Running, that's all I can think about. Just running, I don't know why, I just run and run. I was scared, I don't know where I am, I don't know what I'm running from, I just run. I couldn't remember anything, not where I came from, not where I planned on going, or even if I had a plan, I just needed to run. Questions like "what's happening?" "Who am I?" "When do I stop running?" were all in the back of my mind, they were important, but right now I just had to trust my instincts and run. That's what I did, I ran and ran until I saw something, a light, a literal light at the end of the tunnel. I strained my legs as some hope deep inside me made my legs pump harder, I dashed towards the light, hoping for something to be on the other side. And then I fell, I exited the tunnel and I fell down, and down, until I hit the ground, it hurt, it hurt so much. My blood flowed in the water, wait… I'm bleeding? Yeah, I guess I am. I look around while I'm on the ground, I made it, there were buildings around me, in the distance, lights illuminating them in the night, a city. Oh, I don't feel very good, I think I'm gonna sleep now, yeah, that seems good right now. Just a nap, just a little nap.

I woke up. Where am I? How did I get here? Is this a house? Who's house is this? Who bandaged me up?

"Oh good, you're awake." A voice says.

I look at a nearby doorway and see a woman, she has short brown hair, blueish green eyes, and rounded features. She's pretty. Is this her house?

"How do you feel?" She asks.

"Oh, I'm fine. Where am I?" I ask.

"You're at my apartment. My name's Ari Kukizono. I found you last night near the sewer reservoir. What were you doing there anyway?"

"I don't remember."

"Ok then, where are you from?"

"I don't remember."

"Do you even remember your name?"

"No."

She stares at me for a moment in silence.

"Ok how about I give you one." She says.

"What?"

"If you can't remember your name, how about I give you one?"

"You're just accepting that I can't remember my own name?"

"Yeah. You got a problem?"

"No ma'am."

She picks up a dirty, tattered uniform from the desk nearby.

"How about Banto?" She says.

"Banto?"

"Well I found you in this uniform and the only lettering I can find says 'Ba' so maybe your name starts with it." She says showing the faded lettering to me, the rest of the letters were torn away.

I think it over for a second, "ok, I guess I'm Banto now." I respond.

"That's the spirit, c'mon out I'm making breakfast." she says.

I get up slowly, my back aches a bit still, but much less than I would expect from the fall last night. I walk out of the room into a hall. The corridor is thin, there are two other doors on the sides, one looks like a bedroom, and one is a bathroom. I reach the end of the hallway and enter what looks to be a living room, there is a couch to the left facing the wall where a tv sits. Forwards there is a dining table and another door that leads to a small kitchen. The room is tidy, no trash on the floor, no dirt or grime on the surfaces, not even a speck of dust. Ari is in the kitchen and she comes out with two plates, an omelette on each, she places them on opposite sides of the table.

"C'mon and sit, you look hungry." She says. She's not wrong, I'm so hungry, when did I last eat? Oh right, can't remember. I sit down across from her, she's already digging in. I slowly pick up my fork and start eating, it tastes good, really good. I start eating faster, I feel like I haven't eaten in days.

"Woah buddy, slow down." she says. Looks like she was right too, my omelette is gone, that sucks, it was really good. I'm left thinking for a second, and a question comes to me.

"Why did you help me?" I ask.

"What?" She responds.

"Why did you help me? You don't know me, I obviously don't have any money, so why?"

"Do I need a real reason."

"What."

"You were hurt, nobody else was around, and judging by the blood and the uniform you obviously are hiding from someone or something, whatever that is if you can even remember, I don't you to a hospital might have gotten you put right back where you were running from and I happened to be a pharmacist so I had some medical knowhow so really it was lucky I found you."

"So you're just fine with having a possible criminal in your house?"

"We all got secrets we would rather not talk about Banto, I got some of my own, I won't judge you if you don't judge me."

She finishes her omelette and stands up

"Look, I'll let you stay with me for as long as you want on one condition." She says.

"What's that." I ask.

She leads me to a screen door, outside is a small garden and a chicken coup.

"I'm pretty busy and don't always have time to look after this, if you stay here, you have to take care of my farm, water the plants, plant seeds, collect the fully grown ones, collect the eggs from the chickens, feed them. The basics y'know."

"I don't know how to do those things."

"No sweat, I'll teach you," she stops for a moment and looks at her watch, "Looks like I'll have to teach you tonight, I gotta run Banto, you can snack a bit from my pantry but don't eat all my stuff."

"Ok ma'am."

"Also none of that formal stuff, my name's Ari," she picks up her bag and puts on her coat "I'll see you tonight Banto."

"Ok, Ari-san."

She shakes her head and chuckles a bit before leaving. I'm left alone in her apartment. I sit on the couch, it's comfy, I guess it's been a while since I sat on one. I grab the remote and turn on the TV. It's the news, there is a lady in the corner of the screen, a larger video of some people in suits plays. There is a headline

NOZAMA PHARMACY MAKES OFFICIAL STATEMENT ON THE "TAILOC INCIDENT"