Chapter 35

"Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow."

"Can you sit still?"

"Dude, you're stitching me up without pain killers, no amount of manning up is going to make it better."

Ambulances cost upwards of seven hundred dollars. That was half his rent. No way Owen and Masafumi could afford that. Better to buy a cheap med kit from the dollar store and do the stitches himself. In the darkness of night, it was near impossible but Owen had treated worse injuries in even worse circumstances. Sitting at a parking lot and stitching his friend's wounds was, though difficult, very much in the realm of plausibility for Owen.

"The moon," Masafumi suddenly said. "It's super bright today."

"It's not just bright," Owen stated. "It's a blue moon."

"A blue moon…wait, is that why…?" Masafumi scrunched up in thought. "Blood moons are known in legend to increase blood lust. Blue moons, I guess, chain them deeper to the world."

"Learn something new?"

"It's not like I have a teacher, so yeah. The manual is just me, folklore, and mythology."

"So what was this ghost's deal? She kept mentioning Alex. I assume a lover?"

Masafumi shrugged. Bad idea when he was stitching. He winced and stammered out, "P-probably…!"

"Love always makes ghosts strong, huh? In the past, I almost always overpowered them." Owen's strength, sharpened through experience and rigorous training, was nothing to scoff at. For his size and build, he was extra-extra-extra-strong. 

"The more people that see a ghost, the more its story gets spread, the stronger it gets. This thing's legends were spreading from here all the way to Chicago. I knew I had to investigate," Masafumi said.

"I do remember you mentioning that. Strength from people's thoughts." Owen hummed. "It's unbelievable as it is stupid."

"It's been almost three years since we last saw each other. I'm surprised you remember anything at all," Masafumi joked.

Owen snickered. "As if I could forget everything. The day I learned ghosts were real was the day I knew my life would never be the same."

From there, Owen asked regular guy stuff. Like where he lived now, where he worked, and what he planned to do. The conversation ended when Owen's phone rang. He pulled out his phone, checked the name, and went wide-eyed. He cursed under his breath and finished the last of the stitches.

"It's done," Owen said hurriedly, getting up. "Sorry, I have to take this."

Masafumi didn't say a word and let him walk away to answer. Hurriedly, Owen answered it and brought the phone to his ears. "Sorry—"

"Owen! You're okay! OhgoshIwassoworried!"

"Sorry, Ophelia." She was talking faster than Isabella. He levelled his tone to be comforting. "I told you, I'm helping out a friend tonight." Ophelia was very much someone who liked and lived a particular schedule. Generally, at this moment, Owen should be home—but he wasn't. Before he left, he had to explicitly tell her that he was going out and that he wouldn't be back for two hours in order for her to not worry.

"When will you be back? Was it difficult? Oh, should I have a bath ready for you?"

Owen felt a sharp pain on his wrist, noticing the purple bruising. "Yeah, that would be great."

"Oooh, I think we have a couple bath bombs left." Ophelia was rummaging through the bathroom, the sounds carrying over. "Ah! Found it!"

"I'm pretty sure that's Isabella's." Owen knew since her bath bombs were always among his grocery notes. Every week, he bought a pack of nine for twenty bucks. 

"Ehh, don't worry about it! She's sleeping right now! It'll be a secret!" Ophelia was in a jovial tone and Owen wasn't keen on disagreeing when she was acting like that. "Also, also, when will you be back!?"

"In an hour."

"Okay! Take care, mi amor~!" she said in such a loving, supporting tone that he was tempted to keep himself on the phone. Actually, he did and there was an awkward length of silence. "Err, should I hang up first?"

"If you want."

"Um…"

He chuckled. She didn't seem to know why he was prolonging the conversation. 

"Is there something wrong?" Ophelia asked.

"No, no. The sound of your voice over the phone, it's nice to hear."

"H-huh? Really? Thank you, hehe!" She paused to giggle. "I guess we don't talk much over the phone."

"Yeah."

Listening to her giggle and breath over the phone numbed the pain in his wrist. Ophelia had always been with him. Her presence was like a light in the darkness. A place of comfort for him to go to since he was young and confused. If it wasn't for her, he was sure to have given up on life a long time ago.

"Alright, catch you later," Owen said.

He heard her wave through the phone. "Bye-bye!"

Beep! He ended the call and returned to Masafumi. His white shirt was back on and he was currently putting his blue Hanten back on. His head was tilted to the left side and as Owen got closer he heard him talking. It was then he understood that he was on the phone.

"Woah, seriously? Yeah, okay. Uh-huh. Yup. A taxi? No, no, I'll be fine." Masafumi noticed Owen, eyeing him for a few seconds. He proceeded to walk a couple steps away to focus on the call. "Tomorrow morning, promise. Yeah. Bye."

Masafumi ended his own call and he turned back to see Owen smirking. "Was that your girlfriend?"

"Uhhh…" The guy looked like a deer caught in headlights. His pupils flickered to his sides as if searching for an escape path. "Nooo…"

"I mean, I doubt anyone else would offer a taxi all the way back to Chicago."

"She's just a roommate," Masafumi clarified.

"So you pay rent?" With what job, Owen wanted to add.

"Does that matter?"

"Yeah. You're either freeloading or dating."

"Then I'm freeloading." Masafumi said it with finality. Owen wasn't much of a teaser so he let it go. "But I am going back. Can't keep her waiting too long."

"Good luck. Try not to fall in love."

Masafumi groaned, hands behind his head. "Bro, please. It's not like that."

"Sure."

"I'm serious, it's not!"