“You three won’t make me drink.”

▪ ▪ ▪

March 18, 2018. Sunday.

It has been five days since the eventful day where we as Exiles were judged as free people.

The storage drive that contained files starting from the World War 2 up to the merciless killings of the former senator Joseph Horach has been publicized. It became the biggest proof of the history of the Exiles’ existence and the main evidence of all the crimes that Horach has done.

A surprising quantity of murder had happened on his palms which led him to a lifetime sentence of being jailed.

Mind you, the storage drive also had the things we need for the broadcast. Honestly, we actually breached through the systems and network of Channel 7 that was then automatically erased in the consoles. It turns out to being an autonomous system that we removed from the drive before handing it to the government.

Thankfully, the great wave of social media died instantly the day after the events in Cotona Square. It went trending for a few hours but it disappeared quickly, including the news.

Even since the 13th, I haven’t been to school and I am the only one that missed the last day since I can’t show up in school with bandages wrapping both my arms. We’re not wearing our blazers anymore since the temperature is rising up.

There lies the problem…

“Haaaaaahhhhhh…

Rin… I haven’t been to any graduation practice. Tell me… Am I going to graduate?”

That is the only question that popped out of my head while we are binge watching anime and munching on our potato chips and cola.

I don’t dwink cola a lot though. I only dwink Spwite.

“Now that’s coming from you who hates graduation ceremonies the most.”

“Well, yeah. You have a point. I just want to receive my diploma. I don’t really care about the awards and such. I just do what I love, that’s all.”

“Now that’s what I want to hear from you.”

“Hey, Rin… I haven’t seen you in a pon-“

Just as I was talking, someone started knocking on my door.

“Someone’s here?”

“Hahh… Why are there people knocking on my door so early in the morning… It’s just 9am and I just woke up.”

I received the person who was knocking and opened the door just to see someone who I never expected to ever knock on my door.

I wonder why in the world is Juno Artecus in front of my house. I immediately closed the door out of “respect.”

“Woah… Please open up.”

He once again knocked constantly so I opened the door again.

“Good morning, Gin Sakato.”

It is Sunday, and he is not wearing a uniform. I can’t even see a badge anywhere. It seems that he trimmed his hair, but his natural glare is still present.

And he’s giving off a vibe that is way different when he’s on duty.

“Not that uptight when off duty, huh.

Please come in. But don’t you dare interrogate me. At least rest when it’s your day-off.”

“Excuse my intrusion.”

“Gin? Who’s he?”

“Didn’t you know? He’s the detective that lent us a hand last Tuesday.”

“Wait… Huh?! That’s him?!

Chotto matte…! I need to hide the mas-“ as if she suddenly saw a ghost, she came running towards where the white mask was hanged on.

“Rin, there’s no need. I already told him directly.”

“If you say so… But is it really okay, Gin?”

“All’s well. I’ll just easily beat him up and I’ll take advantage of the president’s order of not harming us.”

“Can I know who she is? Is she also an Exile?”

“Nope. Her name is Ringo Akanami. She’s a classmate and a neighbor.”

“So Gin’s not bragging today. Thank goodness.”

“Hmm… That’s quite gutsy of you to even display that mask together with a picture of your bandaged face. Good going acting as a photographer.”

“Now that you pointed that out, this is our third meeting.”

“Really, Gin? You two look really close.”

“Not really. But I’m going to pardon him for meeting me since he’s off-duty.”

“Wait, Ms. Ringo knows that you’re an Exile?” Juno just realized that.

“Just one of the few people who knew my identity.

So, what’s the reason of the sudden visit?”

“Oh. I’m here to give you a gift for helping us in that chaotic case. So here’s a present and some sweets.”

He gave me a mysterious box and another two boxes containing red velvet cupcakes.

How out of character.

“I didn’t expect that you’re a sweet tooth…

Thanks, though. I’ll open your present later.”

“What’re you watching, anyways?”

“Ah. Rin and I are just watching some anime. We’re both otakus, actually.”

“Hmm… Is that so?”

“Juno, by the way… Have you met with Makoto after that?”

“Not yet and I don’t think we can meet anytime soon. I don’t even know where he lives.”

“Just give him some time. He’ll suddenly pop out at some point in time.

Actually, do you still have time?”

“I am free for the entire day.”

“Can you help me on shopping?”

“Huh?”

“In exchange, you can have lunch with us.”

“…

Well, I guess I’ll accept.”

