Lily was walking alone in the floor which was lined with rooms. She changed the dress which she was wearing before. Now, she was wearing a long black dress with a modest but striking design which was totally perfect for a funeral. It had a high and closed neckline that gave her a formal and a disciplined look. The sleeves were long and loose, narrowing at the wrists, which made her looked calm and controlled.
The dress fitted her upper body well and was fastened down the front with a straight line of small buttons. It reached down to her ankles, giving her a tall and commanding presence. She looked cleaner and neater than before, almost pale against the black dress. It felt like she had taken a shower not long ago. Her hair was shining slightly, and her appearance showed that she had prepared herself for what was coming.
At the same floor, Emi was having a shower in her room. Warm water was falling over her body like a gentle fountain. She was slowly washing her hands, and the warmth of the water calmed her thoughts. After taking bath, she stepped out from the washroom and wrapped a white towel around herself. Her room was too beautiful and expansive. High stone walls surrounded the room with tall arched glass windows that made it feel open and noble. The ceiling was high, decorated with smooth, curved patterns that gave the place a royal, almost cathedral-like presence. A grand chandelier hung from above, its golden frame filling the room with a soft and luxurious light. The floor was covered with a large patterned carpet in pale cream and blue shades that made the room feel warm and refined.
In the very center of the room, a finely carved wooden bed was placed, whose neat bedding matched the colors of the room wonderfully. At the foot of the bed was a cushioned bench. On both sides, classic lamps and small flower decorations were kept on two wooden side tables. Beside one wall, a comfortable chair and a small table were placed. Carefully arranged paintings and floral decorations around the room gave its peaceful atmosphere a unique sense of completeness.
Emi put on her clothes and began drying her long beautiful hair with the towel. Just then, she heared a knock on the door. She stopped drying her hair immediately, her hands freezing in her hair with the towel. She looked at the door and seemed a little confused.
Beside Emi's room, Arashi was in his own room doing push-ups, shirtless. His body was small in size, a little skinny, but muscular. It was an aesthetic-type body. He had defined, attractive six-pack abs. His body looked strong and well-shaped, the kind built through hardship and discipline.
While doing push-ups, Arashi was thinking about his past — about the town he had left behind. As his body moved up and down, memories came back to him one by one. He wasn't doing push-ups to burn calories, nor was it just for training. He was doing them to burn his memories. The past that was hard to forget. He remembered how the people of his town cursed him, beat him, ignored him, and looked at him with annoyance and disgust. Their faces were still clear in his mind. He also remembered the moment when that girl placed her hand on his head and told him that he was strong.
So many things had happened in his past. Some memories returned clearly, while others he didn't even want to remember. Yet they all came back at once. Sweat dripped from his body as his thoughts grew heavier.
After a moment, he stopped doing push-ups and wiped the sweats from his body with a towel. After the workout, his body looked even more defined and broader, like the pump that comes after intense training.
As he pulled on his t-shirt, he heard a knock on the door. He walked toward it and opened it.
Standing outside were Emi and Lily. They were ready to go to the funeral and had come to get Arashi. Lily was wearing the black dress and Emi was wearing the same outfit she had worn at the start of their journey — a black t-shirt tucked loosely into black pants.
Emi stood behind the door with her arms crossed and Lily waved her hand toward Arashi lightly and said,
"Hi!"