Chapter 03

SUE’S REVIVAL

-

That night, I discovered something interesting about myself –

“My body has a back-up battery.”

-

And so, there came five things causing turmoil inside my cerebrum.

NUMBER ONE: If I were to be asked what happened right after they found me along that dusky alleyway, half-dying from a one-and-a-half-inch-wide stab wound, and before I opened my eyes to find myself already inside the recovery room of the university hospital, lying on an inclined bed with ventilators and vital sign monitors hooked on me, I wouldn’t answer. I wouldn’t because I couldn’t.

How and when did I get here? My bloodied school uniform had been changed to a white hospital gown, my hair dried and combed decent enough to be considered ‘neat’, and my stab wound carefully stitched, disinfected, and gauzed. Was the lacunar amnesia an adverse effect of the midazolam they gave me pre-surgery? Or was it simply the effect of some extreme case of catecholamine overdose secondary to running God-knows-how-many kilometers down the streets of Shibuya to save my life? Either way, arriving at the most logical conclusion did not require some extensive differential diagnosis – Amnesia isn’t a cliché when you realize that your heart just ‘froze’. I consider it as a psychogenic reaction to some mega weirdness. Perhaps during that brief, unremembered interval, my brain suddenly decided to join the Stopping Organs Club and… well…. stopped too.

NUMBER TWO: Why in the world am I still alive? Not-so-long ago, I experienced how it was like to be ‘dead’. I felt really scared for the very first time in my life. I was so frightened with the thought of ‘dying’. There were still a lot of things I wanted to do – work as an SAT agent, practice medicine to make okaa-san proud, become the best wife to My Destiny – Kojima-sama, give birth to six little Jet Li-kicking Kojima kids, and grow old to see this good world evolve into something more interesting. The main point was that death just couldn’t happen yet.

Is that why my heart came to the rescue? I never knew that a human heart could also act like a circuit breaker – or was it only true for right-sided hearts? There was no way of knowing.

NUMBER THREE: Sen is a donkey – a descendant of a wild ass. Screw his drool-inducing rectus abdominis, his Cloud Strife-motorcycle-super-moves, and his peculiar blue-black eyes. Even the hottest donkey God in Heaven created does NOT turn me on.

The fact that he wanted me dead does not make things between us any cooler either.

NUMBER FOUR: But why on earth did Sen have to lie? Why did he ‘rescue’ me when he actually wanted me dead? Was he really trying to kill me? What if he’s NOT trying to kill me? What if Sen came there to save me from those members of the Black Sigma Syndicate who think that I ran away with the drug bags?

If that was so, then how was he able to know exactly where to find me? I remember running for my life without any particular direction. The rain was pouring so hard, my uniform soiled, and my hair so ruined that I couldn’t even recognize myself. When my world dimmed during that split second, I thought I was really going to die… until his hand reached for me. Sen piloted my grand escape onboard a fancy-looking motorcycle like I was some damsel-in-distress starring in a 007 movie. What if Sen wasn’t who he seemed to be? Will we meet again soon?

Who is he? Who is Sen?

NUMBER FIVE: Wait…

Why the heck am I thinking about Sen at a time like this anyway?

.

.

.

“Sue-chan?!”

I did not even have to tilt my head to look. The mere sound of his voice was enough for me to recognize the person that entered my hospital suite. I knew my older brother quite well, but he had always known me better. Hideki-onii-san could identify me with just the sound of my footsteps. He’d know that I’m not feeling well by just listening to the way I breathe whenever I talk to him on the phone.

Hideki-onii-san approached my bed with an anxious expression, “Are you alright, Sue-chan?! Does it hurt anywhere?!” Over the years, onii-san had subconsciously learned how to speak like a ‘mother’. He assumed that role after okaa-san died, and so, I subsequently learned how to respond to his exaggerated anxiousness.

Before I could even return the gesture with a reassuring ‘don’t-worry-about-me-I’m-perfectly-fine’ nod, my eyes widened in surprise upon realizing that he did not come alone.

“Eh?!” I exclaimed. “You?!”

Tsukiyomi Tsunade, whom people were fond of calling ‘Tsutsu’ for short, was a doctor in university hospital too – a surgery fellow three years Hideki’s senior. I was not surprised that Tsutsu came to visit my room. What I was surprised about was the fact that he was with my brother. Everyone knew that Hideki-onii-san was probably the most homophobic person living in Japan and Tsutsu was… well…

“Sue-chan!!! Are you okay sweet lil’ darling???” Tsutsu said with his usual curly voice matched with the intentional, cutesy blinking of his eyes, accentuating his overly-extended, mascaraed lashes. “Come to Doctor Tsutsu and I’ll perseveringly cure you, my lil’ honey-bunny!!!”

“Okaaaay… I’m OKAAAAAAY,” I replied automatically, shying away from his blood-curdling reach by sinking beneath my white blanket. “Don’t… epepep!!! DON’T touch me! Thank you very much for your cooperation!”

My reaction was not an ‘overreaction’. Not because onii-san was a homophobe meant I was one too. I have nothing against gay doctors or gay men in general. With all due respect to Tsutsu, he was nice, intelligent, hardworking, and extra-ordinarily PERSEVERING.

But Tsutsu was a little… odd. Whenever I’d see him and his flashy, shining-shimmering-splendid shoulder-length bright blue hair, I’d get one of those ‘on-the-spot-amnesia’ and completely forget about the fact that he was nice, intelligent, hardworking, and extra-ordinarily PERSEVERING all together. Freaking out from sudden, unexpected encounters with Tsutsu was a natural phenomenon. Anyone would always need that extra second or two to stop and stare at Tsutsu first before being convinced that he was a doctor, not some Sailor Mercury cosplayer loitering around the university hospital. Not the mention, Tsutsu had been PERSEVERINGLY crushing on my brother ever since medical school.

“W…What is he doing here with you, onii-san?” I tried my best to sound as ‘pro-gay’ as I could.

“He’s here to help me revive you,” Hideki replied.

I raised an eyebrow, confused. “Excuse me?”

.

Did he just say ‘revive’?

.

Tsutsu walked to the door and checked the surroundings, making sure that no one was looking his direction. He sneaked into my room a metallic cart he discreetly got acquired from the Intensive Care Unit, which stood just two doors away from where we were. The emergency cart (or the ‘crash cart’ as they were fond of calling it) contained a defibrillator and mini drawers containing vials of drugs used for resuscitation. After one last check to make sure that no one noticed him, he locked the door and rolled down the blinds.

