Someone I'm Not

8. Too bad to Be True

"Soroya?"

Phoenix is more surprised than he thought he could ever be. And just by seeing his real identity, standing up in front of him, is a lot more different than living in that body itself.

"P-Phoenix!" He exclaims, not knowing what he's going to say next.

"Hi!" He joyfully greets, his hands both tucked inside his hoodie pockets. Before he could even reply, THE PHOENIX in front of him turns to meet Eduardus's gaze. His smile slowly drops, now replaced with a questioning look and a hint of setback.

"Oh, I guess you're here with someone." He says, his tone says he's a bit sad. Even if he's living inside a woman's body, he could still feel the emotion of a woman in terms like this, making him feel a bit hurt for seeing THE PHOENIX in front of him, getting sad.

"Hey bro, I'm Eduardus." Eduardus stands up to face him as he as well stretches his hand for him to shake, making Phoenix, from Soroya's body, gulps. Phoenix smiles at Eduardus as he reaches for his hand and shakes it gently.

"Hi, I'm Phoenix. Roy's BEST FRIEND." He emphasizes the last two words, making Phoenix feels more a bit intense. Eduardus notices that too, making him think of a better idea not to make it more awkward.

"Of course, you are! I've heard so much about you from this lovely woman seated."

"Oh really?" Phoenix asks as he gets back his hand from the shake. "Well, I bet he didn't tell you my worst side because sometimes, my BFF right here wants to make me LOOK BAD." Phoenix chuckles that made the original Phoenix chuckles, followed by Eduardus.

"Oh, don't worry about it. As a matter of fact, he seems to tell me all the impressive side of Phoenix. And I thought that when we get to meet, I'll think we'll be friends too!" Both Phoenix looks at each other before the Phoenix from the future decides to break the eye to eye contact.

"Is that so?"

"Yep! So now that you're here, why don't you join us?"

"Actually. . . Well, I went here because Soroya's sister told me she'd be here, thinking she came alone here, wanting some company. But I guess she manages to have found you."

'Is he being jealous right now?' Phoenix couldn't believe he's thinking this way. . . Thinking more like a girl. He can even tell that seeing his own self, standing in front of them, is awkward. 'Is this how a woman's eyes and instincts work? Damn! These are like a superpower now!' He exclaims.

"Oh, don't be silly, bro. Soroya won't mind her best friend's company. Besides. . ." Eduardus places his hand on top of Soroya that makes Phoenix more hurt. The Phoenix from the future notices that, making him retrieve his hand away from his. Eduardus looks at him. "Right?"

"Eduardus, can you give us a minute, please?" Phoenix, aka Soroya, asks as she stands up from her seat and grabs Phoenix's hand as she leads them out of the area. When they're already out and at a reasonable distance for Eduardus to not see, she lets go of Phoenix's hand.

"Phoenix, I'm sorry, I know you don't know him and—"

"It's okay, Roy. You don't have to tell me, everyone, you're going to meet or date or—"

"Date?" The woman instinct quickly takes over, making Phoenix surprised at how a woman's emotion works. Phoenix, from the future, doesn't know how to manipulate this emotion at the moment, letting Soroya take over.

"Aren't you two—"

"No!" She shouts that makes her sound too defensive. The man in front of him was taken aback by her sudden shout.

"I mean, no. Of course not! Why would I date someone without telling my best friend first, right?" She chuckles nervously as the PAST PHOENIX looks at her curiously.

"Look, the only reason I'm here with him is because of you."

"Excuse me?"

"Phoenix, I know you might be wondering who is this Eduardus guy since you've never seen him before, but he's here to help you—"

"Stop right there, Soroya." Phoenix interrupts her as she did stop. The Future Phoenix doesn't want to, but the woman's body is still in control.

"Phoenix, I know—"

"You're telling me that you're only hanging with him because of me? Why would you say that? Are you just—"

"No, I am not using him, okay? Look, Phoenix, I know this might sound crazy, but you're dead. . ."

"W-what? I'm dead?"

"Yes! I mean, well, I just back to the past, making you. . . Right! That makes you the Past, Phoenix."

"Wait, I'm not getting—"

"I know this sounds crazy, and you might just laugh it out but, I'm Future Phoenix!" She smiles big that makes Soroya thinks that the Past Phoenix is taking this matter into consideration. He gives her a straight face for a second before bursting into a laugh. She furrows her brows after getting herself disappointed.

"Phoenix, you have got to listen to me! This is serious! You're in danger!"

"Okay?" He asks but didn't stop laughing.

"Seriously, Phoenix?"

"What?"

"You don't believe me, are you?" She asks as she crosses her hands in front of her. Phoenix is already getting used to living in a woman's body, but at the moment, he doesn't want to make Soroya look an i***t if he applies the awkwardness he's feeling with his arms touching her boobs.

"I don't know if you're just trying to make excuses for me just not to ask any more questions about Eduardus or—"

"WE ARE NOT DATING! Listen to me, young man. You're in trouble. And if you don't listen to me very carefully, you might die again mysteriously, so you either take me seriously or—"

"Phoenix!" Both of them look at Eduardus, who is approaching their place.

"Not now, Ed!" They answer in unison. The past and future Phoenix look at each other with curiosity and amazement. Just before new sets of question arises, Eduardus starts to talk again.

