A week had passed since the talk with the School Director. Riel had already decided on what he would do, but he’d like to take all the time that he could to procrastinate. After all, once his tutoring begins, he would only have two days of rest a week.
“Well, it’s not like I’ll be working 8 hours. At worst, probably 5 hours.”
School begins at 7 in the morning and ends at 2 pm in the afternoon. Once school ends, the classrooms will become club rooms for students who engage in club activities. Officially, the school will be closed down by 6 pm, but club activities usually end at around 5 to 5:30 pm with the last 30 minutes meant for cleaning up. That said, Riel is still advised to head to school as early as noon-time. A teacher or tutor in Riel’s case doesn’t know when students might need them for something during lunch-break.
“Now that I think about it, that sh*t-ass school is also open on Saturdays for those clubs which have special activities or projects.”
But since the club that he’ll be taking up probably won’t engage in anything but writing and criticism, he isn’t too worried that the students would request activities on Saturdays.
“Officially, I’m just a tutor who isn’t supposed to be hired by the school, but my job is to be the literature club’s adviser. And the literature club is an official school club. I don’t understand what that bearded idiot is thinking.”
Riel was afraid that he might be stepping on a landmine, but as long as he reads the contract word for word, he wouldn’t skip on anything important. Just as Riel was thinking hard about the things that he considered to be significant, a sudden knock could be heard from Riel’s door.
Riel wasn’t in the mood to talk to people. After all, he’s using all the power of his brain to think. Riel decided to ignore his sister, but every time he ignored his sister, the knock would go louder. It was getting to the point where his sister was basically already banging his door which forced Riel to finally entertain his sister.
“What is it this time, sis?”
“How rude. After making me wait, you won’t even give me a kiss?”
“How about you kiss my ass instead?”
“Ahaha. I pissed him off. George and Kyle are going to visit. Join us for a drink.”
“Huuuhhh? I won’t be drinking. I’m busy. The en-”
Just as Riel was already ending the conversation, his sister blackmailed him into submission.
“I’ll be telling them all kinds of things about you and the twins. Uhuhu I feel excited already.”
“Uhh, I-if it’s just for a little bit, I guess I can drink.”
His sister’s ability to blackmail him was superb. His imaginary HP almost went from 100% to zero, or maybe it really went to zero. Otherwise, Riel would have never succumbed. Riel originally wouldn’t have minded his sister telling other people about him and the twins, but the problem was that his sister might tell lies that will put shame on him.
*DiNg, DoNG* was the sound of the doorbell ringing.
“Ah! They are here!”
Riel’s sister hurried excitedly in order to welcome their visitors. Riel, on the other hand, could only scratch his head in disappointment.
“Ughh… Doomsday is about to begin.”
“Oh, Riel! It’s rare for you to be out of your room already.”
A man who looked like he was around Riel’s age greeted him with those words. A man with short, waxed, and spiky hair who’s height isn’t too different from Riel. Unlike Riel who would always look younger than his age, the man looked like he was in his 20s. Incidentally, this man was also the neighbor who teased Riel back when he went to the twins’ school.
“Ughh Kyle. You weren’t lying when you said you were going to visit.”
“Of course! I missed my best friend after all. Haha! I brought eight bottles of beer. We’re going to drink until we are wasted. Best friends forever!”
“Best friends forever? No thanks. Besides, it’s still 3 pm in the afternoon. Can’t you guys even wait until the sun sets?”
“Well, the earlier we start, the earlier we will finish.”
“The hell? 8 Liters of black horse beer… I hope your livers go explode.”
“But you’re going to drink with us. Your liver might explode, too! Ahahaha!”
Before the conversation went for too long, Riel’s sister had decided that it’d be better for Riel to go have a sit already instead of being stuck at his room’s door.
“If you’re going to talk, come closer and take a sit near us. Don’t be rude to our visitors, come on!”
And finally, The name of Riel’s sister would be revealed thanks to Kyle.
