Soulless past, lively present and uncertain future

Leaning on the security fence, you were able to watch all the people’s heads from above. Trying to walk over there seemed impossible due to the density.

Ken, Arthur and Bobby had finished their lunches, and they were chilling while waiting the others to finish. In one of those moments, in the middle of a normal talk, Bobby released a surprised sound. He looked ashamed and tried to hide it, but it was too late. Arthur wasn’t going to stop until he took the information out of him.

—Ok, ok, fine, I’ll talk. It’s just that I saw a girl cosplaying a character from an anime I really like but nobody knows about it. I was simply surprised at seeing someone else who has watched that anime.

—Ehhh, just surprised? —said Arthur, teasing on him—. Don’t lie to me, we know each other since a long time ago. I bet you fell in love with her and you have already imagined a lot of fantasy scenarios where you marry her.

—S-shut up —he responded, without denying any accusation.

Ken looked silently to the human ocean and noticed that girl too, since he had also seen the anime Bobby was talking about. Following her with the sight, he took out his phone and called Bobby.

—What the hell are you doing Ken?

—You want to talk with her, don’t you? —he responded—. Then go. I’ll tell you how to reach her from here.

—Eh???

—What? —asked an astonished Arthur—. Doesn’t this count as stalking? —Ken shrugged his shoulders, and Arthur sighed—. I don’t want to be part of this, you guys do what you want.

And he left.

—So? You wanna do it or not?

—I-I can’t —said Bobby, shaking.

—Why not?

—What am I supposed to say?

—Just act casually, ask for a photo and that’s it. If you get more conversation, great. Otherwise, just leave proud of yourself, if this is something to be proud of, now Arthur made me hesitate.

Like usual, Ken was giving people advices that he himself didn’t follow. I used this comparison before, but it was like when a smoker tells you to not smoke.

He grabbed Bobby from the shoulders and shook him, in a strange but effective way of encouraging him. Then, Bobby responded the call and went down the stairs.

—Ok, keep going straight… Still straight… Now turn to the left… No, no, my left…Oh right, we both have the same left, so go to the right… Hey, I heard that… Now to the right… And now go up… Yeah, I’m just kidding, keep going… Oh wait, she suddenly changed the direction, turn back and then left… Keep going and you’re going to meet her in 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5… Wait! Abort the mission, abort the mission!

She met with a larger group, so Ken thought Bobby wouldn’t be capable of talking to her in that conditions. They were equals after all. However, he responded:

—I-I think I can do it.

—Really?

—Yes.

—Then, good luck.

And he cut off the call. Ken shrugged and did a military salute to that small head he was seeing from above, which corresponded to Bobby.

After fulfilling his role, he turned to the table. The fangirl that joined the last was down bad for Mirena. The ahegao jacket man was making Arthur cringe. Zack and Eli were talking to a new group of people, presumably recruiting them too.

They all were having fun together. Just talking without any worries, without overthinking every single word. He felt a bit jealous.

Eventually, Bobby came back and even him managed to add more people to the group. The girl he “casually encountered” and asked for a photo and her group came up with them.

—At this rate, we’re gonna end up recruiting the whole convention —said Arthur.

Meanwhile, Ken was feeling very defeated. Bobby, even Bobby managed to be sociable there. Of course, he had no idea of how the events occurred, otherwise, he may not have felt so bad.

What actually happened is that Bobby called her attention, but thought she didn’t listen so he was about to leave, when she turned around and asked him if he wanted something. Then he panicked, but they found it funny. He finally was able to ask her for a photo and they did. After that, a girl from the group asked him:

—I think I saw you before, weren’t you together with that handsome man?

Naturally, she was referring to Arthur. And when he said yes, that he was his friend, they immediately wanted to join the group.

But of course, Ken didn’t know about this at all. From his point of view, it seemed like if Bobby singlehanded the situation like a professional.

That way, the innumerable group had a lot of fun during the next hours, as they kept and kept recruiting people.

But the amusing amount of people made Ken feel more shy and introvert.

At the beginning, for the event, he thought that he was going to be alone with Mirena, like in a date. A way to say goodbye if that happened to be their last day together. Then, after meeting Eli, he had to forget about that idea. But even if the idea of a date was the best, he wasn’t reluctant to be with Eli and maybe some of her friends.

