Roger changed the topic of the conversation, his voice softening. "Ivan, you said something about a child dying right in front of you."
Ivan looked at Roger, who now wore a pleading expression. Ivan understood the unspoken request, but he was appalled by the prospect of recollecting such a traumatic memory. For God's sake, it just happened today, Ivan lamented in his thoughts.
The shift in Ivan's mood was immediately obvious. Daiyu seemed to be the most affected by his sudden change in demeanour.
She asked, her voice gentle, "Ivan, what happened?"
Ivan sighed. He expressed that he didn't want to tell them about the event, but he knew he had to speak, or else the memory would become an unbearable burden on his mind. He recounted the harrowing events of the street flood and the subsequent alien attack. Just as he had done for Roger earlier, he carefully excluded the part where he found Black Riot and the heroic acts he had accomplished with the S-rank weapon.
As he recounted his story, he couldn't help but wonder why he hadn't seen any video or rumour circulating about someone going on a heroic crusade during the attack. He guessed it was such a common occurrence that it wasn't a novelty to people. Perhaps people were simply accustomed to seeing powerful special characters intervene during such calamities.
A second guess Ivan had was that Merlin_13's phantom had subtly tampered with people's gadgets and surveillance cameras on the street; hence, there were no circulating videos about him. Ivan's third, more chilling guess was that the government was actively censoring videos about him while secretly monitoring his actions. This last thought sent a cold shiver down his spine. He wasn't comfortable with that unsettling reality.
Daiyu hugged Ivan tightly, his head resting gently between her bosom. She murmured to him, "Awn, don't be too sad about it. Things happen that we can't control."
Chioma consciously controlled herself from overtly expressing her shock at Daiyu's intimate act towards Ivan. She was quick to notice that Roger also struggled to hide his own surprise. However, Daiyu and Ivan remained oblivious to their friends' reactions, engrossed in their shared moment.
Presently, Ivan felt immense comfort in Daiyu's embrace. The hug and her words of encouragement were precisely what he needed to ease his mind of the crushing guilt. On the other other hand, Daiyu had developed deep feelings for Ivan over the course of their friendship. Ivan, too, harboured some affection for her, but he couldn't bring himself to make a move because she was too open. She had a history of many relationships starting and ending swiftly, often leaving her hurt.
It wasn't her fault. She was simply vulnerable to her own emotions, unable to discern when she was being used for fleeting pleasure. She genuinely liked men and was ready to fall in love with anyone who came her way. This vulnerability scared Ivan, and so he bottled up and tucked away, in a hidden corner of his mind, the emotions he had for Daiyu.
Chioma's and Roger's eyes met. Chioma used a subtle head and eye gesture to silently ask Roger, 'What is Daiyu doing? Is she making a move now? Is this so wrong?'
Roger replied with a quick shrug and hand gestures that clearly translated to, 'I don't know. Leave me out of this.'
Chioma scowled at Roger, which was her customary way of chiding him.
Chioma cleared her throat pointedly and said, "Guys, I want to use the bathroom. Daiyu, I need you to escort me."
Daiyu didn't move, and neither did Ivan, who seemed to have entered a tranquil trance from the comfort of her embrace.
"Daiyu?" Chioma called, her voice a little sharper.
Ivan eventually moved away from Daiyu's embrace. He whispered to her, "Thank you."
Daiyu held his head gently between her hands and whispered back, "It's nothing. I just want you not to feel so guilty about what happened. It was not your fault. It was the child's parents' fault. You are a kind-hearted person, full of love."
"Daiyu, what the hell is wrong with you? When did you go full therapist?" Chioma wasn't having any of Daiyu's sudden, overly caring attitude.
Daiyu then left, escorting Chioma into the restaurant to use its bathroom facilities.
When the ladies had gone into the restaurant, Roger asked Ivan, "Bro, did you notice anything unusual about Daiyu?"
"Huh?" Ivan had a deep frown on his face, clearly still preoccupied.
Roger understood that Ivan was angry with him for coercing him to remember and recount the traumatising event he had witnessed earlier that day.
Roger audibly whispered, "I'm sorry, bro."
Ivan looked away and shook his head, unsure of how else to react to the apology.
In the ladies' bathroom, there were just two visitors: Chioma and Daiyu.
Chioma gently pushed Daiyu a little in the chest and asked, "Girl, what's wrong with you?"
Daiyu said, "I don't understand."
Chioma rolled her eyes, exasperated. "Don't give me that crap. The overcaring attitude – it's obvious that you are making a move on him. I'm not against that, but this is the wrong time. Ivan is obviously traumatised. I bet you that right now, Roger is getting the heat for making him remember the trauma."
Daiyu's emotions flared up. Her eyes became misty with unshed tears. She raised her voice, "Was I wrong to express how I feel to Ivan? I just want someone who loves me. I have been used too many times."
Chioma sighed. She felt a pang of guilt about the harsh manner in which she had confronted her friend. But she believed she was acting for the best. She didn't want to see Daiyu hurt again. If Ivan had caught a whiff that Daiyu liked him and wanted them to start something, he might accept her in his current state of emotional unrest.
But what would happen if Ivan made a sudden, swift recovery? There was a high probability that he wouldn't want to continue the relationship because they were friends to begin with. And they were not just regular friends, but they were like family in this game. They were their own siblings in this lonely reality.
And having an intimate relationship with someone who was considered a sibling was, if thought about, quite unsettling.
Chioma said, "Daiyu, what you did isn't wrong, but the timing is. Ivan is clearly emotionally unstable. He needs to heal to an extent before you two can consider starting up something together.
"By the way, Daiyu, your heart… oh my gosh." Chioma shook her head, a little scared about Daiyu's reaction to what she was about to say. "You and your heart are too open to love. That is why heartless men have come into your life and dumped you. Just try to be tough. People are not nice."