“Nah, You know your little bro very well. Sis Ruelle, where are the twins?”
Riel ran towards the group so swiftly with such light footsteps it was inaudible with all the tick-tocks of the clocks and the sounds of two electric fans. He took a sit on a single seater chair. Ruelle on the other hand,
“Ah, I haven’t been informed of their visit for today. So maybe they aren’t coming.”
Riel was giving his sister the killer stare as if saying “If you say anything unnecessary, I’ll kill you.”
Riel was just too afraid that his sister would make a lie that will shatter all of his sanity into tiny pieces.
“Heh! Sorry for you, but I don’t think those two will come today. Let’s start this nonsense already!”
Riel went ahead and opened a bottle of beer. The glasses have already been prepared by his sister beforehand. Riel only had to pour the beer and drink, but another ding dong had been heard.
“Ohh? Could this be…”
Ruelle had the kind of smile that Riel hated so much. The kind of smile that seemed like his sister was planning something that would be fun on her perspective, but disastrous to Riel. Because of that, Riel decided to take the initiative to welcome the second batch of visitors.
What peeked were two identical faces that Riel was so familiar with. The owners of those faces were the ones Riel so didn’t want to encounter at the moment, but it just couldn’t be helped. Riel could only frown his brows as he asked.
“Why are you here?”
“U-umm… We missed you.. We wanted to see you!”
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Said Luna. Runa on the other hand,
“Luna is right. It has already been a week since our last get-together.”
[Ughh… These two are so high-maintenance.]
“Sorry, but we’re doing something pretty difficult right now. No minors allowed. Go home.”
Riel came off rude as usual. The twins had already gotten used to that side of him which is why it didn’t have that much of an effect.
“We won’t go home unless you explain.”
Riel could only scratch his head and click his tongue. There was no need to lie about what they were going to do, but he wasn’t sure if he would be able to convince the twins to leave.
“We’re having a small drinking party today. We probably won’t stop until one or two of us get drunk. Go back tomor-”
Just as Riel spoke, Runa could be heard shouting.
“Luna, I choose you! Riel’s guard is down. Use Infiltrate!!”
Luna quickly entered through the gap that Riel had left unguarded. Meanwhile, Runa took advantage of Riel’s confusion and entered without troubles while Riel’s eyes were focused on Luna.
“Infiltration success! Yey!”
Runa and Luna gave each other a five as they celebrate their success. Kyle on the other hand,
“Sigh, they pulled a fast one on you, Riel. haha!”
“Shut up. Just chug some beer and die already.”
Finally, the silent George who seemed to be older both to Riel and Kyle began to speak for the first time.
“Hahaha! Looks like our little party will get livelier and more fun today. So, would you introduce them to us, Riel?”
“Tsch, why me? Big sis, you do it.”
“Huuhh? Those cuties came here for you, my little bro. You should be the one introducing them.”
Everybody’s eyes were glimmering with curiosity and excitement. The boys were curious about the twins while the twins were curious as to how Riel would introduce them.
“You two. Allow me in your middle.”
Riel had thought that it would be easier to introduce the two if he was in the middle. After all, the twins cannot be discerned the usual way people would discern one another. It’s similar to how cats and dogs all look the same to the human eyes.
“Why do I feel like I’m being compared to a cat right now?”
Runa whispered.
“Shut up and just go with the flow. Why do you have to make life harder for me every time?”
Runa stuck her tongue out but Riel ignored her anyway. Perhaps he’s beginning to get used to things.
“Ermm… So, this one on my right is Luna. The one on my left is Runa. They look exactly the same but don’t be fooled. Their personality is both at the opposite end of the spectrum.”
That introduction would have been good, except the twins didn’t like the fact that their names weren’t introduced in full.
“What was that?! Sigh, we shouldn’t have relied on you. Sis, we’re going to reintroduce ourselves.”
