"You've put on the blue lenses...are you going outside?" Melissa said.
"Yes" Akagi replied
"Why are you wearing lenses for that?" Lict said.
"Idiot, what would normal people think if they saw someone with red eyes. I don't have a choice but to wear lenses"
"Where are you going?" Melissa asked as she grabbed Akagi's coat.
"A talk show" Akagi replied.
"WAIT!!!! FOR REALS? THEN YOU'LL BE ON T.V TONIGHT? I THOUGHT YOU HATED TALK SHOWS?" Melissa said as she dropped the packet of chips from her hands.
"Shut up....I still hate them"
"Then, why are you going?"
"My manager....literally started crying on the phone and somehow I ended up saying yes to her"
"Was this the kind of man I raised you to be...making a woman cry?" Melissa said.
"Be grateful that you are of some use to me, otherwise, even you would be crying today"
"OMG! That sounds so hot!!"
"I didn't mean it that way...." Akagi said with a disgusted face.
"Why do you always have to be so rude?" Lict said.
"I'm not rude, I'm honest."
"Well, whatever. Just control that mouth of yours when you're at the talk show" Melissa said.
"I'll try" said Akagi and left the house.
At the studio
"We thank you so much sir, for taking some time off of your busy schedule" said the director as he shook hands with Akagi.
"Not that I have a choice" Akagi said.
"What?"
"Nothing, so, where do I have to sit?"
"Yes, please follow me, sir"
The director took Akagi to the waiting room and asked him to wait there while the staff made some arrangements
"Jeez....this is the reason why I don't come. I wanna sleep...." he thought. "Excuse me, do you have something to read?" Akagi shouted.
A man came inside the room and handed him few magazines
"Are these fine, sir."
"Yes, it's usable."
Then, Akagi started reading the magazine and as he yawned, the door opened and a few girls came in "Kyaaaaaaaaa!!!!! AKAGI!!!!!!!"
They gathered around him and started shouting and giggling. Akagi simply ignored them and continued reading.
"Akagi Scheczalier, you're my fav author!!! Can I plz have an autograph?"
"YES ME TOO!!!!"
"I LOVE YOU!!!!! YOU'RE THE BEST AUTHOR I'VE EVER SEEN!!!"
"RIGHT? AND YOU'RE EVEN MORE GOOD LOOKING THAN THE HOTTEST GUY OF OUR CLASS!!!!"
"AKAGI!!!!!"
As Akagi heard this, he blushed for a moment (weak to compliments), *cough*, then he finally looked up and said, "Could you please keep it down, this is not a coffee-"
"Wow, you have such great skin!" one of the girls said touching his face .
".....Are you the 'Melissa species'?" he said.
"What's that?" she laughed and said.
"Mr. Akagi, the set is- Hey who are you and how did you get in?" The director said as he came inside. After that the girls were scolded for secretly getting inside the backstage. Finally, Akagi met yet another man who was blonde and taller than Akagi, as he saw Akagi he came to him and held his hands
"Zdravstvuyte!!! My name is Naomi Mezmenar, you can call me Nao" Said the man.
[Note: Zdravstvuyte means "Hello" in Russian whereas Menya zovut means 'my name is'. Ser actually means 'sir' and is used as a humble expression]
Akagi: "....Zdravstvuyte...Menya zovut-"
"Akagi Scheczalier!! Of course, I know your name, ser!"
"Is that so?"
"DA!!! [Note: It means 'yes'] I'm a huge fan!!!! I personally requested the director to let me host this show!!!" he said with a smile.
"That's....nice, but.... can you leave my hand now?"
"Oh! Prosti! [ means 'sorry'] I just got very excited after seeing you in person.You rarely appear in public, so, the chances of meeting you are very less"
"Okay..."
"Nao, we're starting now!!!" the director said.
"Yes ser!!!" Nao said and ran towards the studio where already a large audience was waiting for their favorite celeb. As Akagi appeared on the stage everyone shouted. The studio was filled with screams and cheers.
"Did I always have these many fans?" Akagi said.
"Everyone is into teen fiction nowadays, and your stories are always mind blowing and inspirational." Nao said.
"Is that so?"
"Ha ha Mr. Akagi, you are an interesting person!!" Nao said.
