"Look at how much you've grown!"
Squealing in delight from the moment her eyes landed on me, Samantha Dover, my now mother, lunged at me as soon as the door opened.
Without having enough time to avoid her, I fell into her embrace
"Ohkhh…"
After a couple of seconds of struggling, I gave up. Oddly enough, I didn't feel repulsed by her hugging. Feeling the warm embrace of my mother, I felt my body became weak and my mind relax.
It was an odd yet familiar feeling.
…it was nice.
"Let me get a better look at you"
After a solid minute, releasing me from her hug, squishing my cheeks with both hands my mother looked at me with a large smile on her face.
"Look at how much more handsome you've become! I'm sure every girl in the academy is swooning over your looks"
"…"
Nodding my head, my mouth twitched.
…if only that were true.
Out of all my stats, only charm refused to increase.
What more handsome?
Glancing around and feeling the nightly breeze, my mother quickly pulled me into the house.
"Oh dear, it's better if you come in. We don't want you getting a cold do we?"
"Yeah"
-Clank
Closing the door behind me, I entered the house.
Taking off my shoes and hanging my coat, I quickly followed her deeper into the house.
As I walked, I couldn't help but glance at all of the photos hanging on the wall. There were a wide variety of photos on the walls. Photos of the previous Ren, photos of my now parents, and some group photos of my now parent with people whom I presume were from their guild.
They looked especially happy in the photo…I didn't understand why they would want to screw them over like that.
Turning left of the corridor, I was soon inside of the living room.
As I stepped into the living room, my eyes immediately landed on a certain individual.
'So that's Ronald Dover, my father…'
Sitting on the sofa looking through some papers, Ronald Dover, my now father, glanced in my direction.
Nodding in my direction, he said
"Welcome back"
"…ah, yes"
Dumbly staring at Ronald, my father, those were the words that came out of my mouth.
Aside from my eyes, he was a spitting image of the current me. His facial features were identical to mine and coupled with his jet-black hair, he looked like an older version of me. However, if I had to point out the difference between us, it'd be the fact that his face lacked the childish immature nature that I had.
His demeanor was a stark contrast from mine as he looked extremely solemn and serious.
"Oh come one Ren, don't be shy. Sit next to me"
Sitting next to my father, my mother quickly urged me to sit next to her. After hesitating for a split second, under her pressuring stare, I could only obediently sit next to her.
After I sat down, tugging her husband's sleeves to make sure he was paying attention, she looked at me and said
"So, tell us how your first semester at your academy was?"
Pausing for a second to gather my thoughts, I stared at both of them and started speaking.
"Well, how do I start? Although I…"
…and so I started recounting what had happened to me during my academic stay in the lock. I intentionally left out things such as going to the black market and taking the seed of limit and stuff.
When the conversation shifted towards the Hollberg incident, well…
Let's just say things didn't end well as my mom cursed a lot.
I remember her texting me a lot during that time, fortunately, I reassured her that I was fine. If not, I wouldn't be surprised if she suddenly packed up her stuff and went to Hollberg.
As I talked, I was slightly uncomfortable at first, but the more I talked, the more at ease I felt.
…It felt as if this was one of the many talks I had with them over the years. It felt strangely nostalgic and familiar, which was a very odd feeling.
As I was talking, from what I observed, my now father, Ronald Dover, although he looked cold on the exterior, he was quite warm. He wasn't a man of many words like my mother, but from time to time he would occasionally join the conversation to add his input.
Although it didn't look like much, his little inputs would always keep the conversation going and the room was soon enveloped in a harmonious atmosphere.
…this atmosphere. This warmth.
-Pita! -Pita!
Feeling hot tears streaming down my cheeks, I froze for a second before quickly wiping them away from my face.
"Ah, sorry. I don't know what got over me"
Seeing me cry, my mom immediately lunged in my direction and took me in her embrace.
"aww, I know you've been through a lot…here, you can cry in your mama's arms"
Feeling myself in her warm arms, for a split second my mind blanked. Soon after, as if a dam had broke, tears burst down from my cheeks.
Sent into a different world where everything was different and having spent the last two months by myself, with no one to rely on but myself…her warm words and embrace caused hidden feelings that were within me to surge.
My father soon also joined the hug and I soon found myself buried beneath the both of them.
"Alright, stop I'm fine now"
After a couple of minutes, after I calmed down, I was able to free myself from their embrace. Fixing my clothes which were now I mess, I tried to switch the topic
"…so that's that's all for what happened. How's the guild doing?"
