Possible Reunion

"We're back!", Rick shouted.

"Oh, you guys are here."

The four of us just came on a trip.

Only four of us boys.

"How's is it?", Vinna asked.

"Not good...", Rick replies to her.

"Eh?"

"I mean, it's good, at first, but when that bastard appears. Everything ruined."

"Bastard? Who?", she tilted her head as she asked.

"Outsider, what else."

"Hehe... I see."

"You know, your eyes telling me that you guys have the same experience as us."

"You're right."

"Man... Our wonderful trip was ruined. I wish you guys are there, you aren't able to see those wild eyes of Greg and the others whenever they see beautiful ladies."

"You're the only one who would do that."

"Ehhhh... but I'm a proper man!"

"Good!!! Morning!"

"Huh?"

When I look at Rick, he's laying already on the ground.

There's a foot stepping on his head.

It's Ernesta's.

"You..."

"Proper man, you say? No way in hell that's true."

"So, what really happen to your trip?", Vinna asked me.

"Well..."

_____________________________________________

Early in the morning, we travel for a long distance and reach the place where Rick wants to go.

"Oho!!! We're here guys!", he said while clenching his fist like he won something.

"Aren't we already went to the beach on our last trip?", Darius said.

"Woah! You guys already went on a trip?", Leo asked with a surprising look.

"Come on, unlike the last time, this is a public beach, that means... we will be able to see girls in bikinis!!!"

"The girls last time also wear one."

"Well, unlike them, we can flirt to any girls here!"

"I doubt you can do that."

"Wait! Only me? How about you guys? Can you do that?"

"Haaa..."

"Let's change clothes now."

"Ugh, don't ignore me."

After we change clothes, we went outside and look at the sea.

"Woah!!! It's been a long time!", Leo said.

"You already went here?", Darius asked.

"Yeah, but for a mission. I wasn't even able to touch the water."

Rick wrapped up his arm to Leo.

"Don't worry my friend. Today, not only water you will able to touch today, but als- ouch!"

There's a ball that hits Rick's head.

"What was that?"

"S-Sorry."

A lady who's wearing a bikini went to us.

"N-No worries. Hehe.", Rick said while blushing.

The lady looked at the three of us then suddenly, her face went red.

"Hey, you guys, want to join us?", she asked.

"Us?"

There are two other ladies who went to us.

"Well..."

"Hey! Why do you guys forget about me?", Rick shouted.

"Who?", the lady asked.

"Ugh..."

"Sorry, but we only travel here to relax and not to... you know?", Darius said.

"We're just going to drink and have fun."

"We're sorry ladies, but we really can't."

"Oh, don't tell me you guys have girlfriends, after all, you guys are handsome."

"We don't have."

"I see... then, bye!"

The three ladies walk away.

"Woo.", a big relax appear on Darius's face.

"Woah, I can't believe you manage to convince them.", Leo.

"Well, I already spoke on so many kinds of people. You can say that communication is one of my fortes."

"Woah..."

"Hey, hey, hey! Darius, what was that? W-Why did you let those fish get away?"

"They're not fish. Also, even if we agree, I'm sure they are only on us, not to you."

"Geh! How rude..."

"But that's the truth."

"Okay! I get it. Let's go now."

"I can't believe Rick didn't get mad at you."

"Haaaaa! Cut it out already, Leo. Let's go swim!"

The four of us walk towards the water.

"Dang it... if Hiro is here, I might have an ally here."

"All of us are allies you know."

Before we can touch the water, the ground suddenly shook.

"What the?"

"What's going on?"

The seawater suddenly rises.

"What's is that?"

A huge octopus appears in the water.

"Oh come on! Not now!"

"An Outsider. Everyone, grab your weapon."

"Yes!"

We grab our weapons.

"Dang it! We haven't even touched the water."

"We have no choice. Don't worry, that thing is not that big as the squid Outsider we fought before."

"What's the plan?", Leo asked.

"Kill that bastard so that we can enjoy our trip!"

The Outsider moves its tentacles towards us.

"Here it comes."

I grab my katana and spin it, slashing off the tentacle that coming towards me.

"Die!"

Rick shoots all the tentacles chasing him.

"Wind: Quicken!"

Darius cast a barrier in him, by making them spin faster, the tentacles that touch the barrier are being sliced into pieces.

"Take this!"

Leo throws a bomb towards the Outsider.

"Did we kill it already?"

"No."

"What?!"

The Outsider's tentacle that is been cut is going back to normal.

"What the?"

"Regeneration? Wait, it's more likely restoration."

"Oi, what the hell is this thing?"

"What we gonna do now?"

"We're going to attack the main body."

Based on what it looks like, only the tentacles regen, the body that Leo damaged is not regenerating.

"Got it!"

We charge towards the Outsider.

The Outsider notice what we gonna do that's why it moves backward and starts moving its tentacles again.

I slash every tentacle that comes at me.

Since Octopus only have eight tentacles, we have to cut two on each of us.

When I'm close to the head of the Outsider, I jump and raise my katana.

Swinging down my arms towards the head of the Outsider.

"Go! Finish that bastard!", Rick shouted.

But before I can land my katana, the Outsider swims down the sea.

I ended up falling into the water.

"What?! That bastard! Hey! Come here! You coward octopus!"

"What he gonna do now?", I asked.

"Let's dive."

"Eh! But octopus will be in advantage under the sea.", Leo complained.

"Don't worry."

Darius cast a barrier on each one of us.

"This would do."

"Woah! You're a genius!"

