"..."
"You don't remember me. Well, we were just kids back then."
He was talking with a smile.
"But, you don't remember grandma. That's sad."
He continued.
"!!?"
I quickly turned my face to the old lady.
"She remembered you just one look when your friend took you 2 days ago."
"She's still alive?"
I asked with a shock on my face.
"That's rude."
"...Yes."
"You're so blunt...like grandma, hahaha."
"..."
His eyes were on me, but my eyes were on the old lady.
"So, that man...is he your boyfriend?"
"Hm..."
"I saw you hugging like... in love... is he... your boyfriend?"
"Thug."
Then, someone put a glass on the table. I looked up, and it was Jodai looking grumpy.
"Jodai...you startled me."
I told him.
"I apologize, Zephyra. Is this man bothering you?"
He still talked to me like he was my bodyguard.
"Bothering?"
Craitis repeated the word.
"No, he's just a pervert."
I answered.
"What!!? I'm not."
Craitis was shuttering.
"I'm not really! It was an accident!"
Craitis told Jodai, who looked like he was about to kill him.
"Zephyra, tell him I'm not! Before he kills me."
I glanced at Jodai's hand while pulling out his knife from his pocket, and then I used my hand to lock his arm to stop him.
"!!"
Jodai was shocked. Then I lean my face on his arm.
"Z-Zephyra..."
Jodai.
Then I touched his hand and pushed his hand, holding the knife back where it belonged.
"We don't need that."
I whispered.
"Yes! Zephyra..."
"Hehe."
I chuckled to hide our awkwardness.
"To be honest, you look like someone I know."
I told Craitis and pulled my hands out of Jodai's arm.
"Hm, who is it? Probably someone handsome, right?"
"Hmm, yes."
I didn't deny it.
"Phew!"
Then Cratis spilled his drink.
"He isn't even sure of himself."
Jodai spoke up.
"What? I know I'm handsome."
Craitis.
"What do you think, Jodai? Does he look like...the one I'm thinking about?"
I asked.
"...He's kind of looks alike, Zephyra."
"Name also..."
I spoke softly.
"What are you guys talking about?"
His hair is also kind of similar; his eyes seemed more soft, though.
I don't think so. If it's true, then,
"You look like some...friend I know, Craius."
I told him and drank up the beer.
Wow, it tasted amazingly weird.
"That's my brother!"
"Phew!!!!"
Then I spilled the drink out this time.
"Ha...ha...are you kidding me?"
I asked and laughed at myself.
God plays my life in a weird way, doesn't he?
"It's possible. No one name is that unique like us, Craius, Craitis. He looks like me but taller. Well, he's older than me, so he got the height."
"I don't think the height could get because you are the firstborn."
Jodai told him.
Did Jodai ignore the fact that the guy across from us is Craius's brother? And he was born in the North Mountain, the same as me?
"Yes, it's true. The good gene passes the best traits on to the firstborn."
Craitis argued with Jodai.
"And how did you meet my brother?"
"..."
"He's working with me."
Jodai answered him for me.
It's not a lie.
"I see. My mother was against this idea at first, but he was so determined to go to Sovereign City. My mother despises the city people...I mean some group of people.. you know the reputation of the city people isn't that great...I didn't mean to look down on you or anything."
"I know I get it."
I told him.
"You're not a city person, Zephyra. You're from here even if you've lived there for like a decade, but I still see the village girl I knew when we were kids."
He tried to explain with a smile I wasn't sure of from his heart or just tried to console me.
"But you...Honestly, you don't look like a Sovereign person either."
Cratis turned to talk with Jodai.
"You look scary like one of them, but… you don't have the.. snob."
"Snob?"
I repeated.
"The money, yeah, you don't look like someone who has a lot of money and shows off people."
"Pft...Hahahaha."
I laughed.
"..."
Jodai glared at the man furiously.
"Heh, but you have that arrogant look."
Cratis tried to observe more.
"Yeah, I agree. The first time I saw him, he was so arrogant."
I supported.
"Really, how?"
"He was so determined and sure of himself to be my man."
"Oohhh..."
Cratis made a sound.
"Zephyra..."
Jodai called me.
"You sound cool."
Cratis started to admire Jodai.
"Even if I had someone else, he still wanted to be by my side."
"That's a little pity."
Cratis changed the perception.
"..."
Jodai glared at Craitis even harder.
"Oh, so that means you guys are not a couple?"
"No."
Jodai and I spoke at the same time.
"Well, you guys look like one."
"..."
I glanced at him.
