‹Still Rin›

"ONSEEEEEENNNNNN…!!!!!!!!"

I am not joking. How did a fluffin' inn on the mountains of Orio look exactly like a architecturally and aesthetically traditional house from Japan? I get it that we are in the northern part of Cotona, but it's extremely different from the "North" of Japan. And yet, it feels as though I came back to that private house in Kyoto all over again. I wouldn't even be surprised if I see Yuzuri-san in here somewhere! I take that back. I will still be surprised if ever.

I say that all… but we have been standing before the entrance of the inn's lot for a few minutes, letting our jaws roll down. Seriously, we don't think we'll ever see another place like this in this country.

"Uhhh… I didn't know that Japan is just a two-hour travel from school…?" Mori jested.

"Hey~ Rin-chan… Why are you crying…?"

"I can ask you the same thing too!" I exclaimed as Gin had asked while also bawling.

Mato-sen shook his hair and sighed. "Urk… Can't believe I'm actually around a weird pair now that I think about it."

"You just realized that now, Mato-sen?" asked Jean while the others looked nonchalantly, as though they've been used to my and Potato's stupidity.

Suddenly, a voice from the slightly opened main door of the inn resonated.

"Oh? The guests have already arrived. Welcome to the Chikami Hot Spring Inn. My name is Kyohei Kamichi, and I am the owner of the place."

.

.

.

With Potato and Jean, the three of us suddenly huddled and mumbled upon ourselves.

"This is just a coincidence, right?"

"That's basically it, Gin."

"Not only Nacchi and Shiro has coincidences, Potato."

…

"I don't see Juushiro-san anywhere…" the owner looked around.

"Oh. He is working right now. I am Martin Arlo, by the way. For the moment, I'm acting as the TAC's guardian, although one's old enough to act on his own."

"I see, so you were the person that I've heard from Juushiro-san when he came here. It's good to meet you, Arlo-san."

"There's really no need to be formal, you know.

Wait… '-san'?"

"I would suggest to please come in. There are not too many customers in this time of the year, but we can't have our guests appearing to be unwelcomed on the side of the road.

We will show you the reception area and serve some tea. You will be here for three weeks, so please make yourself at home."

"Ah, yes. Thank you very much.

Hey, you three nincompoops! We're going in!"

~ ~ ~

Tatami floors, as expected. This is a legitimate traditional Northern building apart from just what is already mentioned. It's just that I think it lost its way and got built in Orio which I don't hate at all.

While we were writing our names and signing our signatures on a log sheet, and sipping our cups of tea, the owner explained a few but necessary things.

"So while the others are still logging, I will reiterate that all expenses regarding your stay is covered by the sponsor and therefore, you don't have to pay anything unless if something gets damaged."

"Our client really is filthy rich, huh," we all thought.

He continued.

"I will also have to say in advance that the rooms where you will be staying at are already booked and ready to be used. In total, five rooms will be occupied for the nine of you- ten, including the cat.

Any questions so far?"

Potato responded, "I have none, but this tea is meta."

"Thank you for the review of our tea."

I then spoke, "If that's the case, us two girls will be sharing a room, while the remaining four will be for the men and Haku. Then that means that one person will be having a room for his own…?"

"Well said. But that room will of course be a little smaller. May I know your name?"

"Ringo. Umm… Ringo Akanami."

It's dumb how it sounded like I forgot my own name with that pause.

And I think it is really late to mention, but the owner is actually wearing a kimono and a haori over. Wait, might he actually be Japanese?

"The rooms for two are eight tatami mats so there is plenty of space to move around, Akanami-san. On the other hand, the one-person room only has six."

"Aren't we taking too much space, though?" Mato-sen worryingly asked.

"It is not a problem. Currently there are only three rooms that are being used by guests out of twenty. It also just so happened that we picked a prime spot where hot springs are abundant around where we are now.

Also, since the inn is in the season of the lowest rates, I've had the cooks to take a break from work here so I'm basically the only one for that service. Although I don't think I can serve for more than ten people, so I am very sorry for that."