Tsutsu pushed the crash cart next to my bed. After fixing the stands of his shining-shimmering-splendid bright blue hair behind his ears, he pulled out a syringe from the drawer, poked its needle through-and-through the rubber cap of a small vial, and aspirated the fluid inside.

“Lil’ honey-bunny, just stay very still, okay sweetie?”

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“I’m going to perseveringly revive you!”

He said that word again – not ‘perseveringly’ but ‘revive’. It was official. ‘Revive’ was the word of the day (and ‘perseveringly’ was the word of the year).

Tsutsu pointed towards the computer screen, showing my blood pressure that read ‘60/40’, heart rate that read ‘zero’, pulse rate spiking triple time to 180 per minute, and a flat line that read ‘Sue-should-be-dead-but-oh-my-freakin-god-she’s-still-alive-O-M-G-exclamation point-exclamation point -exclamation point’.

“Now if other people knew of this, they could only do three things: One, they’d perseveringly fire me from my job. Two, they’d use you for some persevering laboratory experiment. Three, they’d perseveringly send a video of you to Ripley’s Believe It or Not. Only number three sounds cool if you’d ask me,” Tsutsu enumerated as he pulled away the bed sheet covering me. “Lil’ sweet cherry cake, take a deep breath.”

I did what Tsutsu said. I took a deep breath, and just before I exhaled, I was surprised when he poked the needle directly over my right chest.

“Intracardiac epinephrine 2 mg,” Tsutsu called as he pushed the fluid inside the syringe all the way in. I heard the machine beside me beep with every increase in my vital signs. I had to admit that Tsutsu looked and sounded really cool whenever he was in ‘doctor mode’. It was one of the few moments where one could perceive what was left of his circulating testosterone.

“Heart rate’s up to five beats per minute – a pretty good initial response for someone dead,” Hideki read the monitor.

“I’m not dead!” I frowned.

“I’ll push the second dose of epi IV,” Tsutsu opened a new pack of syringe. “Hideki-kun, you can start defibrillating, sweetie!”

“DEFIBRILLATING?!” I shrieked again.

Defibrillate me?! Are you freaking serious?! – I started to panic. I have seen this familiar resuscitation scene many times on TV, but I certainly have never heard of someone ‘alive, conscious, and talking’ being paddled.

“W…Wait a sec! Wait a DAMN sec!” I stared at the defibrillator on the crash cart in horror. “But that thing’s only used for people about to die!”

“Don’t you fall under that category?” Hideki pointed towards the flat line on the monitor.

“I said I’m not dead… and I’m not dying either!”

“And I said you are BOTH,” Hideki emphasized, “technically speaking.”

“B…B-But!” I swallowed the forming lump on my throat. “BUT YOU’RE A FREAKING OB-GYNECOLOGIST, ONII-SAN! Do you even know how to use that?!”

“And Tsutsu’s a surgeon, NOT an anesthesiologist, but he knocked you out for surgery. You still seem okay,” Hideki said. “Just pray that the hospital administration doesn’t find out about this. That would be a bigger scandal compared to your ‘death’.”

“But I’m not a guinea pig! I’m your sister!”

Hideki shrugged, “A guinea pig is better than a cadaver, Sue-chan.”

“YAH!”

“If we don’t restore your heart rate to normal levels as soon as possible, your blood vessels would rupture from overwork!” Hideki untied my hospital robe and applied gel on my chest, ignoring my whines. “Okay Sue, I honestly don’t know whether this will work or not, but this is the only method we know that can restore your heartbeat…”

“W…Wait!”

He grasped the defibrillator paddles and positioned them over my torso in reverse position relative to my dextrocardia, “Defib at 300 joules… charging… 3… 2… 1… CLEAR!”

.

*THUMP!*

.

“EEEEEKKKKK!!!” I screamed as I felt electrocuting sensations running across my ribs and radiating to every muscle I had all throughout my body. My spine curved upwards involuntarily, jolting and elevating me from bed.

“Pushing 1 mg epinephrine…” Tsutsu infused another dose of drug into my IV line.

My eyes almost popped out of its sockets, “You’re not doing it again, are you?!”

“Unless you’re fine with a heart rate of a mosquito, we can stop now…” Hideki gestured towards the vital monitors – 15 beats per minute.

“Does a mosquito even have a heart?” I frowned.

“Yeah, it has,” Hideki answered definitely. “I heard the lil’ guy has dextrocardia too… Charging at 360… 3… 2… 1…”

“He told you that?” I replied sarcastically. “I didn’t know you and Mr. Mosquito were close!”

“CLEAR!”

“SHIT!”

.

*THUMP!*

*THUMP!*

*THUMP!*

.

“HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF ‘GIVING WARNINGS’?!” I shouted in surprise as the paddles electrocuted me again for the second time. “You’d kill me with a heart attack if you keep doing that!”

“Kill you with a ‘heart attack’? Aren’t you already immune to that?” Hideki said as he placed the defibrillator paddles back onto the crash cart. “What about an ‘intestine attack’ or a ‘kidney attack’ or a ‘uterus attack’?”

Onii-san was always better than me in cutting language. Sometimes I could not help but wonder whether ‘sarcasm’ was part of the Honda family DNA.

“Heart rate’s going up to 65… BP’s perseveringly stabilizing at 110/80… pulse rate is still a little bit high at 115… other vitals unremarkable,” Tsutsu pulled up the clipboard hooked on the base of my bed and wrote the data onto my chart. “I’ll start you with dobutamine for maintenance, honey-bunny, so make sure you take your meds perseveringly, okay? I’d also send someone to collect blood from you to check your blood coagulation factors. I had PT and APTT ran on you two days ago and the laboratory tech told me that the machine clogged up right after your specimen was suctioned!”

“Will she be okay?” Hideki asked.

“With rest and by perseveringly taking her meds, she will, Hideki-kun…” Tsutsu nodded, putting the chart back on my bed base. He looked up and greeted me with a cheerful expression, “Lil’ honey-bunny Sue-chan, welcome back!”

“Tsutsu,” I pointed towards the gauzed stitches over my abdomen, “were you the one who did this?”

“You’re lucky I was on-duty when your brother and your friend brought you here,” Tsutsu stroked his shining-shimmering-splendid bright blue hair with his fingertips as he sat down on the bed next to me. “I perseveringly performed the abdominal explorative laparotomy on you three days ago.”

“THREE DAYS AGO?!”

I could not believe what I heard. I have been here for that long?

