Chapter 36: A Leap of Faith

A few minutes before, when Kai wheeled himself out of his room. "Now let's see where he went," he looked towards the hallway as he started his search for Ray. He looked inside few rooms, but no traces of him. 

The mansion hummed softly in the quiet hallway, punctuated only by the rhythmic sound of Kai's wheelchair. He sighed, his mind replaying the conversations he had with the maids. "They said they saw Ray heading down this hallway," he thought to himself, clutching the scattered worksheets in his hand. "I need to apologize to him and return these." He continued to wheel until he reached the balcony.

As he approached the balcony, he spotted Ray. "Ah, there he is," relief washed over him, but it was short-lived. "Wait," Ray's posture was slumped, his breathing shallow. "He seems to be sick," he thought to himself. He recalls back when Ray came to his room, "Back then as well, he looked like he's carrying the weight of the world," Kai thought, concern etching lines on his face.

But as he drew closer to proper view, he noticed something more alarming. Ray was swaying, his grip on the balcony railing weakening. "This looks bad," he wheeled himself faster towards Ray. But as he reached closer, Kai's heart pounded in his chest as he watched Ray's body tilt dangerously over the edge. Time seemed to stretch into eternity as Ray began to fall.

Driven by instinct, Kai propelled himself from his wheelchair. His right hand shot out, latching onto Ray's hand just in time. His left hand clung desperately to the balcony railing, anchoring them both. "Shit!!"

Ray's eyes fluttered open, his vision blurred. "Huh…" He squinted, trying to make out the figure holding him. "Who…?" Recognition dawned on him as his vision became clear and he gasped, "K… Kai…"

Hearing his name, Kai looked at Ray. Despite the strain, Kai managed a weak smile. His wig slipped from his head, unnoticed by him in the chaos. "His hair…," Ray thought to himself as he watched Kai's wig falling off. "I need to find a way to get us both to safety," Kai thought to himself, his gaze darting around. But his arms were trembling, his strength waning. "Damn, this body is so weak!!"

Just then, Hiro rounded the corner. "Argh, my neck is in pain…" he walked the hall massaging behind his neck. He was about to enter a room, when he noticed Kai's wheelchair fallen on the ground. "Huh? That's Kai's wheelchair, but what is it-" as he wondered about it, he noticed the Kai's hand barely holding on the railing. "Wha-!!"

Hiro rushed towards the balcony, his eyes widening in shock as he took in the scene. "KAI!! RAY!!" He saw Kai, his hand trembling as it clung to the railing, the other desperately holding onto Ray.

With a burst of adrenaline, Hiro grabbed Kai's hand, pulling both him and Ray up in one swift motion. Kai collapsed against the wall, gasping for breath, while Ray landed next to him, his eyes wide with surprise and confusion.

"Why…?" Ray thought to himself as Hiro called out to them. With the commotion going on, the maids rushed over, helping Ray up and leading him away.

Meanwhile, Hiro was carrying Kai back. "Kai! Don't give up! You still have a long way to go!!" He repeated these words like a mantra, hoping to reassure both Kai and himself. But Kai could only manage a weak smile. "I won't die you know," he thought to himself. "He's making a fuss over it…"

Soon after, a physician was called to check on both Ray and Kai. He informed them that Ray was merely exhausted and needed proper rest, while Kai had exerted too much force in his attempt to save Ray. He advised them both to rest for 2-3 days and get a good night's sleep.

Sakura arrived shortly after, tears streaming down her face as she clutched Kai's hands. Kai could only pretend to sleep amidst the commotion, "If I open my eyes now, they are sure to make a fuss again," his mind still reeling from the day's events. Shortly after, Kai fell asleep. His body was too tired from all the work, but Ray stayed awake, telling others what happened.

After a while, Kai woke up. Slowly opening his eyes, awakening from his sleep. "What time is it?" he wondered, rubbing his eyes, to which Eva promptly replied, "It's 5 PM now, Sir." Kai sat up in surprise, "So, I slept for 7 hours!?" Eva confirmed, "7 hours, 1 minute and 19 seconds. Precisely."

Kai sighed, flexing his hands. "This body is too weak…" His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door opening. He turned to see Ray standing in the doorway, dressed in sleepwear. Kai was momentarily stunned at the sight. Ray's sleepwear was adorned with a comical design of dancing pineapples, a stark contrast to his usually serious demeanor.

A chuckle escaped Kai's lips before he could stop it. He quickly covered his mouth, trying to suppress his laughter. Ray, noticing Kai's reaction, looked down at his own attire. A blush crept up his cheeks as he realized the source of Kai's amusement. He crossed his arms defensively, "It's comfortable," he muttered, though the tips of his ears were still red.

Despite the embarrassment, Ray couldn't help but smile at the sight of Kai laughing. It was a rare moment of lightness amidst the chaos. 

Ray slowly made his way over to Kai's bed and sat down beside him. He lowered his head, his voice barely above a whisper. "Why did you do that?" he asked.

Kai looked at him. He remained silent for a moment, as if weighing his words. He reached for his notebook on the bedside table and began to write. Ray watched him, his heart pounding in his chest.

Kai slid a note in front of Ray. His eyes widened as he read it: "My body moved on its own." He looked up to find Kai giving him a small smile.

"But why?" Ray asked, his voice choked with emotion. "What if something happened to you?"

Kai picked up his pen again and wrote a response. "I could ask you the same thing. Why didn't you sleep well? What if something happened to you?" He showed the note to Ray, who fell silent.

After a few minutes of heavy silence, Ray finally spoke up. "Uncle Max took me in after my parents died in a carriage accident." Kai looked at him, as he began his side of story. "He, Aunt Celestina, Uncle Hiro, and Aunt Sakura… They all expect a lot from me. They all helped me so much… I can't show my weak side to them… They put their faith in me," he confessed, his voice barely audible. "I must at least give it my all for that, even if it means giving up on some sleep."

Kai listened quietly, noting each of his words. He tapped on Ray's shoulder. To the response, Ray looked at him. Kai then began to write again. He held the notebook, as he scribbles his words, pausing and writing again. He then held the note above Ray, showing him what he wrote. "Do you think they will like it when they hear you cut your sleep for them?" Ray looked back at Kai, before continuing to read. "All they want is your well-being. But if you did this, all they will feel is guilt that because of them, you are in such a state now."

Ray read the note, his mind wandering to all the things they did for him. His memories of him learning for academy with Celestina and Sakura, his sword and archery training with Hiro and Maximus. All memories flashes through his mind, as he sighs. He fell back on the bed, then covered his face with his arm. "What am I supposed to do then?" he asked, his voice muffled.

Kai wrote again, this time placing his notebook on Ray's chest. Ray picked it up and read it. "Sometimes, it's fine to say you can't or back off from your duties. There are many more fun things to do except work as well." His eyes widened, "Also, I don't think Uncle Max or anyone would hold you to that, rather they will be happy to see you enjoying your life."

Ray stared at the note, then turned to look at Kai, who was gazing at the sunset outside the window. A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Guess I was just being a pushover here," he thought to himself, as he too turned to watch the sunset with Kai.

They both sat in silence for some time, enjoying the view. The sun rays fell on the room, reaching out to the door which could be seen slightly open. Unbeknownst to them, Hiro and Sakura had been listening to their conversation from outside the door. They exchanged a knowing look and a shared smile, their hearts filled with hope for the future.