After their whole ordeal was done, Carter finally left the place as he exited the building without much thought to their conversation, walking aimlessly back in the streets while staring at his now-healed hand. The process of mending his wounded flesh was otherworldly; having watched his injury repair itself without much effort at all, it was astounding to witness such a thing occurring within his body.
Especially with everything he built and created so far with these hands alone, he felt amazed and proud of himself for this fact, but the question lingering inside his mind still moved back to the surface: what else should he do here?
It feels boring to continue a repeating pattern of spending time with friends and family, finding whatever entertainment would suit his fancy, and then head back home; although those things may sound like heaven for some, Carter has a different idea in mind, something that he can't get off his head regardless of how much he wants to forget.
The impending details of the calamity that is about to transpire in a few days filled Carter with worry, dread, and uncertainty, as he knew full well what kind of threat lies beyond his doorstep if he continues to do nothing to contribute to helping his country in any way he could.
He was supposed to be the billionaire philanthropist everyone was talking about—a man who took the oath of upholding his parents legacy by keeping people safe as commissioner, having the power to influence others to bring peace or destroy it with his financial empire while ensuring everyone's safety.
And yet here he is, escaped to another world where he can spend the rest of his blissful days staying arrogant about the problems that don't involve him, remaining ignorant of the sufferings beyond his bubble, like a selfish coward who abandoned his duties and responsibilities altogether because of his fear of failure or death, a coward who hides himself from those who need his aid the most.
Stopping in his tracks, he took a good look around his surroundings, noticing the change of scenery from his prolonged contemplation of his own troubles until he had concluded in seeing where he was exactly standing. There was barely anyone here, as a wooden house not from his right side was present.
While in front of them is a massive body of water in a circle with huddled trees surrounding the area, making it appear that he placed himself into a secluded forest of some kind from all the walking and thinking to the point of forgetting where he was even walking himself into.
"Master Carter, what a pleasant surprise to see you here."
A familiar voice spoke from his right, alerting him of its presence. The young man turned his head to find himself confronted with one of his trusted servants sitting on a comfortable bench with that fixated smile of his.
"Sebastian," he muttered in surprise, walking towards him as he sat next to the man himself, "fancy seeing you here," finding it rather odd that he didn't see him or the bench itself as he was sure that he had observed this lake house after having gotten himself into this situation.
Chuckling in amusement, the handsome man replied kindly, "I had come here to appreciate the sight of this lovely spot," gesturing towards the glistening waters with a wave of his hand, "just sitting down on this bench while enjoying nature in its finest is just too good of an opportunity to pass by."
Sighing contentedly, Carter leaned against the wood frame of his seat, observing the gentle breeze flowing across his face as the warm sunlight bathed him in its warmth. "I can't argue with that. It's just one of those things that makes someone feel content for once," pointing out casually while gazing upwards at the blue sky above, "especially after everything I've been through for today."
Smiling softly, the former nodded along as he understood what his master meant by that statement: "Indeed, it certainly does seem like something you would want to do when things get overwhelming, no doubt about it; considering everything we've experienced as of recent," he mused quietly.
Shaking his head sadly before glancing sideways at him, Carter confessed tiredly, "That reminds me, Sebastian; I am conflicted about this whole issue regarding my opinion on getting back home," admitting his feelings openly to his loyal butler, "a part of me wants to stay here for the rest of my life with all of you, experiencing whatever joy or sorrow that comes along with it. However, the other side of me is worried that if I stay, I will miss out on something important in Tokyo that needs my attention," looking ashamed of having to confess this.
As expected, the butler smiled knowingly, patting his shoulder reassuringly, and said, "Master Carter, if there's anything that bothers you greatly, don't hesitate to speak about it to us. I guarantee that everyone here will be more than willing to listen, no matter how silly or crazy it sounds," he said in a matter-of-fact tone before continuing, "Trust me when I say this, but worrying about what's going on outside isn't healthy either," finishing his sentence with a gentle smile that seemed to ease the young master's tension.
"You're right, Sebastian; thank you for reminding me that." Nodding in appreciation for his advice, Carter chuckled nervously before rubbing his neck sheepishly. "Sorry for having you see me like this; it wasn't exactly my best moment, was it?"
Sebastian answered sincerely, "On the contrary of your question, I would gladly say yes; it is wise to check your real home in case something catastrophic had happened during your absence, sir. Especially when everyone thought of you having died," he reminded him grimly, "and even though everyone here would love to stay and live their own lives, one shouldn't neglect important responsibilities given to them just for personal gratification," advising his childhood friend wisely.
