Hogo No Yujin (Protective Friend)
Episode 23~ Memories to bounce back!

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STAPLE! STAPLE!

Utsuki Tanaka. A man who is Takana Utsuki's brother. He managed to save his brother who was in danger. And now, he was jumping from one tree to another while holding his sister.

"Takana-Chan., why since you went to this country, your strength has decreased. The Takana I knew first, was the most powerful Oniroshi. What the hell happened to you? Just this time I saw you lose the fight against Oni." Batin Tanaka is anxious.

Tanaka still calls her sister by the end of "-chan". That word is for women. I know it like that. Uh, but actually I can. Just on condition, the word "-chan" is used for people who are already very close/familiar. It doesn't matter if it's a man or a woman.

"Eh, oh yeah! Before I go home, I have to find Fely-chan first. Now, where is he?" tanaka Mumam.

Apparently, Tanaka was with my sister. But now he himself has lost my brother. I don't know where he is (Kak Fely) right now.

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POV DYLAN–

BYUUUR....~

Grief, hatred, humiliation, malice, even disappointment, have all been mixed up in my empty soul. Unite into a group full of like the deep ocean.

Right now, I'm getting carried into that ocean. I don't know when I'll be able to get out of this deep ocean....

If only someone had pulled my hand and helped me out of this ocean. Is there someone who will save me?

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Chapter 23: [Memories of getting back up! ]

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Ughhhh! I can't breathe in this dark, deep sea. My body is getting drawn into it and soon it will reach the bottom of the sea and I will not be able to get out again.

Somebody help me! Am I going to die here? Here, I only felt pain in my chest due to the difficulty in breathing. But, the pain in my previous wound was not felt anymore. Lukaku disappeared!

Eh?! Wait up!

I reopened my eyes. Actually, where am I? Am I in another realm now?

But, here I can't move. I could only see some bubbles coming out of my mouth. Perhaps, it was just a few of my life that would soon run out in a matter of minutes if the bubble didn't come out again.

Hah, I will just give up, and let the death pick me up quickly....

"Dylan! Dylan-san! Dylan-san don't just give up!"

Uh! I was shocked and quickly opened my eyes. I heard the voice of someone close to me. I flicked my hands together to stay afloat and floated in this dark place that I called the deep ocean.

My body is like floating in the air. But, it's just, I don't know where this is. It's all so dark. And again, all I saw was a bubble coming out of my mouth and a little glow.

"Si, who are you?"

Eh? It turned out that here I could still let out my voice! Not likely....

"Dylan-san wants to give up here?"

"He, hey! Whoareyou?! Show yourself!" I screamed while looking for someone I didn't know. In fact, I myself could not see that person.

"I'm here."

"In, where?!"

"I'll come to you!"

Ah, there he is. I saw a shining white shadow coming at me from a distance. I slightly closed my eyes to see more clearly the white shadow that was approaching me.

I, that.... That was Takana Utsuki?!

"Hello, Dylan-san!"

His voice is a little faint. But, I can recognize that glowing white figure. I know his posture. But I can't see his face. Is that really Takana?

"Dylan-san. Try it!" Said the white figure that resembled Takana.

"Hey, where is this actually? And who are you?!" my snapping.

"Take this the world of your dreams. And let's just say, I'm your imaginary creature."

"What's? A, I don't understand any of this. What the hell is going on?"

"I'll show you something." Let's call that figure Takana. The figure of Takana was sticking his finger into the air. Then, a small wave appeared that slightly shook. And soon, a screen appeared that showed some images.

This time, he showed a moving picture that appeared on that magic screen. The picture shows the figure of Kak Fely who was holding someone on the side of the river. Uh, it turns out that person is.., myself!

"Ah, why am I there?" I asked Takana who was floating beside me.

"Please note. Only after this, I'll explain it to you."

I just keep quiet. Then my eyes glanced back at the screen.

In there, Brother Fely is doing something to me. She's.... Uh! My brother is sewing my slightly open belly?! His blood has been cleansed, and now, does he want to cure me with just a red thread?

I keep watching that picture. Shortly thereafter, Brother Fely cut off the end of the thread. It seems, he's done. The wound on my stomach was also completely covered. Now, what will my brother do?

After Brother Fely rolled back his thread and put it back in the box he was carrying, Brother Fely laid my body on the grass by the river. Then, he sat down cross-legged beside me. His body is facing towards me. Then, he placed both of his palms in front of his chest, slightly lowered while closing his eyes. He mumbled a little. What did my brother do? I don't know.

Then, after he did that, something surprised me. Suddenly, the thread that bound the skin on my stomach gave off a bright red glow. It was so bright that it covered the screen of the picture. I couldn't see anything because it was covered in that red light.

But, in just a few seconds. Before long, the light disappeared again. The red thread disappeared and..., the seam file and the wound file on my stomach also disappeared!

Uh, what the fuck?! My brother cured me? And now, what's he doing?

"Dylan? Can you get up now?"

