New World New Life 159 Departure

His head was on the table with the blanket covering his body. The poor boy had tried to stay awake waiting for her to return! Seeing as the Sun was still high up in the sky, she decided to let him sleep a little more. 

Vy slowly lifted Lycster into her arms and laid him down on the futon. She pulled the covers over him and was glad that he did not stir awake. But the headache was getting to her. Thinking back to what had happened, Vy's cheeks flushed red. She could feel the heat on her face. 

-Don't think about it, don't think about it!- she told herself as she slapped her own cheeks. 

"Maybe a bath will calm my senses," she whispered to herself. 

They were leaving today, and Vy wanted to get one last soak in the bath before they left. As she got into the water, she could feel the heated water clinging to her body. Vy let out a breath of air as she sat in the water till it reached her neck. 

Looking up at the ceiling, she couldn't help but remember what had just happened. Her splitting headache was slowly getting better but it only served to keep the memory of embarra.s.sment fresh in her mind. 

She was never going to forget that for a long time. 

After an hour in the water, she stepped out of it and took a quick shower. Vy changed back into her regular clothes and folded the yukata nicely. From the wooden box in the corner, she decided to give the strawberry flavoured milk a try. 

Lycster stirred awake. As he set up on the futon, he let out a yawn as he rubbed his eyes. 

"Good morning." Lycster greeted sleepily. 

"Morning," Vy replied with a smile.

"What time did you get back yesterday?" Lycster asked in his half-asleep state. 

The boy stretched his arms and legs before standing up to get changed into his regular clothes. 

Vy quickly replied with a laugh, "I don't quite remember. But you were already sound asleep when I got back. So I didn't wake you."

"Oh," 

Once he was dressed, they decided to head out to the Dining Hall to see if they could get some food in their bellies before it was time for them to leave. Vy and Lycster made sure to pre-pack all of their belongings so that they would not miss anything out. 

"Vy," Lycster called out as they were about to leave to go to the Dining Hall.

"Yes?"

"Where's your spatial bracelet?" he asked as he pointed at her wrist. 

"What do you mean? It's right…" Vy said as she held up her wrist only to realise that the bracelet was missing. 

A pit dropped in her stomach. Where did her bracelet go? The brother and sister started searching the room and the hot spring pools, but they could not find it anywhere. Vy tried to think back to yesterday's events but she could not remember if the bracelet was still on her hand the night before. 

"Maybe you dropped it in the Dining Hall last night," Lycster suggested, "We can go search for it there while we get something to eat."

Vy nodded, "Good idea, let's go."

The hallway was lively with guests checking out and ready to leave Yama Yoma. But there were also guests who had just arrived for their stay. 

As they entered the Dining Hall, they were greeted by members of staff but they did not see Monma. When Vy asked the staff member who was serving them where she was, they informed Vy that she was not working that day. 

As it was in between breakfast and lunch hours, Vy and Lycster could decide what they would like to have. The breakfast menu was simple, a piece of grilled salmon with rice, miso soup with cubed silken tofu, pickled cuc.u.mbers and egg. The lunch menu was a little more elaborate as it was going to be beef patty on a hotplate with rice and a side of vegetable hot pot. 

They eventually decided to go with one set of each to share and the dishes did not disappoint. The beef burger patty was moist and kept warm on the hotplate. The sizzle of the sauce and meat helped enhance the aroma of the dish. You could smell it from a distance away. 

For dessert, they were each served grilled white rice mochi b.a.l.l.s in sweetened red bean soup. Vy remembered to ask the staff members if they might have seen her spatial bracelet. Unfortunately, none of them had seen it. They tried to help her look for it but it was nowhere to be found either. 

Vy only had herself to blame. 

"It's alright, we can get a new one when we get back in town," Vy said. 

It would be a lie to say that she was not worried about her bracelet. All of her possessions were in there after all, even if it was a magic bracelet. The feeling of having lost something was still there. 

Lycster placed his hand on hers, "We'll find it, sis. It has to be somewhere. Maybe you left it back in the hospital, who knows."

He could tell his sister was worried. After all, it was unlike her to lose something so important. Lycster's words of a.s.surance did, however, help Vy feel a little better. 

Not before long, they finished their meal and it was time for them to head back to the Alterra Sector. Yuna greeted them at the reception counter as they made payment for their stay. Much to their surprise, they were able to keep the yukata and slippers that they had worn. 

In fact, their clothes had been washed and dried and wrapped in beautiful wrapping cloth, ready for them to bring home. Yuna also informed them that their transport back to the hospital in Yama Yoma was ready to pick them up. 

Before they left, Vy also informed Yuna about her missing bracelet. Upon hearing about it, Yuna a.s.sured Vy that if they were to find it, they would keep it safe until they could return it to her.

With that, the siblings were ready to take their leave.