“If it wasn’t for my perseverance and undying love for Hideki-kun, I wouldn’t have agreed to do the surgery! My consultants would kill me if they find out that I had to sneak you into the ER and falsify surgery schedules that night. I had to re-program the vital sign monitors hooked on you just so that the values wouldn’t show zero heart rate and a flat line! I transfused two units of un-crossmatched whole blood reserved for Hideki-kun’s cesarean section patient! But what can I do? This… love… has… taken… control… of ME!” Tsutsu chanted frantically much to Hideki’s embarrassment. Onii-san quickly maintained his distance away from him, covering his ears to keep himself from hearing more blood-curdling gayness. “Oh golly, lil’ honey-bunny Sue! Did you know that you had a penetrating stab wound?! It’s a miracle that none of your vital organs was damaged significantly! There wasn’t a single laceration on your small intestines! Spleen was intact. Everything was normal! I still couldn’t explain why that was so… The stab wound was wide enough to cause massive hemorrhage in my estimation. And your heart just…”

“No one should know about that,” Hideki immediately cut in the conversation. “If someone else learns about that, no one else is responsible but you, you get that?”

“I perseveringly swear that I’d never tell anyone, Hideki-kun! I promise!” Tsutsu raised his right hand in oath. “But Sue-chan, how in the world were you able to survive that? What did you do? Can you remember what happened that night?”

The truth was that although I could not remember what happened after I was brought to the hospital, I could remember everything that happened prior to that. The events reeled so vividly that I could make a blockbuster movie out of it inside my mind. I just was not sure how to describe it in the most believable way without sounding as if I were narrating a scene from The Matrix.

“No… I don’t remember at all,” I shook my head. Sometimes, lying was the safest way to answer.

“Now Sue, you have to listen to what I have to say.”

Sighing, Hideki sat down on the chair next to my bed and reached for my hand, “I don’t know what exactly happened and none of us could explain what caused your heart to stop, but please… from now on, try to stay out of trouble.”

“Onii-san…”

Hideki squeezed my hand tighter, “Can you promise me that?”

“I promise,” I finally nodded. “I’m sorry, onii-san…”

Hideki smiled, “Look… Sue-chan… I know how much you wanted to be in the SAT, but the more you force it, the more you get into trouble. It’s not that I’m trying to keep you away from what you wanted to do the most like otou-san, but if the SAT is really for you, it will be for you… Maybe this just isn’t the right time…”

“Or maybe it really isn’t for me,” I bit my lip to hide my frustration. “Otou-san’s right.”

“Sue…”

“He was right from the very start… and I… I should learn how to accept that, huh?” I replied with a sad smile. “Don’t worry, onii-san. I’ll do my best from now on. I really will avoid getting in trouble… Perhaps, I just got lucky…”

.

“…and that’s the reason why I’m still here alive.”

.

While there was no logical and scientifically-accepted explanation yet behind the peculiar actions of my right-sided heart, I guess the word ‘luck’ would suffice…

…for now.

.

.

-VC-

"Heart failure is a pathophysiologic state in which an abnormality of cardiac function is responsible for the failure of the heart to pump blood. It may be viewed as a progressive disorder that is initiated after an index event either damages the heart muscle, with a resultant loss of functioning cardiac myocytes, or alternatively disrupts the ability of the myocardium to generate force, thereby preventing the heart from contracting normally…"

-

“An index event that damages the heart…”

-

I stared at the lecture slide flashed on the screen while subconsciously tapping the tip of my pen on my notebook. Cardiology was my last class for that day and, just like the three others I attended earlier, I just could not bring myself to concentrate. Once in a while, I would find myself pausing and staring into space whenever I recall my ‘near-death experience’ – a secret which I kept from both my classmates and teachers. Not even otou-san was aware of it. It would be best if no one else besides Hideki-onii-san, Tsutsu, Honoka-chan, and My Destiny knew about the ‘stopping heart’ incident.

People were too fond of making a big deal out of the littlest things I do and I could only imagine how they would react once learn about the phenomenal event that transpired that rainy night. Good thing that my cuts and bruises were cooperative in healing triple time that I did not have to use concealers or bandages to keep them hidden from overly-nosy people. Amusingly, they were more interested in knowing the reason why I was not wearing my usual white ribbon than the grand explanation behind my absence for three consecutive days.

.

*Trrrgggg… Trrrgggg…*

.

I felt my mobile phone vibrate inside my pocket. I discreetly pulled it out to read the new message I received.

.

.

1 MESSAGE(S) RECEIVED

PRESS ‘OK’ TO OPEN

16:45:09 From: Endo Honoka

Hi Sue-chan! How are you doing?
I’m going to the temple to practice wushu tonight, wanna come?
SAT members are coming along with us too!

.

.

Instead of replying to her message, I snapped my mobile phone close and placed it back in my pocket. Stay away from the SAT, I continuously reminded myself. I could just use my ‘sickness’ as reason for not coming to the wushu practice I never missed, not even once. I was missing Honoka-chan badly, but I knew I had to put all people and things related to the SAT at a distance.

As I reached for my abdomen to feel my stitches, I felt a kind of pain that was merely equal to that of a needle prick. Until now, I could not think of a logical reason behind my disproportionate pain threshold. But feeling pain once again, for me, was a development compared to not feeling any pain at all. I was actually wishing for my stab wound to hurt more than it should, for it would convince me that I was still a little bit normal.

.

*RING!!!*

.

“For next week, we’ll be having an exam regarding Heart Failure and Cor Pulmonale. If we still have time, we’ll start with Cardiac Transplantation and Prolonged Assisted Circulation,” the lecturer announced right after the class bell rang. “For sure, Honda Sumiko-chan would be very much interested in the next topic, wouldn’t you, Honda-chan?... Honda-chan?”

.

.

“Honda-chan?”

.

.

“OH!”

I failed to notice that I spaced out again for a brief moment and before I knew it, the entire class was already looking towards my direction, anticipating my answer. Not knowing how to react, I forced myself to smile in the sweetest, most convincing manner and nodded unsurely. I was surprised when they began applauding after I gave that implied ‘yes’.

I guess I pretty much replied correctly, but I was not sure until when I’d be lucky. I shouldn’t be spaced-out like this for too long. I seriously needed to go back to reality... fast!

I stood up from my chair and fixed the creases of my school coat and skirt. I neatly placed my things back inside my bag in proper order.

“That’s odd…” I blinked in curiosity, looking at my bag that seemed to contain lesser stuff than usual. “Did I forget something?”

