'Package with No Recipient'

Hm... mmm... Smells so good.

No, I can't have stop for a midnight snack yet. I still have work to do.

Sorry, sir, but what happened to the girl who was reading in your restaurant this evening?

Oh, her? She left. Probably trying to make her way back to the next town over.

She's going overnight?

Yeah, overnight. If she didn't leave right away, she probably wouldn't make it to see her old man for the last time.

Eh, I think I remember now. You stopped by once in the evening, didn't you? Are you the Messenger who delivered the news to Emily?

I... Yeah, I did... I didn't know that's what it was about, though.

Eh, Emily is studying here by herself. Whenever she has some free time, she helps me out with the shop to make some extra money.

Her old man back home never failed to send her a monthly letter, but there's been nothing from him these past two months.

She was really worried about it, you know. She even came to you Messengers and asked if any of you missed his letters.

Baws, we know how to do our jobs. We don't just lose our mail.

Right, right, right. I believe you. Emily trusts you, too, but, with no news from her family, she was really anxious.

No wonder she seemed so happy when she saw me this evening.

But then...

Eh, what's that saying again? Life is unpredictable and you never know what's coming next. All of us are bound to die one day.

Besides, if it wasn't for you delivering her old man's last letter to her, she wouldn't have known to rush home right away.

I'm sure she's really grateful.

Right, did you need her for something?

Well... Never mind.

I guess this isn't hers.

Alright, if there's nothing else, you should get something to eat. I'll give you girls a discount!

*Burp*—

Man, did I really eat all that? Darn it, spent all my money for the month again!

The sun is coming up soon.

We sure ran all over town in just one night! Really had me starving. Huh, you ain't ate nothing!

Still thinking about Emily?

Yeah...

Well, maybe that's only part of it.

Since I heard her story, I just can't help but keep thinking that maybe there's someone out there waiting for news about me.

Oh, right, you haven't been back home in a long time, right?

If just passing through counts, then it hasn't really been that long.

Eh, you ever thought about when to go back? Y'should contact your folks once, at least.

I don't know...

I'm not sure I'm ready yet.

Ready fer what? Yer sickness is nice and stable fer now, ain't it? Ya were sayin' you'd rather yer folks think yer gone than watch ya writhe in pain, but what about now?

If they think I've gone missing, then they'd probably still hold out hope that I'm doing okay somewhere in the world even after five or ten years.

But they're worried sick!

Besides, we've got all them doctors in Medical! What's five or ten years? You've got a long, bright future ahead of you!

I...

Huh? Who's that?

I think I saw a... No, one, two, three... That's lots of fluffy tails.

Oh, it's Angelina and Croissant. G-Good morning.

Oh, hey there, Lisa. Good morning. Why are you up so early? Your wakeup time isn't for a while yet.

Um... Um... I wanted to take a look at that...

'That?' What do you mean, 'That?'

Well, it's the notes...

I finished it yesterday, and I wanted to show it to you right away, but it was getting late. I-I didn't want Dr. Kal'tsit to yell at me for not going to bed on time...

But I really, really wanted to let you see it right away!

Is that why you left it in front of the dorm?

Yep... Yep!

I thought Angelina would be really happy to see it after she came home from work.

My my, lookie here, Angelina. That package is yours, just like I said.

Let's open it up and take a look!

It's... for me?

It's wrapped so neatly... and it's my favorite color, pink. This scent... I thought it seemed familiar. It's that fragrance from the Medical Department the other day!

I-Is there a smell? I made it after I was done with homework.

Maybe the smell got on there while I was there?

Oh, it's not bad at all. I really like this aroma too. It makes me feel relaxed. Alright, I'm opening it up! 1, 2, 3!

There's a booklet inside...

I remember this river... and these buildings... Oh, that's my favorite cafe!

If you walk east for about ten minutes, you'll reach a street that I've probably walked hundreds, no, thousands of times.

Also... this petal... I think I know this smell...

My dad sent me the petals!

Most of the stuff in the beginning is photos that my mom's friend sent, but I also drew lots of things from memory too. It still looks kinda ugly, though... Even though I've been practicing...

No, they look so pretty!

All of it looks so, so nice.

