X. Ara Decides to Manage a Pub II

Even though it was just 11am, the sun was already bright and at its highest point. Walking at a narrow road, Fred and Ara endured the grueling climb towards their destination at a small hill.

Both of them lack sleep. Fred, due to the momentum he gained, managed to complete a main draft of his target chapter. Meanwhile Ara, had a rough night at her last night of training. But the difference between a body that’s physically fit and a body that’s not getting proper nutrition manifested as they walked the same distance at the same conditions.

“Wait… huff… huff… Are we still far?”

Fred was already at his blackout point while Ara still had some reserve energy to continue the day’s activities.

“Jeez your body’s too frail. Want me to give you a piggyback ride?”

“Huff… Huff… Go on, just tell me which block it is… I’ll catch up real soon.”

Struggling to catch his breath, Fred still managed to signal Ara with a go before trying to sit comfortably under the shade to rest.

“Hahaha!! Okay! You’ll probably see the block I’ll enter, so catch up to me real soon, alright?!”

Fred nodded.

Ara then continued to climb atop. Contrary to her usual lax tees and shorts that she wore almost everywhere, today seemed to be a special day. She wore a pure long white dress and a straw hat. She was carrying a small hand bag that matched the light blue colored ribbon tied at her straw hat.

It was like looking at an angel climbing the stairway to heaven.

Just looking at her lessened Fred’s fatigue to the point that he could already catch up to her. But as a former Maou and a current mortal, he felt guilty if he would try to ruin such angelic scene if he walked side by side with her.

After seeing Ara entered a block, Fred then stood to catch up to her.

But being able to ‘rest’ was only mental. He still actually lacked the enough energy to climb. So being able to reach the block, he still needed to catch his breath.

The very moment they went off the bus they’re riding, Fred already got the purpose of their first trip. He was able to rationally think about the situation and how to talk to Ara at that moment.

They were at a public cemetery.

Fred could already smell the scent of the freshly-lit incense. There he saw Ara kneeling at the front of a tomb while praying. Fred slowly approached her to avoid disturbing her at such an important moment.

Errr… What should I do? What would she expect me to do? I don’t even pray back at Mytherion.

Fred just consciously stared as Ara completed the customary routines for visiting a grave.

“This is my mother’s grave. I suppose you’ve already heard from Ingrid about my background, right?”

“I have the general Idea. But not all of it.”

“Therapists said that my split personality was due to some post-traumatic life events. My mother died when I was young. That’s when the two of us started existing within this girl’s body after mother’s death. But that’s just as far as the truth I know.

Here’s a plot twist. Manager happened to be a close friend of Father’s. Father had told him events he couldn’t tell me. Events, which even aneki refused to tell.

My father refused my therapy. Instead, he had worked on with aneki in protecting me. Father took it that I was the real ‘Ara’ and the defensive personality which was aneki appeared to help me overcome my mental trauma. They were protecting me all this time. They’ve done it to at least avoid each and every instance mother’s death would trigger my trauma and something bad happens to me.

The had always kept me safe. But being spoiled too much isn’t really a good thing. Maybe manager decided that the truth shouldn’t have kept forever from me. In order for me to grow. That’s why he had told me everything.”

“That’s… How should I react… Manager, he’s a good guy…”

Ara took one last deep breath and closed her eyes. She then finished her usual visiting routine.

“I really think you arriving at Ingrid’s apartment complex, and accidentally meeting with aneki one night have triggered a big change on us. That’s why us three had always treated you as somebody special.”

Ara suddenly turned around and gave him a sudden smile. Fred was caught off guard and gasped upon being shone with Ara’s brilliance.

“Hehehe, did your heart skip a bit? I’m going to report this to Landlady Ingrid. Just kidding!”

“You… Yeah, yeah. I know. I’m just your aneki’s toy, right? You’re starting to sound like her and it’s scaring me.”

“Glad to hear that.”

Ara smirked. She then stood up and walked.

“I’m finished. Let’s go! We got two more places to go.”

Fred sighed and gave a “Give me a break…” but still followed obediently.

---

“Ara…”

“Yes?”

“You might’ve already forgotten due to your excessive energy reserve, but you know we both have zero sleep yet since last night, right?”

“Yeah, I know.”

After paying a visit for Ara’s mother, they had lunch at the nearest diner. They needed to replenish a bit of energy before going to the next destination. But Fred didn’t bother eating anymore. What he needed was sleep. Instead of ordering, he pressed his face at the table and snored peacefully. Even a tiny bit of sleep would help him overcome the day.

