. . .

"A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world."

—Oscar Wilde

. . .

Rei Kashima.

The Son of Hypnos. One of the three remaining demigods left alive in this world. The oldest monster hunter of Proserpina.

...Eiji's grandfather.

A private hospital room was where the demigod dwells in these past few years, where the faint smell of antiseptic was always lingering, no matter how much the fragrant scent of flowers tried to hide it.

The walls are too white here, too clean, too plain... and it seriously irked Eiji's eyes whenever he had to stare at it for a second far too long. And while his grandfather's hospital room was by any means, not a small one, he couldn't help but still feel sort of suffocated around here.

This place felt too much like a clean prison cell.

He couldn't be too sure but sometimes, especially a few years back when he was younger; it felt like his eyes were playing tricks on him because he could have sworn the walls were slowly closing in on him, shadows dancing from the corners of his vision. Like they were slowly creeping closer to the hospital bed.

To his sleeping grandfather.

And sometimes Eiji had to seriously wonder to himself just how on earth his grandfather can take staying here for so long.

Why did Rei even had to stay here?

The old man wasn't even sick or really in a comatose state no matter what the medical staff believed in. If it were Eiji, this set-up would have driven him mad.

So whenever, he comes by―every single other day, two hours after school―he made sure to keep the only window open, making sure to keep the curtains drawn as the air was rather chilly these days before busying himself with replacing the old flowers he had left with new ones.

It was a tradition that Eiji's grandmother had sort of started ever since she had come to learn that her husband was prone to getting hospitalized for long periods of time so many years ago.

Back when the rest of their family are still alive and well. He remembers his grandmother, a bright, cheerful woman, who had been adamant with leaving flowers for Rei, citing that it didn't feel right to leave her husband waking up alone in a too-cold hospital room; she had opted to leave her husband with flowers (as well as a get well soon card that Eiji and his father had opted to pointedly ignore; Rei wasn't even really sick anyway) so that the colorful petals she had planted in their garden will be the first thing her husband sees upon waking up, the soothing smell washing away most of the stench of medicine.

Rei didn't even liked flowers, Eiji knew.

But Eiji also knows for a fact how much Rei had missed his wife and that he appreciated to know that his wife's flower garden are still being taken care of. Even if he wouldn't admit it out loud, that silly old man.

"Lavender?" his grandfather asks, not bothering to open his eyes.

He does that a lot, Eiji notes with an amused huff as he finishes fixing up the lone vase on Rei's beside table, right next to their small family picture.

Rei had often complained of how much the light hurts his eyes, even years before he had indefinitely stayed in the hospital... although Eiji suspected his grandfather just really didn't want to exert such effort in doing something so simple such as opening his eyes. Hence, the reason why Rei had his eyes usually closed or half-lidded when he really had to look at something.

"...I read in a book once that lavender was said to have a lot of benefits," Eiji answers, stuffing his hands in his coat pockets.

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah," he nods, despite knowing that his grandfather wouldn't even see it, "The scent of lavender is known for its ability to calm the nervous system, lift the mood and even lower blood pressure–"

"I mean, you can read?"

Eiji rolls his eyes at the low blow while Rei laughs at his own stupid joke, completely undaunted as he carries on, "...Studies prove that the scent of lavender is soothing helps people relax. It inhibits anxiety, depression, and conflict."

"Eh, but kid... I'm not depressed!"

"All you ever do is sleep," Eiji pointed out.

"That doesn't count as depressed!"

"...Whatever helps you sleep, old man."

His grandfather snorts, turning his head to face him (or the direction where Eiji's voice was coming from), still had his eyes closed as he leaned back further on his pillows. To anyone else, it would look like that Rei was preparing to sleep. But to Eiji, it simply meant the old man was preparing himself to start wheedling in on details:

"You wish," Rei snorts, "So... how's school, kid? Is Haru-kun still dragging you off to trouble? Or are you finally going to introduce me to someone special?"

"No."

