When I regained consciousness, the rhythmic beeping of a cardiac monitor greeted me as I emerged from the unconsciousness back into the world of the living. Realizing I was in a hospital, my eyes scanned the unknown ceiling, wondering what had happened.

With a groan of pain, I slowly and laboriously sat up. Everywhere I felt the weight of my body and the stinging sensation of numerous wounds, especially the deep cut on my left shoulder inflicted during my first ride with Preya.

You know, I fell a lot today, didn't I? But, despite the waning sunlight, there was still plenty of day left to enjoy. Awesome!

A gasp of surprise escaped Mero's lips as she saw me awaken. "Aki, you're awake!" She exclaimed with a broad, beaming smile. "I had not anticipated that you would awaken so early...."

I slowly turned towards her and was abruptly confronted by a blue, amorphous blob that lunged at my chest. Before it could reach me, she spread her gelatinous form and enveloped me in a warm blanket of slime, covering me from the neck down. A single tentacle gently brushed against my cheek in a gesture of comfort.

I chuckled softly. "Whoa there, sweetie! I just got a bit banged up," I smiled tiredly at Mero, "Hey, Mero. What's up? How's it going?"

Mero responded brightly, clasping her webbed hands in relief, "I'm so glad you're alright, dear sir! I was distraught that your heroic actions would have resulted in a tragic ending."

"Hmph," I muttered in frustration. My mood had taken a downturn. I stroked Suu to make myself feel better. "Yeah, I may not be as strong as Kurusu, but - hang on, do you know what happened?"

"Indeed," Mero nodded, "Or I should say we were informed of some of the details by Smith-dono. Is it true that your counseling session went awry, and you encountered a hostile liminal in the forest?"

"If you want to put it mildly," I groaned, my exhaustion from the day already setting in, "So... what's everyone else doing?"

Idly, I noticed Suu's main antennae gently resting on my head.

"Mm... well, everyone was here earlier," Mero looked back at the door, "I believe they went to gather some food, so they should be back shortly. Smith-dono was here very briefly, along with... others," Her lips quirked ever-so-slightly at the word. "But she and the rest had to tend to other matters."

They are undoubtedly doing something regarding Kii; hopefully, they have safely and gently extracted her nutrients. If I was not present to advocate for her, they could potentially deliver an unjust punishment to her.

I was highly skeptical of Smith's ability to manage the entire situation with finesse at this juncture.

"Where's my phone?" I asked, patting myself in search of it.

"My sincerest apologies, dear sir, but unfortunately, it appears that it has been lost." Mero's ears drooped sadly.

Sheesh, she made it sound like someone died.

I exhaled a long, deep breath and reclined against the wall. "Ah well, it's probably for the best. I can only hope," I said with a yawn. Glancing around, I asked, "What time is it now?"

"Three in the afternoon."

My appointment with Preya had been at ten in the morning... I'd lost track of time during all the craziness, but I was pretty sure that meant I'd spent at least four hours passed out. I hated napping during the day; it always made me feel like shit after, but at least this time, I felt like I'd earned some shut-eye. I suppose I should be thankful I still had time to talk with Draco later tonight.

Ugh.

"Neat," I murmured, rubbing my temples in an attempt to stave off the oncoming headache. As I did, I couldn't help but notice the IV drip in my arm. Ugh, it always made me feel a little uneasy for some reason.

When Suu encircled the drip with her feeler and pulled it out, my skin was coated with her slimy matter. A chill ran through me as I realized she was dripping water from her body into mine.

I honestly didn't know what to think of that. I suppose... touched was the word for it.

"You're just too kind, Suu," I told her affectionately, poking the two emerald eyes that twinkled back at me from her chest. She only replied with a slight quiver, her eyes gleaming with joy.

"Pardon me," Mero said hastily as she quickly spun her wheelchair around, preparing to leave, "I feel like I am intruding, and I don't want to cause any disruption, so I shall go and inform the others..."

"Not at all," I responded immediately, halting her in her tracks. "Suu is just being considerate. You're a friend, so you're always welcome."

Still connected to my mind, Suu must have sensed my desire for Mero to stay as tentacles suddenly shot from her body and grabbed ahold of the mermaid. Mero yelped in surprise as the slimy tentacles lifted her from the wheelchair and carried her over to my bed, gently setting her down on my legs.

"Ouch!" I winced, taken aback by Suu's sudden enthusiasm. Despite my attempts to temper her, she still had her overzealous tendencies. Thankfully, there was no hint of creepiness in her behavior. "Well, it looks like Suu wants you to stay too!" I chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.

Ah, right," Mero murmured, blushing furiously with her fishtail writhing anxiously. Okay, this wasn't doing anything to alleviate the tension. Holy moly, this was so awkward.

Suu waggled her eyebrows at me.

