Conflicting

I woke up from the sound of my phone's alarm and the pain of my spines.

Looking at my selves, it's obvious that I didn't get to sleep properly. I mean, I'm just sleeping on the floor with just sheets and blankets and pillows.

Well that aside, I take out the new hair brush mom bought for me yesterday. After combing my regular hair, I brush my other long hair.

Thinking about it, I have it easier than most people now. I mean, I basically can help and assist myself the way I want without any conflict or disorientation.

"Red, it's time for breakfast."

Carla called out from the other side of my door. Since the footsteps were heavy, she must've woken up too.

Before going outside my room, I pick up a towel and I went to the shower. At the same time, my female self went down stairs to eat some breakfast.

"Where's the other you?"

Mom asked me when she noticed my other self wasn't with me.

"Shower."

"Oh, that's actually a good way to save time."

What mom meant when she said "save time" was my male self using the empty time in the shower while everyone else gets breakfast including this female self.

"You'll get your new bed next week. I just messaged your father about your situation and he sent us some money to renovate your room."

Dad, Huh. Though mom did say that I should wait for him to reveal some hints of my situation, I kind of don't have high hopes about it. I mean, he doesn't have a good track record of seeing his own family regularly.

"Come on, Red. Don't make that face. You understand your father's situation, right? At least give him some chance."

"Summer vacation is almost over and I'll be a second year now. He had whole 2 months chance to come home but he didn't."

"Being a Border Guard is a job any Magic Knight can't just become. In fact, anyone who are choosing that path is already a hero."

"That's not the point, Mom. I get that he's great and his job brings food to the table, but what's the point if you make that worried face all the time?"

Mom just makes a wry smile at me. She knows that I know that she's worried sick of dad. But then again, I'm in no real position to complain about it.

Just when the other me got out of the bath, I also finished eating my own breakfast. Because both bodies are different, I feel two different types of hunger as well. Oddly enough, I am feeling some weird feelings within my female self as well.

And just when I decided to stand up, I heard some knock at the door.

"I'll go get the door."

"You're not wearing your bra, Red."

"It's fine, it probably just Aunt Jean."

It's annoying to wear a bra all the time, it feels restrictive. Besides, it's not really that much of a big deal anyway.

As I headed towards the front door, I could hear a familiar tapping on the door. When I opened it, it was a guy with just his shirt and shorts with a small backpack behind him. Though, it feels kinda odd looking up to him when we're supposedly the same height.

"Archie! You came?!"

When Archie looks at me, he stares hard at me like he's seen something weird. Analyzing his gaze, it was straight down to me chest.

"My eyes are up here, dude."

"Carla? Weren't you supposed to be a cardboard?"

"I heard that you bastard!"

Immediately, Carla shows up behind me with a really angry face.

Archie becomes confused while pointing at me and then Carla back to back. It took me a few moments to realize what he was confused about.

"Ah, right, it's a funny story. Why don't you come in first for a breakfast?"

After inviting him in, the other me comes out of my room fully clothed while the female me goes into the shower.

While having coffee, Archie looks at me with a confused expression while mom behind the kitchen counter found it amusing.

"Yeah, it's hard to explain what exactly happened."

"Please explain why there's a busty version of Carla in your house?"

"Can you stop talking about that?"

As she passed by, Carla smacks Archie's head with a notebook.

"Anyway, you see, just yesterday, I kind of... became two."

"What?"

"We also don't know the reason as well, but that's the truth."

While I was reaching out to the shelves near the shower, I noticed that the bottle had ran out of shampoo.

"Carla, bring some shampoo to the shower."

"Now?"

"Just hurry up, it's annoying to have a long hair."

Though groaning, Carla stands up and receives the shampoo bottle mom hands over to her.

"So back to the main topic."

"Wait, you can communicate with your other self?"

"Not exactly communicate, I mean, that other me is still me."

"How does that work exactly?"

"Well, the simple explanation would be having that exact same feeling of moving your arms differently."

"Does the connection have a range limit?"

"I went with mom to the mall and I was here so either it needs to be actually really far or it just doesn't have any."

"Whoa, that's actually kind of cool."

It seems that Archie finally understands my situation. He lets out a heavy sigh while leaning heavily on the chair.

"Anyway, what brings you here, and why do you have a bag?"

And immediately, Archie bounces back with enthusiasm and pulls out something from his bag.

"Listen, while I was out, I found some really interesting Spell Book."

"What kind?"

"Listen boys, if you're gonna try magic, do it outside."

We listened to mom's advice and immediately, went to the backyard after I finished my breakfast.

Archie immediately shows me the book he's talking about. It was quite old, but not too old. It has a lot of creases and scratched marks on it indicating that this was used or handed down.

"So, what's the deal with this?"

Before saying anything, he smugly opens the book and opens a specific page that I don't know how to pronounce yet.

"This page has Level 4 Wind Spell."

Though I can't read it, I can pretty much understand that this isn't what he thinks it is.

"Dude, did you buy this?"

"From an old Garage Sale in Revol Duchy City in Gaezelbr Territory."

I take the book and tried to read it further. I can so-so read it, but somehow it just doesn't look like anything related to Wind spell or anything resembling anything Level 4.

"Are you sure you weren't scammed?"

"Nah, it only costed around 50 silvers."

That's literally 5 months worth of Allowance for me. Damn rich kid!

"Did you try it?"

When I asked him that, he makes a wry smile while scratching the back of his head.

"Well, I did try. But... I passed out."

"Why?"

"I have a hunch. It may be so powerful that it can drain my Magic dry to make me pass out before I could finish it."

"And you thought that it's a Level 4 from that alone?"

"I can cast up to Level 3 magic and had read some Level 4. Also, it's basically impossible to get any Level 5 or higher books."

I lightly hit him from the back with the other me who just finished wearing clothes.

""Leaving the book aside, you shouldn't just cast some unknown spells you don't know what the output would be.""

"It's fine! I was in the school's training ground to use it. I hurt nobody. Also, talking like that is pretty cool."

""Thanks, but I'm talking about you. One of these days, you're gonna get yourself hurt.""

After my light reprimanding, Archie looks down and lets out a chuckle.

"Well, sorry for getting you worried. I just got a bit excited."

It's nice to see he's reflecting on it. But knowing this guy, he'll do it again.

"Me aside, what's the other "you's" name? Like, I can't be calling you "Red" outside as well right?"

""But you can though?""

"When you think about it, it's annoying to call you "other you" every time."

""Red is a very neutral name.""

"For you at least, but for people who associated your name with your male self, it would be weird to call the other you with the same name."

And out of nowhere, Mom jumps from behind the female me and puts her arm around my back while putting her weight on me.

"I actually have the same thought."

"Mom?"

Mom looks at me while making a cheeky smile.

"How about we call this "Red" as "Rose"?"

-end of Chapter-