“Honda-san!”

“Huh?”

I looked up to see a group of students rushing towards my room. Probably they’re going to ask me to tutor for next week’s exams. I was ready to give out my sweet ‘no’ accompanied with acceptable excuses. So many things had happened for the past few days. I wanted to use this night to rest instead if I could not go to wushu practice in the Blue Room or the temple. The following day was Saturday and I was scheduled to host a charity event I spearheaded in behalf of the student council. I have another one scheduled for Sunday too – in Hachiōji.

.

Who said that being a ‘model student’ was stressful? – Heck, they’re so right.

.

“I’m sorry but I couldn’t help you guys tonight. I hope you understand that I…”

However, instead of getting the ‘it’s-alright’ response I was anticipating, one of them replied to me in a panting manner.

“No, it’s not that, Honda-san!”

“Huh?”

“Honda-senpai!”

Before I knew it, a new group of students arrived in my room with anxious looks drawn all over their faces.

“What’s going on?”

“There’s a man looking for you near the front gate, Honda-senpai!” one of them voiced out, panicking. “He’s riding on a motorcycle and he looks really scary!”

“A man…” My eyes widened in shock. “… on a motorcycle?!”

“Oh my god! You have to hide, Honda-senpai! He might be a killer! He’s wearing weird clothes and looks really scary!”

“How was he able to enter the school grounds?! Shouldn’t the guards keep him away?!”

“Eeeeek! He might be carrying a gun! Honda-san, don’t go to him!”

“Look!” the student nearest to the window pointed towards the unknown man below. “He’s carrying a worn-out Obstetrics book and a white ribbon!”

.

Worn-out Obstetrics book… and a white ribbon?!

.

“H-Hey! Wait a sec…!” a female first year student looking through the window shrieked. “Isn’t that ribbon yours, Honda-senpai?!”

“Honda-san! Go and take a look!” one of them replied, gesturing towards the sliding window. “But please don’t go down there! The guy looks really scary!”

Wasting no time, I immediately rushed towards the window and pulled away the blue curtains. The very first person I saw the moment I looked through the glass was him. He was on the same motorcycle I rode four days ago. The very same helmet was covering his face. He had on the same rugged clothes complete with gothic necklaces and chains.

There was no mistake.

“Sen!” I gasped in utter disbelief. I knew that he was looking towards my direction the same time I was looking to his. Those blue-black eyes were just so eerily distinct even from a distance.

“Do you know him, Honda-san?”

I swallowed the lump on my throat, “Depends on your definition of ‘know’…”

.

What is he doing here…?

.

What the HELL is he doing here?!

.

Before I could start enumerating reasons, however, I stepped back in horror as I watched him alight from his motorcycle. He walked straight towards the building entrance without removing his helmet. The students immediately cleared his path as he strutted along the corridors, holding the Obstetrics book and my white ribbon, which I dropped subconsciously four days ago during the motorcycle chase. I had no idea how he managed to find them just like I had no idea how he was able to find out exactly where I was that night and exactly where I was that moment.

“HE’S COMING IN! OH MY GOD!” the students started to panic.

“Honda-san! You have to escape! QUICK!”

“W…What?!” I turned pale as my heart began to pump faster with every second that passed. It took me a moment to snap out of my temporary daze and pull my feet off the ground for a sprint. I hurried to grab my bag from my desk and stormed out of the room.

Outside, I saw students running along the corridors in panic, each of them making way towards the nearest exit as quickly as they could. I reached the main staircase and was shocked to see Sen already climbing up from it. He looked at me unfalteringly through his helmet visor and I froze that moment our eyes met.

I stepped back with every step he took forward. Realizing that he was coming nearer and nearer, I quickly spun and ran to the opposite direction as fast as I could.

.

*Huff... Huff... inhale... exhale... Huff... Huff...*

.

I sprinted along the seemingly endless hallway in my attempt to escape. I heard heavy footsteps tailing me from behind, but I did not take the time to look back. I only had to perceive the jingling chains to know that the person following me was no other than Sen.

.

Holy freak! How could he run so fast!

.

I did not slow down. Once again, I reminded myself of my promise to Hideki-onii-san. No, I would not get myself involve in trouble again!

I hurried to the fire exit and pulled the door open.

“DAMN IT!” I cursed as the door refused to budge. I repeatedly slammed my fists on the rusting door in my attempt to force it open before Sen arrives. I turned my head to check whether he was near and was horrified to see him already running towards my direction.

.

*Huff... Huff... inhale... exhale... Huff... Huff...*

.

I immediately charged back and, with all my might, spin kicked the door. I pushed back the piles of rusty crates blocking the path. I entered the narrow staircase leading all the way down.

As I squeezed my way into the thin passage, I accidentally scraped my leg against a loose, rusty nail protruding on one of the sprawled crates.

“OUCH!” I cringed in pain.

I bent down and saw a long, bleeding wound running across my right leg. I felt a stinging sensation when I ran my fingertips across it. My eyes widened as the realization set in – I could not believe that I was actually feeling ‘pain’ again.

I did not have time to celebrate my revived senses. I looked up to see Sen already standing behind the rusty door merely few meters away from me. Once again, I found myself staring at those peculiar blue-black eyes behind the visor of his motorcycle. I heard the jingling of the chains entwined with the belt of his rugged jeans as he motioned forward… forward… nearer… nearer…

That was all it took for me to realize that I was in for another episode of chase. Shit!

I quickly leaped over another crate blocking the path and motioned down the dusty staircase. I covered my nose with the palm of my hand when my scuttling sent previously-settled dust hovering over the narrow stairwell.

.

*Huff... Huff... inhale... exhale... Huff... Huff...*

.

The more I descended, however, the more I heard those chains jingling louder and louder. I was initially confident that my stamina could keep my pace. As a matter of fact, it could and it would. The problem was that Sen could do the same. Double shit!

.

God. Damn. It.

.

I thought I did enough cursing for the day. The moment I reached the bottom floor, I shouted at the top of my lungs upon seeing that the exit was locked with heavy chains and multiple padlocks. Triple shit!

“GODDAMMIIIIIIIIT!”

I clenched my fist and slammed it against the door, “DAMN IT! OPEN! OPEN!”

.

*BAMM! BAMM! BAMM!*

.

But no matter how strongly I hit the door, it just would not budge. Quadruple shit!

I took that brief moment to bend down and check my bleeding wound. Just when I was about to wipe the blood seeping out of the cut with the hem of my skirt, I watched awe as the bleeding resolved spontaneously right before my very eyes.

