Chapter 508:
Shift
“Is that how you really feel?”
Did he still not get what I was telling him? I laid it out pretty clearly for him. Knowing his temperament I expected some sort of punch to actually fly. Planning for that reaction, I had braced myself for pain and glad that we weren’t in the real world at the moment. Though even if he hadn’t punched me already, I didn’t rule it out yet either. “Apparently I had to spell it out.”
Silence.
A bit of a surprise, if I was being honest. Figured that would have been enough for something out of him. The Seiji I knew never knew when to shut up or even gave much thought to anything. Quick to action and blind to anything that required strategy. So I didn’t know what he was thinking being silent for those few seconds after I answered. Each one made me a little unnerved, since I wasn’t used to this.
Even Nerine picked up on this as I could see her shaking a little. She had been watching Seiji closely the whole time, which certainly gave me a little security in knowing that she would most likely stop him. Though neither of us could tell what went through his mind at the moment, given his out of character non-action.
“Is that a yes?”
‘What!? He was wasting all that time trying to figure out if I said yes?!’ I guess that made sense in a way. Still I can’t believe that was what was going on. I nearly slipped off the porch in surprise and Nerine looked ready to fall over. “That’s right.”
“Wish you were a little more straightforward. We wouldn’t have to go through all of this to just get an honest answer out of you.”
“Huh?” I truly didn’t know what was happening now. Apparently, he wasn’t going to punch me. I was a little bit disappointed for some reason, it wasn’t like I wanted to get punched, but he wasn’t acting like I foresaw. This Seiji was different from the one I had seen before. “What are you going on about?”
A slow approach by him made it clear that he had nothing aggressive in mind. He just sat down on the porch. It felt a little condescending coming from him, that look in his eyes. “I always sort of wondered. You were the only one that didn’t really seem like you fit into the group. You said you were with us because of Yumi, but I had hoped that the time we spent together might have changed you.”
“I’ve literally only known you for little more than a month. And don’t act like I’m a child.”
“You kinda are right now.”
“I’m not talking about this body!”
“Well we’re going to be here for a while I’m feeling. We’ll have plenty of time to get to know each other better. Maybe when we leave this world you will come to see us differently.”
“Not likely.”
“Anything can happen in the future,” he told me with a smile that was as naively optimistic as I would expect from him. It felt like he came out of some stupid children’s anime that was all about friendship. I’d have to disappoint him that things won’t be changing between us.
Chapter 508 – Frontline General
After his assertions and departure, things returned to normal for me. As far as being stuck inside a feudal era world within my sister’s mind and subject to the whims of a fake persona that wanted control over everything is normal. Though it’s all his fault anyway. Finding a new normal was about all I could do. Nothing could start until I left.
Waiting until it ended was the right answer.
It also meant like each day before, that keeping the days going was difficult. Towing a line between appearing like I did something and nothing at all meant more work than I wanted. Complete apathy ended for me the night after that interview. That point was made clear. I hated having to play along with their game even to this degree.
‘This day better be the last,’ I prayed each morning that it was not.
Today also didn’t end my torment. And in fact, it was a more annoying one than I wished. Standing in front of me, while I sat on the floor waiting for the scheduled arrival of the most annoying child I had the displeasure of knowing, stood the second though the gap between was quite large. I only gave silence, because it was pointless further discussion.
“Have you changed your mind yet on helping Nerine and I look for the others?”
No reply.
“C’mon, man. You can’t just sit there day in and day out doing just enough to coast.”
Despite the countless days that he spent trying to convince me to join their search and me refusing him, he kept coming back. I guess his stubbornness didn’t surprise me, not that it changes any of my annoyance either.
“You want to get out of this quickly. Wouldn’t helping out achieve that goal?”
He really wanted me to reply to him, though being a broken record changed nothing. Repeating the same thing while annoying wouldn’t break me. I’d already made my decision to interact with this world as little as possible.
Nothing changed that day.
“Hey err…N-Norio!” he called out amongst the gathering of all of the children in the Lord’s estate. It surprised me a little that he remembered the name or that he even cared about being careful. I guess he had some sense about him. Most likely Nerine’s doing I would guess.
Seiji’s outgoing personality already made himself well known amongst the rest. He was hard to miss. This approach was different from his others. I guess after months of failing one way, he came up with a new plan. A change wouldn’t do anything to improve his chances, but I guess he didn’t really care about that.
