New Friend
I have to help this guy even if he's Japanese. It's hard to say no to someone who needs help so badly. What if it happened to me or one of my siblings? I also want somebody to help me out. How can I ignore a guy who looks desperate? It's not like I can hide from him now.
He's in luck because there is a wooden carriage around here. The owner is surely a farmer on this land. I have to borrow it so that I can put the unconscious guy there. It will be easier to move him to another location. Problem is, where should I bring him? There is a war going on right now.
As I was about to put him in the carriage, I started to hear gunshots. The war officially started. There's nothing I can do to stop Conrad from fighting. As much as I want to go and find him, the life of this man is at risk. I need to bring him somewhere safe. Maybe helping him can help us.
I don't have time to waste as the war has begun. This guy is too heavy for my small frame. It's hard to drag him since he's unconscious. I can't even lift him but I need to keep on trying. If the Japanese soldiers reached this area, they were both going to die. That thought seems to give me strength.
"I swear, if we get through here alive, you're going to pay me back!" I muttered as I pulled the carriage with him on it.
"Mmmm…" he mumbled something.
I just ignored it since I didn't understand anything. It's probably in his language and he's passed out. I'm not sure what his story is but I will find out as soon as he's awake. Maybe I should just bring him to our barn. It's safer and my siblings will not see me bringing a guy into the house.
Ichiro thinks that he's dreaming again when he suddenly wakes up. He found himself in a huge place. The ceiling is too high for it to be a house. He got up and sat to look around. There are fruits and vegetables all over him. At least he will not starve around here in case he's trapped.
"Hey, you're awake! How are you feeling?" I greeted him with a smile and a tray of porridge and bread on my side.
"Who are you? Where am I?" He looks surprised to see me.
"I'm Adela and you're in our barn. You should eat!" I introduced myself while placing the tray beside him.
I'm surprised that he knows how to speak English. Most of the soldiers talk to me with signals and signs. At least I can talk to someone to practice my English. He looked hungry as he started to eat what I brought for him. I let him eat first and stopped myself from asking questions right away.
It's already nighttime when the guy wakes up. We arrived here earlier in the morning. I'm proud of myself for being able to drag a tall guy all the way here. I still don't have news about what happened to Conrad. It's best to brace myself to hear bad news. I'm concerned about everyone who went to fight the Japanese.
Conrad is the son of my father's best friend. They arranged for us to be married once we reached the right age. He's my childhood friend but I'm not in love with him. I only need to do what my parents told me to do. That's how we show respect to our elders. Even Conrad seems like he's just doing the same to please his parents.
I'm the one they chose to be his wife even if we never had any romantic feelings for each other. That's why I know that I will not be broken in case something bad happens. Of course, I still care about him but not too much. Just thinking about being his wife makes me question my life. I'm a woman and my feelings don't matter.
"Adela-san, what happened to me?" Ichiro asked, which almost made me jump.
"You passed out earlier in the fields. The war has started so I brought you here." I replied to help him think.
"The invasion has already begun! What happened?" He seems to realize something about that.
"I still haven't heard about that. If your troupe succeeds, this land will be yours!" I told him thinking about what will happen to us.
"I'm sorry, I can't stop it from happening." He said as if it was his fault.
"Well, I think it's bound to happen. I knew that when I found out that the soldiers have their base around here. Are you their recruit?" I asked him.
Ichiro didn't reply but he seems like he was trying to remember something. Now he realized that everything is real. He's back in the past without even knowing it. Good thing Adela helped him to escape. He might be dead by now. How can he explain to her that he's from the future?
"Adela-san, I'm not from this time. I don't know how I got here. I'm from 2023!" He just said it as if it was nothing.
I thought that he was joking around but then I realized that he was serious. I laughed because I felt that nervousness again from last night. As if whatever he's saying might be true. My old-fashioned mindset is not letting me digest it. I need to open my mind to possibilities but I can't.
"Ichiro, I think you might have hit your head when I dragged you here. I'm sorry about that!" I tried to brush off his confession.
"I'm serious, I live in modern Japan. This war happened a long time ago. I'm not sure how I got here!" He looks confused but serious.
This time, I'm the one who went quiet. I need to think of the possibility it might happen. He doesn't seem to look like a soldier. They are all from Japan but somehow, Ichiro seems to be different from them. His aura tells me that he's not from this time as well. This is nuts!