Chapter 8

I. Maou felt the need to move forward with a new draft, so…

Fred,

Modern Earth, 20xx+2

I sighed myself, thinking back how naïve I was back then. I’m not sure if I really was just being naïve or just trying to prove myself out. Eitherways, I believe I’ve thoroughly planned out everything, not until events happened and led my plan astray. To top it off, I have to rely on my last resort, not to mention died too. I really hoped I conveyed myself to Yuusha properly and completed my mission. That would make me a legendary being. I really hoped they erected a statue of me at the central park at the Demon Capital.

Stopping the long running war… End the long running cycle of hatred… OOF!

Chill went down my spine just by remembering it. It was a cringe fest. First of all, I’m already trying to live a peaceful life here. A part of me still wants to find a way back, but not really that as much as I was first sent out here.

I breathed out.

“It’s too early to be sighing again.”

“Come now, the food is getting cold already. Besides it’s already late. I’m pretty sure we’ll be lectured again by Ara’s ‘Aneki-mode’ when we arrive back.”

I looked at the grocery bag and answered the girl clinging at my arms.

She’s really grown attached to me. I wonder if it’s always just to tease me or she really is serious.

“Cheh!- You’re such a killjoy.”

Ingrid sulked on me. She was really acting like the way Mae Militum did back when they returned from the demi-human nation with the remaining followers of the Diplomatic Faction. She had been really clingy towards Dax, which he found annoying already at times. I wondered what happened during those times they spent together. I didn’t want to concern myself anymore.

“Come on now, don’t be such a crybaby. You could always find ways to separate me from them again anyways.”

“Hmp!” –she continued to sulk

How did it turned out like this with Ingrid? It was not my intention to make her develop these feelings towards me. I really felt like I’m an airhead male lead character on a shoujo manga that had set flags towards a girl without being aware myself.

So tracing back from the events from a year ago, I remembered we went to the hot spring together. It was a trip to help me rack my brain with ideas towards my very first oneshot, which miraculously fetch me an awards at the competition I entered.

That arc of my life here (which I could be considered an infant with 2y/o here at Earth), was really an eventful, and not really a set of pleasant memories.

Ingrid and I went there to relieve our stress, but the contrary happened.

We were caught up within a war of the two known gangs on that area and got separated. Ingrid ended up with the side of the gang which was being led by an alpha male while I ended up with the opposing gang which was led by a female who’s resilient but kind-hearted leader.

Here was the catch: Both of them are secretly in love with each other without themselves knowing, due to their standings between their respective gangs. I didn’t know if Ingrid, at that time, also made a little push for the boy too like what I did with the girl from my end. That was what I thought was right at that time.

Both of them, at a very young age, had to go through those events. It really was a shoujo-ish story, or like something you could pull out from a weekly romance manga. Well, both of them were in love with each other. Also it might be a way to end the rivalry between them.

Guess what. They still clashed at the end.

Meeting up with Ingrid during their final clash, I ended up stumbling off towards a cliff with Ingrid. I protected her. Of course I thought I was going to die. Good thing the slope of the cliff helped my body that was protecting Ingrid from suffering a heavy hit from the ground by decreasing my momentum, sliding down towards an open area below the cliff. Here at earth I’m a human so I could not protect myself with magic which I was capable back at Mytherion.

There I lost consciousness.

I wondered how Ingrid managed to drag me back towards the main road and brought me to the nearest clinic. She might’ve gone for help from the gang members back at the top of the cliff. That must be it.

Well good thing we’re both alive. I’m just wondering what happened between the two gangs. It was a closed case already so I stopped thinking about it.

That event must have been one of the flags which have led Ingrid to develop her feelings towards me.

Wait was I just being too overconfident? I can’t let my guard down yet and assure of this.

As we walked back I looked back even farther from the past. Way back when we first met,

the times when it was only me and her at her unit

the time when I decided to finally leave her apartment complex but she instead offered me a room

the time when she helped me find a stable job

the time when she helped me when I was having hard time on my very first oneshot.

