New Friends

"169th lyric. Oh~... get me the sun in outer space if you can. Oh~… who can take it for me?"

Suddenly in the middle of the edge of this highway, I saw an old grandmother standing near a traffic light.

Looks like she needs my help. I have to help her.

Seeing the traffic light starting to turn green, I immediately approached it.

"Obaa-chan, let me help."

"N-No… I-I was waiting for my husband here."

"OK, come on."

Not hearing what this old granny was saying because her voice was so small, I helped her walk, demanded that she cross the road in that direction, and looked at the cars that were stopping.

Kindness will always be everywhere, this is also included in kindness. So, what I'm doing is good.

Seeing the way she walked that was hunched over and so slowly, I felt sorry for her. She was so old and had tasted the bitters and sweets of this world. What she achieved during her life, was something she was proud of. I think so.

After reaching the other side, this old granny beat me lightly with her bag.

"Hehehe, Obaa-chan must have been joking around a lot, didn't she?"

"Why did you keep me away from my husband instead?"

"Yes, you are welcome."

Even though I don't currently hear what she said, but I have a feeling that she is grateful to me. It makes my heart feel happy because it has helped fellow human beings.

After a while, suddenly the old grandpa came out of a shop and saw me while waving his hand.

"Honey, why are you in there?"

The old grandpa kept waving his hands at me, making me feel that he needed help because he was lost.

I took out my phone and opened the map. Then, I checked the nearest police station here. And luckily, the police station is not too far from here.

I crossed again after the traffic light was green, and walked over to the old grandpa.

When he arrived in front of me, suddenly he walked to the cross. But luckily, because I knew that he was lost, I immediately grabbed his hand.

"Ojii-chan, let me take you to the police station."

"No, why take me to the police station? I want to meet my wife there."

I didn't hear what he said because it was so small.

"No need to thank me, I just happened to be here, so I can help you." I gently grabbed his hand and made him walk after me. "Let."

"Dear!!!"

"Hehehe..."

Frankly, I'm so happy to help people who are in trouble right now. What I can, because I'm still young, I will continue to spread kindness as long as I can.

After walking not too far, I finally arrived in front of the police station with this old grandpa.

Even though he had rebelled because he might be tired from walking, I was still able to help him walk. I feel sorry for this old grandpa, fortunately, there is me.

"Ojii-chan, I'll just come here. I still have to go to school."

"You brat, why did you bring me here?"

"Yes, you are welcome. It's fine with me while I can. Then, I'll excuse myself first." I turned and walked away from him.

When I turned around, I saw the old grandpa waving his hand and his lips continuing to move.

"God damn it!!! You brat!!!"

I raised my hand as I walked.

"Yes, you are welcome. Next time, don't get lost again, okay? Tell your kids to look after you when you're out of the house."

"God damn it!!!"

This morning, I have spread kindness. How about you? Have you? If not, do it now!

***

"School, school, school, it must be boring. School, school, school, there's no such thing as work. School, school, school, very troublesome thing. Learn, learn, and keep learning. Very bad."

Even if I say that, but I still walk towards the Wlynina Military School. So, with this feeling of compulsion, I stepped my foot towards it. Of course, with such a heavy step.

Seeing a bakery with a job posting on the door, I was tempted to go in there.

"AH... that shop seems to need employees, should I just come in?" I stopped and continued to look at the paper. "How about this? School or work?"

My head is spinning with those choices.

I could just take off my uniform now and apply for a job at that shop, but on the other hand, I also have to go to school because I don't want to hurt Karin and Shiva's hearts. It's very hard to choose.

While I was looking at the paper, the door suddenly opened.

"Aaah..."

A man with yellow hair and slightly big eyes and wearing a uniform like me came out of there while biting a piece of bread in his mouth.

"Hello."

"Oh, hello."

We were silent for a moment, stared at each other, then I moved away from him.

"Wait!"

Hearing his voice, I turned around.

"Hmm?"

"Do you study there too?"

I nodded in agreement. Then, he approached me with a glowing face.

"Wow, it turns out we went to the same school. In that case, how about we make our way there together?"

"OK."

"Thankfully, I was saved. Do you know the way there?"

"Yeah, I know."

"Good." He suddenly pointed his thumb at me with that proud face.

I don't know who he is, how he can be like this to me, what his life is like, who his parents are, but I feel that he is having a hard time getting to that school. How could I not, my presence was like something he wanted. So, I will follow what he said.

We walked together along this sidewalk.

Morning activities are very busy here, there are even some people in a hurry while running and tidying up their official uniforms. This atmosphere is completely different from my village. Morning activities in my village only see farmers carrying their tractors or buffalo, that's very different from here.