~ ~ ~

As expected, he caught a lot of eyes on him in the marketplace.

"So Ms. Ringo is with us?”

“She always helped me with lunch.”

“…

I shouldn’t be asking this but… why do I feel like you two are wearing similar shirts? I just can’t help but notice it.”

We’re both wearing gray shirts with our names plastered on it. It looks similar because the print is saying “RIN” and “GIN.”

“What? It’s nothing really special.”

“Are you two by chance a…”

“Well, I guess you don't even need to use your intuition of a detective to realize that.”

“So that is why I felt like you two suit very well…”

“You really think so?

Rin, there’s butter.”

“Right.”

“…

Do you always do this together?”

“Hmm… Something like that. Whenever it’s not a school day, she’ll always come to my house and help me at making lunch, and then it’ll end up on us eating lunch together.”

“So you’re living alone?”

“Yeah. I moved out last year. Though, I only moved a few blocks away from our family house.

My parents decided to afford that house for me because they saw how I grew after an accident I survived two years ago. And then my little sister moved back to our family from our aunt so she took over my room.

I haven’t spent a year in that house but I’m already responsible of it since it was named on me already. To tell you the truth, I pay all of my bills and I’m still paying my parents back to the price of the house I’m living in.”

“Gin is quite a minimal person, detective. Even with that house, his bills doesn’t go up over a thousand of Laxes.”

“You say that, Rin… But summer is the next season so there will probably be a point where I either turn my AC on or sleep on the roof literally.”

“I doubt you can climb that to be honest.”

“I suggest not to underestimate me, Juno.”

“I guess I fall for him because of how easily he can jump over a four story building?”

“Urk… So the jump you did wasn’t your highest?!”

“If my arms weren’t broken that time, I can jump higher. It’s hard to leap without the support of my arms, you know. Oh, I passed out midair too.”

“…

Now I regret not paying more attention to you last October.”

“Juno, can you get me two packs of strawberries?”

“Oh, sure?”

~ ~ ~

“Thanks for the food, Gin. It sure is great. I didn’t know that you’re skilled in cooking.”

“Well, you’re currently talking with the sous chef of Giotto’s.”

“Now that is very surprising. Then I shall visit the restaurant every so often. I heard they have good food.

Well then, I’ll be off.”

“Yeah sure. Don’t come back here.”

…

“Do you really talk to him like that, Gin?”

“Oh, shoot. I suddenly got reminded that the resto will have renovations soon. I won’t have a job for a while, huh…”

“I remember now. Hiroomi told us, right?”

“He never said a fixed date though.”

“Oh, it’s already 1:30. Gin, I’ll be going home now. Mom and Sis might be waiting for me now.

Thanks for the lunch!”

“Ohh… I heard from Anna that you have an excursion today.”

“Uhh… What?”

“Is… Is your expression telling me that you don’t know that Anna and Mom will be with you?”

“…

Those two didn’t tell me! I’ll be off now, Gin!!!!!!”

What a ruckus.

“I guess I’ll continue binge watching ani-“

“Gin~! Can you come of out for a second?”

Suddenly, Dad called outside. I wonder what he needs.

“Alright. I’m coming.

…

Eh?”

I saw my father together with Uncle Shuu and… Tenth?

I wonder what he needs, I just asked.

It turns out it was me.

▪ ▪ ▪

In a blink of a turtle’s eye, I am now being dragged by my father, Rin’s father, and Akira’s father into somewhere. This sudden turn of events is way too unprecedented.

“So…

What history is the becoming of this unexpected trio?”

“Well, I was originally planning to go to your house for a reason. Coincidentally, your uncle Shuu and Take also had some business with you.” Amano answered.

“Now, that is mysterious. Where are we going, anyways?”

“You’ll soon know once you see it. Also, it’s been a while since I last dropped off in that place.”

We are all mounted in a car and I don’t even know where we are going. This is now turning into something like an abduction—by my father himself.

It seems that we’re not about to leave Cotona any time soon, but I haven’t been in this part of the town before.

As the car turned left and right, and travelled straight roads, we came to a place that I did not expect at all. This is my first time going in this place. Perhaps this orphanage is what is on my mind right now.

“We’re here, men. I would like to show you the place that has engraved a lot of memories for me.”

“Mr. Sakato… Is this where… my mentor once lived?”

“Indeed, Take. Just looking at this place already reminds me of my late brother, Eijiro.”