Wait. Was... was she...?

The waggling intensified.

... It looked like Suu was starting to pick up some bad habits from my memories of my friends. Fantastic.

That was when the door opened.

Kurusu called out, "Mero! Suu!" He was carrying a bento in one hand and a large cup of water in another. His face lit up with surprise when he saw me. "Bando-san! You're awake!" He beamed with delight.

Poor Kurusu was immediately bowled over when he heard the loud cry of "BIG BROTHERRRRR!" causing all the contents of the cup of water to be unceremoniously dumped on him by a charging blue-feathered and pint-sized harpy. "PAPI WAS SO WORRIED!" she screeched as Kurusu lay sprawled on the ground, drenched in water.

Papi wrapped me in a tight embrace, though it was Suu who absorbed the brunt of it. The hyperactive harpy nuzzled my cheek, and I could feel the wetness from the tears that glimmered in her wide amber eyes. A wave of warmth radiated from my chest as I embraced her back.

"Hey there, little sister," I whispered, pressing my face against her hair.

The rest followed after a drenched Kurusu, who appeared resigned yet still amiable about his misfortune.

Miia enthusiastically clapped and slithered over to the window, basking in the sunlight as she exclaimed, "I'm so glad you're alright, Romance Master!"

"It pleases me to see you are well, Band - Aki," Cerea corrected herself before dramatically clenching a fist. "If only I had been there, perhaps the situation would have been resolved before you sustained any injury...."

"Don't worry," I reassured her, waving my hand dismissively, "I'm sure I'll be fine. It doesn't seem like I'm hurt too badly, after all."

Rachnera said dryly as she helped Kurusu remove his dripping hoodie, "One would think this is an everyday occurrence for you, given how blasé you are about such a near-death experience."

I shook my head in disbelief. "Not really, apart from a few... extraordinary moments." I sent her a meaningful glance, to which she shrugged, giving me the impression of "Eh, sorry, not sorry." I sighed heavily and lifted my hand, which was trembling uncontrollably in the air. "Truthfully, that is probably the most exciting experience I have ever had in my life."

It was almost unbelievable that it had happened, even now. Preya, Kii, and MON's remarkable coordination was something I had pondered about a lot, but it was simply astonishing how powerful the liminals could be. Preya's velocity, Kii's abilities, Tio's might, and more reminded me of my inadequacy as a human in a realm of monsters.

It was humbling.

"Nevertheless," Kurusu said as he approached the bed, handing Suu his sodden hoodie and Mero her bento. Suu greedily started to suck the moisture out of it while Mero delicately nibbled at her meal. "What matters is that you are safe now."

Miia exclaimed, "Darling's right! You had us really worried there."

Cerea huffed, folding her arms tightly under her chest as she declared confidently, "I knew Aki would make a speedy recovery. His inner strength and resilience are much greater than his fragile exterior would suggest."

"Hey!" I pouted.

"Oh please, you were just as anxious as the rest," Rachnera remarked with a smirk, leaning her cheek against her clawed hand. "If I'm not mistaken, you were going on about bringing the sword of justice down, or whatever it was you were saying..."

"I did not!" Cerea protested, stomping a hoof down to emphasize her point.

"I concur with Rachnee-san," Mero said with a sly smirk. "Your overreaction was quite entertaining to watch."

"Speaking of overreactions," Miia snickered, her eyes twinkling with mischief as she raised a hand to cover her mouth, "Who was it who was so dramatically talking about all sorts of tragic possibilities, like if he woke up amnesiac and had to rely on you for his care...."

Mero flushed an even deeper shade of red. "Y-Yes, I was just considering different possibilities that could happen," she said, a hint of embarrassment in her voice. She picked up a piece of fish with her chopsticks and ate it with a prim huff. "I was just trying to take my mind off things, that's all."

"Riiiiiight," Miia drawled.

A broad grin spread across my face as I watched the group kindly jest with one another. It was reminiscent of how my friends from home would usually banter, often spicing up the conversation with a few choice expletives - all in the spirit of fun, of course.

"Bando," Kurusu spoke softly, leaning in to not interrupt the girls, "Smith-san said you must go straight to Cultural Exchange headquarters once you've been checked out. She didn't give a reason, but I guess it must be important."

I frowned angrily. Damn right, it was important. I had a lot of grievances to vent, and Smith was going to hear every single word.

"Okay," I replied, keeping my tone neutral.

"You sure?" Kurusu asked, full of concern. "I can't help but feel like something isn't quite right here... Are you sure you're not putting up a facade?"

You were one to talk.

"Maybe a little," I admitted, glancing at Papi, who was teasing Miia about something, "But can we discuss this further later?"

He was still for a moment but eventually nodded. That was appreciated.

For now, I just wanted to enjoy this little moment.

To be continued!