Closer Together

"Eh?- ah... no." Renir laughed in denial but it was in naught as he went back in a daze. He had the face of a shock for moments, that Imee felt heavy and did not know what to do.

'Something is going on but I guess it's too traumatic for him to talk about or he doesn't trust me yet.' Imee was in a hot spot on her own.

However, Renir did not take long before he woke up from his daze and saw Imee staring at him with a sad expression.

"Eheheh, umm... it's really nothing." Renir laughed but it still seemed force but in reality, he just couldn't get his expression and tone right because of shock. He wasn't even sad in particular. In fact, he was given the hope that it might not be a dream at all, and that made his spirits lifted, clearing some of the regrets he had. In short, he was just simply shocked.

But the deed was already done and Imee thought that Renir wasn't telling her about what was happening. Just by looking at her sad expression, Renir could figure that out.

'I mean, I could say it's just a dream, although it still is.' Renir then decided after a moment in pause;

"Hm, actually, it's nothing because it is about the time I was in a coma and I dreamed of being another world and there I met Veronia, a grandfather-granddaughter pair, and two other more." he told her the truth, "We got out of there by a strange door"

'Although everything was strange there.' he inwardly commented.

"at the same time so it's just shocking to see them in real life and having same circumstances."

"Oh" Imee looked down and pondered.

Renir now felt relieved because in contrary to earlier, she had a face of baffled and curiosity rather than sadness.

"If what you are saying is true then it is shocking. What is the probability of that happening?" Imee smiled, 'I'm glad it wasn't something heavy.' she knew Renir's hardship from childhood until now so it would be heart-wrecking if he still has other burdens that she wasn't aware of, "So what's the dream about? Maybe it really is true." she joked.

"I wish..." Renir murmured and replied, "I'm going to tell you but it was so realistic it would take me more than a day to tell the story and we won't have the time to study."

"Hmm... now I'm curious," Imee leaned forward then back again when she realized how embarrassing for it is to her, "but okay, tell me about it after the test." she laughed.

"Sure" Renir smiled back.

"Speaking of after the test, you still need to fight against that one bully, right?" Imee pointed, "So starting tomorrow, we should jog in the morning every day while your arms are still healing."

Renir nodded but then remembered something, "Ah, I forgot about the letter of excuse that the teachers are requiring. What to do, the teachers said to give it to them at the end of the class, should I go?" he asked Imee with a troubled face.

"Not needed, I'll just talk to them on Wednesday."

"..." Renir replied in silence.

"Hm?" Imee slightly tilted her head again, "What?"

"You're so reliable."

"...." Imee's eyebrows furrowed, "Am I?" she said in innocence but actually. 'Of course, I am! I'm the Rat Hero!' she continued in her thoughts.

They then snacked on the chips in front of them as Renir search through the internet about Veronia.

Apparently, Veronia's full name was, Isah Veronia Grenese. She was a celebrity known for her acting and singing skills, but mostly, her political views.

'She really looks like Veronia, I wonder if they're the same person?' while in these thoughts, Renir then proceeded to search for the ZeYe Corporation and saw Old Ze there. Renir then learned what his real name was, Zheng Ze and her granddaughter, Yen Ze.

Little Ye was diagnosed with a rare heart disease and this made the billionaire travel around the world in search of the cure but the two were then later put in a coma for an unknown reason.

"They were in a coma for the past two months already when both of them woke. So they were in the City of Misfortune for a month?" Renir whispered.

Imee heard this whisper which intensified her curiosity. However, she chose not to push the question and quietly ate the snacks with Renir until break time is over.

Renir's mind wasn't refreshed because of the shock but he wasn't that tired in the first place.

They then studied at their previous pace as they immersed themselves in the notes in their hands and to each other. Unknowingly, their distances to each other became close like before. But this time, they no longer mind that distance and let their shoulders touch each other.

Hours passed by and laughter accompanied the supposed study.

"Hahaha! No, it was in 1922."

"Seriously? So close. So what's the next question?"

The atmosphere in the living room was too comfortable that their shoulders were not only touching but was already leaning against each other.

"So you're still good at math."

