Together

Chapter: 6

One hour later. Dr. Aghris was in the living room, lighting several candles to illuminate the place where he felt most comfortable. Outside, the sun slowly sank beyond the horizon, replaced by the bright blue glow of a crescent moon.

They all said their goodbyes and thanked Aghris for his help and for providing them with a meal before nightfall.

From a distance, they waved their hands, and Aghris returned the gesture from the front of his house. At the roundabout—the park where they had gathered earlier—Leo and Liam sat side by side on one of the long benches beneath a shady tree.

The distance between the Tezny District and their home was quite far, and on top of that, it was already night. They had no idea what awaited them on the road. Meanwhile, Zeta and Forn had already returned to their respective homes in the Tezny District.

“You should go home,” Leo said, turning to the right and looking at Liam with concern.

But the words hung in the air like smoke. Liam lifted his gaze, staring at the moon and the shimmering stars in the beautiful night sky.

Leo let out a heavy sigh, stood up, and slightly lifted his shoulder as a signal for Liam to follow him. Liam glanced at him, then quickly stood and followed from behind.

They left the park and walked along the sidewalk and through quiet streets. However, there were still a few food carts run by lone vendors. The two of them noticed an old man in worn clothes staring in their direction, hoping they would buy his goods.

Leo suddenly stopped, with Liam halting behind him. Leo’s eyes grew slightly watery as he turned around. Liam understood immediately, nodded, and the two of them approached the old man.

“How much for three apple pies? And five boiled potatoes?” Liam asked, looking over all of the old man’s merchandise.

The old man should have gone home in the afternoon like the other vendors. Yet for some reason, at 6:45 PM, he was still there, not returning to the family who must have been waiting for him. That thought crossed both of their minds.

Was it because he hadn’t sold anything yet? Or did he no longer have a family? Those questions surfaced quietly in their thoughts.

“Ah, I’ll give you a discount. The total is sixty-five pence,” the old man said, his voice barely audible.

Liam turned around and fixed his gaze on Leo, extending his hand and waiting for half the payment. With a heavy heart, Leo gave him forty pence, while Liam took out only twenty-five pence.

Frugal, unwilling to lose money, and wanting to help others. That was what filled Liam’s mind at the time. After making sure the amount was correct, Liam handed the money to the vendor with a friendly smile.

Liam received a paper bag filled with boiled potatoes, while Leo took a wooden basket of apple pies, covered on top with a sheet of paper. Despite his age, the old man counted the money carefully before letting them leave.

“Thank you, sir.” The old man waved his hand, watching their backs as they walked away, leaving him alone by the roadside that had grown quiet.

“Huh… so tired. Aren’t I?” the man muttered with a faint smile.

Meanwhile, the two of them continued walking through the silent streets of the district. Leo told Liam that he had rented an apartment yesterday afternoon and offered him a place to stay for the night.

“Hm. That’s not a bad idea,”

Liam thought.

After all, tomorrow was Monday, and Liam had an appointment with Forn to meet someone.

He nodded, accepting the invitation.

A simple two-story apartment with three rooms appeared before them, a box-shaped lamp glowing above the entrance.

They exchanged glances before entering the apartment. The front door opened, and Leo and Liam climbed the stairs toward the room at the end of the corridor.

Quiet. Calm. Comfortable.

Leo inserted the key and turned the knob. The door opened, and before stepping inside, he turned and brushed Liam’s shoulder, a habitual gesture.

Walking over to the table, he immediately lit the lantern lamp, illuminating the kitchen to the right and his room straight ahead. Meanwhile, Liam walked into the room, found a chair, and sat down.

Leo was in the kitchen on the right, while the lantern sat on the left atop the table. Liam placed the bag on the small table below, took out a boiled potato, and peeled it with his hands, bit by bit.

Two minutes later. Leo came out of the kitchen carrying two plates and a kettle filled with hot water that had already been boiled. He set them on the small table, and the two of them sat facing each other.

Beside the bed, Leo took the basket of pies and placed them onto the two plates in front of him.

“Why did you choose to live here?” Liam asked, then took a bite of the boiled potato in his right hand.

Leo, who was about to put a spoonful of apple pie into his mouth, suddenly stopped and placed it back onto the plate.

“It’s nothing,” he replied briefly, his tone weary.

