Foolish Life

2: Life

This time a warm and tight embrace Roku felt on the child. "Ilisha, right? How are you?"

"I'm okay, Mr?"

"Roku Gatsu and you can call me Roku."

The young child stared at Roku, forming a smile that Roku couldn't contain patting her head.

"Papa.... Mr. Roku, can I call you Papa?" Ilisha requested.

Roku stares for seconds at Ilisha. He saw the face of the woman sleeping naked on the bed and he agreed to call him a papa. Ilisha couldn't convey her happiness, she ran toward the bed, waking the woman. "Mama! Mama! Mama!" She repeatedly poked the woman's face, pulling her cheeks. But no matter what she does, the woman remains sleeping.

And Roku just carries Ilisha, he sat on his lap. He saw her as his naughty little sister and he knew how to approach that kind of child.

Sitting on his lap, patting her head, tapping weakly her thigh. Gradually Ilisha fell asleep. In just a short time, she finally asleep in his arms. His weak hum makes her sleep comfortably.

"I might love this place," Roku whispered to himself, lying Ilisha next to the woman.

He doesn't know but seeing them sleeping together, the urge to stay with them overtaking his mind. Hence Roku pulls his cheeks to wake up from delusion. They are not his family and he is just a stranger who loses his way and pauses his death.

"I can..." He whispered and turned to his back, walking toward the entrance. As Roku opens the door, trying to leave them. But the voice of Ilisha made him halt, rethinking the decision.

His tears suddenly drip, his heart becomes warmer, and love makes him shiver. For the first time, for a long time, he endured being alone, talking to himself. Just a word of Ilisha made Roku fall to his knee, smiling as tearing up. "I love you, Papa Roku....."

The word melts his heart, accepting his existence.

Roku wipes his tears, standing proudly. This time, he accepts his fate, he will throw away his past. Roku Gatsu's new life will start with them.

"Ilisha..." He said as he walked toward them.

When he reached the bed, Roku lifted the blanket and lay, facing Ilisha. Rubbing her cheeks and humming makes the woman wake up.

"Ilisha already accepted you."

"We are not blood-related but I can't stop myself to think she's my daughter now. And I will be her father."

The woman just looks at him and Roku faces her. Her lips are just near but she's not fazed at all.

"Sorry for jumping in conclusion but I don't want you to remember the past."

"It's fine, I understand. This is not for me but also for my daughter, Ilisha." The woman pauses for a second, bringing her palms to Ilisha's face where Roku's hand resting. She holds it and stares straight into Roku's eyes. Her stares, Roku understood it.

He just met her earlier, she just met him earlier. But the feelings at each other, the heart shouting the same thing. The pounding heart, waiting to explode. It's strange, weird. But despite reality.

Roku might misunderstood what she was implying. But he still grabbed this chance, slowly moving his lip. In just a short time, he can feel her red soft lips.

The dream of staying, taking her lips, the soft skin holding hands. Everything was not a lie and it will never be. He knew this was not some kind of trap or delusion. This is reality and he found his life where it belongs.

But instead of crossing the line, Roku rests his palms on the woman's cheek, touching his forehead on hers. He doesn't know but for some reason, he has known her since she was born. The strong bond, and connection with each other.

"I might be incompetent and useless but I can promise one thing. I will not leave you." He said and the woman held his hands on her cheeks

Exceeded the lucky winning in the lottery, a beautiful lady, a goddess in his eyes. Who knows the time he appeared there's life waiting for him. Roku is filled with unfortunate, bad luck. But in this world, in another world. His life changed all of a sudden.

The lips of someone reminded him he is human, someone caring for him, not everything is the problem, and not everyone despises him.

A person is caring for him for the first time which makes him fall asleep while connected with her. Seeing Roku fall asleep, the young woman caresses Roku's cheek, joining him to sleep together.

The dream he just fantasizing about, this moment he is living in his dream. A complete family, loving each other. However, those realities will shatter right away.

