I wasn't even under the influence of the alcohol, but it still felt like I sobered up all of a sudden.

"Nah, I'm just kidding. You're suspended."

"Like that makes it any better…?

W-Why though…?"

"Well, do you even remember how you were before I kicked you out of the kitchen?"

"I honestly don't."

"There it is. If I'm going to be honest, the suspension only warrants about two weeks’ worth, but Sean and I came to a decision to do quite a jump and make it six months."

I don't even know what I was supposed to say at that point. I was already shaken enough from being told that I am going to be fired (not really), and it doesn't help that I'm still going to be gone for half a year.

"Don't take this the wrong way, though, and we also feel bad about this since it's unpaid, but we already transferred this month's salary to you, but well, I added a bit of a bonus, though. We'll be a bit understaffed, sure, but we'll pull through while we wait for you.

The reason is we just want you to take a break, and well, that gives you time to take care of Ringo, no?"

"Huh, now that I think about it…"

I shouldn't be, but it made me felt very relieved even amidst losing my job.

"We almost lost Ringo, and then you too. So use this time to spend time with her while she's recovering. Outside work, we're never going to dictate what you want to do. If you wish to get another job, go for it; and you can even continue it even after going back here.

But my advice as a brother to you is weigh your priorities. Even before becoming an Exile, you're already an unconventional person that doesn't go with the flow of what society thinks you should do."

"Just so we're getting this out of the way…" Sis added. "You're still intent on planning to marry my sister at some point, right?"

"Yes," I immediately answered.

"I guess try to use your off time to think and reflect on what you really want to set yourself into.

…And I never knew you could be such an open book too… What's with the excited look on your face?"

"…Huh? R-Really?"

"Yeah. You're out of job and it looks like you're looking forward to it!"

"Just goes to show she really loves your sister, Yu. Hahaha."

(!)

Suddenly, my heart raced.

"If that's everything, I'll go on ahead and sleep in the base. See you tomorrow."

After a big stretch, Sean left for the underground base on his car while I got dropped off by Sis home. The couple only greeted and briefly left, while I got back with Aunt Sumi just finishing on dinner. It was somewhat late and I had assumed they would have finished eating at that point, but thinking about it, I still had plenty more room for another meal.

…

"Do we have seconds?"

The three of us fell to quite a shock.

Normally, I would be the one asking that question, so it isn't everyday that Rin asks for seconds and then more. Since returning home, she's been gradually taking larger portions for herself, and we've even noticed that she eats more than she does before she got ill. I was quite active with Aunt Sumi on meal planning so we made sure to make a bit more food while I also have a big appetite.

That said, it seems that Auntie got quite worried as there was nothing left for dinner.

But Giotto's came in clutch.

"Oh, I actually brought leftover yakiniku from the party at the resto. Do you have room for meat, Rin?"

"S-Sorry…"

"I'll toss it on garlic and soy sauce then… Auntie, do we still have fresh lettuce?"

"We have."

Making my way to the kitchen isle, I exchanged looks with Aunt Sumi, and we couldn't help but chuckle seeing how livelier Rin is becoming. After eating the beef with her and finally having her fill, I carried her to the couch to wind down and watch the shows we missed, as we had always done almost every night.

With her parents still around for the night, I took the opportunity to announce that I am going to be jobless starting tomorrow. As expected, it caused them a bit of worry, but I explained that it would not mean I would be on zero income for six months. If anything, I can still do client work in TAC, and it does not require me to do onsite work so I can have the time to be at home.

It has just been a few hours since my employers' decision, so I couldn't really make a decision yet if I would take another job. I am going to be forever thankful to Blue Ink and Tenth for making a system that enables their alums to be job-ready upon graduation. Sure, it would be very nice to have some additional educational attainment in my resume, but that is precisely the reason why I built up my skill set to make up for it.

Over the years, the country has been having a progressive revolution and the economy is getting better at a rapid pace. That being said, they can't take away the still concealed fact that many lives were taken during the few winters of this country.

"Maybe I should open an independent illustrator Witter profile too…"

The truth is: I am still actually relying on TAC's SNS accounts to get clients, while the others, especially Nagi and Shiro have their own accounts for their film and photography work respectively. Our usual clients are found locally, from western countries, and other English-speaking places.