"Hmph, I'm good at everything!"

"Pfft, then what are you bad at?"

"Why would I tell you!? That's confidential!"

"Okay, Miss Perfect Girl..."

.....

Outside the apartment, the sun finally hid underneath the horizon that the sky welcomed the night and the full moon...

"Hnggg~~!" Imee stretched before standing up to straighten her leg.

Meanwhile, Renir leaned on the sofa and sighed with a tired expression, "Haah~ that was tiring..."

"What was tiring?" Imee asked with a smile as she happily hopped onto the kitchen to get some water.

"I got tired just from laughing too hard." Renir then climbed onto the sofa and stretched his legs.

"Yeah, me too. My cheeks got tired from smiling too much." Imee came back to the living room while complaining. After she placed the water onto the table, she looked at Renir and massaged her cheeks as she sat down, "I feel like my smile won't go away for a while."

"Ah, me too." Renir chuckled.

"There you go again, laughing. Your face will cramped, you know."

"Seriously?" Renir touched his cheeks,

"Yeah," Imee then reached out her hands, "so you should massage them." with a moment of hesitation, she then continued to touch Renir's cheeks, "Let me try," she whispered.

Their eyes staring at each other while Renir's cheeks were getting played.

"...." Renir's face was heating up not just because of friction, "I thought you don't want to smile for a while?"

"Hehe..." Imee quietly laughed, "But it's so fun playing with your cheeks..."

"Did you just confessed to playing with them?" Renir then put his hands on her cheeks too, "You should stop smiling if you want me to stop too."

"Eh~ I can't help it." Imee softly shook her head.

"I can't massage it well if you don't stay put."

"....." Imee paused for a moment and said, "I didn't think studying could be this fun."

"Who would've thought?" Renir couldn't think anything more to reply as his heartbeat was defeating the silence between words. However, it was not just his heart that was loud.

When they both heard this and realized, their eyes began to evade each other. Their hearts didn't stop beating faster and louder as their sights connect each time they glanced.

"Ummm..." Imee's hands stopped playing and just steadily held Renir's cheeks, she asked, "Are you getting hungry?" her eyes shyly half-closed while they rolled to the side.

"Y-yeah."

After she heard that, she slowly detached her hands from Renir's cheeks as if reluctant to part. At the same time, Renir's hands retreated too.

"...." Imee glanced back and said in a low voice, "Then I'll start cooking our dinner."

"Can I help this time?" Renir said before Imee could turn around.

Hearing this, Imee couldn't help but tease, "Can you keep up with me in the kitchen though?"

"Heh, you're underestimating the man who's a master in house sitting."

"Hoo~ then prove it!" Imee then brought Renir to the kitchen and both of them then cooked while they play...

The night got deeper and Imee changed into her pajamas after showering. When she walked out of the bathroom, she noticed Renir glanced at her with a red face and stiff posture. He then went back to watching the TV as if he didn't know Imee finished her bath.

'Hehe, this is one of the times that I want to tease him...' but then she pitied herself, 'well, if only it wasn;t embarrassing then I could have done it many times before,' that thought was harder for her to admit than what it seemed. She then walked into the living room.

"Renir, it's your turn." Imee dropped onto the sofa beside Renir.

"Uh, yeah... and you look great... in your pajama." he replied while thinking, 'You smell good too. Although I think that would be sexual harassment to say.'

"Oh... thank you." Imee shied away from in a loss as she twirls her hair.

Getting embarrassed by his own words, Renir then walked into the bathroom. While under the shower, he chuckles as he daydreams and smiles while remembering their time earlier.

When he got out of the shower, he saw that Imee was setting up his bed aka the sofa. Out of the three sofas, one is long and there she spread out a blanket, then a pillow on the side.

After seeing Renir got out of the shower in his casual clothes, Imee smiled and nodded, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight to you too." She then escaped to her room after Renir replied.

'So cute...' Renir thought as he laid down on the sofa to sleep, but heard;

[Rune User Renir, use your thoughts to reply if you can hear me.]

"Eh?" he then opened his eyes to see a man standing in front of him. "AH!" he jerked off the sofa.