"(So…may I come in now?)."
"…"
"(…)"
I stared blankly at him for some seconds. At this point, what was I supposed to do?? If I let him go, he might inform other people of the situation and quite frankly—I am WAY too tired to deal with that.
Also, he said he could heal her…maybe that's our only option right now.
"Fine...you can come inside."
I hesitantly and slowly open the door for him, letting him go inside first. He kept a cold, blank expression on his face during the whole 'conversation'. Even as he walked inside and looked at the ranker on the floor his expression did not shift.
Honeslty...it was pretty creepy to be honest. Even tho he was a really feminine guy—which is completely fine by the way—he gave off this 'no care in the world' vibe that was throwing me off.
Back when we were stuck in that dungeon, he also was covered in a monster's blood and didn't seem to care nor to be disgusted by it.
I followed Suroko, got inside the house and closed the door behind me.
I looked at Jin-Hu's and Arthur's faces for what felt like hours. At this point my brother didn't even seem mad or disappointed at me. He just looked...tired...which is arguably worst for me.
Suroko walked towards the ranker who's name I can never remember and got on both of his knees. His eyes met mine and he suddenly raised his hands.
"(Can you translate for me?)"
Ohhh.
"You dont have to worry about that, Arthur knows sign language."
Judging by his expression Suroko seemed surprised by this.
"(...Really?)"
"Yeah..."
At that moment, a short silence filled the room. Suroko stared at my brother with interest in his eyes. He then raised his hands again, this time towards my brother.
"(How did you learn?)"
Phew...thankfully he didn't ask me that question. I don't know how to lie very well.
"Me and my sister would learn many languages when we were bored as kids. You could say we were brighter than most."
My face lit up hearing Arthur say this.
"What? Is this a dream?? You. Brother. Complimenting ME?"
"...ugh shut up."
I smiled a little. It was a good thing Suroko didn't bother that much to know how we learned sign language. My brother's abilities are pretty awesome.
Suroko pointed the ranker and continued the conversation with my brother.
"(You can trust me, I only want to help and pay back my debt. I dont need to know what happened to her or how she got here. If healing her helps you all, then I will do so.)"
Arthur looked at Suroko with a neutral expression before crossing his arms.
"...Although, I find it quite strange. An E rank like you couldn't possibly even heal a scratch on a ranker's body. Let alone a poison capable of hurting the second ranker of Korea?"
"(...)"
"You are aware that an E rank healer cannot exist in a society in need of healers, right?"
We all stayed silent waiting for Suroko to answer.
Jin-Hu kneeling on the counter looked carefully at him. I too, as attentive to his answer.
Suroko starred expressionlessly at Arthur before signing.
"(...you could say we are one of the same, you and I. How could a E rank like you know what poisoned this ranker?)"
"..."
He then quickly turned his head to me.
"(And you, I dont think an E rank hunter can heal themselves from a poison as quickly as you did back in the dungeon.)"
"Ugh..."
Damn he noticed my leg back there? Or did I not completely heal myself earlier? Anyhow, I'm surprised he even cached that.
Arthur and Suroko starred at each other for some time. Arthur let a small smile show on his face.
"...hm...Your secret is safe with us. I hope ours is safe with you too."
"(Don't worry, it is.)"
I sighed in relief and noticed Jin-Hu starring at me.
"What?"
"Uhhh"
"Yeah?"
"What were you guys saying the whole time?"
"..."
Seriously...this guy.
"...Are you for real?"
"What! Its not my fault I dont speak a thousand languages like you and Arthur!"
"You could have just asked me to translate at the start! I have a bad memory, I literally forgot what they were saying, so I can't translate."
"I know you enough to know that that's not true and you're just too lazy too translate."
"...I mean...true..."
"Fuck you..."
Suroko hovered his left hand above the Ranker's body.
[ The Rank A hunter {Suroko Fukuhara} uses the Grade B skill {Restoring strands LV.22} ]
Suddenly, Suroko's eyes shone in a light pink colour. Thick black strands circled around his wrist—it looked like a tattoo—and slowly, more and more strands wrapping around his arm appeared and made their way up.
He then placed his right palm on the Ranker's stomach.
"(…)"
Strands appeared on the Ranker's body. Covering on her every wound.
He looked extremely focus—I guess to not 'over heal' her.
Slowly, the wounds covered by the black strands started to heal slowly. Suroko then deactivated his skill, slowly removing his hand from her body.
I looked at him a little confused.
"Um…you're already done? Don't you need to keep your skill active?"
He looked up to me before getting up.
"({Restoring strands} is a skill that stays active after use. It's going to heal slower and slower before disappearing completely.)"
