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Frank stayed a good minute there, glancing as Harumi left with Erika, Matsuo, and everyone else. It seemed Erika started teasing her all the way there, and Harumi looked even more embarrassed as she walked away.
"She kissed me… Ah, I shouldn't really think too much about it."
He felt slightly happy and embarrassed, but at the end of the day, people kissed each other's cheeks to say goodbye back in America quite a lot, perhaps in Japan it was rarer, but not something that didn't happen.
"Or does she…?"
For a moment he considered something else as well, feeling rather embarrassed. Although he felt happy, he didn't quite know what to do or say about the situation.
"Ah right, my family…"
Frank walked towards his house, sensing that the barrier he had placed was… still in place, and it hasn't been tampered either.
In fact, it seemed stronger, the mana core he had left behind was directly connected to him through a powerful pact.
This made it so the stronger he became, the stronger the core of this formation would become.
And because the barrier was also connected to his parents and his sister's own protective barriers, they would also grow in strength.
As he glanced the door, however…
He suddenly recalled those bloody scenes from his dreams.
Of his family members dismembered over the floor, with blood painting his house.
And with his sister being killed in front of him.
"Ahh…"
He glared at his own hands for a moment, realizing they weren't covered by blood.
"It's just a dream…"
He closed his eyes, trying to remember the one that did that.
Was that a fictional dream foe or…
Someone that existed in real life?
Based in these fragmented memories or dreams of a hypothetical future.
He almost knew who this one was.
"Wasp…"
A man known simply as "Wasp", a powerful hitman that works for the Chaos Gate, and so monstrously strong that Frank was unable to even do a single thing against him when he killed his family.
"I had to run away… Didn't I?"
He gripped his fists tightly, feeling conflicted with himself.
"Not anymore… I cannot run away to another world now."
He sighed, opening the door with the key and…
He closed his eyes for a moment, before opening them.
For a moment he thought he would see it again.
That scene.
And yet.
As he opened his eyes…
"Oh, Frank?! Welcome back dear!"
"Hey, you're back!"
"Oniisan!"
Frank stood there, looking at his family.
They were alive, sitting around the table, it seems they had just started having dinner.
They were very happy to see him, his mother ran towards him and hugged him.
"Mom…"
He felt her warm hug, and he slowly calmed down.
"How have you been? Was the training camp you went to nice? I didn't know you were interested in learning martial arts from the monks! It's nice to know that your friend- Dear?"
As his mother started talking, she noticed that Frank was… crying.
"Mom…!"
He hugged her tightly, as he couldn't stop his tears.
"Oh my… Why are you crying? W-What happened? Did you fight with your friend?"
Her mother hugged her son for a moment, as his stepdad and his sister quickly stood up and went to look if he was fine.
"Are you alright, niisan?"
"Is everything fine?"
"A-Ah, I'm fine… No, nothing wrong happened. I was just… I don't know, maybe I missed my house. I missed you all."
"Geez, what's gotten into you? It was just three days!" His sister said. "I barely missed you!"
"Kamei! Is this how you treat your older brother?" Her father reprimanded her.
"Hahah… It's fine," Frank laughed. "Well, I'm back home."
"Come on now, let me clean those tears," his mother said, using a handkerchief to quickly clean his face. "We just started having dinner, want to join us?" She quickly kissed his forehead.
"Sure!" Frank had just eaten back at Matsuo's place, but as his body continued growing stronger, he needed more food, so it wasn't like he couldn't have another meal.
As he sat down and enjoyed the harmony of his family, the delicious food his mother prepared, and the casual chatting he had with his mom, stepdad, and his sister, Frank felt relieved and happy.
It was indeed just a dream, or well, a nightmare.
Now that he was here, that this world existed, he knew he could make things right.
That he could change the past and forge a new future.
A lot of things have happened, but he knew he had been growing stronger from all of these experiences.
Things might have gotten more dangerous too but, he had his friends as well, and the clans supporting them.
Having become a friend with all three major clans, Frank didn't feel all powerless and alone anymore.
"So what did you learn in the camp? We've been talking about that for a while now!" Said his stepfather. "Will you be going there every week?"
"A-Ah yeah! I'll go every day, whenever I leave home… IN fact that's why I come back a bit later," said Frank. "That's what I usually do at Matsuo's place… his family- his clan is pretty nice. Good people."
"Oooh! Is that so? I'm so glad they've welcomed you in the community!" his mother said.
"I suppose a martial arts clan is not something you usually see every day," his stepdad said. "What is their name?"
"Uh, well they say they're a clan from the sun…" Frank muttered, not sure if he could say that.
"Oh, the Sun Clan?! I see! I've known a few friends that were monks there and that also learned martial arts. But I doubt you'll become a monk yourself, right?" Laughed his stepdad.
"Y-Yeah, it just training… I wanted to learn some self-defense," said Frank. "Maybe to feel more confident and stuff."
"Hm, there's nothing wrong with that honestly," his mother said.
"Meh, it kind of sounds boring though…" Kamei yawned, tapping on her phone. "Hey niisan, why don't you show me some karate moves though? Maybe I can film you and make a video for tiktok!"
"T-Tiktok?" Frank tilted his head. "What's that?"
"Aw come on, you don't know what's that?" Kamei kept yapping, but Frank was happy she had become more talkative.
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