VI.Ara’s Decision

Ara (aneki),

Modern Earth, 20xx+3

“MMMMMmmm… MMmmmm….”

“—up!! …ke—up!! Aneki!! Wake up!!”

“Urrrrgh… Let me rest for a bit longer. Is that you, Imouto-chan? Don’t… Let me rest a bit more… Please…”

Consciousness.

It’s the only thing that’s keeping us together.

Dissociative Identity Disorder. That’s how the doctors call it. For common people it’s called split personality.

“Wake up!! Aneki, wake up!! Ara-Ara’s going to tag out! I won’t be of any help in the current situation!!”

“You… Please be useful even for every once in a while… Ugh… I haven’t slept for a while, dealing with stuff here and there. Only the two of us have been useful with Fred lately. And even though third’s aware of the situation with manager, I could only entrust this task to the both of us. Please let me rest a bit more.”

“Uwaaaah…”

This would be how I should describe how it goes within this girl’s consciousness:

A typical setting of a small living room surrounded by four walls and being covered by a ceiling. There were pillows of colors red, pink and yellow; which aren’t really my favorite ones, scattered everywhere. These pillows were set-up like that for us to rest and sleep. It should be fine enough as a resting place for us. But if somebody would insist, we could take turns on sleeping on Ara’s real bed at her unit anyways.

It was a completely shut room. There wasn’t any single door or window or anything we could use to get out. But at a single wall, there was a huge television-like screen placed which projects what supposedly the girl’s two eyes could see.

As half-sleep as I was, I still tried to peek at what’s happening at the real world that moment.

I could only surmise that Fred is having a problem with completing the targets for his release. It had been becoming normal lately and I was sure he would be able to get by. Knowing that I had imouto take care of the rest.

I felt sorry for the literally childish-looking-and-acting imouto version of me, crying and panicking over what she would do once she gets tagged out. But the third Ara already set house rules for us.

Initially when it was just the two of us, it’s a brutally study till you drop, play till you drop and live till you drop. Then tag out when you don’t want any more way of living for the two of us. The big screen still wasn’t there so it was really just a cold dark room, and a persona inside of her resting should know nothing of whatever the other was doing.

After the third Ara came, we suddenly shared consciousness. The big screen appeared at the wall, so now we could watch over what the persona outside does. We now also had distinguishable looks compared to before. Now imouto had the distinct childish vibe and look at her. I, the aneki, had a distinguished mature and clever look within me; and I seemed to have a longer hair compared to the girl’s usual short-cut bob. The third Ara had the closest look to how the girl normally looked at the outside real world. I was guessing that’s how Fred and the others look at us.

“No more abusing of each other. We will be spending time outside equally. Whenever it’s your time out, then accomplish what the girl ‘Ara’ needs to do, okay?” –is what the third said to us.

It was true. A human’s state of mind is a fragile thing. Instead of wearing down the girl’s mental state with just a single persona, it’s better to share the stress with the three of us. That way she wouldn’t wear down her mental state that much.

That’s how I thought it works.

“Listen…”

The panicking imouto could actually manage herself if she tried. She really just lacked the confidence. That’s just how she worked. She needed a little push.

I pushed myself up and crawled towards her in a daring position. I could use my mature-looking body in giving her a fan-service before she got tagged out. I placed the tip of my finger to her chins, and slowly guided her face towards mine, close enough for the both of us to feel the heat of each other’s breath.

“…I’ll give you a little service whenever it’s just the two of us here again.”

POOF!!

Of course the place was just an imaginary world, so it should be fine for us to produce comic-like expressions like an outburst of hot steam coming from imouto’s flustered face.

That can’t be helped. Just a close-up view from my face could quickly send her to heavens. That’s how I made her to be.

“A—are you sure about that?...”

“You’re still doubting. How many times have I failed you already?”

“I… none… Aaaaaaargh! Fine! Don’t blame me for what happens next, okay?! It’s fine now Ara-ara! Switch me out.”

“Ah by the way I’ve left a note at the table at our living room! It’s got instructions. Just follow them.”

“Hmp!”

POOF!!

And now she literally poofed out and turned to smoke instantly.

“Jeez. What have you promised out little Ara again?”

“Noooone of your business.”

The third appeared and talked to me. I’ve really hated the way she just appeared out of nowhere and changed how things went. I’ve always managed to hold the fort by myself with just the two of us. But as much as I hated it, things really went better after she came. It made me feel like all those years I’ve worked on hard were for naught. But not really.

That’s why I still really haven’t opened up to her that much unlike imouto.

She appeared so suddenly and started doing thing both of us could. I’ve been fond of existing and I had been sure it’s the same for imouto too. At that point she might manage so be just the sole Ara and the two of us wouldn’t want to cease existing so suddenly.

“Fine, I won’t force you if you won’t tell. It’s not like imouto’s not telling anything when I ask her. Guess I’ll just have to pull out stuff from her.”

“Tsk. That ever-stupid imouto.”

For some reason I’ve always wondered why she didn’t seem to get affected with how narcissistic the two of us, imouto and aneki versions, have been. It hates me to think that the dirty moves that I use on imouto wasn’t really effective on her. It felt like the years I’ve trained being a hostess were for nothing.

“So, you’re leaving the matter with the manager to her?”

