Inside the white corridors of the hospital, two figures were walking.
A nurse was guiding a young man to a room, to see a patient that had been interned earlier in the day.
The young man was, of course, Aleen; and the patient he was going to visit was Claire.
After he and Aya ate lunch, the pair returned to the waiting room. They waited for two hours and finally, a nurse came and told them that Claire was awake.
Aleen immediately asked to see her.
The nurse nodded, but unfortunately, the hospital allowed only one person visiting at a time, so Aleen apologized to Aya and followed the nurse.
It did not take long for Aleen and the nurse to reach Claire’s room.
“You can enter.” The nurse said. “But you can stay at most thirty minutes.”
Aleen nodded and opened the door.
Inside the room, Claire was lying on a bed with the eyes closed.
When Aleen entered, she instantly opened her eyes.
“Bro…” She said weakly and tried to sit.
Aleen quickly went to help her, but Claire shook her head and rejected his help. “I’m not a cripple yet…” She said with a wry smile.
Aleen frowned when he heard her words, but in the end, he sighed helplessly.
Moving a chair beside the bed, he sat and grabbed Claire’s hand.
“How are you feeling?” He asked with a concerned expression.
“A bit weak, But I already felt better.”
Aleen smiled softly and used his hand to comb her hair. He could see that her expression was pale, and her red eyes were dimmer than normal. Compared to the lively girl he saw before going to the game, the current Claire seemed like someone completely different.
Aleen felt his heart to ache after seeing her current state.
After all, Claire was his only remaining family, even if they were not related by blood.
To be honest, he was not sure if he could continue living normally if something happens to her.
‘I need to get 9000 coins soon!’ Aleen resolved himself to get the method to cure Claire, no matter how hard it is.
Meanwhile, though, he did his best to not show his worry to her.
“… How did you faint?” He asked after confirming that she was not feeling pain anywhere.
Claire put on a confused expression and touched her head. “I’m not sure. I began to feel a bit weak and decided to rest on the couch, but before I could reach there, a wave of heat suddenly came out from my chest and the next thing I remember, I was already here.”
Aleen furrowed his brows when he heard it. “Fortunately, you are alright.”
Claire smiled and rested her head on his shoulder.
“… How is Aya?”
“Don’t worry, she is fine.” Aleen said. “She was very helpful in today’s game, you know. To be honest, I’m not sure if I would have survived if she would not have come with me… Well, the game difficulty would have been lesser if she did not enter, so maybe it would have been the same…”
“Is it so? What did she do?”
Aleen explained everything that happened inside the game, highlighting Aya’s skill and Lily’s strength. He did not hide anything, but tried not to speak about the deaths too much.
When Aleen finished speaking, Claire giggled softly.
“I was astonished when Aya and her cat were swallowed by the portal, but I’m glad that they are fine and were of help. Is she in the waiting room?”
Aleen nodded.
“I see… Hey, about miss Leona’s proposal. Have you thought about it?”
“I don’t know…" Aleen replied after hesitating slightly. "Aya is pretty reliable, and after cooperating with her, I have the feeling that she is someone trustworthy; but, I’m not sure if making a team with her is the right choice…
“Though, to be honest, I would like to team with her.”
“Is it so…” Claire muttered softly and lowered her head. For an instant, an expression of sadness appeared on her face.
‘… I want to help brother too.’ She said in her mind, but her mouth said something completely different.
“She looks like a good girl.”
Aleen nodded, unaware of his sister’s thoughts.
“… When are we going to go home?” Claire asked after staying silent for a while.
Aleen patted her head gently. “The nurse told me that they were going to carry out some exams and if everything looks good, you will be discharged tonight.”
Claire nodded and closed her eyes while resting on Aleen’s shoulder.
Like that, the pair of siblings continued conversing until the nurse came to remind Aleen that his time was up. Aleen then hugged Claire gently and left the room.
Once Aleen was gone, Claire touched her chest and lied in the bed.
With a desolate expression, she raised a hand and looked at the light bulb illuminating the room.
“Maybe, you would be better without me.”
Nobody was there to hear the girl’s soft whisper.
thx for the chappy
Claire needs a cookie
Yeah, you better with me, he is your 'brother'