“W…What the?!”

The blood directly around my cut instantaneously clotted and dried up, having the characteristics of that of a wound which had healed for two to three weeks. The stinging sensation turned to numbness in a matter of seconds.

I gasped in utter disbelief, “How did… How did…”

I became too mesmerized with phenomenon that occurred right before my very eyes that I failed to notice that Sen was already standing in front of me. Quintuple shit!

Wide eyed, I looked up to meet his gaze again. Before I could protest, he grabbed my wrist tightly and started pulling me forcibly back up the staircase.

“Ugh! Let me go! What the hell do you want from me?!”

But Sen did not answer. He merely continued dragging me towards the staircase. I tried pulling my hand away, but his grip was too tight that I could break my whole arm just by resisting his force.

Of course, I was NOT planning to give-in so easily.

“I SAID LET ME GO!” I shouted. “Leave me alone!”

“HAAAAAAAAAA!”

I kicked his knee with my heels without warning, sending him a few paces back and forcing him to release my reddening wrist. He dropped my Obstetrics book and white ribbon on the floor, but I did not have the luxury of time to collect my things. I quickly took the split-second to escape. But before I could take a single step back up the stairs, his right arm tugged me by the waist, pulling me towards him that I felt my back pressed firmly against the gothic necklaces hung on his neck.

.

Wait a sec… where was his arm again?

.

… MY waist?!

.

SUPER DUPER MEGA SHIT!

.

“WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU’RE TOUCHING?! DO YOU HAVE A DEATH WISH?!”

.

*BAMMM!*

.

I slammed a fist against his arm. Driving him back against the wall, I landed on the ground maintaining perfect balance. I sounded my knuckles before sending another fist towards him, which he dodged successfully this time around.

I did not stop attacking him. When it comes to fights, I admit being an obsessive-compulsive. I wanted EVERY hit to land. Sen will swallow my fists and kicks!

Regaining my stance, I leaped from the ground and gave him another spin kick. However, he ducked just when my foot was about to ram against his helmet, which he still had not removed. What a tacky way of hiding his face, I thought.

I readied my fists for another attempt to take him down. This was the only way left to escape from him. If I attempt to run away again without a fight, he would just follow and end up ‘indirectly embracing’ me again. I have gotten enough bloodcurdling experiences for the week, Amen.

On the other note, I realized something during that fleeting moment – Sen was actually much taller than I initially estimated him to be. He has got to be at least six feet tall.

The faster my attacks, however, the quicker his dodges became. He seemed to know exactly what my next move was. It was as if he anticipated where my fists would land, when my legs would spin, how my elbows would attempt a sneak attack, and why escaping from him had turned into desperation.

All I wanted was to bail myself out of trouble for goodness sake! Why is this guy so freaking good in ruining someone’s day?!

“Didn’t you hear what I just said?!” I glared at him as he caught my fist right before it could land at his face. “Leave me alone! I have nothing to do with the SAT anymore!”

“I’m not leaving without you,” Sen finally spoke. I had to admit that I was a little bit stunned upon hearing his voice again. The tone of Sen’s voice had this certain distinct fierceness and candor.

“Well I AM leaving without you!”

.

*BAMM!*

.

I thrust a powerful fist that literally penetrated through-and-through the visor of his motorcycle helmet. Sen stood completely at awe as the concave transparent shield did not only crack but shattered right before his eyes. The impact radiated from his helmet all the way to his skull, leaving him groggy until he finally plummeted to the floor. He closed his eyes in reflex as he kept his eyes guarded from the shards of splintered visor.

Sen had underestimated what this girl can do. Clearly, he had no idea whom he was messing up with…

… just like how I had no idea where my strength was coming from.

Knocking him back successfully this time around, I scrambled to my feet and hurried back up the stairs. Midway, however, I accidentally tripped on the last step. I landed on the platform with my knees first.

As my body flexed forward, my eyes widened as I felt a sharp, excruciating pain emanating from my abdomen. I looked down to find the surgical cut on my abdomen bleeding profusely. Within seconds, an enlarging bruise formed over the scarred wound on my right leg. The pain started again, this time thrice as sore as it initially was. I was bleeding both externally and internally, the pain extreme and everything beyond words could describe. I gasped in horror as I watched my own blood spill on the floor.

“N…No… ugh!” I crawled on the floor, panting. “Stop… STOP!!!”

.

*Lub-dub… Lub-dub…*

*Lub-dub… Lub-dub…*

*Lub-dub… Lub-dub…*

.

My heartbeat began to accelerate more and more – an event that was similar to what transpired back in the alley where I was previously stabbed by the gangster named ‘Tetsu’.

.

*Lub-dub… Lub-dub…**Lub-dub… Lub-dub…*

*Lub-dub… Lub-dub…**Lub-dub… Lub-dub…*

*Lub-dub… Lub-dub…**Lub-dub… Lub-dub…*

.

I started to hear every thump of my heart against my chest wall. I felt the rapid pulsations of my veins from my head down to my most distal extremities. My respiration became labored and uncontrollably tachypneic. I sensed my fingertips beginning to turn ice-cold.

.

*Lub-dub… Lub-dub…**Lub-dub… Lub-dub…**Lub-dub… Lub-dub…*

*Lub-dub… Lub-dub…**Lub-dub… Lub-dub…**Lub-dub… Lub-dub…*

*Lub-dub… Lub-dub…**Lub-dub… Lub-dub…**Lub-dub… Lub-dub…*

.

“H…H…e…l…p…” I gasped for breath. “H…Help… me…”

.

I felt my body turning to supine position, my back against the cold floor and my eyes directed towards the ceiling filled with cobwebs and dust. It only took a few seconds before my vision ultimately blurred and dimmed. I closed my eyes with the word ‘help’ desperately echoing on my mind.

.

*Lub-dub… Lub-dub…**Lub-dub… Lub-dub…**Lub-dub… Lub-dub…**Lub-dub… Lub-dub…*

*Lub-dub… Lub-dub…**Lub-dub… Lub-dub…**Lub-dub… Lub-dub…**Lub-dub… Lub-dub…*

*Lub-dub… Lub-dub…**Lub-dub… Lub-dub…**Lub-dub… Lub-dub…**Lub-dub… Lub-dub…*

.

All the remaining light I could perceive shut down on me. My body started to grow cold and numb from head to toe. The feeling was too familiar. I was dying for the second time around.

This time, however, there could be no revival.

