"There," the physician straightened the tubes that came out of the catheter and filter attached to Chiharu's abdomen. "I've infused her with her usual dialysis solution. This is only a short term management of her condition, though, so I recommend that she starts switching from bimonthly peritoneal dialysis to regular hemodialysis at least three times a week for three hours each. She might eventually require a minor surgery where the surgeons make an opening in a blood vessel by connecting an artery to a vein. For now, she's stable and her pain should be gone soon. You know my number if the pain persists."

"Thank you, but where did her pain come from?" Lee asked the physician while gently holding Chiharu's pale hand. "Is it her uric level? But she's been taking her Allopurinol religiously. Those tablets are supposed to control the uric acid in her blood, aren't they?"

"I might have to increase the dose or pair it with a different medicine altogether," the physician said while removing her stethoscope and reaching for a pen and a sheet of paper in her briefcase, jotting down a prescription. "I can't confirm anything yet until I send your wife for an x-ray or MRI and biopsy, but I suspect she's become immune to the Allopurinol at her current dose. I'm prescribing soursop leaves extract for now. The leaves have high content of vitamin A and vitamin B, which could help her body break down crystalized uric before they become kidney stones. The natural flavonoid content could also inhibit the enzyme xanthine oxidase and prevent more uric acid build up. Just make sure she doesn't take the leaf extract on an empty stomach."

"I understand." Lee nodded quietly, still not letting go of Chiharu's hand. "There's another thing I'd like to know more about. Lately, my wife finds it harder to stay asleep at night and even when she manages to sleep she always wakes up not feeling well-rested enough. Sometimes I would caught her breathing become shallower in her sleep. Is this a cause for concern?"

"Does her breathing ever stop abruptly and then start again? If that cycle of breathing and not breathing goes on throughout the night, that's a symptom of sleep apnea, commonly found among thalassemia patients with comorbidity of decreased renal function," the physician frowned. "If you don't mind, sir, perhaps it would provide your wife some relief if we get her airway pressure machine. It works by keeping her airway open while she sleeps."

"Anything to help her." Lee said with a tremor in his voice. "Are her kidneys still functioning the same way they do per her last check up or have their rate of waste filtration worsened?"

"That's to be determined by ultrasound and CT scan at the nephrologist's office," the physician explained. "In the meantime, watch out for signs like unusually infrequent urination and greatly diminished appetite. She should also reduce consumptions of highly processed grains and salty foods. As for foods that she should consume more, try incorporating foods high in vitamin D like herring, sardines, almond milk, egg yolk, and spinach. Also limit intake of coffee if possible."

"Thinking about the progression of her degenerative disease makes me feel a bit hopeless." Lee sighed softly as he watched the dialysis equipment cleaned out excess waste from Chiharu's bloodstream. "But it must be even more distressing for my daughter. She doesn't say much but she fools no one."

"Your daughter is very mature for a teen," the physician nodded as she took notes of Chiharu's blood pressure and heart rate. "But even the most mature teens still need their mothers. What you can do for now is to keep on ensuring you're a safe person for her to lean on when she's sad."

----

While the physician was tending to Chiharu, Ezekiel had left Kenta's room to check on Akira. He found her sitting by the koi pond and staring at the magenta sky with Miyuki and Sebby curled up at her feet. Gently, the boy called her name and she turned to him with wet eyes.

"Ezie," she mouthed. "I didn't think you'd find me here, but thanks for keeping me company."

"I don't know how to make everything better," he said, careful to enunciate every syllable. "But I want you to know that I can relate, a little bit, about having a mom but feeling as if we don't."

"Oh, yeah, your mom lives a planet away." Akira replied while stroking Sebby's fur. Miyuki meowed and head-butted her hand, demanding to be stroked too. The girl smiled and put a hand on Miyuki's back. To her surprise, her hand brushed Ezekiel's and she looked up with a blush.

Akira's soulful chocolate eyes and Ezekiel's iridescent topaz eyes met, causing both teens to be even more flustered. Out of nowhere, Ezekiel raised Akira's chin up, grinning a little.

"I never knew your eyes are so dazzling," he said. "If you let me, I could be gazing at them all day. Oh man, what am I doing? Here you are feeling like your world is ending and I just—"

Ezekiel gasped as Akira slipped her hand on his hair and slowly brought his face closer to hers by grabbing the back of his neck. Before long, there was no space between them at all.

