Chapter XIV – Men of Culture

“Woah, you’re right. He’s already up!” Ari commented as she descends the stairs with Sophie trailing her. “You don’t think he was too scared of the movie?”

“Nah, he’s just weird like that. . .”

“Morning girls.”

Arthur was busy making himself a smoothie, as the two woke up around noon.

“How is it weird? I just prefer to wake up in the morning you lazy bumpkin.”

“Bumpkin? Since when do you use words like that?”

“Is it that uncommon?”

“You dork. . .” Sophie teased. “Also, I’m not lazy. . . We just stayed up late.”

“Sure, sure. . .”

Ari chuckled, breaking up the teasing. Sophie lazily approached Arthur and collapsed into a hug.

“You don’t really think I’m lazy, do you?” Sophie asked giving Arthur the puppy eyes.

Arthur sighed shaking his head.

“Good. . .” she seemed genuinely glad. “Anyway, I assume you already went for a run.”

“I have plans today, so I went ahead while you two were asleep. Hope you don’t mind.”

“No, it’s fine. I’m spending the day with Ari anyway. We are going to the mall later and then I’ll crash at her place for a bit.”

“Are you going to be back by nighttime?”

“If Ari lets me.”

“So that’s a no,” Ari spoke up, wrapping her arms around Sophie from behind.

“Alright, I’ll make sure to tell gramps.”

“Where is your grandfather anyway? I haven’t seen him last night either,” Ari questioned letting go of Sophie.

“He stayed for a few drinks with his colleagues and went to work early in the morning. I managed to catch him for a brief moment,” Arthur explained.

“He still works super hard huh?” Ari followed up. “I remember back in the day when he would take Sophie and me to festivals.”

“Indeed,” Sophie mumbles. “He overworks himself nowadays.”

“He’ll be fine. We just have to trust him.” Arthur reassured Sophie.

Sophie nodded and proceeded to the kitchen.

“Ari, you fine with me making us some eggs and bacon? I bought your favorite juice.”

“That sounds great! Arthur, you joining us?”

“I can stick around while you guys eat, but I already ate.”

“Ah right, Sophie mentioned you run every morning. I wish I had it in me to do that.”

“The hardest thing is just to start every time. The running part is easy.”

“We can run sometimes if you want Ari. Especially when Oppa goes without me. . .”

“Sounds good to me.”

“So you’re upset about that huh?”

“Who knows. . .” Sophie teased.

Arthur set the table for the two while Sophie finished up cooking. The food was delicious as always, making Arthur almost want to eat again.

“So. . . Real question is, do you guys believe in ghosts?” Ari asked.

“No way. . .” Sophie mumbled with her mouth full.

“This girl has no manners,” Arthur shook his head. “Anyway, yes. I believe them to be real. Though I doubt they are as interactive.”

“Really? I believe that too.”

“Ari didn’t you used to tell us stories how you saw one when you were little.”

“True. . . But nobody believed me.”

“Oh, what happened?” Arthur asked kicking Sophie under the table.

“Ouch! What was that for?”

“Swallow before you speak. . .”

“Fine, fine. . . Geez.”

“Well, I was lost during a festival and couldn’t find my way back. However, I saw a small light, almost like a spirit, that guided me back to my dad.”

“Could have been a will-o’-wisp that guided you,” Arthur theorized. “Though they are typically mischievous and lead you away from what you wish for, there are a few that are good-natured.”

“Oppa, since when have you learned such stuff?” Sophie asked, swallowing before speaking as demanded.

“I’ve been doing reading during my studies. Mythology is quite entertaining,” Arthur explained, though was not telling the truth.

“You don’t study mythology though. . .” Sophie pointed out.

“So I should limit myself to what we learn at school?”

“You should focus on what you need, but I guess there is no harm in learning random stuff like that.”

“I think it’s kind of cool,” Ari pointed out chuckling.

“Aha. . .” Sophie glanced at her. “Of course you do.”

The conversation was interrupted by a ringtone. It was Arthur’s phone. Taking it out, Arthur glanced at the screen and swallowed deeply. He was secretly nervous having both Ari and Sophie watch him, especially after Arthur claimed to Sophie that this much was easy. However, without an issue, he manages to answer.

“Hey, what’s up Don?”

“Look at mister popular over here,” Sophie whispered, elbowing Ari who giggled at the comment.

