Chapter 4: C3: ReVe: House of the Rising Sun
"That scoundrel stole music from the internet and claimed it as his own work. If only I could sue him." As she clenched her teeth and slumped defeatedly in her armchair, the young man beside her gently combed her long hair, which had never been cut by anyone else. The weight of frustration settled heavily on her shoulders as she clenched her teeth and slumped defeatedly in her armchair, and the air was tinged with a palpable sense of disappointment. The young man who sat next to her provided a glimmer of comfort amidst the whirlwind of feelings that raced inside her. His fingers stroked the strands of her hair with loving care as if he were constructing a complex tapestry of solace and support
"It'll be fine." The door clicked open as Diaz went in and placed papers on top of his table. "I have some good news and bad news for you today."
"Ah, bad news first, so we'll walk out with good news."
"There will be a competition outside the university, but we only have limited slots. The principal expects you to do your best for him to judge your artwork."
"Dal Cielo can handle it, though, as always," nags one of them, looking at her sleeping figure and her long hair."
"Even that damn Alessio. That guy almost had it all."
"Yeah, I can't believe that he's also good at music too."
"Hey, don't say that! You also have a chance to get in."
"Nah. We already know about it. We're literally just here to coexist with the main character." This terminology has been common ever since people have been exposed to people who brought up the idea from fanfiction as if to express that the universe favors them all the time. This term wasn't known to Diaz, though he often saw it on the internet when he was scrolling through videos.
These kids these days… Something a "common" guy who thinks… I shouldn't be thinking this sh-t.
"Club ReVe. Give me your best artwork. I'll give you additional points for your grades." To that, at least he averted the conversation as the people who were in ReVe began rushing to find their previous artworks, and his day continued like normal. He rushed to the faculty, but this time a little talk was done to collect some donations or something to give to Alessio. It is a natural tradition to give something to someone with illness in the Philippines, especially in cases of burned-down houses and worst-case cases like this. With all of this fuzz, Alessio should recover easily, right?
"You... are you an angel?" Hazel eyes gazed at the glowing figure under the rays of the sun in the hospital room. Some sights to see when you think your death is near.
"If I were an angel, I would have scared you with my face and huge eyes spinning around me. You would have fainted to death." He brushed his gray hair and brushed it towards the nape of his neck. "Look at you" as the "angel" tosses the patient's feather-soft jet-black hair and lets his fingers walk towards his empty left hand that was filled with gauze. "You've been working too hard fighting your fate. Nothing will change though. It's something predetermined." His fingers carefully adjust the dripper as the IV gradually empties out and Alessio's blood rises to the tubes a little. He pushed his hands down to his bed.
"Feeling dizzy? Sleep tight, Alessio. You'll never take your hands over the upcoming things now." A large pair of hands covered the young artist's eyes and brushed them close so that he was able to fall asleep.
"I'm giving flowers to this sick guy." Rafael breathed down behind his neck as his fingers crawled down to his fingers as he slipped the man's hand off Alessio. "Such concern for your subordinate!" Rafael pulled back, placing the flowers in the vase beside the patient's bed, and then sat in the visitor's chair just across the bed from the patient.
"Your indie film, it seems that it's not selling, and for your art rep, you still keep pushing this guy to be your representative. What are you planning to do with this guy?" without any glance, he sensed the steps of his shoes. "Have you given him the invite yet?"
"I didn't give him any invite but I have" Toshio looked on a square envelope, underneath a yellow carnation.
To: Alessio
From: Maria
A love confession. Toshio thought as he threw the envelope to the trash and placed the carnation in the middle of the boquet of flowers he brought in.
"So, bout the competition, do you have more information about it?"
"It'll be announced on TV and online, I guess. It's surprisingly easy to disseminate now with those short videos online. Maybe use some new phones, not the block phone or even a pager you are used to, to get updated. You're acting like an alien who came from the stars."
"Aren't we all from the stars?" Toshio, the man with gray hair, laughed. "An intriguing thought, no? We're merely specks of dust." Through the window, Rafael and Toshio caught glimpses of these floral showers unfolding outside the hospital walls. Nature's timeless strategies outside include the flurry of yellow petals drifting and twirling down in March from the steady native Narra trees.
"It's so lovely. You do enjoy these stuff here no?" Rafael just crossed his legs and sat in minutes of silence, listening to the the breeze playing the sun colored leaves on the brances of the tree. His long lashes touching his cheek as he closes his eyes as if savoring the sound of it, only being interruped with a prolonged beep of a vechicle. Toshio looked down, a man with the van angrily conversed with the hospital guard, he' "Look at him. Isn't that your friend? He's making such a ruckus." Toshio grinned lousily at Raphael.
"I couldn't care less about that guy."
"Isn't he your fanboy? "Rafael's mouth twitched as he said, "He's about to punch the guy."
"That's grrr." He slapped the book shut as it fell on the place where he used to sit as he stormed off, reappearing and bursting out of the hospital entrance, his footsteps heavy with contempt as he rushed toward it. When he noticed the guy was getting ready to throw a punch, Raphael quickly stepped in between them and blocked it. He then intercepted and positioned himself, warding off the impending chaos as he explained the situation calmly to both men as the guy parked his car quickly.
"I'm visiting you, baby."
"Finnline"
Grasping Raphael's hand tightly, he whispered, "Raphael.". Despite pushing his clutch away, he held him harder and closer. Raphael gritted his teeth as static electricity set between their skins. "I came here to see what you're doing! Finnline heard you're here!" his excited movement made his white slip dress hike a little yet Raphael's eyes sat still on the other man's eyes.
"Stop addressing yourself like a third person. You're so gross." As Raphael's bony fingers encircled Finnline's wrist, the man felt a weird sensation crawl across his skin - like sparks jumping between them. As Raphael yanked Finnline from the car, the electric current still settled between their skins, even though Finnline leaped to avoid being crushed by the car door.
"What the hell are you doing?" He shook his head as the man got down from the truck.
"Raphael, can't I just be here to watch over someone I like?"
"Stop using your damn power on me. If I get pissed off you know what I'll do."
"You can't do that in public."
[School of Athens] A light prick on Finnlines palms startled him, as a needle's graze having it a faint sting another dash of a needle grazing at the speed of light on his palms added more as if adding more destiny lines on his overworked palms as if the blood dripped between them. "Release my hands from your filthy cuffs." His jaw tightened, grinning in anger.
"You're protecting a low focalizer who has an attitude that sucks!" the energy stored crackled across Finnlines palms, causing the fine hairs on his arms to stand on end. Static electricity became more apparent, as the familiar irritation sparked to life, he smiled with contempt.
"I bet it's so hard for you not to release all your energy with the school of athens. I know you wish to kill me right now but this isn't an ideal place. I'll recover easily here. Nurses and doctors here are quite good, this place is basically the garden of Eden, a cornucopia that is not widely recognized." As gloom-ridden clouds formed above them, a deeper uncanny prickling sensation spread throughout his body making some of his hair stand up as well as Finnline's blonde hair.
"Maybe that is the reason why you are wandering here. You and Toshiyuki-" Rafael forcefully slips his hand out breaking any contact from him. Toshio, looking below, slightly laughed at the scenario when a firm grasp held his arm and surrounded his pulse.
"You, who are you?"
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