Kamiya took Hitori and Reon inside the hospital. The walls were as white as ever. A few nurses and doctors from the staff were talking and handing out presents to senior citizens and other patients.
A few patients who were good enough to walk were helping the staff to prepare for the Christmas feats-- only for the patients and staff.
The gates were protected by the Mage Guards sent by the ministry-- the security was tighter today, as it always is on a few selected days-- guards inside, guards above, guards in the corner.
For a moment, Hitori thought it would be impossible for someone to invade the hospital and get out alive after committing a murder, would not it?
But then, out of nowhere, he remembered the words his mother had said to him on his fifteenth birthday: 'If you want someone, you will take it. Even if the whole universe stands in between you and your goal.'
If someone wants to commit a murder, he will commit a murder. And if the same person wants to flee from the hospital, he will find a way out sooner or later.
Kamiya stopped in front of room three hundred and three on the third floor. He took a deep breath and turned to Hitori. "Wait outside, I will go inside first. Then I will call you two inside."
Hitori and Reon nodded. Kamiya lifted his hand to the right side and drew a pattern on the magical pad on the wall. Then he knocked on the door when it started to slide open.
Hitori figured out Kamiya's pattern though, it was a mix of his J and Akemi's A. Kamiya drew the J in the middle of the A and the door slid open.
The wooden door was thick and enchanted with magic to open on detecting the pattern. It was also enchanted with strong magic that enabled it to withstand strong spells.
Although the hospital was owned by two private businessmen, the Mage Ministry and the House of Evolution had their rights over the hospital. The ministry did all this enchanting on the mage side.
The city was full of healers but the civilians or guards could only turn to the hospital if a war or a battle broke between countries or within Tokyo itself.
Kamiya walked inside, leaving the door wide open for Hitori. Hitori took a step away from the door's entrance, he could see the bed's white cloth.
"My, I can not believe my heart's racing." Reon rubbed her hands together and smiled at Hitori.
"This place is safe," Hitori muttered. Reon frowned.
"Jigo-Jigo~!"
That cute, childish call created an awkward atmosphere between Hitori and Reon.
"Ah, Jigo-Jigo, I really do not think I am ready to meet your friends."
Kamiya froze when his sister called him THAT in front of his friends-- such a great first impression.
Hitori and Reon tried to ignore that calls but it became hard. Kamiya could not move his body at all, his hand was trembling out of his control.
"C-can you do something, Jigo-Jigo?"
He could not even tell his sister to shut up. "Jigo?"
"Oh, crap..." Hitori shook his head. "His self-respect might have been crushed by now."
"I-I know, right?" Reon looked down at the floor, avoiding contact with Hitori.
After a minute, Kamiya sighed and sat beside his sister on the bed. "You can come in, Hitori," and he called.
Hitori prepared himself, Reon controlled her laugh. They both decided to act as if they did not hear it and walked inside the room.
"W-wait..." Akemi's mouth dropped open, "T-they are already here?!" she exclaimed.
"Thanks. Akemi-nee-chan."
Hitori first walked inside, and Reon followed him. Again looking everywhere else but not at Akemi, Kamiya, or Hitori.
Akemi blushed and covered her face with her hands. Kamiya got away from her and walked to Hitori.
"Meet Hitori. My first gaming partner." Hitori stared at Akemi. She was on the bed, sitting. Her blonde hair flowed down her shoulders and stopped at her hips.
She was wearing the same light blue uniform the hospital hands their patients. To Hitori's surprise, she was super slim-- almost looked like a skeleton.
"Stop it, Akemi-nee-chan, you are embarrassing yourself."
Akemi hesitated but finally revealed her light blue eyes, a flushed face, thin brows, the perfect nose, and thin lips.
Hitori realized he need to greet her properly. "Saibai Hitori," he said, he bowed, "Merry Christmas, Akemi-san."
Hitori chose to call her by her name as it might confuse him and Kamiya if he uses denotes Akemi as 'Kamiya-san'. They both were not close enough to call her by her name directly.
"M-merry Christmas, Hitori-Kun. Heard a lot about you from Jigo--- Jigoku."
"I-it is fine." Hitori raised his hand, gesturing it is alright for her to call him Jigo.
"And meet her, she is Reon-san." Kamiya did not step close to her.
Akemi frowned. "Sorry but, you do not look... like a mage."
Hitori pulled his lips together and glanced at Kamiya. Kamiya nodded.
Reon glanced at both of them. "Uh..." Kamiya gave Reon a green signal. "Merry Christmas. I am Rion Reonine, a second-year student at the Science Academy."
Akemi's eyes widened, and the embarrassment vanished in an instant. She turned to Kamiya. "Jigo, what does this mean? You are bringing a scientist to the mage hospital!"
"Akemi-nee-chan, she is my friend." Kamiya shrugged with a wide mouth. "Please."
"NO. She needs to get out. NOW. If the guards find her---"
"Oh, she will be okay," Hitori said.
Akemi turned to Hitori. "Okay? What do you mean 'okay'?"
Hitori stared at Akemi. He took a step forward and eventually reached her bed. He lifted the side of his cloak and dug his hand in the side pocket.