"It's fine, and the service is optional in booking anyway." Gin relieved the owner.

And Mato-sen followed, "We have a few in our bunch that are more than capable when it comes to the kitchen, so that wouldn't be a problem."

The owner's face brightened up.

"Then we have a small farm here. You can use them however you like!"

…

"Okay then. Since we still don't know who will be using the solo room, let's settle it with ladders, then." Gin suggested.

※ Or Amidakuji.

"To be fair, who should be the one drawing the lines?" Yuuga asked.

As a response, Nacchi requested, "Let's have the owner to do it for us."

"Ehhh… If I do that, it will take me a long time. You see, I get carried away in putting lines in ladders when I was a child… It would be a pain, honestly."

"So owner plays ladders from childhood? This game is totally nonexistent here. Are you Japanese, owner?" Gin analyzed.

"Ahhh. So I made it obvious, huh…"

"That's no problem, owner. I am also Japanese by blood, although half; and I am 75% Japanese at heart!"

"Are you drunk, Gin?" Nacchi retorted.

Without warning, Haku tapped the owner with his paw on the back and meowed.

"So cute…!" is what I thought.

He then sat in front of the paper placed on the floor beside the owner. He shifted gazes from the paper to the owner for a while.

"Ah. Haku wants to direct you on where he wants to put the lines, owner." a potato spoke.

"Is that soooo… Eh?"

He was genuinely confused.

On the paper, there are seven vertical lines where the names of the guys were already written on top, while the folded bottom has one "solo", and both a pair of "R1", "R2" and "R3". Haku pointed out where he wanted the lines to be on, which is plenty amazing in itself.

"So intelligent…!" Mato-sen shouted since he saw Haku wanting a skipping line and diagonal lines.

"Potato, did you teach Haku how to play these?"

"He got interested when Sis and I had to settle for something."

"Hahh… I can imagine you and Sis just playing around when left alone…"

"Oh, we're done!" what owner meant was about the results. He and Haku made the ladders while looking away from us, so we didn't witness immediately who actually won.

Not like I care a lot though since I already have a room with Shiro.

Haku walked towards who is the winner while intently glaring (just staring) on whoever it was.

"…

H-Huh… Me? I won?"

Yuuga got the solo room. When he thought that no one was looking he made a vigorous fist pump.

In summary, (1) Potato, Haku and Mori, (2) Jean and G, (3) Nacchi and Mato-sen, (4) Shiro and I, and (5) Yuuga are assigned to our rooms. Although, we still haven't gone to there yet.

~ ~ ~

While still hanging out in the reception area, the owner suddenly started looking around everywhere as his eyes rolled. The others did not know what was going on, but then Yuuga flinched and chuckled, making a chain of silent laughs.

"Uhhh… Did anyone see Sakato-san go elsewhere?"

"Pfft…" still, our laughs were irresistible.

It was only me who had noticed from the very start, but Gin sat just right behind the owner a few minutes ago while Haku somewhat squirms in front of him.

Potato had blended to the air again.

"Umm, owner. Our backs will surely be touching in an inch or two."

"Eeep…! Sakato-san?! I seriously didn't see you there!" he turned around vigorously with his rigid arms waving everywhere.

"Well, Haku found a catnip so I picked one for the guy and played here. I'm quite relieved that you didn't see me even moving from that spot."

"R-Relieved…?" he was confused.

"Hahahaha. It's not everyday that you see Haku looking like he's playing by himself." I joked.

Then, Shiro slowly uttered.

"Imagine a floating catnip… waving around…"

~ ~ ~

We thought that we will immediately begin with laying out the mural, but Mato-sen said that work will start tomorrow, or it is most likely that he is just procrastinating. I wouldn't mind the break after that back aching travel, though.

Not much of a time had passed when we were in the reception, but the owner had prepared a lunch for us. I have lived my life consuming rice as a staple food, but it was not just me who found it weird that we're eating a bowl of rice while using chopsticks in this country, yet the feeling was still so Northern.

