Programmer in Another World

EPISODE 19 - Move Forward

Inside the Phize's room, a large bulky figure inside the blanket is made out from the bed. A little boy opens the door and shakes the figure.

"Big brother, it's time to wake up."

Lexia opens the door and enters the room.

"Did your big brother wake up yet?"

A little girl hugs Lexia from behind.

"Mom!" the little girl gleefully said.

"Oh sweetie, you shouldn't be here."

She leads the little boy and the little girl outside. Taking a look upon that large bulk, her face show hints of sadness.

"Oh, Phize..."

She approaches it and then taps one of what seemed to be his shoulder.

"Phize, I know you're having a hard time and you can skip school if you want to. But you have to move on, I'm sure Pallitra wouldn't be happy if she saw you in the state you're in right now."

She leaves the room and closes the door behind her. After the soft click of the door leaves, Phize rises from his bed taller than before with longer hair.

"It's been... 3 years... but it only feels like yesterday that I lost her," he said to himself.

"I never even got to say to her that I love her."

He pulls his collar to take a look at the stitches around his left chest. He touches it with his right hand.

"This scar... it hurts. Physically and emotionally. It's almost like it wants me to remember that traumatic day," he surmised.

He stares blankly at the floor.

He reflected upon himself, "What should I do now? I... don't know what to do."

"I feel so... empty..."

Vhint enters the room.

"Hey there, buddy."

He glances at Vhint but stares back at the floor immediately after. He sits down beside Phize.

"You know, I can understand what you're feeling right now. That feeling of emptiness, the feeling of losing someone, in front of your eyes nonetheless. I've lost my mother, my father, my best friend, and a lot of my close friends."

He analyzes the look in his son's eyes.

"The feeling is always there,  it never fades, a sense of hopelessness overcomes you, and you blame yourself."

He wraps him around his right arm.

"Phize, you are an exemplary child..."

He hugs him, completely enveloping the depressed child.

"So don't blame yourself, it wasn't your fault that this incident happened."

Suddenly, droplets fall from Phize's eyes.

"I-I STILL CAN'T FORGIVE MYSELF! WHAT I DID WAS INEXCUSABLE!"

Within him he deprecated his own being, "I CAN'T SAY I COULDN'T DO ANYTHING! I DISCOVERED SOMETHING. AND I WAS SUPPOSED TO USE IT TO MY ADVANTAGE. I CAN'T EXCUSE MYSELF FOR JUST BEING A CHILD BACK THEN BECAUSE INSIDE ME THERE IS A 20-YEAR OLD MAN. AND FOR BEING SO HOPELESSLY POWERLESS AGAINST THEM DESPITE THE ADVANTAGE I'D GIVEN MYSELF..."

The tears slowly reach his cheeks and up to his chin.

"...Just makes me so utterly pathetic."

Vhint stands up.

"I hope you find your way, son. I know you have it in you. It's because there's only one way to go from here."

He gazes at his father after hearing thatparticular set of words for he was lost.

"...One way?"

"I'm sure you'll know it soon. You are my son after all," he said so with a bright smile.

"Now, come on and eat breakfast. A sad tummy won't feed itself, would it?"

He goes out the door and goes down the stairs.

The word calls out to him, he thinks deeply about his next decision, "One... way?"

He chooses to stand up and go down the stairs.

Down on the ground, the whole family is eating at the table.

He steps down and sits beside Vhint.

He eats his breakfast. But after the discovery of such a delicious meal, he stops and admires his food.

"Delicious..."

He gulps down his meal very speedily. The little boy looks at Phize.

"Big Brother, why are you eating so fast?"

He finishes his meal.

"Mom... I'm... going to school today."

"I'm tired of moping in that room," he thought.

He grabs his bag and runs outside the hotel towards school. After a few minutes of walking, he arrives at the school entrance.

"It's been a while since I've looked at the school again."

He enters the school. He goes to his classroom. The classroom is positioned in a 4 by 5 seating arrangement.

"The seats are cleared as usual... except for one," he thought.

He sits at the 3rd row and 4th column. Not long after, Hasha arrives at the classroom.

"Good morning class!"

She notices Phize.

She was worried, "Oh, Phize, are you feeling okay? You don't need to force yourself to go to school if you don't want to."

"I-I'm fine. Thank you, Miss Hasha."

"School... the only time I enjoyed the concept of school was in my early days of childhood in my previous world and the time I spent with Pallitra in school," he conjures up.

He checks his desk.

"Ever since the incident, I was labeled as an unfortunate guy, but instead of guiding me, the students and teachers were scared of me, they thought that I was being controlled by the Witches of Haydel acting as a spy," he recalled.

In front of the class, Hasha discusses.

"They labeled me as... the Cursed Child since I was the first recorded case whatsoever to survive the infamous Organ Hunt," he recalled.

He glances at the door.

"Ever since the loss of Pallitra, Trif Guise bullied me more than ever and I didn't participate in the school lectures anymore. I was basically the Problem Child of the High Institute of Veril. My grades were still average but I was no longer the top student of the school," he recalled.

He looks to his left.

"My seatmate, the girl who was second to me reigned as the top student of the school. Her name was Hazel Athi? Wait, no, that's not it. Hazel Paufia, the top student in school," he recalled.

Hazel, who was beside him, was interrupted by his ominous stare.

"Um, what are you looking at?"

"Dammit... looking at how high she's gotten, makes me remember how far I've fallen," he chews over.

He then looks at Hasha.

"For three years, I've been moping in my room. I've had enough of that. Right now, at the very least, I don't think I can still let go of Pallitra nor can I ever forgive myself for my uselessness, but there's only one thing I can do, and that is to..."

"...Move forward..."

END OF EPISODE 19