My dry lips slowly parted… and then… suddenly… that very moment… a warm breath of life intervened with my impending course of death. The warmth breath entering my mouth felt like a blanket embracing my body on a freezing winter night. My senses were gradually revived by the ‘saving presence’ starting from my fingertips, rewinding further and further back to restore the perception of my entirety.

.

Then... Everything cold became so warm…

.

*Lub-dub… Lub-dub…*

.

Then... The life that escaped me turned back and re-entered my being like a soul’s sweet homecoming…

.

*Lub-dub… Lub-dub…*

.

Then... I was revived… again.

.

But… how?

.

By who?

.

My question was answered by the very first thing I saw upon opening my eyes – a pair of blue-black eyes hovering mere inches above me that belonged to no other than him.

.

.

.

That was when I saw Sen’s face for the very first time.

.

I never really got a clue as to how Sen looked like. And so, when he revealed his face to the unprepared me for the very first time, I was literally stunned. He had me pinned beneath him against the floor of the dusty staircase, his fierce features merely inches before my curious, awe-stricken eyes. His hair extended up to a few inches beyond his shoulders, which he kept back with a thin rubber band. His face was both fierce and gentle, his expression too enigmatic and hard to decipher, his skin surprisingly unblemished – almost feminine, yet still exuding with virility.

His hands were holding down both my wrists against the floor. His entire body hovered directly on top of me, his weight supported by his knees. His nose and mine were still touching and his lips were just an inch or two away.

With my eyes wide open in utter surprise, I muttered his name faintly –

“Sen…?”

I did not know whether he was pleased or amused by my reaction, but I could have sworn that I saw those lips curve into a subtle grin.

Sen pulled himself up and away from me. I, on the other hand, just lay there on the floor, motionless, flabbergasted, and confused.

.

What just happened?

.

Shortly, I pulled myself up and watched Sen as he picked up my Obstetrics book and white ribbon on the floor. I used the brief moment to examine my stitches on my abdomen and my wound on my right leg. Both of them surprisingly ceased bleeding.

.

What in the world just happened?

.

For some reason, my fingertips found its way to my lips.

.

Did he…

.

“Your lips are too dry…”

“Excuse me?!” My eyes darted towards Sen.

Surprisingly, Sen boldly pointed towards his lips, “Kissing you wasn’t very stimulating.”

“WHAT?!”

.

K…K… K-Kiss?!

.

Sen bent towards me, “Now, you’re coming with me…”

“S…STOP! Stop right there!” I shrieked, shying away from his reach. “What… What are you doing?!”

“Taking your heart away.”

“W…What?”

.

What did he just say?

.

I was caught off-guard when Sen suddenly pulled me up by the waist and lifted me on top of his right shoulder. He carried me down the stairs like I was a sack of rice. My head swung inverted from side to side along with his gait, my hair in total mess and my school uniform gravitating downwards so much so that my waist was exposed. I tried to resist by kicking my legs persistently, but Sen threatened that he would drop me down the stairs if I did so.

“Why are you heading downstairs? Didn’t you see that the door’s locked?!”

“Not for long,” Sen replied confidently.

As soon as we reached the bottom floor of the emergency exit, Sen bent down and grasped the padlock. He examined it through the narrow hole where the key was supposed to be inserted. After a few seconds, he reached for his pocket, took out a pin, and began picking the lock.

.

*Click!*

.

“H…How did you do that?!” I gasped in awe. The lock-picking process did not even take Sen five seconds to complete.

Sen did not reply. He patiently pulled out the chain that kept the door shut. Shortly after, he kicked the door open and exited to the narrow, rear pathway leading to the cherry-blossoms trail.

His motorcycle was already parked there. Beside it stood a short and stout man, patiently waiting for him while chewing a gum.

“Sen! Here!” he called, raising his hand.

“Put me down, NOW!” I pounded Sen’s back repeatedly with my fists. “Put me down, I said!”

Completely ignoring me, Sen walked towards his motorcycle and the stout man. I saw the man handing to him an item I failed to see. Seconds later, I saw a syringe cap rolling on the floor, blown away with the wind that carried dried leaves along with its direction.

Sen poked the needle into my left thigh and pushed the clear fluid into my system. I immediately felt its sedating effect long before I could grab the chance to react and resist.

.

“What… What are you doing?!”

“Taking your heart away.”

“W…What?”

.

Those words repeated themselves in my mind as I slowly closed my eyes, submitting myself to the sedating drug’s effect. I did not understand what Sen meant when he said those words to me.

I had no idea that he meant it literally.

.

.

-VC-

I stood in the middle of the cherry-blossom trail next to a wooden bench and a street lamp, wearing a white Sunday dress, a pair of ballerina shoes, and my favorite white ribbon on my hair. We agreed to meet in that splendid place – me and my love, on the day when sakuras were in full-bloom. My heart brimmed with happiness and excitement. I could not wait to see him, to touch his warm hands, to feel his embrace, and just drown in the moment when we finally share our sweet kiss. It would be so memorable, so beautiful, something that I would love to pause or at least slow-mo whenever I reminisce.

My heart skipped a beat when I finally saw him from a distance. He was holding a bouquet of red roses, a handsome smile painted on his gentle face. He walked towards me… nearer… nearer… I let out a sigh by just witnessing his grandness. I felt my heart beating for him and only him. The wind swept the leaves and petals on his feet in his stroll. He looked like a knight-in-shining armor, a prince on a grand parade, a treasure I’d keep in my heart forever and ever.

He stood right in front of me. I received the bouquet of fragrant red roses, our hands purposively sliding shyly against each other. I returned his smile with a smile, and as he reached for my face, tracing my features with his gentle fingertips, I blushed.

I surrendered myself for him to behold, and I knew that he felt the same for me. He cupped my face between his warm hands. The moment was perfect. I closed my eyes slowly, parting my lips to receive his gesture of love. His kiss was electromagnetic. I felt his life and soul connecting with my universe that revolved only around him.

.

How I loved this man…

Kojima-sama… My Destiny…

.

But he suddenly pulled his lips away. I opened my eyes in wonder. I was just starting to fall for him all over again. He was just starting to take my heart away. Why did he stop?

His lips curved to a subtle grin as he whispered those words in my ear…

.

.

.

“Kissing you wasn’t very stimulating.”

.

.

.

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

.

He quickly took out a knife hidden in the bouquet of red roses and stabbed me on my right chest.

.

*STAB!*

.

.

.

That was the worst nightmare I’ve had in my entire life.

.

.

.

