Bab 4: Loved.
The warmth of the evening sun bathed him, and a gentle hand caressed his hair. Vonn blinked, trying to make sense of the transition. He tried to look up, but then,
"Ouch." Something hard hit his forehead. A pendant of a necklace,
Yanking it aside, Vonn looked up and saw the concerned face of his best friend, Akari, seated on the rundown sidewalk.
"Vonn, you're awake?" Akari's voice was soft, full of worry. She continued to stroke his hair, trying to comfort him.
Hearing her worried tone, Vonn exhaled with a smile. Cruel memories of his past life plagued him as usual, but that didn't make him either ignore or doubt the blessings of the present day.
Although in terms of regular hardship, things aren't too different currently. In fact, except the fact that Vonn suffered so much he actually wounded up dead in his past life, the daily hardships he faced now were in no way lacking in comparison.
Clear difference is that now, he at least, had people who genuinely cared for him. This was something he never truly experienced as Unko Mori till his demise.
Of course, it's still worth noting that back in his past life, when he was in jail, their were people who actually wanted to make love to him. But you don't have to love a person to want to make love to them, so those ones don't count.
"I'm okay," Vonn mumbled, sitting up slowly. His heart was still racing. "..Just a bad dream," he added.
Akari's brow furrowed with concern. "Vonn, why'd you always scream so much in your sleep? Erm, this particular name you called out a lot… Uta, was it? Who's Uta?"
"..." Vonn hesitated, taking a deep breath, trying to shake off the lingering shadows of his dream. "..Just some really ugly dude that shows up in all my nightmares. I'm sorry, Akari. Didn't mean to startle you." He finally said, adjusting closer to her. He leaned into her warmth and nestled his head on her shoulder.
"It's alright. I'm used to it by now. Although it's rare to hear you call someone else ugly. Must've been a monster."
Vonn frowned at this, his glance laced with a little bit of dismay, as he pulled his head back up, away from her shoulder.
"What?" Akari asked with a smile, seeing his reaction. "I just meant that you weren't usually a hypocrite." She concluded, forcefully grabbing his head and resting it back on her shoulder.
The sight of them resembled a child seeking comfort from a parent, despite Akari's youthful appearance.
Towering over Vonn, she continued to rub his back gently, "Wanna talk about it, though?" She said.
Vonn shook his head. "No, not really."
"You still annoyed?" She asked with a playful smile, looking down into his tilted face.
"A little bit. But well, facts are facts." He said without looking back up.
Vonn had grown accustomed to being addressed as ugly and rarely gets any feel out of it. After all, he was all too aware that his appearance didn't align with society's standards of beauty. To be honest, it also didn't align with his. In his mind, he perfectly fit in, if not even surpass the category of what he considered an ugly human being.
He too wouldn't hesitate to call someone ugly if they looked like him.
Yet, despite all that, hearing Akari say it ignited a flicker of sadness within him.
Akari smiled softly. "You were out for over eight hours. That shitload almost killed you."
"Ah, Right! How much did those seniors leave for my payment?"
"Vonn, you moron. Are you seriously worried about that right now? First, your life was endangered, then you slept lifeless for hours. Shouldn't you worry more about what to eat, before Visiting the clinic for a proper treatment? All I did was minor first aid, y'know. Your health comes first." Akari said.
"Huh, can't get either food or medication without money, though."
"Hmph…" At what Vonn just said, Akari paused for a bit,
"Huff." Exhaling softly, she continued, "..hard to admit, but you aren't wrong. Even someone as young as you understands that money is indeed needed. Well, about how much those shitloads left…" Akari suddenly stopped and reached for the purse lying beside her. She unzipped it, dipping her hand inside, then,
"Here." she brought out a little rolled stack of paper cash, handing it to Vonn.
"Woah. Looks like a lot. They paid this much?" Vonn's jaw dropped in disbelief, his eyes wide open.
"Yeah! Counted it and it's two hundred and fifty shells in total." She replied in a casual movement.