It was only me and her.

No… freaking… way…

Perhaps I really was the blockhead male lead character on my own shoujo romance story which have set nothing but flags towards the female lead character.

She looked really happy. This was totally different from when we first met up till the first months I’ve stayed at her unit. There were times I could hear her crying at her room at night, might be because of Tenji. At first we weren’t really like this as it was really a rough start for both of us. I can’t even remember anymore when she started to open up herself towards me.

At the heat of the moment I tried to confirm with her one more time what I was thinking the whole time. I let the words slip out my mouth. It was do or die. I’ve got nothing to lose if she admitted that it was all just to tease me.

“Hey Ingrid, this is a serious question, so please give me a serious answer.”

“…” –it was silence. I got the feel that somehow she knew what I was going to ask

“You really love me, don’t you?”

No response.

I tried to take a sneak peek towards her face. She’s embarrassed. That bright red cheeks of her while pouting sideways told me so. The ray of light slowly changing the shadows at her face as we walk slowly towards the posts which was the only light source during that night time at the streets was very alluring.

Well, fuck… -I messed up.

As I’ve been telling her right from when she started treating me like this, my feelings for Yuusha will never waver. She still insisted. She also proposed told me absurdly that she’s willing to go back to Mytherion with me if I get the chance on my end, and that she was willing to be my mistress.

It was a very straightforward question. If all these was really meant to just tease me, she’ll be answering. But it was the contrary.

“If you put it like that… how am I supposed to answer? You’re such a meanie…”

CUTE!!

I swear to god that night my love for Yuusha wavered.

She removed her entangled arms with mine and decided to walk beside me without saying a thing.

The two of us walked towards her apartment complex with an awkwardness in the air surrounding us.

---

“Aah! There they are!!” –Ara (imouto) shouted as they see us arriving after a short (that’s what we told them) walk and restocking at the grocer.

“Humu… That was a very quick short walk.” –told Kyrie. She had a very calm voice but you could feel the emphasis at her statement. She was angry.

“I’m sorry. We had to stop by the park and play with the kids.”

“You know Fred that was really a lame excuse.”

Ingrid was supposed to say something to cover up with our crimes but she did not. It was like she had admitted that we just spent our long time outside as we left them back at the apartment complex without anything to eat. Though it was not like nobody amongst them could cook.

“Hmp! Landlady you kept Fred by yourself again. That’s very selfish of you. –” –Ara (aneki)

“—I told you not to just suddenly come out and go saying things that might lead to people misunderstanding. Besides, we both agreed of their current relationship already. You cannot treat Fred as your plaything anymore” –Ara (imouto)

I really think I’ve heard some important words at that statement, but it was too fast that I missed the timing to remember what those were.

Kyrie went towards me and pinched my cheeks.

“Humu… As expected of the cold nights outside. Nothing beats the warmth of the inside of our units. Come now, we need to reheat the food you’ve brought.”

“Bleeeh!!”

The two of them headed back towards unit07 (my studio) without saying anything more. This was quite different from the reaction I’ve expected them to show.

Ingrid suddenly skipped ahead and suddenly turned back to face me. She leaned forward and showed a grin. She was like a young girl that looked towards her childhood sweetheart and smiled a playful grin. Towards him.

“Hehehe~~ seems like we were caught, Fred.” At that moment I did not know yet what she meant by those words.

---

STAAAAAARE…

The two had been staring at me for quite a while since we entered the studio, with Ingrid eating beside me, I tried to assess the meaning of this malicious stares being directed towards me. What have I done to receive such punishment?

MUNCH MUNCH MUNCH

Ingrid? Can’t you stop eating for a while and stop these two from whatever they are trying to think? What would you do if you get fat?