I have always had at the back of my mind the thought of penetrating into the Japanese illustrating side. I only have a personal Witter account where I follow vtubers, and it's also my primary way of finding illustrators and following the artists that I've looked up to way back. And really, the vtubing community had opened so many incredible opportunities for artists, and I can talk in Japanese.

It was such a clear image in my head, but the reality is that it's going to be extremely hard to gain traction. I suppose it's a mix of skill, luck, and crossing your fingers that the algorithm is not going to screw you over. And that is why I've never really considered it seriously until now. But all that being said, while I can utilize a lot styles that I've learned from Blue Ink, my usual work in TAC mainly involves the Japanese style of approach so I could use it as leverage… if only it's not a personal issue of my anxiety about my personal life somehow getting in to the internet, just like how I already left my trace as Giotto's sous chef in YouCube.

Even though I think I have a grasp of what I should be prepared and cautious about, time will come where it'll slap me in the face and tell that it wasn't enough; and the time is now.

Such is life.

"You didn't get drunk, Gin?"

"Did it smell…?"

"I don't think I've ever been anyway."

"That makes sense."

"Ah, can you show me your leg?"

"What are you going to do with it, you pervert?" she retorted with a cheeky smile.

"Hahh… It's great that you're able to joke like that again."

She was in fact not serious with her question and lifted a little bit of her dress to reveal her left leg which at that point might already be close to becoming equal to her other leg. That said, while she has gained a lot of her mass back from head to toe, it's still not to the point where she is already back to her past healthy physique.

If there something to compare it to…

"This reminds me of how scrawny I am in my second year in junior high."

"You're telling me… You were this much of a stick back then…?"

That kinda hurt.

"I was never really one to have a big appetite, and I had a hard time gaining weight so I was very much underweight that time. Now that I think about it… I was only at 42 kilograms.

Ah, does that mean you can undergo PT now?"

"Hmm, maybe? I can move quite well now, but I still can't put my weight on my legs."

"That's great. Let's confirm it in your next checkup."

It looked like she was about to respond, but it felt like she fell to a daze in which she immediately snapped out of and uttered a somewhat bashful "Okay" that lasted even after her reply. I didn't press further if whether she had a concern or not thinking that it might make her uncomfortable, so I just stayed silent and waited.

"…

Say…"

"Hm?"

Not long after, she poked my hand with her finger which naturally made me turn towards her.

The warm lights offset yet still shined over her loosely tied white hair, and beneath her long fringes showed a glimpsed of her flushed cheeks coupled with a look of embarrassment coming from her brown eyes.

"…"

Goodness me, I really, really love her.

"D-Did I look like I was a glutton to you earlier…?"

"Pfft…"

"I knew you'd laugh!"

"Ahaha… but not really. I was a bit surprised, but that's about it. You didn't use to eat that much, no?"

"Y-Yeah… it's weird that I feel like I could eat a lot more after the disease was out my system. Ever since I got the cure, I still feel weak, of course, but at the same time… energetic? It's hard to explain…"

"…

You said after you got the cure?"

"Mhm."

"Huh… Maybe, just maybe… The virus in me could have an influence in my body that is also the same for you?

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Sure, Dr. Snetr sort of proved already that it has regenerative functions to some extent. My body right now also doesn't get tired quite easily, and you know how much I could eat if I'm not reined.

I'm not sure if I'm making any sense or if it's even related… Honestly, it could also just be a coincidence."

"Hmm, maybe," as though satisfied with my conjecture, she leaned sideways enough that her shoulders would be next to mine.

With that, I then held her head towards mine where our white and silver hair would touch.

"We don't really have any basis about it, but just remember that I love the funny sides of you.

Monkeys together strong- Ow, ow, ow, ow…!"

I deserved that pinch on my hand.

"Are you up for another episode, Gin?"

"Yup. Just tell me if you're getting sleepy though. I'll take a shower when you're going to rest for the night.

"'Kay."

▪ ▪ ▪

"Hmm…"

Immediately the next day, I had to check the balance of my bank account and…

I have around 401,000 Laxes on me.

To put that into perspective, I was talking about how Orio's economy has gotten better over the years, and just recently, it has been announced to the public that in the first time in history, a patient has survived BEF-1. Of course, as per our request, Rin's identity was not disclosed to the public. And if it somehow leaked, there will most likely going to be a court hearing about that. It happened that Tenth knows a lot of good lawyers too.