After this response, he leaned forward, staring directly at his feet with a look of uncertainty plastering across his features. "I don't know, I just can't shake this feeling like something terrible is going to happen soon, and if we don't prepare ourselves somehow, we'll all suffer badly because of it," he blurted out, frustrated as he buried his hands onto his face.
Giving the young man beside him a concerned glance, Sebastian offered his take on this, "why not head back then?" Raising his brows questioningly, he said, "I'm sure nobody here would mind if you do so; just explain to everyone the situation and leave it to us to deal with it. We'll take care of everything; you don't have to worry about a thing."
Feeling conflicted about this suggestion, he wondered why his friend even bothered asking him to go back. "I want to go back, but part of me desires to stay here for eternity," he said, trying to make sense of his own feelings about the whole matter as it causes further headache when dealing with complicated feelings on his own. "This place is like paradise, where everyone is happy and living their best life possible, suited for the likes of me," he said, sighing again before meeting his friend's eyes once more.
"If I do return, then I'll be back again in a world full of suffering and hate, breaking my happy illusion of eternally believing that I can run away and live in bliss," laughing bitterly before adding more to his speech, "after all this time, I still couldn't believe that I've managed to pull myself together after such a mess," exhaustion evident in his voice.
Tilting his head inquisitively, the butler inquired curiously, "But isn't it better than living here in eternal slumber for the rest of your life? Doing whatever pleases you, having no care in the world aside from having fun, regardless of consequences?" Questioning his own decisions, "I'm not saying anything is wrong with such a lifestyle, but don't you think that maybe you should go out in the real world and face reality head-on instead of avoiding it forever?"
Remaining silent for a moment, Carter would agree with his take if it weren't for the fact that he had experienced so many hardships throughout his life and back, unsure of what to even decide at the moment when his emotions are clearly against the decision of leaving them for good.
A decision he has to make soon when the time comes, wondering what path he should choose between two choices presented to him, whether to stay or go back to Tokyo, he kept quiet while mulling over his own thoughts and problems until finally his concerned friend decided to step in.
Patting his shoulder before standing up, Sebastian immediately starts undressing, much to the shock and surprise of Carter in seeing such unexpected behavior coming from someone whose usually polite and modest person he is known to be. "Hey w-wait, what are you—" He said unable to finish his words when he caught a glimpse of the butler's blue underwear.
What caught his full attention was his chiseled abs and muscles visible on his chest down to his four packs. It seems like all that heavy lifting he did every time made him into a person that is fit to the bone; even his strong arms were shown off through his sleeves along with his lean but clean legs.
"what..." Steam escaped from his ears as his red-colored cheeks blushed deeply while watching him stretch out his limbs, sending shivers down Carter's spine in seeing such powerful physique, "...umm..." his vision clouded as steam rose from his flushed face.
"Hmm?" Sebastian hummed in confusion upon seeing him suddenly behave weirdly. "Is anything wrong, master Carter?" He asked innocently, oblivious to his current state at the moment, not understanding why his friend was staring at him with a wide-eyed expression, "Sir...?" The butler called out before deciding to approach him slowly and with caution.
But just as he was about to make his move, the young master had regained control over himself almost instantly. "Uh no!" Shaking his head rapidly as if trying to wake himself up from a trance, he asked, "What in blazes are you doing? Undressing yourself in front of me?" Asking in bewilderment at this strange display of sudden boldness.
Blinking several times before scratching the back of his head with a smile, he apologized, "I was intending to swim in the large body of water to cool down." He pointed at their right where they seen earlier, "I figured I might as well try it out since it's a beautiful day today," explaining himself politely, "do you want to join me?" Saying in an inviting tone, she waited patiently for his answer.
"Well, it's..err..I um..." Still red like saucers, he doesn't know whether to accept or decline such an offer, knowing full well how he will react if anyone sees them swimming half-naked: "If it's alright with you, then yes, I'd love to accompany you." Decided to give it a shot anyway, for this rare opportunity had presented itself right on this warm day.
A bright smile grew on his face, making his heart skip a beat from this answer. "Wise decision, sir," Sebastian praised happily, "and don't worry, it's just between us having fun together, like good friends would do," he assured with a thumbs-up gesture.
Cheeks red in embarrassment, the young master glared at him jokingly, "hey! Just don't get too intimate when we're on the lake, alright?" Warning his butler in hopes of not landing themselves into embarrassing situations, "right, Sebastian?" Looking at his curious expression.
Laughter then escaped from his lips: "I see, I see," smiling teasingly, "so you wish to see me shirtless and wet while naked as well; that is what you seek?" Teasing him in his usual playful manner when he's in a good mood like this, "such an interesting request you have, master Carter," causing him to become even more flustered with each passing second.
"Just... let's head into the damn lake already."