However, such a large group was a very different thing; something he was unable to deal with.

Due to that, he was becoming more and more quiet and distant to the group every second. In one point they even recruited another guy cosplaying as Mask, way more good-looking than him. That was the moment when he knew his role in this story had ended.

“She doesn’t need me anymore. This is good, she has grown and adapted to this world. Whatever happens to her after meeting Yoriyuki Yamahito, she has to continue her own path. Goodbye, Mirena.”

And then, taking advantage on the fact that the group was having fun and nobody was looking at him, he left. He wanted to do a silent and clean escape, in order to evade any dramatic scene. But he couldn’t. He didn’t walk too far until someone grabbed him from the sleeve.

—Where are you going? —asked Mirena.

—Don’t worry, I’ll go and come back. It’s just that my mom needs my help for something and… —Suddenly, Mirena took out his mask and stared him right in the eyes.

—You’re lying.

—What? —He gave a step back and put the mask again.

—When you left, you didn’t even check the cellphone or something. Unless you can talk with your mom with telepathy, I think you’re lying. Also, your eyes never lie.

—It seems like you’ve learned a lot about me. Wait, you were looking at me?

—Of course I did, why do you sound so surprised?

—Because you were having fun with the other guys, so I thought I could leave without you noticing it.

—Well, you were wrong. I’m an adventuress after all, my senses are sharpened. So? Where were you going?

—It’s just that… You don’t need me anymore.

—What?

—All this time you were with me just because you had no other choice. Now, you’re free. You can have fun with anyone you want, so you don’t need to be attached to me.

—That’s not…

—Of course that’s true. Your personality fits way better with them rather than me. That’s fine, really. Look, you’ve even found a way better Mask than me.

Mirena was shocked and sad due to this words. But suddenly, her face showed a lot of determination.

—No, it’s not true. At least that last part is not true.

—Eh?

—You’re exactly like Mask, identical. There is almost no difference between the Mask I remember and the one I’m seeing right now.

—Don’t try to compliment me…

—I’m not complimenting you. Actually, it a criticism. And a negative one.

—Huh? But being like Mask is a good thing, isn’t it? You… love him, don’t you? —he asked, with the voice falling in volume due to the shyness. However, Mirena denied with the head.

—I loved him. No, maybe that’s not even true. I used to love him when I was a fictional character, with fictional feelings. Just a marionette, one more of Yamahito’s circus. After two weeks in real world, I’ve learned the difference. Now, everything I remember is clearly fake. Any human I met there wasn’t actually a human. Their feeling, their personality, now I see everything as fake.

»And that’s exactly how I feel when I look at you.

—Eh? —From all the outcomes, he never saw that one coming. He just listened to her open-mouthed and speechless.

—When I see the others, I do feel like I’m seeing real humans, with real feelings. But with you, I constantly sense an invisible wall, a façade, a mask. I’ve seen the real you a few times, like when we played that game together. In that moment, you were human for me. But then something happened and you became even more distant than before. Why? Why is it so hard for you to be honest with me?

—…

—It’s okay, you don’t need to answer. I’ve been thinking, trying to understand you, and I’ve reached a conclusion. You always want to avoid conflicts, don’t you? So the reason why you are not honest with me has to be that. The true would mean a conflict. And the only thing I can think about, is that you hate me.

“No, it’s the opposite” he thought, hopeless.

—I don’t blame you. I appeared suddenly at your home and forced you to take care of me.

“You were right on everything but the last part!”

—You liked me as a fictional character, but the real me just meant troubles for you. I disappointed you.

“You’re absolutely wrong on the most important part!”

—Sorry, I won’t bother you anymore. Thanks for everything. Goodbye.

She tuned back and disappeared behind the immensurable wall of people. And Ken simply saw her leave, unable to scream all his real feelings, shouting out loud how wrong she was.

Meanwhile, a black limousine parked at the back door of the building. A bodyguard came out, and once he checked there was no one in sight, he indicated Yoriyuki to go out. After the writer, an exhausted manager came out.

—I never travelled so much in my life.

—And this is just the 3rd event we’re attending; there are 2 more to go —Yoriyuki responded. “Only 3 more chances to find you”.

The only one there to receive him was the main producer of the event. He immediately greeted him with a huge respect and gratitude, and guided him in. The time for his public appearance was near.