VIII. FALSE ROUTE

Chapter 8

1–9 PM.

RYO’S slowly driving. They decided to have a road trip early this morning. Tss! Tyron, Red and Aoi are sleeping and Ryo and I are the one who is awake obviously. It past one already and we haven’t eaten lunch yet.

“Ryo, what if you find some restaurant so we could eat? It’s afternoon already and we haven’t eaten lunch yet,” I suggested.

“Sure do,” he answered. I close my eyes to take a nap when a heavy thing dropped at my shoulder.

I opened my eyes and saw Red’s head leaning at my shoulder. I heard Ryo chuckles so I glared at him.

“What? I’m laughing at the scenery in front of me,” I laughed sarcastically. “Amazing! Is there anything funny in the plain road in front of you, Ryo?” I then smiled sarcastically.

Finally, he let out the chuckles he’s been preventing to release.

“HA HA HA,” I united with him. Then I rolled my eyes. I fixed Red’s head and placed it in my lap.

“Is Tyron sleeping comfortably, Ryo?” I asked the latter because I can’t see Tyron well.

“If not, can you help me switch Tyron and Red’s place?” I added.

“You really like Tyron that much, eh?” he inquired which made me rolled my eyes. Here we go again.

“If you prefer not to do what I said, do fix his sitting arrangement so he wouldn’t catch a stiff neck. Do cover my jacket with him too,” I then handed him my jacket yet he didn’t get it.

Stubborn Ryo.

“Let’s switch them places,” Ryo stated and he stopped the car so we did what we’re talking about a while ago.

I laid Tyron’s head at the whole back seat chair and covered his upper body with my jacket and went out. I heard Ryo calling me but no. I studied the place and it was indeed strange. I thought we are on a highway but seems like we’re in a forest.

To answer my questions, I knocked at Ryo’s window and gestured him to get out. So he did.

“Look at your surroundings,” I told him and after a while, his forehead creased.

“Why we’re here in an alike-forest?” Ryo mumbled and look at me as if I was the answer to his inquiry.

“Ask yourself,” I responded which he replied in a hiss.

“I’m just following the guides. First, when you asked for a restau on the highway, I saw a sign with a Net’s cuisine papasok dito. Then... ah! That! We’re not lost, Cey!” he yelled so I looked at him and saw him pointing something. As I looked at it, it was the sign with a Net’s cuisine, 20 meters.

“Let’s hurry. I’m indeed hungry already,” I just nodded at him and we were about to get in the car when it’s door opened.

Aoi, who opened the door, toured her eyes and afterwards, it widened. She went in as if she was looking for something and came out again with a worried expression so Ryo and I laughed. She hadn’t seen us so maybe that was her reaction.

She perhaps thought that Ryo and I leave them.

She turned her gaze to us and quickly went out and hurriedly went in our direction. We’re somewhat far from the car.

“Careful!” Ryo shouted which Aoi replied in a thumbs up.

“Hay! I thought you leave us three!” the first thing she said after running. She held her knees and sigh heavily. She is chasing her breath while making her right palm a fan.

“Anyway...” then she sigh heavily. Uh, why doesn’t she catch her breath first? “Were we lost?” she tagged.

“Not really,” Ryo answered him and she frowned before asking a question again. Who wouldn’t, right? “What do you mean, not really?”

“I mean, no. We’re not. We are in a right route so let’s hurry,” after saying those, Ryo rushed in to the door so we two followed him.

I am hungry too.

Red is already awake when we entered. I lifted Tyron’s head and placed it in my lap then I settled his blanket—my jacket rather.

When I raise my gaze, I saw the three of them watching what I’m doing. I looked at Ryo and heightened my eyebrows.

“Start driving,” I stated so he looked away and started driving.

“You guys are sweet. You two will make a good relationship,” Aoi’s turn to comment.

“And how can you say so?” I turned my gaze to Red after saying that. He averted his sight. There they are again, strange looks. Weirdos!

Seriously, what’s with them? Are they high?

“Tyron’s gadgets and even his room are full of the pictures of you two. You two, erp, your gadgets and your room too has tons of your images. Although it’s weird...” she paused, so my forehead knitted. What’s odd?

“I...” again, she stopped so I heave a sigh. “What is it, Aoi?”

“I... uh... Are you two just friends or lovers? Or Tyron is just two timer?” this time, my forehead creased at its finest. Not because she emphasized some words that I found annoying but...

What the heck is she talking about?!

“Like, another person?” Ryo responded kaya so Aoi nodded.

Another person?

Wait...

THEY NOTICED THAT?!

Dipshit, Lacey! Of course they will! You both scissored the pictures! Just who do you think are they? Dumb people?

It's like what, eh... sometimes there’s an hair on your side or a hand... then... the one who truly noticed by my eyesight is the ripped image? It’s like... you stick and cutted it, erps,”

This is the first time I’ve lost in my words! I’m speechless. Just what the fuck will I replied?! Yes, we are. But sadly, we are the only ones left? They can dig more and if that happens, we are doom.

Tyron, you asshole, help me!

I don’t know if I should be thankful for the sudden stop of our ride because first, I was lost in an anxious event and second and last of all, because my head got bumped.

I massaged the part where I got bumped and turned to Ryo.

“What the heck is your problem, dickhead?!” Why is this Red one so upset?