What made it worse was that the moment I opened my eyes, I saw a real gauge-22 syringe poked into my left chest.

“WAAAAAAAA!”

“Waaaaaaa!”

The short and stout man, whom I immediately recognized as the one that stood beside Sen’s motorcycle in the cherry-blossoms trail earlier, screamed back. “Don’t move!”

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” I shrieked. “WHERE THE HELL IS YOUR HAND ON, YOU PERVERT!”

.

*BAMMM!!!*

.

In fairness to him, the stout man looked completely adorable after I gave him that punch on his left eye. He was so cute that he could readily fit in the Hello Panda family.

Of course I was being sarcastic.

Anyway…

I pulled myself up from the bed, drawing the needle out of my left chest. I was wearing an oversized white polo, which I immediately buttoned up all the way to my neck. I looked around to find myself inside a messy room bordered with shelves of cluttered books. I turned to the opposite side and saw more and more books. There were even more books sprawled on the floor, next to the windows, on top of the desk, on the stools and armless chairs.

“There’s a bedroom in the library?” I blinked my eyes in wonder.

“No,” a familiar voice sounded from the doorstep. “There’s a library in the bedroom.”

My eyes widened in surprise as I watched him step inside the room, barefooted.

.

“Sen!”

.

He was wearing a plain white shirt over loose-fitting rugged pants. What I noticed immediately was a weird-looking, humongous belt strapped around his abdomen. It almost looked like those worn by WWE wrestlers on TV.

Sen raised his eyebrow as his eyes landed on the stout man that lay on the floor, holding his bruised eye in pain, “Huh? What happened to you?”

“The girl punched me! Huhuhu…”

“Were you able to take her heart?”

The stout man shook his head, “I couldn’t find her heart!

“What do you mean you couldn’t find her heart?”

The conversation was getting weirder and weirder that it started to creep me out.

“Hey!” I scowled at them. “Were you guys talking about MY heart just now?”

Ignoring me for the thousandth time since I met him, Sen turned towards Panda Man and said, “Leave us first, Albert…”

“Albert?” I muttered as I watched him march out of the room, holding his black eye in pain. Life is indeed full of shocking surprises. Take this for instance – who would have thought that Panda Man had a pretty cool English name? Albert closed the door, leaving Sen and I alone.

“So, this is your room?”

“Of course not,” Sen replied coldly. “Why would I bring a stranger to my bedroom?”

“Ah, so you bring a stranger to someone else’s bedroom instead?”

Ignoring my sarcastic side comments, Sen pulled the drawer beside me and took out another syringe. It was then when I noticed that it was no ordinary type of syringe. The barrel was made of ultra-thin glass that was packed in a special, sealed container with a weird-looking logo embossed on it – a symbol that looked quite familiar but I could not recall exactly what.

The letters written beneath it were clear though…

“V…C…?” I read aloud. “What’s ‘VC’?”

“Very Confidential,” Sen replied.

“Yeah right…” I frowned. “Very Comical. Should I start laughing now?”

I was surprised when Sen pulled out a stethoscope from the drawer next, “Better not make this difficult, you understand?”

“Do you even know how to use that?!” I pointed towards the stethoscope. “A-And… you’re not planning to poke a needle on me again, are you?! AND WHERE ARE MY CLOTHES?! Did… you… YOU…”

“Quit overreacting, will you?” Sen frowned. “Besides, there’s nothing ‘stimulating’ behind those clothes anyway. It’s no different from looking at a wall.”

“WHAT?!”

.

Repeat that and I’ll personally volunteer to build your coffin!

.

“You’re calling my chest a ‘wall’?!” I clicked my knuckles and clenched my fists. “Are you ready to turn into Hello Panda # 2?!”

“Whatever,” Sen placed his stethoscope on his ears. “It’s funny… Albert never misses in taking biopsies… Hey Sailor Moon, come a little closer.”

“Eh?!” I blinked.

“Are you deaf?” Sen said impatiently. “I said come a little closer.”

“Freaking NO way!” I shouted stubbornly. “I’m getting out of here!”

“No, you’re not getting out of here…” Sen shook his head.

.

“Not unless you give me your heart.”

.

“Give you… my heart?!” I had to admit that what he just said sounded too weird. I could only hypothesize two things: 1) Sen was a poet; 2) Sen was a cannibal. I’d say both were F.R.E.A.K.Y.

With the way he looked at me that moment, however, Number 2 was the more logical answer.

When Sen was about to reach for the buttons of the white polo I wore, I immediately kicked him forcefully on his abdomen where his odd-looking wrestling belt was strapped on, driving him a few paces back.

“DON’T TOUCH ME, YOU PERVERT!”

.

*BAMMM!*

.

“UGH! Shit!” Sen exclaimed, losing his balance and ultimately falling to the floor. “What the heck is your problem?!”

“What the HECK is MY problem?!” I glared at him threateningly. “YOU are MY HECKING problem, Sen! You… and your passé wrestling belt!”

“Look, Sailor Moon. If you have a problem with me, solve it!” Sen grasped my hands. “And it’s not a wrestling belt. It’s a brace!”

“And it’s not Sailor Moon! It’s Sue!... huh? ” I looked at him curiously. “A brace?”

“I thought you’re a med student? Don’t tell me you haven’t seen one of these?!”

Sen looked at me as if I were the dumbest medical student in history. It was not funny.

.

Wait… that means… during that time I rode his motorcycle and held on to his waist…

Hard abs = orthopedic spine brace!

.

*Awkward thought ^ *

Where did that come from all of a sudden?!

.

“But… why do you have that?” I asked him. “Scoliosis?”

“I’m twenty one years old, Sailor Moon. Why would I wear braces for scoliosis?”

“Oh… right,” I mentally slapped myself after asking that stupid question. Honda Sumiko, the number one student of Oshima Ika Daigaku, stood corrected in human anatomy and bone physiology by a street gangster.

“I have screws on my spine,” Sen explained. “I use this brace for support.”

“Why?” My curiosity was brimming, “You got into an accident?”

Sen nodded, “Yeah.”

“You fell?”

“Something like that.”

“Fell from?”

Sen stood up and grasped the stethoscope and syringe, frowning, “You ask too much.”

“Well, it’s more polite to poke someone’s privacy than poke someone’s chest, isn’t it?” I glared at him before marching towards the exit. “You know what? I’m leaving!”

I expected him to stop me like he always did, and so I readied myself for another tackling episode. Contrary to my expectations, however, Sen just stood there on his usual spot, unmoving and simply watching my dramatic exit.

