Total pages in book: 152
Estimated words: 154368 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 772(@200wpm)___ 617(@250wpm)___ 515(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 154368 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 772(@200wpm)___ 617(@250wpm)___ 515(@300wpm)
I shut it down.
Don't. Not right now.
I wouldn’t dare imagine it. Because if I built that world in my head and he didn’t come home, it wouldn’t just be him I lost. It would be every version of the future I let myself believe in.
I swallowed hard, glanced at Satoshi, and frowned.
He'd been scratching through the entire movie. His hand kept going to his neck, his arms, his chest. The angry red bumps had spread, and his skin looked raw and inflamed.
Nika came over and whispered to me, "What the hell is wrong with him? He got that shit?"
"What shit?" I whispered back.
"I don't know. That shit."
"No, he don't have that shit. He has an allergy."
Nika pulled back slightly. "Shit, I don't know if he should be around here, man. Might be COVID all over again."
"It's not the coronavirus. He's allergic to water."
“I don’t know about that.” Nika gestured to the staff. “I need a face mask. I’m not trying to pay some crazy medical bill this month.”
Someone knocked at the door.
Yoichi rose and opened it.
Two servers stepped inside carrying a large pot filled with a thick, creamy mixture.
Oh, thank God. Grandma's remedy.
Satoshi looked up from where he was sitting. "Take it down to my room. I'll use it later tonight."
"Hell no." I wagged my finger. "You need to use that shit now."
“I’m not sure the Dragon would approve—”
“Satoshi, I am the Dragon’s Heart and I am officially ordering you to put that on your skin now so we can see if this helps. Because if it doesn’t we will try something else.”
Satoshi parted his lips.
“I am fully dedicated right now to getting you some relief.”
“Thank you.” He pursed his lips together.
Deja stopped braiding and looked at him. "Me too. I thought he was going to scratch his skin off his body. Whatever that is, please give it to him. He looks like he is in absolute pain."
Satoshi hesitated. “Okay. I’ll just put a little on.”
Zo stood up. "Let me help you out."
Say what?
Nika and I exchanged a look.
I’d seen Zo glancing at Satoshi a lot since we’d been in here but I hadn’t thought nothing much of it.
Is Zo trying to holler at Satoshi?
I mean, if one forgot about the allergy stuff and looked past all the red bumps and dry patches. . .Satoshi was a really good-looking guy. Muscular. Strong jawline. But right now, with the scratching, he just looked miserable to me.
Zo walked over to Satoshi. "Come on. Let me help you out of this shirt."
I blinked.
Satoshi frowned. "I don't really have a lot of itching on my chest."
"We should still take care of everything," Zo gestured.
Satoshi sighed and stood up. Zo helped him pull his shirt over his head, and I immediately realized Satoshi had lied.
Yikes!
Angry crimson welts covered his torso like a topographical map of hell, some weeping clear fluid where his nails had torn through the skin. The flesh between the red bumps had turned an unnatural shade of purple-red, swollen tight as if something writhed just beneath the surface. Where he'd scratched most viciously, the skin had begun to slough off in papery flakes, revealing raw meat underneath that glistened wetly in the light.
"Damn," Nika muttered. “He does have that shit. I’m going to need two face masks.”
Deja sighed. “Be quiet, Nika.”
But underneath the horror, Satoshi had a nice muscular body, defined abs, and broad shoulders.
Yoichi frowned and gestured to the staff. “Get tons of towel and a warm glass of milk for him.”
“And those face masks,” Nika added.
They rushed off.
When they returned minutes later, they held even more supplies and Yoichi was over there re-reading my Grandma’s instructions as Nika put on two new face masks.
God, please let this work.
One of the servers handed Zo a pair of plastic gloves, and Zo snapped them on. Then he dipped his fingers into the mixture and started applying it to Satoshi's back.
And I swear on everything. . .the moment the mixture touched his skin, Satoshi's entire body relaxed.
He even groaned, "Oh my God."
I quirked my brows. “How does it feel?”
“It’s warm but. . .the itching stopped instantly unless. . .I’m just imagining but. . .” His shoulders dropped. His face softened. He stopped scratching.
Zo kept spreading the mixture over the red patches. Satoshi's neck. His shoulders. His chest. Anywhere the bumps had appeared.
"Dear God. . .just put it everywhere," Satoshi shivered. "Put it all over the place."
Zo worked quickly, covering every inch of inflamed skin.
Then Satoshi reached for his belt. "I'm about to take my pants off."
"Oh. Hold up now." Nika raised her hand.
Kaoru raised an eyebrow. "That might be too much, Satoshi."
"No." I frowned. "Let him take his pants off. I’m sure he has on boxer briefs. Let his legs get relief too."
Yoichi looked amused. "But, definitely keep your boxer briefs on. This is already going to be an odd report to the Dragon. We don’t need to push this further."