He sat down in front of me, breaking the even and organized pattern that we all sat in. I already had something to say to him, but bit my tongue realizing that I would be giving into his attempts. I wasn’t really sure if he’s that intelligent to have figured out that could be a valid strategy for him or if he just naturally had that ability to figure out the worst ways to approach. At least I did catch myself and didn’t fall into the trap. I didn’t think I could have stood seeing that victorious smile.
Leaning forward towards me, he didn’t quite invade my space so much as a siege with his being. Ignoring any sort of reaction to his move challenged me more than I expected. “I realized from the last time that we talked, that you were right. We really don’t know each other that well.” He stared at me trying to connect through our eyes.
I turned my eyes away to deny him that much. ‘So that’s what it’s going to be now? Trying to make friends with me? You can’t force friendship…’ The only positive to this encounter was that he couldn’t make it last very long, since the adults would see to that. I only had to wait him out like other times. Though I dreaded the future even more now.
Days passed and his attempts varied even if he got the same results. His persistence dragged on me and I waited for him to finally give up. I still can’t believe that he’s kept this up for so long already. It already has been longer than the time in either of the other worlds I was alive for and he continued. Anyone normal would have given up ages ago, yet here he was coming back for another round today.
At least he varied the location, though I wasn’t sure if that was the intent or situation. He sat down across from the shoji board that awaited my real opponent. Given how scheduled everything was, he always could show up before she arrived.
“I still couldn’t believe that the old man said that. I wonder how long Shoji’s relationship with him will last given that ours couldn’t…”
I sighed internally, being forced to listen to more of Seiji’s life story. Honestly, I zoned it all out so I don’t even know the context of the start. Only because she showed up, did I notice that he still talked. Silence did nothing to deter him, if anything he seemed to be treating me like one would a doll or stuffed animal toy that you would in a room when you don’t have your friends around to rant and vent.
It did at least mean an end to his voice, though Aya was earlier than I expected. Battling between the two most annoying people currently in my life, I wasn’t sure which I would pick anymore. He’d done quite a bit to close that gap. Perhaps, it was the unknown quality about Aya that seems so familiar that I hate that keeps her in the top spot.
The young girl popped up behind Seiji with a curiosity, probably figuring that we were using the board not knowing him very well. “Hajime Nagahama? You come for a little military practice?”
Seiji interrupted his words immediately knowing that he was speaking about things beyond this world in someone else’s presence. “The girl from before, Aya, right?”
“I’m pleased that you remembered me.”
“You made a strong impression.”
She looked over at me and down at the board, likely figuring out her own answer from the scene. “Any progress?”
“Progress?”
“You haven’t quite been subtle.”
With her pointing eyes back on me, even that was enough for Seiji to figure it out without being spelled out in words. “He gives you the same treatment?”
“Yeah, the Living Statue’s rather well known at this point.” I felt like she was intentionally doing it to get a rise out of me. Resting the urge that came as second nature was hard, but they gave me a lot of practice. My lack of words to her had nothing to do with Seiji, though I wasn’t sure she knew that. I just wasn’t going to play her game.
He gave Aya a polite bow. “I should be going. I don’t want to keep you from your game.”
“A good day to you.” Left with only Aya before me, things returned to a little more of a norm for me. I didn’t have to get a life story from her while we played. Setting the bowl on my right, I began to place my pieces on the board. “Eager today are you?” I didn’t stop setting up my side as she slowly started to fill her side.
Our game proceeded in about the fashion that I expected. Even having seen her play for so long, she remained my superior in shoji. It supported her pride in assertions that she would have me one day as well. If they were alike in any way it was certainly their persistence.
In our fifth game, I somehow had a lead that I hadn’t even planned on. There was just a mistake or something that she made that I took advantage of. It wasn’t the first time I had been in this position before. She would turn it around somehow, it always happened. Though her move threw me off. Nothing came out of my lips, but surprise still washed over my face at the attack I’ve never seen her make.
Aya grinned, leaning into a smirk as she could read my expression. “You’re improving, even if it is very slow. Making me play a little seriously. You seem confused.” She rubbed her finger over the bottom of the shoji piece that she just moved. “Sometimes it is necessary for the General to fight at the frontlines as well.”
My hand dropped into the bowl throwing out the pieces I placed from our game. The surprise turned to shock as I stared at her. Everything that I felt and somehow just knew came together into a singular moment of realization. I couldn’t believe it. My hands started to shake as things boiled up through me. “What did you just say?”
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