What these people are with, some are walking while playing with their cellphones, some are also using headsets, and some are leaning against the wall enjoying their cigarettes. This city... the city of so many people.

Seeing people like that, makes me feel that they are just as normal, just like normal life, there is no such thing as an Astral Being. A week ago, Astral Sakata attacked this city in that hospital. But they seemed normal, enjoying their lives. To me, this is quite strange.

The world is threatened by the presence of these beings, but why do they seem indifferent to the presence of the Astral Beings?

"Yeah, luckily I met you, otherwise I wouldn't have made it there." He opened the chat while I was looking around. "I can't wait to fight those creatures. Moreover, my dream since childhood was to get a brave woman."

Hearing his words, I immediately saw him.

No, wait! What does your ideal have to do with the Astral Being? What are you talking about really?

He turned to me.

"You know, I want to date a brave woman, so I can fight the Astral together."

"So."

I understand what he means. He aspires to have a brave girlfriend so that he can fight with his girlfriend. But, it's a very funny idea. No, wait! Is there such an aspiration?

"I also have had a dream since childhood."

"What is that?"

"I want to become Astral and kill your girlfriend."

"Hahaha, you're so funny. What's with those ideals, do they exist?"

"Nothing. But at least, my ideas are better than yours."

Okay, I'm not polite to him, even though he's a new person I've met. So, I will apologize to him for what I said earlier.

"I-"

"Hahaha, my ideals are better than yours!"

Hearing that, I immediately turned towards him.

"No, no, no, my ideas are better than yours."

He turned towards me too.

"No, no, no, that goal of yours is impossible to achieve. How can you be Astral, you are human, right?"

I nodded in agreement.

"Then my ideals are better than yours."

We argue about ideals in the middle of this road. What he thinks it is, his ideas are better than mine. And in my opinion, my ideas are better than his. This is a bullshit debate, there will be no end, so one of us has to give in.

Okay, I'll be the one to succumb to him.

"Alright, your ideals are better-"

"No, no, no, your goals are better than mine." He cut me off.

"Earlier you said that I couldn't be Astral, why did you say my goals were better than yours?"

"As a grown man, I should be able to yield."

"No, no, no, I should be the one relenting."

"No, I should be the one relenting."

"Ah, what a fool!" I turned and walked.

"Wait for me!" He followed me from behind.

Talking to him gives me a headache. That's so weird. But the oddity is very similar to mine. Is he a reflection of me? No, that's not possible. Although his face could be said to be full of enthusiasm, seeing him like that earlier, I felt that he was stupid.

When he walked parallel to me, his mouth opened like he wanted to say.

"School is great, I can't wait for it."

Hearing his words like that, I came to know that he was also entering the school for the first time.

"No, school is bad, I can't wait to skip school."

"Eh?" He was surprised by what I said, then he looked at me with a question mark on his face. After that, he smiled while scratching his head. "Yeah, hahaha. In that case, the school doesn't taste good."

This guy... what does he want, huh?!

He changed what he said earlier, even though I heard him well. He wanted to go to school, but when he heard what I said earlier, he changed his mind instead. This person is very strange.

I looked all over his body, from his yellow hair to the boots he was wearing, to make sure he wasn't Astral.

Since I saw him like that, he looked confused by tilting his head.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You're human, right?"

"Of course, I'm human."

"You're not Astral, are you?"

"Not."

"Then why did you change what you said earlier?"

He turned to the side after I asked that.

"This is it. Do you know? I had a hard time making friends since middle school. They always refuse me for no reason, even though I have helped them to buy food in the canteen…"

Hearing his words, I immediately put an innocent face on him.

You're being bullied, it's not that they don't want to be friends with you.

"So, I'm now trying to live a new life at this school. I want to have a friend and a girlfriend. I will try various ways to make friends with anyone. I... since childhood, I was always shunned because I was stupid. Some of them took advantage of that and continued to drain my money for what is called "friendship". This life, I feel that the world is turning away from me." He turned to me with a face that almost had tears in his eyes.

Hearing her pitiful words and seeing her face that was on the verge of tears, I immediately saw her nametag. On his nametag was written the name Fujita Tobi, which means his name.

"So. OK, I understand." I walked past him. "My name is Akio Samsudin, you can be friends with me, Tobi-san."

With the knowledge that Karin and Shiva had taught me, this time, I kept my manners to the people I just met.

"..." He was silent for a moment. Then, he ran after me with a smiling face. "Nice to meet you, Akio-san."

Hearing my name being easily called, I immediately turned to him and put on an annoyed face.

Why? Why is he impolite, even though I have been polite to him? This world... seems to be turning away from me too.