Strange but True

Chapter 7

Matchmaking Lui.

What could possibly go wrong?

A lot of things.

First, there's the problem of who on Earth would go out with Lui?

Second, there's the problem of making Lui actually like them back.

A lot of things can go wrong here, but I can't think of any other solution to this problem. As long as Lui likes me, he's going to stay obsessed. The only way to fix it is for the obsession to go elsewhere. Someone else, someone that's not me.

But forget about Lui and his love life.

Focus on Quon.

Quon.

Where is he?

Is he even still alive?

Is he okay?

That's the main thing running through my head right now. Quon, Quon, Quon. I don't care about Lui at all. That's Zac's problem, since it was his idea in the first place. My problem is Quon.

Seawater. It's dark. That's all I can remember Quon saying. Something about seawater, and that it was dark. Seawater obviously means 'ocean', but dark... a lot of places are dark! What is he talking about?

Maybe he's on a boat. But if he's on a boat, he could be in the middle of the ocean for all I know, stranded out there with Lui. The thought terrifies me, especially since Lui is kind of sort of going a bit crazy. He could snap and kill Quon at any second.

I don't like this.

I really don't like this.

This entire scenario is freaking me out. Not to mention I can barely get out of bed and move since I'm still in pain from Lui stabbing me. Even rolling over tugs at my stitches and makes them sore. Pain medicine does nothing except make me drowsy. The most I can do is lay in bed and talk on the phone with Xander, Yugo, and Zac as they carry out this mission for me.

I feel like the leader of a secret spy organization, communicating with his agents.

Agent 006, come in, agent 006.

Agent 006 here, do you read me?

Yes. What's the status on operation 'L for L?'

Currently working on it. We have several prospects.

That's how I feel right now. That is literally how I feel right now. I almost want to start referring to them as 'agent Yugo' or 'agent Zac', but that would be taking it too far.

I feel like I'm slowly losing my mind.

I'm so bored, just laying in bed. I want to get up. I want to do something, but I can't. It hurts to do anything that requires moving, as much as I wish I could go find Quon myself.

You're a Sword Flame, Ukyo! You're really gonna let a little bit of pain stop you? You're stronger than that!

I take a deep breath, which also hurts. But my brain is right. Just because it's a little sore doesn't mean I have to be completely bedridden.

I force myself to get up, and get dressed. That itself hurts enough, but then there's the matter of getting down the stairs.

I have to find Quon.

I have to find him before it's too late.

Seawater, darkness, that screams boat to me. But where? Which pier? Where even is this boat if he's on a boat?