"This is not the place to talk to him about it, Phoenix. Perhaps we can convince him to join us?" Phoenix from the past got more and more curious as to why Eduarus is looking at Soroya and not him when he's mainly saying his name. They stare at each other's eyes for a second before the future Phoenix turns his gaze on the past Phoenix.

"You need to come with us if you want to know anything. . ." he suggests, but Phoenix shakes his head.

"I'm sorry, Soroya, but I can't deal with this right now. Okay? I have to go."

Phoenix walks away from them, making him want to chase him. But Eduardus stops him.

"Don't." He says that makes her follow him. "I forgot something to remind you of. And it will be best if I tell you now." Eduardus has this poker face again that makes him feel unease.

"What is it?"

"You can't tell him who you are."

"Why not?"

"Because that is NOT your mission." He bluntly replies. Phoenix gulps, not knowing what to say next.

"Client 100, you should always remember the reason you're here for. And that is to catch your killer, not try and convince your six months younger self that he's in trouble. He'll die, and that's for sure. And your task is to bring justice towards it."

"How can you say that I'm convincing him? All I did is to say sorry about not telling you about him."

"Do you think I'm stupid, Client 100?"

"No? I don't know. . ." Eduardus raises a brow as he sighs. "Fine, whatever. I just told him that so he wouldn't get shocked!"

"And what result did you get? Did you succeed in not startling him that much?"

"Well. . ."

"Phoenix, you listen to me. Telling him about you will never help the case. It would be best if you thought of a better way to approach it. Just DON'T GO telling him that he's your past self and your future DEAD self is inside Soroya's body because he will either think you're going crazy, or you are just telling excuses for him not to ask further questions about me and you and what's going on with us—"

"YOU AND I ARE NOT DATING, okay?"

"Whatever you say. . . Just remember though, you're living inside a woman's body, and you're seated across a handsome man inside a burger house." Eduarsus walks away from him that makes him scoff.

"You're getting into my nerves, Eduardus!" She shouts at him.

"Then try to deal with it for more couple of weeks!" Eduardus shouts back with a grin on his lips. He rolls his eyes before he follows around inside.

•••

"So, now that I'm here, will you be living inside your car then? Wait, how did you even get this car in the first place?"

"That's one of the perks of being a Guardian, Client 100."

"So that means you have a house? Maybe a mansion?" He asks that makes him nod. "And also, could you cut that 'Client' sh*t off? It sounded like I'm a patient to be treated of something, although a client is different from it, IT SOUNDED that way."

"Don't want the formality? That I can deal with."

"Yeah, it's better if you call me Soroya instead."

"But I thought you don't want to be called with that name?" He asks that makes Phoenix look down for a second. But then, he lifts his head to meet Eduardus's gaze.

"It's better this way. I might as well want to get used to it by now. Besides, living inside a woman's body and be called with a name she's not bestowed with can be a problem. And you're right. I'm only here for justice. But before this mission ends, before I get the chance to find out who my killer is, can I just use this chance to help my old self too? Even just talk to him, you know. . .  Give some advice, something like that? I just want to make sure that he'll do the things I never got to do before he meets the destiny that was written for me? Can I do that, Guardian Ed?"

A hint of sadness glows into his eyes that makes Eduardus pity him even more. And it saddens him to see his client deal with this kind of situation where he gets to meet his old self just to guilt-trip him.

"Of course, Phoenix, you could do that."

"Thank you."

"But tomorrow, I'll start calling you by the name Soroya."

"Then that will be great. . . Well, I guess I have to get inside now before I get burnt here. Thank you for your patience, Guardian Ed. I'll be heading in now."

Eduardus didn't reply as he nods his head before shifting his gaze into the road. He starts the engine as he drives off. Phoenix stood there sighing, still not ready to end the day.

"You must have liked the man." He flinches back to reality when someone talks behind him. He turns to see Vianne who's hands are wrapped in front of her chest, as she leans her left side into the door frame.

"Oh, I didn't see you there," Phoenix says, dodging the question.

"You would have if you're not too occupied with staring at the car from moving away in almost a split second."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." He says as he walks past her. Viennae follows her as she loses her hands from crossing.

"By the way, dad's coming home tomorrow. He told me he'd be able to come home even just for a while before they move again on their next station." She announces that makes him quickly turn.

"Oh, yeah, great." He answers back with no energy. 'No wonder I've never seen him all day.' He thought to himself.

"You sound unpleased," Vianne asks that makes him stop and turn to look at Vianne with curiosity.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I don't know what the hell is going on with you, but seeing you a bit down about dad coming home is unlikely." She replies that it makes him not talk for a second. In the meantime, he realizes that he has a lot of things to work on.

"I'm excited to see him. . . Maybe I just suddenly felt tired and just want to crash into my bed for a minute before we start preparing for dinner?" She excuses with fingers crossed.

"Yeah! Of course. I mean, you've been out with that Eduardus guy for a couple of hours. You must have tired yourself with hanging out with him." She agrees but still doubting all of it.

"Yeah. . . And I think I overate of that burger. . . I'll just go and visit the bathroom." She hurries herself into the comfort room, leaving Vianne behind in the living room. With a furrowed brows, she sighs.

"That's very odd to find out. She doesn't like burgers that much." She shakes her head. "Am I missing something out?"