Chapter 4:

Alone

Hai to yuki (ash and snow)


Some time passed after the conversation. They finished their beverages and continued the tour around the house. Talking about anything as they kept walking, looking into the rooms, the corners and checking every place for one of them to learn and the other to remember.

The two arrived at the library, one giant room with lots and lots of shelves that had hundreds upon hundreds of books of all imaginable kinds. From medicine and science to trip guides the amount and variety was astonishing.

Erika, amazed by this, was feeling excited and easily got herself lots between the pages and the smell of paper.

“How do you have so many?!” Said the red haired girl.

“They were here even before I started living here… This place used to be a bookstore, and as you can see, a very big one… That's the reason I came here in the first place. Here is where I learnt how to be a doctor.”

“Wow… Wait, you did it all by yourself? No one teached you?”

“Nop, I'm a self-taught person”

“What a crappy doctor you must be….”

“Hey, I saved your life so I am not that bad don't you think?

“Yeah yeah… You did… But I can’t rate your skill though”

“You will”

“What…?”

“You thought that I was joking about the assistant part? You are going to study, like a lot”

“First of all, I am not your assistant, I can settle as partner. Secondly, I am a really bad student. I worked as a waiter before… Well, you know.”

“I’m not so sure about that, but we will see… We won't know unless we try. Also, you are not only going to study medicine.”

Erika looked rather surprised at the young boy.

"What else do I have to study? Don't tell me it is going to be physics or some shit like that…?"

"It wouldn't kill you to learn a thing or two about that but no. I'm going to teach you how to use your bindings…"

"Really?! Okay, now that's something I wanna learn about!"

"It won't be as fun as you think… First we have to know which are your bindings and to be honest I have no idea how to do that"

"Are you kidding me right?"

"Nope, but we will figure it out. For the moment you can start by reading this"

Kuro went to one of the shelf's and grabbed a handful of books and piled them up in a table while Erika glanced at them in disbelief

"You have to be kidding me… This will take forever!"

"Then I suggest you start soon. I have to go outside to do some work and research, you know, sciency stuff. I should be back tomorrow, or the day after. You have food and everything to survive, so… don't burn down the place."

"So you are going to leave here for two days?! Why can't I go out and you know… See the world, I may be able to help you too…"

"Because, first of all, you don't know anything about how to survive, fight or heck, even where to go. There are a lot of dangers that you are not even aware of. I know you wanna go out and you will, but you need to be ready, and It will be quite the shock when you do it so take it easy… But also I want you to guard the place, most people don't usually mess with me but some people from time to time come and steal some things. I want you to at least make you visible and make everyone believe that I'm home. "

Erika, looking rather deflated, just refused to argue about it. She wanted to go out but she knew he was right.

Kuro, looking at her sad face, walked to her side and with a huge smile asked

"You want me to bring something for you?"

"Chocolate is out of the question right?"

"Oh… you would be surprised…"

"Really?! You can find some?!"

"I'll see what I can do"

"Thank you… For everything…"

"Oh don't thank me… you are going to repay me with every surgery you are going to perform"

His grim turned darker and started laughing with an evil tone.

They took some time before Kazuo left the building. He packed a lot of gear, mostly to take samples, to camp and basically everything he could need.

Erika was alone, but for the first time in years she was herself again, totally aware of her surroundings and the loneliness of her situation. She had been this time trying not to break up, thinking close to nothing about everything that had passed, everything that she may have lost and how she was in a world that looked nothing like what she remembered. Being alone in that moment pushed her to the edge and made her acknowledge all of those things and crawling up on the sofa she started crying. Hugging her legs close to the chest hiding her face between them she could feel how the hours passed as she also passed out.

KuroganeK13
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