“Yeah, I’ll meet you there in 15. . . OK. Bye,” Arthur turned off the phone and glanced towards the girls. “It’s the friend I’m meeting. I got to get going, you girls stay safe, and if you need me call. Alright?”

“Sure, sure. Have fun!” Sophie said with a smile.

“Bye Arthur!”

As agreed, the two met up in front of the school. Don was passing by so he could pick up Arthur, removing the hassle of having to find his place on his own. Truth was that Don lived in a small apartment building on his own, as his parents wished for him to become independent at an early age. Typically that wasn’t the greatest idea, since teens know how to avoid responsibility by skipping school, throwing parties among other things. However, Don was a well-mannered kid with social anxiety, not really the one to do such things. From what little Arthur could tell during class, Don was quite the smart kid, but not the most outspoken one. He excelled at things like math and science, especially computer science, but lacked in other fields. One of the extreme ones is PE.

The two dropped by a local store to buy snacks and drinks before proceeding to the downtown area. The building was newly constructed, and Arthur could only imagine just how much living here cost.

“Alright, we’re here,” Don explained as he pressed the elevator button.

Arthur was confused when the doors opened, revealing a small room that could hardly fit more than two to four people. He remained quiet, not wishing to say something stupid. With the elevator closing and beginning to move, Arthur leaned into the wall and braced himself. He felt as if he was flying.

“You OK Arthur?”

“Yeah. . . I’m fine,” though it was clear he was a nervous wreck, the inability to see outside did not help.

“Have you ever been in an elevator since regaining consciousness?”

“No. . .”

“Ah, I see. Well, this is a magical teleportation device that allows us to ascend and descend floors without the need to walk.”

“Sure it is. . .”

Don chuckled, but it did not change the fact that once the doors opened the two were on the fifth floor. This was the highest point Arthur has been at as he glanced out the hallway window. The view overlooked the nearby houses and it was even possible to see the school from afar. To him, this felt as close to magic as it could get.

Even though Arthur appreciated what the elevator did, he found it scary regardless.

Finally reaching the front doors, the apartment had no name written on it and instead had the number 22. Unlocking the doors, Don made his way in after scraping his shoes on a welcome mat.

“Welcome to my humble home.”

Entering, Arthur was shocked. While his house is bigger, it was still inappropriate to call the apartment that Don lived in small. It was spacious, having a large kitchen and a living room, one bedroom with a king-sized bed, and a giant bathroom with a bath. Not to mention that the balcony was as big as Arthur’s room, and even had a Jacuzzi.

“You call this humble? This place is amazing. . .”

“Eh, it’s fine,” Don mumbled, seeming a bit down though his mood improved massively as he showed Arthur around.

“So you live here all alone?”

“Yeah, that’s the major downside to it.”

“I see,” Arthur responded, it was obvious that Don disliked living on his own.

The place looked spotless. Either Don did not use half of the stuff in the house, or he was keen on tidying up every time he left the house.

“So want a drink?”

“Sure.”

Arthur sat down on the couch, waiting for Don to arrive with a soda. The massive TV in front of him made him think just how cool of a movie night they could have here. Upon returning, Don sat down next to Arthur handing him over the drink.

“So Arthur, now that you lack your former memories, what do you do for fun every day? Did you start reading manga again?”

“If I’m being honest, it has mostly been studying and training. I do spend a lot of time with my sister, Sophie. Other than that, not much else.”

“You don’t know what you’re missing out on. Whole worlds full of unknown adventures that await for you to hear about.”

Arthur chuckled.

“To tell you the truth Don, I’m quite happy with a life that lacks those things. The adventures people typically talk about sound too tiring.”

“Now you just sound like an old man.”

“Maybe, but trust me when I say that we should be happy with the lives we have. I can’t imagine the life of a hero to be that fun.”

“You’re so wrong though!” Don yells out passionately. “I’ve read so many books, and no matter how you look at it, it would be amazing if we became heroes! Gaining the power to stop the evil for the greater good, all while having beautiful women fall for us. At the end of the adventure, you’d become a renowned retired hero who settles with a beautiful wife, who is by the way most likely a princess or something and enjoy fame and fortune. Can you imagine such a life?”

“Sounds like a good story,” Arthur commented as his gaze falls on the drink he holds, his expression a poignant reminder of the past. “Life is not always so kind. Think of the hardships those heroes must face. The loneliness they felt at the darkest moments. Those they cared about were always in danger or worse. At the end of the day, they do not know if they will make it, and even if they do make it towards the end, sometimes their sacrifice is necessary. Then all that is left of them is nothing but a memory. I. . . I do not envy heroes.”

