TTRIA 42

Amy’s added explanation was as follows. Originally, Jonny had worked as a laborer for the theater troupe where Amy worked. However, he harbored an inferiority complex about getting the job with his sister’s help, and he was fired due to his insincere work attitude. On top of that, he had even gotten into gambling, secretly siphoning off the money his sister had earned for a while.

Jonny, who had incurred an unbearable debt, asked Amy for help, but Amy firmly refused. Even for a blood relative, there was a limit to what she could tolerate. Amy no longer thought of Jonny as her brother, and thus the siblings went their separate ways.

But Jonny was persistent. With his sister being the only one he could rely on, Jonny clung to her desperately.

“I thought he might actually die at that rate…. So I helped him once or twice. Fortunately, he seemed to be coming to his senses. He found a job and seemed to be working quite diligently. But….”

One day, she started spotting Jonny at a different theater troupe. It was then that she found out through the title the staff used to address him. ‘Playwright’. Jonny had become a playwright, following in Amy’s footsteps.

“I couldn’t believe it. He’s my brother, after all, I wondered if he could have really gone that far. But I’m ridiculous too, aren’t I. I wanted to deny it, but at the same time, I couldn’t bring myself to trust him. I immediately went home and searched the place. As expected, one manuscript was gone.”

“…….”

“And it was the only one among my scripts that Jonny could understand. Because it was a story we experienced together.”

That meant it was true that the Max siblings had encountered the ‘insect’. Jeff, who had been listening to the story in silence, opened his mouth.

“What do you mean, you ruined it.”

“Exactly what I said. That guy laid his hands on my manuscript.”

“Then the original content….”

“The general framework is similar, but it’s different. Things like the characters and the ending. I didn’t want to portray him that way. I never even intended to reveal that in the first place….”

Amy swallowed a pained breath. Jeff, growing impatient, sent a prodding gaze her way.

“‘Him’? What was ‘he’ like, the one you met?”

“He was….”

Amy, her face instantly weary, wiped her dry face. With distant eyes, as if recalling something, she opened her mouth to Jeff, who was staring at her fiercely.

“Before that, Jeff, how about we get something to eat first.”

“No. I don’t need to eat, so please answer me first, Amy. What you just said, that ‘him’, what on earth….”

“Even if you say so, what about your companion? That person, he hasn’t had a single sip of water since you collapsed like that.”

Amy said, turning her head. Startled, Jeff hurriedly looked at Cecil. The man, who had been silently stroking Ego all this time, met his gaze. His face was expressionless, likely conscious of Amy, but his blue eyes held a gentle warmth. Jeff slowly lowered his gaze to Cecil’s lips. He saw the dry lips marked with teeth imprints, and now he understood why.

Damn it, you selfish bastard. Jeff swallowed down the surging emotion with great effort and berated himself. Amy, who had been placidly watching his instantly contorted expression, let out a light sigh and said.

“How about it. Do you feel a little more up for eating now?”

Jeff, his shoulders drooping helplessly, nodded his head.

“…Please.”

“Alright. Follow me. It’s too dusty in here, so let’s go out and take care of it.”

Amy, who grinned, gave a slight nod. His assumption that they would head to a nearby restaurant or break room was proven wrong when the place she led them to was an empty stage. The space, faintly illuminated by a single small work light on the ceiling, surprisingly exuded a cozy atmosphere.

“Just sit wherever.”

Amy, who had perched herself in the middle of the stage with a clear view of the audience seats, began to lay out the pre-packaged sandwiches and soup on the floor.

“Are we allowed to do this?”

As Jeff, who had guided Cecil, hesitantly took a seat, Amy laughed heartily.

“Is that even a question? Of course not.”

“…Are you kidding me?”

“But it’s fine. As long as we don’t get caught, it’s all good.”

As if this was a frequent occurrence, Amy continued to speak calmly.

“The theater is closed tomorrow anyway, so the staff will be coming in later than usual. The smell will have dissipated by then. Don’t worry and just eat. And you there, handsome, let’s have you eat this.”

When she shook an apple she had taken out of a paper bag, Ego strode over. The creature, who sat down beside Amy, began to munch on the brightly colored apple with a crunching sound. Amy, watching with a pleased expression, picked out the lettuce and meat from her own sandwich and gave it to him, and Ego accepted and ate it, being careful not to let their teeth clash.