Losing hope for assistance from Ingrid, I’ve broke the silence by asking them directly why “Uhm… Both of you? Is there something on my face? Have I done something that’s not within your liking?”

“So, how does it feel like to finally have a girlfriend?”

“Yes, come again?”

“How does it feel like to be in a relationship?”

They pressed the question to me again. I really hoped I just misheard the first one due to Ingrid’s loud chewing. But the second one confirmed it all. Nothing good will come by diverting the topic towards something else. The two had been like mass media reporters trying to get answers from a specific person of interest.

It was a question I failed to understand at the first two instances it was asked to me, so I needed a help with a third one. It might help me understand why they had asked me such question.

“How does it feel to have a girlfriend Fred? Just answer their question.”

Of course it’s Ingrid. The question was directed to us all along… EH—EEEEH??!!!

“Wa-wa-wait!! Let me fully try to understand this one… Why?”

“Humu… Fred is embarrassed. Come now, no need to be shy. It’s always just the four of us here.”

First of all, I really felt sorry for the food. Even though one could say that it was partly me and Ingrid’s fault that the food had gotten cold due to the long talk that we had at the park. But that was a long done story already. The food was already reheated by Ingrid as we entered the studio. All that’s left to do was to eat it. Which I wondered why they had not done yet: all just to ask me of this. I really felt sorry for the food, now cold again.

What made them thought that I entered a relationship with Ingrid? Are we really that close enough for one to deduce that we are a happy couple within out early twenties? I tried not to depend much on her so I really thought at that time it was Ingrid’s fault that made the two think that way.

I felt Ingrid’s soft hair as she rested her head at my shoulder.

Had she finished eating already? What are you doing?!!

“Yeah, so that’s it guys. Fred’s mine now. I suppose the two of you have no objections? It’s not like you’re both harbouring feelings for Fred too.”

What do you think you’re doing? Why are you always worsening the situation than how it is already? This conversation is already far from being a misunderstanding!!!

I’ve lost my sense of speech. Either I didn’t want to argue already; I just wanted to sleep my worries away and explain the things to Ara and Kyrie the day after; eat the remaining wasted food that they have forgotten just by putting me at the hot seat; slap Ingrid; or just slap myself so hard I could just die and get reborn again. I really wanted to ask the Irresponsible God* that threw me to this world why did I had to go through these things.

But this is the first time I’ve felt Ingrid’s hair that soft. Is she using conditioner lately?

Like a body that lost his own soul, I ran away from the situation with the most generic method.

“Guys, I just wanna sleep.”

“Gah! He’s running away! Landlady secure him!” –yelled Ara

---

“Guys just eat the goddamned food already!”

My hands were already tied behind my back.

I wondered what Ingrid thinks of my situation. They might just be teaming up to just to bully a powerless and speechless me. Not to mention, Ingrid was supposed to be one of the accused.

“Say, why are you teaming up with the two??”

“Fufu… Because it’s fun to watch you in that state.”

“See? Then why would I believe you when you are doing those sudden confessions to tease me when it’s just the two of us?”

“Oh… Don’t get me wrong. My feelings for you and me bullying you are two different things, you can’t do that. Don’t worry… they are real…”

“Whoah— Landlady’s blushing… Kyrie come get your phone we need to record this sight.”

“Humu, an embarrassed Miss Landlady is also fun to watch.”

“See? Those two are already onto you too. Now why don’t you cut the funny acting and prove them wrong already? They already have trust issues with me… I think. So please…”

“Hmp!” –Ingrid sulked and pouted.

Excuse me, WTF??

The situation really had me no way of escaping other than just to force myself to embrace that false truth that they had created.

“Soon…”

Ingrid talked. But she was still sulking. What did she mean by that?

“Sigh… Come now guys, don’t tease Fred too much. A part of what he’s saying is true. We’re not in a relationship yet… Not yet…”

“Now now, don’t repeat the last statement. I’ve been telling you that the woman I love stayed back from the place where I came from. I cannot go falling in love with somebody else while away from her.”