"No?" there was something like amusement in the way his grandfather's lips curled, "No, as in, Haru-kun's no longer a troublemaker? How shocking."

"I mean, I'm still single," Eiji muttered, looking away.

There was a pause for a moment.

"...How tragic," Rei drawled, sounding honestly dismayed.

"Yes, very sad," Eiji deadpanned, "Anyway–"

"...I mean, how on earth is it even possible that you're still single? For father's sake, you're 18. An adult! And you're also a very good-looking kid, you got my genes, after all! You know, Eiji, back in my days–" Eiji fought hard another eye-roll while he tunes out on his grandfather's usual rant about his so called 'golden days' in the background.

It's times like this that proved the fact that his grandfather wasn't even sick, let alone a comatose patient... because despite being already past his 70s, Rei Kashima was a relatively healthy old man.

Lively, still has a sharp memory.

And even though Rei wasn't as physically strong as he had been back 'when he was a dashing gent' (Rei's words, not Eiji's), it didn't make the old man an invalid... which makes Eiji seriously wonder just how come no one bothers to questions the fact that his grandfather has to stay in the damn hospital for so long. Not even the doctors that checked on Rei from time to time, nor the nurses that often assisted him even batted an eye on their supposedly comatose patient being up and about for a few days or hours around the hospital before going back to hibernating at the next.

Such is the nature of Hypnos.

Does his great-grandfather had something to do with Rei's condition? Or was this kage no megami's doing, since she was the one who needed his grandfather to be in the land of dreams as her informant?

"You're good with housework. And you're nice... if you really put an effort in it sometimes. So why is that?" Rei was saying when Eiji finally tries to listen, watching his grandfather tilt his head up a bit as if wondering out loud.

"Maybe because I want to focus on school?"

Rei snorts, "You make it sound like you have good grades."

"At least I don't actually fail, grandpa!"

"Love and happiness are far more important than those."

"I need good grades to get to college," Eiji reminded him.

"Grades are just a number," Rei retorted with a huff.

"Yeah," Eiji snorts, "But they also factored in my future."

"Geez, kid, live a little."

Eiji deadpans as he pulls on a chair that might as well have his name on it, "Says the old man who likes hanging out in a hospital while playing patient."

"Who are you calling old?"

"Definitely not me, old man."

Rei's lips pursed, his expression turning eerily serious, "Eiji. Be honest. Why are you avoiding the topic? Are you gay? Is that why I don't have a possible future granddaughter-in-law just yet?"

...I'm bisexual, actually. Eiji bit at his tongue for a second to hold that in as he breathed in a sharp exhale at the same second, "What the hell, gramps. No. Now, moving on from my 'forever-alone' status, I think there's something you should know."

"Oooh. Is it a school waiver for parents' consent?" Rei asks.

"No," Eiji sighs, "That's not it."

Rei rubs at his cheek idly, looking almost at a loss, "Eh? But what is it then? Wait. You're still a member of your school's track and field right?"

"Yeah. I was elected as president actually."

"Seriously?" he laughed, "That's hilarious!"

"I actually declined,"

"Aw... but is there no competition this winter?"

Eiji stares at him, suddenly at a loss for words.

Even Rei... even his grandfather looked like he has no idea what the actual hell kage no megami just did. Eiji wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

"Look, the club's not really the point right now. But uh... you see, gramps... the thing is, uh," Eiji nervously began as he fidgeted in place, eyes darting away from his grandfather's still-closed eyes, not knowing how to really tell him before Eiji quickly gives up and decides―you know what?

Fuck it.

"Kage no megami sent a vampire to school today!" he blurted out in a single breath... and just what kind of madness has his life had come to that he actually had to say something like that damn it?!

Eiji wasn't really sure what kind of reaction his grandfather would give out at that. But he most certainly did not expect for Rei's eyes to slowly peel open, right until Eiji found himself staring straight at his grandfather's murky gray eyes.

A wry smirk slowly crawled at the old man's lips.

"How very," the Son of Hypnos murmurs, "... interesting."