“Mr. Sakato? It’s been a long time! How have you been?” a young lady that has the same description of when Dad was telling his story greeted us.

Wait, that was a story from more than twenty years ago! What in the world?!

“I’m very fine, Ms. Goodman. I haven’t seen you since your mother’s funeral. You’ve grown up a lot.

I have friends along with me and I brought my second son.”

“My name is Gin. It’s nice to meet you, Ms. Goodman.”

Exaggerations aside, it seems that she is the daughter of that late Mrs. Goodman.

By the looks of it, she’s probably the head of the orphanage. It looks like her mother is the former head when Dad was helping here.

A maiden, huh… It’s quite amazing that she has been taking care of this place with a young age.

“Perhaps I should bring Rin with me if ever I will come back here. Are there still orphans that you know here, Dad?”

“A few of the children decided to stay because of Eijiro.

The last time I met the children was after a few months when your mother and I got married. I guess it will be a good idea to bring her with you some time. But I will expect them to mistake your girlfriend that she’s Senna because of her hair.”

“Right… I forgot about that…”

“Alright, then. Let’s go inside and see the children. I haven’t been here for a long time so I need to refresh my memory of them.

And besides, we will be doing a bit of scavenging.”

“Scavenging?”

~ ~ ~

It turns out that Eijiro, my uncle’s room was left untouched for sixteen years aside from being cleaned. Dad and Mom, along with her family decided to finally clear out the room for the benefit of being used again in the orphanage, but it is still unoccupied.

Inside we see a lot of books and study materials that may have been of his use when he was still alive. This time, we are free to grab anything we can keep.

“I’ve known him for quite some time since I helped in this orphanage… but I didn’t expect him to be this boring.”

“Hey, hey. Amano come here. I saw some papers bundled in this drawer. Take a look.”

“Hmm… I haven’t seen this one before.

Wait, are these poems?”

“Umm… I’m not going to lie, Dad. The poems are cheesy, but lame…

Pfft…”

“Mind if you check on the cabinet, Gin?”

“Sure.”

“I wonder if there are still clothes in here.”

It seems that the doors of the cabinet are kind of stuck and a bit difficult to open.

“Heave… ho.”

…

“They… are literally untouched, Dad.”

The inside of the cabinet was not even covered in dust or webs. There are actually clothes inside. It seems that the things are still preserved and possibly did not age that much.

“Should… we take the clothes too?”

“He’s quite tall, huh…”

“You can tell just by looking, musuko?”

“You decide if we’ll take those too. I’ll check some other things inside-

And here’s a box.” Under the bundle of papers, a black square box was revealed.

It isn’t that big of a box, but it’s probably the size of my hand. It’s not that light and not that heavy. I opened it and the contents turned out to be…

“Brooches?”

“Huh… I never saw him wear that.”

The box contains five brooches that are neatly stored inside. By the looks of it, the brooches are made out of pure silver.

“Dad…

He tried to attend your wedding ceremony.”

“Gin…? What do you mean?”

“I remember from the pictures that one of the motifs of your and Mom’s wedding is roses.

Look here. This brooch is kind of similar to yours.”

“Y-You’re right… It looks like the one I wore in our wedding.

So he really tried to attend our wedding…”

“Dad, do you mind if I take all of this?”

“Go ahead. Brother probably wanted to see you wear those when he was still alive.”

“Don’t worry. Even though this is expensive, this won’t fall off out of my hands. They are made of pure silver. And that's my name…

I will keep this as inheritance of his treasure.”

“Haha… Well said. If you have something you want to take, go ahead.”

“Thanks. I will hunt for more stuff here.”

I just knocked the cabinet a couple of times and I heard some noise coming from there. The wood felt hollow with the way it sounded from the knock. It seems something fell off.

“Hey… I think something detached.”

“Really, Gin? Do you see something?”

“Let me do it. I think something is behind that.

I see… That noise came from a detached board of wood that looks like a façade of some sort. If I pull this out further, we may see something behind it. It seems that my late uncle has some secrets… too.”

So he knows how to hide things, huh. But I don’t get why he needs to hide this.

“Woah…”

“That’s amazing.”

“Wait… I never saw him work for this…”

“This… This is a lovely painting.”

The painting displays a hand reaching out the index finger being held by a baby’s hand, perhaps. On the background shows the sky with the sun in it. It looks ordinary, but it expresses a thousand words… a story.

“I… I remember now…”

“Tenth…?”