Um, Angelina... D-Did I do something wrong? You don't seem happy... Are you sad?

No, I'm not sad.

I'm just... overwhelmed.

Ever since I... I haven't seen any of this while it's still bright out.

I thought I'd left all this somewhere far, far away long ago... It's so distant, I thought I'd never get there again no matter how fast I ran.

Yep, Rhodes Island is a big, biiiig ship, and it's always going somewhere.

When I first got here, I'd always ask Folinic where we were at the time, and I would try to figure out how far we were from Siracusa and Higashi.

Sometimes we were close, and sometimes we were far away. Then I lost track.

But every time I get a letter from my mom or dad, or their friends, I hug the letter before bed. It makes me feel like I'm right there snuggling up to my parents.

After a while, I got so many letters that they would overflow the bed if I took them all... Mm, so I put some of them in a booklet.

That way, I can go to bed hugging the booklet!

Yep... You're so cute, Lisa.

Huh? Is that weird?

Nope, what you said actually makes a lot of sense.

Doctor told me that not only are our Messengers always on the road making deliveries, they need to take care of their Rhodes Island work too. It's a lot of hard work, and I thought it might have been a while since you've been home.

The Doctor even complimented me on my notebook! Said I was amazing!

Doctor says you might need to try something this...

The Doctor said that...?

Yep, and everyone else too, not just the people working at Rhodes Island! There was the Siracusan Messenger who gave me stuff before.

I don't remember when everybody started doing it, but whenever they go to Siracusa or Higashi, they would bring back photos or the local specialties there for me.

Hoowee, sounds like everybody's a Messenger now!

Right, they're just like all of our amazing Messengers! So I put all those things in my booklet. It's one of my most precious treasures!

I think to myself every day that, by the time the book is full, I'll be all grown up! I'll be so much more amazing than I am now.

It'll be my turn to protect everyone and my mom and dad.

Dad won't stay up all night worrying about me, and Mom won't need to keep working herself to death for me anymore.

When that day comes, I'll finally get to go home!

So, after Doctor talked to me about it, I thought I'd make one for you too...

Hm?

You can't go home for some reason, right?

Yeah...

It's a promise! I'll give you another one once I get new photos, Angelina!

That way, your book will fill up even faster, and you'll get to go home sooner!

Yeah...

Thanks. Thanks so much... This is a wonderful present.

Oh, it's my wake-up time now! I can't let Dr. Kal'tsit and Folinic find out I've been running around... I need to get back home! See you, Angelina, Croissant!

Darn, I wish I'd put money on that.

What'd I tell ya. Yer such a cutie, yer bound to get a buncha cute presents!

Uh... yeah.

I never even noticed. I guess I've long become a part of Rhodes Island, and there are people here who care about me.

I'm no longer... the girl went gone missing.

*Yawn*—I'm getting tired. Did you say somethin' just now, Angelina? I didn't hear.

N-Nothing.

I was just saying that I really like Lisa's present.

Just like I said, ain't it? This night's full o' surprises!

Wonder if I should go back fer a nap now. Maybe some chow instead...? Yeah, guess I'll grab a bite to eat.

What about you? You didn't sleep the whole night. This is gonna ruin that beauty plan of yours.

I'll take a break and then head to training after a while.

I got classes in the afternoon too...

I may have work to keep up with, but I can't fall behind with my studies either!

Huh? No kiddin'? You turnin' workaholic or something?

I'm not.

Will I get to go home... when the book is all filled up?

Am I ready for that?

How long has this letter been on my desk...? A few months? Half a year?

'Dear Mom and Dad—'

'Everything is going well over here...'

'I have a really good job, and I'm keeping up with my studies...'

'Yes, I got Oripathy, but you don't need that worry. It happened that day on my way to school...'

'I was in a rush to make it to club... I told Dad I didn't need a ride. If I were just a little more careful, maybe I wouldn't have bumped into that car fresh back from the wilds.'

'None of this is Dad's fault.'

......

I'll keep the letter in this page.

I'll be ready one day, and I know Mom and Dad will be ready too.

When I'm finally done with this letter, I'll take it to the place in the photo myself. Yeah, the third house on this street from the east. I'll draw a heart here.

That day is going to be here soon. I know it.