III. Filling the gaps: not astray

Modern Earth, 20xx

A girl was checking out of the motel. She checked her wallet, almost a little fraction of what she originally had was left.

She’s a girl on her mid-late of her teenage years. After signing the checkout logbook, she carried her bag, went out of the building and breathed out a sigh. The coldness of the surroundings were penetrating her jacket. It was still quite of time before spring.

She walked down the slope, a road towards the center of the town.

“That was the last of it. I survived almost a month. That’s the cheapest motel I could see. Yet the money I have still could not hold out how long I expected it to be.”

She looked so stressed out. She looked so tired.

Reaching a certain cross section she started to swing. She reached out the nearest wall, and collapsed to the ground. She’s breathing heavy. From there one could guess she was not properly eating.

She looked around, her vision started to get blurry. She could only hear a faint voice of a lady that approached her.

“Now tell me little girl, do you need a place to stay?”

She focused her eyes to verify if she’s not hallucinating. Wavy black hair, silver eyes, fair skin. Looking at her in confusion, she asked for her name.

“Ingrid, now tell me yours.”

“Ara.”

“Very rare case a girl collapses by my front yard, I won’t stand by and do nothing.”

She knew her limits

She knew what she needed at most. Being alone for the past month she needed all the help and all assistance she could gather as much. She looked at Ingrid.

“What will it take for me to be able to stay?”

“Silly, we all know how this world works. You get a job, pay the rent. For the meantime I’ll let you stay and feed you until you can finally support yourself.”

That was an absurd thing to say to someone who didn’t finished high school. But at the same time, that made the most sense among all the ideas the Ara had.

I can’t fully trust her yet. I need to stay low as much as possible. The only one I need is me.

Ara came with her and entered the apartment complex. That moment she started to live at unit3.

---

As usual, being one without a proper educational background, anyone would have a hard time finding a job. Ara was searching the city premises. The central city was about three stations away from the town she’s currently living.

As she look back at the past months, Ingrid really was a good Landlady. Within the time she stayed at the unit, Ingrid occasionally brought her food and some manga volumes. She also spent time casually chatting. Ara was careful not to bring out much information about her past. There were times she have to avert the topic. Ingrid understood the situation and just got along.

Having difficulty finding a job, Ara was so tired just as the setting sun. As she walked on an alley in attempt to do a shortcut to the station, but she found herself within the district with red lights. She understood where that place meant to be.

She was swarmed over by scouts of different clubs.

She knew what working on this place will amount to. What it will cost her.

Being experienced way back at high school regarding how people look at someone, she could see how someone with ulterior motives look like. Glancing at the scouts, she sharpened glare and showed her hostility and lack of interest. Good thing the bluff worked. The scouts went back to their designated places.

As she walked down the road she noticed one is still tailing her.

“I’m telling you I’m not interested.”

“My my, young lady, what a waste of beauty.”

Sweet talking. It’s a common thing to do when scouting nightclub employees. But besides the sweet talking, Ara noticed something that made her stop: the look at the man’s eyes. Sincere, caring, it’s not like the eyes of someone who worked on the darker side of this industry.

“You… You are not just an employee. You are someone of high position, a manager perhaps.”

“Quite the sharp eye young lady. Now, are you willing to apply?”

It’s just as if minimal words express all the discussions needed.

Ara accepted the offer.

She was just sixteen by that time. Working as a hostess at a nightclub for such an age, was unbearable especially to the parents. But at that moment Ara felt she didn’t had any other choice left. She was left with a thin thread to hang on and that was the trust she were about to put to that manager scouting her.

That same night she got back home, it was pretty late already. She had to sign papers and have an induction of the job. Walking towards the living room she lay her bag and sat down the sofa. It was dark because she didn’t turned on the lights. It was very silent, except—

Sobbing.

“Landlady?” She wondered.

The voice was not of a woman, but a man. Besides, she knew Ingrid was not the type to cry her night out.

“She sheltered somebody again…” she said as she leaned herself on the wall, with ears pressed on it.

Hearing the sobbing, she said to herself: “Ah, she really is a good person. She will be someone I can trust.” She had a relieved expression on her face.