"Um…smart. That way she'll be healed, but not too much to be suspicious of a high grade healer."
Arthur then got up and joined our conversation.
"It's also unlikely that they'll look for us in E grade schools—"
Jin-Hu also joined.
"Yes so we're clear now—"
"—That is unless she suspects her healer being a Hidder and she starts to search every school."
"Ugh…"
I stood by the side watching my brother and my best friend speak.
I walked towards the ranker and looked at her, wondering what to do next.
"So… now that that's taken care of, what do we do?"
"…"
A short slience took over the room.
"…Well should I just bring her back to where I found her? The disturbing, dark and cold alley?"
My brother's gaze kept shifting between me and he ranker on the floor.
"…I guess? Theres nothing more we can do after all."
"Ugh….this feels so illegal."
I got on one of my knees and grabbed the ranker's right arm with my left hand.
'Please don't wake up please don't wake up please don't wake up…'
I put her over my shoulder and carried her on my back.
'Shes heavy…'
Jin-Hu starred at me intensely and I already knew he was gonna say something to annoy me.
"I wish I could take a picture of you right now."
"Shut up."
Jin-Hu walked over the door and opened it for me. I looked around everywhere to see if anyone was outside.
It was the dead of night, so no one was really around.
'I need to hurry.'
I started making my way towards the alley.
***
"(Well, I'll be going now. My dept to you all is paid.)"
Suroko made his way towards the door to leave.
Arthur started at him without saying anything.
Jin-Hu wanted to say something, but kept his mouth shut like Arthur.
Suroko opened the door, walked out and closed it behind him.
The house became silent for some time, before Arthur and Jin-Hu spoke to each other again.
"Did this actually just happened?"
"Jin-Hu, ugh…let's not talk about it right now, I'm as confused as you are."
Jin-Hu tried to joke, but he was still a litttle worried about what could happen next.
"Do you think we'll be fine? I really hope we aren't suspected of anything…"
"…sometimes I think we're too kind…"
Arthur glanced at the floor and noticed traces of blood.
'We should clean that up just in case.'
***
'Don't wake up don't wake up please don't wake up please—'
I walked as fast as I could. I could feel the sweat dripping from my face out of stress.
Do I look suspicious right now? I guess, but…
It's so late at night, people can't see very well and they could think shes drunk and I'm her friend carrying her home?
Yep perfect excuse.
As I walked some people did glance at us, but they mostly just ignored and went on their merry way.
'This might be THE most illegal thing I've ever done.'
'Oh finally!'
I saw the alley I found her in and walked faster towards it.
When I got there, I carefully crouched while having my back to the wall. I let go of her legs and let her head rest on the wall. She was in a sitting position.
'Is that how I found her? I can't remember…'
"…!"
Suddenly, I heard people talking and walking towards me.
"…I-I'm so so so sorry about this. At least we healed you? I really hope you get better…uh—bye…"
I got out of the alley and ran away from the people coming. When I stopped hearing footsteps and chattering, I walked the rest of the way.
"…what did we just do."
Jin-Hu and Arthur had just finished cleaning the blood off the floor.
"It's fine. We couldn't just leave her wounded like that."
I was with my brother on this one. But, there was still so many things wrong with this situation. So many things that I'm worried about.
"But how could she get hurt like that? Who did that to her? And that guy, Suroko, he clearly knows about us…"
My brother looked at me and sighed.
"Not like you guys put effort into hiding it…"
Me and Jin-Hu spoke in unison.
"Sorry."
"For now, let's just forget about this and go on with our lives normally. No point on straining ourselves mentally over something we don't have control in."
I didn't know what more to say, so I just let out a big sigh and walked towards the kitchen.
I opened the fridge to see what was left to eat. I was then hit by the disappointment of seeing only condiments and other small snacks.
"*sigh*…"
I took some crackers and spread butter over them.
While pouring myself a glass of water I noticed something on the counter.
A letter.
I took it and read what was written on it.
'From mom to Arthur and Emy.'
"Hm?"
I guess we didn't notice it because of everything that happened tonight.
Come to think about it…mom hasn't come home yet?
I opened the letter and accidentally ripped it appart. I could not open those for the life of me.
I took out what was inside and I found money. A lot of money and a piece of paper with writing on it.
I started to read it.
'Arthur and Emy, here's some money to pay rent for the next 3 months or so, you can thank me later. I have to leave for work related to the Dungeons and Gates and I don't know when I'll see you guys soon. Your father will call.
Goodbye,
Mom.'
What I read didn't shock me at all. Mom had always been like this. Leaving all the time, leaving us in places. I always argued with her about this. She wondered why we weren't close or why we never interacted that much and when we did—it was awkward.
