Chapter 4: She's Awake

SEVERAL DAYS THAT have been passed from when he found the woman at the seashore. At first, the people on the island came and asked if she was already awake. But just like before, he had one answer. Not yet. The beauty is still sleeping.

From time to time, his aunt came by his house just to monitor her patient's condition. She’s also the one who changes the dextrose of the girl whenever it runs out after cleaning her up. His doctor-slash aunt told her that the girl needed some fluid and rest. In no time she will wake up so they do not need to worry.

Achilles is also taking care of the cat that he found beside the woman. She looks like she has been trained because she knows the basics of daily life. So he is not bothered if there is a cat inside his house because she does not cause him any trouble. The cat also stays in the house beside her owner all the time, making him not too worried if he leaves the windows and doors open.

“Melody?” Achilles has been calling the cat for a while because he did not see her beside her owner. 

He was about to go around the whole house when he saw Melody lying down at the window looking out at the sea. 

“Time to eat, Melody.” He said after carrying her.

He’s used to calling the cat by that name the moment that he reads it on her collar. They were about to pass the women's room when Melody jumped out from him.

Achilles notices that the woman is shocked when the cat goes on top of the bed. She didn't seem to know what to do when the cat snuggled up to her side which made Achilles to be confused if she was the cat's owner.

He did not make any noise when he entered the room. He just watched what the woman was going to do next. 

Achilles folded his arm as he continued to observe the woman.

She has wavy hair that gracefully framed her face reaching down to her slender waist. Her cheeks are plump and rosy. Whenever she smiles, her dimples appear which is so different from her serious face when she’s just sleeping. The perfect harmony between her slightly rounded face and the flawless contour of her nose showcased even her eyes which are slightly narrow and rounded. In short, Achilles can find her beautiful and he can’t deny it. 

The woman's smile suddenly disappeared when she noticed him at the door. Achilles' face turned blank as he met her eyes.

“Ah… what—where am I?” 

"In my house," he replied simply before leaving the woman when he noticed that his aunt was already there. "She's awake." That was all he said before leaving the house for fishing.

IYA JUST LOOKED at her reflection in the mirror for a while. She doesn't know where she is or what to feel after she finds herself in the strange house.

Iya stopped paying attention to the cat when she noticed someone watching her. Her eyes widened when she saw the man standing opposite the door with his arms intertwined to each other. He was not wearing any top so his perfect muscular body was exposed in front of her. 

She was surprised at first. Iya could not speak immediately and her attention was focused only on him. 

She notices that he is tall enough to be part of the basketball team. Only a few inches can be filled to reach the door jamb. He has slightly messy black hair. A monolid eyes that perfectly fit his face. His lips were resolute, pressed together tightly as if nothing could sway him from his path—a testament to his unyielding determination that compliments his Adam's apple. He also has broad shoulders as if it was comfortable to lean on there whenever she wants to. 

I want to? She couldn’t help but ask herself after seeing his well-built body. 

Just by thinking about it, Iya couldn’t help but blush and look down in embarrassment. Before she thought anything else, her attention got back on his face.

“Ah… what—where am I?” she asked him mindlessly. 

She thought that he would not answer because he was looking at her seriously. His gaze made her feel intimidated.

Iya just looked around the room so she would not be nervous. But she immediately turned her gaze to him when the fine man answered that she was in his house. Right then, he left without saying anything.

Iya just distracted herself by looking at the Japanese-styled room. It has a white, black, and wood combination that is pleasing to the eye. A minimalist style that gives a homey vibe too.

"You're awake," said the aunt who entered her room with a big smile. 

Iya just watched her and didn’t respond immediately. If she's not mistaken, the aunty plays at the age of fifty to sixty. She has a little white hair but her beauty cannot be denied even in old age. She is wearing a white gown that can be classified as a nurse or doctor. There is also a stethoscope hanging on her neck. She smiled widely at her as she continued to enter the room. 

"How are you?" the aunty asked questions while trying to monitor her heartbeat, her dextrose, and her eyes.

"I-I’m okay," she replied with a smile before turning her gaze to the landscape again.

“You are at my nephew's house. He saw you on the bank unconscious together with your cat,” she turned her attention to the cat. “It looks like you drifted towards the island and ended up here. Good thing you're wearing a lifejacket. The waves are still big at sea. Fortunately, my nephew saw you right away. Your body is not in good shape. You also have bruises when he finds you. You recovered quickly. That's good news," she said one after the other.

As the aunts spoke, Iya's mind was playing with what happened to her. She still can’t find the answer to why she ends up in an unknown place.

“You need a few more days of rest. It also looks like your body has been through a lot. But don’t worry, if your appetite comes back, you will get back to your perfect shape.”

"Thank you for taking care of me,” she smiled at her full of gratitude. “A-aunt—”

“Aunt Mary. You can call me Aunt Mary. Your doctor for the past few days.” She smiled slightly before nodding. 

“Thank you again. I don’t know how to say how thankful I am.”

"Just take a sip of hot soup,” she jokingly said. “I brought you some—”

“May I ask if you know anything about myself?” Iya couldn't stop herself from asking. "Do I have any IDs or records?"

“Y-you don’t remember?” She answered with a question and shock on her face. “Don’t tell me, you don’t know who you are?”

Iya hesitated to nod but eventually did while nervous.

“This is not good,” the aunt commended worriedly. “Are you sure, Hija?”

Iya couldn’t answer her immediately because it was the truth which is a big problem to her too.

“I—I can’t remember anything, Aunt Mary…” Iya said hysterically. “I can’t remember anything!”