"The doctor said it's still too early for you to eat junk," Mizuno says with a grin on his face.
"If you want delicious food, then I will be more than willing to help you also, I mean… if you don't mind?" Kara looks at Sera and Mizuno with a smile.
As they are talking right in front of the hospital building, Hachi arrives. "Brother, we need to go—I mean, if you don't want to get ready for tomorrow's party, then."
"Right, right, coming." Kara looks at both Mizuno and Sera. Sera waves her hand. Kara looks at her.
I fell for her again… this is three times already. But this time, is it really her I fell for? Kara, thinking, returns a soft wave at Sera and turns back.
Both of the parties return to their own places. Kara enters a giant mansion-like building with a sign of Stellar Orphanage.
"Big bro Kara is back, everyone!" A small child comes his way, calling out to everyone. Kara sits down and looks at the boy.
"Did you guys miss me?" Kara says to the children. Kara keeps talking with the children.
Hachi walks a bit and talks to a maid sitting right there. "Umm, so he decided to do the party tomorrow, so we need to start now."
"Okay, Miss Hachi, on it right away," says the maid, and turns to inform.
Back at Seka's house—
"Ahh, good to be home, sweet home," says Sera. I want to watch some TV.
She goes to the sofa. "Mizuno, where is the sofa?"
Mizuno looks at her. "Did you forget what happened after I invited brother Kara?"
"NO, I completely forgot about it! What am I supposed to do now?" She starts to drop tears and lies on the floor. "I don't even want to think about it. I was barely holding on with the rent—now this… how am I going to even…"
Mizuno looks at her. "Does it mean that we should…" Mizuno looks at her with a bit of sadness.
"No time to think these things right now—I am taking a bath." Mizuno says, and then runs off to the bath.
Again, it's happening again… how many times are we going to change our stay? Mizuno thinks to himself, laying his back against the door inside the bath.
Sera starts to think Wait… there are still lots of things I need to do. Now Chio is gone, I have to reassess my rank, my license, my other apartment and all the stuff there… wait, I don't have much stuff at that place.
She looks around her room. "Wait, there is like no stuff to wear for the party."
Then she remembers a gift she gifted to Chio. "Wait… that gift!" She gets inside her closet and picks out shorts and a t-shirt. She gets out and runs to Chio's apartment.
Ghurak!
The door in a dark apartment opens.
It's Sera. She looks here and there. It's kind of nostalgic here…
Tack!
She turns on the light. Hmm, at least this place had light and water. Let me see all the clothes.
She opens a closet, finding only 3–5 clothes hung in the closet, with a box set like brand new, unopened.
Well, there it is, she thinks.
She opens the box to find a dress inside—a pastel blue with gold stripes.
She gets out and finds an old woman.
"Oh my, are you a friend of Chio?" the grandma asks.
"Uhh, sort of," Sera says. "Actually, Grandma, Chio will be moving in with me from now on, so I might move everything within four days."
The grandma says, "It is quite sad to hear it, but I am happy for her too… also, I don't think this is appropriate, but tell her: 'You should just go and tell him. Don't waste your time just because it might sound impossible—even if it's little, it is something.'"
Sera looks at the grandma and says, "I will, Grandma Bobo." And Sera returns with a smile.
Did I just dream? 'Cause I thought that girl felt like Chio, the grandma thinks.
Sera, on the way back walking, starts to think of her past with the grandma.
"Did you see the person you love with someone close to you?" the grandma asks Chio.
Looking at the grandma, "H-how did you know?" Her eyes glisten.
The grandma looks outside the window. "I mean, I was the same too, before I got my husband. Shy, scared, not sure… my rival was even my best friend. She dated my man even before I could tell her. It came out as a surprise, but after only some days… I was feeling hate for my best friend. So I—"
"Grandma, we need you here!" a person calls from the ground up.
She looks at Chio. "Maybe let's continue it another time," says the grandma, and then she walks away.
Kichik!
The door lock opens, then Sera enters her house. I rent this house 'cause it was cheap, but it's not the best one. Still, the increase in the cost… I wonder what we should eat today. She walks with the box in her hands.
