3 Tender Soul 3

"Oh, Becca, Ghoza, you have arrived..", said Nhazul as he stood up on his feet.

"I'm asking you, what are you doing, with her?", repeated Rebecca in her mad face.

" With her? Oh, it is..", suddenly Nhazul got confused to explain the thing to Rebecca.

But immediately Rebecca ran away leaving them there. She seemed to cry on her face. Liem was sitting there, she couldn't do anything to explain what happened to Rebecca at that time either, she still in shocked after all. Ghoza, he knew Rebecca well, he knew she would do something bad when something like this happened to her, he tried to chase her, but before he started to move, Nhazul in quick pace, ran after her, he also say something to Ghoza.

"Ghoza, take care of them please..", that what he said as he was running to reach Rebecca.

He left them there. Seeing those two, Rebecca and Nhazul, made Liem curious as she started to ask it to Ghoza.

"Is she his girlfriend?", asked Liem to Ghoza.

"Yeah!", said Ghoza as he kept looking at Nhazul.

He started to think about Nhazul, as he thought at the first time met, he thought Nhazul was a plain boy from untouched village in countryside who never been out to the city, never been in social society with people and of course none knowledge about love. Just changed in instantly to be something out of imagination, because of the soulid haf possessed him. And yet he said he could communicate with the soulid which possessed him well. And then Ghoza was thinking about how they, Rebecca and Nhazul ended up dating each other. But in his spaced out time, suddenly Liem was talking to break his thoughts.

"Ah! Just for clarification, we aren't doing something like you might be thinking, okay!", Liem said that to let Ghoza know what she really mean.

"Yes, I know that!", Ghoza said that as his response.

" Yes... Huh?!", Liem was kinda surprised with Ghoza response.

"He is quiet good for plain person, do ya think?", added Ghoza.

" Huh?! I think he is a good person, but you should know that he had possessed by bad soul just now!", explained Liem.

" Bad soul?! Ya mean soulid?", Ghoza made it certainly thing.

" Oh, right, you know about soulid too?", asked Liem.

" I'm doin some research about it! And you are a priestess from Lion temple, if I'm not wrong, am I?! Oh, right, I'm Ghoza, nice to meet ya!", said Ghoza as he was introducing himself.

"Oh! You can call me Liem! An apprentice priestess from Great Lion Holy Temple for the clearly..", replied Liem to make it clear.

" Oke! Oh wait! I think I need to make a call for medic first! He'll need that, and ya, of course!!", said Ghoza to make a call for medic to come to pick the man that just freed from soulid earlier.

"Oh! Not me, I am good, I just came out from there today actually..", responded Liem.

" Really?! But ya really messed up there!", asked Ghoza.

" Yeah, I just need to take a rest little much and then I can heal myself up for the rest!", replied Liem.

" Oh, right!", responded Ghoza.

And in the other place, Rebecca was running while some tears dropped down from her face. Nhazul was trying to chase her. And when they were crossing the bridge, Rebecca stopped in the middle of it.

"Don't get any closer!", Rebecca shouted loud to Nhazul.

Nhazul stopped. He couldn't find any good words to say, he was just quiet. Meanwhile Rebecca turned herself to the edge of bridge. Looked like she would do something.

"Wait! Are you trying to jump? Stop it..", yelled Nhazul to Rebecca.

" Wh-what are you saying?! Of course not! I will die if I do that!", responded Rebecca.

" You might be..", said Nhazul.

"And, why are you following me?!", Rebecca started to ask Nhazul.

" I do not know why, but you look upset when you are leaving us there... Emm, how to explain it... I-I do not do anything with her... It-it is....", Nhazul tried to explain the things but he stopped, he stopped when he was seeing Rebecca who tried to ignore his words.

"You will not believe with what I said, will you?... You seem to do not want to hear anything from me either..", added Nhazul.

Rebecca was just silent. She even didn't turned her face to Nhazul a little bit.

"I never be in this kind of society, I used to keep on the distance with the people... But, when I meet you, you try to bring me into the social life. To tell the truth, I still cannot use to it, I do not really understand the people..", Nhazul started to tell his past.

But Rebecca still didn't do anything, she didn't even move for a second. She was just standing there without words, but she seemed like she was listening to what Nhazul said.