Tangents aside, there is a sudden investment to the medical research upon discovering that the cure originated here, and other countries have taken interest to the virus that defeated BEF-1. For that reason, Dr. Snetr informed me of his proposal to dilute the cure more before going public. He of course knew of my circumstances and he understood that the pure virus inside me, once gone to wrong hands would be a global problem.

Oh, for crying out loud… another tangent… Anyway, what I am going with is that Lax, our countries currency has appreciated in value. If we're going to talk about exchange rates, a US dollar would equate to 36 Laxes which was previously around 47 almost a decade ago. Local prices have inflated, but for the most part, I think I would be able live well enough in six months in the event that I will only rely on freelance work with proper budgeting. But with an expected decrease on my annual income, the law states that at a certain amount of gross income would not be subject to income tax. In reality, our illustration work still does not pay that much.

And also, the Ardor and Giotto's reservation really gave me a punch to the gut…

Taking a bit of a break from my finances, I then went to the mall to get myself a new phone. I am the type of person who would extensively research before I purchase, so I didn't give the salespeople time to chime in and left the store in five minutes minus 4,600 Laxes in my pocket. Even now, I would still value an impressive battery life over faster performance, and I save a whole lot. My shattered phone is still working perfectly fine, but it wouldn't hurt to get a backup once it decides to kick the bucket.

Coming back home after stressing myself out, I found Rin drawing on the dining table, so I sat beside her to setup the slab I bought after washing my hands.

"You haven't lost your edge, I see."

"I'm glad too. I'm feeling fine enough that I could probably go back to posting in our TAC account. We announced that we're both in our hiatus so it would be nice to give them an update.

Maybe I'll make a set of story doodles to put our followers up to speed. I won't tell them too much, of course.

Oh? So you bought one with a hole-punch cutout."

"Yeah. This is way better than a notch. The under-screen camera tech is still not up to par. I'll probably wait a few years for that, or maybe never."

Backups are so convenient. On my old phones, it used to take me hours to set up especially since I factory reset from time to time. Now I just sign in my account and my apps would automatically install. And so I saw my Witter app pop up on my home screen.

I took a pause when I launched the app, and before my thumb pressed on the "sign up" button, I stood up to grab my laptop and returned. I'm not used to signing up new accounts on phones, and I simply find it convenient to register on larger screens as I am susceptible to make mistakes when filling forms on my phone.

I got to Witter's sign up page… and I didn't even think about a username to make. Goodness, I can't simply throw my name just like that. In TAC, we all go by usernames, and not a lot knows that we were students of Blue Ink apart from those that visited us in our first and last Open Event as students. The problem is that 9/10 times, I'm going to make a lame name…

"Rin…"

"Name an animal. Doesn't matter what it is."

She then paused as she thought about it. However, she did not give me a reply and only turned to a blank page on her sketchbook.

She seemed to have thought of something so I left her on her own and continued on setting up this electronic brick. But minutes after, Rin tugged on my sleeve and put her sketchbook just in front of the lower half of her face.

"Cute…"

Wait, no. Yeah, Rin's really cute, but the drawing she showed me is too. Without a second thought, I opened my camera app and took a photo of a capybara she drew with graphite.

"Thanks. Can I use this as a profile picture?"

"For what?"

"You see…"

It was not much of an explanation, but Rin was quick on the uptake. Listening for a few minutes about my reasoning, she did not seem to be bothered by it.

"If things work out, wouldn't that be nice? Are you also going to open Skheb?"

"Well, I'm not really in Japan so I don't know how that's going to work. I guess I'll be bilingual but I'll probably most likely use Japanese and hope that's going to establish myself."

"Then I hope you liked that sketch I did."

"Haha, thanks so much."

With that, I created an account under the name "Capy" or カピー to be specific with the tag @capy_nina. In the end, I gave up on the name and just added the numbers two and seven which can be roughly translated to "nina".

"You know, Gin…"

"Hmm?"

"Doesn't that account give a bit of a feminine impression?"

"Ohh… You think it's cute?"

"Hm. Maybe that's the better word rather than feminine. To be fair, you have a deep voice and you're quite tall but also chill, so there's the gap."

"…Now I feel a bit more confident on the name I picked."