"Mizuno, I am back," Sera says as she gets inside. She prepares dinner, makes her bed, and lays down.
Just say it to him, huh… would things turn out this way if she did that…
Birds are chirping in the trees. The window curtains open. Sera stretches her body.
She walks in the hallway, enters the kitchen, pulls a chair, and sits. She leans her back and sighs. "This week is going to be too much work," she says as she looks down on the table to find a note.
The note reads: "Hey sis, so Big Bro Kara asked me to help with the preparation, 'cause it seems they couldn't finish it. He said you should not worry much and come at 6."
She prepares cereal and sits, thinking: It's been a while since I went to Kioku. I mean, what am I to do with my license now? I am a new person… should I just make a new one? Maybe I should ask Kara for help.
"Mizuno, can you, like, take these to the maids?" Kara asks Mizuno.
"Sure," Mizuno grabs a box and starts to move.
"Ahchuu!" Kara sneezes. "That was sudden. Did I catch a cold or something?"
"Maybe someone is really missing you," says Mizuno as he walks away smirking.
Sera gets ready for the party. She combs her hair, wears some lipstick, gets ready, and leaves her house. She finds a carriage, gets in, and goes to the party.
Sera starts walking toward the gate.
"Excuse me, Miss, may I see your invitation card?"
Sera gets shocked. Wait, did you need an invitation? I don't think anyone gave me one. She starts to think.
The guard tells her: "No one's allowed without a card."
She stands there, just staring.
"The party is not for everyone, Miss. Not every person is invited, you know," the guard says.
"I– I…" Right then she tries to talk, but the words just don't come out.
"Ma'am, if you don't have it, then please don't make a line," the guard asks calmly, as we see a line forming.
She steps back and stands on the stair side, still embarrassed, looking down as people walk by, noticing her. I can feel it, she thinks.
We see people. I can sense that every person has a strong aura; everyone is either an A and higher-ranking party member… and nobles…
Tak.Tak.
Footsteps walking.
Sera notices. Wait, footsteps?
A man comes out of the building with his coat on his arms. Both the guards at the door salute him as he gets out.
Sera looks ahead, her face still red, eyes calm, lips glossing. "It's—" Almost as she says it…
"Kara!" some girl calls his name as he walks right outside.
He turns around and finds a beautiful girl standing on his left, waving her hand and smiling.
"Kara, how are you? Nice to see you," she says. She is in a beautiful one-piece with a skirt right beneath the knees, with very brown hair. Sera watches it all, standing right in the middle.
The girl walks towards Kara, her face full of fluster. She looked cute, attractive, talkative.
As Kara moves towards the girl, he doesn't see Sera in the corner.
"Oh, I was wondering why you didn't show up," says Kara.
Sera's eyes open wide with sadness and shock. Wait, did he just come out to meet her? Why did I even put my hopes up… Sera starts to think to herself.
She clenches her hands, resting them on her stomach in an elegant way.
Her lips tighten up in frustration.
"Ka—" she tries to speak, but the words just disappear. But why… was our relation that complex? He just gave up for her… she thinks.
Her eyes keep looking at Kara from the corner as he is talking to the girl. They start to tear up slowly. No… my makeup, it will all get bad if I… Just as she thinks, a tear drop rolls down.
Kara finishes talking with the girl, then thinks: This sadness… this pain I sense… where is it coming from? as he waves to the girl entering the venue.
"Yo Kara, honey, how are you? Doing well?" Right as Kara turns around, another voice.
A beautiful woman walks in front of him. She speaks with him.
Her eyes feel heavy as she looks at him and murmurs: Why did I bother coming? Of course everyone will like him. And… I am not even his one and only anymore. Does he not see me like he used to?
Right as the other girl leaves, Kara puts his hand on his chest and grabs the shirt around it.
"It's getting more painful," then he thinks: Where is she?
His eyes open wide as he feels a warmth.
He turns around—right where Sera is, wiping off her tears. He keeps staring at her…