Chapter 26

**Crossroads** (わかれみち, *Wakare-michi*, ***Crossroads***?) is the 26th chapter of the *To Your Eternity* manga.

## Summary

Pioran comes down the stairs and asks Booze Man what is happening. Booze Man tells her that Gugu's brother is here.

Shin asks Gugu to come live with him and Gugu refuses. Gugu says he was unfortunate to be abandoned by his brother but what he's gained from overcoming that is worth a miracle. He tells Shin about his new found family: Booze Man who is a genius who saved his life, Pioran who is funny and knowledgeable, Rean who spends time with them and is nice, and his irreplaceable "younger brother" Fushi. Gugu yells at Shin to not take them away from him. Shin meekly agrees and Gugu brushes past him telling him he has to get back to work. Before Gugu leaves, Shin tells him that if he's ever in trouble he can count on him. That is the last thing he can offer to prove he's Gugu's older brother.

Shin enters the Booze Man's shop and is greeted by Booze Man, Rean, Pioran, and Fushi who are pretending they weren't just eavesdropping. Booze Man offers Shin some of his brew and Shin declines. Shin tells them he was given a ring by Gugu and asks them to return it to Gugu for him. He thanks them and leaves.

Rean looks at the ring and realizes it's hers. Her father had given her the ring but she didn't like the colour. She remembers that she gave the ring to a boy in the market. While she was walking with her maid in town, she saw a young Gugu and asks her maid what he's doing everyday. The maid explains he's probably working and Rean comments that it's strange to make children work. Rean loses her dog, Meer, one day. Gugu finds Meer and returns it to Rean. She then gave young Gugu the ring as a reward for finding Meer. Realizing the young boy she met was Gugu she smiles to herself saying it was him all along.

She runs outside to give the ring back to Gugu and finds him lying in the fields. She lays down next to a sleeping Gugu and tries to put the ring on his finger. However it doesn't fit and Gugu wakes up from the pain. He asks her what she's doing and she tells him that if he's going to make a move on her he better do it now. This confuses Gugu and she exclaims she's gonna get married soon. Still confused and flustered, Rean keeps questioning Gugu about his love for her with him not really giving her the answers she wants. She tells him that he was the one who said he loved her the most and Gugu denies saying such a thing because he doesn't remember. Rean gets flustered and tells him her birthday party is next month and runs off.

Gugu lays there confused about what just happened and Booze Man approaches. Booze Man tells Gugu that if you drink alcohol and you'll forget a lot of things and that he screwed up. However, Booze Man quickly switches the topic and presents Gugu with a new mask, the anti-treeman mask. Gugu is excited about the gift and Booze Man explains he's been working on it for nearly a year. Although the new mask is a bit heavier, the functionality is better. Gugu can now blow flames without a torch. By shutting the lid hard, Gugu can create flames with gunpowder balls concentrated in the mask's nose. Gugu thanks Booze Man for the mask and Booze Man tells her to wear it to the party to impress Rean.

A month later, Gugu and Fushi get ready to go to Rean's birthday party. Booze Man asks Gugu if he wants to empty the alcohol from his stomach so he has more room to eat. Gugu declines stating that the enemy might attack and they can't let their guard down for even a second.

Before Gugu and Fushi head out Booze Man tells Gugu that he's a really great kid and although they're not blood-related he thinks of Gugu as his own grandson. Gugu responds back saying that's gross and leaves the shop in Booze Man's care. Gugu and Fushi leave. Pioran asks Booze Man what he's crying over because they're just gone for a day to which he states that he feels emotional seeing them at that age. He hopes he can see Gugu live a full life and that he'd be happy to die once doing so.

## Characters in Order of Appearance

* Pioran
* Booze Man
* Gugu
* Shin
* Fushi — Form(s): The Nameless Boy
* Rean Cropp
* Rean's maid *(Flashback)*
* Meer *(Flashback)*

## Chapter Notes

* Gugu refuses to forgive his brother.
* Shin tells Gugu that he'll come help him if he's ever in trouble.
* Shin gives Rean her ring back to give to Gugu. This makes Rean realize Gugu was the boy who rescued her dog, Meer, in the market.
* Gugu is gifted his new mask, the anti-treeman mask, by Booze Man. The new mask allows Gugu to blow flames without needing a torch.