The work at the nightclub was not as she expected. You could not 'room' a girl. Only minimal physical contact were allowed. Veterans gets extras but as long as without consent, a hostess could protect her chastity. Middle-aged men who stayed there just needed liquor and a slight comfort for the night, it surely was a place best for someone to relieve stress.

At her first night, Ara was forced to immediately taste liquor. After drinking she excused herself and went to the comfort room. It was a misconduct on her end. It sure will be a deduction on her pay.

She’s disappointed. As she looked down on the sink and puked, manager approached her.

“It’s too early to give up. Do you still wish to stay?”

“I’m disappointed. Again, I proved that I am naïve. But as you said, it’s too early to give up.”

Manager smiled, he understood the determination within those words, but

“You need not to push yourself hard. As long as there are lessons, there are learnings. I’ll back you up as long as you need, until you finally feel home, until you are ready to leave this nest.”

Home

That word marked Ara’s heart. She must have realized something.

Manager treated the place not as a business establishment, but as a home. It was quite simple: She realized why she stopped and listened to manager when he was scouting her. It was not to make her a livestock, but to securely help her at her time of need. It was similar to the love and care parents provide. One that she had almost forgotten through. The others must have been the same. Manager must have guided these poor lost souls to the straight path which they could follow again. This, should be a means to be a second parent.

Ara, rather than crying, is now more determined. She grinned and said, “Thanks, Pops.”

“Oh my~~, little chick’s getting ahead of herself. Fufufu..”

And with that, Ara went back to the club area.

All it took was a little practice, Ara mastered the way of the older sister. She got used to teasing customers to their content, while not giving much skinship. She became a high-rated host of the club, also being a senior to the newcomers.

Though feeling secured already, Ara came up with something even more secured. The solution was simple. To avoid showing interest any to her customers, Ara trained herself to look only and love only herself. She became a narcissist.

And with that, a year have past.

---

There was an incident that led Ara being surrounded by three thugs by the alley on her way to work. Not like it startled though, she showed no signs of interest. In fact, her experience with self-defence could quickly resolve the problem if it took a turn for worse. It’s not a scenario new to her.

There was a sudden grab, and she was forced to run along with this man: Frederie Spence

“Are you okay?! You’re being hit on! How defenceless can you be?! Are you a moron? What if –”

Frederie suddenly found himself on the ground. He groaned, feeling the pain in his back.

He was kicked at the back by Ara.

“Now tell me how defenceless can I be.”

“I thought you were—what if? What happened? What are you even?!”

Ara looked as confused as Fred. She could not sum up how a moron of a human exist.

“I know you’re a moron, but let me ask you this: Are you a moron?”

“Of course I a—AM NOT!!”

“Then you should know by now the situation is not as serious as you think it is.”

“Yes, poor guys, to be extorted for money... I never knew the darkness of this city have creeped out even to the most shallow alleys. If there’s something I could—” and a

ROUNDHOUSE KICK TO THE FACE!!

Poor Fred twisted several times before slamming the ground.

---

Fred regained consciousness at a bench, his head was laying at Ara’s lap.

He jumped out of surprise.

“How did we?—When did you?—Did you just?—lap pillow?”

“Geez, one at a time boy, we got all the time this night.”

Fred looked at his shirt. What’s plain white a while ago is now muddish-brown

Say wut?

“Did you just dragged—”

“Yes I dragged you here. You were quite heavy for a skinny human”

“Didn’t even took you a split second to answer!!”

“AAAAH!! MY LAUNDRY RATES!!” he continued to rant.

“AAAAH!! I LOST MY BAG!!” he ranted further more.

“AAAAH!! HERE IS YOUR BAG!! And don’t worry. Though I checked on the contents, my bad. I don’t want some stranger to suddenly hit me with a taser and rape me somewhere else. You see, I’m protecting this girl’s chastity.”

“Who are you to say those kinds of things. Are you some kind of split-personality girl or something?”

“You sure like saying some strange things. Fufufu, but what If I am?”

“I don’t want to hear that from an Amazoness who roundhouse-kicked me twice.”

“First one was a flying. Also, saying strange things and kicking a boy are two different things, you can’t do that here.”

"Somehow I know someone who always say that kind of phrase."

Both of them started laughing.

“So, drawing manga, huh? Sorry I checked the contents of your bag anyways.”

“It’s okay, not like I’m hiding it anyways.”