"Well, that's the sound of your brother's whisper that made it into your dream world." The figure of Takana is back.

"Eh? My brother's voice can come in here?"

"Yes. Now, try listening to your brother's sobbing. And look back at that screen."

"Eh?" I'm appalled. Looking at the moving image on the screen, I saw my brother who was closing his eyes with both hands. From between his fingers, he began to drip clear water. Are those tears?

"Dylaaan! Please wakeup! Brother can't afford to lose you! No. gabe. Wake up! I am no longer strong enough to live like this. I lost my mom and dad. And now, I don't want to lose you either. Dylan, are you going to leave brother as well?!"

I heard my brother's voice again. His voice grew louder and my brother's voice cried out a little. Looking at the screen, she was crying while banging on the grass beside me. Either he's upset or what? But, my chest ached as I looked at my brother's rare expression. It was the first time I had seen such an expression!

"My brother. Is he really...."

"Yes. He loves you very much. He didn't want to lose his most precious sister to him." Said the figure of Takana interrupting my words. "Now, come back to him."

Ikh! It's been a long time, my brother left me alone at home. In fact, he himself did not come home to see me on my birthday. He's a shitty brother. I always thought of him as such.

"No. I'd rather just die here!" I've already chosen my decision.

But apparently, the figure of Takana refused my request. "It can't be like this, Dylan-san! Worry about your world, your future. Your move to get back up is still there and you still have plenty of time."

"Stay away. If I get back up, I can't do it. It will all be in vain. Because, from the beginning, I knew that I was a failed child!"

"Don't be like this, Dylan-san! While you still have the will, then you can realize your wish. You just need to bounce back from your despair!" Firmly figure Takana it. "And one more thing, think about the feelings of those around you!"

"Eh, what do you mean?"

"DYLAN-DADDY! Huwaaay! Onee-chan, why is it like this?! Dylan-san is really dead?"

Uh, on that screen, I was shown the figure of Takana in the world. I saw her running towards me and she immediately cried while hugging me. So did Brother Fely who was crying harder. And... Tanaka was crying too?

I can't believe this. I thought they would all not care about me. But as it turns out, they can still cry in front of me?

"Look at yourself, right? All of those people still care about you. It was just the three of them. Because they see your situation. Try if other people see you like that too. They'll cry too."

"Ah, ta, but I...."

"And don't forget the memories from your memory, Dylan-san! Look at this."

SSWOO....

A, what is this?!

"Dylan-san, these are all your memories. You think your life is never happy? But look at some of these images." Takana grabbed a screen that contained a picture of me with. "Look. Your face is so happy. You are always smiling and cheerful. Not like now."

Is correct. I was too satisfied with my happy life at the time. I grabbed one of the picture-garmbars hovering above me. I look like the happiest kid. What made me a child like this?

"Dylan-san.., if you want to get back up, then all these memories will be repeated in the future. Trust me. You will feel this happiness again. But, if you stop now, then all these memories will be DESTROYED!"

PRANGS! PRANGS!

I'm appalled. All of a sudden, all the screens of images of my happy past shattered like a broken mirror.

I want to be happy like before. When I remember, Takana who is in the world felt very happy when she saw me who accidentally smiled.

I want to feel like my past. Do I have to go back to my sister Takana and Tanaka? My answer is, Yes!

"Tell me, how can I get back in front of them?"

Takana's figure looks smiling. He seems very happy. "All right! Easy way. You have to fight alone. Now, try to swim up there! Come on, Dylan-san's spirit!"

"Ah, okay! Doesn't matter!"

I started moving my whole leg and hand. Then, easily, my body was able to move back. Then, quickly, I swam up there. Heading to the light which is the way out of the black sea is only my suffering.

"See you, Dylan-san!"

Down there, I saw that Takana figure waving at me. I nodded and shouted thanking him for giving myself so much encouragement to bounce back from my despair.

Here goes! The light is getting closer. It gets brighter and brighter in my view. But I will keep going forward! Right now, I'm gonna get out of my nightmare!

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"Dylan-san! Dylan-"

"Aah!"

The cup!

"Eh? Eh? The eeeeeeeh? EEEEEEHHH?!"

"Well, it's romantic, hehe.." muttered Tanaka with a smile and tilted her head.

Whaaa! What the fuck?! When I woke up, my head suddenly shot straight up. Then, Takana who was hugging me was actually leaning her face very close to me. Then, when I woke up earlier, suddenly, my lips with Takana's lips touched and were slightly depressed!

I rebelled so that Takana would let go of her embrace. After that, I immediately stood up to get away from Takana.

Everyone looked at me with their surprised faces. Raise eyes with a slightly open mouth. Their faces were a little pale from crying.

I tried to say hello to them. "Ha, hi?"

"Dylan!"

"Yeah! Dylan-san!"

"Horeee!"

The three of them immediately stood up, then walked quickly towards me. They hugged me. It seemed, their feelings were being happy today. I can feel it. Their embrace makes my body warm and comfortable. Are these signs of my happiness?

To be Continued