"I tried to be good to all people, but being good is not enough, is it?... People are hard to be understood. They always hide what they want to do, they want to tell, and yet, they keep to push the other to understand what they want without saying anything... As for me who seldom be in touch with people in the past life, that is even hard task to be done for..", Nhazul stopped his words as he smiled a little.

"Hei, you know what? I do not like to lying... But I lied to you about a few things..", said Nhazul.

Those words somehow made a little reaction on Rebecca. But she kept her face away from Nhazul.

"I have never been adopted by those kind of family that I have told you before... My life is always being in around of soulids... They always do what they want to do, they never really think about what others feel about their actions... They just do something straightforward... Oh, you have met the people that I called my grandparents, have not you? The truth is even they are also some soulids that possessed the body of the people who used to live in that village... Well, since that village is so quiet, their presents are not really being known by the world..", continued Nhazul.

As he told that story, little by little, Rebecca turned her face to Nhazul.

"Really?!", that was a words came from Rebecca.

" You do not have to believe that, but i will say it again, I do not like lying, I really do...  But it will made them in danger if some people know about that fact... They actually are not harming for the people, they just try to life peacefully in there. So, since I have shared that to you, I hope you will understand and keep it as secret from everyone, even from Ghoza, could you do that? Please..", said Nhazul.

"You said they are all who lived in that village are possessed by soulid? Or they actually have been eaten by them? Why you hide them from the federation?", responded Rebecca to Nhazul's explaination.

"No, no, it not like that, they are not really take those body by force... Several years ago before I was there, there was a big explosion cause of war between Anmor army and Moren. And, in that very brief moments death of those villagers, some souls appeared and took those body to be their possessions. After that explosion, not even one person ever come to that side of village again, that is why some people called it as ghost village, that is how they tell me..", explained Nhazul.

" But that has nothing to do with you, nothing to do with it..", responded Rebecca.

" Of course that is, after all, I am living in there, growing and so, until I meet you there and then you-..", Nhazul still wanted to tell something else but Rebecca stopped it.

"Alright, stop it there! So, you say it is all my fault to bring you out of there?", said Rebecca.

" No, it is not your fault, that is not what I want to say, I am saying that I have grown in different kind of society like you, and then now, I am still about to learn, about how the world is working, so..", Nhazul stopped talking.

" So..?", Rebecca was asking the continue of those words.

"... I just think about, there will be so much things to learn, but I will do it all step by step, and those all because I have met you, so..", said Nhazul.

" I see, so, I have came to realize that I think I have to do that too, I mean learning about this world..", responded Rebecca.

" Yeah? I am thinking that, I will do my best to do it all and of course, I will do my best too, to understand you better... That is why I want-..", Nhazul felt like to say his true feeling but then Rebecca started to speak up.

"I think I want to tell you something too!... That time, when we met, i was frustrated about my problems, and all things brought things to the others... I think I've got carried away by my own feeling and your existence at that time... We're just met each other that day and yet I... I was asking you to dating me and doing these all,... Those are my mistakes, I guess..", said Rebecca explaining the things.

" Eh? What do you mean?", Nhazul was asking her this time.

" I want to say, I'm sorry for troubling you... I think we should know each other better first before we started something like that, that's why, I think we should start it as friend first, so, I'm sorry..", she said it as she was bowing.

" Friend? But we have already... Em, friend, right? Haha... Well, we should do our best to achieve what we want to be, should not we? We can do it! Haha..", Nhazul was laughing.

" Yes, you're right! Hihi... Hei, I will go back to Ghoza and... Whatever her name is! How about you?", asked Rebecca to Nhazul.

" Oh, I... The soulid in me is trying to talk to me, I think I will be there soon, you can go on first... Ahaha..", said Nhazul as he smiled at her.

" Okay, I'll head off first then..", said Rebecca as she left Nhazul there alone.

Meanwhile in Nhazul's Mind.

"....", nothing was there.

Nhazul was just blanking himself there. None one of the soulids in his body talked to him. He just stood up there with do nothing. But after a few moments, suddenly Mera appeared in his mind and made a reaction to Nhazul.

"Ghahkh!! What is that?! I can't move my self even little bit!! Not even to talk! What is that!?!", asked Mera in such loud inside Nhazul mind.

"Oh? Mera? Have you been cured from that spell?", responded Nhazul.

" Spell?! I got spelled?! What the hell?!", Mera seemed mad.

"Mmm... Ahaha... That is fine, that is just a misunderstanding..", said Nhazul.

" What is fine?! That battle earlier, that should be me who fight that creep!", responded Mera.