“When he was still in the hospital… He always ask me to leave him alone in his room and whenever I peek inside, I saw him holding a board and doing something on it.

So it turns out that it was a canvas… Now that I see it…”

“I didn’t know he likes art too…”

“Well… my wall is a bit empty. I can hang this on there.”

“Gin… I’ll help you punch a hole in your house. Why don’t you surprise Ringo later?”

“Yeah, yeah… I bet she’ll be happy.”

As much as nonchalantly I acted, I tried to hide the emotions boiling inside me.

Eijiro had a wish—a wish that was not granted. He wanted to see me, and touch the delicate skin of my infant self. But it can't happen because of his disease.

Now… I wonder if he really passed away without regrets…

▪ ▪ ▪

After an hour, we completely emptied the room. It turns out that he doesn’t have that much things since he was twelve. We bid farewell to the people in the orphanage and went back to the car and left.

“So… I’m assuming you have a plan of some sort. Then what’s next, Dad?”

“Dinner.”

By car, we went up and reached the top of one of the popular plateaus of Cotona. On top of the plateau, there stood an outdoor restaurant that stood out on the night sky. The lights definitely compliment and blend in to the darkness.

The cold air slowly accumulated because of the high point of the restaurant as the sun sank to the horizon.

“What a great view…”

“You like it, Gin? Your mother and I actually came here from time to time when we were still dating. A friend recommended this to us and we like it the first time we went here.

I originally planned to go with you alone but I ended up meeting these two. You pay your own food, okay? I’m only treating my son.”

“Hey… Don’t tell me you ordered a drink too, Dad…”

“Don’t worry. I won’t drink a lot since I’m driving.”

“You three won’t be taking advantage of me being at legal age now. I swear you will never make me drink.”

“Ahahaha…! You’re so pure, musuko!”

“Are you sure you’re not yet drunk, Uncle?”

“Here are your orders, sirs.”

“Thank you very much.”

“Even though this is outdoors, it still has the same old restaurant vibe. It’s just like when I’m at work.”

“How’s work, anyways?”

“I think I won’t be doing work next month, Uncle.”

“Really? Why?”

“My boss told me that the restaurant will be undergoing renovations in the near future. But my bet is it will be next month.

The other problem is when the renovations will last. But while that is happening, I’ll probably sell prints of my art and probably go freelance and accept commissions.”

“Working hard at such a young age… That is why you really amazed me, musuko.”

“…?”

“Even before the night when you took Ringo back at our home, we’ve been observing you ever since you befriended with her. It was July when we moved in that house, and Ringo was feeling really lonely being apart from her old friends.

Then I became very protective ever since. But after a week when she entered school, I always see you waiting for her in front of our house. Starting from that point, me and my wife have placed you on our radar and observed you.

We realized that she’s always happy whenever she’s with you.

But then, you disappeared on the last week of August and she felt lonely again. At first, we shrugged it off, but we later noticed that she’s very worried of you. That was the time when we realized that she started to see you, musuko.

The 1st of September came, my wife and I saw you walking with her, but you looked very different that we almost did not recognize you. Rin came back to her old self now that her mind finally cleared out.

A few days after that, you moved in a house beside ours and saw you having fun with Ringo in the kitchen when we came home. As you saw, I really had a surprised face. But the reason of it was because I never saw my daughter that close to a friend… especially, a guy. After that, she acted really weird and sometimes your name randomly slips out of a conversation.

Then at the 20th, you knocked on our door carrying our daughter, sleeping on your arms.

I bet you didn’t know why I told you to take Ringo on her room, right?”

“…

Aside from her not waking up, I don’t know.”

“Just as I thought. Even if it was vague, it actually means that I accepted you as her someone.”

“…!”

“At that time, I just acted like those clichéd fathers. But in reality, I was very happy that it was you whom my daughter chose.”

“I-I am very much flattered…”

“May I just add… When I heard you two broke up, I immediately knew that there was a reason behind it. I suspected at first, but I understood at the later time. I know that your philosophy of this world and reality is unfair and cruel. So the words I once said came back to my memories…

A man does not truly love his dearest if he can only bring happiness to her.”

“…

Somehow, I really understood what those words really meant.”

“To be honest, I really do hope that I can really call you my son in the future.”

“Please don’t jump too far in the reality yet…”

“To tell you the truth, We’ve been discussing with Ringo herself about the possibility when you two are together for some years now. For example, we’re considering on letting her live with you after a few years.”

