Coco turned around to see an unexpected sight— Kairo and Alhai sprinting towards her, each carrying a bag of considerable size.
The sight of them hastily approaching with their bulky bags in tow drew a question from Coco.
What could they be carrying to have a bag that big? She thought, her eyes glued to the bag for a mont as she remained patiently where she stood, allowing them to reach her before speaking.
"Kairo, Alhai." Coco greeted them, smiling softly. "What are you two up to with those bags?"
Alhai cleared his throat before speaking, a flush of embarrassnt visible on his face. "Heiren and Zaque prepared so food for our coworkers because when you collapsed and were unconscious for a week.. They kindly covered for our shift, telling us to go ho."
Coco’s eyes widened as soon as she processed the information. "They did?"
Alhai and Kairo exchanged a knowing glance before they reluctantly nodded in agreent. Kairo took the lead in explaining their situation, his expression serious, but laced with concern.
"They initially insisted that we stay ho to make sure that you’re recovering well." Kairo began, his tone filled with gratitude. "However, circumstances have changed."
Coco furrowed her brows, guilt growing knowing that she was the reason why circumstances have changed.. As much as she could tell, she’s not a normal human being due to how fast she recovered her mana, but her lineage also has to do with it.
Coco Hughes ca from a family with an abundance of mana in their body after all.
Coco pressed her lips together, a heavy sigh escaping her as the realization sank in. "Sorry.. I guess I caused quite a bit of trouble while I was asleep, huh?"
Alhai shook his head, his voice filled with reassurance. "No, don’t worry about it. You were unwell."
Despite Coco’s obvious frown and the signs of a heavy mood weighing her down, Alhai gently took her arm and firmly guided her out of the house.
It was evident that Coco’s mood had taken a turn for the worse because of what they said, but Alhai was determined to get her to work— besides, Coco let herself be led by Alhai so he knows that she wants to go to work.
Still.. Coco couldn’t help, but feel a knot of guilt and worry tighten in her chest as she realized that she had no choice, but to make it up with the people whom she caused trouble.
Alhai gently released his grip on Coco’s arm once they were outside the gate and before bidding farewell, he leaned down, placing a tender kiss on her forehead.
He t her gaze, genuine care and reassurance can be seen in his teal colored eyes, his voice softer than before.
"Please, don’t be too hard on yourself." Alhai pleaded, his voice blunt, but genuine. "You weren’t a trouble– neither for nor for others, okay?"
Coco nodded, making them sigh in relief and walk away.
Coco’s eyes followed Alhai and Kairo as they walked away, a faint smile tugging at the corners of her mouth when she noticed Lala, perched on Kairo’s shoulder, grinning gleefully and waving at her with enthusiasm.
The sight of Lala’s cheerful gesture lifted her spirits, bringing a glimr of joy to Coco, prompting her to wave back weakly.
Coco took a deep breath and forced herself to turn away from Alhai and Kairo, as well as Lala’s cheerful waves, and focused on her own destination— with a deep breath, she began walking towards the Hunter Guild.
Each step she took felt sowhat heavy, the weight of her guilt for being a burden lingered.
Yet, she pushed herself to keep moving forward, knowing that there was work to be done regardless of her consuming thoughts.
"Co on." She muttered under her breath as she walked, taking a deep breath and began hyping herself up. "I need to work hard and repay everyone for the trouble they went through."
The words imdiately had an impact on her, igniting a spark of determination inside her.
Slowly, her mood began to shift as she channeled her emotions into the thought of working and earning money, causing her steps to beco more confident, her expression hardening.
Coco rubbed her hands against her face to clear her head before taking a deep breath once again.
She let out a deep exhale which was followed by a burst of energy as she broke into a run, her stride quick as she scread. "You can do it, Coco! Work your ass off today!"
Despite the turmoil within her heart, Coco found her mind clearing as she ran— the rhythmic thud of her footsteps against the ground, the wind in her face, and the steady beat of her heart all served as distractions from her troubled thoughts.
Unbeknownst to her, as Coco ran through the streets, onlookers paused in their activities to steal glances at her, their faces filled with a mixture of surprise and relief.
After a week of her absence, these strangers found themselves quietly pleased to witness her on the streets again, her presence becoming part of their daily routine to witness her walk past them.
So whispered softly to one another, talking about her absence while others simply had a small smile as she hurried past.
Coco remained oblivious to the glances and whisper, her focus fixated solely on her destination.
These strangers who silently wished for Coco to beco well simply watched her run off, their silent approval and relief following her until she vanished from their sight.
Despite the fast pace of her run, Coco arrived at the guild in no ti, her breathing slightly labored yet not completely exhausted.
She paused for a mont, catching her breath, before straightening her back and smoothing out her clothes.
The sight of the familiar building gave Coco another burst of energy, sothing Coco was grateful for, then she took another deep breath before pushing open the guild doors and stepping inside.
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