Liam took two more bites of the potato, chewed, then asked again, “Is it something serious enough that you can’t talk about it?”

The atmosphere suddenly fell silent. Leo’s lips trembled as his thoughts drifted back to those moments.

Maybe it was a trivial matter, Leo thought. But the truth was that his parents had died from a plague two years ago, right after he graduated from school. Since then, Leo had felt completely alone, with no one to confide in. He buried his grief, acting as if nothing had happened.

The day after his parents’ funeral, he tried to search for his missing younger sister, who had not even attended their burial.

At times, Leo thought his sister might already be dead. But he chose to believe that she was still alive and that he would find her no matter what.

Until now, Leo had traveled through every district in Moran, searching for traces of her. His efforts over the past two years had been in vain. Even Forn, who had helped him and possessed many connections, failed to find her.

Leo didn’t want to tell his other friends about it. Only Forn knew. That was what filled his mind when Liam mentioned the word “problem.”

“No, just keep eating,” Leo said, then ate the piece of pie that was still on his spoon.

Liam watched his friend’s face suspiciously while chewing the boiled potato in his right hand. After finishing three potatoes, he took the kettle in front of him and poured its contents into a cup.

Steam rose as the water filled the cup, and Liam blew on it before drinking. After about three sips, he stopped, set the cup down on the table, and picked up the apple pie on the plate in front of him.

“Do you have any plans to go out tomorrow?” Liam asked, cutting the apple pie with a knife before eating it.

“Maybe. Tomorrow I’ll go back home to pick something up.” After answering Liam’s question, Leo stood up and carried the plate into the kitchen.

He didn’t finish the pie, placing it on the rack to eat the next morning.

Liam glanced to the left, watching Leo’s movements from the corner of his eye, noticing that he seemed lost in thought. He sighed, stood up, and pushed the table toward the right corner.

After that, the two of them prepared to sleep. Coincidentally, the apartment had a bunk bed. Liam slept on the top bunk, while Leo slept below.

Since their stomachs were already full, drowsiness slowly took over as they lay down. Two minutes later, both of them fell into a deep sleep, carried by the silence of the night while something lingered beyond it.

Outside, the sun had risen. Its warm light slipped through the gaps between buildings, illuminating part of the room.

The morning wind was quite strong. The bedroom window had not been closed since the night before, creating a noisy sound that woke both of them at the same time.

Liam’s eyes widened suddenly. By reflex, he reached for his wristwatch and opened its cover.

Click.

“7:15, right?” Liam climbed down from the bunk bed ladder, intending to wake Leo, but Leo was already awake.

After that, he walked to the bathroom, stood in front of the sink, turned on the faucet, cupped water in his hands, and washed his face.

“Ah… that feels refreshing,” Liam said, enjoying the pleasant sensation of water running over his head.

“So the dream came back again? Is there a way to get rid of it, and am I the only one experiencing this?” he thought. He was used to the dream by now, but it still felt disgusting and horrifying to relive it again.

Before leaving the bathroom, he looked at his reflection—his blue eyes and messy hair—making Liam realize the kind of day awaiting him. He smiled faintly, turned around, and returned to the room.

His black coat from before was already damaged, and he was afraid people outside would see his disheveled, almost insane appearance.

Because of that, Leo offered him a black coat he no longer used, still in good condition. Liam didn’t know what to say, as Leo practically forced him to accept it.

“Alright, alright. I’ll take it.” Liam put on the black coat, the sleeves far longer than his arms.

He looked like a child wearing an adult’s clothes.

“Hahaha, sorry, sorry. I didn’t expect your body to still be this small,” Leo said, holding back his laughter.

“When we were still in school, Zavi’s height was different from the other kids, including me. Because of that, he often got lightly bullied—called short, dwarf, and other things related to his height.”

Leo laughed quietly to himself.

“Well then, I’ll head home,” Liam said with an expression of disbelief.

Leo stood and walked over, then patted Liam’s shoulder.

“Alright. And are you sure you want to leave those boiled potatoes behind?” he asked with a smile, hoping Liam would.

Liam understood the meaning, smiled faintly, walked toward the door, and said, “Take them if you want.” After that, the door opened. He left the apartment and headed straight toward the nearby park.

October 22. Monday. 7:20 AM.