Turbulent Night

Shana almost ran into Ros .

— Hey, Ros . — he smiled .

— Hi. You're Cassandra's friend, right? Do you need something? — Ros asked.

— Yes, I do: do you know men who like men? — Shana replied .

Ros's eyes widened.

— It's rare… but I know a few. — he said Ros .

"Anyone passing through Lilebel? People from out of town," Shana asked .

— Yes, I do. But… why? — Ros asked.

"None of your business. Give this to him. And tell me: what kind of man does he like?" Shana slipped a letter into his pocket.

Ros cleared his throat.

— Men who… dress as women. — Ros said.

— Perfect. — I'll have coffee. — Shana smiled.

Ros palely watched her go.

Shana joined the others.

"What about Koharu? Is she okay ?" I asked uneasily.

“Not much,” Shana replied without blinking.

—Better not disturb today, — Shana said .

— …I see. — I said.

“This isn’t right.”

— Let's eat. — she concluded.

Kairo remained silent, but his eyes betrayed concern.

(Did Shana find out what happened to me and Koharu?) — he thought .

— Hey, Fujimoto, Kairo — said Max.

"How about training today?" Max asked .

— I'm in. — he said. Kairo .

— Not today. I'm going to my room. — I replied , getting up.

— I understand. — Max nodded.

"I'm going up a bit too," Shana added, with a gentle smile that didn't reach her eyes.

Cassandra was talking to Ros about selling the Thermal House.

Kairo and Max went out into the forest.

"It's me." Shana knocked on the door.

I opened it and she came in urgently.

"I need to talk to you. Will you close the door?" Shana said desperately.

I closed it, confused.

— What is it? — I asked.

"It's about Koharu," she replied.

—What's wrong with her? — I asked.

"He's very sick. We need money for medicine," Shana replied.

— Then we take a good job and buy it, — I said.

“I… I ended up doing something without thinking.” Shana bit her lip, feigning guilt.

She explained to me that there was a visiting man who would pay me well if I stayed at his house for a night. "Stayed," without sleeping.

"So, to buy Koharu's medicine, I just need to... spend the night there?" I confirmed .

— Yes. Just stay. No lying down. — she repeated sweetly.

— …Right. — I agreed.

“If it’s for Koharu’s health, I’ll go.”

"But we'll get you sorted. He likes men with... feminine looks." Shana measured my body with her eyes.

I swallowed hard.

— … Okay . — I said.

— I'll come back later to dress you. — she smiled victoriously.

At night

Shana returned… with a man by her side.

“Fujimoto,” she said, singing the syllables.

"This is Seris . He's the one you're going out with." Shana introduced the man to me.

I forced a smile.

— Nice to meet you. — I said.

"Let's have some fun. My coachman is already at the door," he said. Seris , eyes shining.

— …Right. — I replied.

“This guy gives me the creeps. But… it’s for Koharu.”

We got off. I climbed into the cart next to him.

Shana watched the vehicle drive away and then breathed a sigh of relief.

Shana knocked on Koharu's room door twice.

Koharu opened her eyes eagerly.

“Come on,” Shana whispered .

Koharu followed her through the silent streets.

The lights of Yosushí shone in the distance when a familiar voice cut through the air:

— Shana?!

They both stopped.

Max appeared around the corner, shadow against the streetlamps.

Shana paled.

— Ma … Max? What are you doing here? — Shana said distressedly.

— I saw you from afar and thought it was strange, — he said .

— Where are you going? — he asked.

(I had drugged him… How did he get out without any transmon noticing?) — Shana trembled inwardly.

"We were looking for Fujimoto. He disappeared," Shana lied .

"He didn't disappear. He told me he was going out tonight. Let's go back," Max replied firmly.

(Did that idiot Fujimoto warn Max?!) — Shana gritted her teeth.

Koharu touched her arm.

"We better go back, Shana," Koharu said .

The three turned around, heading towards the Adventurers' House.

