The boy did what he was told and walked beside the woman. He wanted to hold her hand, like a child with their parent, but he tried to hide his feelings. Deep down, he was happy that she was taking him out to eat. As they walked, he started to wonder to himself: "Why is she helping me? What if she wants to hurt me? Can I trust her?"
The lady gripped the boy's hand, feeling the biting coldness as if she held an ice cube. With determined steps, she led him towards an unknown destination, a small pang of worry creeping into her thoughts. What if people misunderstood her actions, mistaking her for some kidnapper dragging a homeless child away? Annoyance welled up within her as she muttered to herself. "Ugh, I better not get caught by the S.S.U. I'm such an idiot for doing this. And with the military and soldiers all under one organization, it's even worse." Glancing at the boy, she added, her words sharp and tinged with a hint of concern, "If trouble finds us because of the S.S.U, I won't hesitate to leave you behind. Now, let's go."
He didn't know what to say, but the thought echoed in his mind: "Please don't leave me." Gripping the lady's hand tightly, a wave of sadness washed over him, realizing she was his only hope for a meal today. With each barefoot step on the rough concrete road, he struggled to keep up, hoping desperately that she wouldn't abandon him.
"I can't believe someone would abandon their child at such a young age. Ugh, some people really shouldn't be parents," the lady muttered under her breath, her voice filled with frustration. As she pondered the situation, she couldn't help but wonder why the boy had been abandoned in the first place. There was no tag symbol in his eyes, so he wasn't a tagged individual. It only made her more irritated, as if she wanted to give those parents a good smack. Spotting a tavern up ahead, she quickened her pace, tugging the boy along with her.
When they arrived, the boy remembered seeing the plywood house from the outside many times but had never stepped foot inside. His curiosity grew as he wondered what the inside looked like, and he eagerly longed to explore it. As his mind wandered, he also pondered what he was allowed to order.
The lady reluctantly told him, "Fine, just stick close to me. Don't even think about wandering off. And don't get any ideas—I can't guarantee your safety if anything happens in there." With a sigh, she turned the doorknob to the plywood house, revealing nothing but an empty room with a mysterious hole in the floor. Strange noises were emanating from the depths below, almost like there was some sort of party happening down there.
As the lady gracefully descended, the boy cautiously followed in her footsteps. While he descended, his gaze caught sight of a bustling tavern, adorned with flickering candles that bathed the room in a warm and inviting glow. Several patrons were seated at the bar, their eyes briefly fixated on the pair descending from above. But the lady, undeterred by their stares, responded with an icy glare that silenced their curious gazes. Upon finally reaching the ground, the boy recognized the faces of those in the tavern, their mocking laughter and taunting words echoing in his memory.
He clung onto the lady's pants and stayed close to her, much like a young child clinging to their mother's feet. The lady sensed that something was amiss and felt a surge of maternal instinct, although she couldn't quite understand what was happening.
She reluctantly intertwined her fingers with the boy's and led him to a nearby table, positioning herself next to him. With a subtle gesture of her hand, she caught the attention of the waitress, who was busy attending to other customers. After a brief wait, the waitress finally approached their table, and the lady hesitantly asked, "Could you possibly prepare a light meal for him?" Nodding in acknowledgement, the waitress hurriedly relayed the order to the man at the counter, instructing him to prepare a serving of bread with tomato salad for the lady and the boy.
The woman began speaking to the boy, asking, "Do you have a name, child?" However, he remained silent. As she observed him, thoughts of her own childhood flooded her mind, realizing that it had been 11 years since she was his age. This reflection brought her a sense of satisfaction, knowing she had made it this far. Impatiently, she began tapping her finger on the table, as if she were in a hurry.
The boy sat in silence, his gaze fixed on the table, lost in his thoughts as he waited for his food. A sense of discomfort overwhelmed him amidst the bustling crowd in the tavern. Doubts crept into his mind - maybe he shouldn't have come. Unlike everyone else, he felt different, an outsider. Being homeless meant he had no family or friends to rely on, no one to call his own. For so long, he had lived without a place to call home, but amidst his loneliness, he found solace in the one person who showed him even a semblance of kindness.
"Hey. Are you okay? You've been staring at the table for quite some time," the lady said to the boy, her voice laced with concern. Inwardly, she couldn't help but wonder about that troublesome Steen. If only he hadn't meddled, they wouldn't be stuck in this predicament. Now, she found herself playing the role of a guardian angel, fixing his mistakes. What a true fool he was. The thought alone was enough to irritate her.
The waitress approached the lady and placed the boy's food in front of her with a smile. She then attempted to offer the lady a drink, but the lady shook her head, declining the offer. The waitress then left, sliding a plate of bread and tomato salad to the boy.
The boy eagerly dug into the bread and tomato salad, savoring each bite as if he were dining at an all-you-can-eat restaurant. The flavors exploded in his mouth, bringing him immense joy. It had been a while since he had enjoyed a freshly cooked meal, so all his attention was focused on savoring every mouthful.
"Ah, it's good to see you enjoying yourself, but could you maybe take it slower while eating?" She let out a small sigh before continuing, "Well, I've got some things to finish up, so this may be goodbye for now." Then, she started pondering to herself, "I can't involve him in this, so I'll just have to leave him behind. The S.S.U will take care of him." Feeling a sense of satisfaction, she suddenly got up from the table, attracting the attention of everyone in the tavern. She turned around, facing the people behind her as though she were starring in a movie scene.
The lady shouted to people of the tavern "Ahem, listen up, you clueless fools at this sorry excuse for a tavern. The name's Jenni Hayes, from the almighty Hayes crew. Better burn that into your minuscule brains. I've come here to retrieve something your sorry lot stole from one of my crew members, so don't even think about playing dumb. And just so we're clear, I already know you're the infamous bandits Kulov. Don't push your luck with me, got it?"
The moment she mentioned their group name, everyone except the boy turned hostile, and the waitress swiftly brandished a concealed knife from her boots, lunging towards Jenni. But as the blade drew closer, a mysterious force paralyzed her, rendering Jenni immobile as if an invisible hand held her in place.
In a chilling scene, the entire tavern was frozen in immobility, except for the boy and Jenni. Jenni's voice dripped with merciless contempt as she addressed the paralyzed crowd, clutching a handcrafted hachimaki headband, its pure white fabric emerging from her duty belt. "Had you idiots not interrupted me, you might have had the chance to see another day," she whispered, her words laced with seething anger.
She tied the headband onto her forehead, pushing her hair bangs to the side so everyone could clearly see her right eye, which had a white skull as its pupil.
ns 15.158.61.6da2