“Chill, porket—” Ryo couldn’t continue what he had to say when Red closed the door loudly when he got out.

Aoi giggled so I looked at him in surprise. Hello, I need answers too!

In my peripheral vision, Ryo shook his head before going out so Aoi and I did the same. We left Tyron whose still asleep.

“It overheated,” I heard Red muttered.

“Let’s walk,” Ryo recommended. We all agreed so I went to the car.

“Where are you going?” I stopped and look at them when Aoi asked that. I said Tyron’s name so she nodded and accompany me.

“He dozw of that much? Did he sleep late?” she was curious so I nodded.

We both slept late. The case is, he slept later, because he has a problem with old man. It’s been a while but he just did it last night. He said he wants a vacation so he let older man to get exhausted cocommunicating with him. Tss!

He did it yesterday because we both saw some people roaming at their house. We don’t want to involve the three of them in our problem so he decided to fix the ruckus he caused. He had a hard time because the old man blocked us. We made it difficult to coax that old man. Tss! The stubbornness, tss! It’s good that Tyron can handle that behavior of old man.

Where would we inherit our attitude beside him?

We woke up Tyron and he groaned. He opened his eyes before covering his mouth. He perhaps frowned.

“We’re going to eat, get up.” I said before helping him stand up.

“You look like a child who who needs support, Turon," Aoi teased so the latter glared at her.

I let them go and started walking. It is up to them whether they follow or not. As long as I can eat, the conversation is over.

I frowned after seeing a town?

I thought it was Net’s cuisine? Aye, what happened? False route?

Even my companions who followed were also surprised.

“Let’s just get going. We shouldn’t be overtaken my darkness,” our leader, Ryo, said. Then so we did.

We walked and what we saw were small houses made of bamboo sticks and metals. There are also small shops that are made of aluminum. Sort of.

There are few people who are staring deeply and intense at us so I winced secretly. I am not afraid of anything. Even death doesn’t scare me.

Shrugging my shoulders, I looked at them with heightened eyebrows as I mirrored the hot gaze they were throwing to us. Looking at their body from foot to head, I shook my head. Ha! Who do they think they are? Scary people? Ew. Gross!

Full of themselves, aye?

Someone elbowed so I glared at him. Hands up, Ryo step backward as he saw how my eyebrow formed a v-line.

I really hate people who make me feel like I’d done something disgusting although I did nothing.

We’re almost past halfway but still, no one talked to us. Did they disgust us that much? Do we look like a bacteria that when approached, touched or talked to you will die?

I stopped turning around when I bumped at Red’s back. I glance at Tyron who is leading the way. A girl is talking to him so I frowned and was about to step when a hand pulled my wrist to go back to where I stand.

“I didn’t know you’re that fast to get jealous,” Red commented so I rolled my eyes at him.

“It’s not like that! Whatever shits you’re talking, it is NOT,” I emphasized the word not and removed his hand. I turned away from him and simply took something from my legs.

Ugh! I don’t want this mademoiselle to be Tyron’s victim! He had enough girls! I don’t want curse to be in his way in return of him, playing with girl’s heart. I want the best for him. The best of the best.

“Sorry about how they look at you. You look like foreigners and foreigners are rare here,” I heard him say when I got closer.

I smirked. I turned the dagger I was holding in my hand and came even closer.

“That’s why I think it’s fun to use this needles in their eyes,” she looked at me with a smile but it immediately faded when she saw what I was holding.

I also heard the three people with their three names too gasped. Their faces are indeed priceless and funny.

Since they’re looking at us like a criminal who just got out behinds bars, why don’t I grant their imagination? I am obedient, right?

“Ayris!” I heard Tyron called name so I looked at it but badly he wasn’t looking at me... at the girl I was talking to.

What?!

I... I thought...

I shook my head violently and saw Tyron approaching Ayris who is still like a stump.

Uh, it’s weird calling her by her name. It seems like... tss! Nevermind.

I saw him, Tyron, is about to tap my hand to release the sharp pointed knife I’m holding but I stay still to deceive him. So I did, I dodged his bodily movement and rotated myself back of him, pointing the dagger in his neck.

“Don’t be so contented upon sighting your enemy’s behavior,” I whispered and let him go. I blew my dagger and hid it then I smiled sweetly.

“Where were we?” I asked but I got zero respond but no one reply so I look at them and I almost chuckled at the scenery I had sawn.

Time seemed to stop in their motionless bodies,well, aside Tyron.

I hissed at before sitting in the floor. “Hey! It’s dirty there! Get up!” Tyron yelled yet I just frown and open my arms. He sighed before walking towards me. I was facing his back so I smiled. I immediately snake my arms at his neck and my legs to his waist. Yes! Piggyback ride!

I heard him calling the four who seemed to have regained consciousness and asked where is the Net’s cuisine. He even apologized to the girl.

I didn’t hear them that much dahil upon laying my head in Tyron’s shoulder, nightmare swallowed me but the girl’s words joined me wandering the depth of dark wonderland.

“There is no Net’s cuisine here because there are no such structures. Maybe you are right, you got the wrong way. Because at the end of this town... is a mansion with a dark past. Maybe that’s what you’re looking for since it’s a restaurant wayback. Be careful if... if you don’t want to become meat.”

Net’s cuisine or shall I say false route, what’s your darkest secret?

**