Shana, head down, activated a mental transmon and tried to communicate.

Suddenly, he stopped. His face was contorted with shock and fury.

— Who are you? — he growled .

The figure of “Max” smiled… differently. Then the skin rippled, and the illusion fell.

In his place appeared a young man with cold eyes and a mocking smile.

— It can't be… — Koharu said, her eyes widening.

— You are Fubuki Shouta . So there's a chance Yumi is alive? — Koharu said desperately.

— Damn… — Shana took a step forward.

— I'm going to kill you, — Shana said .

Shouta gave a mocking bow.

— Bye bye , my friends .

"What did he mean by that?" Shana blinked.

"He's saying 'bye' in another language." Koharu gritted her teeth.

"He's going to run," Koharu said .

Before the two could react, Shouta disappeared, leaving only the smell of sharp wind.

The lights of Yosushí flickered in the distance, like a poisonous invitation.

That same night.

I, Fujimoto, looked at the landscape passing by the cart, my hands sweaty.

"I'll be fine. It's for Koharu. Just one night of "staying," without sleeping."

Tomorrow, everything will be back in place.”

But deep down, something was tugging at my chest, an instinct I should have learned to listen to by now.

“There’s too much wrong tonight .”

The moon seemed to watch, cold.

The dirt road wound through the forest leading to Kamirin .

The sound of the wagon wheels was the only thing filling the silence of the night.

Seris looked at me with a curious smile.

"Do you like men too?" Seris asked me.

I remained silent. The air inside the wagon was too heavy.

"How about a kiss on the mouth, just to see if you start to like it?" he insisted, moving closer.

I felt my face heat up. Before I could react, he grabbed me by the waist.

—What... what are you... going to do? — I stammered , stiff.

He leaned in. I closed my eyes.

But suddenly the cart came to a screeching halt.

"What happened?!" Seris screamed.

“There’s a girl standing right in front, sir!” the voice outside replied .

Seris sighed and let go of me.

—Wait here, I'll see what's going on. — he said.

When he came down, I tried to take a deep breath.

“That guy… was going to try to kiss me.

I don't believe this.”

Suddenly, a white light flashed and everything disappeared.

When I realized it, I was up in a tree, about ten meters away from the cart.

— What…? — I looked around.

Near the base of the tree, a small, hooded girl watched me. She made a shushing gesture and then ran over, tugging at my hand.

— Hey! Wait! Who are you?! — I asked.

“Trust me,” she replied in a low, firm voice.

We ran through the forest to a small cabin hidden among the trees.

She opened the door and motioned for me to come in.

— Quickly, — she said .

I walked in, not really knowing why.

As soon as she locked the door, she took off her hood.

His pointed ears gleamed in the lamplight.

— You 're... an elf ?! — I asked .

— What if it is? Is there a problem? — she replied coldly.

—Why did you take me out of there? — I asked.

— When my older sister arrives, she will explain it to you. — he replied .

—So you have a sister? — I insisted .

She crossed her arms.

"Is there a problem?" she said coldly again.

“Damn… that girl has such a sharp tongue .”

"I have something important to tell you," she said suddenly.

— What? — I asked.

— Truly intelligent people think with their brains, not their hearts, — she replied.

— What?! — I screamed .

"What the hell do you mean by that?!" I asked.

She just looked away.

— One day, you will understand, — she replied.

Before I could answer, there was a knock at the door.

"What's the password?" the girl asked .

The answer came in a soft tone:

— “ Like it.”

She opened it and I almost fell over when I saw Mayumi Yumi coming in.

— Yumi?! What's going on here?! — I asked.

The girl smiled.

— Let me introduce myself properly, — said the little girl.

My name is Elfsei Mayumi Filna .

— What?! — I said , incredulous.

Yumi laughed.

"I won the bet! I told you he'd be surprised," Yumi said .

Filna , lunch tomorrow is on you.

