Episodes 88. Sorrowful Queen of Fighter End

Walking in the quiet residential street at night felt different from what I remembered. I had never felt this eerie sensation before, where the mere act of walking made my nape hair stand on end.

It wasn't because I was scared, but rather because I felt a chilling breeze that I had heard was not a good sign. Although I was used to being surrounded by such winds, it was the first time I felt uneasy about it.

"Yawning...," I yawned, walking alongside Tesi.

"Are you feel sleepy?" (Tesi)

"More or less...," I replied. How could I not be sleepy? Earlier this morning, I was doing business with Jainal, then immediately pulled by Erika to search for her mother afterward. Taken to her house, I became the neighborhood's gossip topic. Then dragged to the below flyover in the middle of the city to watch her fight the person who was now beside me.

This level of busyness had never happened before. Yes, even though I used to work under Nova's orders, I had never worked a full 24 hours straight.

"This must have been a tough day for you," somehow the person walking beside me could see the expression on my face even though I had hidden it well.

"So, you see it, huh?" I asked.

"You might be able to fool that woman, but not me. I can see it clearly, the sadness on your face... Are you mourning?"

I let out a breath, creating steam in the cold night air.

"More or less," my gaze shifted to the moon, unafraid of the possibility of being hit by a car.

"You better tell me, though listening to other people's stories sounds like guarding their secret, but in reality, I don't even care about that story."

His sudden rambling reminded me of what I said to Erika at that time. What I said was more or less the same.

"No... This problem is better kept to myself because..." I returned my gaze to the dark road, no signs of any passing vehicles.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course, this happened because of my mistake and I should bear the consequences myself."

"If you don't want to, then fine. But at least I can remind you once again, you have someone you can rely on in life."

Hearing the advice from this massive and fully scarred man, I suddenly stopped in my tracks. My left foot, about to touch the asphalt, felt paused by something.

"I want to know, did you say those sweet words to Erika's mother or not?"

Hearing my question, he also stopped and turned to one of the houses nearby.

"Yes, why? Is there any problem?" His word wasn't complete.

It seemed he couldn't say what he really meant, but for me, that information was enough.

I noted down the man's reason; more or less, he did this for the sake of love. Just as I predicted earlier in the afternoon.

Tesi loved Erika's mother, but he ended up being taken by someone else. Seeing the woman becoming a widow, Tesi instantly came to be her knight in shining armor. He didn't care whether she was happy or not. As long as she was with him, it was enough. He made her continue to rely on him.

"Like a damaged pole that keeps standing because it's supported by the pole next to it..." I whispered.

I couldn't say it outright; I would surely end up getting punched by him.

"For..." He still forced himself to say it.

"No, you don't need to explain further! I understand..." The cold me suddenly back. "As you know, I am a cunning Champion. Reading this kind of atmosphere is my specialty..." Maybe.

"Wow, it looks like someone is boasting here, hahahaha!"

His laughter made his back vibrate, and his small son whom he had been carrying the whole time let out a 'Ugh...' due to being disturbed from deep sleep.

By now, we had reached the end of the residential street.

"It seems we've reached the end, let's head back!"

"Hmm..."

It was just a stroll to warm up on the chilly night. So why did I want to talk to him?

As I looked at the neatly arranged row of houses, memories seemed to give me a warning.

"Oh right, if I may ask, is there a teacher from Podoagung School living here?"

When he heard my question, the man's scary face turned cowardly. He, who seemed reliable in a fight earlier, now looked like he would run away in fear.

Why is he like this?

Is it really that terrifying?

"Why you don't say anything?"

"I-It's nothing?!"

"Even if you don't want to say, it's fine..."

"Then why did you ask?!"

"Just filling the silence."

"Oyyah, Oyyah, is Rasyid the Champion afraid of the dark? Even need a conversation to distract it."

"Yeah, I'm really afraid... I can't even sleep without a nightlight."

I said flatly to joke.

"What a good liar."

"Hehehe..."

But my words earlier weren't entirely a joke.

.......

The two of us arrived in front of his house. Erika, sitting on the terrace, greeted us with a melancholic look.

"Did it not go well?" Tesi asked.

"No, it went fine... It's just..." Erika looked at me with that gaze.

"-It's nothing," her voice seemed to divert to something else.

There was something odd, but I couldn't guess what it was. Family relationships are complicated; I couldn't analyze them correctly.

"In that case, both of you should rest here first..."

"It's okay, we'll just keep walking!"

"If you're sleepy, it's better to rest instead of forcing yourself to drive! You may not die, but the car's price is still expensive!"

"Don't worry, uncle, or should I call you dad. I can handle this!" She showed off her white teeth to the man she initially considered an opponent.

Hearing the word 'dad' from Erika made the muscular man's cheeks blush, showing a different aura from before.

I shouldn't look at him. Seeing a muscular man blushing made me feel disgusted...

Not to belittle him, but it just didn't suit him well.

"If that's the case, safe travels!"

"Yes, and thank you!" Erika waved goodbye to her stepfather.

I also bid farewell before leaving, but it seemed to be completely ignored by him.

The two of us in the car now were getting farther from that house. The silhouette of the father and son he had been carrying on his back gradually shrank and disappeared as we turned at the intersection.

.......

Shortly after they left, someone dressed all in white with a cowboy hat approached the man and his son.

"Your stepdaughter is growing up well," he said with a smile, crossing his arms towards the car that just turned at the intersection.

"Hmm..." He nods his head with a smile. "It's not me who's maturing her attitude, but she herself is doing it!"

"But still, as a father, even though you're not connected by blood, you seem very happy..."

Tesi could only remain silent while smiling, then he raised his head and said: "Thank you, for fulfilling my wife's request!"

The man in the cowboy hat just put his hands on his hips while smiling slightly. "That's nothing, besides..." His voice lowered. "I have other reasons besides that..."

.......

I, who was currently sitting beside Erika, felt curious about what she talked about with her mother, but privacy is still privacy.

"Are you feeling relieved now?" I tried to lighten the mood of the night.

"Maybe, at least for now, I know... That she's still a normal mother."

"Do you love her now?"

"I can't, the pain from the past... It's still not gone."

I remained silent and dared not risk saying the wrong thing. Let their relationship be as it is; there's no instant return in relationships. Especially in ones that are already broken.

"Erika, about the payment..." I tried to change the topic.

"So, what do you want?" Without shifting her focus from the road.

"Let's go here (showing a map displayed on my phone)!"

"Understood!"

As we drove, I tried to fill the silence.

"What happened to your uncle(Jainal)?"

That issue was almost forgotten, even though it had just happened this morning.

"I don't know, I hope he's not in trouble right now."

.......

In the City Hall of Ningru.

THUD!

Someone frozen solid was thrown onto the floor right in front of the man.

"Mr. Doni, did we just throw him there without thawing him first?"

"Of course, it would be troublesome if he screamed when being put in there!"

"Understood!" The man with the grappling hook left, taking the frozen body to the designated spot.

"Project Pangeran, already at 50% completion..."