"OKAY EVERYONE, SHOW HOW MUCH YOU LOVE AKAGI SCHECZALIER BY SHOUTING AT THE TOP YOUR LUNGS!!!!!" Nao shouted.
"WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
"1, 2, 3 WE LOVE YOU! AKAGI!!!!!!!" Everyone shouted together.
Akagi's eyes widened. He was red till his neck and looked at the ground as he gulped, then while covering his face, he said.
For a moment, there was pin drop silence in the studio, then..
"AHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" The studio was again filled with screaming
"HE'S SOOOO CUTE!!!!" Some girls shouted.
"Okay, okay everyone, let's start with the talk show, shall we?" Nao said.
"Yes" Akagi said and both of them sat down on the sofa.
"Okay, so today's topic is. To....your teenage life!!!!!!"
For a moment Akagi froze
"Akagi! Akagi! Akagi!!!!!!" Mrs. Scheczalier said.
"Huh? What is it, mom?" the little Akagi said.
"Clean up your room!! It's so dirty!!!"
"Why?"
"The guests are coming!"
"Oh! I'm sorry! I didn't realize the gathering would be held in my room!" Akagi said.
"It's not funny Akagi Scheczalier!! If you stay a bad boy like this, you won't be successful after you grow!!"
"We'll see that when I grow"
"Oh, is that so....I wanna see what you'll become after you grow up....."
BLAST!!!!
"Aka..….gi....."
My name was the last word my mother said...
"Akagi.....Akagi....Mr.Akagi...Mr.Akagi.....MR AKAGI!" Nao shouted.
"Gasp!" Akagi flinched.
"I can't believe you! You're the first guest who is lost in day dreams during a talk show"
"Huh...Ah...Sorry, I got distracted." Akagi said.
"Then, let's start the discussion, how were you during your teenage years?"
"You mean, when I started living with my uncle?" Akagi said.
"Yes, at that time"
"Well...what should I say? There's nothing very memorable, he was such a boring man...he tried to pull me down, but I was always above him"
Nao: "Okay, has anyone ever complimented your clothes"
Akagi: "Whenever someone tells me that they like my shirt, I look down to see what I'm wearing."
Nao: "Lol, Did you always wanted to become a writer?"
Akagi "No, I wanted to become a mafia boss."
Nao "Lol, why?"
Akagi: "I've always wanted to turn around in a big chair and say "I've been expecting you.""
Nao: "That is cool, so did you have any crush?"
Akagi: "Nah! I didn't"
Nao: "Are you dating someone now?"
Akagi: "My work."
Nao: "That sounds impossible!!! So, what do you think about the statement that school dress code is dumb?"
Akagi: "Who the hell said that?"
Nao: "I mean, many girls say that. They even say that in school uniform, they can't show their shoulders"
Akagi: "What guy is gonna look at a girl and be like "Dang! That's a FINE shoulder.""
The entire studio burst into laughter including the director, the cameramen, backstage crew and Nao, the host.
Nao: "Oh my god! Okay so, what are your views on girls going to bathroom together?"
Akagi: "Dear people who question why girls go to bathroom together, Hermoine from *arry *otter went alone and got kidnapped by a troll."
Nao: Lol!!! What are the things you find the most annoying whenever you go out?"
Akagi: "Lemme think.....when you go to a restaurant and the waiter says "Would you like a table?" I'm like "No, I came to the restaurant to eat on the ground, a carpet for five please, JERK just ...BUY SOME BRAIN!"
Nao burst into laughter along with the audience."OMG, I can't....my stomach...." Nao said.
Nao: "Okay, tell me a medicine, whose taste you'll never forget"
Akagi: "....a cough syrup"
Nao: "Why? A cough syrup's sweet.."
Akagi: "REALLY?? Have you ever tasted grape flavored cough syrup? HAVE YOU EVER TASTED IT? It tastes like the death and tears of small children, not grapes."
Nao: "Okay, I'll remember never to taste it. Is there any teacher who you still remember?"
Akagi: "Well, we all have that one teacher who's like "Don't pack up yet, there's still 11 seconds class left"
Nao: "Lol, Did any teacher ever point you out in the class?"
Akagi: "Not usually, but once a teacher pointed me out when I was talking with my friend."