"Wait a minute... you're sisters?! But Filna is an elf and you're human!" I said, not understanding at all.

Yumi shook her head.

— Wrong. We are half- elves . Half human, half elf . — Yumi replied .

—But… your ears aren’t pointy. — I observed .

Yumi smiled.

— I cut half of them, — Yumi replied .

I was in shock.

“So how do you hear?” I asked curiously.

"I use elven magic. But sometimes my hearing fails, and the cut affected my magical flow," Yumi replied .

“So you understand level manipulation, do you?” I asked curiously.

They both looked at me in surprise.

— Yes. Because it was our father who created this project. — he said Filna .

— What?! — I cried out in surprised astonishment.

Yumi took a deep breath.

"Two people visited my father years ago. They promised to cure our mother's illness... but it was a lie. She died a year later. They exploited his despair," Yumi replied sadly.

Filna stared at me coldly.

"Remember what I told you? The brain, not the heart. If he had understood that, maybe we wouldn't be in this situation," Filna reminded me.

"You're an idiot! Your father only wanted to save the woman he loved!" I yelled .

"And what did he get? Nothing but ruin," she retorted.

"Several elves and even the queen herself tried to heal my mother and failed. He was driven by emotion... and he made a stupid mistake," he said . Filna .

— You say that because you're just a child! — I said.

Yumi laughed, amused.

— Filna , tell him your age and height. Hehehe . — Yumi said with a smile on her face.

"I'm sixteen. And five feet four inches tall," she replied irritably.

I was shocked.

— So… you’re a loli ? — I said, surprised.

Filna blushed.

— Look who's talking, you femboy ! — he retorted Angry FILNA .

Yumi started laughing out loud.

"What are you laughing at, Yumi?" I asked , trying to remain calm.

— You're welcome. — he replied .

—But we have something serious to discuss. — Yumi said seriously.

— Okay. I want to know why they brought me here. — I asked.

Yumi became serious.

"It seems Shana set you up. She wanted to get you out of the way so you wouldn't get in the way of her plans," Yumi replied.

— Shana… evil? — I asked.

— No, just… idiot. — Yumi said , with disdain.

I was confused.

— I don't understand. — I said without understanding anything.

"My sources may be wrong, but it seems Shana is interested in Kairo . And to that end, she's making excuses to push everyone away... and be alone with him," she continued .

— What?! This is absurd! Shana already has Max! — I gasped.

— If she has this desire, it's because something inside her liked the sensation. — he said Filna , calm down.

— …Huh? — I said.

— Stop it, Filna . Talk like a normal person! — Yumi complained .

—Actually, I understand. But… I can't believe it… — I said.

“Could it be that… the year Max was missing, Shana… betrayed him?”

Filna crossed her arms.

—It seems you finally realized. — he said FILNA .

Yumi yawned.

— It's late. Let's go to sleep. — said Yumi.

I felt my eyes burn.

Her words echoed in his head.

"Are you crying? Oh, I know. It's because you're wearing those ridiculous clothes and you fell into this trap, isn't it?" Yumi asked , smiling.

— Yes… I just wanted everyone in the group to be friends. But… I failed. — I admitted .

Yumi laughed again.

"You know what the problem is? You can have a thousand chances and even a power that reveals the truth, but you'll never be a true leader. At best… a pawn," Yumi said .

My blood boiled.

— What the hell are you saying?! — I asked irritably.

Yumi crossed her arms, serious now.

"I told Filna about how you act... like someone who lives in a game. She asked me not to tease you, but I needed to see. You think you're in an isekai RPG , don't you? You thought you were going to build a team, save the world, become a hero," Yumi said with a mocking smile.

She stepped closer, her purple eyes flashing.

"Wake up, Fujimoto. This isn't your game. And you... aren't the protagonist," Yumi said.

“She wanted to humiliate me. And she succeeded.”

I just lowered my head.

The sound of the wind hitting the windows seemed to mock me along with her.