Chapter 44

It was indeed a good place. After walking and suffering from the chilly wind, we managed to enter a small café that could barely fit twelve people and took a small table.

As I looked around, the insides were bringing out the memories of a beachside café that I visited with my parents in my previous life.

It was, probably, what people would name a bittersweet memory. Though I was grateful I had this memory, I was sad that the time I spent would never return to me.

We've already made our orders and were waiting for the barista to make us our beverage.

Looking at the yellow light that came from the light bulb, the melancholic mood seeped into me.

"I've got something to tell you." Jessie was the first one to break the silence. "You will have an official fight tomorrow."

What!? I couldn't come to my senses for a long time.

"What!?"

"I'm sorry, I tried to dissuade my old man yesterday, but nothing came out of it." She looked apologetic.

"But, I'm tired, and I've lost already. Is it really okay for me?"

"With how fast you recover, there won't be any problems."

Won't be any problem, what about my courage and skills? I've thought about the things I've managed to do yesterday, but it was all under pressure, and I've ambushed the guys.

In a fair fight… "I've lost."

"Erlig, you will be okay, trust me." she looked really apologetic, with how she bit her lips and squinted her eyes slightly.

"Are you sure?" I lifted up my eyebrow and looked at Jessie.

"Order number thirty-four!" the barista shouted and pushed the bell. "Ding."

"I'm going after our drinks." She stood up and walked towards the counter.

Will I really be okay? I looked upward, towards the ceiling, and started tapping with my finger. I touched my purse that lay on top of the table. There were half a hundred surs.

Right, money was running out, my time was running out, I was fighting against myself to keep my sanity. I'm sure Mara's patience was running out as well.

I slumped over the table.

Why did all those protagonists in novels whine that they have shit abilities or their circumstances are bad. Look at me. I'm in such deep shit. And there is no superpower to save me. Why was it so unfair that I must struggle with all of this on my own.

"Clank." I heard the sound of a small tray being placed on top of the table.

"Here's your tea." Jessie handed me a small ceramic cup.

Yes, at least I've got her. Was she the one sent to me by the heavens, to save me?

"Is there something on my face? Why are you looking at me like that?" Jessie touched her cheek, lips, and nose.

"Jessie, do you have a dream?"

"A dream?" she looked at her cup that was filled to the brim with coffee.

"An ambition, or some sort of an aspiration." I took my own cup and started blowing on the surface of my tea to cool it down.

"I do. Yes, I have an ambition.” She took a sip of her coffee.

"What is it?" I took a more comfortable position in the seat.

"I want our team to be the most respected, decorated, and the most successful team there ever will be, and I'm going to do anything I can to achieve it." As she talked about her dream, her eyes glinted unnaturally.

"That's all?"

"Huh?" she looked flustered.

"Is that everything?"

"Ye-yeah, I mean, yes. What else would I want?" her eyes were darting all over the place. "Surely you would help me with this?"

"Me?" this time, it was my turn to get flustered.

"Uh-huh." She took another sip of her coffee. " Aren't you going to help me in return? With your talent, it's half the job done already."

"I'm… not sure."

"Don't be, you just need to work hard." Once again, this maniacal light in her eyes. She was really dedicated to her team.

"I'm not talking about this. It's about me. I don't know what I want to do. And I'm not sure I can achieve the results you are talking about with such an attitude. I would inevitably half-ass it."

"Then why don't you make this your dream? Won't it be great? Everyone will support you, we will be great friends."

"If it was that easy." I sighed. "In the end, why did you choose this as your dream?"

As I asked this question, the light in her eyes dimmed, and she looked gloomy. She didn't answer me. The only thing she did was sipping her coffee from time to time.

"That's what I'm talking about." I sighed inwardly.

"Still…" she tried to stand up, but I stopped her with my hand.

"Please, let me solve this myself. I'm grateful for your help, I really am, and I'm happy that you accepted my offer and want to be my friend. But this can't be solved with just words."

She looked even gloomier.

"I've got this feeling like I'm forgetting something, something important, I'm sure that after remembering it, everything will fall into place." As I sipped my tea I couldn't look at Jessie looking so depressed from a simple talk. "And maybe I could help you."

"Really?" the light in her eyes shone brightly once again.

Indeed, she was a martial fanatic. I shook my head.

"It's a promise," I said after finishing the rest of the tea.

"Then, I can only pray for you to find yourself sooner," Jessie answered as she finished her coffee.

"I'm glad we managed to talk, but I think we should head back home." I looked at the time, it was evening already.

Jessie did the same. "You are right, shall I ask my old man to give you a ride?"

"Don't worry, I will get home on my own."

"Okay." She stood up from over the table and went towards the exit.

As she did it, I followed her lead.

"By the way." As I was ready to go in the direction of the nearest bus stop I was caught by Jessie again.

