Chapter 68: Chapter 63: A Wall Between Us
"Miss, Miss? Are you okay?" A man with an unusual appearance asked her as she tried to open her eyes. The man was probably older than her because he looked matured- and his hair was somehow unique because it had silver in it.
"Who are you? Where am I?" She asked him and tried to sit down. It appeared that the man was trying to wake her up because she collapsed on the ground- and as she sat, her head hurt more she nearly fainted.
"You should take it slowly" the man told her and helped her sit down.
"Why am I on the beach? Who are you?" She asked and settled on the sand but she can't help noticing his eyes.
"My name's Yvan. Sorry for the late introduction. You are?" the guy with the silver-highlighted hair smiled. For some reasons, she felt like she had already seen him somewhere before, but she wasn't so sure because she wasn't feeling well at the time.
"I am Hope." She said and pondered places where she could have possibly seen the man. "What happened to me?"
Yvan wanted to tell her about Light- he can remember him the same way he remembered Twinquel- however, he knew that he should not tell her anything at all because that was his will, his last wish- and he came to the beach where he told him she'd be after he's gone. "I don't know, really. I found you unconscious here and I rushed. I tried to wake you up but you were too worn out to even respond to me and because I figured that I won't be able to bring you to the nearest hospital without having anyone to prosecute me and point at me as the bad guy, I decided to keep you company until this clock stops ticking."
He showed her a black, dull necklace and opened it, revealing a clock inside it that looked like a small compass- but it was as if that her instincts told her to stay from the thing. She was frightened and shocked to see something hideous like that.
"Oh, sorry. I'll hide it for you. Can you walk now?" he asked her as she tucked the necklace inside his shirt. She seemed relieved with the necklace's absence.
"I can walk now. Thank you." Yvan stood up and offered his hand to her.
"Lemme help you with that." He smiled at her and she took the hand and stood up. "There is a tiny clinic at the end of this town. I'll lead you there."
Yvan studied her as they walked side by side. Despite having finished the mission, cuts were still printed on her wrists and that made him realize that she had been cutting herself while Light was still with her.
"We are near the clinic now." He said and she smiled at him in return. He saw himself in her position when he lost Twinquel and the sight of her fake smile built up anger inside him because he knew how that felt. He was standing in her shoe years ago and he wants her to overcome it like he did.
"Thank you, Yvan." She said and took her bag from Yvan who had it with him. "You saved me. I'm grateful that you were the one who came and rescued me."
"I did not rescue you. Don't get the wrong idea. Somebody else did. You should be grateful to that person- not to me." Yvan said and left her. She wondered why the guy was weird, but she just went inside the clinic because he seemed to be gone now.
"O- Hope? Why are you here?" Nathan asked and prepared her a seat.
"This clinic was yours after all." Hope said and smiled at him. "I was found unconscious by some guy at the shore near here and he led me to this clinic. Say, Nathan. Have I been in this clinic before?"
"Yeah, you did when you brought a kid named Michael here." Nathan said and sat on the desk in front of her. "You look really worn out today."
"Oh yeah, that kid. How do I even know him?" She chuckled at herself as a man who looked like the older version of Nathan showed up at their reception.
"Oh, Hope Joy?" he asked her in a kind manner as Nathan blushed and gave his seat away for him. "I am his father and I own this place. My name's Dave. He told me many things about you."
"What-" she glanced at Nathan who hid himself at the corner of the room, only revealing his back from them. "N-ice to meet you sir."
"No need to be overly formal since you are my kid's friend. What happened to you?"
"I was found unconscious at the beach and I don't remember why I went there" she told him and she looked down on herself.
"Were you stressed or what? Do you have mental issues?" he asked her and jot down things.
"I don't know, but I seem to have been cutting myself." She said and showed him her cuts.
"You don't remember where you got this?" he asked and looked at her cuts.
"The memory is blurry but I think I can remember that I did cut myself."
"I'm not an expert in psychology so I'd refer you to someone who practices it the best" he handed her a paper which contained a name and an address.
"Dr. Tristan? Thank you for this sir. I have to go now though. My grandma might be searching for me now. How much should I p-"
"Nathan, man up and accompany her" he told Nathan who flinched at the sound of his name. However, he did not hesitate to come with her.
"Did I forget something?" Joy asked him the moment he came close to her. "I feel like I left something on your clinic."
"Yeah you did forget something. You forgot your bag." He laughed as she tried to take it from him, but he did not let go. "I'm happy that you are fine."
"Thank you Nathan." She smiled and continued walking. "For some reasons, the road does not look the same."
"What? You must be stressed- and now you are imagining things. Want me to accompany you on the doctor?" Nathan smiled at her and she looked at him with twinkling eyes.
"Really? Thank you!" she said and smiled widely at him that it took his breath away.
'you are so near, but why do I feel a large wall between us?' Nathan thought and went silent as they reached her house.
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