“Th-then I’ll make you mine! What could the two of you even do at your current state? All I have to do is be the woman that you will surely fall in love too. Besides, you are not an official couple with Yuusha—”

“Shuuush!!” –I stopped Ingrid from telling another word. She might slip out some words.

It was too late when I noticed that we were already arguing, just the two of us. We haven’t noticed that there are other people besides us that we’re watching form the sides: Ara and Kyrie.

It was just as I thought. Scenarios like this where we just take the whole world within just the two of us, not minding whether there are other seeing us, and just acting just the way we treat each other for the past two years must have been the trigger that made Ara and Kyrie assumed that we are already having a relationship.

What was left to do was for the both of us to return to our original world. Both of us looked at them who, at that point, were watching us ‘flirting’.

“Come now, don’t be shy, it’s just the two of us, you may resume that. We’re having fun watching too.” –Kyrie told us.

Now the air inside the studio went from normal to awkward. Ingrid couldn’t defend herself too as she realized the same thing as I had.

“Oh no, don’t be concerned too much Landlady Ingrid, It’s not like we lost something great that will affect our emotional and mental stability”

“Hey hey, I won’t let that statement go.”

“We’ll be supporting you on your relationship, right Kyrie?”

“Hmp… Humu, but Miss Landlady, if you could, please let me borrow Fred every once in a while okay? I will miss toying with him.”

“Hey hey, I won’t let that statement go, too!”

“Eeh??... Okay, you may count on me with that, Kyrie.”

“Then it’s a deal.”

All of a sudden I was being bargained for different kinds of deals already. I was not able to follow the conversation directly because I was still trying to cope up with everything. I could not ask them why have they just been accepting things just like they were normal. Was the way Ingrid and I treat each other really that misleading?

The very thought itself made me wanted to consult this kind of thing with Old Man. He may be an always-angry editor but at that moment I thought I could count on him with what to do with the current situation. He might be sneezing already due to my excessive thinking of asking help from him.

“So, Fred, what’s your stand on this?”

It was Ara (Ara) that broke my train of thought. For the very first time that night I was asked with a question that I could answer for the very first time. I wanted to thank God that for the very first time I could defend myself from all the misunderstanding.

“Suit yourself. Just don’t start these kinds of things whenever we’re working on a draft. It might reduce the output quality of our work.”

“Whoah. He’s angry. Fufufu!! Fred’s angry!” –Ara (Aneki) laughed at me. Her instant switching had been annoying me pretty much lately.

“Humu. That’s more Fred-ish.” –Kyrie added fuel to the fire.

I got no response from Ingrid. Just a hug and snuggling which I was quite used to already. She seemed happy with my decision.

I’ve got a choice to further prolong the situation and argue with them until I convinced them by defending myself. But I did not. Here at earth there’s no winning an argument with these girls. I also did not understand myself at that moment. Did a part of me wanted to give up with Yuusha and bet on Ingrid here at earth or it was just a form of self-entertainment while waiting for a chance to get back to my real world. But what about the bonds I’ve built already here on earth? If I were to weigh both of the reasons the first one would make most sense.

Besides, I think I’ve grown fond of my current profession already here.

“Sigh… Never was a day without any events with you guys.”

“Come now Fred. Also Ara and Kyrie, we still have the second draft to think about.”

“Ah! I forgot entirely.”

“Humu. As expected of Klutz-Ara.”

It was about time we go back to work. Still, the food was not eaten. It was only mine that had been eaten. I really felt sorry for them to be reheated and reheated again.

The night is still long.

Along with the night, I felt the need to move forward. It was about time the four of us stop thinking too much about ‘Unpopular Mae’s Struggles towards being an Unattainable Flower (Mae SUF)’ and proceed with our new draft already. That left me a new problem: writing another story that should be tons better than the way Mae SUF was executed.

Challenge Accepted.