"I wonder what happened to Akio's head," a woman said behind me, noticing the bandage wrapped around the bastard's skull.

"Must have had an accident or a fight."

"Fight? Who would even harm a charming guy like that? Sounds like a stray."

I inhaled sharply and nearly held my breath, hearing people talk about me. I turned, forced a smile, and said, "Hello."

They stopped and stared.

"My brother here has hearing problems. He's susceptible to sounds, and it makes him gassy. We'd appreciate it if you toned it down."

I felt Kaiden's gaze on the back of my head.

"What are you talking—"

I pinched his leg before he could even finish.

The two ladies smiled awkwardly and slowly looked away from me. I forced a smile as I sat properly, trying not to be seen—especially by that scrawny motherfucker, Akio.

The lights dimmed, and chatter faded as someone stepped onto the stage.

"Good afternoon, everyone," the man said. He was the same guy who greeted everybody at the entrance. "This is me again, Cory Watanabe, and on behalf of our sponsors and partners, I'd like to thank you all for being here on our last day."

Something about his surname tugged at me. Watanabe? Akio had a name that rhymed—if not exactly.

Only a stupid person wouldn't recognize that it's a Japanese surname. Cory looks like an Asian guy, I could tell because of his eyes, but he's got an English name. Akio doesn't even look Asian despite his name being, well, Japanese-Japanese. They must be cousins.

"Whether you came here to share, to heal, or just to feel normal again for a while, I hope this program reminded you that art isn't just about talent. It's about finding a language when words fail you. About saying, I'm still here."

Polite applause followed. Cory nodded, soaking it in.

I didn't clap. My ego told me not to. Not when I could feel someone stealing glances at me.

He's there off to the side. Playing with children who clung to his legs.

I scoffed. Bastard trying to be a patron saint. Who does he think he is?

I couldn't believe the person I had kissed and ditched, and injured, showed up in an unrelated place the next day. And worse, I'm fucking attending his fucking event with my fucking brother.

Never in my life had I felt so small and helpless—and so out of place.

I glanced at him a little, and our gazes met. I looked away and couldn't help but curse under my breath.

"Now," Cory continued, "since it's our last day, we'll spend the afternoon celebrating your work. We'll begin with the final exhibit walkthrough—please take your time and see what your peers have created. And before we close, we'll give everyone a chance to sign the mural together."

The room broke into applause again.

"Aiden, I forgot my art in the room." He whispered, clutching my arm. "Bring it here, please?"

Hearing that, I flashed him a smile so wide that it made him flinch.

"Sure."

Escape couldn't come fast enough. For the first time in twenty-four years, I'm thrilled to leave a place.

I stumbled on my way out, bumping into the edge of the tables and people in the dark. When I opened the door, I had to turn back to apologize for the disturbance before finally slipping out, hoping he did not recognize me while I was making a complete fool of myself.

Outside, the air was cooler. The hallway was empty. The hum of the vents is the only sound.

Finally, a moment of peace.

Maybe I could disappear after this. Leave Kaiden's things and pretend none of this ever happened.

Anyway, I should be out looking for jobs, not wasting time here. Kaiden would understand. But if he makes such a fuss about me not being there, I'll buy him a big Lego set.

While waiting for the program to start earlier, I was scrolling through my phone and found a low-paying job at an orange farm for the season. I didn't consider being there right away, but I remembered it stating about an incentive of a box of oranges per day.

I thought—how am I supposed to finish a box of oranges in a week? Then I remembered I could sell them at the market.

I sat on a bench, a distance from the courtyard, reading the details on my screenshot.

Suddenly, I heard sniffles. I looked up and saw a little girl with her guardian walking down the hall.

"We're not late, honey. They will always wait for you." The guardian reassured the girl.

They must be heading to the fun little art thing.

These patients loved the art program a lot, huh? Even Kaiden. It must be hard being stuck in this crummy old hospital where even these types of things thrill you.

I stared at them as they walked away. My eyes were stuck on the bright pink sketchbook the little girl was hugging.

Pink's not even my color, but my chest tightened like I'd die if I didn't have it. What the hell is wrong with me?

Fuck. I need that sketchbook—

"Why are you staring at the little girl?"

I snapped back to reality, my sweat ran cold on my skin, and I exhaled largely, not even realizing I hadn't been breathing.

