DING RING …
Tooth Fairy: Hm ... Hello?
Reception: Madam, this is the wakeup service you reserved. It's 7:30 in the morning. Time to get up!
Tooth Fairy: ... Oh!
Tooth Fairy: Damn nightmare ...
Tooth Fairy: Thanks.
Car Radio: Welcome to Tucson! It's a beautiful day ...
Tooth Fairy: Still too early for the conference? That's great, professor. I just parked my car.
???: Hey, kid, here!
Tooth Fairy: ...? Oh!
Tooth Fairy: Professor Evan.
Professor Evan: Oh! My girl! I'm so glad you come.
Professor Evan: Hopefully it's not too tiring to drive here these days.
Professor Evan: Alf arranged everything. The hotel he booked is to the north of the University of Arizona. I promise it's no more than 500 meters away ... on the third floor, the perfect Duke's Room.
Professor Evan: You wouldn't get this treatment if you were not my student.
Tooth Fairy: Thank you very much.
Tooth Fairy: Five days are indeed a bit long, but fortunately Subaru performed well and saved my life.
Professor Evan: Oh, sure, a classic! Who would not love it? A great design when east meets west.
Professor Evan: Appropriate combination always generates new lives. When the good and the great come together ... and then, Boom! Something fantastic is born ... Something well received in the market and perfoming fairly well.
Tooth Fairy: ... In fact, Professor, I met Sanchez when I parked the car.
Tooth Fairy: I had the pleasure of attending a banquet organized by the arcanist academy with my father. If my memory serves me well ... I think I met him at the banquet.
Tooth Fairy: ... Of course, there're quite a few familiar faces besides him.
Tooth Fairy: This is somewhat different from what I heard before. You led me to believe that this is at least a human-led ...
Professor Evan: Oh, you still have such a good memory ... I've always loved you being agile.
Professor Evan: But look, there are a lot of humans ... just more familiar arcanists!
Tooth Fairy: ...
Professor Evan: Did you get your booklet?
Tooth Fairy: … You mean this one?
Professor Evan: Oh, that's it! Let's see ... on page three: Mellophine .
Professor Evan: It's a potent analgesic opioid, especially for moderate to severe pain.
Professor Evan: ... And the focus of the conference.
Tooth Fairy: "... extracted from Winnipogo ..."
Tooth Fairy: This is ...?
Professor Evan: Haha. Sounds familiar? The independent research between you and me in college. Speaking of this, I have to thank your parents.
Professor Evan: Since then, I had the initial idea for the project.
Tooth Fairy: The regulations on opioids are very strict. The restorative power of Winnipogo may not be necessarily applicable to humans.
Professor Evan: That's exactly what we're trying to overcome!
Tooth Fairy: So what you're saying is that ... with a reasonable combination of the two, theoretically you could make a prescription drug with perfect medicinal properties.
Professor Evan: And a market that no one has ever ventured into before.
Professor Evan: Listen, Tooth Fairy ...
Tooth Fairy: ... What did you call me?
Professor Evan: Oh, I've already knew that name! But I know you and we don't use it often ...
Professor Evan: Listen. I know your family, and I know your aspiration. Nothing is more important than life, my kid.
Professor Evan: We are doctors. Our first priority is always ... life and health.
Professor Evan: That is why the boy from the Sanchez is here.
Professor Evan: Because this is a war that requires us to come together, Tooth Fairy.
Tooth Fairy: ...
Professor Evan: Disease and pain always treat us equally. So does death.
Tooth Fairy: Professor, you know, I've been ...
Professor Evan: Oh, of course ... since my tenure at Mayo I've always been watching you ... You were my favourite student!
Professor Evan: I understand. You have, um, the kind of what you call ... your own ideas, right? They're different from the Campbell's ... from your parents' views.
Professor Evan: But I'm sure that you've witnessed how your father and mother make continuous efforts. The Campbells have always been committed to this. Arcanists and humans share the same origin.
Tooth Fairy: ...
Professor Evan: You are a smart girl ...
Announcement: Dear guests, please enter the hall and take your seat quickly ...
Professor Evan: It won't hurt to listen!
Professor Evan tapped me hard on the shoulder as he always did.
Professor Evan: Come on! This way.
Host: Thank you very much for coming today! The reception will be held in the auditorium ...
Professor Evan: What an inspiring presentation!
Professor Evan: Tooth Fairy.
Professor Evan: What do you think?
Tooth Fairy: As you mentioned, if the project is guaranteed to move forward properly, and is successfully approved by FDA ... the prospects are indeed immeasurably prosperous.
Tooth Fairy: It could even save tens of thousands of cancer patients.
Tooth Fairy: I will consider ...
Professor Evan: Eh. Let's not talk about that.
Professor Evan: Like I said. Let's just meet for dinner, and have a casual talk.
Professor Evan: And ... look at this.
Professor Evan: Welcome to adulthood, Tooth Fairy!
Inside the crimson velvet box lied a Ropen's tooth quietly. In terms of value, it was a world away from the one I had seen.
Its enamel was smooth and delicate, and its size moderate. Apparently it's of high quality and had been carefully maintained. With just a small piece like this, John's family would be able to live in decency for decades.
Professor Evan: Come on ...! Take it!
Professor Evan: It is my sincere expectation that the Campbells could join the research.
Professor Evan: The equipment and personnel are actually all ready. You just need to ...
I am sorry to say that I was not concentrating on what Professor Evan had to say.
The conference hall at the University of Arizona seemed to become a stable, and I was standing there where I could hardly tell day from night.
The child, without a hint of malice or prejudice, and his mother were supporting each other in the gravel that rolled year round.
Tooth Fairy: ...
With them, for the first time, I was recognized as an arcanist.
Was it a hint given by fate? How else could everything have pushed me forward so smoothly, just as the gears in mesh?
Professor Evan: I hope you could really think about it when you're back. I will wait ...
Tooth Fairy: No ...
Professor Evan: I'm sorry. What?
Tooth Fairy: I don't think I need to think about it.
Professor Evan: Ahem, Ms. Campbell, I would like you to...
Tooth Fairy: I'm in.
Professor Evan: Wh-what? Wh ... I mean, for real?
Tooth Fairy: I'll submit the application to join the project as soon as possible. Probably ... by tomorrow afternoon.
I heard the rough sound of my baby tooth rubbing against my wisdom tooth in the flannel pouch.
