[Completed] Legend of the Five Knights I: Rise of a Guardian Angel

Episode 40: Lost One

Akari escorted Takuya to an apartment complex in a part of town less pleasant than the one he had seen at the southern entrance to the city. The area was still alright looking, but the streets were relatively narrow and looked in need of repair. Not to mention, the apartments were small and cramped even for him, and he was used to living in closed spaces, sharing his tiny room with his brother.

"How much is this place?" Takuya asked as he entered. There were only a few articles of furniture in the tiny living room. In other words, just a velvet sofa and a television.

"A few thousand a month," she responded nonchalantly. His jaw opened so wide that she had to close it for him. "My parents pay for half of it. You see, I can barely afford to live on my own." She closed her eyes and sighed. "Wish that I had chosen a better location to live."

"Are your parents well off?" Takuya asked.

She took a seat on the sofa. "Sort of. They aren't super-rich." She narrowed her eyes. "Why do you ask?"

"I was just wonderin' how they could support themselves and you at the same time."

She put her hands on her hips and let out a scoff. "You're rather passive-aggressive, aren't you?"

Takuya shook his head. "No. That's not what I meant. I..."

She scratched her head and jumped out of the sofa. "It's fine. I know that I shouldn't rely too much on my parents or the rest of my family. It was my choice to live on my own and live my life out how I choose."

Live your life out like you choose?

"Wait here, I'll be right back. In the meantime, help yourself to what's in the kitchen if you're starving." She rushed off into the room next to the television.

"I might look like a homeless guy, but I'm not one," Takuya muttered, taking a seat on the sofa. His stomach grumbled. He hadn't gotten a chance to eat anything all day long. "Alright, I'll take ya up on that offer."

Bolting out of his seat, he rushed into the kitchen. The room was slightly wider than the living room but not by much. He couldn't imagine more than a single cook being able to move around the place due to how tightly packed everything was.

Timidly, he walked past the black counter and opened the beige fridge at the far-most left corner of the room. Most of the food was carrots, avocados, and other fruits and vegetables. And the only stuff to drink was a gallon of green juice.

Is she some kind of model or somethin'? Though it's a good thin' that I'm a vegetarian.

He took out some carrots. Memories of home flashed before his eyes as he chewed on them. They tasted just like the carrots that his pa used to grow... before he went ahead and left them.

"Done, hope that I didn't take too long," the blond said, stepping into the kitchen. She became alert as soon as she saw Takuya's face. "Hey, are you crying?"

He touched his cheeks. Indeed, tears were rolling down his face. "I..." He finished the carrot and closed the fridge. "It's nothin'."

In her slender hands, Akari held a pair of shoes and socks. "Put these on. At first, they might give you blisters, but they're better than walking across the streets barefoot."

"Most of the streets here are so nice though," he said, wiping away the tears from earlier.

She put a hand on her curvy hips and snickered. "Why do I get the impression that you actually like going barefoot?"

His face flushed bright red. "It helps me feel closer to the earth," he muttered, averting his gaze.

She nodded as if that answered everything. "As expected of a descendant of the Kuroriku."