A/n: Max's past self's sister will be named as Wana from now on.
Two or three more chapters before the second arc since it's almost time to finish the childhood arc since it's taking so long, lol. Also, there's a prequel of Second World called Messiah. It's all about Lady Alaina, the Nine Warriors and the Nameless Hero. Go and check it out.
It's been less than a week that I have met the Drago whose name that I will never know because he never tell his name or either mine because we don't trust each other that easily yet. Still, I helped him with everything in secret. I haven't tell this to dad or Maddox or even Katsuki since I don't want to worry them too much.
That guy is very demanding just because he's injured person. I don't like being ordering around but it's too later for me to turn back so now, he is my responsibility that I have to take care of.
Even so, he does look familiar for some reason. Do I know him in my past life? I do seen the drawings of sister's characters but only a glance of their older designs. There's only 17 character designs including Maddox, Kou and Zack. I do remember she told me that there's two more new characters will join them. But I don't know they are yet.
There's so many things that I need to remember, huh?
Wana, just how many characters did you created?
I sighed tiredly as I walk out from the bathroom with the towel on my shoulders. Wearing fresh new clothes as I walk straight away to the diner table.
"Good morning, Max." Maddox greeted me as I sat beside her like usual and pat her head as a greeting. She smiled when I gave her a pat on the head again in the morning. It's somehow become our mooring routine lately. Well, it's all because I am tired of talking for this morning.
Without saying anything, I just turn my head to the TV and watch the morning's new as I am trying to dry my hair with the towel.
There aren't interesting topics in the today's news since all of them are boring to listen. Until there's a news about a building that hiding in the unknown island were destroyed by an explosion few days ago which located in the middle of the sea, not far away from here.
They said this building was once used as a laboratory but it was hidden for a long time without anyone knowing what that place is. There are some survivors, mostly of them are scientists and were asked many questions about what are they doing in the middle of sea. To my surprise, they were experimenting on children. They couldn't lied about what they are doing since there are some magicians who can use lie detector magic.
"A laboratory that experimented children, huh? Those damn scientists..."I heard Dad muttered as his eyes are glaring with anger at the TV, clenching his teeth. I know it's now illegal in this generation. That's probably why that place is hidden far away from society.
Then, they show the dead bodies of children which covered inside the body bag.
Maddox gasped at the sight of how many children were killed in the explosion. There's no survivors, unfortunately.
As I continued watching, I noticed all of the children are wearing the same uniform. A white jacket and short pants are only thing all of the children are wearing in that laboratory. Behind the the jacket, there's a mark of some logo.
"Seriously....Not again with that damn company...." Once again, I heard dad's angry mutters.
That logo is belong to some kind of a company. Judging dad's reaction of that company, it's not good one.
Wait, an explosion at laboratory.....somehow, I already heard this from somewhere.
I suddenly rose up from my seat which make Maddox and Dad looked at me, surprise by my action but I didn't care about it and just stare at the TV.
Ah, now I remember! This is one that I totally forgot about! This is important part where Zero and Seven meet Zack for the first time! I heard this from Wana that Zack, Zero and Seven are childhood friends after this tragedy happened. Of course, this should be known in the main story but this timeline still in childhood arc.
If I meet Zack next month, Joel will bring Zero as well to his workplace. As far as I know, Zero's specialty is swordsmanship. He will learns how to wield the sword from Joel.
I am not ready for this. I am totally not!
I felt a touch on my shoulder as I turned around to see Maddox, looking worried. "Max, are you alright? You were deeply in thoughts for a while now." She said as I flinched when she take noticed of me. Without answering her question, I just laughing nervously as if I am trying to get from this conversation.
Looking back at the TV, I watched it one more time to see the uniform again. That uniform...where do I seen that before?
"Max, be sure to lock the door if you went out. There's some money for you and Maddox to buy some foods at the town. I will be back tomorrow morning." Dad told before getting on his car.
I nodded. Today as well, I stayed back at the house because I need to see that Drago again, checking his wounds are healing or not. And the other reason, dad is going to the hidden island that showed in the news since it's his job as a knight to see the place to investigate what's caused of the explosion. I am worried about it but it's not my business to get involve in that.
Dad start ruffled my hair and smile. "Go and see your sister before she goes. After all, she need your headpats." I chuckled. Dad notices Maddox's sad expression after watching the news. "Yeah, be safe." He waved his hand to say goodbye before leaving. The car left the parking lot.
I went to the front door to be with Maddox who is waiting for Kou, sitting on the stairs. I sat beside her, waiting for Kou as well. "Damn, I am tired today again." I start to stretch on purpose to strike up a conversation since usually Maddox is the one who start the conversation first before me.
I can see her face saddened because of the news about children who are same age as me and Maddox. I guess it's a shocking that all of the children lose their lives in such a young age because of the explosion. Seeing them, it's somehow reminded me of us before we met Kou and go to the Second World. We are not like those kids who get experimented on. More like she is afraid of losing me since I am almost getting myself kill from protecting her from our parents. Seeing their death must be shocked to Maddox.
"Hey, Max. Do you ever wanted to see Mom and Dad again?" She suddenly asked about them. She pulled her knees together and hide her face in her knees as if she is afraid of the answers I will give to her.
Our biological parents that we hardly remember their faces looked like and the topic that we don't want to talk about. Since I am wearing short sleeves, she sees my scars. It's visible but some scars are healed. But that didn't make Maddox feel relief at all.
I don't know how our family grew apart but I know we aren't a happy family for long. As far as long, it's because of the debt that make our parents are stressed about.
"If that one day comes, I guess we should visit them and tell them we are living our life happily." I want to say that I would punch them on their faces for payback but there's no way I would said that to Maddox. It will ruined the mood.