" It is okay, Utahara has handled that..", said Nhazul.

"Ah! I knew that already! I just can't move myself, I still can see and hear the things! But, that squid!!", responded Mera.

" Then?! What are you doing here?!", added Mera with a question.

" Ah, I do not know, I just feel like I want to be alone for a moment..", replied Nhazul.

" Cause of that quarrel with your girl just now?", asked Mera.

" I think I will try my best to be more understanding her better to pleased her, to thank her for bringing me out of my past, but look like I have disappointed her instead..", said Nhazul to reply that question.

" Ah! I don't really get it if it's about loving things! But what's done, is done! Just keep forward to achieve what you wanted! That's what my people said!", said Mera.

" I know but, I just still do not understand what I am feeling right now..", said Nhazul flustered.

" That's just normal thing to be felt! You're simply just being rejected by someone you started to like just now!", suddenly Utahara joined the conversation.

"Squid!", responded Mera.

"Oh I see, so this is the feeling of being rejected..", said Nhazul.

" Don't just barked in as you please like that, you damn squid!", said Mera, he still pissed for being took over on the last battle.

" Don't be to carried away with that feeling, you will get the better things when you had learned the thing better... Cheer up! There are so much women in this world!", said Utahara, ignoring Mera.

" Ahaha... That is not what to do..", replied Nhazul as he was starting to laugh.

" Look what that squid say! She is the one who did it in first place! And yet, she still think she's so clever as she's the one who know everything!!", responded Mera.

"....", no other response.

"Oi! Squid! Damn squid!", responded Mera as he didn't get any attention of Utahara.

"Ahaha..", and Nhazul was just laughing.

In other place, Ghoza and Liem had sitting on the bench of that park, different place from the last time. They were waiting for Rebecca and Nhazul to return, while Liem tried to rest herself and recovered her wounds by her healing skill.

"They're really taking a time, huh?!", said Ghoza to break the silent atmosphere.

"You're worrying them?", Liem was asking Ghoza if he was worried.

"Nah! Not really! She has always been being like that since I met her. She easily get carried away with her temporary feeling..", explained Ghoza.

" You know them well, don't you?", asked Liem.

" Well, for Rebecca, we used to went in the same university and end up in the same research team up till now. But Nhazul, Rebecca introduced him recently days, I even just know if he had some soulids in him just recently time..", replied Ghoza.

" Eh? He have some soulids in him?", Liem seemed surprised by that.

" Ya surprised too, right?! Me also did that too when Rebecca said so!", said Ghoza.

" That could be asnwer my confusion last time... I've tried to seal the soulid in him when I sensed there is one in him, but I don't realize there is another soulid in there..", explained Liem.

" Well, he can't tell the details since he doesn't really understand it either, ya know how plain he is!?!", said Ghoza.

" I don't know about him that much..", replied Liem.

" His way of speaking?!... But whatever!!", responded Ghoza.

And after several minutes passed, Rebecca came. Then Ghoza immediately asked her about Nhazul since he wasn't with her by the time she arrived there.

"Where's Nhazul?", asked Ghoza.

" He said he want to talk about something with his soulid in his..", answered Rebecca.

"He talked to the soulids in his?! Can he even do such thing?", asked Liem to them two.

" That's what he said, I never know what he did..", replied Rebecca as she was sitting on bench.

" Oh, right, I'm sorry for the trouble, but I swear I didn't-..", Liem tried to apologise to Rebecca about what had happened earlier but,

"Yeah, yeah, I got it! Don't mention it again!", Rebecca responded as she cut the unfinished words from Liem.

"Oh, okay... But wait! He mentioned about the name of that soulid before, it's emm... Maerlain if I can recall..", said Liem as she was searching something in her bag, it was a book, old note book, then she opened it.

"Ah! That's it! Maerlain Demon type, it could merge with the water, it has unidentified fixed gender, it likes to see human in coupling, it has great knowledge about things, it is very sensitive about something like teasing or making a fun of him/her, it likes to live nearby water, slv4... That's what it said..", Liem told they two about what had written in that book about soulid named Maerlain.

"Is that a book about soulid knowledge?",  Ghoza asked her in his excited face.

"Yeah something like that.." replied Liem.

" Wow! That's great! Can I borrow it for seconds!!", asked Ghoza as he rushed himself to pick that book from Liem's hands.

