II. Enter Anemone – the Delusional Rival

“Humu. I see you never even changed after I graduated. Annette Monica.”

Those were the words that went out of Kyrie’s mouth as soon as she approached near Anemone. The exhibitionist delusional girl at her late teens had been acquainted with Kyrie. What were the odds?

But as the commotion went and most of the people at the venue were focused on what’s happening at the stage right now, a sudden thought came onto me. It was not really connected to me but I was there when it happened. A week ago Kyrie asked Fred to have a short talk between only the two of them. Out of respect and trust with Kyrie, I’ve let them have a talk.

My hunch is right all along

As I looked at Fred he was just looking like the normal Fred that would say ‘sigh… as expected of Kyrie, but you didn’t have to go that far.’ at the current situation.

“You knew all along…” –I was kind of jealous, but it really was not something that involved me. As much as I wanted I liked to hit Fred at that time. He was not really cheating on me, but at least give me some trust and tell it to me. I’m a member of Maou Spence-sensei team after all. I frowned at hm like a kid.

“Sigh… This day would come, so you will eventually know. It was not like Kyrie wanted to join the race to win me over. You have assured that to her too, right?”

“It’s... It’s not like that… When you put it like that it looks like I’m the one at the wrong… Okay fine! I was just jealous… a bit… that’s all!” –I sulked.

“It’s just the Kyrie told me about her and Anemone’s past, as a senior and a junior during their high school days. That’s all.”

“Ohooo~~ Lover’s quarrel? Ain’t you two lovebirds?”

“Ah, yes, too sweet at that.”

Ara and Seria teased me at my pitiful state that moment.

“Come on, I’m telling you it’s not like that between us. Also Ara why are you even… ugh…” –Fred tried to clear the misunderstanding.

What must he be thinking? Denying it every single time. How insensitive. Doesn’t he know I’m being hurt every time he denies it? It feels like he’s denying my very existence.

That was the only truth I’ve been keeping in me that I haven’t told him. These are some of the girl’s insecurities. I thought that he will only argue with me once I open up. I didn’t want to burden him even more too. But there really are times I’ve been acting selfishly jealous for nothing and sulk to win an argument over him. I just wondered how he think of these situations at times.

“HMP!!” –I kicked Fred at his right leg.

“Ouch! What was that even for?!”

I didn’t answered him anymore. He should realize his mistakes and apologize to me later. We then brought our attentions back to the stage.

Kyrie had the emcee’s mic again, she planned to stop this madness brought upon her embarrassing acquaintance. But what really was Anemone’s role on Kyrie’s life. I wondered if her family had a long-term debt on Kyrie’s that she was forced to immediately resort to a living at a very young age.

“Mic test.. Mic test…” thud thud thud. –Kyrie tested the mic if it was still working.

“Humu. Okay. Hi ladies and gentlemen. First of all let me apologize for lying that I am the CEO. I was actually just a humble assistant of a not-really-popular-enough mangaka over there…” –and she pointed Fred. Fred was embarrassed.

“Second… I would like to apologize to Old man over there for the embarrassment brought upon to him by this lowly creature.”

“Kyah! Kyrie-schwenpai called me!!”

“Shut up.” –Kyrie kicked Anemone but instead of being in pain she looked like she was in pleasure.

“Where we are again… uhm… Let me apologize for Anemone-sensei’s behavior. Actually she’s been like this since our high school days and she never even changed. Soooo… Please bear with her ‘chuunibyou’ character.” –Kyrie bowed down in Anemone’s stead.

“Whoo it’s fine! It’s a great show! Keep it up!!”

“It’s fine we’re used to these kings of things!”

“Hahaha!! What an amusing bunch, keep it up!”

“whistling!!”

The show gathered up too much attention and cheering from the crowd. All sorts of reactions could be heard from all sorts of direction. But those were not negative reactions, instead cheering that encourages the people at the stage to continue their perform more. It was like they were asking for an encore.

The only ones who reacted differently was me, Fred, Ara and Old man. I did not blame Seria for her reaction. It was not like she could immediately get used to Kyrie for about a whole day. The four of us were so shocked that we did never, not even in a hundred years, expected Kyrie to bow down and apologize for someone.

Or so we thought…

“Wait… something’s not right.” –The first one to react was Fred.

Out of the four of us at the team, Fred was the one who knew Kyrie the most. He knew so much of her thought process that a shocking something like ‘apologizing’ coming from her comes with a great catch.

“Humu. Now that everything’s said and done, Anemone-sensei… Are you ready?”

The lightings at the stage casted shadows at Kyrie’s sinister-looking face as she looked at Anemone. Along with all the ‘I just wanted to hurt this little girl once in a while’ mode, Kyrie reached out something at her back.

The four of us reacted like:

“But why?”

“When did it got there?”

“What… When did she?”

It was the greatest weapon that I had when Kyrie was in the stage of her freedom that she needed to be suppressed the most. It was a paper fan that was folded several times which the other end was tied with a tape so that the other end could be expanded and make it a giant paper fan which not really served its purpose.

The paper quality was not at its top condition because it was quite used towards Fred and Kyrie multiple times already. The pain by being hit by the paper fan is far comparable to when you get hit by a baseball bat. But getting hit with this in front of a huge crowd is a different story already.

A harisen*

“Ky-ky-kyrie-schwenpai… May I ask what are you going to do with that?”

“Ohoho… Nothing. I’m just going to scold my little junior that’s so unsightly shown excessive skin than what was needed. I really could not tolerates such acts. Nothing personal.” –Kyrie referred to the almost-nothing bikini straps Anemone was wearing under her coat.

“P-p-please be gentle…”

“Fu fu fu… NO.”

