'Yo, it's been a while.'
I said while entering the café. The three people sitting at the table looked over at me, shocked. The one closest to me was Sirius. His arm was bandaged and he had little scratches on his face. Other than that, he didn't look too different. His hair was moved out of the way of his forehead, and he still had the same china-blue hair and eyes.
Sitting opposite Sirius were Sakurako and Arcana. Arcana's right eye was covered by bandages and she had a patch on her cheek. Her neck was also bandaged, along with her right arm. She seemed worse off compared to Sirius. Her crimson hair had been cut to mid-length and there seemed to be a new fierceness in her eyes. The only way to describe them was... that they seemed more red than usual.
Then sitting next to Arcana was Sakurako. She seemed the most unscathed out of all of them. Her pink hair was in a ponytail and her emerald eyes were the same. Though she's the one who seemed like she had barely changed. Not that I would want her to.
'Oh, you're finally up.'
Arcana said. Finally? I guess they were waiting for me. Sirius moved along the chair, toward the end, and I sat down. Somehow, I felt shorter now. I indicated to Saxon that she could sit, but she declined it with a simple nod.
'You guys look worse for wear.'
I said.
'Look at yourself.'
Sirius retorted.
'What do you mean? I'm perfectly fine.'
The blue-haired boy punched me on the left side of the chest–it only stung slightly. I looked at Sirius quizzically with a hint of annoyance.
'The fuck was that for?'
'Oh shit, you really have healed. A cut through the heart and chest as well... Let me see.'
'If that's what'll get you to stop hitting me.'
And so, I lifted up the hoodie I was wearing and showed Sirius my chest, though I think the other two were looking as well.
'Master Tatsuya, this is a public place. Please refrain from your sexual temptations to someone of the same gender.'
'That's not what this is!'
Sirius touched my scar with his finger, then signalled for me to pull down my hoodie; I did and tried to act like I wasn't embarrassed.
'So, in short, you were healed completely?'
Sakurako asked.
'Yeah, I guess you could say that. It was all thanks to Saxon here. Avera must be happy to have a maid like you around.'
As I looked at Saxon, her cheeks flushed red but her lifeless expression stayed in place. It looked weird but it was a new look for her, I guess. Arcana's glass of water spilt onto the table–she looked at me as if I did something unbelievable.
'D-did you just say Avera?'
'Huh... Oh! I meant Lady Avera–'
Arcana grabbed my hoodie and continuously shook me while shouting in my face.
'What did you do to the Lady of this area?! There's no way you'd be buddy-buddy with someone like her!'
Yeah, but I am. I think, anyways. How great is Avera that these guys know who she is? I mean, isn't she just a lord of a territory? Let's exclude the fact that she's a Vampire.
'How great is Av–Lady Avera?'
'You were just about to say Lady Avera with the "lady" part, right?'
I denied it quickly. Arcana sighed. She seemed scarier now despite herself being a masochist. It should be the other way around. Sirius looks more punchable as it is.
'You don't get it, do you?'
'No, that's why I asked.'
'Look, Lady Avera comes from a sacred bloodline, and I mean super sacred. Her bloodline has been running ever since the Primordial Era. The surname, Scarlet, is one of the most well-known names in the world! Rich, noble, beautiful and everything else you could ever imagine, the Scarlet Family has.'
I wonder what she would do if she found out that everyone else in the Scarlet Family is fake, except for Avera herself.
'You can't just act buddy-buddy with someone like her!'
She turned to Saxon.
'Isn't that right, Ms Maid?'
Saxon shook her head horizontally.
'Master Tatsuya has been permitted by Lady Avera to be friendly with her.'
Oh great. She just had to say that, now Arcana's going to flip even more... What did she just call me?
'I've been wondering, Ms Maid... Why are you calling Alty, Master Tatsuya?'
Ah, I forgot that I had to introduce myself with my Japanese name. She should've gotten my name from this world, though. I guess she only remembered the name that Avera is calling me by. Either that or she was ordered to call me this.
Arcana let go of me and I sat down.
'Isn't "Tatsuya," Master Tatsuya's name?'
She said. Her expression finally changed, but not too much. Her eyebrows curved and her eyes went slanted slightly. Then, they all looked at me. Guess I have to tell them. Well, it shouldn't matter too much since I was planning to tell them anyways. I think.
'I guess I should tell you now... This is my second life. I'm what you would call an Otherworlder. My name in my old world was Tatsuya Kimihiko. I was kind of forced to tell Lady Avera, so...'
I scratched the back of my head and let out a nervous laugh. Sirius was the first one to talk after me.
'Ah, so that's why you always said that you're not the same age as to how you look. So, how old were you before you came into this world?'
Wow. He's surprisingly calm about the whole thing.
'Let's see... What's the date today?'
'June 6th.'
Saxon replied.
'So then, if I was in my previous world, I'd be 26 since my original birthday was today.'
Sakurako and Arcana threw themselves out of their seats. Arcana looked ghastly and Sakurako simply looked shocked. At least they know who has seniority out of everyone here. Arcana's expression suddenly changed into an unpleasant sneer.
'You're that old?'
I burst a vessel.
'26 IS NOT OLD!'
I chased Arcana around the café until we both got kicked out. But, being unmarried at 26 doesn't mean you're old, right?
Right?
Right?!