Shadow
"Or if it's neither, maybe the whole village just found it incredibly entertaining to torment a single person." A few people who met my eyes averted their gaze or left the shop entirely. With this match, they must have caught on to it, too—vaguely, at least. That day three years ago. That Lia might not have cheated after all. The villagers would know better than anyone—even more than Ratel or Jing, who had met her less than a week ago—that Lia was not the kind of person to sneak a weapon into the arena.
Yet, the reason their attitude toward Lia hadn't changed in the slightest wasn't just because they were walking on eggshells around the temple. There had to be another reason. Amusement. It must have been fun. Having someone they could openly tear down. In their impoverished, grueling daily lives, the existence of a weakling who suffered more than they did would have given them a sense of superiority just by watching. Was it brainwashing that made them choose amusement over the dignity of a neighbor they had known since birth, or was it simply human nature?
As the excitement died down and people began to leave one by one, the only ones left in the shop were customers who had actually come to buy things and a few onlookers. No one seemed interested in how Lia had knocked out Jinger anymore—except for Jinger's father, who looked thoroughly dissatisfied that the commotion had fizzled out.
"Ran, we should probably head out as well," Jing said, pointing at the departing crowd. I nodded in agreement. In fights like this, the ones who lingered until the very end usually ended up worse off.
"You think you're all that just because of one win? Let's see how long that shameless face of yours lasts, Lia." The man's muttering drifted toward our backs as we walked out of the shop. Unfortunately, the card he played was highly effective. Lia, who had been keeping her mouth tightly shut, began to look stricken with guilt.
"I hope you haven't forgotten how great of an opportunity your brother threw away just to clean up your mess." A look of sheer delight spread across the man's face as he watched Lia's expression crumble at the mention of Ethan. "Go ahead, try to latch onto those outsiders and leave, Lia. It'll only make Ethan look like a fool for kicking away his own chance just to help you."
CRASH!
It seemed the people of this village generally preferred to resolve matters with violence. I thought to myself as I stared at the leather shop owner's precious, half-shattered door. Then I looked up to see the culprit who had reduced the thick door to such a state. Lia, who had also turned toward the entrance, identified the source of the commotion.
"Ethan..." Having spectacularly smashed the door open, Ethan spared Lia a brief glance before glaring back at the shopkeeper. "It is unwise to meddle in other people's family affairs."
"W-when did I ever meddle..."
"Watch your mouth," Ethan cut off the man, who was trying to make excuses despite being visibly terrified. "Before I decide to meddle in Jinger's life as well."
Ethan's threat was far more effective than expected. The man, whose shop was no longer in any state to sell goods, stopped taking his anger out on Lia and ushered all the customers outside. As a result, Lia's plans to get new gloves went down the drain.
As we were about to head back to our lodgings empty-handed, Ethan called out to us, his voice as sudden as his entrance. "Lia, let's talk for a moment."
"Do as you wish," Jing said, asking for Lia's opinion. Lia hesitated for a moment before turning toward Ethan, looking as though she had made up her mind. "Go on ahead. I have something I want to say to Ethan, too."
"Don't hurt Ran too badly!" Lia blurted out the shout, but seeing Ethan's blank expression, she hung her head in frustration, realizing she had started the conversation on entirely the wrong foot. "Did you follow me just to ask for that?" Seeing Ethan let out a dumbfounded chuckle, it seemed like it might not have been such a bad opening after all. "No, that was just the most urgent thing. What I really want to say is something else." As Lia scratched her cheek and replied, Ethan's expression shifted subtly. "You seem to have gotten quite close to those outsiders over the past week."
Had she? Lia looked back on the past week. They were kind, strange, and a little difficult to deal with, but compared to the last three years, it had been the most comfortable week of her life. Perhaps it was only possible because they were outsiders. Outsiders who didn't know her, didn't blame her, and showed her small kindnesses. They were figures of admiration, living the kind of life Lia had once dreamed of. They were a bit odd, yes, but they were good people. A faint smile spread across Lia's face as she thought of the three of them.
"They're people I'm grateful to. They even took my side earlier before you arrived." Lia looked up and met Ethan's eyes. "So, Ethan, please don't hurt them. The Lucha Tournament wasn't originally meant to harm people, was it?" At Lia's earnest plea, Ethan gave a small nod. "Thank you." "I didn't think I'd ever hear you say 'thank you' to me again." Lia's lips curved upward at Ethan's gruff reply. Lia felt as though it had been an eternity since she had looked Ethan in the eye like this. Though the Lucha Tournament had only begun three days ago, it felt as if she hadn't truly spoken with Ethan in three years.
Seeing Ethan's calm face, so different from her own, Lia swallowed a bitter smile, feeling as though she understood why. For the past three years, she had been the one building a wall around herself. Too consumed by guilt toward Ethan, whose life had been ruined by her own weak mistake, she had never even thought to have a proper conversation with him. Lia believed that receiving Ran's help that day was a stroke of luck she would never experience again. Thanks to him, she had been given another chance to participate in Lucha, allowing her to face Ethan with at least a shred of dignity.
"Lia." "Wait! Just a second! I still have more to say. I told you I had something to say! Let me speak first." Feeling tears prick at her eyes, Lia hastily cut Ethan off. If she didn't pour it all out right now, she would only hesitate again and push the opportunity to another day. Staring at Ethan's face as he watched her with surprised eyes, Lia spoke slowly. "Ethan, I'm not going to leave."
