"Curious"...

  This is what I felt when I met you. A boy trapped in the pressures of expectations and desires freedom from the shackles of abuse and neglect. I'm surprised how long you managed to endure those tragic hardships for so long.

  Yet the more I got to know you and your burdens, the more I thought about how much you were able to endure them. Everyone has their limits and you're no exception. The human mind can take so many negative emotions and just like a balloon, it will pop if too much of it is poured into it.

  Day after day, I saw how long you could hold onto your sanity just to make yourself look happy around me.

  Day after day, you tried so hard to forget your trauma and hardships so you could enjoy your time with me and my petty games.

  Day after day, you made sure I wouldn't worry about your heartaches and wounds in your heart.

  But I know you couldn't endure it for long. The burdens and pain you've bottled up were about to burst. You couldn't hide your trauma any longer.

  That's what I thought until you asked me these two words.

  "Who's Aster?"

  I was stunned at what you asked me. I thought I knew you already and it might have been one of your attempted acting for our pretend shop. So I asked again.

  "What are you talking about? That's the nickname I gave you whenever you're playing the part of a shopkeeper."

  But you didn't respond with annoyance or complaints. Rather, you tilted your head and asked, "I don't recall that nickname. Heck, I don't recall being a shopkeeper at all. I feel like it's not my type..."

  That...was a weird answer. But being ignorant of what you've become, I decided to humor you a bit.

  "Huh... So you're going on the offensive, am I right?" I grinned. "If that's the case, the bodyguard role is still up and I already put up some dummy robbers for you to "fight" with~"

  I didn't think of it when I suggested the role to you. When I tried asking the first time, you refused the reason that you didn't want to be in a role that involved "punching" and "yelling". I didn't know why you refused, but I held off my favor for his sake. But now I remembered, I thought it might be a bad idea...

  "Fight...bad guys, huh?" You stood up before I could retract my question and to my shock, you grinned. "That's not a bad idea. I want to try it."

  My eyes widened when you gave me that unexpected answer. "R-Really? You do?"

  "I mean, why not? I don't know why, but I have a sudden urge to let loose and stop thinking for a while," you said. "The only thing I hate more than staying in the background is not doing anything at all. And if that's not what they want, then too bad. This is how I roll."

  Huh... Those sound like fighting words. You were a far cry from a timid coward when I first met him. Maybe something about your breakdown has changed him for some reason. I thought I knew about humanity when it came to negative emotions and how they endured the trauma. Yet I was surprised at what you showed me with your brand-new confidence.

  "...and stay out!"

  I smiled as I watched you throw out the bag of sacks that we treated as today's "robber". Unlike your previous hesitation when you first tried the bodyguard role, you quickly took care of it like a punching bag. The sight of you grinning when you threw several punches was enough to bring me joy from your catharsis.

  "How's that, boss?" You said with the brim of confidence. "I took care of that jerk no problem!"

  "Fufu... I can see that," I chuckled. "I don't know how you managed to gain such backbone to deal with the heavy load, but I'm very impressed."

  "I told you. If I stayed in the background any longer, everyone would pick on me for that. I don't know why, but bullies, abusers, and corrupt people who looked down on others... It sickens me if I let it all slide."

  I curl my lips into a small smirk. "Don't know, huh... You sound like you're unsure of your convictions."

  You became silent once I said those words. You hummed for a while before you spoke up, "It's just a gut feeling. The moment I came to, I had a surge of energy coming from my head. The thought of injustice I thought I'd endured... The disgust I felt when I felt helpless... They were alien to me, yet I knew they belonged to me. It's as if someone else gave me those emotions for a reason."

  "Are you saying you're not "you"? You're not...the "Aster" I know?"

  You shake your head. "I told you, I don't recall anyone calling me that. Besides, I barely knew you the moment I woke up. Who would call that dumb name anyway?"

  ...I see. I was expecting denial to come in your voice. But it seemed like I was way off from my prediction. Rather, you experienced something that came out of my favorite book.

  "In that case, how about I'll give you a cool-sounding name compared to "Aster"? Something like... "Vander"."

  You stare at me with a glare filled with suspicions and confusion. "Vander? I get it sounds more cool, but why that name?"

  "Both names sound different, yet the meaning behind them are the same. "Aster" is based on "Asterid", a clade name from a flower called "lavender". Take out "la" from the word and you get..."

  "Vander." You hummed again. "I have no idea what you're talking about, but I like it. "Vander", a man who prefers facing evil-doers than listening to them! It's decided! You can call me that from now on, Missy!"