"Hei! Be careful! That book is fragile!..", said Liem to aware Ghoza.

" Alright! Alright! I got it!", replied Ghoza.

He read that book in such happy and exciting face. Meanwhile, Rebecca was just quiet there, like thought about something else. Seeing this, Liem tried to speak with her.

"You're still thinking about that?", asked Liem to start the conversation with Rebecca.

"... No. Like I've said, don't mention it again..", replied Rebecca.

" What you see is the thing when he got possessed by that soulid, Maerlain, that soulid is trying to manipulate him to do what she pleased..", said Liem to explain the thing to Rebecca.

"How about you? You seemed to enjoy it before you noticed me-us!", responded Rebecca to Liem words.

"I see, you're still thinking about it after all..", said Liem.

" It's not that I want to talk about it, but whatever then..", replied Rebecca.

" Look! As for me, I've got myself blanked for the moments, there are so much things that out of my mind, like soulid is fighting each other and something else... Then he got possessed by her, that soulid, Maerlain, she moved unpredictably, yet my wounds made me hurting whole my body, I can't help myself out..", explained Liem, but looked like Rebecca was completely ignoring her.

"Hei! Ya said she and her for the soulid, do ya mean that soulid was female or something?", Ghoza suddenly asked the question like he heard the conversation well.

" Like you can see on that book, Maerlain is demon type that has no specific gender, it's probably they're hermaphrodite, or it has dual personalities like male and female on the same time. That's how my master told me..", explained Liem.

" So the informations from this book are accurate?", Ghoza gave another question.

" I can't guarantee that, but at least that is close to what it seen in the reality..", replied Liem.

" Where ya can find this book?", asked Ghoza.

" My master gave it to me, he said, somebody had given this book to him years ago. Look like that person has much knowledge about soulid from his own journey. You can see that book is written by handmade..", Liem gave Ghoza information about that book.

"Right! It's handwriting... But if it's book like a log of journey that should be..", Ghoza was looking at its cover then opened all pages of that book like he was searching of something.

"You're looking for name of its owner, huh?", said Liem to confirmed what she thought.

"Yeah! But there's no name of the owner anywhere on these pages..", responded Ghoza.

" I ever tried that too, but that's just the same as you do, even my master didn't know about that either when I asked him..", said Liem.

" Even him?! Then, how about the person who gave that book to him?", asked Ghoza curiously.

" Nope, that person didn't gave his identity to my master either. He just kept came to help the temple to exorcist the soulid, and then went away..", answered Liem.

" Then, can I meet with him when ya are doing the exorcism again?", again, Ghoza was asking another question.

"I don't know, he never come back again after he gave that book to my master..", replied Liem to Ghoza.

" So unlucky me... By the way, may I copy this book?", Ghoza was trying to ask the permission to copying that book to Liem.

"Emm... I think that's fine, as long as you don't ruin that book, especially losing its sheets, I won't forgive you if you do that!", Liem gave Ghoza warning before she lent him that book to be copied.

"Oh! Ya wanna me to fix it to be better?! I can just re-tangled it up again to strength the bundle of the sheets!", said Ghoza to suggest Liem for fixing that book.

"No! I like it originally..", responded Liem.

" Oh I see..", replied Ghoza.

"But, if have him on you, why don't you just ask him to communicate and let his soulids to expose the informations about themselves?", said Liem, she referred him as Nhazul.

"Oh, Nhazul? Oh, ya are right! Maybe I will ask him later!... Now that ya mention, he is really taking his time, huh? What is he talking about with the soulids in him?", said Ghoza.

" What are you talking about? He's already here!", said Liem.

Ghoza didn't notice that Nhazul had already at behind him, standing right next to Rebecca who was sitting while she closed her eyes. She might take a nap or just did overthinking about something. She also didn't know when Nhazul came.

"What do you want to ask from me?", asked Nhazul.

" Oh, ya are here! What are ya doing?! Ya take your times too long!", said Ghoza.

" Oh hehe... I am sorry to make you wait, but Ghoza, there is something I want to talk to you..", said Nhazul in small voice, but it still reached Ghoza.

"Sure! What ya wanna talking about?", replied Ghoza.

" I am sure it is not good place to talk, can we talk in somewhere else?",  Nhazul was asking Ghoza to go to the other place to talk about thing.

"Oh! Okay..", responded Ghoza.

"Emm... Liem, could you stay here for moments while we are talking about things? It will be just some moments, is that okay?", Nhazul was asking Liem to stay there with Rebecca for moments that time.