I had however made a thought. The owner told earlier that he was the only one tending to food service as he sent his hired chefs to vacation. I pondered on the question of how the owner did make a variety of dishes for nine people in such a short amount of time. I at least had estimated the other dishes' duration of cooking, and they indeed need a tedious preparation. Only unless if the preparations were done in advance will the time shorten, but doing preparations for that probably took more than just effort.

My inference finally caught that the owner might actually be a chef also; unsurprisingly. Then I asked Potato if he can do it with the basis of my assumption, as I don't think I can do that even after feeling the heavy pressure of working in a restaurant. Jean overheard our unnoticed conversation and shook his head, being his response.

Shortly after, we dropped our things in our rooms while the van is being moved in. I had a shallow thought, but the rooms are mostly similar in looks for the eight tatami. Gin however started squinting in front of the door frame, as if he's most likely comparing this to the bedroom of the private home back in Kyoto, which truly had a different layout while still both being a square room.

~ ~ ~

"People, Mr. Kamichi just said that the baths are now open before we eat dinner." Mato-sen announced.

Then four guys flinched. I am very sure that they hadn't thought about it hours earlier.

A potato stuttered as it tried to explain, "W-Well… I guess the guys will go in two groups. O-Okay, let's have Yuuga, Mori, and Mato-sen go first. You're still complaining about your back also."

"…

If your back is also hurting then you should also go first."

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

"Gin's still quite fine, Mato-sen!" G exclaimed. "We'll just have to wait."

"If you say so," then the three went inside the bath.

There was an awkward silence while the four stared at each other for a while.

"Dude. You just made it sound suspicious." Nacchi uttered to G.

"I don't want some random person to see this giant scar, you know."

"I wonder how you can change clothes so fast that others don't even notice you."

"I guess that's just a quirk of mine, Nagi."

The two of us then got told that the women's bath is ready to use, so Shiro and I left without orienting the four in between their squabble.

I'll be dropping off the mic, then.

~ ~ ~

It was in an instant that they felt the warmth inside the bath as they watch the steam going up while the small splashes of water sounded to every step they made.

"I never thought that I would get to experience a hot spring bath in my life…" Nagi cried out.

"Man… it's has really been more than a year since the last time I went into one. I feel old now."

Gin had mumbled to himself in between a soak under a prerequisite douse.

"So you've already experienced hot spring back in Japan, huh, Gin?"

"My bosses picked the long stick, G. I sometimes brought Jean with me so I can have someone to talk to."

"Oi. I bet you're talking before a wall of some sort when Jean's not there." Nagi was talking about him and Ringo.

"Or sometimes one of us will whistle and one will sing. Gotta tell you, the echo sounds like you're singing while taking a shower."

"But man, you really have to tell us how you exercise. How'd you get those adequate buns of bread anyway?" Nagi groaned satirically.

"Well…"

"And look at you, G. There's no way we'll ever see another pair of exactly identical scars from two people. And you're even shaping up too!"

"It's part of my therapy when I was partially paralyzed. I just lived with doing it afterwards."

"Even Rin can now keep up with me when I'm doing a jog, Nagi."

"Woah, what a power couple."

"Oh goodness, this feels so nice." Ginji ignored the conversation shortly and placed his towel on his head, and dipped in the hot water. "I feel rejuvenated…"

"I swear I remember hearing that when I was in Kyoto. Was it me or you that said it, Jean?"

"I can't recall. Just check the chapter itself."

"The owner sure makes dinner early, huh. It's just five right now and he's already cooking.

Oh, yeah. This is a pretty nice bath." shared Jean upon soaking down.

"I'd really appreciate the early dinner, though. I have to rush at work after that."

But Nagi had doubted, "You can really cover that distance in just around a minute?"

"That is if I actually get the appropriate layout of the route. But it will be slower if I jump my way to there. It's safer being on air as long as you land properly, though."

"Now you're going to be a kangaroo person after being a spider person." Jean joked.

"If I run my way from here to Giotto's how long will it take me, Gin?"

