Veiled Pain | Riki Nishimura

25. Therapy Session Appointment

The room was spacious, light-colored and bright, which Riki didn't like at all. He only likes it when it's a hospital, but this isn't. Though, the couch he sat on was comfortable.

"Okay, so, this is our third session for this week. We've gotten along better than expected, haven't we?" The female therapist said fortunately, where Riki didn't reply anything.

"You've been here about a week. How does it feel like? Do you like this place?" She asked gently.

"No." Riki replied shortly.

"So you don't like being here. Is there a specific reason for that? Is something here making you feel discomfort? Or is it just that the place is foreign and you long to return to familiar surroundings?" She inquired with many options.

Riki felt like it was everything, or then he just didn't know, so he only shrugged while his other leg was bouncing against the floor. "Well, it's alright if you don't know. Maybe you'll figure it out someday. And it does not always need a reason." She responded and wrote something to the notebook in front of her.

"Have you gotten to know other people here? Kids younger than you, your age or older?" She asked.

"A bit." Riki replied. He has just shared a few words with some kids or people his age. Usually he is a person who approaches people fast, but here he feels different. Like he don't want to, or the other people don't want to.

"It takes time as well. What about, do you have your own friends outside of this place?"

"Yeah." He answered.

"Okay. Do you have just those few important friends or do you have more than that?"

"Yeah, I have a lot."

"Alright. That's great to hear." She said and again wrote something to her notebook. "Well, is one or some of those your friends the most important to you? Like a best friend?"

"One." He said without much hesitation. He looked down to his lap and fidgeted his fingers. He doesn't even know why he feels so pressured or anxious.

"Okay. Do you want to tell me about her or him?" She asked.

Riki was quiet for a while, like he was thinking. He looked at the drawings on his plaster cast that Asami made the other day. They won't be there tomorrow anymore. He's getting his cast off tomorrow, apparently his arm is healed enough.

"Her name is Asami." He said shortly.

"Asami. Is there something in her that makes her the most important to you?" The therapist asked.

"Everything. She has always been nice to me even if I weren't always nice to her. I talk to her a lot, she always listens me."

The therapist nodded with a small smile. "So, is she a friend you can always freely talk to, express your feelings and just went?"

Riki nodded slowly. "That's great. She seems like a perfect friend to you. You must like her a lot." The therapist noted.

I'd let the world burn for her.

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Asami just got the last of her stuff unpacked from the cardboxes. It really took weeks as she got them all. She could've done that in few days but decided not to. She sat on her bed and looked around her room now. The other side was still way too empty, but she just doesn't have anything to put there. It will remain empty for a while.

She heard a knock on her door and turned to look there. "Hii." Her mother said and walked to her before sitting next to her on the bed too.

"Is it not that busy downstairs?" Asami then asked, because usually her mom doesn't come upstairs while working.

"Not really, your father can handle it alone for a while. I had something to tell you. Or more like ask you." She said.

"Okay, what's it?" Asami inquired curiously.

"I talked with your father about this last night. We were thinking that we could take Riki here, like as a foster family."

Asami eyes widened immediately. "Really? Mom!" She exclaimed excitedly. "That'd be awesome!"

Her mother chuckled a little. "Okay, okay. We just had to ask you, because I feel like you should have an opinion on it too. And I also thought that he could sleep here with you at least some while before we make up something."

"It's fine. Seriously. That other side is way too empty anyway. Thank you, thank you, thank you." She assured eagerly and hugged her mother.

"How will you do it, though? We are not registered as a foster family?" Asami inquired.

"I know, I'll just call the place and ask, then probably some professionals will come here and check if this place is safe to live in. But Riki will have an opinion on this too, so he can refuse our family as well."

Asami thought for a while that would he refuse. She hopes not. But it's alright if he does. "Thank you, mom." She thanked again, to where her mother just stroked her hair.

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Later the day Asami's mother did call to the place where Riki lived in now. The staff didn't refuse it immediately even thought they weren't registered as a foster family. In other hands, they took it fortunately and open mindigly. So they gave them a change.

After that, two people came in their house, a woman and a man. They were a little surprised that it was a restaurant, and it was open at the moment. Asami's mother was there to show places for them while her father was again working alone for a while.

She brought them to upstairs, because basically that is their home, not the downstairs. Asami felt a little anxious because what if they say no? Their house overall is small, with three reserved bedrooms, a bathroom and a space for the living room.

The two looked around the house from every room. Asami's mother talked to them a lot too, it's like she was anxious too. "Oh, and my daughter is friends with Riki. And my sons too, they played with him couple of times." Her mother said.

The woman looked at them and smiled a little. "So, Riki is already a familiar boy for your family?"

"Yes, definitely." Her mother assured.

"Riki is awesome! Is he gonna move here, mom?" Shugo next to them inquired. He didn't quite know what was happening, but due to their conversations he understood a little.

"I hope so. Now it's only according to his own opinion. We think your home is a perfect place for him." The woman answered Shugo and simultaneusly spoke to Asami and her mother too.

"Of course! Thank you so much." Her mother thanked even a little excitedly. Probably because she didn't feel so anxious anymore.

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