The time Roku sleeps, his world suddenly changes, going back to the same place. Laying his back on the ground, watching the cloud. However, the feeling, the familiarity, the caress on his heart still can feel.

"A dream that makes a dream," Roku mumbled as he glared at the sky.

He thought everything was going fine, he could live peacefully with the goddess. The short luck turned into bad luck.

Roku rests his hands on the ground attempting to get up. The strength he was looking for was leaving, someone sucking his strength. Roku couldn't move, even move his finger, unable to make any kind of action but eyes, roaming, analyzing the situation, mind working properly. Except for his heart pounding strongly, gradually it went faster and faster.

This time, without a doubt Roku accept his fate and grateful to someone who let him dream the dream he wanted to experience.

Continue hearing his heartbeat, forcing to smile, a smile that couldn't form.

'I didn't regret....'

Roku stares at the cloud as his heart begins exploding, splattering the blood.

"Pa..... pa... Ro....."

As he stared at the red sky in his sight Roku began hearing a tiny voice, calling his name. But he couldn't do except listen.

"Papa...!" A weak voice directly in his ear, ringing.

Roku gained strength, and courage to escape from his death and remember his word to someone who cared for him. The promise he makes to Ilisha, protect her until his life ends. But ending his chapter without doing, will be a shame to himself, betraying the trust Ilisha rested in him

Mustering the remaining strength, gripping the fist even strength not existing. The effort, and struggle Roku pour just fell in vain.

His resolve was not enough to escape from death. Until the face of the young woman's face appeared, crying as she held baby Ilisha and there was a lifeless man in front of them covered with blood. Roku knew this man was not him, but the mourning young woman gripped his heart.

Roku shouts in his soul, cursing this thing to leave him. He will not just protect Ilisha but glimpse the young woman's smile, and watch her sleeping face in the early morning in close distance every day.

But his strength was not enough to wake hence Roku put his love, his anger, and his emotion in the last scream.

A miracle happened, the world his residing, in slowly melted as him, falling into deep space.

"Papa!" Tiny yet strong.

Roku finally came back while Ilisha was on his top, embracing him.

"Good morning, Ili------" He doesn't know but the young woman next to him, sitting on a wooden chair, dripping her tears as she covered her mouth with her palm. She cried like he saw in his dream.

Roku stretches his hand, holding the young woman's hands. "I'm not going to leave Ilisha," Roku added with a smile.

The young woman just nodded, responding by resting his palms soaked in her tears on Roku's arm.

"I-Ilisha, will you go into the forest and find some meat for our dinner? I will talk with your P-Papa."

"Yes, Mama!" Ilisha quickly responded and she brought her tiny lips near Roku's ears, "Papa, don't make Mama cry, She is strong but her heart is fragile." Ilisha whispered to him and left.

As Ilisha vanished after her whisper, Roku got up, facing the woman.

"Sayasha, my name is Sayasha. Sorry for showing you this ki------"

The young woman, Sayasha halted when Roku held her hands, getting up. Roku brought her outside the home and she allowed Roku to lead the way toward the giant flower filled with branches with thorns.

Approaching the giant flower is dangerous, Sayasha knew about this. It can kill anyone, even a tiny bug, dying instantly. Despite the danger, Sayasha trusts Roku. And her decision didn't waste, the flower branches didn't attack Roku but patted his head.

"Earlier, that was a trial if I'm worthy to stay in this forest. Giant dragon, poisonous flower, Ilisha's absurd strength, that did not exist in my place." Roku turns to his back, holding her two palms, and stares straight into Sayasha's eyes.

"If I fail to come back here, I'm dead. Sayasha, I know you just met me and you didn't know what kind of person I am. But I couldn't ignore what I saw in that place. I promise."

"For many years living in this place with Ilisha. You are the first human we encountered. You are weak for an average human, you don't have the strength to protect yourself. Even an ant in this place can kill you, R-Roku..."

"Yeah, I'm weak and don't have power. In my previous place, I was just a burden and nuisance to other people. But Sayasha I promise." Roku didn't waste his chance to ask her to join in her life.