WHACK!

“KYAH!~~”

Multiple consecutive hitting and screaming sounds led by huge amount of humiliation were heard at the event venue.

---

The event ended up with a blast, for everything that happened after Kyire’s intervention went according to the event organizer’s plans.

Us four, including Seria met up with the other editors and Fred’s fellow authors. Old man scolded Anemone over and over at the dressing room because of what happened so they went to the dressing room to hide towards everyone everything that happened afterwards. I kind of felt sorry for Anemone but it was her own fault that led her to that situation.

Kyrie went back at us giggling and so enjoyed. She looked like someone rejuvenated from the well of life.

“You don’t have to go that far just to quench your thirst for enjoyment.” –Fred told her and gave her forehead a chop, which she gladly accept with a giggling face. She seemed like she was expecting the chop from Fred though.

They’re getting goody-goody again with each other which I’ve found annoying. I butted in to stop it.

“So that’s what you wanted to talk about with Fred a week ago.”

“Humu. Jealous much?”

I hit her forehead with a chop just like Fred did.

“Ouch. Miss Landlady you bully.”

“Must be nice… Being acquainted to two mangakas.” –Ara got impatient and butted in the conversation as well. I didn’t know which ‘Ara’ she was at that moment but it seemed like she got out of place and tried to pry in with the topic.

“Ah… Anemone… It was a long story. A whole year I think. It won’t fit with the time left we had here at the venue if I were to tell the tale. Let’s leave that for another day. I think the after party is starting. Are we attending?”

“You guys should ask yourselves first if you’re already allowed to drink.” –Seria asked the whole crew.

“Humu. I don’t”

“I do, but that was a long time ago”

“I do, but I don’t want to”

“If Fred goes then I go.”

We gave different answers.

“Hmm. Okay Ara and Kyrie both of you could go back already and rest. I think I will still need Fred here.”

“Eeeh? I said I didn’t want to.”

THUD!

Seria hit Fred’s head with the kendo stick she had always been carrying. I didn’t even knew where she got it or was hiding it the whole time. I patted Fred’s head as he tried to recover from being dizzy and frowned at her.

“What. Want me to hit you too? You’re like a loyal dog. It seems like you’re already packaged with Fred so any mistake he does, any of his responsibility will be shared with you too. Is that fine?”

I could not say anything back. I was being overwhelmed with her ‘almost a thousand’ years of experience that manifested within the way she act and talk. Just how old is she?, was the only question I could repeatedly ask myself as I look at her. It didn’t seem like she was a bad person and I really thought she’s just concerned about correcting our actions and putting them in order. We’re a bunch of uncertainties after all.

“Ugh… Fine, I’ll go. But Ingrid you have to go back with Kyrie and Ara. I’m worried about these girls. Be their responsible guardian and accompany them back home. I don’t want to risk the two of them going home and some things were to happen.”

That was straightforward way of explaining. I understood but my selfish self didn’t ‘want to risk Fred getting along with other mangakas too much that it might develop romantic progression towards them’.

I knew I was being selfish and Fred just wanted the best course of action but my woman’s intuition was really telling me not to let Fred go alone at the after party, especially that she’s going to meet up with Anemone again…

“But…” –I tried to do the bullied-kid look and tried to persuade Fred to let me join him. I knew Ara and Kyrie could manage already and go home on their own so it should be fine to tag along with Fred and Seria at the after party.

“No buts this time Ingrid. Please…”

Was it because Fred sensed Seria was bad news that he didn’t want me to not be a part of the team as much as possible and stay as the ‘Landlady’ he usually knew?

“Okay. But you will treat me a drink this coming weekend.”

“Sigh… Okay, I promise.”

The night was late already. The trains have stopped working and the only other way to go back to the town proper was through bus that really seldom comes or through taxi.

“You better make up for me next week okay?”

“Hey don’t make it sound like we’re husband and wife already what if they misunderstood it?”

“I know, but pretty soon I’ll capture your heart.”

“No.”

“Yoohoo!! Go for it Landlady I’m supporting you.”

“Humu. You got my approval too.”

“Hey don’t add oil to the fire anymore. You’re just making things worse. And also don’t make it look like I’m some girl from a gal game you’re playing.”

We laughed, then we exchanged our goodbyes with each other. Seria was a mysterious person but I entrusted Fred with him. Fred’s a responsible drinker too, unlike me. I guess I’ll have to trust onto the people around me and let go of my woman’s intuition. I did not want to make Fred feel strangled too with my insecurities. I thought I should try being more mature than I already am.

There won’t be any issues that will happen. I’ll just take this chance and get a good rest.

Or so I thought…

---

I woke up the morning after that night. I really did not drink but it felt like a hungover. My head ached so much that It felt like it was about to break. I tried to remember if I also went to the after party the night before but I could not recall such. I just remembered waving back at Ara and Kyrie as they entered their respective units last night. Trying to remember just reminded me of how Fred pushed me out of his circle and started drinking with his colleagues at work (that’s not what really happened) so I did not let it bother me anymore.

I tidied up my bed, opened the curtains and gave one last yawn before going out of the room.

As I opened the door I immediately went towards the washroom to gargle and brush my teeth. A certain man’s silhouette was sitting at the couch at the living room. I just shrugged it off and convinced myself it was just my late father’s ghost or just me hallucinating.

But as I went back after there really was a man sitting there…

“Eeh?! Fred??!!!”

“Ingrid I know it’s too sudden, but we need to talk.”

“Eh?! But how? When did you— what’s the matter?”

I barraged him with questions as I wondered when did he got back, how did he entered my unit, and what it was he wanted to talk about.

“Anemone… She’s from another world too…”

“Eh?”