He turned his head with vigor after hearing Ginji's question, but still responded amid the slight surprise.

"Let's see… To be honest, we can get here faster than two hours in the van if not because of speed limit. I'd say it will take you less than an hour if you run for about 100kph."

"Wait, G. You're that physical too?!" the water flew everywhere as Nagi stood up.

"I'm nowhere near Gin though… I can only jump two floors at a time."

"You're definitely a coincidence for using vertical leap as an example. So you're also weird, G." he bantered as a reply.

"I guess? I wouldn't be surprised if a raccoon started emailing me."

"Hey. Don't make those references, G. They didn't watch the movie this April." Gin chuckled upon getting the context.

"Please, don't spoil the endgame. Though, I wonder how far to that date will this chapter be released."

They all laughed in agreement, however.

A thought suddenly came to Jean's mind, as he recalled what day it is today.

"Wait, I just realized, Gin. You're eating dinner here?"

"Yeah… I said sorry to them in advance that Rin and I won't be eating at home tonight. Though we will be there in the next weeks so we won't be eating here by then."

"Ehhh… What could you be talking about?" again, being out of the loop, Nagi asked.

"Wait, have I never mentioned? My family and Rin's eat dinner together every Wednesday."

"Hmm… I don't remember…"

※ So does the author.

Nagi then followed up, "Wait, if you'll go out every Wednesday, how will you even go with Rin if you're 'walking on foot'?"

"I'll carry her, basically."

"That simply sounds dangerous!"

"You know, Nagi. I think Rin's grip strength can break someone's wrist, but not mine."

Rin sneezed in their bath.

"I wouldn't want that…" he shivered.

They took their time in the bath.

~ ~ ~

The day finally met the twilight as Gin finished preparing for work. With the lights of the inn turning on, Rin and the owner went to send him off.

"Thank you for the dinner, Owner-san. I will be back at around nine."

"Really? Isn’t your workplace quite far from here?

Wait, you're still a student, right?"

"Ahahaha. You're totally right. Well, I'll be off!" and so, he ran normally towards west.

"Take care, Potato…!"

"Akanami-san, are you sure he will be o-"

Suddenly, a strong gust of wind came and blew to them.

"…

We're on a mountain slope… and how come the wind came from below…?"

"Fufufu…"

"So he boosted out not too far."

"So that made you laugh, Akanami-san…"

"Ah…! If this is a mountain decline slope, then it would be an easy leap down!"

"Umm… Akanami-san?"

"Nevermind that, owner. I'm sure that he will be back in one piece."

"Whaaaat…?"

▪ ▪ ▪

‹Ginji›

I hear a door closing again.

Again… this dream. How many times have I dreamed of this? Nothing had changed; it's still the big gray room that I have come to several times. Just like always… the black silhouette is still sat on the same place.

How long have I been asleep? If only this dream can show what time it is already…

…y.

A voice… did I hear a voice…?

…ey.

Hey. Can you hear me, mate?

W-Who are you…? Are you B-British…?

Oh my. It's really rare to hear monologues to stutter like that.

Where? Where is that voice coming from…?

Don't stand around squirming. This place isn't some sort of a total nonsense.

‹Ginji felt something that tapped his shoulder. He turned around in panic, and saw the black silhouette standing behind him, without a face nor an expression.›

You… I thought you were stuck there just sitting…

Easy there. Calm down now or you will be severed from this dream. You've gathered this much concentration from your own cognition so don't let this go to waste.

What… exactly is happening…?

Hahh… That's what I'd like to ask you. I've been feeling that there's something lingering here from time to time, and this is the first time that it had become clear to my side.

So it was just you, Ginji, who is coming to this realm. I'm starting to have my inference, but this just seems too surprising.

My name? How did you know?

Simple. That's because I know you and you know me. I guess it won't hurt to tell you who I am. My name is ¿¿¿¿.

I didn't seem to catch what you just said just now…

I just said ¿¿¿¿.

No good… it's totally unclear.