"You're cute anyway."

"Yes, yes. You're cuter," in retaliation to her teasing, I leaned towards her and rubbed my cheek on her hair.

I am so glad that things are slowly going back to the way they were.

"Maybe you should become a vtuber."

"No, no, no, no, no," I refused the idea immediately.

"Your model will be a capybara."

"Hmm."

▪ ▪ ▪

As we expected, Dr. Snetr remains flabbergasted with the speed of Rin's recovery. Well, I am too. Overall her body definitely has gotten back to a state where she would be declared in healthy form once she has sorted out her weight loss and getting back the ability to walk again. On the other hand, her hair still had no signs if it would grow back to black, so I began preparing in my head the situation if she ever becomes the same as Kuroko. It's not that I did not like how she looks now; and if anything, I like it either way. It's probably a bias on my end, but I won't let others superficially judge her.

The nurses then accompanied her to record her weight, and returned to request for a clearance to have her physical therapy started. The doctor gave us the go signal and asked if she would want to get started immediately.

In the end, the decision will still come from Rin whether she is already prepared for it or not, but after an eye to eye, she was resolved to begin right away. We were then led to the office of a physical therapist, and to no surprise, her name really had circulated around the hospital inevitably as the staff had to know about her condition.

From here on, the biggest challenge for Rin is if her body is going to adapt to drastic changes at a proper pace. Her lower body was pretty much unusable, with the bacteria effectively disabling any movement from there. As much as I want to joke that her legs are literally jelly now, I want first and foremost to cheer her on because I would guess that this would not be an easy undertaking.

After some double checking, we went to the hospital's facility where she would stand with her hands supporting herself on two railings.

Unsurprisingly, she felt very hesitant at first as her brain has been rewired to not use her legs at all, so to speak. The sudden changes crept up to her entire body and her arms trembled even before lifting herself from the wheelchair. But after a few deep breaths with eyes moistened, she took off with the help of the PT's encouragement.

I wanted to help, but instead I relied on the therapist completely as I was far from knowledgeable in this study. It pains me somewhat to step back and only watch over in case she falls as she was not doing well on her first attempt, as to be expected.

She was given a few minute intervals of rest after every attempt so as to not overexert her in her rehabilitation. It was clear on her expressions the frustrations she was going through, as even making a step is huge endeavor.

"How much can you actually feel your legs, Rin?" I asked upon handing a bottle of water to her.

"I can move them well enough now…" as she demonstrated, "…but the only problem is putting weight to it."

"You don't have to rush, okay? Try to get comfortable with standing first and spread the weight from your toes to the heel. Let me guess, what's hard is when you lift your foot, right?"

"Yeah."

"You remember the concept of grasping the earth, right? I was consciously thinking about it, and it felt like I was learning how to walk again because it had a different sensation. I felt it first when I was able to do my first Step."

"I guess you can do it now like it's nothing, then."

"Nope, nope. Absolutely not. I still fall back to the normal walking method most of the time. I can only do it when running because it sets me up I can't when walking. It's like stepping on the gas pedal really hard every step. It's hard trying not to launch yourself every time because you have to release the energy in an instant.

In your case, you'll have to relearn how to keep the weight constantly. I'm going to ask the therapist for permission once they're back if we can also do rehab at home and I'll ask for advice. Maybe I can help you with some standing prac-"

Not even letting me finish, my phone suddenly vibrated from my pocket, and so I answered the call. It was rather short, but was enough to give me a tinge of concern. Nevertheless, I felt confident that it was nothing serious.

"Uh, Rin? Sorry but can I step out for a bit while you're in therapy?"

"Did something happen?"

"Seems like I have something to sort out in the bank. It probably won't take long."

"I'll be fine, you worry too much. Today's session is short anyway."

"If I'm away for an hour just give me a ping.

…"

To be very honest, I am still very anxious about the thought of leaving Rin alone even for a while. Man, the bank is just a five-minute walk from the hospital!

A side of mine tells that she's well enough that nothing bad is going to happen, and then the other is whispering me the "what if's", even if they simply rooted from my emotions and are baseless.

Well, since that time with Horach, I still haven't seen Kuro at all.

Nonetheless, I looked around inside and outside the facility if there was anyone passing by. Confirming that it was only each of our presence in the vicinity, I bent down and my lips tapped on Rin's cheek.