Then out of nowhere, Hitori pulled out a red color flower. He presented it to Akemi.
"We will take care of that, do not stress yourself-- bad for your health, Akemi-san." Akemi glanced at the Amaryllis in front of her. "Enjoy your Christmas."
Reon realized she need to give her present too. She walked and stopped by Hitori's side. "Uh... not much, I hope you like it."
And she took out a maroon scarf for Akemi out of her dimensional storage. Akemi thought a second but accepted both of their presents.
"I hope you do not mind a scientist in your room. I did not have a problem playing with two mages, I do not have a problem making my first 'female mage' friend."
Reon smiled and backed off. Kamiya walked to Akemi and leaned closer to her. "She would not have entered this hospital if Hitori did not want her to. But he let her come with us, and believe me, that guy knows what he is doing. And he knows what to do if things go wrong."
"Jigo, this is the ministry's guards we are talking about, it is not your video game."
Kamiya looked at her, raised his brows, and nodded. "I know what we are dealing with. The guards would not jump on any innocent scientist they see."
Kamiya leaned back and was about to walk towards Hitori who was sitting on the sofa against the wall.
Akemi grabbed Kamiya's wrist. "No scientist is innocent for them, Jigo, you must understand that."
The trio was silent all the way to a nice restaurant. The place was booming but they got a place for themselves-- Kamiya had already done the reservation.
"I am sorry you had to listen to something that awkward." Kamiya sighed.
They were waiting for their order to arrive. Reon with Kamiya, and Hitori opposite to them.
"She loves you. A lot." Hitori took a sip of his blue mocktail. Reon agreed.
Kamiya nodded, then suddenly he said: "I almost forgot." Kamiya turned to the shopping bag he had brought with him from the hospital.
Kamiya took out a rectangle box wrapped in gift paper. "Merry Christmas, Hitori." Kamiya smiled.
Hitori kept staring at the rectangle case before accepting it. Right, he remembered what was missing his Christmas: a gift from his parents.
While Kamiya took Reon's gift, Hitori unwrapped his. It was a wand case, a brown color case.
"I know you do not need it, but I knew you did not have one," Kamiya said.
Hitori glanced at him before opening the case and pulling out a ten inches long, a brown color wand that had a dark green color bottom.
"Z Rex's Core. Pretty rare."
Hitori was pleased by the present. But then one thing clicked on him. "How much did it cost, Kamiya?"
Reon stopped unwrapping her present. Kamiya shook his head. "Not enough to pay for what you have done for me. Although it was in the game, it meant a lot to me. First comes the game, then the real life."
Hitori wanted to say: 'But I did nothing much. I only wanted you to stand and fight with confidence if you were going to lose. And you did it yourself.'
And when Reon unwrapped her present-- her brow twitched. "A Beta Blockers Subscription card... seriously?" Reon looked at Kamiya but he was busy opening the present Hitori had given him.
"Ah... I thought about the same but then changed my present."
Reon rolled her eyes. "Thanks, Hitori-san."
Reon accepted her present and started opening it.
"But I got you something similar." Her mouth dropped open when she saw a thick book's title.
'How to Overcome Acrophobia: The Fear of Heights.'
"While I played games, I also read dozens of books-- all kinds of-- mystery, crime, fantasy, thriller, motivation, inspiration, gaming. And they helped me improve in every sector of my life. This book will help you, Reon-san."
"T-T-thanks."
"Damn... amazing, Hitori. I like this!" Kamiya pulled the silver chain necklace and locked it over his nape. "Cool."
Kamiya pulled the necklace over his hoodie, under his cloak.
Reon learned forward. "Merry Christmas, both of you." and handed both a present that looked like a book.
Hitori got a book by Senso Guntain: It's Your Empire. Live Like an Empire. Newly released this Christmas of 2052.
And Kamiya received another book 'Living From Gaming'. Exactly what he needed. A way to make money from gaming.
"And..." Reon pulled out a purple scarf to match his purple cloak.
"Oh... thanks." She threw the scarf around Kamiya's neck.
She adjusted herself and said: "I thought a scarf would not suit your style, Hitori-san, and I am sure it would not have. You would look like a clown."
"I love the book though." Hitori nodded.
"I thought about a hoodie for you, but I did not know your size."
"Well, now you know." Hitori spread his arms.
Reon nodded.
Kamiya told Hitori and Reon to wait in the restaurant before parting ways for the day while he raced to the hospital to get Akemi her dinner.
Scientists were allowed on the other side of the city but after a lot of checking and stuff if they come from legally. And nothing if they enter the Mage side of Tokyo illegally.
The security around the city border was loose tonight but it was tight inside the hospital. Reon, as told by Kamiya, took the legal way. She used her dimensional storage to hide her gun.
Normally, there would be checking on the science side first and then again on the mage side. Mages would not detect her gun in the dimensional space but Scientists' security would have-- which they did not.
"Will you be alright?" Hitori asked.
"Hm." she nodded. "I have this with me." She showed Hitori a gun inside her lab coat's side pocket.
"I will be expecting a black hoodie from you." Hitori pulled on his cloak.
"For?"
"Well, New Year."
"No gifts on New Year. Only New Year resolutions."
They laughed.
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