The ride from the hospital to Bryce's house was relatively brief. When Neo asked why the two places were so close, Bryce responded he didn't want to be far from him.
In his own words, "The closer, the better."
Bryce's home was a small white house with a brown picket fence around it and a healthy garden in the front yard.
It was a simple house in contrast to the high-maintenance houses Neo was familiar with here on Mars. It was like something from old Earth.
"You live alone?" Neo asked when Bryce opened the front door and switched on the lights.
He remembered Bryce saying he only turned eighteen last month.
"I do. My father's house is too far from the hospital. So I got this place a few years ago. Do you like it?" Bryce stuck close to Neo as he answered, too eager.
"I like the colors." Neo mentioned in passing, creating distance between the two of them.
The decor of the house was themed white and brown.
"I did it for you. You once said in an interview that when you retire you'd like to live in a cozy white house with a brown picket fence." Bryce stood in front of Neo, staring with stars in his eyes.
Tingles of shiver broke out on Neo's spine. He remembered starring in lots of unannounced interviews when he started working with his Hunter Training Institute and clearing Dungeons.
He had always made up a bunch of stuff when responding or refused to answer questions.
At the time, he only focused on getting stronger and working hard every time, never paying attention to the social part of being a Hunter.
"... So you got this kind of house close to the hospital I was in just because of something I said in an interview years ago?" Neo asked slowly.
Bryce smiled, "Yes. Do you like it?"
Before knowing the lore behind the house and decor, Neo was feeling the place. Knowing it now, Neo wasn't certain whether he still liked it as much.
He chose not to say anything though, and Bryce interpreted his silence as agreement.
"I'm so happy that you like it. It means so much to me." Bryce pulled Neo into his arms without warning, hugging him tightly.
Before Neo pushed him away, he felt how fast Bryce's heart was beating, proof that he was being sincere.
"Don't hug me without my consent again. And don't come so close." Neo ended the tight hug by shoving Bryce's chest.
It was too early for this level of physical contact. Especially when he still had many doubts and questions about everything that was going on.
Bryce's lips pursed subtly since Neo didn't seem to share in his excitement.
"Oh, okay. I understand. Senior still sees me as a stranger. It's fine." Bryce blinked a couple of times, looking away from Neo's face awkwardly.
Neo could sense the shift in Bryce's behavior.
"You can feel at home. I'll go make you something to eat. You must be hungry." His voice was not cheerful at all and he walked with a curved back, dragging his feet miserably.
Neo didn't want to take back his words, even though it would spare him from this sight. So he looked away and did as Bryce said—feel at home.
Neo walked around the small living room, trying to gain little info from the environment. After a brief scan, he learned that Bryce was a very clean and private person.
There was nothing personal showcased and the place was spotless. No pictures or forgotten clusters. Everything was perfect.
Almost too perfect.
Neo's guard subconsciously went up. He sat on a single couch in the living room to gather his thoughts but discovered that the cushion was incredibly soft.
His nasal senses became actively stroked by a faint milky scent. Neo somehow drifted into sleep due to the convincing welcome.
He didn't know how long he was unconscious but his eyes opened the second he felt a pat on his shoulder.
He quickly put his hands in a defensive position around his face.
"Are you okay?"
The gentle and cautious voice made him remember where he was, and Neo relaxed slightly. He was in Mars, a sync partner's house, sitting on a chair.
Neo was amazed by the fact that he fell asleep so easily in this place as the cautious person he was.
"Yeah, I'm okay." He said to Bryce in a dismissive tone, keeping his thoughts to himself.
"Alright then. I made chocolate cake and fruit salad. Dr Kenzie said you needed sugar to boost your recovery." Bryce said, ushering Neo to the dining area with a smile.
Neo couldn't remember Dr Kenzie saying anything about needing sugar but he wasn't going to turn down cake.
When next would he get the chance to slip into a coma of ten years and his first meal after waking up would be cake?
Neo moved around on the four-seater table, looking at the sumptuous cake from all angles. His mouth watered.
"Do you want to eat here or in the living room where you can watch TV?" Neo heard Bryce's voice behind him.
"That one." Neo said remotely.
Bryce assumed he meant eating in the living room, so he picked up the dishes and brought them to the living room. Neo tailed him like a puppy.
When he was finally able to have his time with the cake, Neo felt like crying.
'Cake. I'm eating cake,' he said to himself in his mind.
Some time ago, he thought he was going to the afterlife. Now he was sitting on a comfy couch eating cake.
What could he call such a thing? Luck?
Bryce turned on the TV and was switching between channels as he tried to make conversation with Neo.
"Do you want to watch one of your interviews? I like to watch them. But you can watch cartoons too. I really want you to feel at home and..."
Bryce's words didn't even make it to Neo's ears since he wasn't paying attention. He was super focused on his cake and ate like someone who hadn't tasted food in ten years.
Neo finished the food in record time and was soon left with a feeling of emptiness. He sighed and forced himself to regain composure so he could pay attention to his surroundings.
"What are you doing?" Neo asked Bryce who he caught watching him intently.
"Ahem, nothing." Bryce cleared his throat and looked away from Neo, switching the channel again.
|"Breaking live news: Ouroboros has announced the names of the new generation of Hunters and Restorers who took their guild's examination and passed. Vice-president Alexander Wright says that—"|
"Alex??" Neo shot up from his seat the moment the face of a familiar man wearing a suit and a smile on his lips appeared on the screen.
Even though the structure of the face was different from what he remembered, Neo was completely certain.
—That was the guy who abandoned him in the SS-Class Dungeon!