.

Why isn’t he stopping me?

.

The moment I turned the knob of the door, I realized why Sen was being calm all along.

“Shit!” I cursed as the door refused to budge. “It’s locked from the outside!”

“You’re not leaving this room,” Sen said, putting down the syringe on the adjacent table and hanging his stethoscope around his neck, “unless you tell me how you do it.”

I turned around to face him, “How I do what?!”

Sen walked towards me and grabbed my unguarded wrists. He pushed me back forcefully, aggressively pinning me to the door with his powerful grip, his face mere inches away from mine.

“How you stop bleeding.”

I began to stutter, “I… I don’t know!”

I was telling the truth. I had no idea what was going on either. The good news was that I just said something with utmost honesty after lying to others and to myself so many times that day. The bad news was that Sen did not look as if he believed a word I said.

“Don’t make this hard for me, Sue…” Sen muttered, calling my name for the very first time. His grip on my wrists became tighter and tighter. His face inched nearer, those blue-black eyes seemingly piercing through mine, desperate for answers that I could not give him.

“Let me… ugh… let me go!” I cried. “You’re hurting me!”

“Don’t fool me,” Sen looked too impatient. “You can’t feel pain, can you?”

My eyes widened in surprise, “H…H-How did you…”

“And your heart stopped beating, but you were revived by your brother and that blue-haired homosexual surgeon…”

“Wait a sec…” I raised an eyebrow. “You’ve been stalking me!”

“It’s called ‘investigating’, not stalking,” Sen replied defensively.

“Ah, so that’s it?” I forced a laugh. “What about what happened a while ago in the staircase? Got any professional terminology for that too?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You kissed me!” I blurted out mindlessly.

.

.

.

“Oh,” Sen let go of my wrists. “That.”

.

.

.

“Look…” I heaved a sigh. “I just wanted to live normally from now on. I promised onii-san that I would not get into trouble again. I’ve decided to give up the SAT too. So… can you please… leave me alone?”

I did not want to sound pathetic and begging, but the way Sen looked at me after I said those words made me feel as if I were the most pitiful person he had ever seen.

Sen took a step back and turned around to sit on the bed. He bent forward and clasped his hands together, “If you think that things are going to be ‘normal’ just because you decided to run away, you’re wrong.”

“What do you want me to do? Solve every single problem that comes my way? I can’t do that!” I retorted. “And you don’t know anything, Sen! I don’t even know why I’m here talking to you right now. I don’t know why those men chased me down and stabbed me that night! I don’t know why my heart stopped, why I couldn’t feel pain, and why I am still alive! I don’t even know who the hell you are!”

Sen merely looked at me. His face could be really distracting, especially his eyes.

“Now, if you couldn’t give me answers, don’t complicate my life further by entering it,” I walked towards the door and grasped the knob. “Open this door and let me go.”

“I can.”

I paused, “What?”

Sen stood up from the bed, “I can give you answers.”

I turned to face him, “You… can?”

Then, Sen walked closer to me, placing the stethoscope on his ears. Something about the way his blue-black eyes looked at me made me stay put on where I stood, unresisting as he placed the bell of the stethoscope over my left chest to hear the mysterious absence of my heartbeat. I watched as his eyes widened in disbelief.

He slowly shifted the stethoscope to the right side of my chest, and there, he finally heard the sound he was searching for.

.

*Lub-dub… Lub-dub… Lub-dub…*

*Lub-dub… Lub-dub… Lub-dub…*

*Lub-dub… Lub-dub… Lub-dub…*

.

“Your heart isn’t where it is supposed to be,” Sen said, completely astounded.

“I have situs inversus totalis,” I explained as he withdrew the stethoscope from my chest. “Now, you said you have answers? What do you mean?”

Sen turned around and placed the stethoscope over the table. “Let’s just say that I know why you’re different.”

“What makes you say that?”

.

.

“It’s because I happen to know other people like you.”

.

.

I gasped in utter surprise, “People… like me?!”

“So what about it, Sue? Do you want answers?” Sen finally faced me again. “But I don’t do favors without getting something in return. What about it? Are you willing to close a deal with me?”

“A… deal?” I swallowed the lump on my throat. “What kind of deal?”

Then, Sen crossed his arms on his chest as a subtle grin formed on his lips –

.

.

.

“I’ll show you the secret of V.E.N.A.C.A.V.A…”

.

.

.

“… and in return…”

.

.

.

“You have to give your heart to me.”

.

__**__

hiro-0911 DOT blogspot DOT com

.

A/N: Hello everyone, Hiro here. Thanks for reading the long-overdue 3rd chapter of Vena Cava. I do hope you guys enjoyed it.

I hope the readers still remember me after my long absence. Blame it on my bad radial nerve, hehe. But rehab’s pretty doing well. I’m on my fourth round going to fifth and my dexterity is improving dramatically compared to before. It’s amazing that I could write now with both my left and right hands. I’m beginning to think that Sue may be correct – my body probably has a back-up battery too (in my stopping hand, not my stopping heart) =D

Meia helped me in editing this chapter because it is kinda strenuous for my wrist to use the mouse to insert the [TAG]s. Also, Vincent made a new VC poster so check it out on the index page. Really cool. Thanks man!

Thank you for the readers who notified me of grammar mistakes I made in the previous chapters. I’m correcting them now. Writers could learn from readers too.

If you guys have time, you can drop by my official writing blog to read announcements about my stories and my thoughts about random things. I don’t have a Twitter and Facebook account (there’s an account named under me, but that’s not me).

So, there were a few new characters thrown here in this chapter. We met Tsutsu, the gay, blue-haired surgeon who has a crush on Hideki, and Albert, the little fat guy hanging around with Sen. We’ll get to know more about them in the next chapters.

I’m quite excited with where Vena Cava’s going from here on. I’m about to introduce the real plot after some extensive introduction. I believe it’s gonna be quite a ride. More puzzles, more action, more romance, some forensics kicking in here and there… so Mr. Radial Nerve, don’t fail me now!

I think I’m going into binge writing after this. I miss writing a lot and having all these ideas stuck up in my head for months and months, struggling to escape like a stampede.

Thank you for reading! For any questions/inquiries, don’t hesitate to post them here or via PM/e-mail/Fictionpress.

P.S.

To Filipino readers: I read about the massive flood due to rain & overflowing rivers there in Manila. Everyone please be safe and remember to donate to the victims. Meia and I sent ours via Red Cross. The families need food, medicine, shelter, and lots of prayers!