Life After You

After leaving the café, Zeph takes me back to the main building. We pass by all the essential rooms, and he introduces them to me as he would if I were a normal player. I nod along, although I recognize all of the rooms. An hour passes before we stop in front of a particular room.

Zeph: “...”

Delilah: “...”

Zeph: “So, what do we do here?”

He asks, smiling in his usual mysterious way. It is almost like he isn’t really asking me a question—he is only asking to confirm my answer, or maybe just to amuse himself.

Delilah: “Well...we go in?”

Zeph chuckles.

Zeph: “I look forward to your performance.”

Delilah: It almost feels ominous, when he talks like that.

I turn the doorknob and enter.

Once inside the room, the first thing that I see is the grand piano. The piano is in an ordinary black color, but it is so well-taken care of that when the light shines upon it, it almost looks like it is glimmering. Sitting at the piano is a Messenger, with straight red hair that pokes slightly at his eyes. At the moment, his eyes are closed. The person himself is immersed in the music flowing naturally from his fingers.

It sounds like a performance. Despite knowing this is what I would find once I open the door, I find myself stunned.

Delilah: And he’s just practicing. This isn’t even meant to be a performance. Well...too bad.

I feel Zeph’s gaze on me. I close the door.

Click.

At the sound of the door closing, the person at the piano stops. He looks up, revealing that his eyes are two different colors: hazel in his right, green in his left. His gaze finds me first.

???: “!”

He seems very much alarmed.

Delilah: ...I did just get here, but I know that’s not why he’s acting like that.

Zeph: “Hey.”

Zeph comes to the rescue just as the pianist opens his mouth to say something.

Delilah: But he did let the poor thing panic for a full three seconds.

???: “You...hey, what’s that?”

A tinge of panic flashes in his eyes again right after he speaks, as if realizing a moment too late that he had misspoken.

Zeph: “Mm? This is my new envoy, Delilah. Delilah, meet our best musician, Mykel.”

[Mykel Innes

Physical age: 16

Likes: animals

Dislikes: socializing

Weapon: flute]

Delilah: “Nice to meet you.”

Mykel: “N-Nice to meet you too.”

He stammers, speaking to me only briefly before turning his attention to Zeph again.

Mykel: “What do you mean ‘envoy’? It’s not like you have a lot of work to...maybe you do have a lot of work to do, but it’s not like you haven’t been able to handle it all these years. Why suddenly...!”

Mykel suddenly stops speaking, looking alarmed. I turn to Zeph to see if his expression has changed—anything that might explain Mykel’s halt. I see no change. The guide is still smiling in a mischievous way, but that is only his usual smile, one that Mykel and the others must be already very familiar with.

Zeph: “Hm? Are you worried about me?”

Zeph asks jokingly. He doesn’t seem to be seriously pondering the possibility.

Mykel: “I’m...? No!”

He protests fervently, blushing a little.

Delilah: Mykel is so precious...like a little brother. Brothers, though...

My own brothers, from the real world, had betrayed me. I found this out only when watching in Pistevo’s world. This was the biggest reason I chose to come into Zeph’s game rather than returning to my own world.

Zeph: “...haha. Of course, of course.”

Mykel: “You say something too! You’re going to be his envoy, right? Then you have to start worrying about getting pushed around. If you don’t want that—”

Delilah: “Me?”

Getting pushed around by Zeph...

> I think I know what you mean.

> You’re worrying too much.

Delilah: “...”

I walk to where Mykel is at the piano. This action is consistent with the first option that the game gave me. I stop at the grand piano and look back at Zeph for a moment. His expression at that exact moment is almost unreadable.

Is he worried that I might change my mind about him and choose to go for Mykel’s full route?

Maybe, maybe not. I don’t see an expression of betrayal on his face...at least, not yet.

Delilah: “You are worried about him though, I know this.”

I turn my attention back to Mykel and say this to him, smiling. Try as he might to pretend he doesn’t care, he does, and everyone else can see it. Zeph can see it too, but only when the subject matter isn’t himself.

Mykel: “Wha—?!”

[Mykel +50]

Mykel blushes even more. He takes a few steps away from me although I wasn’t standing very close, to begin with.

Mykel: “No way! Who would worry about a guy like him? If anything, he should be worried about everyone else here. You may not know this yet, but Zeph is always playing pranks on...everyone, really.”

Delilah: “Even Aziel?”

Mykel: “Oh, you met that guy already. Yeah, even him.”

As we discuss someone else, Mykel is visibly less embarrassed. His blush begins to fade.

Delilah: “From how I see it, everyone I’ve met so far is concerned about their manager. You looked a bit relieved just now when he told you I’m his envoy.”

Mykel: “With that workload, and—I mean.”

Mykel clears his throat, averting his gaze.

[Zeph +50]

Mykel: “I’m not worried about him. Zeph can take care of himself.”

I only smile. I look at Zeph after seeing the result of my choice.

He smiles back at me, although he says nothing.

I begin to walk back to him. Along the way, I stop and turn back around to speak to Mykel.

Delilah: “Hey, Mykel?”

Mykel: “Yeah, what?”

Delilah: “If...I’m saying if, I come by sometime and find you playing music, could you not stop and just keep playing? I’d love to hear the whole song.”

Mykel: “...”

Mykel: “I’ll think about it.”

Delilah: “Thanks!”

Mykel: “Hey, I didn’t say—”

Delilah: “Then thanks for thinking about it!”

Mykel: “...”

Zeph: “Pft...hahaha!”