Both remained quiet for a bit. Don didn’t know how to respond to that pessimistic view Arthur had.

“Sorry, that sounded a bit too depressing,” Arthur spoke up with a smile. “Guess I’m just not the hero type. If it were you, I do not doubt in my mind that you’d make the best of the best.”

“You’re a lot different now,” Don finally spoke up. “Compared to back then.”

“How so?”

“It’s hard to say. When I have the right words in mind, I’ll tell you.”

Arthur nodded.

“So, Don. . . Mind if I ask you to show me those stories you love to read?”

“You serious?”

“Of course.”

“Great! Wait here,” Don yelled out cheerfully, as he rushed to his room.

Don returned to the living room a few minutes later after gathering every book that he thought could be of interest. The genre’s varied but the theme was obvious, he was really into fantasy. Explaining to Arthur just how amazing all the stories he had read so far have left Arthur looking back on his past lives. It was hard to believe that the quiet kid in class was so talkative when it came to one of his passions.

After reading through a few, only glancing at the initial chapters, Arthur understood the appeal. Thinking about it, it was also a great escape tool from reality. Before he reincarnated, Arthur had done that a lot. Still, there was nothing wrong with something like that. Everyone could use a break from reality from time to time. Reality can be quite a crushing thing, always forced to deal with situations that one would rather avoid. In this day and age, all the focus seemed to be on earning money and being successful. School prepares students for that as well, insisting that they aim for the best colleges. Some took it better than others, while some crumbled under pressure and became obsessed with cheap thrills that would occupy their minds to forget their failure.

Thinking about it, the life Arthur had right now, he would wish for it to stay the same. The truth however was that no matter who you were, to have peace, one must sacrifice themselves for it. Peace is after all an unnatural occurrence. Even when all the worst problems finally disappear, given enough time the peace that surrounds us ends up shattering unless someone keeps making an effort to keep it that way. In Arthur’s case, the one doing the sacrificing was their grandpa. There were always exceptions to the rule, but those were so rare that it was safe to just call them a miracle.

“What’s this?” Arthur asked Don as he flipped through an adult manga.

“Ah! How did that get in there?” Don yelled out flustered, trying to take it away from Arthur.

Arthur didn’t allow it though as he kept dodging, going as far as to get up and use the couch as a barrier between the two.

“Oho! I didn’t know you were into these sorts of things. The proportions are so unrealistic though!”

“Hey, give it back. . .” Don turned red.

“What’s the big deal? Are you embarrassed that your secret is out? I wonder what Nabi would think. . .” Arthur teased, knowing fully well how shameful it could be due to him being caught by Sophie and Ari.

Don rushed forward attempting to tackle Arthur but was dodged with ease.

“Alright, alright! Here you go,” Arthur threw the manga towards him, Don barely catching it. “If it makes you feel any better, I’ve been caught by my sister and her friend. . . That was awful.”

“You watched porn and was caught by your sister and her friend?” Don asked, his voice tearful.

He must have been quite embarrassed. I guess I teased him too much.

“Porn? I was scrolling through TV channels when suddenly a couple had sex on the screen. Sophie and Ari, her friend, suddenly came into the living room.”

“Ah, well that was your mistake. If you’re going to enjoy stuff like that, you have to do it in private. . . Gosh, I’d kill myself if I was caught by my family.”

“First of all, the TV is in the living room so how would I watch it in my room? Secondly, why would I even want to watch other people have sex?”

“You’ve never watched porn on your phone?”

“On my phone?”

“Yeah, you know. . . The internet?”

“About that. . . Sophie never got around to showing me how to use this internet you are talking about,” Arthur responded shyly.

“What?!” Don yelled out in shock. “Give me your phone.”

The two spend hours exploring the functions of the internet. Most of it Arthur would simply forget but at least he had access to it to a degree. For the rest of the time together, the two went over other books and even some games. Don was a big fan of consoles, and Arthur proved to have no talent for it whatsoever. It was so tragic that Don pitied him. There were a few more inappropriate books among those, but Don simply defended it as culture rather than something indecent.

Returning home after hours and hours of fun, Arthur found himself alone that night. With his grandpa asleep and Sophie still at Ari’s, it was the first time that Arthur looked up porn.

Chapter End.

Thank you for reading.