“Yeah… So please… just let me rest, even for just half a day. I’ll catch up to her real-quick and deal with the matters left. I swear I’ll cover up whatever things she’ll blow up. Besides…”

I really wouldn’t count on third with regards to the matter with the girl’s previous work. That’s just a part me being a brat. But I never really wanted imouto to deal with those things too. It was my fault to begin with so I’d rather just deal with it myself. But…

“She might have to know it too, sooner or later… I’d really feel bad if she would hate me after she knew it and it’s already too late. Talking again with the manager really pushed me to decide. You know what I’m talking about.”

The situation rendered me useless. The exhaustion I’ve got due to dealing with stuff from my current and previous work already reached the point where I couldn’t be efficient already.

“Fine. I’ll keep watch here while you sleep.”

Really… that attitude of yours really irritate me.

“You know we’re inside the girl’s consciousness, right? There’s nothing you can hide here, even your thoughts.”

I was careless. But at least she had an idea of what I’m trying to get say: that she’s the type that’s too kind to always meddle with somebody else’s issues even when unneeded. What’s more was she’s doing it halfheartedly but efficiently.

I didn’t even bother answering. Every second counted and each second wasted meaning I’ve wasted my precious little time to rest. I closed my eyes. And even though it was just an imaginary world formed for the sole purpose of housing the girl’s different personas, I still wished to sleep normally, like the way I could if ever it’s my turn outside the real world to sleep at a real comfy bed and dream about several fantasies the girl was yearning.

But as I close my eyes it was just utter darkness. Each of us might know we’re already resting but since it’s just darkness, we feel empty once we wake up to check what’s up at the real world.

---

Ara(imouto)

UWAAAAAH… I really felt bad for Ara-ara. After all that effort she put in to this…

I looked at the several pieces of crumpled paper that Fred threw towards the bin. I felt the frustration even worse than what Ara-ara did. It was her dedicated effort being wasted up front. Would someone ever want to pay a huge sum of money for a vip seat just to see his team lose?

I’ll make sure to complete whatever tasks Fred asks me to so I can make both of them proud. ALRIGHT LET’S GO!!

“UWAAAAAH!! That’s work I spent my energy to, sent right to oblivion!! Noooo!!”

I looked at Fred.

I didn’t excel at reading somebody’s thoughts so I looked at Fred and tried to bet on what his decisions will be. For my basis: I’ve always been watching whenever somebody out here doing assistant jobs for Fred. There had been times where he just suddenly wanted to take a rest and dismisses and still pays us a day’s worth of work. He’s telling both Kyrie and us that it was just another unproductive day of work, and then he usually gets over it the next day around.

What I bet on was: the day would just be another unproductive way, which he really confirmed.

“Sorry. Promise I’ll give you guys a bonus after we finish this chapter. Just please bear with me.”

HOOOORAAAAY!! NOTHING TO DO FOR THE REST OF THE DAY!! LUCKY!!!

All was set, it would just be another free day to spend, lazing around at my unit, until I tire myself out, and sleep at a comfy bed. But when I thought I’ve been freed from the shackles of a busy day, I’ve remembered a very important thing aneki asked me to do.

“…I’ll give you a little service whenever it’s just the two of us here again.”

SLUUUUUR….

For me that’s the only important thing that I should remember. Of course I remembered her asking about some notes at the desk in the living room. It was something about the Ara’s previous work from before we got recruited by Fred. That ‘previous work’ I really wasn’t allowed to know much.

Kyrie already an activity on her hand to keep herself from being ‘bored’. She seemed to already be prepared just in case the situation happened.

I need to copy Kyrie but I’ll change the way it sounds so it won’t look like I copied it.

“I was just shocked a while ago. Sorry Fred… Uhm…, to be honest there’s still this something that aneki tasked me with. So I’ll take on your offer and head out now. I promise I’ll help you next week.”

After a few more exchange, Fred finally released us.

The two of us went out of the door.

“Humu. Well at least we have more time for today. What do you think.”

Hm…?

Hmmm…???

HMMMMMMMM….????!!

I found it odd.

Kyrie wouldn’t use the studio’s front door for a normal day. That’s why there had been two doors constructed at the left and the right sides of Fred’s studio. It connects the studio to either of Fred’s and Kyrie’s room.

I racked my brain up to come up for a reason why Kyrie used the front door.

She said that she would do something with Anemone’s. For normal days she would just pass through Fred’s unit and use his balcony to barge in Anemone’s unit. She’s already done it several times and Fred already listed it as a normal event. If she would just go home, then she would just use the door and directly enter her unit.

“Uhm… Ky-Ky-Kyrie…-chan?”

“Humu. Lead the way.”

HMMMMMMMM….????!!

“I-I thought you’ll head to Anemone’s…”

“Humu. That’s imouto-mode for you. It will take time to explain things to you. So for starters, why don’t we head to your unit?”

HMMMMMMMM….????!!

“I’m fine…? heh…heh…heh…”

Teardrops run down my face as I saw her suddenly holding her harisen which was supposedly not there just a few moments ago. Seeing a weapon which was purposely invented for another person flaunted in front of you wouldn’t make me feel any comfortable. Especially, it was Kyrie. She would do anything to ease her boredom even if it’s hitting a defenseless girl like me for fun.

“Humu. Let’s go, shall we?”

“Y-YES!!!”