  I chuckled in amusement. Something about your new personality took a shine on me. The vigor, the arrogance in your voice, and the defiance against your enemies... I felt a new "you" was born.

  "A new..."me"? What the hell are you on about?!"

  Right... I almost forgot in the sea of memories that the "you" in this mental cage were also here for the same reason as mine.

  "It sounds as it is, my young apprentice. This is the memory of your "forgotten past". Or rather..." I walked to him and gingerly tapped his forehead a few times. "...the memory of "another you"."

  You raised your eyebrow while you stared at me as if something was on my face. "Another... "Me"? If you're talking about that dumb voice ringing in my head..."

  "I don't mean the voices of your doubts. I mean the "you" born from the pain and frustration of your life. The "you" that possessed a rebellious spirit against the people you called "family and friends"."

  Despite my clarifications, it seemed my words weren't enough to fully grasp his fractured soul. Rather than nodding in acceptance, you slowly backed away from me as if I killed someone. "Now you're speaking nonsense. It sounds like some kind of demon possessed my body." You quickly gasped and quickly grabbed my collar. "Don't tell me you're the one who summoned a demon to mess with my head or something?!"

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  I quickly flicked my finger onto your forehead and removed your grip from my shirt. "Honestly, with your paranoia being a nuisance than helpful, I'm surprised how much you got through your studies without your family's torments," I grumbled. "To clear up some potential misunderstandings, there were no supernatural causes to the second "you". In fact, I never have a hand with your fractured soul, magic or otherwise."

  You raised your eyebrow again. "Are you saying you have nothing to do with the other "me" you kept babbling on?"

  I chuckled. "The human mind is really a fickle thing. I thought they were a predictable phenomenon I could enjoy observing. But the moment I lock my eyes on your broken eyes, I know you possess something that not all humans can possess: A second "you". A "you" represents the repressed emotions you could not express in the public eye. In other words, your very own "Hyde"."

  "My... "Hyde"? Like in the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde novella? If that is true, then what you're saying..." You quickly backed away with your eyes now filled with fear. "No... That's impossible! I couldn't...!"

  I flicked my fingers on his forehead again. Again, you can be very stubborn when it comes to these kinds of conclusions...

  "You can make any excuses and denials all you want. But I'm simply telling the truth and never the deceptive facts you've been wishing it was true. If you think otherwise, I'm open to hearing your counterargument. That is if you have one. And I'm not talking about ramblings of a man in denial, but solid proof you are only one person inside that body."

  I am waiting for your answer. But knowing you, all you could say were nothing more than excuses that cannot be proven with mere words alone. The only reason you were unaware of his existence was you never crossed your thoughts at the possibility of mental disconnection. Out of all the negative emotions I witnessed in several lifetimes, yours managed to shatter your very being into two pieces. The trauma, denial, and doubt drilling into your heart and mind... It was nothing that I'd seen before since I witnessed a similar transformation.

  A Demon born from darkness, yet it wasn't a true monster in body and soul.

  A being with two souls. One of pure light and another of pure darkness.

  "I don't have a Hyde. I don't have it..." You fell on your knees without uttering any proper defense. "That kid...isn't me..."

  I smiled as I gently tapped his forehead. "Then why don't you experience it yourself? If you thought that boy would become like the Hyde you knew, then maybe a little immersion might help you change your mind."

  "H-Huh?! Wait, what do y-"

  I flicked my fingers one more time before inserting a reductant question. Only then, you will take one step closer to the truth.

  A truth that will complete you.

  "...dozing off again, I presume?"

  I yawned as I stretched my arms. "Guilty as charged. Although, it wasn't easy waking up with my mind running like crazy."

  The girl in a black dress flashed a small smile just as she sat next to me on the floor. "Huh... It's not like you complain about your drowsiness. I thought you were going to rush ahead on your duties once you woke up."

  I sighed and hummed at her words. "Can't deny that. But it's much more complicated than that."

  "Complicated...how exactly?"

  I lightly bit my bottom lip. Do I have to tell her? It's too embarrassing if I spill everything out. Then again, this is the boss I'm talking about...

  "Just so you know, I won't tolerate delayed responses. Unless you want less candy..."

  I gulped at the thought of getting less candy than her. "I can't explain it exactly. But lately, I haven't woken up completely when I wanted to. Even if I did, there's some sort of a wall blocking the way of that." I frowned when I continued describing this feeling. "And I don't know why, but there is something... Someone not wanting me to climb up the wall. I did when I woke up, but there is that nagging voice in my head telling me I'm not welcome here."