Luna nodded in agreement with Runa. It shows just how much they loved the names that they were gifted with.
“I’m Runa Mythria. It is a pleasure to meet all of you.”
“I… I’m Luna.. Evernight. Nice to meet you.”
And just as everybody thought that the introduction had already ended, The twins nodded at each other in silence as if they had already planned in advance to introduce themselves in a certain manner whenever Riel would be around.
“We are thankful for the one who gave us our names.”
Said Runa. Luna on the other hand,
“He was who gave us the greatest first gift ever.”
It’s rare for Luna, but this time, she spoke in a proper way without stuttering. She had her meek expression, but she wore a proud smile with her head held high. Finally, both of them told everyone together.
“Thank you, Riel.”
Riel’s face went completely red as the twins ended their introduction. It was possibly the most embarrassing moment for Riel after a couple of years, but Riel didn’t complain. Instead, he wore a gentle smile of contentment.
“So, are you guys happy with the introduction? Can we just take a sit now?”
Everybody was dumbfounded by Runa and Luna’s introductions and the way they showed their gratitude to their namer. Riel took advantage of the silence to move around and get some more chairs for the duo, and then, right after everyone had already taken a seat,
“And today, the Round Table has been established.”
Said Ruelle in a deep tone as if to imitate a man.
“Woah, King Arthur?”
Riel Murmured. Ruelle didn’t react as though she still had something to do. She slowly lifted up an unopened bottle of beer in a slow, graceful manner.
“I have obtained the Excalibur. Rejoice, my Knights. We shall dominate the whole world!”
Again, Riel’s sister said those words in a deep voice. Riel needed to get something out of his system though.
“Uhh, I’m pretty sure King Arthur didn’t plan to take over the whole world.”
Nobody paid any attention to Riel and instead, Kyle and George went for a
“YEeeaahh!! Let’s dominate the world using the power of the Excalibeer!”
Runa attempted to pour some beer on a glass, but
“That’s my glass, though. Also, minors shouldn’t drink.”
Riel interrupted the Runa who was meaning to try a taste.
“J-just a little, please?”
“Why do you only end up sounding so nice when you’re asking for permission on something dumb?”
Kyle joined in on the conversation
“Come on, Riel. Don’t be a party pooper. This is The Philippines. Not Japan.”
George also decided to say something.
“I learned to drink alcohol when I was 13.”
But Riel didn’t want to budge.
“Nobody’s asking for your opinions. And you don’t have to reminisce over your failed past.”
This time. It was Ruelle who gave a try in convincing Riel.
“Come on Riel. I know you’re worried for them, but it won’t hurt to have them try, right? If it’s only a little, then there should be no problem.”
“Tsch. Everybody’s against me. Do whatever you want. Just don’t blame me if you get drunk. Especially since it’s your first time, alcohol may quickly take over you.”
Runa smiled ear to ear as Riel gave her his permission. The agreement was that Riel was the one who’s going to pour beer on Runa’s glass so that he can control how much she drinks. However, there were only four glasses at the moment as the twins’ visit was rather unannounced.
“Wait a moment. I’ll get you a glass. Will Luna also drink?”
But Luna shook her head.
“I think.. I want tea. B-but you don’t have t-”
“Roger that!”
Riel quickly went over to the kitchen to get a glass which he immediately brought to Runa so she could begin drinking. Riel poured only a fourth of the glass’ capacity which made Runa say “Stingy”. Riel didn’t bother reacting. He went to make Luna her tea instead. Since it’s kind of an occasion, Riel decided to put some effort into his tea-making and began to brew tea from scratch. If Riel was to be honest, he never had any interest in tea, but ever since he met the twins, he figured that it wouldn’t be so bad to learn how to brew tea. He had been experimenting on brewing tea for nearly a month and had finally produced satisfactory results. A combination of certain herbs that he’s been taking care of in his father’s stead was used in the making of the tea. The tea would include some honey which is meant to enhance its flavor. Since he’s brewing it from scratch, it may take some time. He reminded everyone that he wouldn’t be back in about half an hour to possibly a whole hour. Luna didn’t want to trouble Riel, but instead of apologizing, she learned to be thankful instead. She didn’t want to waste Riel’s dedication. Also, since he’ll be gone for at least half an hour, he decided to completely fill Runa’s glass. After Riel went back to the kitchen, the conversation began.