There's nothing I can do if you can't hear my name. I'm still awake outside, so it might take 'me' some time to realize that you infiltrated this place. But I know that it will come to that end.

Anyway, why are you here, Ginji?

Why… Even if you ask me, I don't even know.

Pfft… Man, it's been so long since I heard an "I don't know". I've never really used that phrase these days.

If I were to guess, though. It may be something caused by your subconscious, don't you think so too? Is there something that you want, or you wish for? A desire, perhaps?

Desire… I can think of some.

Then if that's the case, maybe that desire is what drove you here. If you've realized what it is really, I would want to know too. That is, if you can come back.

What do you mean?

Sorry. Time's up.

(!)

What happened was extremely weird… or a bit frightening. I saw myself slowly getting pulled away from "unknown" like there was a horizontal gravity that is making me fall. On a split second, I saw where I was being pulled to. It was the door that I always hear in the beginning of this dream, but I perceived it clearly. The door had a text, saying "Reality".

Before I knew it, my eyes opened and I unconsciously got up. Indeed, I came back to reality.

I was a little relieved that I didn't wake up Jean. But I was surprised that he also sleeps early. I looked at the clocked, and it said that it is 10:45 at night.

The night became a little warmer, and so I threw my blanket on the side of the futon.

If the "unknown" was right, then something, or some kind of desire is triggering those dreams. I set aside the questions in my mind and cleared my thoughts. I immediately fell asleep.

▪ ▪ ▪

Coincidentally, Gin with Haku on his head and Mato came out of their neighboring rooms at the same time. After the former let out a yawn, he asked Mato.

"Are you sure it's really okay for us to wake up at 8 when it's a weekday, Mato?"

"Dropped the sensei, huh.

Anyway, that's not a problem if you will actually study on your own, and if we will meet the deadline.

Wait, how did you get into your work anyway?"

"Don't mind that. At least I got home safely. Are the others awake already? I didn't see Mori."

"Don't ask me. I just woke up myself."

They did not put it to mind, but their rooms are just beside a living area after opening a shōji, which is also merged to a room where a kitchen separates from the main one is seen.

They saw Jean, Yuuga and the two girls, in which Rin is reading the newspaper as they are sat on cushions around a long table.

"Oh! Gin-san, Mato-san. Good morning." the owner greeted from the kitchen, while he tends to a counter with the sleeve of his yukata up. They realized that he was making breakfast, and so they sat.

"I'm next to the newspaper, Ringo."

"You rarely find a young girl that reads newspaper, huh, Mato?" Gin sleepily uttered.

"She really inherited Mr. Akanami's weirdness." Mato had said intentionally for it to be heard.

“Ack. Number two already in the morning…” Shiro slowly made her way out of the room and went to the closest throne.

After a few minutes, they once again heard the owner's voice.

"Ahhh. Finally awake, Yuzu. Help me out, won't you," the owner raised his voice, although to what seems to be nowhere.

"Nii-san… I'm a guest, you know?"

As if a spark of electricity ran through Gin's head, he immediately turned his gaze to the kitchen.

"R-Rin… Rin…"

"Hmm? What is it?"

"We lost…"

"Huh-

EEEEHHHHHH?!?!?!"

The two saw, walking through the paper door is the caretaker of the private house back in Kyoto—Yuzuri Kamichi. However, they also saw another familiar face slowly walking behind Yuzuri, also wearing a yukata.

Upon seeing the two women enter the living area, Mato nudged closely to Gin and whispered:

"Hey, isn't that woman kinda looks like-"

*whack*

Rin had intended to slap Mato's glasses, but instead hit his forehead with her palm. It was a clean hit that it sounded throughout the space, and knocked him out.

"W-Woah… Why did you do that, Ringo?" Yuuga asked as he crawled back.

Jean suddenly screamed incompletely.

"Ahhh- Aaaah! Ahhh!"

"Yuzuri-san…! Mitsumi-san…!" Rin had put Jean's utterance to words.

"Ahhh…! Aaahhh!" this time, it was Ichika that lost her speech while pointing at them. "Paisen! We're in Kyoto again…!"

