V. Sanctuary: Part 2

Fred threw Anemone’s draft at the table.

What was the contents?

What was the story about?

What did she focused on?

I could only wonder why Fred had been making the same expression after reading. That expression had been nostalgic to me. It was the same expression he wore the night that he decided to move out from my apartment complex and was ready to challenge the world. It had been about a year and a half or two, I really have forgotten. It was the same expression he had too when he decided and was determined to start drawing manga.

The expression of someone being challenged.

For what his new rival really went at his studio was to let him acknowledge her capabilities, Anemone seemed to be not pretty confident of her skills. She had been really unsure ever since she started her career as a mangaka.

“I got the gist of you situation now. Heh, so you’re really going to challenge me at my A game, huh?”

Somehow I got irritated with Fred’s statement so I got harisen* lying beside me and hit him so hard that he have to see his own soul leaving his body.

“Heh,… Err… I mean whatever I produce, it’s the fruit of our labors, not mine alone. What could you possibly do when you’re alone?” –He was boasting too much so I hit him again.

A game, huh?

I knew it was just what he had to say because he felt that he’s the superior one.

“That’s… Hmp! Getting ahead of yourself because you’ve already established your own empire here with your highest generals. You might not know that darkest of a past I had that must have been leading every manga I draw to be that way.”

“Eeeh. I don’t care.”

“Hrrrng!!!!”

I hit Fred with the harisen again before he went too far. It was a pre-emptive.

“Besides…”

The prideful delusional character within Anemone suddenly changed to a normal high school teenage girl.

Anemone blushed and turned bright red. She started twitching and she pressed her arms towards her fit body. Matching what she wore which already compressed the wellness of her body curves, her actions also added to the eroticism as she pressed her bust frontward as she sat across the table from the four of us.

“…I’m a teenage girl too… I wanted to experience those scenes on a shoujo manga too…”

Erotic!! Too erotic!!

I took a lot of mental damage. She was not at my age bracket, yet her body had been developed as close as mine, not that I’m trying to boast myself.

But that’s not the main problem!!

I looked at Fred.

His jaw dropped and his nose was bleeding. He took a lot of mental damage than me, even more due to him being at the opposite sex. It made me snapped.

Blazing with anger my presence grew more and more noticeable that it made him quiver and looked at the angered me.

“Look… Only… at… ME!!!”

I performed a 10hit combo on him using my deadly weapon.

---

“So. You really wanted to draw a shoujo manga just like me, huh? That’s what you wanted to say. And that’s why you went here, to ask advice from me?”

Fred spoke, full of bruises on his face with matching tissue plugged on his nose to stop the bleeding. It was his fault though.

“You could say it like that too, yes. Fufufu. Now we’re talking within the same wavelength.”

“Honestly…”

“…”

“I… too, can’t give you any advice right now.”

I saw this coming. It was not like Fred was being too selfish of what he could do. It was just that, writing stories had not been his forte for a long time now, even ever since he was at Mytherion.

In fact. The oneshot he used as an entry at the ‘Fresh Aspirants’ and won was mostly written by me.

“The truth is…”

Wait. You’re going to say it in front of Seria and Old man?! Are you out of your mind?!

“…That one shot that you’ve been idolizing… I can’t write those again. Not at this moment.”

Phew

Fred really got me on my seat. I thought he was about to blurt out things that should not be disclosed.

“That’s the same problem I’ve been having right now. I will have something serialized but I doubt it won’t be any good to be compared to that oneshot that made me Maou Spence-sensei.”

“But then… Why won’t you serialize that* oneshot?”

“No.”

“Why—”

“No.”

“…”

The atmosphere suddenly went awkward. Fred suddenly became a wall that couldn’t be budged whatever Anemone did. The playful expression he had earlier became a serious one once Anemone had opened that oneshot. It seemed that I had been worried for nothing.

“Fu fu fu. So that’s how it’s going to be. You have grasped a power strong enough to destroy this world we’re currently living in, yet you still don’t know how to control it. Disappointed, truly disappointed, I am. I would be able to handle it, if I’m the lucky one who had been picked.”

“Heh. You’re quite confident of your skills.”

“Because I knew someone even more capable and worthy of what you have right now.”

Anemone took a glance at Kyrie and looked at Fred again.

“Also, quite the boastful attitude you have earlier with you’re A game. Fine. If that’s what you want, I will be your rival, and don’t expect me to be changing genres just because I’ve became fan of your shoujos. I too…”

Anemone picked up the draft that was lying at the table and pointed it out while looking at us.

“… I, will be fighting you at my A game too.”

Anemone declared a challenge: a challenge amongst their expertise. But I’m quite bothered if Fred could match up someone who produces award-winning manga of a certain genre just out of whim. I’m not pretty confident at Fred’s shoujo story writing skill.

“Heeeeh. Challenge accepted.” –He accepted eitherways, knowing where he’s lacking.

“Bu-bu-but expect me to be here more often from now on... I still want to draw a shoujo manga so you could teach me every once in a while okay?”

“Humu. Annette Monica… You don’t mean…”

“Yes Kyrie-senpai.”

She paused a bit. I had a bad feeling on what she meant about ‘expect me to be here more often from now on’. It felt like the daily silent and calm river will be disturbed and form ripples because someone threw a rock towards the center.

As Anemone finished her sentence, Old man brought out a few papers on his bag. Those were familiar-looking papers which I already used three times: one for Ara, one for Kyrie, and one for Fred. Those were apartment application papers.

“You—You can’t mean!!” –I stood up and was startled of course.

“I’m sorry for this Ingrid, but could we impose on you this one last time?” –Old man said as he scratched his head.

“HAHAHA!!! YOU GOT SOME NERVES LITTLE MISSY! I LIKE YOU!!” –Seria bursted out laughing.

“Why not, Ingrid? I don’t see any harm on our side. It would be a win-win-win situation on the three of us.”

Fred had a point.

Of course Anemone will gain much as she needed because she will be able to live near the two person she had been idolizing: Fred and Kyrie. It was a win on me too since I will have a new tenant and it will add to my monthly source of income. For Fred having someone to talk too with regards to shoujo mangas will have him grow as an artist too.

“That’s right. I don’t need a huge space just like what you did here with Fred’s studio. I should be fine with one unit. Will it be possible to occupy unit5?”

I was reluctant, I was unsure.

“Besides, I would feel more comfortable working at my hometown.” –Anemone added.

Things happened so fast that I was not sure what to say anymore. Then suddenly…

There was a warmth at my hand.

I was surprised. Fred hold my hand and was looking at me with the ‘it will be fine’ face.

I looked at Ara(aneki) and Kyrie and got approvals on their expressions too. At the very first place I didn’t need to confront them but it seemed that I’ve grown too fond of them that I didn’t want them to feel troubled by suddenly letting Anemone live at the same apartment complex they live too.

“Very well…”

It had been decided, Anemone will start living at unit5 the week after that.

My happy family of four,

became four + one invader