The next morning I woke up with the sensation of something touching me.
''Hmmm...''
''Oh, Eric, are you awake? Good morning.
I opened my eyes and saw Tina''s smiling face lying beside me on the bed.
Apparently I was being tweaked on the cheek.
''Eric''s cheeks are so soft!''
What ... just let me get some more sleep...
I''m still incredibly sleepy, so I turn over to try to sleep, but Tina''s words force me to wake up.
''It''s unusual for Eric to sleep in. It''s past nine o''clock already, okay?
...What?
After 9:00...?
What?
I retreat briskly from the covers and look at the clock hanging in my room with sleepy eyes.
Tina is right, the short hand is pointing to the letter ''9'' and the long hand is pointing to the letter ''1''.
Why.........! I usually try to wake up at 7:00...!
As I try to find the cause of the problem, I remember the events of yesterday.
That''s right, yesterday!
I hadn''t had a drink in this life yet, so I was a little curious to try it....
What did I do after I had a drink?
I have no memory of what happened after that........
''Tina, I had a drink yesterday, didn''t I...?
Yeah. You don''t remember, by any chance?
Yeah, I remember drinking, but I don''t remember anything else.
Tina tells me what happened after I lost my memory.
''Eric was like a sober man, and he had one drink and then he immediately got red-faced and drunk. And when Eric got drunk, he smiled so much... and he, you know, got involved with me.
The last word was said with an embarrassed blush on his face.
No, wait, involved what?
Why are you so shy about turning away and glancing at me?
What did I do to Tina?
I''d love to hear what kind of entanglement you had in mind, but no, I still don''t want to hear it.
Let''s try not to drink too much alcohol anymore.
Memory lapse is what''s most troublesome.
I didn''t think I was this weak with alcohol....
''Oh, yes! Get ready to leave!
The plan I heard from Yele yesterday was to leave this village at ten o''clock.
It''s already past nine o''clock, we need to hurry and get ready in time!
Oh, I did that for Eric.
''What? Seriously?
Yes.
That being said, I looked around the room and saw a large bag in front of the chest of drawers.
''That bag? Did you put your clothes and stuff in there?
Yeah, I put it all in.
Have you figured out where my clothes are? I have to put my underwear in there and everything...
Don''t worry, I put all the underwear Eric wears a lot and everything.
What, what kind of underwear do I wear? How do you know that?
No, no, I mean, you used to help out at my house with the housework and stuff. Because you do your laundry and stuff, right?
But I took care of the underwear and stuff, so you have no idea where they are.
Well, if we can search every room, we can find...?
''Eric always puts his underwear in the back of the bottom of the wardrobe, doesn''t he?
It''s like he knew.
No, how did you know?
Well thank you for setting that up for me.
Yeah, you''re welcome!
I try not to think about it too much I feel like I shouldn''t think about it any more.
Then I grab my big bag and leave the room with Tina.
As I leave, I turn around once and look around the corner.
This has always been my room, but I won''t be back here for a while.
I look around for a bit as a last look and then leave the room.
I went to the living room and found my dad sitting there and my mom was cooking.
''Good morning, Eric,''
''You''re finally up, Eric!''
Good morning, Mom, Dad.
As soon as I sat down at the table, Mom put my breakfast in front of me.
I wouldn''t be able to eat Mom''s food for a while.
Tina''s cooking was my favorite too, but it was still Mom''s cooking that was the best for me.
''I''ll take it,''
Yeah, go ahead.
I chew each bite thoroughly and eat it.
Tina seems to have eaten at her house, and she sits next to me and stares at me.
That bothered me a little - I finish the best food on earth.
''Thanks for the meal, it was delicious,''
Good, I made lunch for you, too.
Mom says and hands me a slightly larger lunchbox.
''There''s one for Tina-chan,''
''What, really? Thank you, Aunt Serena!
Tia also likes my mom''s cooking, so she happily thanks me.
After all, my mom is - she''s the best mom in the world.
And after a while, me and Tia went outside with our bags.
My mom and dad, plus Tina''s parents, go with us to where Jere and the others are waiting for us.
And when we got there, we saw everyone in the village gathered there.
''Oh, here they are, Eric and Tina!
''I hear you''re going to King''s Landing to join the Order! Come on!
You''re an idiot, Tina, you said you were a magical order.
''Either way, you''re both magnificent! Come on!
Everyone in the village said that after they saw us.
I didn''t expect them to be gathered, and both me and Tina were surprised.
''I told everyone in the village yesterday! Then they all came for you guys!
Dad....
Apparently, this was the errand we went out on after tea yesterday.
Me and Tina walked between them, with each and every one of the village people talking to us.
I struggle to hold back the tears that come to my eyes at the encouragement.
I never thought that everyone in the village would love me this much.
Don''t do it I''m pretty old if you put the ages of my former life together.
So I feel like my tear glands are loosening up........and I''m really, really in trouble....
''Thanks, guys.''
Good luck!
I smiled and thanked them, trying hard not to cry, and Tina responded to everyone with a smile.
And when the enclosure from everyone in the village was over, I saw Yele and two of his men.
''''Thank you for your patience.''''
No, it''s fine it''s a nice village.
Yes, really.
Yelle smiled a little and said so too.
I had never seen this man smile before, but I knew he was going to smile kindly.
''Eric! Tina!
I hear my dad''s voice from behind me and turn around.
''I didn''t tell you guys something important I didn''t tell you... the name of this village.
The name of the village?
My father would suddenly say something like that........does this village have a name?
I thought it wasn''t there because my village was destroyed without knowing my name in my previous life, but....
Tina was also surprised, so she didn''t know.
''''It''s a tradition in this village to tell the children who leave this village their names.
''So that''s what happened...''
That''s why I wasn''t known in my previous life.
"The name of this village is Aulin.
Aurin....
Yes, and that name will be your last name from now on.
What ... what do you mean?
''It''s a tradition that every child who leaves this village will carry that name and take it as their surname.
I had no idea that such a tradition existed.......neither I nor Tina had any idea.
Then my name is--
Eric Aulin.....
My name is Tina Aulin...
Me and Tina say our names.
"Eric Aulin. And Tina Aulin. You''ve grown up well in this village, and you have nothing to worry about in King''s Landing.
Everyone who lives in Aulin is counting on you to do well.
Hearing those words, everyone behind my dad''s back flies in with another mouthful of encouragement.
--Oh, God........I couldn''t hold back the tears, you know.
''Yeah--I''m off, dad, mom, everyone.
I''m off! I''ll do my best!
I said that so that I wouldn''t burst into tears and turned my back to everyone and walked to the royal capital.
And then Tina and I left for King''s Landing while being seen off by everyone in the village.