  "A voice, huh?" She hummed next and slowly approached me with the biggest stare I had ever seen so far. "Now that you've mentioned it, did you remember anything of our first meeting?"

  I raised my eyebrow at that strange question. "Yeah. I was sleeping here until you woke me up. But before that, nothing came to mind. I knew something bad happened to me, but all I'm drawing is a blank." I sighed. "I should be relieved I don't need to remember it. Yet at the same time, I shouldn't forget them for a reason. A reason that wanted me to stop some kind of pain that I don't recall."

  The girl hummed as her lips curled into a strange smile. "You said it as if you didn't exist until I woke you up."

  "What else can I say? Besides, all I care about is protecting you and our little playground. Even if I didn't "exist" before, then all I can say is that I was made for this place!"

  "I see..." She hummed while she kept staring at me very weirdly. "Well, you may never expect how right you were."

  I raised my eyebrow, confused at what the hell she said. But what I thought of as "nonsense" ended up something I didn't realize over time. In fact, I was the first one to realize who I really am.

  "No responses from him?"

  I opened my eyes as soon as I snapped back to reality. It took me a few breaths before turning to Umbaria. "Nope. Other than my thoughts, it's as empty as the storage room. I can sense his presence, but it feels like I'm still blocked by a big wall when I try calling out to him. Are you sure I really have my own "Dr. Jekyll" or whatever you call the "other me"?"

  "I'm sure. I met him a few times now and I know how he acts and behaves," she answered. "While you're the hands-on type as well as being protective of our playground, Aster is the complete opposite. He's kind and a pacifist, sure. But he tends to give up too early and when it comes to confrontation, he just complains while hiding behind the counter."

  Ouch... Didn't expect the other me to be a coward... I could imagine why he didn't want to come out. Still, there's no reason to hide. I read the book Umbaria mentioned and I'm not like that Hyde guy!

  "Is it possible for me to drag him out? It would be hopeless if I let him stay in my head for too long, it's not going well for him."

  "I can understand your concerns. But letting him out through forceful means might not help his mental well-being. If we do that, it might prove his point of having an untrustworthy second personality. Not to mention he might lock you in your mind if you tried dozing off afterward. Don't forget: He has no knowledge of your existence yet and it would be unwise if you go out there and reveal yourself from out of nowhere."

  I gulped at those last words. I don't want that to happen... Guess using force might not be a good idea sometimes... I barely knew this Aster for a while and yet, I felt like we had something in common. I couldn't recall anything, but I know he didn't have a good life from Umbaria's description of him.

  "If you're right about him, then I have no objections on my end," I said with a sigh. "Still... I wish I could have met him in person. Despite how dumb he is with his paranoia, he sounds like a decent kid. If he had the courage to face his bullies and stand up to his parents, he would have become something great. Like a doctor, policeman, or even like Dr. Jekyll if he didn't drink that potion that made the evil Hyde."

  "What makes you think of that? No offense, but you need a lot more convincing if you want to have Aster to trust you. It only took a few play sessions and a lot of candy to warm up to me."

  "Well, I don't need candy to make him come out. If I do meet him, the first thing I want to do is to play chess with him."

  Umbaria suddenly chuckled. "Are you sure you know how to play it? No offense, but I doubt you have the brains to know the game."

  "I do! I just need to move the pawns in front and the knights diagonally... No, wait. That's for those pieces with cone hats..." I groaned. "The point is I want to play with Aster together, okay?! Dr. Jekyll never played with Hyde with chess and all of the smart people play one. Plus, I'm not all muscle, you know!"

  My face turned red as I heard her chuckle turn into laughter. Man, why did I say something so embarrassing to my boss?!

  Still, what I said isn't much of a lie. I really want to play Aster not because I want to. I just want him to make him comfortable around me. I'm not the evil Mister Hyde and I'm not planning to commit heinous crimes like him.

  Plus, Aster is like a brother to me. A brother I want to care for and protect.

  I don't want anything to happen to him and I won't let him keep beating himself up all because of his parents and bullies.

  All I want is to give him a good life. And I don't care what everyone said about him.

  I will do anything for my other self.

  You...cared for me?

  It sounded like a lie, but...

  Why am I crying when I hear those words?

  [Your [Anima Cecidit] has reacted...]