Lyra and Galaksi walked slowly down the hospital hallway. Along the way, they joked with each other and occasionally chuckled, turning the anxious atmosphere into something warmer.
"You play Roblox?" Lyra asked.
Galaksi frowned in confusion.
"What's Roblox? I usually make fun of people who play that stuff," he replied, his tone slightly serious.
Lyra immediately giggled.
"You should download it. It's fun, you know. We can play together later."
Galaksi fell silent for a moment, then pulled his phone from his pocket. He opened the Play Store and started searching for the app she meant.
"This one, right?" he asked, showing Lyra his phone screen.
Lyra nodded and pointed at the app icon at the top.
"Yeah, that one."
"All right, I'll download it."
Galaksi smiled at Lyra. She immediately returned the smile, just as warmly.
A few minutes later, they arrived in front of the elevator. There were already a lot of people waiting in line.
"Let's take the stairs instead," Lyra suggested, taking Galaksi's hand and leading him toward the stairwell.
As they climbed the stairs, Galaksi started another conversation.
"You know what? When I got here earlier, the elevator was packed too. It was even more crowded than it is now."
Lyra looked over curiously.
"Really? Then how did you get here so fast? You suddenly showed up on the fifth floor."
Galaksi chuckled.
"Because I ran up the stairs."
Lyra stopped in her tracks and stared at Galaksi in shock.
"Seriously? You took the stairs all the way to the fifth floor?"
Galaksi nodded with a smile.
"Seriously. I was afraid you'd have to wait too long."
Hearing that, Lyra slowly shook her head.
"You're hurting yourself, you know. Don't do that again next time, okay?"
Galaksi nodded obediently.
"Okay... I'm sorry."
His smile spread again, leaving Lyra able only to let out a soft sigh as she smiled along with him.
When they reached the pharmacy, they were once again faced with an extremely long line. Lyra let out a long breath, looking exhausted after spending the entire day going around the hospital.
Seeing this, Galaksi took Lyra's hand.
"Come on, let's sit over there."
But every seat was occupied. In the end, they chose to sit on the floor with their backs against the wall.
Galaksi leaned against the wall, then turned to Lyra.
"Here, rest your head on my shoulder. You've been tired since this morning, haven't you?"
Gently, Galaksi took Lyra's head and rested it against his shoulder.
"Stretch your legs out so they don't get sore."
He even helped straighten Lyra's legs to make her more comfortable.
Lyra remained silent. Without protesting, she accepted every small act of care Galaksi gave her. Every now and then, she looked at the man beside her with warmth in her eyes, and each time, Galaksi answered with a reassuring smile.
And this was their first day meeting each other.
Yet for some reason, it felt as though they had known each other for a long time.
"Are you tired?" Lyra asked softly.
Galaksi shook his head.
"No, I'm not. If you're tired, go ahead and sleep. I'll listen for your name to be called when it's time to pick up your medicine."
As he spoke, Galaksi gently stroked Lyra's hair.
Lyra's face instantly flushed. Her heart began beating erratically again. That simple act of care always managed to make her nervous.
In the middle of that warm moment, a middle-aged woman suddenly approached them.
"Excuse me, dear. I'm sorry to bother you. I want to go home, but I've run out of fare. Could I ask for five thousand?" she asked in a quiet voice.
Lyra immediately nodded.
"Of course, ma'am."
She quickly opened her wallet, but couldn't find any small bills. Lyra turned to Galaksi with an embarrassed smile.
"Could I borrow it from you for now? I'll pay you back later."
Galaksi immediately nodded.
"Sure."
He took his wallet from his bag, pulled out a twenty-thousand-rupiah bill, and handed it to the woman.
The woman's eyes immediately filled with tears.
"Thank you, dear. May you be repaid many times over."
"You're welcome, ma'am," Lyra and Galaksi answered almost at the same time.
Lyra then asked gently,
"Where are you from?"
The woman gave a faint smile.
"I just finished chemotherapy. I haven't had a chance to eat all day, either."
Slowly, she removed the hat she was wearing.
"Look... I've lost all my hair."
Lyra fell silent.
Her gaze remained fixed on the woman's head. A sudden tightness filled her chest, and she couldn't say a word.
A few seconds later, Lyra remembered that she was still carrying rice and chicken she hadn't had a chance to eat.
Without a second thought, she held the food out to the woman.
"Ma'am... please take this. I still have some for later."
The woman accepted it with both hands.
"Thank you, sweetheart. May you always be blessed with good health."
After saying goodbye, the woman slowly walked away from them.
Lyra continued watching her until she disappeared into the crowd.
"That poor woman. She has to go through chemotherapy until she looks like that..." Lyra murmured.
Without realizing it, tears began to fall.
Seeing this, Galaksi gently wiped the tears from Lyra's cheek.
"It's okay... let's just pray she gets better soon."
Lyra nodded slowly with a smile, though her eyes were still glistening with tears.
After waiting for nearly three hours, Lyra's name was finally called to pick up her medicine.
They left the pharmacy and walked together toward the motorcycle parking area. The long day had been utterly exhausting, but for Lyra, having Galaksi by her side had made all her fear, anxiety, and fatigue feel so much lighter.