"They were only supposed to pay sixty five though. No way they added extra for the beatings. You threaten them with your dad? Even still, no one's that scared of the cops around here. To pay this much, what exactly happened, Akari? Were those guys some kinda tourists from a different nation?" Vonn, still tense at the surprise, couldn't put his eyes off the cash. He looked possessed.
"What's your problem, you don't want it?" Veins bulge on Akari's head at Vonn's increasing number of questions.
"Heh?" Hearing that, Vonn looked at her in shock, then fiercely snatched the cash from her hand immediately.
After Vonn calmed down, he rested his head back on her shoulder. They were both quiet for a while. Vonn frowned.
"...Did they really pay this much money?" He broke the silence.
"...They did." She replied, strain visible on her face.
"....' Pausing a bit, Vonn added, "I'm not totally dumb, you know.."
"That's the problem, seriously. And what, you're supposed to be ten-years-old? Crapload! There actually some old man living in there? Are you actually an old man, Vonn? Could it be that Janet is, in fact, your daughter?"
"What nonsense are you spouting now? you're clearly the one who's old. Ah, speaking of old peeps, what about old man Jacob?"
"Old man Jacob? Who's that, the geezer beggar?"
"Yeah, him. Was gonna lend him some money. Begged for some earlier today, and seemed unusually desperate about 'em, too. Even volunteered to keep count of my beatings whenever I was out." Glancing around he continued, "Did he leave? Thought he lived here, though."
"He's an asshole. Seriously, Vonn, who still trusts beggars in this day and age?" Akari shook her head, covering her face in dismay.
Hearing that, Vonn had a disappointed expression.
Following that, they fell silent once more, gazing wordlessly into the crimson sky,
Observing bird flocks of distinctive species roam the sky in seek of competent shelters, the duo couldn't help but be entranced by the beauty of nature.
The breeze too was growing more calm and cold.
Watching a pigeon who seemed to have sheltered itself in between a bent signpost climb it's way on top of another bird who shared the shelter with it, seemingly engaging in a sudden mating process,"Vonn…" Akari broke broken the silence with a soft smile,
"Yeah." Vonn replied, turning to her.
"There's something I wanna tell you…"
"Huh, sure."
"Won't think I'm weird or anything, right?" Her voice quivered slightly.
"Huh? Why?... What's with the drama, Akari? Everything alright?.." Vonn asked with genuine concern.
"..?" In a confused expression, Vonn watched Akari who now pondered quietly. She wanted to say something a moment ago, and sounded quite resolute about it too, though. What's with her sudden spacing out.
"...Something wrong?" He asked.
"Eh!" Akari was suddenly snapped back by Vonn's words. her mind seemed all over the place.
Nervously, she added, "I-I think I forgot what it was, Vonn. Nevermind." Awkwardly waving her hand, Akari's cheeks flushed up in red.
"What? For real?" Vonn asked.
"... Yeah." Akari replied after a bit of hesitation.
"...." Vonn was quiet for a moment.
"...This is a safe space, you know. You could tell me anything, Akari. Whatever shit you've got, you could always dump 'em on me, consider me your personal toilet.."
Vonn waited a bit, but still got no response. "...You really fine? Did you seriously forget what you wanted to sa–"
"-So annoyinggg. Already told you to forget it." Akari interrupted Vonn's words, pouting with a nervous expression. She looked away, unable to stare back into the kid's gaze.
Vonn was silent. Although Akari was acting weird in many ways, it's probably not that serious if she didn't want to talk about it.
'But why bring it up at all, though.' He thought.
After a while, Akari reached out and gently grabbed Vonn's hand, seamlessly intertwining her fingers between his.
Firmly rubbing her thumb against Vonn's "You're warm." She uttered softly.
"...Too warm. What's with your temperature?" Akari added looking a bit alarmed, tightening up her grip a little.
"..." Vonn didn't reply, his face expressionless.
