[Spirit of Lust] Chapter 210: Will and Anna. (Patreon)

Okay, so fixing a pipe this way was a bit harder than Will expected, but that didn’t mean it was going poorly, just that he had to go back every few steps and correct some issues. For example, he had failed to fully dry the pipe before using the glue, which led to it not sticking well. Still, these were all good lessons for the next time he had to fix a pipe.

While he worked, Anna sat behind him on a chair, watching. If she was waiting for the moment Will gave up so she could say ‘I told you so’, she’d be disappointed.

“By the way, how’s university going, Will?” Anna asked him.

“...Well enough, I suppose.” He sighed. “I’m… trying my best to keep up, and I’m managing quite well, all things considered. But the motivation… it’s becoming more difficult to stay motivated.” 

“What do you mean?”

“After all that’s happened, university feels like such an unimportant thing. I’ve put my life on the line a few times already, and I’m learning magic that even let’s me throw energy waves. That’s… insane, isn’t it? 

“Yeah, when you put it that way…”

“And now I’m starting what is basically a mercenary business to get involved in a side of the world most have no idea exists. Compared to all that, studying journalism feels… trivial.”

Anna remained quiet for a while, letting Will work as she pondered on what he just said. “You feel like dropping out?” she asked.

“Almost,” Will admitted, “but I wouldn’t be able to explain it to my family. It’s also a good front and it can’t hurt to have a degree. My heart might not be in it, but that doesn’t mean I’ll half-ass it.”

“Why did you choose journalism?” Anna asked. 

“Hm. I used to be the de facto class photographer back in high school. I guess I’ve always liked taking pictures. My family didn’t want me to study photography, though, saying journalism was the same but would actually land me a job. I didn’t have a strong preference, so journalism it was.”

“...And if you could do anything at all? With no one to tell you what to do, with nothing to limit you. What would you like to do?”

“...” Will went silent, still working on the pipes, connecting one end to the new joint.

He didn’t know. Will didn’t have a big goal for the future other than to… get by. Go to school, go to university, get a degree, work a related job for who knows how long. That was just how things worked, right? The ones who got to work their dream jobs were the rare few and truly talented, like Reina and Ruth. Amelia and Cynthia were more focused on their income than the work itself, so they were willing to go into anything that promised profits, and they had the skills to do it. Nanami and Aoi did what they did out of a sense of selfless duty.

“You don’t have a preference either, right, Anna?” he asked her.

Anna chuckled. “I guess not. I’m nowhere near as talented as Mrs. Ev… Cynthia, but that’s fine. I enjoy being in a supportive role, knowing that things run smoothly because I did everything well. I think being a secretary suits me fine.”

“So if you could do anything, with no one to stop you and nothing to limit you, you’d still work as a secretary?”

“I think so. At least, if it’s working with Cynthia, then yes. I’ve never felt more at home at a job than with her. That said…”

“Hm?”

“There was something else I wanted to do when I was younger.”

“And what’s that?”

“I… wanted to write a book.”

Will had to get his head from under the sink to look back at Anna. She had sounded embarrassed, and turning back to see her, she looked it, too. “And why is that something to be embarrassed about?” Will asked with an amused smile.

“Because… Ugh. Back in high school I got really into YA novels. You know… Those vampire stories and dystopian revolutions that all had love triangles in them.”

“Ah. Yeah, I know them, but I’ve never read them. Sorry, I’m… not much of a reader at all,” he admitted shamefully.

“It’s not like you missed anything great. I liked them a lot, though, but… Well, those love triangles I mentioned? Always the female protagonist and two hot guys. I wanted to write something like that, but with girls only.”

Will’s eyes widened in understanding. “Ah, of course. Yeah, I can see how it’d be irritating for you.”

Anna smiled. “Right? Here I was, wondering if I was weird for liking girls, and the books I was reading almost reinforced the idea that I was, that I should like boys!”

“You know, I think the world is ready for a book like that. Why don’t you go ahead and write it?”

Anna scoffed. “I’m no writer, Will. The most I’ve done is write reports and academic essays. Besides, it’s been years. I bet there are a million books like that already.”

“So you don’t want to write it anymore?”

“...” Anna narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips in a pout. “I’m not the creative type. I’m much better at making spreadsheets.”

“You know, remind me of something a friend from high school once told me. He said that there were two types of writers: architects and gardeners. He said that gardeners are the type that writes whatever is on their mind without a plan, while architects plan every aspect of their story ahead of time before they write it. Actually, I think he was quoting someone else. My point is, I think you’d be the architect type. Think about your story, organize it and write it. You can take as much time as you like, right? No one is hurrying you.”

Anna swallowed. “I guess I could… consider it.”

Will went back to work on the pipes, getting the finishing touches done while Anna went quiet again, no doubt her mind busy with ideas.

“H-Hey, Will,” Anna suddenly said. “You didn’t answer MY question.”

“I’ll have to get back to you on that one.”