After eating, the two of them road a taxi and headed to their next destination. That’s what led them to the situation they were currently in: they had been waiting for two hours already, while sitting at a bench waiting for somebody to exit the building to have a late afternoon stroll.

“We have been waiting for two hours already, can’t I really just take a quick nap?”

“No! I doubt I could wake you up in time if you happen to submerge a deep sleep. If you miss this, then what’s the point in going this far?”

“I know you have a point but I’m reaaaaaly damn tiiiiired!! If I would just know that we’ll be waiting here for two hours, then I could have slept for an hour already!! Please give me back my precious sleep!!”

But as Fred was busy giving a tantrum, Ara was checking at her phone for a message from somebody. Then suddenly he gave the childish Fred a shush to stop him from making a scene.

Being unable to accept the unjust mechanics of this world, Fred accepted that he couldn’t get back the hours he could’ve slept, and was thankful that the event they were waiting for had finally arrived.

What came out of the building were two old men, one pushing a wheelchair and the sick patient. But the building was not a hospital, but rather, a home for the elderly.

“I have the idea already. So, how sick is your father, is he gonna be okay?”

“Probably. It’s just that he’s became very forgetful that he wouldn’t even recognize me anymore. Manager told me this: Only a part of the true reason why my father disowned me during that event at my high school was due to him and aneki protecting my smile and cheerful bright character. The second half of the reason was this. My father was already sick that time. He was already sick with extreme forgetfulness. That moment he’s already showing signs of it.

Father and aneki knew by that time that I wouldn’t just let it slide, knowing that my father is sick. They would think that I’d be spending my whole life, taking care of him first than thinking about my happiness. It would worry me to death and might trigger another post-traumatic results again. So instead of being taken care of, he took the role of a bad father and disown me. Aneki had to push herself to a hard decision to agree to it. They thought that was the best course of action”

“I see… I think… I would probably do the same too. Sorry that I still wasn’t around here during those times.

“It’s fine. Really…”

“Thanks. In any case, I suppose the one pushing the wheelchair would be your manager.”

“Yeah, he started working here. That’s the main reason why he started contacting aneki. He relocated here so he could watch over father. They’re pretty close. Like… BFFs.”

“Then… Then why did he choose to contact you? I’m sure there are other outstanding employees that are capable too.”

“This is what he said: My aneki was a special case. She had kept her chastity even after a year of being employed. She got used to the work environment and still got satisfactory customer ratings even though she’s kept a boundary with everyone. She knew how to handle one’s self very well. Wouldn’t that be a great trait? That’s what he told me.”

Fred looked at the manager pushing the wheelchair. He then stopped and looked at their direction. Ara’s father was still looking at a far direction with his blank eyes.

Fred then looked at Ara and saw the respect they had with each other. Imouto had a tendency to be trustful of whoever aneki or the third puts their trust onto. But she could still be wary at times. That time it was different. Fred saw manager as somebody who the imouto could give her full trust even without relying to the other two.

“I see. This is the decision you’ve made, right?”

“Yes Fred. It’s not just my decision. It’s ours.”

But she couldn’t tell it. Not yet.

“Have you talked to Kyrie with this? And even with Ingrid?”

“Yes. I’ve talked to them already. They’re all thumbs up as long as it wouldn’t be an inconvenience to you.”

“It’s fine, really. Even though our hands would be full these coming months, I think we’ll manage to do it.”

“Uhm Fred. I think it’s time for us to go. We might not be able to catch the last trip if we were to stay here longer.”

She had to cut the conversation with a silly excuse before it gets to the point that she needed to suddenly tell Fred about her decision. It was supposed to be saved for their last destination. She signaled her manager from afar that we needed to go.

“Oh, yeah, but you don’t need to rush yourself. We could stay here for a bit more.”

It was getting late but the day was not yet finished.

As Ara told Fred, there were three places she wanted to go. Fred was aware that the day he got borrowed was still on 2/3 of progress. Still he wanted to ask Ara one last question.

“Say, Ara. Knowing the truth already. I know you could think properly now and assess the situation to make better decisions. So, why don’t you show up now? Talk to your father… Don’t you miss him?”

And there was silence.

Fred heard silent sobbing, as if trying to say things like ‘I wish I could’ and as if trying not to cause a scene even from far away. That alone was an answer Fred needed.

“Sorry for the question. Here. I’ll lend you my shoulder. Calm yourself down a moment. We still have one last place to go.”