Despite the rough start, the rest of the trip went by uneventfully.
Well—"uneventfully" if you ignored the bloodthirsty look the boy had thrown at Asha earlier.
Normally, Asha wouldn't care about a child's attitude, no matter how irritating they were. But seeing that boy treat his own mother so cruelly made sothing snap in her, and she acted out—boldly, even recklessly.
Though she was an adult, she had behaved like a misbehaving child. Priyanka's shocked expression was still vivid in her mind.
Unfortunately, what was done was done. Whatever Priyanka had to say later, Asha would just have to accept it.
That was what she told herself. But the way she kept avoiding Priyanka's eyes and touch said more than any words could.
There were too many eyes on her to pretend nothing had happened. Strangers ca up, asking for photos and offering sweets, but Priyanka firmly turned them away.
Watching Priyanka deal with the fallout of her actions stirred a sharp pang of guilt.
[I'm sorry.]
An apology was the least she could offer. Thankfully, Priyanka didn't seem to take it too seriously.
"Don't worry, I was already ready to step in myself," she said, gently stroking Asha's head.
Her hand moved with practiced care, soft enough not to ss up her hair.
"Actually, I'm relieved."
The words were a little strange. Relieved? That she'd caused a scene?
Asha couldn't help but stare at her, confused. Not that it mattered—her blank expression gave nothing away. But as if sensing her thoughts, Priyanka added quietly:
"I'd much rather you make a ss where I can see it than cut yourself in silence like before."
'…'
Asha was left speechless by Priyanka's blunt honesty.
The karma from her past didn't seem like it would fade anyti soon.
Maybe, in Priyanka's eyes, she was already a very problematic child—just in a different way.
Asha wanted to explain the misunderstanding, but who would actually believe she'd been conducting experints with her own blood?
Even if Priyanka knew the full story, her attitude might not change much. After all, she was the only Gem odd enough to treat her body like a lab sample.
With that in mind, Asha decided to remain silent for the rest of the trip.
But her sudden quiet may have been interpreted differently by Priyanka.
"I'm not mad about it anymore." she said, her expression softer than usual—far from her typical professional deanor.
"You might not see it that way since you haven't been with us long, but you're part of our family now. We won't abandon you or treat you badly. But in return, you have to be honest with us—and stop hurting yourself like before."
Though Priyanka's face was gentle and understanding, her concern leaked through every word.
Maybe she thought Asha was suffering quietly, not telling anyone—like so poor, pitiful child.
Her thoughts were probably full of confusion and misunderstanding. But her willingness to accept Asha was undeniable, written clearly on her face.
In the cartoon, Priyanka had seed like a forgettable side character—the mother of the protagonist's love interest, nothing more.
But seeing her up close, being held in her care, it was clear that Priyanka had always carried far more depth.
At this mont, the woman standing in front of her wasn't just a side character. She was simply a mother, worried for her child.
And realizing that made sothing shift inside Asha.
'Strange... why does my chest hurt like this?'
She was surprised by her own reaction. Her senses should have dulled long ago. But now, an unfamiliar pain blood in her chest—one that shouldn't be possible.
Looking at Priyanka, treating her with so much warmth, made her feel like a complete fraud.
She had taken advantage of that kindness to live a quieter life among humans. She wasn't truly a child—she was a grown man in his early twenties.
Their relationship was built on a lie she'd never bothered to correct. Could she still accept this hand, extended with such sincerity?
For the past few days, all Asha had done was bask in that kindness.
A life without chaos. A gentle hand on her head, kind words whispered in her ear, warm arms wrapped around her as she slept.
Asha was thirsty for that human touch.
And the fact that Priyanka was slowly becoming soone important to her—soone central—scared her.
One day, when all these lies ca to light, when the world was finally free of the Diamonds' shadow... would Priyanka still consider her family?
Would she still care for soone who had lied, soone who pretended to be a child for her own safety?
If Priyanka—this person who had beco a pillar in her life—saw her as a fraud… then what would be the point of going on?
Maybe it would be better to break, completely and irreversibly—
'Stop thinking about useless things.'
Before her mind was drawn in a strange direction, Asha forcibly stopped her flow of thoughts.
Instead of clinging to an uncertain future that hadn't yet arrived, it was better to focus on what she had in front of her now.
'Preparing for the original should be my only concern now.'
With trembling hands that still couldn't quiet her worries, Asha told a small lie.