"No, we're not, Ichika! They're the real deal!"

"What, Yuzu? Do you actually know them?"

"So you're really siblings…!" Gin, Rin, and Jean shouted in unison.

~ ~ ~

Yuzuri eventually helped out on the kitchen while Ichika came to sat on their table. It was hard to unsee the unconscious man, and so he poked Mato several times.

"I'm pretty sure that's not how grown-ups act…" thought Rin.

"So? Who's this person?" Ichika pointed at the unconscious man.

"You can tell who if you look closely, Mitsumi-san."

Yuuga closed his eyes in confusion and asked, "Uhh… What is actually up, Gin?"

Rin then flinched, and on her knees she prepared her slapping palm.

"N-N-No, don't, Rin…! Yuuga doesn't know anything!"

"Ah! That's right!" Rin palm fist tapped. "Sorry about that."

“Goodness… I don’t even know what will happen if I got hit…”

“Uwaahhh-! It’s actually Mato-sen…! I owe you one, Gin-kun!” she then put her hands together.

An idea came to Ichika’s mind and asked Gin to come close to whisper something?

“I know that you have a lot of questions, Gin-kun. Should we speak in Japanese?”

“Ahhh… About that. That guy, I mean, Yuuga knows how to speak the northern language so we have no choice…”

“Ugh… That’s too bad. I guess I’ll have to omit a lot.”

…

The owner—Kyohei served tea with confusion as he first saw them sitting in crossed legs, and now they are sitting in seiza. But he thought that it was not the thing he should be concerned about. Mato was still unconscious, but Gin told him to ignore him.

And so, the discussions began while Yuuga’s presence is still in mind.

“I suppose… you and Yuzuri-san are here for work. But… with how things are, aren’t you two just slacking off?”

Ichika then stared blankly.

“Pfft… Ahahahaha…! It really looks like that, huh! You’re right, you’re right, Gin-kun. We came to this inn three days ago right after we got off the plane. We were given a month of leave and that’s why we ended up here.”

“Don’t tell me that this is a paid leave?”

“Correct! We’re given this leave to study and understand the culture of Orio since our team performed a bit meh two years ago.”

“Ichika-san, you’re too loud!” Kyohei’s faint voice sounded.”

“Ahhh…”

“So field work is actually difficult without proper training, huh.”

“Well, it got tough because even we experienced culture shock.”

“Really, Mitsumi-san? When we were in Kyoto, Potato just experienced getting homesick.”

“It’s a given that you two are otaku, Ringo-chan.”

“You said a month… does that mean you will be returning to field (in Blue Ink) by August?”

“That’s right. Though, Paisen will be doing a bit of office work for the most part. I’ve heard from her that she will also apply in Giotto’s South for the rest of this term if she gets admitted.”

It was however not that long when Gin caught on.

“Yuzuri-san…?! Do you actually do your work?!” he shouted from his seat.

“Ahahaha. I thought you would say that.”

“That’s that, but it will really be a problem for Ryou-kun, don’t you think?”

“Yeah… that will suck for Yugare-san.

Oh, by the way. Congratulations to you and Kaizo, although very late.”

“Awww… You flatter me.”

“I was happy when I got the news, but it got bitter immediately. A few minutes later someone actually confessed to me, and I rejected her… so I quickly got dejected.”

“Wait, someone confessed to you, Gin?”

Yuuga, who had been trying not to listen to the conversation that he can’t relate to was not able to resist to ask the question that sounded retorting.

“That’s also the first time I’m hearing that, Gin!” Jean followed.

“Let’s leave it without saying who. I was kinda depressed when that happened, you know. I was so happy about Kaizo, but then it was painful to reject someone who put her effort to profess her feelings.”

“Timings really are harsh, huh. But still, we have no choice to move forward even if hurts us or others a lot. Perhaps, you became a little careless and didn’t put it into consideration. But then again, no matter how painful it is, I believe that you still grasped in a very little light of hope.”