Lia's words must have been highly unexpected, as surprise rippled across Ethan's usually stoic face. "...Won't you regret it?" Lia gave a small nod at Ethan's question. "Did you think I would just leave blindly? So suddenly?" "You've wanted to leave this village for a long time." "You knew." Lia offered an embarrassed smile and squeezed her torn glove tightly. "This year, I just want to do my best to help those people. I'll postpone actually leaving until a bit later."
"Why? An opportunity like this won't come again." When Ethan asked, unable to comprehend her decision, Lia gently revealed the sincerity she had harbored deep inside. "Leave with me, Ethan." Ethan's eyes widened slightly as he looked at his younger sister, who was visibly tense. "Whether it's next year or the year after, let's leave this village together and see the world." "Lia, I..." "I know you like this village. But still! Even just for a little while! Who knows, you might find it suits you better than you think." It would be nice if he could just think of it as a trip.
"What was it you wanted to say earlier?" At Lia's question, Ethan's lips parted slightly, then closed. While Lia watched his hesitation with confusion, Ethan pulled a pair of gloves from his pocket instead of speaking. "...I saw your gloves were torn. Use these tomorrow." Lia beamed, accepting the gift that instantly washed away the unpleasant memory from the shop.
By the time Lia returned to the inn, she looked lighthearted, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from her shoulders. "Ratel and Jing finished their meal and went upstairs," I said to Lia as she looked around. Lia hesitated for a moment before taking a seat in the chair across the table from me. "Um, Ran..." "Have you decided to stay here?" When I beat her to the punch, Lia's eyes went wide. "How did you know?" "Wasn't that what you went to tell Ethan? If you had told him you were leaving, you'd look far more miserable than you do now." Lia laughed awkwardly at my explanation. "I don't know if it's comfortable or uncomfortable talking to you, Ran, because you seem to know everything."
Offering a remark that was hard to decipher as either a compliment or an insult, she fidgeted with her fingers on the table before continuing. "I asked Ethan if we could leave together. I know he loves this village, but I suggested we go outside, even if just for a short trip." Well, it wasn't the worst outcome. It meant there was now a possibility of both Ethan and Lia leaving with us. Of course, it would add the exhausting chore of making sure Ethan didn't end up dead at Ratel's hands, but having one more companion for Ratel was less risky than losing one from the original story.
Only one thing bothered me. The one who would carry the heaviest burden on an adventure with Ethan was none other than Lia herself. "Are you sure you'll be alright? Just because you're family doesn't mean you have to spend your entire lives together." "I know. But I also need time to repay my debt to Ethan." A debt. I could understand her meaning—that she felt she needed to compensate her brother for his sacrifices in raising his young sister. However, "I'm not so sure growing up under violence is something you need to repay a debt for."
A one-sided sacrifice is a concept far more difficult to justify than one might think. At my remark, Lia's face flushed pale, then darkened, cycling through a flurry of emotions. Soon, she composed herself, took a deep breath, and spoke. "...Ethan is a good brother." "For a good brother, you seemed quite terrified of him." "That's not because of him. It's just... my own issue. I'm just foolishly letting myself get scared over things that are already in the past." "In the past?"
When I narrowed my eyes and questioned her, Lia let out a soft groan. "...When we were young, he hit me a few times. It wasn't hard, just lightly... Back then, he was young too, and I was a kid who didn't listen. Since it was just the two of us, he had to act as a parent, so he was trying to discipline me." "Do you swing your fists when you discipline someone, Lia?" A scoff slipped out of me at her ridiculous defense. "It was only a few times. And he regrets it deeply now. Once I grew up a bit, he never laid a hand on me again." Clearly uncomfortable with Ethan being criticized, Lia defended him once more. "Of course. Hitting a fully grown adult can no longer be called discipline, after all."
Despite my continued sarcasm, Lia flared up. "How many children in the world grow up without being hit even once? I'm the one who understands and forgives him, so why do you keep criticizing Ethan, Ran?" It was a sharp point. Indeed, both in the world I used to live in and in this one, parents who never raised a hand against their children were hard to find. "...I'm sorry." Perhaps misinterpreting my silence, Lia offered a quiet apology.
"...But Ethan really isn't at fault. I'm just getting scared on my own. If anything, Ethan cherishes me. He was the one who ran himself ragged trying to cover up the sin I committed during the Lucha Tournament." "Does that have to do with him winning the Lucha Tournament?" Lia nodded at my question. "Yes... Ethan never wanted to enter Lucha in his entire life... but he forced himself to do it because of me. He couldn't let other people get disqualified from the tournament because of my mistake."
Her explanation painted a vivid picture of the three years she had spent in Lucha Village. Having committed a sin in a tournament hosted by the temple, Lia and Ethan would have instantly been on the verge of becoming public enemies to the entire village. The anger of those who had been disqualified along with Lia would have been formidable as well. And what put all of that to rest, just as Lia said, must have been Ethan's victory. I stared into Lia's clear, steady eyes, which showed no sign of changing her mind. Would Lia, just like in the original story, remain unable to escape Ethan's shadow?