“What is that creature doing….”

Jeff, who was watching the scene in bewilderment, muttered. Cecil whispered quietly from the side.

“I think he likes her.”

“Amy?”

“Yes.”

Come to think of it, when he had opened his eyes, Ego had returned with Amy. What a strange thing. Jeff let out a hollow laugh and bit into his sandwich.

“I think he’s judged that he doesn’t need to be wary.”

“Seems so. Still, I’m a little disappointed. It was quite difficult for me to get close to that guy.”

“Hmm…. That’s probably because of me, Jeff.”

Cecil, avoiding his gaze as if checking his reaction, cautiously added.

“Because back then, I was wary of you. Because you were an outsider who had found your way to the annex, and….”

“Ah, now that you mention it, I remember.”

Jeff, who was chewing on his sandwich, narrowed his eyes mischievously.

“A while ago, you told Ego to bite me, didn’t you?”

“…I didn’t put it that bloodthirstily.”

Cecil sent him a resentful look. Jeff, who let out a chuckle, shrugged his shoulders lightly.

“Whatever. We’re close now, so that’s all that matters.”

“I guess so. Still….”

“Still?”

After a brief pause, he muttered in a low voice.

“I wish we could have met a little more gently.”

“…….”

Is that what he was thinking? At the unexpected words, Jeff parted his lips. While he was choosing his words, Cecil continued.

“In that place, all I can remember is hurting you.”

The wounds left from that place were just beginning to heal. Cecil looked painfully at the newly formed scar. It should be hidden by the bandage. Looking at his forehead with eyes that seemed to be tracing the memory of the wound, he said.

“…This must be Wayne’s doing, right.”

Jeff purposely ruffled his hair.

“To be precise, it’s likely the work of Wayne’s lackey.”

“From the mansion?”

The mansion’s lackey Cecil was referring to must mean the ‘insect’. Jeff shook his head and replied.

“No. He looked like a regular errand boy.”

“How did they follow us all the way here? I didn’t sense any particularly suspicious presence.”

“I don’t know. In any case, what’s certain is that Jonny led them.”

Jeff’s voice became coldly subdued.

“Judging from how he was discussing payment in exchange for luring me, he’s planting people with money. My social circle is obvious, after all.”

He must have contacted the orphanage and the university. The only problem was that he did not have any particularly close individuals, which meant that he could not easily narrow down the targets of suspicion. Every being he had a fleeting connection with. It was no different from having to be wary of every person who remembered him.

“For now, I’ll have to talk to Amy to find out the details.”

Even if only to uncover her motive for helping him, a conversation with Amy was an absolutely necessary step. It was possible that this was an extension of the trap. Once he had a general grasp of the situation, he would have to leave this city immediately.

“Come to think of it, where’s the truck?”

Jeff asked, as if he had just remembered. At that, Cecil’s expression subtly hardened.

“Jeff, about that….”

After hesitating for a moment, Cecil carefully opened his mouth.

“Actually, there was a bit of an accident. While we were moving, a suspicious vehicle was following us….”

“What?”

Surprised, Jeff asked pressingly.

“Why are you only telling me that now? Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere…!”

“Calm down, Jeff. I’m okay. No one was hurt.”

Cecil, who gently gripped his shoulder and stroked it down, added.

“There was a minor collision while trying to shake off the vehicle…, but thanks to that, we were actually able to buy some time.”

“And so?”

Jeff’s eyes glinted sharply. Cecil hesitated for a moment before giving an awkward smile.

“We took advantage of the chaotic situation to abandon the truck and run away. It was a good thing Ms. Max knew the geography of this area well. Thanks to her, we were able to avoid being seen and come to this warehouse.”

“…….”

Jeff, who let out a deep sigh, touched his forehead and muttered.

“…Just how long was I asleep? How could I have been sleeping through all that commotion.”

“You weren’t sleeping, you were unconscious.”

Cecil smiled bitterly and said in a soothing tone, but Jeff’s brow did not smooth out. Then, suddenly, his face turned pale. A thought had occurred to him belatedly. Abandoning the truck meant there was a high possibility that his belongings inside it had also been left behind. He could let go of the clothes, but inside was the precious data he had stolen from the mansion. Jeff, pale, hurriedly asked Cecil.