“Thanks for the thought earlier about saving me, but really, it’s a known issue for me. I work around that place, I know how to handle a thug or three.”

“Do you mean…”

“Yes, I’m a hostess of some club.”

Fred blushed. He now just had absorbed the situation. It’s a mix of both embarrassment and noticing someone’s feminine qualities.

“But I most not waver, I’ve decided to live my life for her!” fist closed, Fred told Ara

“Hmmm let’s see…” the atmosphere around Ara changed. It’s her Older Sister tease mode.

She crawled towards Fred and whispered: “Ya like Jazz?”

GOOSEBUMPS!!

“NO NO NO NO!! STOOOOP!!” Fred was so startled.

“FUHAHAHAH!! I’m just kidding. I’m not gonna gobble you up or anything.”

“Seriously—”

“But I’m really a hostess at the red-lights.”

“Seriously—”

“So, you see, I’m reading a few too. Recently someone let me borrowed a one-shot. The story is about a love that transcend status and enemies. I really liked the gang war stuff in it. I kinda forgot the author’s name? Maou? Spence? Yep, it’s Maou Spence-sensei.”

Fred was smiling jolly.

Ara looked at him, she became disgusted with the way he looked. He looked like a jolly kindergarten having his assignment picked by the teacher to be presented to class. He was pointing to himself too.

Realization hit Ara.

“NO SHIT!”

“YES SHIT!”

Ara slapped Fred.

“OUCH!! YOU DIPSHIT!!”

They started to laugh hard as they could. It was a scenery of a bench, two laughing strangers, and a wide river covered with the reflection of the city lights.

“Seriously he’s me…”

“Yea I just realized, I just wanted to slap you.”

“It’s Frederie, not ‘you’”

“No, u”

---

They we’re both inside a train headed back to their town. It was really a shock that Ara discovered the he is Maou Spence, and more than that, the tenant that Ingrid had been sheltering for almost a year and a half: The tenant at unit6, the tenant that was also crying way back a year ago when she was just the same, a lost someone. It felt like the wheels of fate turned and led to this huge coincidence just to have the two of them meet up.

These were the events that she needed to show Ara, the events that she have failed to let her experience. Her approach was wrong. It took her years to realize. All Ara needed was a friend.

She had a nostalgic feeling. She just realized that Fred was still talking

“You see, this old man, he just went grooowl and groooowl. Is he a gorilla? I didn’t even understand everything he’s saying besides that I should get myself assistants now that I’m working on a realization! Why you don’t just be my assistant! It’s about time you step down being a hostess.”

Looking at Fred as he continued his rant, Ara realized that a few months ago, an Old man helped her at her time of need. That made a huge impact on rebuilding heerself again and being able to stand up on her own. She also remembered that the club's aim was to help people who had been long lost and found themselves at the right path again. Now that something opened up for her, she remembered that she won't forever be sheltered at the club. She felt that the timing was right, the path was set and all she needed to do was to follow it.

“Yes, sounds fun. Maybe I should try." -Ara accepted without thinking about it.

Fred realized he asked out of a whim, and he also realized she also accepted out of a whim.

“Eh?”

“Yes, I’ll take a chance and be your assistant.”

---

Right in front of Ingrid’s apartment complex, the two were explaining what happened and Ingrid just went on with a smile while laughing at the coincidence that occured.

It was about time Ara felt that nostalgic feeling again.

She’s swapping out.

“Ah, I guess it’s about time I take a rest. It has been almost two long years.”

Fred was confused. He has been confused hearing Ara talked like that a while ago too.

“Landlady, I told you way back that I have a split personality right? She’s swapping in now, after a long long while, I feel happy. I finally have people who I could entrust Ara with other than myself.”

Landlady just nodded. Fred was still awed.

“Thank you, Landlady, Frederie. See you soon~~”

And with that, the girl named Ara vanished. A merry little child have replaced her. Her sharp eyes a while ago we’re replaced with big rounded ones.

Fred really didn’t get what happened. But he let it go just because he was tired too.

“Ah! Crap! I still have to process your papers! Great! I will be seeing you at the office upstairs tomorrow, okay?!”

“Eeh??.... EEH?!!!”

And with that, the re-appearance of klutz little sister Ara has set.