“Seriously though, THAT Riel was the one who named both of you?”
Asked Kyle. The one who answered first was George.
“Their names sound very Riel-like. Don’t you think?”
“Well yeah. They sound unique and also really fantastical. Sounds like our creative Riel, but how did it happen?”
Again, asked Kyle. The twins couldn’t really answer the question because of certain limitations.
“Our father told us very limited information about how it all happened. Also, I may bug Riel a lot, but...”
Runa paused for a few moments before continuing as if she was getting herself prepared.
“I deeply respect him. That’s why we are doing whatever we can to get him out of his shell. I also won’t be willing to say something that may be sensitive for him.”
Luna also felt like she had to say something. She won’t allow Runa to hog the spotlight by herself when it comes to their namer.
“I want him to experience happiness… Happiness that can only be found by being free.. I want to free him… Free him from being ostracized not by anyone, but by himself. I don’t want to see him being hurt. I want him to experience all kinds of things. I want him to see all that nature; this world has to offer.”
Everyone who was present at that moment was amazed at how dedicated the twins for Riel’s sake. To think that Riel had such wonderful companions, it really makes one wonder if Riel was able to appreciate that fact.
“Aren’t they awesome?”
Said Ruelle.
“Yeah. I’m actually quite envious of Riel.”
Those words were owned by Kyle. George followed with a nod.
“But, you know? I’m not really sure if my little bro deserves them.”
~~~~~~~~~~More than half an hour but less than a full hour had passed.~~~~~~~~~~~
Riel was slowly walking with a pitcher filled with the tea that he made. Originally, the process of brewing would only take Riel ten to fifteen minutes at most, but he had to pick the herbs and he also had to be careful with the amount that he had to use not to mention he had to cool the tea down and put ice on it if he wants to serve it cold to Luna.
“Delicious…”
Luna wore such a smile of satisfaction that everyone present at the time simply had no choice but to notice.
“I’m glad that you liked it.”
Said Riel. Runa extended her hand holding the glass to Riel as a sign that she wants more beer, but
“Errm… Are you sure you want more? You’ll really get drunk. Just so you know, even though no one is getting caught, our age of consent is actually 18.”
“Pour me some tea then…”
Runa said in a way that was difficult to hear. It was almost like a whisper, but Riel understood it. He was just wondering why Runa had such a frown on her face. Was she that mad about Riel being strict? That was probably not the reason, but Runa was the only one who knew of her own feelings.
[You exerted that much effort for Luna. Talk about playing favorites…]
Was what she thought at the first sip of the iced tea.
“So, what do you think of it?”
Riel asked Runa who was already not feeling at her best.
“It’s okay. I guess…”
Runa didn’t want to admit it, but she found Riel’s tea to be really good.
Their little party continued for about four hours. It ended at a time Riel would consider dangerous for cute, innocent girls to be walking home alone. For the first time, he decided to take the initiative rather than always being forced, but…
“You’re already kind of drunk. We can go home by ourselves just fine.”
Runa was trying to convince the drunk Riel that they’d be fine on their own, but Riel had already resolved himself.
“I said that I’ll be bringing you home.”
Riel paused for a moment before continuing
“Besides… I… kind of want to see your house.”
The twins were taken aback by those words.
“Sis… I want to invite Riel over…”
Said Luna which Runa quickly agreed with.
“Then off we go!”
The after-party cleaning was done by the perpetrators of the party; Kyle, George, and Ruelle which encouraged Riel to go head over to the twins’ home.