The voice was smooth, familiar, and way too close.

In front of me was he, Akio, standing there with his arms crossed, that same infuriating smile on his face.

Fuck it, what made me think stalling here was a good idea?

I said nothing, standing and avoiding him without even hiding it. He followed me from behind.

"It might be fate. What are the odds of both of us meeting again?" he paused. "It's like we're written in a novel." He said that with a voice so smooth, he sounded like an angel. A fallen one.

It sounded ridiculous. It grated on my nerves.

The way people look up to him while he's here with me, uninvitedly trailing along my footsteps like a cat in heat.

"I'm glad to see you again."

"Well, I'm not." I stopped walking when I reached Kaiden's room. This bastard literally followed me all the way here. "Why are you following me?" I asked, clutching the doorknob.

He smiled lightly, then bowed halfway. His glasses almost slipped off his head.

"I'm really sorry about last night. I was drunk."

It startled me. Nurses and other people stared at us.

I told him to stop bowing before me, but he is very persistent.

"Not until you forgive me." He answered, not even looking up.

I groaned, pulling him inside and closing the door behind us.

He almost fell from how I pushed him, but he still picked up his composure and... bowed again.

My fingers reached for my nose bridge as I watched him being foolish. Still, I couldn't trust him even if he buried his head under the ground.

I pulled him up by the hair. Our eyes locked.

"Listen. I know you might be following me because of what happened. But it's not because you want to apologize." I paused, pointing at his face with my other hand. "Are you here to take your money back?" I asked.

"Nuh uh." He shook his head.

"To ask for your hospital bill because of that?" I pointed at his bandage.

"No."

"Or..." I balled my fist in front of his face. "Is it because of that ridiculous offer of yours?"

"No." He removed my hand from his head, rubbing the strained scalp gently, sighing. "Seriously. I'm here to apologize." His brows furrowed, staring at me as if I were the weird one. "I couldn't sleep thinking about how I had acted. That's all."

We went silent for a moment.

His ears turned red, and he couldn't even look me in the eye. I could sense him fidgeting with his fingers behind him.

"Do you want to say something?" I broke the silence, finally walking to the drawer to retrieve Kaiden's arts.

I scanned all. I don't even know which pieces I should bring, so I rolled them together.

"I want to invite you for coffee when you're free." He scratched the back of his neck, his biceps flexing when he did, which had me staring at it for a moment. "The way you're acting toward me right now is bothering me. I'm not a bad person, you know?" He flashed the same boyish and sheepish smile.

I looked at the clock. It's getting a bit late for job hunting, but it's still too early not to do this today. And the way he's acting as if his whole life depended on this pathetic apology shows that he's not letting me slip away that easily. 

I nodded, finally giving in. "Okay, fine. Give me your phone."

He beamed, handing me his expensive ass phone. I dialed my number and called it immediately. My phone rang in my pocket, and he was so pleased with what I'm doing that his sheepish smile turned into a wide smile... with his almond eyes smiling along.

Now I get why people loved him.

"And please take this to the teenager I sat with earlier." I gave him the roll of paper and glared. "Make sure he wins a lot of prizes."

He laughed, nodding. "Kaiden... for sure he'll get a lot of prizes without you threatening me."

So, he already knows my brother's name. I need to teach Kaiden about taking care of his privacy.

Akio left after I told him I needed to go somewhere.

I got the room tidy before leaving. I'm going to that orange farm, and I'll get accepted. If the owner won't, I'm burning everything down.

I took one last look in the mirror, fixing my hair. Then, I got a message on my phone.

It's from an unknown number, but I immediately recognized who sent it by looking at the message.

It's a raccoon sticker, with hearts forming on its eyes, followed by a voicemail.

"Jaa, mata ne, Aiden!" I could recognize Kaiden's voice whenever he smiled while talking. It made my heart flutter. Then, another, more relaxed and masculine voice followed.

"Jaa, mata ne, Aiden-san." It was Akio. I don't know how to react to that. I don't even understand what they were talking about.

[Aiden • 2:23 PM] wtf r u teaching him

He saw my message immediately. Typing bubbles appeared, disappeared, then came back.

I couldn't tell whether to smile or to feel threatened by his message. But it was so simple, I thought I might be a little paranoid.

[Unknown Number • 2:25 PM] See you soon, Aiden.