Nao: "So, what did you do?"
Akagi: "I said to her- "Dear teacher, if I sit next to my friend, I'll whisper to him, if you move me away, I'll shout to him. Choice is yours."
Nao: "LOL!!!!! SO.....what did she say?"
Akagi: "She said, "Why do you HAVE to talk while I'm teaching?""
Nao: "And then?"
Akagi: "Then, I replied "Why do you HAVE to teach during my conversation?""
The entire studio was filled with laughter again.
Nao: "Were you a good student or bad or average?"
Akagi: "At first, I was a really good student, at the beginning of the school that is, on my first day, I carried 30 pencils, 50 pens, 12 rulers and 20 erasers"
Nao: "Then?"
Akagi: "By the middle of march, it was replaced by one pencil, which also, I found lying on the ground"
Nao: "WHAT CAUSED SUCH A DRASTIC CHANGE???"
Akagi: "It's natural, if this doesn't happen, it means there is something wrong with you."
Nao: "LOOOOOOOOOOOL!!!!! Any other changes?"
Akagi: "When the teacher said I'm calling your parents, in elementary school, I was like "NOOO, PLEASE, I'LL BE A GOOD BOY!", in middle school, it became "Tsk! Whatever", then in high school it became like "Say Hi to my mom!"
Nao: "WOW!!!! WHAT A DEVELOPMENT! Btw, who was your favorite singer or celeb at that time?"
Akagi: "I was into Anime theme singers"
Nao: "An otaku?"
Akagi: "Yes, I loved it soo much at the point of marrying 'em. People used to say "Why do love that celeb soo much, they're never gonna love you back."
Nao: "So, you ignored them?"
Akagi : "How can I ever IGNORE anyone? Especially, my haters? I just told them "Why do you breathe when you know you're gonna die anyways?"
Nao: THAT WAS SAVAGE!!!!!
Akagi: "Y'know what, whenever it says "DO NOT TOUCH", I always used to read it as "TOUCH when nobody is looking"
HA HA HA. The studio was filled with laughter.
Nao: Okay, last question, which, according to you, is the most awkward moment of your teenage life?"
Akagi: "….When you're at a friends house and their parents starts screaming at them and you're just like....That's a nice wall."
The studio went crazy with laughter.
"OMG!!! Someone stop him! I can't laugh anymore!!!! My entire body hurts!!!" the director said.
Nao: "Okay *cough* now, let's do some fan service, any questions from you people?"
The audience raised their hands. Nao picked a boy. He stood up and was given a mic, he said, "Hello Mr.Akagi, I'm a huge fan!"
"Thank you" Akagi said
"So, I wanna ask, how is your mood in the morning, just after you wake up?"
"It depends how have I woken up" Akagi replied.
"Uh...pomilovanje? [means pardon]" the boy said.
"If I wake up on my own accord, my mood's pretty normal, but if you wake me up by turning on all the lights, there's a 100% chance that I've already started planning 10 different ways to kill you."
"*LAUGHS* Okay...." the boy bowed and sat down.
"Anyone else? Yes ma'am" Nao said to a girl lady.
"Hello, Akagi" the girl, who looked like a college student said.
"Hello" Akagi said as he waved at her.
"Uh...I don't have a question, it's rather a request" the girl said.
Akagi tilted his head, as if saying, 'yeah, what is it?'
"Can I hug you?" she said.
"Oooooooooooooooo" the audience were amazed at this request. Everyone looked at Akagi, waiting for his response. Akagi got up and said "Should I come there or will you come here?"
"OMG!!!!!!! I'm coming there!!!!!" The girl said as she covered her face. She ran towards the stage and hugged Akagi. She started crying and Akagi asked her "W-Why are you crying?"
"N-No, I'm not crying" she said, rubbing her eyes "It's just, I'm soo happy, I could die!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. AKAGI!!!"
"It's okay, it's just a hug" Akagi said. The girl went back and sat on her seat.
"Anyone else?" Nao said.
"Okay, young girl, what is it?" he said pointing to a girl, who seemed like a high schooler.
"Mr. Akagi, I don't have a request, I just want to say something to you about myself. Will you listen?" the girl said.
"Yes, I will." Akagi said.