I would tell her it was because she never spent time with us. I was mad, but I also understood. When the Gates first appeared and Hunters did too, many people lost their jobs including my mom.
Why hire bodyguards when you can hire a Hunter? Why hire firefighters when you can higher a pyromancer or a hydromancer?
Anyway…my mom was a nurse. She lost her job to a healer even tho they're rare.
She got unlucky.
The part about going to work with dungeons or gates or whatever was probably a lie…
Well, about the letter…I was just wondering how I was going to get a job after the money for the 3 months of rent were gone.
And I also hated that line.
'Your father will call.'
Disgust was the only thing I felt.
I walked over to Arthur who was eating snacks on the kitchen table and gave him he envelope.
"What's that?"
"A letter mom left. Please put it in the trash or burn it after you're done reading it. I don't wanna see it anymore."
Even tho he still hasn't read it, my brother immediately understood.
Without a word he started to read.
I started to clean the dishes inside the sink—some of mom's dishes too.
I could hear my brother sigh and click his tongue louder and louder as he got further in the letter.
I knew when he had read that last line. That silence said it all.
He stayed silent, got up, put the money in a drawer and put the letter in a box we take out to recycling.
I saw him go to his room and I couldn't help but feel like he was mad.
"You good?"
He paused for some time.
"…the money she sent…"
"Yeah…?"
"It would have at least meant something if it was hers. Shes doing nothing to fix her relationship with us. That money's yours Emy."
I stood silent at those words. I hadn't realized. That was my money.
Since mom didn't work, back in Canada I had a job as a technician in a pharmacy.
She would always ask me for money and she never got a job. For some reason, I felt quite emotionless about this.
It wasn't something I couldn't see my mom do. But I was still a little bit disappointed.
Not mad—disappointed.
I noticed from the corner of my eye Jin-Hu sitting on the couch, his eyes locked in on his phone.
I didn't want him to feel awkward, although I knew he was aware of me and Arthur's situation with our mom. I've known him forever after all.
"Hey, so wanna have a sleepover?"
"Hm? Oh yeah sure, I'm in my uniform anyway for school tomorrow—"
"Dude, we don't have school tomorrow or the day after…and after…"
"Really?"
I opened my phone and went on the school's website.
"Here look.
To all students,
As you probably know, a horrible event has occurred at our school. A gate opening to a dungeon has caused many casualties, including both student and staff.
Due to this reason, in order to properly reconstruct the school and give time for grief, a one week break has been ordered.
Sincerely,
COLLEGE ARI. GRADE E SCHOOL "
After reading the message out loud, Jin-Hu starred blankly at my screen—seemingly reading the message over and over again.
"…only a single week..? That's way too short. I mean I guess to rebuild the broken parts of the school it's enough if they hire hunters. But—what about the victims? One week isn't enough for grief, for funeral—"
I completely understood him. I felt the same way but…
"It's an E rank school. They don't have that much funding. They can't allow students to miss school for too long…even tho it's awful."
Silence took over the room.
I quickly spoke to ease the tension.
"So I'll make your bed in my room. We can chill if you want."
Jin-Hu got jp from the couch.
"Sure."
I was happy that long day was finally over.
***
A huge building stands in an empty street. Harbourign black and grey colors—its structure resembled that of a gothic building.
At the front desk, a tall woman with white hair and side bangs can be seen. She wore a black dress with a yellow jacket. Her yellow eagle eyes—with a vibrant red lower lash line eyeliner—were focussed on her work.
*RING*
*RING*
Suddenly, on the counter, the phone rang.
She immediately tried to pick up the phone, but had some trouble because her long yellow square nails kept getting in the way.
'Ugh…stupid nails. On day I swear I'll rip them out.'
She finally picked up the phone.
We her deep, cold voice, she answered.
"Hello, one of the two secretery of the Black Cat guild speaking. My name is Irene, how may I help you?"
"…"
"…"
"Hm"
"…"
"Hm hm"
"…"
"Alright. I understand. I'll make sure to deliver this information to the guild leader. Thank you for calling us."
Irene hung up the phone on the counter before taking out her own.
*RING*
*RING*
*RING*
"…"
*RING—*
[HEYYYYY ZOE SZIL HERE! If I'm not answer—]
Irene hung up the phone.
'Miss Zoe Szil. Why do you never answer at the most important moments?'
'Many dungeons and gates are suddenly appearing all over the country. The chance for profit is high, especially with our guild. We need to be the first to complete those dungeons to maximize our gains.'
Irene's eyes lingered on the counter, stopping at a picture.
The picture showed a young boy with white hair alongside a young girl with black hair.
'Me and Zoe…time surely does flies."
The women continued with her work.
***