"Yes?" was there something important she forgot to tell me.

"Don't forget to take a cold bath." She smiled at me.

"Sure."

As we parted our ways, I felt mixed feelings. Jessie was a great girl, almost too great to be true. Was there something going on with her?

"Ahh, what am I thinking about?" I ruffled my hair.

I felt like each day I've lived here brought me closer to a full mental meltdown. Why was it so hard to just stop thinking about useless stuff?

As I boarded the bus that was going in the direction of my home, I remembered one thing, a rather important thing.

I hurriedly called Jessie.

"Erlig, something happened?"

"I just wanted to ask something about the fight." I felt somewhat reluctant to talk about this.

"What is it?"

After gathering enough courage, I decided to ask this question upfront.

"Will I get paid if the fight is official?"

"Paid?"

"Yes, all the professional fighters are getting paid, don't they?"

"You are right, but I don't know how to say this…" she paused. "The first few fights would be more of a qualifier, as you are a novice, it's too early for you to be paid."

I closed my eyes after hearing this.

"Is this true?"

"Haven't you heard about this? You need to prove your strength and gain a certain amount of reputation."

"Yeah, now that I think about it, I've heard it." How could I forget about this, the other day when I was browsing about the fighting in this world, I saw this.

Nothing was given here for free. You should slowly and steadily get stronger by fighting in different leagues. Continuously improving your style as well as reputation. You should know how to attract viewers and fans, by winning fights. And the more you fight and win, the more prominent promotions would contact you.

Even if I would like to ask for a fight with the champ in a low-tier promotion, no one would give it to me. I've had yet to prove that I was strong.

"Erlig, Erlig, are you there?" I've barely managed to hear the voice of Jessie.

"Yeah, I spaced out for a bit there, I'm sorry. I'm fine. Thanks for reminding me of this."

"If you have any questions, you can call me anytime."

After that, I hung up.

I do need to find a part-time job. Even though my expenses rose up solely by using a bus, I still was lacking in finances. What would happen later on when I need spare money?

My head started throbbing, and I rubbed my nose bridge.

As I got down from the bus and was looking at the street absentmindedly, I felt my phone vibrating as well as my ringtone playing. I took it and answered the phone without even looking at the name of the caller.

"Who is it?"

"Erlig… How are you?" a raspy voice I've heard enough time to recognize.

"Why are you calling me?" I couldn't stop myself from frowning and taking an aggressive attitude. "Go and drink with your girlfriends."

"I'm sorry…" she made a long pause.

"If this is everything you've got to say, I will hang up and block you. I'm really tired of you. Leading me by my nose, trying to constantly get into my head." I felt that my voice was rising up as I was talking. "Can't you be more, I don't know, normal? What do you want to achieve? Me avoiding you?"

"Erlig…"

"What, Erlig!? Can't you stop messing with me? If you love me, why can't you approach me in a normal way? Why are you irritating me? I'm tired of this, of all this bullshit. And I'm pleading for you to stop this, and let me be." After saying what I felt down in my chest, I felt a bit better.

"There was a reason why it happened." Mara's voice was soft.

"Well, then explain it to me, I'm willing to listen to it."

"Thank…"

"Though if I don't like it, I will stop contacting you in any form."

I heard how she drew a big amount of air in her lungs.

"I was feeling lonely."

What? "Lonely? Why would you, of all people, feel lonely."

"It's because I can't get together with you, and I won't be able to contact you for a few days."

"That's it?" Her reason didn't sound that good.

"Isn't it enough?" there was a pleading in her voice. "Erlig, I told you, I Like you, I really do, and I felt like our relationship started progressing…"

"One-sidedly at best." I scoffed.

"Sigh, if it's like this for you, I'm sorry. I wanted to spend some time with you to unwind when my friends started bothering me. They whined about how I neglected them." I heard a gulping sound, she was probably thirsty after yesterday night. "And somehow it turned into the thing you saw. I swear it wasn't my idea."

"So it was the doing of those two girls?"

"Uh-huh," she replied meekly.

"Sigh, I'm not impressed." I rubbed my nose bridge. "You know what… I don't want you to contact me in any form anymore."

"ERLIG!" she shouted.

"Listen." However, I interrupted her. "I don't care why you are doing this or that, and I don't care if you have feelings for me or just playing with me. You should just stop this charade. You obviously can't give me what I'm looking for in the relationship. I've got no clue of what you are thinking about or why you are doing certain things. I personally think you have some issues. I don't care if you have rich parents or whatever else, leave me alone."

After I stopped venting my feelings, I ended the call and put her number on the blacklist before ultimately deleting it from my contacts.

Under the spur of the moment, I've erased one person from my life.

Yet, at the moment, I've had no idea how much I was wrong and how big of an impact on my life Mara would bring.