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22. Parents

Rule 99: Be there for the good people, they happen sometimes.

She was hot, a little sweaty but she didn't have much time. She ran up to the receptionist, glad there wasn't a queue of any sort and requested the room number under TT's mother's name.

"Are you family?"

Otsuka hesitated, surely non-family members could visit too, she didn't have to pretend she was family. "Um... not exactly,"

The receptionist frowned. No, no, no, she had to see her.

"But I'm delivering flowers for a family member. Her son couldn't be here but he asked me to bring these," she explained, almost desperate as she brought out the lilies— still just barely alive.

The receptionist seemed to think on it for a few doubt-filled moments, then, finally, they took pity on her.

"Room 202, floor two, first on the right. There'll be an empty vase on the side and a sink for water. But be quick, I'm not really supposed to let you in."

Otsuka smiled brightly. "Thank you so much!" She couldn't wait for an elevator, she took the stairs and ran the way up, cradling the flowers in her arms to protect them from further damage.

Room 202, at last.

She took a deep breath, letting herself calm down before gently knocking on the door.

"Come in." The voice was soft, gentle, it seemed so peaceful and so kind, and that was just a voice.

Otsuka stepped in tentatively, holding the flowers close to her chest. The woman before her was everything TT described her to be: stunningly beautiful, capable of such a tranquil aura that it radiated out and filled everywhere she went with peace.

"Um... hi, you don't know me but... um..." She should really thought this through before she came in, that would have been a good plan; this was not a good plan. She presented the flowers abruptly. "These are for you, from... somebody I know who couldn't give them himself."

Bemused, the woman came up and held the flowers in her hand, she looked at them closely.

"Sorry they're a bit dead, I had to run with them, a bit."

"Nonsense, they're beautiful." She sounded so sure of it Otsuka believed her wholeheartedly. "They'll need some water."

Otsuka blinked for a second but immediately spurred into movement, grabbing the vase she'd seen when she first entered from the top of a cupboard on the left and filling it with water using the sink at the wall by the door.

The woman quickly placed the flowers in and chose to put the now full vase on the cupboard once more. "So who is this man who sends me my favourite flowers?"

Otsuka froze for a good second, she couldn't actually say who they were from. "A-a- um, a secret admirer of-of yours," she stuttered out. TT was going to murder her for that. "I really have to go, but it was really nice to meet you."

"And you, Miss...?"

"Otsuka." Hell. Should she have given a fake name? That would've been smart.

"Goodbye." Otsuka gave her a little wave as she hurried out.

"Have a safe journey."

"Thank you!"

Otsuka started the long run home knowing she wouldn't have a lot of time to spare to get there by seven-thirty. It wasn't so bad though, soon she'd be eating another amazing meal and then she could collapse into bed. She hadn't slept well last night, her mind had been running rampant with too much to rest. It was driving her insane, there was way too much going on in her life at the moment, and while she was looking forward to trying to get some sleep tonight, she had a feeling she was going to run into the same problem.

So much was happening, her emotions were a mess but she was holding together by quashing them all down. It may seem unhealthy to most but it was the healthiest option to her, if she let everything she was feeling run loose, well, imagine that whistling noise that starts high and swings low and then follow that up with the sound of an explosion. Yeah, it would only make everything worse. Things were bad enough already. Out of all it though, dread had to be her worst companion, and her only hope was that she didn't manage to run into her parents during the internship. Somehow. Good luck to her, huh?

Very short chapter.Imagine there's a gif here of Thor smashing a cup on the floor and shouting, "ANOTHER!"There will be another chapter up today so I'll leave the usual endnote for that one. :)