Chapter LIV – Family Photo

“You sure it’s okay for me to be here?” Don asked nervously as he sat on Arthur’s bed going through a pile of boxes.

“I told you already, don’t worry so much.”

“But what if your Grandpa catches us? You’re grounded.”

“He works till eight, and it’s like noon right now. . . You worry too much,” he sighed, unsealing one of the boxes he stored manga in that Arthur possessed.

It was Saturday and Don had finally left his apartment for the first time since getting injured. Arthur called him over because he believed Don might find it fun to rummage through Arthur’s old stuff which was filled with a bunch of novels and manga among other things.

“Woah, you even have the Demonic Empress Manga that is out of print,” Don pulled out of a box the 14th volume which had a girl with crimson red hair sitting on a throne with her legs crossed wearing noble attire.

“There’s a ton of boxes, so who knows what we might find,” Arthur glanced towards the PC that he had yet to turn on since he reincarnated.

Initially, he avoided it due to fear of breaking it, and now that he was more used to technology to a degree, he simply forgot all about it.

“By the way, where’s Sophie?”

“Hmm. . . I believe she said she was meeting up with Ari and another friend to study.”

“Cool,” he smiled while glancing over at Arthur’s textbook. “I assume your studying is going well.”

“Yeah, so far so good,” he looked in the direction of Don’s gaze before realizing that Don might be able to help him. “I’m so dumb!” he yelled out smilingly, freaking out Don who didn’t expect the sudden change in tone. “Can I ask you for a favor?”

“Umm, sure?” Don was somewhat unsure what Arthur was thinking.

“I need to score well on computer science, but I struggle with it as you very well know. However, if it’s you, maybe you could simplify it for me step by step so that even I could understand.”

“Hmmm. . . Sounds possible,” Don pondered. “It would take a while-”

“If you don’t have time and need to focus on your studies then forget about it. I spoke without thinking,” Arthur retracted his request after realizing how sluggish the task would be.

“No, no! It’s fine,” he chuckled. “I have time, it’s just that I need to rewrite a lot of the exam tasks to fit your needs. If it’s you with your phenomenal memory, then you might just be able to make up for your abysmal tech skill.”

“Ouch? Not sure if I should take that as a compliment or an insult,” Arthur couldn’t help but smirk, believing that if anyone could help him get a good score it was bound to be Don. “But you think you can do it?”

“It’ll take me a few days, so you won’t have a lot of time to learn it. . . If I start today, I’ll get it done by Wednesday.”

“That should be more than enough. Thank you.”

“Nah, you’d do the same for me,” Don smiled looking down at the box that was in his lap. “No way. . . You got Valkyrie at War”

“What’s that?” Arthur looked at him confused.

“It's an old console game. Action, turn-based RPG about Norse mythology,” he opened up the box and looked at the disc which was in a near-perfect state. “Dude, too bad it’s not unsealed. . .”

“You’ve officially lost me,” Arthur awkwardly chuckled.

“It’s a rare game that you might be able to sell for quite a bit of cash. Probably around 250.000 won,” he closed the box. “If it was unsealed, I’m sure you’d be able to get almost double the amount.”

“Woah, for a single game?”

“Don’t be too surprised, some of the games can go for even higher. Collectors are insane when it comes to buying that sort of stuff.”

“Do you want it?” Arthur looked at him seriously.

“Huh?” Don mumbled, stunned by Arthur’s willingness to part ways with something that would be considered valuable as if it had no meaning to him. “Wouldn’t you rather sell it?”

“Don, we’re friends. If you want something that I can give you, then why not. Besides, it’s not like I planned on using it. Sure, the money’s nice, but I wouldn’t sell it to you.”

Arthur leaned back and looked out the window, mesmerized by the sunny day. Don on the other hand kept staring at Arthur before averting his gaze back to the box. Truth was that Arthur’s words moved him. He never had such close friends before.

“Nah, keep it,” Don set the game to the side.

