casual chit-chat with her?”

“Sorry… if you don’t want to answer it then just forget it.”

“Nah, It’s ok. But before that could you tell me the basic?”

“Promise me you wouldn’t laugh!”

“Ha? Don’t say that. With that said I almost laughed you know.”

“Screw you…”

“Hahaha sorry, I know you’ve rotten but just didn’t expect this much.”

“…”

“Okok sorry.”

“It’s just, she’s been with me for a week while I was unconscious. It’s been like that since Holy Friday. Yes, I was unconscious. So, I don’t know whether I have it or not and whether she stole it or not. How if she’s one of them an—”

“Pftttt, hwahahahahahaha. So that’s it, so that’s why huh? You still can’t accept the fact that you don’t get one?”

“Damn, you promised, don’t you?”

“Ahahahaha sorry, but that’s just out of my expectation. Nah, to think about it, back then you also suspect me. You really have that deep kind of trust issues?”

“Jhen…”

“Aha… ha… sorry.”

“But back then you’ve said black-box could get stolen when it’s in visible mode, the holder killed, or knocked down didn’t you? Then what’s the different between asleep-state and knocked-down? Those two are the same condition of unconsciousness, aren’t they? Then, isn’t that normal if I think she might steal it anytime when I’m asleep?”

She sighed.

“And truth to be said, my main intention of telling that story when we’re at Rose 27th was to hook her, but I couldn’t tell whether she really has nothing to do with them or just pretend ignorant.”

“You’re really that well-planned huh? Ok, that’s my fault not telling you the full story.”

“About what?”

“Back then, just right before you collapsed, reinforcement came. A group of police, a group of armies, an ambulance, and my personal people. With some bargain, my people were successful to let them handed the terrorist to our hand. Of course, that bargain included to hide our identity. With that, I got all the merit of the black-box looting just when I received the grace.”

“So that’s what you mean by letting them be the guilt huh? You’ve really done it.”

“Yup, brilliant isn’t it? And this, I would make you feel guilty to Miss nurse. You know?”

“Know what?”

“The ambulance that arrived that day was also Miss nurse in it. She’s asked me the detail. Then she opens your scarf just to discovered you’re wearing that middle-school uniform. She cried, then submit a letter of request for assignment just to personally treats you. You know what she said that time?”

I really don’t know what to said.

“This boy kind of reminds me to my little sister, the way he sacrifices himself to replace other. That’s what she said. Feel guilty enough?”

This… hits me so hard.

“I neither tell her that you did it to save your schoolmates nor just for excitement. Even if that only a fragment I was also saw it from you. But for me what depict you that day was your excited side, but she saw you as a savior. She also the one who transfuse her blood to you.”

“…Damn…”

“Save that to her, I think that sist of yours would be glad to hear your grateful.”

“Hemm, Thanks Jhen.”

She’s got up from her sleep and sit on that bed.