"You'll be discharged soon, if the tests come out fine."

"Is that so?" Theo sighed. "Finally, after a week of torment and boredom, I'll be free..."

A comfortable silence draped over them. Even after their rocky start, Vera felt at ease interacting with Theo. He felt the same. He still did not smile, but the comments, while still snarky, lacked their initial bite. She softly and cheerfully hummed a tune she remembered from her past world.

"Why are you so... happy?"

"It's nothing." Vera handed a bowl of rice at him.

Theo stared at her questioningly. "What am I supposed to do with that?"

"You take it, and then eat it, unless..." Vera moved her face closer to his and gazed through his soul. "You want me to feed you."

Theo flushed as he felt her warm breath touch her skin. He shuddered, and recoiled at the proximity. She just laughed at his reactions.

"I was just kidding!" His flaming face did not go unnoticed. "Wait... You actually considered it? Perhaps..." Vera moved even closer at him. She stared straight through his blue eyes. "You like me?"

Theo pushed her away in shock. "Hell no!"

"Ouch..." Vera touched her bum which collided with the floor. "No need to react like that, I was just teasing!"

"It's not funny!"

"For you, maybe."

Theo did not dignify it with a response. He grabbed the bowl of soup, and proceeded to drop a spoonful of rice over his wide open mouth.

'What a quirky way of eating,' thought Vera.

---

Theo was staring outside at the orange skies with a hint of longing. The sun was about to hide itself from the world, as the day was about to end.

"Theo..."

Theo shifted his gaze towards her. "Hmmm?"

"Why..."

"Why what?"

"... Nothing..."

"Come on! You've started it. Don't leave me hanging here!"

"Uh... Don't be offended..."

"Why would I be offended?"

"Well, you may not like the question I'd ask you."

"Really? Let's see."

"Okay... I warned you." Vera took a deep breath. "Here it goes. Why don't I see other people come and visit you."

"..." The atmosphere in the room became heavier.

Vera, seeing Theo's stoic face, immediately backtracked. "It's okay if you don't tell me!"

"No... I don't mind... I'm just surprised." Theo paused and looked at her. "It's just that---"

---

"---you're always missing, Theo! We don't want to associate with you anymore." The young man, presumably the team's leader, stood in front of Theo. His eyes were cold and full of anger, as the two behind him averted their gazes.

Theo's heart felt cold. "W-what? B-but... I..."

"No buts! You've ditched us like a thousand times already!" said the man.

"No..." argued Theo. "It was only---"

His attempt to argue fell on deaf ears. "You even forgot to attend the performance yesterday! Do you know how much it broke Kuro's heart, huh?" The said person had his head bent down, avoiding Theo's gaze.

Theo tried to hold them. "I'm s---" The three just dodged.

"We're done with you."

The three passed through him. Only one of them bothered looking back at him, eyes full of worry and sorrow. Theo did not notice this, and just stared ahead.

'... why?' Tears pooled beneath his eyes, yet he made no effort to wipe them. He just watched the leaves from the trees fall down, one by one, as his heart was broken, pulverized mercilessly by their words.

'I guess I deserve this for not telling and trusting them about my disease... It's just that... I didn't want them to treat me differently...' Theo chuckled. 'And here's what I get. For having an incurable sickness that will not let me survive past early adulthood. My father leaving us, as I am broken... Useless... Now, my friends left me, too...'

His feet carried him towards the school well, where it was said that any one who wished there will come true.

'I guess I am desperate, huh?' He chuckled darkly at his misery. 'I don't even believe at this wish-granting myth... It's only for the hopeless... Wait... Aren't I one now?' He laughed. 'It won't hurt to try it... As long as no one sees me, it'll be fine.'

He reached for a coin in his pocket, and closed his eyes. 'They said that you should make a wish first with your eyes closed, then drop the coin afterwards, right? Here it goes...

'I wish...' He wondered what his heart really wanted. An extended life? But Theo had come on terms with it already. He wasn't afraid to die. It's just that he does not want to leave his mother alone, and this world with regrets. 'My mother wouldn't be alone, though. She has Leonor, her best friend... It would hurt, yes, but she has someone... Unlike me...' He realized what he really wanted. 'My father... my friends... They left me, for reasons I have no control... because of my sickness... That's why...

'I wish...' Theo inhaled deeply, trying to calm himself down. 'I wish to find someone... someone that wouldn't leave me until the end... someone who would accept me for everything that I am... someone like Leonor to my mother... or perhaps, even more...'

---

"---they're busy, I guess." His eyes showed that even he himself doubted his own words.

"Is that so?" She frowned at his lie. 'Why are you hiding it...'

"Yep." He tried giving her what he thought was a convincing tone, but it wasn't.

She did not push the matters further. 'He still doesn't trust me completely, huh?' Vera just smiled. 'Well then. Challenge accepted. I'll make you trust me and enjoy the rest of your days, for you and your mother.'

"Why are you smiling?" said Theo with a deadpan face. "It's creepy."

"Huh? Who's creepy!?"

"You."

"I'm no---" Theo forcefully shoved a piece of diced apple into her mouth. She chewed and swallowed it in reflex. Theo had a small smile on his face, which quickly disappeared. "What were you doing? I almost choked!"

"It's not my problem. You weren't watching." Theo picked up a piece of the diced apple and plopped it in his mouth.

Vera stormed outside the room in anger. 'Damn him---'

Her rant was cut short when she felt herself collide with something.

"Watch where you're going!" Or someone, rather.

"I'm sorry," Vera looked at the face of the person she bumped into.

"You're so careless! What if--- oh Vera, it's you," said Clarissa. She calmed down after she saw a familiar face staring back at her. "Why were you storming off like that?"

"Uh, it was nothing." Clarissa showed doubt at her words. Even for Vera, it seemed untrue, but she reaffirmed it nonetheless. "I'm serious!"

"Really?" Vera nodded. "You really looked angry, you know? Did Theo bother you?"

"No," denied Vera. "Not much, at least."

"Alright... I'll get going." Clarissa opened the door. "Vera..."

"Yes?"

"I'd just like you to know that he'll be discharged tomorrow."

"Really?" Vera asked, excited. Her excitement however, dropped as she saw Clarissa's sorrowful and somber eyes. "Are you okay, Clarissa?"

"Yes... It's just that I am not sure if I'm doing the right thing... I want him to stay here, but..."

"Maybe you're wrong, or you're right... But... I think that making him stay here will only make him miserable. The least we could do is to let him have fun... Right?"

Clarissa nodded hesitantly. "Thanks..." She gave a small smile at Vera.

"There you go! I'll just stroll around first."

"Take care."