"Not really, everyone who's the same ability as mine will be able to think of that."

We dive into the water and see the Outsider on the ground of the sea.

Rick pointed to the Outsider.

Darius went towards us.

He went inside my barrier and pushes me towards the other two.

When our barriers collide, the barrier becomes one.

"Woah!!!"

"Now we can talk."

"Amazing."

"Here's the plan, we're going to surround the Outsider, I will use Quicken so that the Outsider won't able to fight back."

"Got it!"

We separate again and surround the Outsider.

The Outsider lowers its body as if it's going to be ready for our upcoming attacks.

We dash at the same time towards the Outsider.

The Outsider swims upward to dodge us.

We follow the Outsider.

Rick shoots the Outsider while Leo throws a bomb towards our enemy.

The Outsider is fast and easily dodges them.

I can see that Rick clicks his tongue.

Darius manages to get close to the Outsider.

He cast a barrier to the Outsider, prisoning it.

The Outsider tries to escape but it's useless.

We surround the Outsider.

The Outsider pierces the barrier inside using its tentacles.

I give a signal to Darius.

Darius deactivates the Barrier on me and I swim towards the Outsider.

When I get inside the barrier, I slash off all the tentacles of the Outsider.

I stay away and Darius recast a barrier on me.

Rick and Leo continue attacking so that the tentacles won't come back.

All of us, dashes towards the Outsider.

The moment we get close, Darius removes the barrier from the Outsider.

Our barrier hit the Outsider.

The Outsider releases black inks.

With the Quicken, the Outside turns into pieces.

Leo and Rick raise their arms.

After we defeated the Outsider, we went back to the ground.

There are so many people standing as if they waiting for us. Most of them are women.

"What's going on?", Rick asked.

"I have bad feelings about this."

They run towards us after that.

________________________________________________________________________________________

"So, what's wrong with that? Aren't you guys become heroes to their eyes?"

"That's the problem."

"Eh?"

"They only went after these three! They left me alone!"

"Well...that's not very surprising...", Ernesta said.

"S-Shut up! Those chicks hug those three...dang it. I'm so jealous."

"Now, now. No need to cry.", Ernesta said while patting Rick's back.

"What about you?! What if Relaine hugs somebody else?"

"What's with that question?", I said.

"Of course, I kill that person obviously.", Ernesta said with murderous eyes.

*Scary.*

I punch Rick's shoulder.

"Ouch!"

"Just go to your room and rest before I make you sleep forever."

"Geh! Scary!"

"I'm going to check Lisa."

________________________________________________________________________________________

Ernesta and I are friends for a long time, I have had many first-time experiences with I'm with her.

"What that really the first time, or it just, you wanted to forget the real first time in your past."

"T-That's not true!"

"Really? How about me, do you still remember me? Or it just, you wanted to pretend that I didn't exist in the first place."

"T-That's not true! I... I would never forget you. Never."

"Then tell me. Why? Why I can see the sadness in your eyes. I didn't remember doing anything that make you sad."

"No, I...I!"

"Tell me...why? Why?... Why?!... You didn't come back to save me back then."

"...I..."

"Lisa!"

*Something wrong.*

"...I..."

"Lisa!!!"

"Huh!"

As I open my eyes, Ernesta's face is the first thing I saw.

*A dream?*

I notice that I'm holding the small picture frame while sleeping.

I put it back again we're it is place.

"Hey, Lisa."

"What is it?"

"Who's Red?"

She asked something that hard to answer.

"Do I have to answer that?"

"Not really but... you know... my curiosity is sometimes extreme."

"You're wrong, it's always extreme."

"You're not going to tell me anything?"

"Haaa... she's a friend."

"A friend huh, I didn't know you have friends that I didn't know."

"Well...she's my friend in junior high."

"Junior high huh. We become friends when in senior high time so I might not meet that friend of yours, do the two of you enter different schools?"

"I'm going to work now."

"Wait, let's drink."

She pulls a wine and puts it on my table.

"I thought you're not drinking?"

"I didn't say that would drink."

"I refuse, I know your tricks, Ernesta."

"My, my. Come on, just this time. If you want, I might join you as well."

"Still no."

"Ugh..."

"Haaa... Let's get back to work."

I wonder if my eyes aren't deceiving me.

But what it's true, what if she's really that woman.

What should I do? What should I tell her if I met her?

_____________________________________________________________________________________

"Hey, I'm back!", Captain shouted.

She's been missing for a whole day and just come back.

"Where have you been?", I asked.

I'm the only one at that time.

The others are in the usual place where they rest.

"I just travel all around and meet someone. Not really meet but I kinda help her."

"You... you follow Commander again arent you?"

"My? How did you know?"

"That's the only thing you do when you go outside alone."

"Hehe."

"You said you help her right? So that means she saw you."

"Yeah."

"Hey, Captain. What's your goal."

"Huh?"

"Why don't you just show up to her in a normal way. Stop stalking her, it's creepy."

"The reason why I don't show up to her is because... I still don't know what to say to her when we meet again."

"Huh?"

"I mean... it's been a long time and she would never expect me to show up like that. I'm still gathering the courage to talk to her."

"That's unexpected. It's not really like you."

"Right? Hahahaha! But, aren't you having the same problem as me?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you still here and didn't still come back from your old team. Don't tell me you also don't have enough courage to do that?"

"Well..."

"Don't tell me you don't understand why you can't?"

"Not really."

After all, I have an important reason why I still don't show up.

"It just... it's not the right time."