"No problem..", answered Liem.

"Thank you, we will go for now then..", Nhazul went away and followed by Ghoza.

Not so long after they left, Rebecca opened her eyes. With upset face on her, she started to speak.

"Where do they go?!", that was what she said.

Rebecca didn't turn her face to Liem like she wanted to talk with her. But Liem felt like she was asking her.

"They say they want to talk about something, that will not be so long, that what he said..", explained Liem to Rebecca.

" I know that! I hear them clearly just now! Leaving me here alone like that! Hmph!!", responded Rebecca as she stood up and walked away.

"Hey, where are you going?", Liem was shouting.

" Wherever! None your business!", Rebecca said it and left Liem there alone.

Then, on place where Nhazul and Ghoza were talking.

"So, how it was done?", asked Ghoza to Nhazul.

" Emm? What is it?", Nhazul confused with that question.

" I mean ya and Rebecca!", Ghoza told the details.

" Oh, we are still good..", answered Nhazul.

"Okay! Then, what ya wanna talking about?", continued Ghoza.

" Oh, right, the truth is,... I just realize what my power come for... After fought some soulids and sent them away to their world, and saved some people who had possessed by them. I feel like this is what my power fate, my fate... But I am less sensed with the social life in town, in this world, it is true that the soulids in me could probably handle that case, but I actually prefer to have friends that could support me... So, would you like to help me with that?", said Nhazul.

"... Really? What are ya talking about? We've been friends already, and ya have decided to join our research of soulid team, right?! That's been done it! Nothing to be asked for it anymore! Ya got it?!", responded Ghoza.

" Ahaha... I see..", Nhazul was laughing.

" Is that it?!", Ghoza tried to confirm if there was any other questions from Nhazul.

"Yes, that is..", answered Nhazul.

"What?! Ya asked me here to just talk about that?! Ya can just say it there! So Rebecca can listen to it too, right?!",  said Ghoza in loud voice.

" She is sleeping there, I do not want to wake her up, and also I think she does not need to be told again..", Nhazul said the reason of his action.

"Ah, I see! Right then! Let's get back to her before she mad for being left alone..", said Ghoza as he started walking to go back to their place before.

"But Liem with her, that is why I asked her to stay until we return..", responded Nhazul as he followed Ghoza to go back.

"Oh! I think there's something ya wanna talking about with her..", said Ghoza gave his opinion.

" That is also my plan..", replied Nhazul.

" Right?! But ya really didn't do anything before we came there right!?!", Ghoza was teasing Nhazul.

" Ah, of course, I did not do anything but to save her from soulid last time..", replied Nhazul in sound of irritating from that teasing.

And then they're laughing on the way back to the place. But when they had got closer to the bench where they should gathered, they didn't see Rebecca around, they just saw Liem who sat there alone.

"Liem, where is Rebecca?", Nhazul was asking Liem when he had reached her.

"She says she wants to go, but she doesn't say anything else, I want to follow her but you say to me to stay here... So..", explained Liem to Nhazul.

" See! She also thinks the same as me... That's why ya have to say it clearly when ya ask someone to do something..", added Ghoza.

" Ah, I am sorry then..", Nhazul was apologizing.

" What do you mean?", asked Liem, she didn't understand what was Ghoza talking about.

" He was asking ya to stay here, but he actually was asking ya to look over her instead!", replied Ghoza to explain the detail to Liem.

"Oh! I'm sorry! I should have know that is what you mean..", said Liem to Nhazul.

" Oh, no, that is my fault actually... But more importantly we should find her now!", said Nhazul to think what had happened before.

"Don't worry so much! She probably has casted her stupid minded out earlier! So, I think she won't do the things twice in short moment!", explained Ghoza.

" What do you mean?", Nhazul asked.

"In the case, she probably at the cafe where she like to hangout right now!", said Ghoza.

"Do you mean the last cafe we visited recently day?", Nhazul seemed knowing where she might be.

"Yes!", responded Ghoza.

"Okay, we will go there now, and Liem, you should go with us too, there is something I want to ask you..", Nhazul said that as he walked away to the cafe where Rebecca might be.

"What's the thing he wanna talking to ya?", Ghoza was asking Liem.

" I don't know..", answered Liem.

" Hmm... Alright! Let's get going!", as Ghoza said that, they two followed Nhazul behind.

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