"My mom always told me that my dad wanted a boy, but I was born. She said my dad hated me, but even if that was the case, I still....loved my dad. I didn't want him to hate me, but his hatred towards me only grew as I grew up. Soon after my 7th birthday, my mom passed away in an accident. My dad always looked at me with hatred in his eyes. He became quite abusive and he used to beat me, every night, I thought, it might get better as days would pass, but it only got worse, I was too afraid to say anything to anyone, so I remained quite. One day, I saw one of your books called 'Girl in chains' in a bookstore. I bought it out of curiosity, I thought, reading would help me divert my mind.
But that book, did much more than just diverting my mind. It showed me the harsh realities of life, the low chances of survival. But then, it also told me something positive. It was dark at the beginning, but later on, I saw the light coming into the book. I still remember that one line from it
'See how beautifully
God has added one more day to your life
Not necessarily because you need it
But because....
someone else might need "You".'
Those lines, hit me hard enough to make me change my life, I realized that I was always running, I never stopped to look at what even was I chasing? But, after reading that book, I stopped, I stopped being scared, I stopped being dominated or suppressed, I finally spoke for myself and told him that it was not my mistake I was born as a girl, I told him off. Then, I started working part time, and started living alone. Even if I occasionally bump into my father, I'm not scared to face him. I'm sure my mother...mother would be....proud...
The girl finally broke into tears "Mr. Akagi, thank you so much for being born, you don't know how much your books have changed me, they literally saved me from myself. I thank God everyday for creating you, thank you so much for giving me hope and making me feel complete!! And I'm sure it's not just me, right everyone?" she said, turning towards the audience.
"That's true, I really love your book 'The Soul of Summer'. It helped me fight the bullies at my school." a boy stood up and said.
"Your book 'Russian Cinderella' taught me, what inner beauty is and because of it I'm proud of myself. It taught me how to be me!" another girl said.
"And your new book, I'm really looking forward to it" another lady stood up.
"Please please please never stop writing, 'cause if you do, this world will really rot!" another boy said.
"AKAGI!! WE LOVE YOU!!!" a group of teenagers said together.
"Mr. Akagi.....I'll love you forever and ever!!!! I'm sure, you must have gone through a lot yourself, but you still continued to fight, you didn't give up, ever!!!! Instead, you decided to save more people like you, thank you so much!!! Guys, let's all say it together, 1, 2 ,3"
"AKAGI SCHECZALIER!" Akagi looked with his eyes and mouth wide open "WE LOVE YOU!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EXISTING!!!" Everyone said together. Some people even started crying after that. Akagi looked down and covered his eyes, maybe he was crying too. At this thought, the audience howled and clapped.
Akagi finally looked up and said "I.....love you too, all of my fans, thanks for making this small fanclub- No, this is not a fan club....this is
A FANDOM!"
And remember guys, you're free, don't let life bring you down, never give up because of the hardships you face, when things get hard, don't ask God to make things easier, ask him to make you stronger so that you can fight back, never think God is testing you
He is not testing you.....
He is preparing you, trust his plans, not your pain.
For everyone who came here to see me tonight
Thank you so much, I think..... I'm in love with this fandom" Akagi said with a bright smile.
-To be continued
Chapter 4
He fell onto the ground as I felt his body turning cold and his heartbeat fading away. Looking at me, he closed his eyes as if he will never open them again.
"Milady...I will...protect you..." he said with his eyes closed as he slowly had a relaxed expression on his face.
"LICT!!! Idiot open your eyes! Open your eyes dammit you brat!! Hey!" I was loosing it, how could it happen. Maybe I did something wrong, maybe I guessed it wrong, because, no matter how you look at it, it's crazy to think things like this could work.
"What are you doing, get away from him otherwise we'll kill you too" said that star spirit girl with her swords ready for another attack. "What a weakling! You're wasting my time!"
I believe in Lict, he was the one who told me to stab him, there must be something behind it. I must trust him. I'm strong, not because I know Lict's always standing behind me or because I think that they are weak but... because … I can feel you Lict...in the air, somehow I know you're there, show me, make me trust you even more.
Even if it's just a little, I want you to make me believe in you, Lict. That's all what I was thinking while standing there, I could no longer hear what that girl was saying, all I could hear was my thoughts and my heartbeat, as I closed my eyes, all I could see were his memories, all I could feel was his warmth, all I could believe was that he was not dead. Lict I believe in you because you said you'll protect me.