“Cecil, by any chance, my belongings….”

Cecil smiled softly and nodded his head.

“If you’re talking about the leather bag, don’t worry. I didn’t forget and made sure to grab it.”

Over there, Cecil’s fingertip pointed to a corner. Just as he said, Jeff’s leather bag was there, completely intact.

“Ha….”

Relieved, Jeff wiped his face. Only then did he feel the blocked blood finally circulating at once.

“Saved. Thank you, Cecil. You must have been in a panic too….”

Jeff, who leaned his upper body forward as if collapsing, buried his forehead in Cecil’s shoulder.

“Thank you. Really.”

“Was I helpful?”

Cecil asked quietly. Jeff, who lifted his head from Cecil’s shoulder, said firmly.

“Yes. More than I could ask for.”

“…I’m happy.”

It was a voice laced with faint excitement and tremor. The corners of his eyes, tinged with a blush, were softly creased. Cecil, his blue eyes sparkling, was like a child who had received praise for the first time. For some reason, Jeff felt a tight constriction in his chest and needlessly composed his breathing.

“Thank you for not forgetting to grab it. It was very important to me.”

“Yes. If so, that’s a relief.”

“You’re my savior, Cecil. Thank you so much.”

“A savior, Jeff. I think that’s a bit of an exaggeration.”

A low but refreshing laugh flowed out. Jeff found himself laughing foolishly along with him. Just then, a long snout that had approached at some point wedged itself between them. Ego, who had come with a luscious apple in his mouth, dropped it onto Cecil’s thigh with a plop. There were two people, yet it was an action without a moment’s hesitation.

“Ego. Are you going to be so cheap?”

Where’s my apple. Jeff, who did not receive even a single glance, purposely grumbled. Ego, who showed the whites of his eyes in a quick glance, sharply turned his head and burrowed into Cecil’s side. The strength in his pushing hind legs was so strong. Jeff had no choice but to move his body back. The hind leg attack subsided only after the distance between him and Cecil widened, but Cecil, who was suddenly put in an awkward position, scolded Ego.

“Don’t do that, Ego. Jeff is a patient.”

“Patient or not, it seems he didn’t like that you troubled him. He’s certainly smart.”

Amy, who had approached suddenly, grinned. She seemed to have taken quite a liking to the clever Ego. As he roughly stroked the black dog’s head, he gave Jeff a look.

“If you’re done eating, shall we talk now?”

Amy led Jeff to the wings of the stage. Jeff, who was inwardly relieved that he was in a position where he could see Cecil and Ego, was suddenly spoken to by her.

“Is he your lover?”

“…What?”

Jeff, who had frozen with a start, stiffly turned his head. Amy, who was sending him a strange look, just shrugged her shoulders lightly.

“Why are you so surprised. I’m not prejudiced.”

“No, Amy. We’re not what you think. Cecil is just….”

A sense of anxiety somehow washed over him. Jeff swallowed dryly several times before barely managing to get the words out.

“…He’s just a precious friend.”

“A friend?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t know, for friends, your affection seems a bit excessive. I’m really not prejudiced, Jeff. You can be honest.”

“It’s true. We’re not lovers or anything….”

As he was speaking, he was suddenly reminded of what had happened in the prop storage. Cecil’s surprised expression upon hearing his heartbeat. The moment he had swallowed his feverish breath to hide the sound, and even the words he had started to say but stopped.

“It’s just….”

Although the words were incomplete, Jeff was not foolish enough to not notice the implied meaning. Cecil had surely realized it. The feelings that had grown without Jeff himself even being aware of them. He had come to know through the heartbeat that was transmitted so clearly. As if the heart given through words had settled in his chest. He must have felt it vividly. In a way, it was a repercussion caused by the single phrase, “I’ll give you my heart.”

“…It’s just a feeling I have on my own.”

At the voice that came out limply, Amy’s brow furrowed.

“To say it’s a feeling you have on your own….”

“Let’s drop it, this topic.”

Jeff cut her off.

“There’s no reason for me to confide in you about my personal feelings. Didn’t we have something else to talk about in the first place?”

The weight of his sunken gaze made her shut her mouth. Amy, who swallowed a sigh without a sound, nodded her head.