“…!

Woah there! That took me off guard, Uncle! What was that about…?”

“It means what it meant, musuko.”

Good grief. Please don’t say it with a very serious face… I won’t take much more.

“Uncle, even though it’s just a consideration, I would ask you to please halt that possibility.”

“…?”

“Just a few months ago, we told you and Aunt that as long as we are seeing each other, we’re fine with the things currently. We promised that nothing of that sort will happen now that we are still students.

And please don’t talk with certainty, Uncle. I swear that it won't be happening even if in college. We’re not going to think about it, unless…

Unless I offer her a ring…”

“Oho~ Did you hear that, Take? It looks like my son is already declaring.”

“Hahaha… I wonder when I will hear those from Akira…”

“Well said, musuko. We have to agree to disagree, right?

I respect your wise decisions. Now you’re talking more like a man. If that ever happens, I’ll ask Yuna to measure her finger in her sleep.”

“Hey, hey… Shuu. Let us not focus on Gin too much. There’s still Kei, who is nearing the climax, you know.”

“Yeah…”

“Oh, I forgot I haven’t given Shiina something back from this glasses I’m wearing.”

“Going back, I was really amazed when I was watching you. You have definitely proven that you can protect our daughter. Though, I was really worried that time when you caught that bomb. If you continue to be on our daughter’s side, as of today, I will seriously consider you like my own son.

You okay with that, Amano?”

“Then we shall do the same thing with Ringo. Gin you better man up more.”

“Haha… I know what I’m doing, Dad.

…”

“Uhh… Gin? You suddenly became quiet. What’s wrong?” Amano asked Gin who suddenly went in a daze.

“Yeah, I know…

Hey, Tenth… Am I going to graduate…?”

…

“Pfft… Ahahahahahahahaha…! You’re seriously worried about that?! What a loser! Hahahaha…!” Tenth laughed excessively.

“Uhh… yeah. Dad, Uncle, I’m introducing this laughing stooge to you. He’s name is Taketo Juushiro, the actual principal of our school who calls his student a loser. He’s a disgrace.”

“Don’t even worry about that, Gin. Of course you’ll graduate. But I would highly suggest if you don’t attend the ceremonies with your injury. That will only attract attention and may potentially serve as an exploit of your identity as an Exile.

To be honest with you, I actually declined the recommendation of your teachers for your awards. I know that you’re a person that doesn’t like to show off his honor to people. You are honorable as you are right now.

…”

“What’s with the pause, Tenth?”

“Alright. Let’s just do this right now. This will be so informal but screw that.

Gin, I declare you as a graduate in this very day.”

And the three of them gave out an applause. We’re just fortunate that no one heard that.

“Congratulations, Gin. Let’s tell Mom and the others later.”

“Congratulations, son.” Shuu asserted.

“’Son…’”

“Congrats, Gin. All you have to do is to wait for your diploma. Consider my words as your reward from all the help you did as one of us. To be honest, I would really want it if you became an acting representative of the Exiles.”

“Thank you very much.

I’ll go think about your offer since it’s not being a leader. We’re now free, but we all decided to do this.”

“I guess this suddenly became a celebration of his graduation, huh. Alright, let’s eat more!”

“I swear you won’t make me drink!”

“Let’s also celebrate our son’s declaration of proposal to my daughter!”

“Eh? Wha- What?!”

“Hahaha… You shouldn’t have told that, Gin.”

“Shut up, Tenth. Just don’t say anything to Akira about this.”

Unbelievably, I graduated even before the actual day of the ceremonies. It is surprising… but it is what it is. I have no complaints about it.

With that said, I have once again taken another step up. There are more things that I need to consider now. I believe that our mourns will always come back just like a wheel that rolls and cycles. But even in the face of the trials, our choice is to move forward as our journeys infinitely expand in the horizon.

The storms will always be there. A lightning may struck us, a thunder might frighten us, the rain might make us ill, and the wind might push us back. But as we move, the storm will die down.

Sometimes, when we look back on our paths, we will see a chasm. That chasm is the representation of time. If we tried to turn back, we will just fall into an abyssal darkness. We do not envision the future. Instead, we make it ourselves. The future is not just a line. We venture the never ending path of lines and we turn left and turn right.

But as we walk on that, there are no extension lines that lead back. We reach our hand to the small, and we don’t laugh at the weak. We walk down the road, and so we take another step.

One step remaining.

See you in the last chapter.