"Akira, why are you--?" his question was cut short as Akira sealed his lips with hers. Closing his eyes and returning the kiss, he breathed in Akira's lingering scent of green apple and aloe vera. He stopped inhaling the intoxicating smell when a warm tear trickled down Akira's cheek.

"Ezie," she whispered breathlessly. "You make the end of the world more bearable. But maybe, just maybe, as my world as I know it is ending there's actually a new world waiting to be discovered. Maybe you can be my guide in this new world, if you wouldn't mind. Would you?"

"Are you... are you asking me out?" Ezekiel gasped. "I've never had anyone asked me out."

"Ezekiel Swenson, would you take me as your girlfriend? I know that we've only met like yesterday but I feel so safe around you. So safe and protected, you're like a comfy blanket."

"Me? Not like, Baz or any other more charismatic guy? Me, a plain and ordinary person?"

"Baz is a fine fella, yes, but I don't feel anything when I'm around him. Give me your answer, yes or no? It is okay if you don't want to be my boyfriend, I know this is so sudden and—"

"Yes." Ezekiel said firmly. "Yes, I like you too, Akira Kinoya. I'm so happy that I could dance if I have no restraint. I didn't think my feelings would go anywhere because usually Baz is the chick magnet despite not being into chicks or even dudes, but here you are confessing to me so confidently. Oh man, Aiden is so gonna tease us when he finds out, that little twerp."

"Who cares about Aiden's teasing? I'm used to him making fun of me." Akira put a hand on her hips, the crease on her forehead deepening. "All I care about is Kenta's opinion. I trust his opinion on guys, he seems to have a discerning taste. I hope he approves of us being together."

Ezekiel just laughed at her statement but his laughter was interrupted by the sound of water splashing. Miyuki had fallen into the koi pond and Sebby was meowing while swishing his tail.

"How did you even fall?" the boy rolled his jeans up to his knees and plunged into the pool, wading through the water lilies to grab the flailing cat. "Were you roughhousing with Sebby? Hey, stop trashing around! I got you, kitty, let's dry you. Wait until Baz hear about this, Akira. Looks like the kitties have been up to no good. Maybe we can expect kittens soon?"

"Is she even of age?" Akira's laughter was like wind chimes echoing through a forest. "She's barely an adult cat. Oh man, I'm glad cats don't have laws about statutory stuff like humans do."

"You and your delightfully inappropriate jokes." Ezekiel laughed along and planted a kiss on top of Akira's head. "Let's head back before Miyuki gets cold. Wow, what a day today has been!"

---

When the new couple entered Kenta's room, they were greeted with the sight of a trembling Johan crying softly onto Kenta's pullover shirt, with Nardho and Nardhia holding his hands.

"Uh-oh. Johan, was the Lassie movie that sad?" Akira sat next to him and gave him a gentle hug. "It's okay, man, it's just a movie. There's no actual dying dog and all dogs go to heav—"

"It's not the movie." Kenta spoke up. "He is sad about his home life. His parents have been fighting. Nardho and Nardhia are sad too. It's a difficult time for all three of them."

"Mom and dad weren't nice to each other!" Nardho pouted and Nardhia nodded. "They were calling each other names, there were soda bottles flying, and dad was throwing a clay pot too."

"Mom seemed angry at dad about something he said to Johan." Nardhia directed her attention toward Ezekiel and Akira. "Something about how he didn't like finding some comic books in Johan's room. I don't understand. Why are comic books bad? They're just books."

"I'll tell you when you're older." Johan said in between sobs. "Just know that they're not like Nardho's superhero comics or your comics about girls with magical power, okay? Those comics are about two boys, just boys like me and Kenta and Ezie, but they become more than friends."

"Dad doesn't want boys to be even closer friends?" Nardhia tilted her head. "That's awful."

"Friends are friends!" Nardho fist-bumped her sister. "And loving your friends is good, right?"

"Oh sweet summer children, so innocent." Johan pulled his younger siblings into a hug. "You twins are so unbelievably cute, how did I get lucky to end up being your older brother?"

"Maybe Mother Mary knew you'd be a good brother and so she gave you us!" Nardho grinned.

"I didn't know you're a Catholic." Kenta smiled at Johan. "Is that why you're wearing those cross-shaped earrings? All this time I thought they were just some fashion that looks super cool."

"Yeah, I am. Actually, that's another thing mom and dad have been arguing about." Johan sighed before burying his face onto Kenta's pullover shirt again. "Dad wants me to go to Southern Black Elm Academy of Divinity after high school so that I can begin my training as a pastor, but mom thinks that I should go to a regular university. I'm glad that mom supports my dream of studying xenobiology even if it means I'd have to live abroad, but I hate seeing my future becomes a topic of argument at home. Why can't I do both, being a pastor and a xenobiologist?"

