Life didn't get easier, even in another world

It was a good thing that today was a day off, at least for Kairen who wasn't in the mood to go to work after going through a bizarre night. That's what he thought at first, but he began regretting it little by little. At least he wouldn't have to be under his family's worried gazes the whole day if he went to work. Kairen didn't remember what exactly happened last night, but he could guess that he'd fallen asleep after bawling his eyes out for a long time, he'd fallen asleep while still hugging his brother and crying! Kairen was so embarrassed when he realized that fact this morning that he couldn't even look directly into Aaron's eyes. There was also another reason why he couldn't look into his brother's eyes.

"Sniff!"

Hiding under his blanket, Kairen did his best to ignore the dream he had. He'd taken shelter in his room after being unable to act normally in front of the others. 'That memory has nothing to do with me. It belongs to someone who is already dead, and not me. I don't have this think about it even if that someone is the me of my previous life.'

"Sniff!"

'But, does the fact that Reyn is me also mean that Redmond is Aaron?'

The boy in his memories looked exactly like how Aaron looked when he was younger, although there were also differences such as their clothing and some changes in their face due to the difference in their living environment, but they looked basically the same. His parents also were identical to Kairen's, although they looked younger than how Kairen remembered his own parents to be.

10:18

'I don't wanna think about it. I'm not thinking about it...'

younger than how Kairen remembered his own parents to be.

'I don't wanna think about it. I'm not thinking about it...'

"Sniff!"

Kairen rubbed his nose and buried his face in his pillow. He was doing his best not to think too much about those memories, but various thoughts just kept surfacing in his mind. He couldn't even sleep in fear of seeing another memory again. 'I wonder when that man will find a way to stop these... Or if he'll even find one.'

"Ren."

A hand tapped on his shoulder, making Kairen flinch and shift under the pillow. "Your friends have come over."

"...Huh?" Kairen removed the pillow a little bit, revealing his red and puffy eyes, "My friends? Here? Why?"

Aaron stepped back with a chuckle. "They wanted to hand out with you but you weren't answering their calls so they got worried and contacted me. I told them about your condition and they've come to pick you up."

"What?" Kairen kicked the pillow aside and sat up, "What did you tell them?"

'Not about the last night please!' Kairen would never show his face if anyone else besides Aaron knew how embarrassing he'd acted last night!

"I told them that you were feeling down."

"Ron!"

"What? I didn't lie! Now get ready, they're waiting for you at the door."

"I don't want to!"

"Shut up and get ready!"

Pow

A shirt was tossed at Kairen's face. Aaron left the room after throwing a bunch of clothes on the bed as if he wouldn't accept any objection.

"...." Kairen stared at his neat and tidied clothes, "But I really don't, sniff, want to go..."

. . . . . . . . "I heard food at this place is really delicious so I wanted to try it once."

Reyan declared proudly as he lead his friends into a cafe.

"Isn't it expensive?"

"It's my treat."

Serria retorted at the quick response, "Eww, must be nice being a rich kid!"

"Stop talking as if you're struggling financially! I know you earn enough to live a luxurious life."

"None of your business!"

"Hah!"

Reyan and Serria conversed, almost bickering at each other, just like how Kairen remembered their relationship to be. They seemed closer to each other now, seeming more like friends with normal arguments than two people who were tolerating each other only because of their common friend.

However, now, their behavior with Kairen was different from how it was before. They weren't mean or distant, rather, they acted friendly as before, however, their friendly behavior was stiff and awkward as if they were forcing themselves to look natural but failed. Kairen didn't feel offended by it. He could understand that it was hard for them to adjust to the sudden appearance of their deceased friend. He knew that they were trying to restore things to how they were before and get close to him just as they used to be and that they were trying their best in that. Kairen was deeply grateful to them. "Hey!" Serria poked his head closer to Kairen's, "It's his treat, so order as much as you want, no, order more than you want!"

"Ah?"

"I can hear you! I won't pay if you order too many things!" Reyan contorted, "I was talking with that girl, not you, Kairen."

"Hey! It's clear discrimination!"

Kairen couldn't help but think while looking at the items on the menu, 'This is my life...'

Not the dreams he saw, not the memories that rushed at him, but this, this was his reality. He had to remind to himself times and times if he didn't want to lose himself. "But is something wrong? Are you sulking? Are you pouting?"

Poke Poke

Serria poked Kairen's cheek as she teasingly commented. "Uh?"

"Your eyes are puffed up, have you cried?"

"What? No!" Kairen turned his head to the other side, "Why would I? I haven't!"

The young man and woman raised their eyebrows at the obvious lie. Kairen shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I-I said I, sniff, I haven't!"

Kairen was too embarrassed to look at his friends. After being observed with two suspicious gazes for a while, their topic of conversation changed naturally. "That temple? I don't think they'd allow you to go there."

"Eh? Why?"

Reyan raised his fork and pointed at Kairen.

"Why would they? Isn't it pretty dangerous?"

"I was told that it's not!"

"Who told you? Some random mysterious dude with unordinary powers that travels through worlds and kidnaps people to throw them at a creepy place called The Void and then sends them back with a mission they must complete. Why would the headquarters believe him or you?"

"Wha..." Kairen's eyes widened slightly, "But then what should I do?"

Serria joined the conversation, "Do you really have to go to that place? What'll happen if you don't? He'll kidnap you again?"

"He didn't kidnap me..."

"Whatever!"

Kairen tilted his head and thought about the problem. Considering the dangers the other temples brought them, and also the fact that this power and anything related to it has brought immense danger to this land, it was natural that the higher-ups would be cautious when dealing with another variable related to the same source. They didn't know what might happen if Kairen fulfilled this 'mission' and activated the said device, so they would postpone it as much as they could. "They will send other people to investigate that place and try to find out more about that device."

"But the temple won't show up unless I use my power to activate its seal."

"Well, that adds to the suspicious part of the story."

Everything was reasonable to Kairen but not acceptable.

"Plus, there is also that former boss of Philomns." "What about him?"

"When he was being interrogated, he talked about some plans that he'd prepared, something that we couldn't stop no matter what we did. We searched everything and everywhere, found out and destroyed all of Philomns' remaining hideouts, and interrogated everyone related to that terrorist organization, but couldn't find out anything that would cause grand damage to the country, much less any suspicious clues that needed our attention.

"Now that you've brought up a hidden device, the higher-ups might try to investigate any possible connections between it and that man. Plus, you even had a meeting with him so it makes things even more concerning."

"..."

Kairen opened his mouth but couldn't say anything. After a brief silence, he mumbled under his lips in a low voice. "I might be able to explain that to them...