“…

Mitsumi-san… So you can talk maturely.” Gin retorted.

“Hah?! Who do you think you’re talking to, punk? I wouldn’t be in my current job if I can’t be serious!”

“Ahh. She’s back to her usual speech already.”

“Well, I think we’ll be taking our breakfast on a separate room for the sake of the situation. I’ll be bugging those siblings, then!”

“Okay. Be sure not to get hit.”

~ ~ ~

The others eventually went to the living area as Kyohei began serving up the dishes he made together with her younger sister, and he was delighted that his guests are enjoying their food.

After that uplifting breakfast, they immediately went to the site where they will be commencing the creation of the long mural.

In front of the wall, they began a meeting under the shade of the tree.

“I intended this day to just scout the entire area where we will be doing, but I think we can still remain here for a bit and make a rough layout. Just to remind, the client didn’t ask for a mood board, but he wants the murals to be something viewed by the travelers using this road.

Any suggestions.”

“I have one.” Nagi responded while still surviving the heat. “Let’s try to split the wall in half in which we’ll use the top 1.5m to the direction uphill, and the other half for those going downhill.”

“That’s nice. What I’m also planning is designating every three meters to one person including me so it won’t be too tedious. The only problem is that if we can actually connect every template we’ll individually make.”

“It’s all about communication, Mato-sen. Even if there’s a problem, we can always fix it somehow.” Jean optimistically said.

After a glance on the sky, I asked, “What about if it rains? How are we going to cover the walls?”

“We have a lot of tarps and besides, I don’t think it will be a problem if the paint completely dries out.

…

I think there’s nothing more to discuss, we have a lot of chalk so we can start by doing a rough sketch already.”

Mato signaled the start by clapping twice and he grabbed a handful of chalk for himself.

“Be careful if you’re using the ladder.”

Gin had stayed silent for a while as he sketch on a part of the wall with a somewhat bitter face. From time to time, he shifts his gaze towards Ginji with a hint of worry.

“If ever he does something, please go easy on him, Kuro,” he whispered.

Thanks for the concern, but I am sure that you know that we can’t do that.

▪ ▪ ▪

‹Ginji›

Now it seems like you didn’t come here at random, Ginji. Have you realized something already?

Yes. These last two nights, you’re deliberately showing me visions of someone… And then I finally got it. I don’t know how it happened, but you are actually Gin.

That is correct. You have entered Gin’s mind through dreams. You have entered my mind, and I am the mind.

But I have to say. Your mind is still vulnerable for unconsciously leaking out your thoughts and memories. Aside from losing my emotions, I also have learned how to conceal my own thoughts, and I didn’t know that it would come this point where I will use it like this.

But anyway, my physical self left a question for you: “What do you plan to do now?”

…

Please, Gin… If it is possible, please let me see what made you to be what you are now. I want to know how it feels to experience the pain you have. I may just be a coincidental existence, but it is unfair. I have a fragment of Gin, but it is not fair that I can’t relate to him. Whatever it is… Whatever torment you bring to me… I will accept them.

That resolve… is just like mine. You’ve come this far, and I know that you will regret doing this. You will despair more than you can imagine. I hope that you are ready to feel a near endless pain.

I will not turn back.

Very well. My name is Kuro. Let’s get along well, Ginji.

▪ ▪ ▪

June 24.

It was already late in the morning, in which Mato had to ask since all of the members are already in the living area except for one.

“Hey, Jean. Is G still not awake?”

“Hmm… I don’t think so. He’s still sleeping when I woke up.”

“I see… So it has come to this point.”

“What now, Gin?”

“It will be hard to explain… but please let Rin and I to be out on work for a while…”

Nagi frowned, “Dude. Your voice is getting raspy.”

“Yeah… right? Sorry to tell you… but I’m actually beginning to burn up right now…”

Rin then hurriedly went beside Gin and touched his neck, which she vigorously released.

“Gin… This fever isn’t at random, right…?”

“Yeah…” Gin started whispering, “G… he asked to let him see my memories…”

“W-What…?”