288 Dark gray
He did it!
He didn’t know how but he succeeded!
Kairen managed to run away from the hospital!
It took him hours of talking and convincing different people. At some point, he didn’t even know what he was saying anymore, he just babbled nonsense.
But they worked!
It was more reasonable to say that he was allowed to go home because he was too annoying and people couldn’t tolerate his nonstop bullshits anymore, but Kairen decided not to think that way.
“I will frag you back to the hospital if you don’t rest properly.”
“Yes yes.”
Kairen glanced at Reyan who was sitting in the driver’s seat, driving Kairen home, with a frowning and furious face. This man was the hardest to convince, even harder than the doctor, and Kairen didn’t manage to convince him completely in the end.
.....
-I will come with you to take an on you!
That was the last decision. Reyan was tagging along. The self-proclaimed nurse didn’t accept anything else. He HAD to come to look after Kairen if Kairen didn’t want to get locked to the hospital bed by chains.
“Have you fastened your seatbelt?”
“I have!”
Kairen pulled out the fastened black seatbelt and showed it to his mom- friend. The car engine started and they began to move to Kairen’s house. Kairen leaned back on the seat with his eyes closed.
He didn’t need to go talk with the team leader and the commander to convince them in letting go of his brother. It was because he received a message from the commander’s office. He was asked to visit the office as soon as his condition was better.
He received a call from team leader Dains after that. The man said that he wouldn’t let them punish or take him to the court until he came and explained things to everyone.
As much as Kairen was thankful to the team leader, he was confused. Why was he doing such a thing? Wasn’t he putting his own position at risk by backing a supposedly Philomns member? And that was also when their plan didn’t succeed at all.
Did he perhaps talk to Aaron? Or did he realize that Aaron didn’t want to harm anyone?
Whatever the reason was, this was a good thing to happen. Kairen noted in mind that he had to talk to the team leader and thank him later. He then turned his thoughts in another direction.
‘Man, what am I supposed to say to him?’
That was the biggest question in his mind. How was he supposed to face that little kid? He felt so anxious! At first, he wanted to call home and talk to the kid, but he didn’t do that. It was not a good move. What was he supposed to say anyway?
And there were things that had to be said and done face to face and when you are around the person, not through a call!
“Should I buy him something?”
He asked Reyan in a desperate attempt to seek help.
“Do you want to fool the kid by using gifts?”
“Huh? No. Just like... I don’t know, okay?”
“I don’t know either. It’s the first time I’ve met a fool who is the guardian of a little kid that is returning home after 11 days of disappearance.”
Kairen wasn’t sure if he was insulted now or not.
“It’s also- cough. It’s also my first time returning home after 11 days of disappearance.”
In the end, he didn’t receive any help. Closing his eyes and leaning back again, Kairen decided to leave everything to his destiny and not overthink it anymore. Reyan also didn’t say anything and they drove towards Kairen’s house in silence.
Half an hour later, the car stopped in front of a house.
“It’s already night. What if he is asleep? Should I wake him up?”
Kairen exited the car while mumbling. Reyan grabbed his arm and supported him up.
‘I can walk by myself though!’
Kairen didn’t say that out loud. He had said it once when they were leaving the hospital and he ended up facing his friend’s furious eyes, which made his soul almost jump to the afterlife, so he kept silent and let the boy do whatever he wanted.
Clack
Kairen unlocked the door as quietly as he could and then cracked it open slowly. He poked his head forward and peeked at the house through the small gap in the door.
‘Uh, the lights are on.’
Seeing the bright living room, Kairen opened the door completely and walked inside. The house was warm and the smell of food had filled it. Kairen knew that it was Mrs. Neal’s work. She must’ve been here, or is still here, to take care of Ariyan. Kairen didn’t know how he was supposed to thank that gentle woman.
Clack
Reyan also entered the house and closed the door behind him, still supporting Kairen.
“Huh? Did I hear the sound of the door?”
Tap Tap Tap Tap
Kairen heard the voice of Mrs. Neal and then some footsteps before he saw a woman walking out of the kitchen and coming towards the living room.
“Uh?”
Mrs. Neal froze upon seeing the two young men standing in front of the door and her mouth gaped a little bit.
“Kairen?”
She called out his name before racing towards him. She walked so fast and her face looked so angry that made Kairen flinch and take a step back.
“Stupid kid! Where the hell were you?”
“Uh-”
Kairen took another step back, but that didn’t help at all as the woman was now standing right before his face. She closed her mouth and looked all over Kairen as if examining him up and down.
“...Are you alright?”
She then muttered those words with a worried face.
Nod Nod
Kairen nodded his head.
“Yeah!”
Kairen wanted to start thanking the woman and apologizing to her but he couldn’t do so as she turned her head towards the person standing behind Kairen. Mrs. Neal and Reyan exchanged meaningful glances, and Reyan shook his head. The woman then turned back and glared at Kairen again.
‘What?’
What just happened?
No, wait. Since when were these people able to exchange messages through eyes?
“Um...”
Kairen avoided to woman’s gaze.
“Where is Ariyan?”
He could feel the gaze getting sharper, but she still answered the question.
“In his room.”
“Is he asleep?”
“No.”
“Ahem! I will go meet him then.”
Kairen ran away from his landlord and approached the kid’s room.
“Huuu...”
Knock Knock
He took a deep breath before carefully knocking on the door.
“....”
There were no answers.
Knock Knock
“I said I’m not hungry!”
He heard a voice, a little bit angry and at the same time coarse, from inside the room. It seemed like the kid has mistaken him for Mrs. Neal.
‘What do you mean by not hungry? It’s far past your meal time!’
Kairen frowned slightly before slowly opening the door.
“DON’T COME I WON’T EAT DINNER!”
And he saw a little kid sitting on the edge of his bed, hugging his teddy bear toughly and shouting with his eyes closed.
.....
“Ariyan.”
Kairen called out the kid’s name before he could shout anymore.
Flinch
Ariyan flinched, froze, and closed his mouth.
“Uhm. H-hi?”
“....”
The kid slowly opened one of his eyes, peeking around. Kairen was standing at the door awkwardly and stiffly. He smiled as soon as his eyes met the kid’s and waved his hand.
Tap
The teddy bear fell out of the kid’s arms.
“Un-Uncle?”
Drip
Drip
At the same time, tears started to fall down and wet the doll like rain.
‘Hey! Don’t cry!’
Kairen rushed forward and knelt down. He spread his arms out and pulled the kid into his embrace because that was the only thing he could do. He wanted to apologize and explain, but he didn’t. He couldn’t. The kid was crying. It was his fault. He wished he had really drowned and died in his ocean of guilt but had never seen this scene.
“UNCLEEEEEEEEEEE.”
It was only after a few seconds that the kid finally hugged Kairen back. He let out a loud scream mixed with sobs as he wrapped his small hands around Kairen.
“UNCLE- Hic Uncle.”
Pat Pat Pat
Kairen patted Ariyan’s back in silence.
‘Did he become thinner?’
He felt that the kid was not as chubby as he used to be. He was sure the kid he carried home 11 days ago was not this thin.
“Hic sniff uncle hic-”
Pat Pat Pat
Kairen kept patting the little back of the small kid.
‘Huh?’
It was only then that he realized something.
‘What is this?’
His hand patting the kid’s back stopped and he moved his head back a little bit, staring at Ariyan’s hair with a black, shocked face.
‘Was this... like this before?’
He blinked his eyes several times to make sure that he was not seeing things.
‘No, I’m sure it wasn’t.’
He was sure that Ariyan’s hair didn’t contain any dark gray hairs before.
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