[Okay, I'll be honest.]
At her words, Priyanka showed a bright smile while patting her head.
Her gentle act was warm—but at the sa ti, it took her breath away.
For now, it was a small lie.
But she hoped that one day, it could beco the truth.
*
After a subway ride that felt like an eternity, they finally arrived at the hospital.
Unlike the hospital where Priyanka usually worked, this one looked newer, with fewer plants and less greenery surrounding it.
Priyanka's workplace focused mainly on physical injuries and ergencies, but this hospital was clearly centered around ntal health and counseling.
Most of the appointnts seed to involve basic check-ups, nutrition, and psychiatric care.
It was around noon, yet the hospital was crowded. Most of the visitors were elderly, or won with young children in tow.
Unlike on the subway, both Asha and Priyanka wore masks inside the hospital.
Thanks to that, even though many people still glanced their way, the stares weren't as persistent as before.
And this ti, they weren't alone.
"Why do I have to go to the hospital with this freak?!"
"Brian, silence."
Yes, the infamous mother-and-son pair had ended up at the sa hospital. Apparently, they were even heading to the sa psychiatric ward.
Not that surprising. It wouldn't be shocking if the boy had a few issues.
Thinking that, Asha couldn't help the look of pity that crept into her eyes.
"What are you looking at, you ugly?"
The red slipper mark still visible on his face made his attempt at intimidation look even more ridiculous.
Asha's pity only deepened.
Her own situation had just been a misunderstanding, but this kid? He was clearly a real case.
"Thank you for showing the way, Mrs. Priyanka!" said the young mother with a cheerful smile, her grip firm on her son's collar.
"You're welco."
It seed the two won had bonded after the earlier conflict. The young mother now displayed a bubbly personality that stood in stark contrast to her previously dull deanor.
She was a bit shy under the curious glances of strangers, but once she began speaking, she didn't hold back.
"I'm so jealous of your daughter! She's so polite and cute. My son's already causing chaos..."
"Mom!"
"Is there so secret to raising kids? Could you share a few tips?"
"A secret? My daughters are naturally quiet, but I believe a structured routine is essential for any plan."
The conversation naturally drifted toward parenting.
Priyanka kept her usual stoic expression, but a small smile tugged at her lips as she received praise for her daughter.
Bedtis, diets, boundaries—it was as if Priyanka was giving a parenting seminar on the spot.
Just watching them talk made Asha feel tired. Still, both won seed deeply engaged.
That's when she decided it was ti to draw again, for the first ti in a while.
In the beginning, Asha had been terrible at drawing. The sand wasn't exactly the ideal surface for practice.
However, after gaining access to proper materials, her skills improved dramatically. And thanks to the internet, she had managed to solidify the concepts she had once applied blindly.
Light and shadow, perspective, structure—advanced concepts she hadn't even known existed were now part of her toolkit.
Still, even with all her progress, Asha frowned as she looked at her work.
'Bad habits don't go away so easily.'
To the untrained eye, her drawings were pretty and symtrical. But to Asha, who could spot even the smallest errors, they were full of flaws.
Art was a constant pursuit of perfection.
One of the most important principles in drawing was understanding shapes—how to break down complex forms into basic symtrical components.
The drawing process was all about fitting those shapes into a coherent image.
And learning how to distort them while preserving their fundantal traits was essential.
Ever since she'd drawn the injectors back in kindergarten and attracted too much attention, she had limited herself to more technical exercises.
She challenged herself by drawing one animal per day, distorting its shape in various ways, and then applying lighting from different angles.
This allowed her to train both her visual mory and her understanding of illumination.
The animal she had chosen to draw today was a lion.
Strangely enough, it had beco a habit since her ti in the desert.
As she imrsed herself in her drawings, ti seed to lt away.
As the images piled up in her notebook, a quiet sense of satisfaction blood inside her—the joy of creating unusual shapes and angles.
When she finished her work she lifted her gaze from the notebook and blinked, startled by her surroundings.
A sterile white room stretched around her.
'Wait... when did I get here?'
A wave of disorientation washed over her as she tried to make sense of it.
Seated across from her was a woman in a lab coat, her serious eyes fixed on Asha.
More precisely, on the drawings of distorted lions in her notebook.
"This notebook—could you show it to ?"
Asha's body flinched at the words.
And then a single, crushing thought filled her mind.
'I ssed up.'
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