"Alright, I'm going now."

"Yup, take care."

The first day of Rin's rehabilitation ended without much of a progress. The physical therapist gave her words of encouragement, and that it was something completely normal. That being said, Rin's want to be able to walk once again added up to her frustrations. She knew full well that her family and Gin's help are out of their own will, but the simple act of moving around is a burden to her and gave her a piling feeling of guilt.

Brushing away the negative feelings within her, she decided to explore the hospital and greet the nurses that took care of her while Gin is still on his errand.

"Now that I think about it, I'm usually the one initiating a kiss but he did out of nowhere. Something you don't see everyday, but how nice of him."

With a grin, she stumbled upon the hospital's communal area and glanced on a few tables where children are sat and they were being watched by a woman rather than a nurse.

"Um, excuse me, are they from the orphanage?"

"…A-Ah, yes we are. I'm their guardian."

As Rin expected to happen, the woman's eyes widened on the presence of her white hair paired with her young appearance. She however ignored the reaction and continued with the conversation.

"I was actually a patient here until a while ago. I briefly met a boy named Ell before I was discharged.

I heard… that most of them are in need of mental aid."

"Yes… The building's collapse was extremely sudden. Some of them still goes into shock whenever it was mentioned, so we avoid it as much as possible."

"I see… What are they doing?"

"Oh… we always do drawings twice a week back in the orphanage and the hospital let us do it here to divert them from the incident."

"I actually, um, studied art in Blue Ink. Perhaps I could help around for a bit?"

"A-Are you sure?"

"Despite how I look now, I'm doing well enough. Maybe I could draw a little for the kids!"

"If you say so… thank you very much."

Rin was then firstly introduced to the children while somewhat feeling nervous. Most of them would not understand if she were to explain her creative background, and so she picked up a piece of paper and compromised drawing with a crayon, which she had not held in a few years.

In the end, the children still cheered in awe upon seeing a realistic drawing of an apple. With that, the first hurdle of getting their interest has been cleared.

After explaining the concept of light and shadow in an understandable way, she approached who seems to be the eldest orphan.

"Hello, are you also drawing?"

"Um, yes."

The young man then shyly lifted his paper for Rin to see as she asked them to try drawing what she demonstrated to them.

"Oooohhh. You have good pencil control. The shadows are blended nicely and… wait, you can already do bounce light…!"

"Ah… ever since I was allowed to browse the internet I've been watching videos on YouCube about drawing. I know them by theory… but it's hard when you're already the one doing it."

"Hmm, how old are you?"

"I'm 16. I've been helping out in the orphanage once I was able to so I didn't go to school."

"You can draw well enough, though. I'd say you'll get to a point where drawing would be just muscle memory for you in a few years. If you're really interested, keep at it!"

"Th-Thank you…"

"Anything you want to learn, though?"

"I'm… saving up for charcoal tools."

"That's going to be a bit different from graphite. I'm guessing you haven't held one, so it's way softer than a normal pencil. You'll have to have better when blending from light to dark.

Heard of chiaroscuro?"

"Y-Yes!"

"That's great. Maybe you could try a higher contrast first before moving to…"

After 35 minutes upon leaving, Gin was able to return to the hospital in hurry. Knowing that the session would have ended, he stopped by the PT's office and looked around the ground floor of the hospital until he heard a bit of noise, to which he followed.

"Ah, my guardian is back. I'm sorry to cut it short, but I will have to leave now, Miss."

"Thank you very much for all the help, Ms. Ringo."

Subsequently, the children thanked Rin in unison, while the eldest at the back bowed at with a smile. She then waved them goodbye while being pushed by Gin.

"Ahhh, that took the edge away from me…"

"Were you drawing?"

"Yup. I decided to help out while waiting.

I completely forgot that I was feeling really down earlier, so that's good!"

"Good for you. I'll help you out when at home and if we need space, we can just do it in my house. I can help you with putting your weight on your foot without falling down. Think of me as a glorified railing."

"I can't believe I'm dating a railing."

"The best of them all, remember that.

What do you want for lunch?"

"Dumplings."

"I guess I'll make a soup if we have excess ground pork for dinner."

"Tell me honestly, Mom made you buy more groceries than she usually does, didn't she?"

"Oh no, you got us."