Brightly smiling, making eye contact with her husband for a second, my mother said
"Everything is perfect. Apart from the fact that we have to put in some extra hours here and there, everything is going well"
Looking at them for a second, I smiled and leaned back on the sofa.
"…is that so? I'm glad you're doing fine then"
Liars.
I already knew everything.
A part of me felt a little bitter at the fact that they still hid their troubles from me, but I sort of understood where they were coming from.
…They didn't want their problems to affect me, and rightfully so.
Why would they want their child who was studying at the best academy in the human domain to feel pressured? All they wanted was for their son to study happily while they support him from the back.
"hmmm"
Disrupting our conversation was the sound of small footsteps. Gingerly walking into the living room, a small girl wearing oversized pajamas and a large teddy bear on her right hand drowsily rubbed her little eyes.
She had smooth black hair that fell all the way to her tummy, and her eyes that were a similar shade of blue to my eyes hazily looked at her teddy in her arms.
Her rosy plump cheeks that had a small blush to them made anyone who was near her want to squeeze them tightly.
Even I, as I watched her enter the room, had an urge to squeeze those cheeks.
Looking up in my direction, tilting her little head, the young girl said
"…Big Bwudar?"
Freezing on the spot. my eyes stared at the young girl that had entered the room.
'So that's my sister Nola?'
Looking at the small girl that I had just entered the room, I instantly realized that she was supposed to be my two-year-old sister. Nola.
"Bwudar?"
Calling for me for a second time, Nola extended her arms in my direction.
"How cute"
Smiling at Nola, my mother looked at Nola before looking back in my direction.
"Nola tried her best to stay awake just to wait for you…"
Picking up Nola, my mother walked in my direction and handed her to me.
After hesitating for a second, supporting her from her little butt, I held Nola in my arms.
"hmm"
Hooking her little arms around my neck, Nola's face brightened up as she closed her eyes and immediately fell asleep.
Feeling her breathing even on my neck, I could only stand rooted on the spot. I didn't move because I was afraid of waking her up.
My eyes darted towards my parents asking for help, but I was only met with their smiling faces.
…errr, what was I supposed to do now?
I was a loner back in my previous world. I never interacted with kids nor did I have any. I had no idea what I was supposed to do.
…but strangely. I didn't dislike this feeling. As I held Nola in my arms, a strange protective feeling welled inside of me.
It felt as if nothing would stop me from protecting this child in my arms.
Taking a better look at Nola who was innocently sleeping in my arms, I realized that even without the old Ren's emotions affecting me…I would do anything to protect her.
After holding Nola for five more minutes, my mom stood up and took back Nola from my arms.
"Alright, give Nola back to me. You must be tired, go to sleep"
Soon she sent me to my room to which I happily agreed as I was indeed feeling tired.
Walking upstairs, I entered what seemed to be my room. It was a decently sized room that was similar in size to my room in the lock. However, compared to the lackluster decorations back in the lock, this room was filled with posters and magazines as well as other decorations.
Glancing around the room, I sat on the bed in the corner of the room and took a deep breath.
Although it was my first time here, it did not feel unfamiliar. It was a strange feeling. It was a different feeling from when I was back in the lock. I felt more at peace here.
…It seemed that this body remembered this place well.
Standing up and looking through the shelves of the room, I saw a picture of the previous Ren with his parents.
Taking the photo frame to get a better look at the image, I saw him holding a bouquet of flowers smiling alongside his parents in front of the academy.
-Peng!
…however, as soon as I held onto that picture, I felt my heart sting for a split second.
Flinching slightly, I almost dropped the frame on the ground. Frowning, I took a better look at the picture. And there I saw it. No. I could feel it.
Beneath Ren's smile in the photo hid deep sadness and anguish.
'Just what happened to you?'
…what caused you to be that way?
-Smack!
Get yourself together.
There was no point in investigating what had happened to the previous Ren now. I believe that by the end of the month I would be able to discover what had happened to Ren and resolve his regrets.
Perhaps this was the only way his emotions would leave my body and I would finally have this body to myself…
I wasn't really sure, but…he at least deserved that much.
For having given me a second chance as well as given me a happy and warm family, resolving his regrets was something I needed to do…
Staring at the white ceiling of the room, I bitterly smiled as I thought back of what I told myself moments before I entered the house.
During that time, I had repeatedly told myself not to get overly attached to my parents in this world.
I told myself that there was no point in getting attached to some random strangers that I had never met before…
…but who was I kidding.
Remembering Nola's tender cheek resting on my shoulder just moments before, as well as my parent's warm faces as they consoled me…I already knew it was already too late for me to not get attached.
-Pomf
Slumping on the white mattress, I thought to myself.
'This feeling…it isn't so bad'