Starting Life From Another Choice Than Zero

Chapter 4 - Starting Life

"Subaru!"

A loud, high-pitched shout of absolute joy greeted a stunned Subaru standing at the doorway. Immediately followed by a rough embrace of his legs from a small little girl wearing a bright blue dress, no older than five or six; her small beady eyes set on no one but his own, a wide smile plastered cheerfully across her face.

"Oh-ho! Helen-chan! Good to see you again! Missed me?" Said Subaru, a little more cheerful than usual as he threw a look of clarification at Kris who was standing right beside him.

Kris nodded his head in approval.

"Missing you is an understatement. Helen over here was so heartbroken when you left last night." Came a voice drawing near.

Walking towards them was a woman, her brown hair tied loosely into a ponytail, a gentle face with bright eyes and a warm smile came to greet them, casting her daughter a look of amusement.

"Really, I don't know how she grew so fond of you in just two weeks."

And as if to reaffirm her mother's words, Helen tighten her hold onto Subaru's legs and nodded her head vigorously.

"What can I say? Kids love me. Not in a weird way though, don't get the wrong idea now." Subaru said, giving a short laugh as he rub the back of his head.

The woman gave a smile, then turned towards her husband.

"So where did you find our little runaway?" She asked.

"In the city. It's a miracle I even bumped into him with all the people over there nowadays." Kris replied. "He's hungry by the way." He added, upon seeing Subaru's wanting expression.

"Well, I'm pretty sure there's something I could fix up for his pleading stomach. Subaru looks ready to drop dead any second." She remarked, throwing a quick glance at Subaru. "You guys lingered on the doorway long enough, come in, come."

They stepped over the doorway and entered the house Subaru was more than eager to explore after finding out he had taken residency in one of the rooms.

In between leaving the gigantic metropolis that was the city of Kararagi, clambering back onto Kris' carriage, and embarking again onto another journey across the land, Subaru had been made aware of multiple things. He found out that he had become rather close with Kris during their time together on the road to Kararagi. Learned that he had a wife, by the name of Stephanie, a daughter named Helen , and that they all lived together in a village, a short distance away from the city, in a simple, compact, double storey home.

"Where did you go last night?" Was the first question Kris asked of him.

"Well that..." Subaru muttered, heavily debating in his head whether or not he should confess that he had no memory of the past four weeks prior to meeting him again in the city.

"Will the witch come for me again if I tell him this?" He said to himself. Then, horrified by the thought of the possible outcome, decided not to risk it. The memory of his last confession still freshly, morbidly vivid in his head.

"You said something about needing to hide that sack you were carrying around." Kris continued, watching Subaru's unreadable expression.

"Oh..." Said Subaru after a while, caught unaware by this piece of information. "Just needed to dispose of some stuff, nothing serious, don't worry about it." He made up.