"You..." Akari hesitated, "...You're really not alright, are you?" She let it out with a sad expression.
Hearing this, Vonn turned to her, and with a forced smile he added, "Come on, don't sound so down. It's no big. Not like anyone my age would be alright after selling so many body parts. Just need some time to heal, that's all."
"I…" Akari's voice faltered as she looked down, tears welling up in her eyes.
Pausing for a moment to compose herself, she continued softly, "..I looked it up on the net." Her voice quivered, "They wrote things like 'twenty-four out of a thousand under teens in the world survive for over five years, after making over two or three organ donations, and only three out of the twenty-four survive for seven years."
Akari's expression turned even more painful as she expressed her confusion, "I'm not that smart, so I didn't really get it. But didn't it just mean you won't live for long?"
Watching tears force itself down Akari's cheek, Vonn exhaled with a warm smile. Gently, he rose from where he sat,
"You ain't yourself today, Akari." He said with a warm expression, gently smearing off the tears from her face. "Don't cry. After all, I'm still here. If you do it all now, there won't be any left for when I'm actually gone."
"Idiot.. Don't joke with that."
"Heh, sorry. But still, I'm grateful it's just me who has to die. knowing I'll live on in your memory even after I'm gone.. That's more than enough for me, you know." Vonn threw himself back to the position where he sat.
"Idiot. No point if I'm the only one who remembers. What if I die too? Who's gonna be left to remember you, then? The thing that 'is more than enough' for you will mean nothing. Not like Janet will live forever, either. If you wanna say something like that, then at least live long enough to make children. If you can't help it, then just shut up. Don't say things that'll become a burden to the people who care about you when you're gone."
"I mean, I don't really care if my memories die forever. As long as I'm not forgotten by you people, everything else ain't that important. Besides, It's not like you're going anywhere anytime soon. I'm a little bit envious, though, wrinkles on your face woulda been great to see. Would make for a nice laugh."
"Idiot. I'd still be pretty anyways."
"...Yeah, right." Vonn playfully grimaced.
"Silly."
"Ah, it's sipping out!" Vonn yelled, immediately gripping his pants tightly. He got up, rushing behind the back alley of a closed up store.
"Hey, need a hand? I've got your spare catheter!" Akari called out, holding up the tube she retrieved from her purse.
"Ah, yes please."
Hearing that, Akari rushed to Vonn with the tube in hand.
The northern region, amongst every other crisis, faced a dire healthcare disaster due to a lack of expertise and poor medical practices. This made quality care totally unattainable for the impoverished majority.
Here, seeking treatment feels like a gamble, with only a few elite hospitals solely serving the wealthy. Outside these prestigious medical institutions, medical care elsewhere often results in partial success–a situation where you're cured of an ailment, but then gain a new one in return.
This method is notoriously known as 'The med-loop medium'. This is a tactic employed by corrupt doctors to ensnare victims in a cycle of sickness, draining their resources indefinitely.
Unfortunately, Vonn's experience was no exception. During a botched surgery to remove and sell his testicles, the surgeon damaged his urethra and surrounding tissues.
As a result, Vonn now struggles with urination, relying on a catheter and a regimen of health pills to manage complications.
"Phew." Vonn exhaled. "All done. Thanks so much, Akari. Almost messed up my pants there."
"Yeah. You still gotta wash it though." Akari said, helping Vonn zip up his fly. She tugged on it, but it stubbornly refused to budge. "Got pee smeared all over. Smells like poop too."
"Well, ain't got any other pair." Vonn turned his head, feigning indifference.
"I've got some trousers I used to wear about a few years ago. I'll drop 'em by your home later tonight. Might be a bit taller but they're wearable."
"No. Too risky moving that late at night. Can just bring them here tomorrow." Vonn disagreed.
"It's no biggie if I use the zippies. Perks of having a cablecraft station right next-door of your home. Can move anywhere at anytime." Akari said with a smug tone.
(By 'zippies,' Akari was referring to cablecrafts.)
