Chuuya x OC ~ Let the memories cry (Bungou Stray Dogs)

Chapter 13

A month and a few days after her admission to the Mafia's hospital, Zoey had been discharged. She still needed to wear a bandage around her neck for safety's sake, as she was still in pain from time to time, as well as regular medical check-ups, of course; but the air of freedom that now blew over her life delighted her and made her forget these minor inconveniences.

It was still snowing outside. But with the thick coat, warm clothes, scarf and gloves she had been provided with, she did not feel the cold at all. In fact, she was almost warm.

Her skin had regained color during her convalescence, and her cheeks were much fuller than before. Despite her small stature, which the doctors had estimated at approximately four feet, she was now full of energy, at least as much as her injury would allow.

Today, she had just stepped through the double doors that separated the warm atmosphere of the hospital from the freezing air outside. Her heterochromatic eyes rested on the snow-covered gardens, and on the path leading to a recently cleared parking lot. Her brand-new shoes crunched on the salt scattered here and there, as her breathing produced a small white cloud in front of her nose. Her big smile and flushed cheeks were half-hidden by the thick scarf she wore, and her two bluish pupils overflowed with stars.

The snow was a sight she would never tire of. She was sure that, before the loss of her memories, it had been the same.

During her convalescence, she had begun to work on this amnesia, although the long road to acceptance was far from over. She had seen a psychologist, who had helped her greatly, and who had told her to come back and see her if anything was wrong.

Chuuya had been her only visitor, in addition to the hospital staff, but she was not unhappy about it. At least she had not spent all those weeks in complete solitude, even if the redhead was relatively busy most of the time.

Looking around, Zoey arrived at the hospital parking lot, having managed the feat of not slipping on an ice patch recalcitrant to salt, and finally came across what she had been looking for. She had been told that a car would be waiting for her as soon as she left the hospital, and it was indeed there. No doubt she would be reunited with Chuuya, something she was looking forward to with great anticipation.

The driver of the car was a stoic man, dressed head to toe in black, except for his perfectly pressed white shirt. She wondered for a moment how he managed to keep his teeth from chattering in the cold, as he held the rear door open for her to get in.

She gave him a big smile and warm thanks as she settled in, and he merely bowed slightly before closing the door with a deft, perfectly controlled gesture.

The young woman looked around the impeccably tidy interior. The car was much larger than it had appeared on the outside, and she suddenly felt rather intimidated. She was starting to feel her body's temperature increasing, thanks to her clothes and the heating, but she did not dare make any move to remove even her scarf.

Her fingers, covered by incredibly soft gloves, absent-mindedly patted her knees, clad in black denim pants that were nevertheless very elegant and made of a material that kept her extremely warm.

Just as beads of sweat began to form on her temples, the car finally stopped, and the driver from earlier opened the rear door again a few seconds later.

Intimidated, Zoey placed her trembling hand in the one offered to her, and looked around again, with a curious and intrigued eye. She was speechless when she realized that she was standing in front of five gigantic buildings, all made of tinted glass, the tops of which she could barely see from where she stood.