---

We reached the main road. We’re nearing the town proper.

“Here we are, this is the town proper. Don’t be shy. It is about time you’re telling me where you came from.”

It’s not too late to start asking this question at that point. So much happened a while ago that I forgot to ask.

Everything fell silent...

He started touching the ground, out of nowhere.

Hey if this is a prank please cameramen show up already..

I just tried to hide my embarrassment as I closed my eyes. For starters, I tried to get along with such nonsense. He’s showing massive lack of knowledge in this town... No, rather, this world. I explained to him a few things like asphalt and electrical posts.

He seemed surprised. Then he took another defensive stance.

God I want to resign.

I questioned myself if I just unearthed a neanderthal from late paleozoic era.

Trying to hide my stress, I need to look innocent as much. I didn’t want to startle him and have him attack me being alerted of hostility. I Let myself look confused first...

“Come, Frederie, you must be scared out there. You look like someone not from here. Walking around the forest late at night takes quite courage. Are you lost? You’ve been crying.”

OOPS!! Crap, I’ve said too much...

Everything fell silent for a while. I knew what I said was too much. What if this was not some normal encounter, what if he suddenly turned into a predator and eat me. What if he really spews out fireballs and incinerate me. I tried to joke myself with ridiculous thoughts just to pass the silence around.

“I came from a different world. I don’t know if magic is something available on this world, but it is something abundant from where I came from. It was a world where war exists, and the knowledge of parallel and other worlds have been proved and real.”

I let out a dead smile.

I started sweating cold and stare blankly.

Blank

Confused

Surprised.

It’s a full transition of facial expression. I could feel my jaw detaching from what I just heard.

He started walking again.

How much should I put up with this?

I followed him and eventually led the way while still thinking how I should put things up. How should I answer? I didn’t know what’s happening anymore.

Lost by my train of thought, I noticed that we have covered considerable distance from where we stopped by a while ago.

I was not a sage, not a fortune teller, and absolutely not someone who can read thoughts. How could I know if he’s telling the truth? Everything he explained were a hundred percent completely out of the scope of this world. Not yet or not yet being revealed.

Again, I took a glance on his face: it’s a face of innocence and longing.

It’s like...

Realization hit me. A while ago the last of my family members left me. I was left with no one. I’m alone. He has the same face as me a while ago.

Or worse.

There were traces of regrets. If sadness was not something you would want to show someone, what more for regrets? Regret was not something I experienced. Mother and father always taught me to live life to the fullest, to the point that I won’t have any regrets. I’m alone now but never did I had any regrets on life.

So what have he gone through? To what extent of experience could provide such?

Was it alright to believe him? Was it a sin to ride along with his circumstances and give him false hopes that he would be able to return to the world he once lived? Would it be better if I tell the truth.

What mess have I gotten myself into?

“If…”

I decided to speak up

“If what you are saying is all true, then I shall answer honestly. There are no traces of magic here. Those are just fantasy.”

I talked…

I talked of long histories, I talked of science and technology, I talked of every knowledge I have of Earth. Things that are not usual to wherever planet or universe he says he came from. I even talked about my age and what just happened recently on my life.

I talked…

And talked and talked until I noticed he isn’t moving anymore.

I took a glance at him. He’s looking inside a house. A happy family having a dinner. He’s crying again. He must have a family back from where he came from too. I tried not to cry too, but I couldn’t and I just faced away from him trying to hold back my tears as much. What could I even do to liven up the mood?, I also missed my family.

You idiot... don’t make the situation worse.

---

We finally arrived at my apartment complex. It seemed like a long walk, but not really different from the usual. It’s just that I have someone to accompany me back so I didn’t felt really alone. I turned towards him and welcomed him.

“It’s my apartment complex, I’m the landlady apparently.”

I knew where this was going. Inner me didn’t even had this script to follow, so when did I even considered bringing him here?

I looked at the lights of the units of my two tenants, they’re off: GOOD. It seemed that Ara hadn’t come home from her work yet and Kyrie took an early sleep—No! She must have been looking at the blinds while lights are closed.

I looked at Fred again.

This nutjob, his thoughts went to another dimension again.

“Heeey~ Frederieeeee~ talk to me. It’s getting too cold, want to stay inside?”

I should bring him in asap. I don’t want any accident that my tenants would see us and spread rumours that I’m bringing boys for a fun night.

---

Why did I decided to bring him in here, more especially inside my unit? It’s not that I didn’t have any other choice. Bringing him to a motel had been crossed out of the choices. He didn’t seem like he have any money in him. Bringing him to my aunt? It was a big NO too, I didn’t want her to have any bad impressions of me.

What if he lives with Ara or Kyrie—No, not Kyrie she’ll treat him as a toy. Ara was a no too, as I remember she works on a hostess club, who knows what she’ll do?

Why am I helping again? I decided to stop and live just for myself after Tenji died. What makes me so into helping this stranger that I have just met? For now I’ll try to help as much as I could. Ah, Double-Barrel my boy, please keep me safe.

I get the shotgun that was hanging from the wall, good thing I’ve kept this gift from Kyrie. It’s registered on me so firing it should not be a problem. Actually no, firing it will be a huge problem within the apartment complex and its tenants.

Talking to him was such a hassle, I thought I'd just let him use the living room.

“Just so you know, I studied self defense so entering my room will kill you. So as long as you understand right?” I said as I pointed the shotgun on his face, without shells of course.

Ahaha he’s so startled, I’m enjoying this… Did Kyrie just influenced me?

I talked to him regarding his clothing. If what he’s saying is true, that must be their normal everyday clothing. Looks really medieval.

“Besides, your clothing. Post-medieval cosplay, or perhaps that really is the clothing fashion in your world.”

“No this was the battle gear before I was slain.”

Slain, huh…

He blurted out another nonsense. Was he reincarnated? I crossed that out of the choices too. If he was reincarnated he would start as a baby here. That's the principle. If he really came from another world the only truth would be: he was transported here before actually dying.

I approached the old cabinet and have these thoughts: first he was slain, then he was sent to this world for some unknown reason he’s not telling yet. He have left his family there, he must have been forced to leave things there against his will, that painful expression he wears. He must have been thinking of those. At that moment too I realized that he had gone through a different level of experience compared to mine. I surmised that he lost everything, and then he was killed. What have he even done to experience such things?

As I got my late father’s shirt and garments on the cabinet and approached him, we talked about how old-fashioned what he’s wearing just to lighten up the mood. I should be considerate if I really wanted to help.

He began stripping.

Yes, a stranger I just met and helped, now having to spend the night under the same roof as me, is now stripping.

AWA—AWAWAWAWA!! WHA!

I quickly loaded the gun.

“HEY HEY! WANT ME TO TEST THIS THING ON YOU?!”

It really was a good thing Mr. Double-Barrel didn’t made his first kill that night.

---

I finally got to lay myself on my bed. Tenji’s scent was still lingering in the room. I couldn’t help but shed a tear.

So much happened tonight that it consumed a lot of my mourning time. I didn’t even get to mourn for you Tenji, I’m sorry.

I felt so tired, my body felt so heavy. I didn’t even remembered if I locked the door. My consciousness was fading. I wanted to be wary of this stranger but I really needed to rest myself too. I’ll left the thinking to tomorrow’s me. Whatever happens while I’m sleeping happens. I was so irresponsible. I wanted Tenji to tell me, why did he appeared. Did he appeared… as… a…

I fell asleep.

That night I dreamed of when I was a kid, playing with Tenji at the fields.