"Enough! I'm cutting you down first you b*tch!" said the girl as she ran towards me with her swords.
I took a deep breath, I was relaxed. As I opened my eyes, I roared "Lict! Protect me! This is an order from your master, the Lady Demigod herself!"
With just these words, I felt a bright light behind me, I turned to find Lict with his blue eyes shining like a beautiful blue sapphire and his skin shining golden like a bright star. He looked magnificent. I saw his feet were slowly covered by a pair of beautiful purplish blue knee length boots. All his wounds healed up so fast as if they had never even existed.
I was mesmerized. He looked so beautiful!
Then a thin, red string came out of his wound and curled around my little finger, just like what happened with that other duo, that high school girl and boy.
"Hump! Boots? really? Is that the best you can do? Which kind of demigod gifts boots to their star spirit as a fighting weapon? As expected from a girl" said the man. Was I the one who gave him that 'gift' or whatever? Man, now I was angry at myself.
"I'll finish you in no time, weakling!" said the girl. Then she ran towards Lict with one of her swords left behind. She planned on fighting with him with just one sword.
"Dodge it, Lict! She'll cut you into two!" I shouted.
"She's right" Said the girl as she swayed up her sword ready to slay him "I'll slice you up, weakling!"
"Don't get ahead of yourself b*tch! You're not even my level, be grateful I'm fighting you" I was shocked Lict used such words. Then as she landed her sword on the ground he dodged it and landed on her sword, breaking it completely into thousands of pieces.
She was shocked because she was still confused with what had happened. Her eyes were wide open. Then, after a few seconds when she realized what had happened, she threw a tantrum.
"No! No! My gift! Somebody put it back!!" She said. She was crying and shouting while collecting all the pieces of her broken sword. "Master! Help me I don't want to go back!!"
"Hey, drop the sword pieces, you'll hurt yourself!" I shouted but just then I noticed that the red thread connecting both of them was already fading. She faded away in thin air and then after that was a huge explosion. But I think it was just like a smoke bomb, as even though we were enveloped in smoke, I was not hurt.
"Let's get out of here Milady" Lict approached me and said. Just then I saw that the man who was that girl's partner was lying unconscious on the ground.
"Lict, let's take him too" Lict didn't look much excited to this proposal of mine but he still did it. He carried that man on his back and we started walking in the smoke. When I looked at Lict, his eyes glowed for like a second and we were back inside the market, from where we were dragged into this. Did Lict bring us back here? Well, he did say that star spirits control the blank space, so maybe that was it.
"Hmmmm... where am I?" That man had regained consciousness.
"You are with us, I thought you might need our help. You lost consciousness after the explosion" I explained.
"What explosion? and who are you? Do I know you?" I couldn't believe, was it amnesia? Is he an amnesia patient. Lict put him back on the ground and he walked away.
"They forget" Lict said with his back towards me.
"Huh?"
"The Demigods. They forget about everything if they lose in a battle. It's like a brain wash Milady"
"What is brain washed?"
"Everything related to them ever being a Demigod or having a star spirit. They even lose their sila(powers) and live a normal life after that." Then he turned towards me. "You lose a battle if you damage the gift given by your master, mine is my shoes."
"That means, if we ever lose then..."
"Yes, I will fade away like she did and you'll forget all about me and lose your powers forever."
I was in a dilemma. I had a choice of living like a normal girl if we lost but if I lose, I'll lose him. That...I don't want, I've already formed a type of bond with him. My mind was filled with confusion when I felt a shadow as someone blocked my way as I stood there with the sunset in front of me. It was Lict.
"Let's go, I'm sure you're hungry, Milady" Lict said with a bright smile.
It was decided. I'm...already used to living like this. Living like a disabled person but I'm not used to living without Lict. Even though it's been a little time since we met and I don't have much memories with him, it's just as if, I've known him for many years, it's kind of tingly, but…I like this feeling.
I was walking behind him while we were walking towards home.
If losing a battle means losing my memories and losing him, then I never... want to lose.
That day, I made a silent promise to myself, Lict, for you, I'll win, and become the best gatekeeper ever.
-To be continued