"That does sound terrible." Kenta squeezed Johan's hand in sympathy. "My parents had once wanted me to consider being a priest, but when they learned I'm more interested in plants than in looking after a shrine they never bring up the priest stuff anymore. I wish you could have grown up in my family, Johan. No one deserves to have their parents pull them in two directions."

"Life is life." Johan shrugged before forcing a smile, two dimples appearing on both sides of his mouth. "By the way, Akira, here's your birthday gift." He rummaged through his backpack and handed the girl a book titled 150 Infernoan Colleges and Universities That Have Impacted Youths Since the 22nd Century. "You still have like three years before you head to college, but I heard from Kenta you're already stressing out. Hopefully this could help you avoid being even more stressed. I have a copy myself. It's very comprehensive, it even has a section dedicated to teaching the readers how to write stellar essays for the admission officers, complete with an analysis of what makes an essay good or bad. This book is a lifesaver and I'm not exaggerating."

"Oh my goodness!" Akira squealed and jumped from her seat in giddiness, giving Johan a hug that almost knocked him off balance. "This is the greatest gift I've ever received from anyone."

"Thank you for making my girlfriend very happy, buddy." Ezekiel lightly slapped Johan on the back. "Seeing her this happy makes me happy too, so I owe you one. You're a good gift-giver."

"Girlfriend?" Kenta cocked his head. "Oh, praise kami-sama! Your love life's moving so fast, Akira. Good for you. You do need someone who can listen to you when I'm not around."

"What do you mean when you're not around?" Akira punched him playfully, smirking. "You and I will always stick together because we're practically glued like an envelope and its stamp ever since our childhood. Oh!" she smacked her head in a dawning realization. "You mean when we head off to different colleges, don't you? Yeah, it's bound to happen sooner or later."

"I haven't thought much about going to college because my goal is to enter the workforce as soon as I finished my schooling." Ezekiel said in a hushed tone. "Sorry, Akira, not to be a party pooper but I have to tell you upfront that we eventually might have to do a long distance thingy."

"That's okay, let's not think too hard about it for now. We'll cross the bridge when we get to it, Ezie." Akira snuggled onto his chest. "But I want you to help me out. Do you think you and I can practice writing essays together? And you can read my book, in case you change your mind about college. I'm sure we can find you some colleges with a culinary arts program. You want to be a chef, don't you? You'll be so good at it, I have no doubt in your cooking skills."

"Isn't there a famous community college in White Banyan with a prestigious culinary arts department?" Kenta cut in. "I once thought about applying there but then I realized cooking is merely a hobby I indulge in every now and then but it's not something I want to be a pro at."

"I don't know if I want to be White Banyan-bound in the future." Ezekiel fiddled with the mood ring on his finger. "Sure, it would be nice to live on the same planet as my mom but I really like living on Silver Pine and I do want to be able to keep watching over Aiden. He needs me."

"I get it." Johan gave him a sympathetic nod. "It can be difficult to be separated from a sibling. I remember Nardhia was so upset when I told her I might go to a faraway university. You love me so much, don't you, Dhia?" Johan ruffled his sister's hair affectionately. "I love you too."

"When it's my and Nardho's turn to go, I'm making sure we're going to the same university! I won't have it any other way! Maybe even your university." Nardhia stared at Johan with a determined look. "Nardho and I better start studying hard like you do at school, Johan."

"Are you sure you are only six years old?" Johan chuckled. "You speak like an eleven year old."

"Ah, kids grow up way too fast. Blink and they're in middle school." Kenta chimed in with a hint of longing. "I feel like that happened to me. I was a kid and now I'm in high school. Not saying I want to re-live my childhood, but yeah, the years go by very quickly. We're old!"

"Old? Nah, if we're old then what are our parents? Museum exhibitions?" Akira giggled.

"Heh. Imagine all of us being dug up by archaeologists one day, gaping at what used to be Homo sapiens. Maybe in the future, like, I dunno, the 30th century, us humans already evolve into a being of higher consciousness. Maybe we will be invisible beings!" Kenta marveled excitedly.

"The future is both exciting and scary." Akira smiled wearily. "I want you guys to promise me one thing. No matter what, we will always be friends, understand? No ghosting each other."

"Of course." Johan, Kenta, and Ezekiel put their hands on top of Akira's. "Friends forever."