"Speaking of which, thought your mom's usually here before dark? Hope she's alright." Akari said, pulling out her handset from her purse. "You know her telephone? Lemme give her a call."
"Uhh.." Vonn smiled. "There won't be a need for that." He added.
"Huuh? Why? She's the only reason I'm still here, y'know. Not like I can leave you here by yoursel-" Akari started to say, but was interrupted by a familiar voice.
"–Akari!" Janet Black, Vonn's mother exclaimed.
Hearing this, Akari immediately rushed and enveloped her with a tight hug. "Whoa! Calm down, calm down. You're way too big for this! We'll both fall!"
Vonn's plastered face suddenly caught her attention.
"Vee." She called, pulling Vonn closer to her. "Your face… Are you okay?" She asked, grabbing his cheeks.
"Yeah. It's nothing huge. Akari's already done some first aid-"
"-Ma, I only patched up his wounds a little. He still needs proper treatment..." Akari paused, her expression suddenly turning pitiful, with forced tears welled in her eyes. "S-sorry, it's all my fault. If I'd arrived a bit sooner, then.. then.." Now, she actually bursted the tears out.
"Hey, don't cry, Akari. Don't ruin your pretty face. It's not your fault, okay? That's the kind of work this is in the first place" Janet patted her hair as a means of comfort, before proceeding to gently smear off Akari's tears with her thumb.
'Tsk.' Vonn who watched this looked disgusted. She was obviously faking it. All the drama's just to make sure Vonn's taken to the hospital.
"More importantly, the ACP'd be worried sick by now. You should start heading home. Have you got a cablecraft ticket?"
"Um, Kinda used up most of my cash. I'll use a cab instead."
"That won't do. Let's see… How much is a ticket again?" Vonn pulled out the stack of cash from his pants, unfastening the wrap.
"Heyy. Vonn that ain't necessary. A taxi's fine." Akari said, gently walking away, backwards.
"It's unsafe.." Vonn argued.
"Ahh, you worrywart, it's just this one time. Even if you don't mind, it's still a burden to y'all to have to walk me to the cablecraft station every time, anyway. Not like you don't need to get home too." Saying this, she turned, increasing her pace. Probably so they wouldn't be able to insist on anything else.
Janet who watched this had a soft smile on her face, as she waved to Akari.
"H-hey!" Vonn called, still holding out the money.
"See you tomorrow Vonn! Take care! And hey! Don't you dare forget that gift you promised!" Akari yelled, waving back at the duo. Bye mom!"
"Ah! Thought you didn't want it, though." Vonn replied scratching the back of his head, stressed at the thought.
Vonn stood, smiling, his hand dipped in his undies as he scratched his waist. His worried gaze fixed on Akari's receding figure as she walked away.
Dim light from a distant streetlight cast a warm glow on her hair, making it shine like halo.
As he watched her go, Vonn's heart felt heavy, like a weight was settling in his chest. He couldn't help but feel a sense of longing for his best friend.
'Miss you already...' Vonn mumbled aloud, barely audible over the sound of his ragged breathing.
Akari suddenly stopped and turned around. She broke into a warm smile the moment her gaze locked into Vonn's from the distance.
It was as if she somehow heard his mumbled words.
"Come on, Vonn. Don't look so worried," she said, her voice gentle and reassuring. "It's just a taxi. Nothing will go wrong, I promise!" She concluded with a heart melting smile.
Akari's face was already beautiful, but with the streetlight and moonlight shining on her smile, she seemed like a goddess whose looks were too too perfect for the real world.
At least to Vonn.
But suddenly, Vonn's smile began to falter. His eyes widened, his pupil dilating as if he was looking at some sort of ghost. His skin paled, his lips parting in a silent gasp.
"Akariiii!!!" He screamed in urgency, reaching out his arm towards her, but...
In an instant,
Just like that, Vonn was taught what price it was one had to pay,
...the cruel reality of love.
Hadiah
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