“You sure?” Arthur glanced back at Don. “Don’t be shy now. . . ”

“Yeah, I’m sure,” he smiled brightly at Arthur. “I don’t have the console for it and wasn’t a huge fan of the game anyway. Just thought it was amazing that you had it.”

“Suit yourself. If you change your mind, it’ll be in that box most likely,” Arthur chuckled reverting his attention to the box he was holding that was full of fantasy novels.

“And. . .” Don whispered. “Thanks.”

“What for?” Arthur asked while taking out a light novel ‘Tales of Ancient Bloodlines; Rebirth of the True Mage, Volume 1’.

“Had you not talked to me that day and asked me for directions, I would’ve never been friends with all of you guys. . .” Don kept a lowered tone, having a faint smile on his face.

“Shouldn’t I be the one saying that?” Arthur chuckled. “I was like a lost puppy in a vast jungle back then. If anything, I owe you one.”

“I’m sure you would’ve managed.”

“And I’m sure we would’ve been friends regardless,” Arthur glanced up. “I’m glad you’re my friend.”

Don kept quiet before giving a slight nod.

“What do you have there?” Don asked.

“Some weird book,” Arthur showed it to Don before looking at the back for a synopsis.

“Oh, TAB. It’s a good one. Loved the anime too.”

“TAB?” Arthur looked at him confused.

“It’s the abbreviated name people often use. Either that or True Mage Isekai. It’s a fantasy light novel about a guy reincarnated as a mage. The title gives it away,” he chuckled.

Skimming through the pages, Arthur noticed something falling out of the book. Glancing down, he noticed a photo hidden inside.

“What’s that?” Don asked as he watched Arthur pick up the photo.

“It’s. . .” he turned the picture and remained quiet. “A family photo. . .”

It was a picture of Arthur’s parents, Sophie, and him at a beach. The first thing Arthur noticed was the wide childish smile on Sophie’s face. Based on the date the photo was taken which was written on the back, she was only five years old. She was adorable, small, and closely resembled her current self apart from the obvious differences that came with age. Having her hands raised high, she sat on top of their father’s shoulders.

He was around Arthur’s height, by his estimate. Wide shoulders, and handsome. The shirt covered his physique which made it hard to estimate, but he didn’t look too athletic. Unlike Sophie and Arthur, their father had brown eyes with black short hair. In the picture, he was wearing blue swim trunks and a plain v-neck t-shirt. His one hand was holding onto Sophie’s leg, making sure she doesn’t fall off, while the other was grappled by their mother.

Wrapping her hand around him, their mother was a breathtaking beauty. Her resemblance to Sophie was stunning, and her carefree smile was mesmerizing. She had wavy brunette hair which was pushed over her left shoulder. Wearing a black bikini top and blue shorts, she held onto Arthur’s hand as he walked next to her.

Arthur, much like his mother, walked around without a shirt and in black swim trunks similar to his dad’s. It was unusual seeing a picture of himself at a time when he wasn’t part of this world. He seemed genuinely happy. Then again, he was six years old at the time.

Scarlet and Hwan. . . So this is how the two of you looked. She was 28 at the time, and he 32. If I remember correctly, they divorced a year or two later.

“Woah, they look just like you two,” Don peeked at the photo before leaning back. “Sorry. . .”

“It’s fine, you can look,” Arthur chuckled.

Glancing at Hwan, his father, he noticed that even back then he looked rather serious. His eyes seemed to have been looking elsewhere. Arthur didn’t ask anything about him, but his diary had a few mentions about his drinking problem after their mother abandoned them. He eventually died in a car accident six years after the divorce. Arthur was 13 at the time.

Her smile is so gentle. . .

Arthur kept staring at his mother.