“…Right. We had something else to talk about. Hmm, so where should we start. What are you curious about?”

“First, who instigated Jonny, and whether you received the same call.”

“Alright. Then I’ll have to start from the beginning.”

Amy took a small breath and opened her mouth.

“The moment I found out that Jonny had stolen my manuscript, I completely cut ties with him. At that point, I didn’t feel even a shred of sympathy for my brother.”

A strange bitterness was imbued in Amy’s voice.

“But he still wanted my approval. Believing that one day, I would forgive him.”

Even though he had inflicted an indelible wound on his sister, he believed that he would eventually be forgiven. He believed that since they were the only blood relatives, she would not be able to abandon him until the end.

“On the other hand, I had a thought like that. If he was so desperate as to be prepared to steal my writing, wouldn’t he come to his senses this time?”

The words continued with a short snort.

“But it wasn’t so. He couldn’t break his old habits and started frequenting gambling dens, then came to find me again. That’s when he said something like that.”

“What….”

Amy spat out the words to Jeff, who was looking at her with a questioning expression.

“That he had to find ‘Jeff Lowell’.”

That day. Jonny, who had come in the middle of the night, had a flushed face from being drunk. Amy glared coldly at her good-for-nothing brother and tried to close the front door. But the reason she could not bring herself to do so was because an unexpected name had flowed from his mouth.

“Amy, you remember ‘Jeff Lowell’, right? We have to find that bastard right now!”

“…What? Who?”

“‘Jeff Lowell’! That unlucky bastard who ruined your sponsorship!”

Jeff Lowell. The name, which brought to mind the orphanage, had always made Amy’s mind complicated. The ‘shadow’ of ‘him’ that she had faced at the villa had once again brought Jeff’s existence to the surface, making a mockery of her belief that she would not have to think about it once she left that place. It naturally brought back the memories of that day.

‘You ruined everything. It’s all because of you, if it wasn’t for you…!’

The boy who had calmly accepted the resentment that burst out as if vomiting blood. How resentful she had been of his tightly closed lips, which seemed to not regret it in the slightest.

“What about him.”

But now, it was all in the past. Amy, who shook her head as if to shake off the thought, asked. At that, Jonny’s eyes glinted strangely as he began to look around, his demeanor as if he wanted to confirm that no one was there. After a moment, Jonny opened his mouth.

“There’s a bounty on that bastard’s head.”

It was a secretive tone, as if divulging an important secret.

“It seems he’s caused some serious trouble somewhere. A very high-ranking nobleman is looking for him. They say all we have to do is catch him and hand him over, and the reward is huge! With that money, not only my debt, but our lives too….”

“You’re really crazy.”

Amy, completely fed up, reprimanded him coldly.

“I don’t know where you picked up such nonsense, but get a grip.”

“I didn’t just pick it up. It’s information I heard directly from Petro! He said he was contacted directly by that person!”

“Ha…! Petro?”

Petro. At the sound of that name, a hollow laugh escaped her automatically. He was a peer from the orphanage and was just as foolish as Jonny. From what she had heard a long time ago, he was barely getting by, drifting through back-alley thug-like jobs. She could not believe how pathetic Jonny was for believing the words of such a person at face value.

“Who. Which high-ranking nobleman? And who in the world is that high-ranking nobleman in the first place?”

“Th-that, I don’t know for sure. Things like that are usually done in secret, you know. Anyway, the important thing is that what I’m saying is true. I got the contact information from Petro and even called them myself. They really said they’d give me a reward if I find Jeff Lowell!”

“So what. Are you trying to tell me to go look for him with you right now? If that’s the case, I’m not interested, so get lost.”

As she spoke, pushing him away roughly, Jonny urgently dropped to his knees.

“Amy, please! Huh? Please just listen to me. Of course I’m not telling you to look for him with me! I’m not that shameless. Finding him is something I’ll do on my own. I’ll find him no matter what. In return….”

“In return?”

“In return, can you lend me some money? I’ll pay you back as soon as I get the reward….”

“Ha….”

It felt as if all the blood was draining from her body in an instant. Amy, feeling a headache, wearily touched her forehead. To think that this was her flesh and blood. She was so ashamed of herself for listening to his story without being able to cut him off decisively.