I take a glance at her. I can feel her gloomy aura from here. But when she raised her head, her expression softened and give a smile of relief. "You're right. If that one day comes, I want to do that with you, Max." She said with confidence.
"There's the usual Maddox!" We start to laugh and just talk about random things afterward.
To be honest, I am scared to see them face to face.
After that, Maddox went to school and I brought pizza for once. Of course, there's no way I will be able to finish them all by myself so I decided to share some for that guy.
I packed water bottles for both of us to drink and also some cola as well. Since Kou put all of his drinks in our refrigerator and haven't finish it all. There's a pack of cola here inside, enough to take the whole space.
I covered the half of my face and sighs. "I should just hit him on the head for eating so many junk......" I muttered. I rarely drink some of these since the gas is too strong for me to drink. In my past, the cola is not that strong when I first tried it but somehow, the drinks are getting more stronger taste.
I already put five tins inside the bag so I won't apologize for taking these away from you, Kou.
As I walked to the forest with the pizza on my hands, I can see crimson colored skin arms in my sight once more suddenly wrap around me. My back is leaning against someone's chest again.
I let out a sigh again. "Why are you doing this again?" I asked the same question again.
This is not the first or second time this happened. Every time I come to visit him, he always hugged me behind even though we are still strangers to each other since we haven't exchange names. I'm already get used to it now.
"What are you bringing today?" He ignore my question. He's seem tired of answering my question.
"I brought some pizza."
"Pizza?" I nodded.
"What the hell is that?" He asked what pizza is. I blinked my eyes in confusion.
Does he never eat pizza before? Well, I do know that Drago lives at the Sky Island so maybe they never make pizza before?
So many curious thoughts get my nerves now. "Let's just eat it." I simply said to him. If he ask more than that, it will never end so the simplest way to do that is just eat the damn pizza.
He hummed in understanding as he finally let go of me. I turn my back to him, still wearing my jacket. (I do wash it up before giving back to him.) I sit down on the ground near the tree and put down the pizza down. The Drago sat down beside me as I opened the lid of the box.
The smell of tuna reaches to my nostril. I am regretting buying the big one instead of small one. I can't seem to finish one slice of pizza in one go.
"Delicious!" I flinched when I heard him yelling. I take a look at him as he eat one slice of pizza, happily. Since he is a Drago, he can eat all of them for me.
I gestured my hand to let him know that he can eat all of them. "Eat all of it for me." I offered. "Don't mind if I do!" He licked his lips and take one more slice.
"Delicious!" A big smile appears on his face when he eat the pizza. So he can smile like that, huh? Here I thought he would be expressionless character when I first met him but I was wrong. He talk a lot and he always there to hug me behind me whenever I came to visit as a greeting or something.
Well, I guess he trust me a bit more then. I take out the cola from the bag and I drink it after open the lid.
"Oh yeah, do you have a little sister? She looks exact like you." The cola in my mouth come out like a waterfall. "Did you came to my house earlier!?" I yelled as I put down my drinks and grabbed his shoulders in shock.
"Oh, that's a new reaction." His expression is still stoic as usual but he still continues eating his slice of pizza.
I groaned as I glared at him. "Don't your dare get close to my sister...." I said. You can say that I have sister complex on Maddox so that's why I am overprotective to her.
He waved his hand slightly. "It's fine, it's fine. I have no interest with humans other than you." My mouth shut close. His words sure are bold but Zack is more romantic than him, not gonna lie. He make me blush all the time when he's talk like that.
"Also, here." A piece of shining odd shape suddenly appears on my hand. "Wha—-" this color is belong to...
I turned my head to him as he finished his food. "It's your reward." He said, standing up. "After all, humans like our scales, right?" All I can see is his broad back and his words are hollow.
He don't like or trust humans including me yet he gave me his scale. Here I thought he would trust me a little bit but how is it become like this?
Rose up from my place, I walked up to him with angry expression. I grabbed his shoulder to turn him around to look at him. A shock expression is on his face. "Don't just give your scale so easily, you idiot! I am not like other people you met before! I am not some bastard who want your scales to be rich! I am different from all of them! If I want to gain your trust, I want to see you to see you smile instead!" Shortly after all that shouting, I panted heavily, feeling so tired.
That speech is so cheesy than I am expected when I realized my own words.
The Drago is dumbfounded by my words. After few seconds, his face turn red. "W-wait, did you really mean that?" He asked.
"Huh?" I am confused.
"Did you mean that? Your words...." he repeated. I was hesitant what to say next but I just nodded. He spread his arms and fall on me with his arms wrapping my stomach as we fall down on ground.
I groans in pain when my head the ground. "Seriously, can you not do that?!" I shouted but he didn't say anything.
"....ike you..."
"Huh?"
Letting me go, he raised his body up and I can see his right eye that was covered under his bangs. More importantly, both of his eyes are moving crazy! What's with that gazes!? His face has tint of red blush until his pointy ears as he panted heavily like a pervert.
"I like you, Darling!" His sudden confession shocked me. I immediately used my right hand to grab his head and use other hand to push his body off me because this situation is getting more dangerous!
"I'm sorry but I will refuse your confession!" I shouted as I tried to free myself from him. "No way~I want to stay close to you~!" He's getting more and more dangerous.
I screamed all my might to trying to be free.
"Darling~!"
"Stop!!"
Ever since then, the Drago that I never knew his name suddenly disappeared like he was never there in the first place.
—————
Q: Is the Drago a new character?
A: Nope, he is not new character. I always had him since then but I never mentioned him in the old book.
Fun Fact: Maddox haven't met or know who Zack is in original story until the main story if Max is not exist. Because she had school so she don't know Zack yet.