"That means I still have a chance with you, right, Zephyra?"
He asked so proudly.
"No."
Jodai and I repeated it at the same time.
"I'll get more drink."
I told them and got up.
"I'll do it for you."
"It's okay, Jodai."
I told him, and about to walk past Craitis, I slipped at the tiny rock.
"!!"
Cratis caught me before I fell again. Why have my legs been weak these past few days?
"Thank you."
I told him and walked away.
"Don't touch her again."
Jodai.
"I just helped her."
"You can't touch her."
"Why?"
"Don't touch her."
"Whyyyy?"
"Because I don't want you to touch her."
"Fine, you're scary..."
The music was cheerful and fast. People were dancing and jumping around the bonfire; even though I was far from the fire, I still felt the warmth. I remembered that night, the night in my dream. I was back with my mother from the forest behind the village. I gave the grandma all the herbs I could collect and the flowers to my mother, and she made them as a headband and put them on her head. She smiled brightly, even brighter than the bonfire. We had a beef stew. We ate and ate until our stomach was too heavy to move, but the music was so loud and fun that we couldn't even sit still. Then I dragged her out and tried to jump around, and she did the same. We jumped and jumped, dancing around the people. And then I bumped into someone, yes. It was a boy with the same hair color, almost like me, like my mother. He gave me a flower headband. I looked at it, and it was pretty but a little messy. He put it on my head, and I felt something strange in my stomach. And then I puked on him.
If it wasn't Cratis, then it must have been Craius. Craius didn't remember me as well. We were so young, so innocent. Why did he leave this peaceful life and go down in chaos? My mother too, what did they see in that city? I didn't wonder and was curious about my real father because if I knew more, I would probably get more headaches and more into the maze. But I couldn't deny that he might be the reason why my mother took me and left this village. Because of the love she had with Charon, was it the truth?
"You drink a lot."
The old lady.
I didn't even realize I was drinking while I dozed off. Then I turned to look at the barrel, and the alcohol was half empty.
"Did I just drink that by myself?"
"That barrel was the new one. Yes, you drink by yourself."
The old lady explained.
"I'm sorry about that."
"Why do you have to say sorry? It was for you and for the people."
"...Thank you."
"What were you thinking?"
"The memory."
"Umm...what is it about?"
"The day like this night, the night that I had so much fun, dancing around the fire and puking
everything out."
"Heh...sounds fun."
"Why didn't you tell me that you are the grandma?"
She wasn't my real grandmother or anyone else here. She was the leader of the village, and people have called her grandma since I remember.
"You'll know eventually."
She answered.
"So, the party is for me?"
"Yes, and for people as well... we haven't celebrated that often anymore. Villagers are not that into it after all their kids left them."
"Left them?"
"They moved to another city since they don't see their futures in this village."
"..."
"I wish.. to see you back, both of you.. but it's only you."
"..."
I drank another glass.
"It must be nice seeing you jump like that with your mother without any worries."
"...Yes..."
"Why are you here, Zephyr?"
"...I don't know where to go."
"..."
"And I think I might find some answer here."
"Whatever questions you have, leave it for tomorrow, tonight just have fun."
"I don't think I can have fun, grandma."
"Yes, you can. Put down the bag on the floor and that glass for now and go."
She told me and grabbed my glass from my hand.
She knew I wasn't wearing a bag, but I knew what she meant.
"..."
I didn't want to cry.
But I think she could see the water in my eyes.
"I'm sorry.."
"..."
She patted me on the shoulder, and then the water ran out of my eyes.
"Just put the burdens of yours or someone else, just put them here... and dance."
"Hic...Hic."
"No one is going to yell at you if you just ignore them for once."
"...Hic...I don't know how..."
"Go..."
She pushed me softly to the bonfire where the people were dancing.
"Cratis."
She called him.
"Yes, grandma."
"Take her dancing."
"Yes!"
He shouted happily.
And then the man with softest eyes took my both hands and led me to the dance floor. He was holding my hands and jumping, he was hesitant a little after seeing my tears.
"Zephyra...Just hop, like a rabbit, like the old days...like you were the only one here..."
He talked to me while he was taking me dancing around the people.
"..."
My body was moved by his lead.
"Just look at me, don't think about anything... let the fire burn, let it free..."
He told me and smiled genuinely.
Then, my legs moved by my force instead of his. I looked at him, held his hands tighter, jumped, and danced with him. I flew with the wind against me. I could feel the chilly wind, but with the warmth of the fire, it became warmer and hotter every time we jumped too close.
I smiled as my tears fell down.