Everything he learned about her was through the diary. It mentioned that a few months before she left, she constantly started unreasonable fights, screaming at Hwan and even throwing things at him. When Sophie cried, they would stop arguing, but she’d blame him for it. Arthur kept quiet and hoped that things would turn out okay. Inevitably, he felt betrayed as she packed up and left after saying her goodbyes. In Arthur’s words, she ignored his begging to stay, and when Sophie wanted to go with her, she refused. She insisted they should stay with their father and grandfather.

The house was quiet afterward for months, but Hwan was never the same. He’d often cry at night, showing young Arthur how mercilessly she abandoned the man who loved her dearly. He grew to resent her for it, but secretly hoped she’d return and apologize for hurting them. It got worse when their father died in an accident. That’s when Arthur’s writing became a lot darker. He often cried whenever he saw Sophie because she reminded him closely of Scarlet.

Though, this isn’t the smile of someone who would just abandon her children.

Arthur kept looking at his mother who looked blissful. While appearances can fool people, Arthur had to take his writing with a grain of salt knowing it was written at a very young age. Being heavily opinionated and probably stubborn wouldn’t allow one to see the bigger picture.

If there was anything Arthur knew well by being Andras, it was the look of someone who didn’t want their kids. He was an orphan in all three of his incarnations. The only time he was wanted by his parents was during his second life, but it ended in a tragedy that he hardly recalled nowadays. He understood that human relationships weren’t as simple as a seven-year-old would see.

I wonder what happened between them. Should I dig deeper? Maybe after the finals. . .

Arthur thought about his past more often in the past few days. However, each time he was forced to face a memory, he’d come up with an excuse. The finals were no exception, but at least he deemed that excuse appropriate.

There were too many questions on his mind, among those being where Scarlet might be. Ryung probably had the answers, but Arthur didn’t like bothering him with heavy topics after work. Not to mention now when his mind was torn between finals and the struggle he had to deal with when Sophie told him what happened at school. Considering she was fine, he refrained from making a scene while still suspended, but there was someone he had plans on visiting as soon as he returned to school.

“You okay?” Don asked after sitting in silence for far too long. “You’ve been awfully quiet staring at that photo.”

“Ah. . . Sorry about that,” Arthur smiled back at him, trying to show that he was alright. “I was just lost in thoughts.”

“Is it about your parents?”

“Yeah,” he placed the photo to the side. “I’ve never asked much about them, so the photo took me by surprise. First time seeing them after all.”

“I get it, I think. . .” he lowered his tone. “Don’t know if I can be of much use, but if you need someone to talk to, I’m happy to listen.”

“Thanks,” Arthur chuckled for the first time in a while. “I’ll keep that in mind since I don’t have much to say right now. I’m just kinda confused about everything.”

“I think I’d be confused as well,” Don smiled compassionately.

Arthur was always impressed with how sensitive Don was. While some would judge that since he was a man, Arthur believed that the best men who achieved enlightenment in life were those who were able to truly understand those around them and acted kindly.

“Can I ask you a question?” Arthur looked at him while thinking of a way to word it.

“Of course!”

“If something was a part of your past, but it had nothing to do with you, would you invest time getting to know about it even when it can potentially cause more harm than good?”

“That’s a tough question,” Don awkwardly smiled while thinking about it. Arthur observed him as Don closed his eyes briefly. The two sat in silence, but once Don opened his eyes they looked at each other again. "I think that knowing about yourself is always important. Even if it is something that we wouldn’t like, in the end, that’s what got us to where we are now.”

“Our experiences define us, huh? Well said Don,” Arthur chuckled closing his eyes.

Don had reminded him of an old friend he met, one that taught him martial arts in his first life. He was an old monk that enjoyed teaching others and hated fighting. Had Don reincarnated, he would’ve been just like him.

There was a lot Arthur didn’t know yet, and the picture he found only sparked further questions. He still contemplated if he should dedicate time after the finals to pursue the truth, but deep down he knew he had to eventually.

The two ravaged the boxes for any more secrets they might’ve held, but all they found was a bunch of things that would get Don fanboying over which in itself was worth the effort.

Chapter End.

Thank you for reading.