Chapter 10: Warm Gloves

Sunlight shines through the window wall that barricades the corridor in the high building. Two shadows looming and moving on the wall following the owner of the body walking direction. A man with black suit walking while looking directly forward, his presence oozing strong domination aura, his chest bulked and his chin slightly up and there is a hint of arrogance from him.

A woman in her mid-thirty walking closely beside him, trying to keep the same pace. But no matter how slow the man walking with his tall and sturdy body, each step is equivalent to two steps of that woman. But the woman still keeps up with the pace, while holding onto an open note, ready with anything.

Her glasses hanging tightly on her face, her eyes studying the note and the man walking slightly at the front of her. Her phone vibrates and she immediately takes a peek at whatever information shown on the screen.

Until a strong and raspy voice demanded her attention.

>>>>>

“Are the reservations done?”

I keep walking directly passing the corridor, I keep my face directly ahead. I don’t need to look behind me, I know she heard me. And I can hear her clear and strict voice answer me immediately without wasting a second.

“Yes, Mr. Albern, the reservation at Boulevard Kitchen & Bar has been confirmed for this afternoon meeting”

I keep walking to the corner of the corridor without slowing down, two receptionists that catch my shadow a few seconds ago immediately standing and bowing, and the lift door open. The moment the door opens my foot is already stepping inside, and the view of the city can be seen clearly. The round lift starts to go down, and the view of the city I see getting closer from the up here. I can see the sun at the top of the building through the glass wall of the lift.

While I keep my view to the scenery, Melia keeps filling me with the detail, her tone solid and not slowing down, nor getting faster, enough for me to understand all of it at once. The sun starts to retreat, and the bright yellow shine starts to fade away.

Today everything is still the same.

Handling and helping with family business.

Studying and nothing else.

I wonder what is he doing right now, is he still in the class? Studying perhaps? Or is he hanging out with his friends? Or is he studying inside the library till late again?

Since my first encounter with him, I can’t really keep my eyes off of him, and every time I walk, he is there, in every corner. But his presence never actually irritated me, on the contrary, he kind intrigued me. I can’t really answer why his presence just feels different from anyone that I have encountered before.

Most importantly, the more panicky and timid he becomes the more it’s pleasing me. The faces he made in the locker room are delight, that desperation, on the verge of crying eyes. I want to keep pushing him actually, to see him crying for real, I wonder what kind of sound he made?

Weird

Why does this feeling keep growing? Why is bullying him such a satisfying thing to do? I just did it once, and now I want to keep doing it again and again.

“… He said he is going to be late”

Melia's voice suddenly dragged me back to reality.

“How long?”

“He wasn’t being specific, however, if we considering the past meeting, probably around 10 to 15 minutes”

He, out of the people that I know, who keeps his schedule clean actually will be late? Maybe he is busy today, I know he has been telling me how hectic lately in his office, and he has been in and out going to many places doing his work.

*Ding

The sound of the lift reaching its destination can be heard from the back, and the sound of the door sliding sound follows. I turn my body and start walking out from the lift, people that are passing or working their job start standing and bowing in my direction. Melia followed me closely while making a quick few calls before continuing to brief me with all the next schedule I’ll have.

“Melia, I want you to clear all my schedule for next Friday”

“Understood”

She immediately complies and does not ask for any detail, and she continues to make another call, and a sound of scribble can be heard from her note. We both keep walking and passing all the workers, my pace still steady until we both reach to the other side of the building, where both me and Melia greet by a woman behind the desk and she immediately stands up, she proceeds to open the big door that leads to my office.

I walk to the back of my desk and slowly sit down on the big chair. My eyes immediately look through the window, and my fingers start tapping the table's hard wooden surface. I let my back relaxed and slumped on the chair, while my lung let out a big exhale through my nostril. Melia standing across the table, her small face directed toward me, her small lips forming an upward motion created a smile. Her whole body is ready to accept the next order from me.

“Melia…”

“Yes”

I start doubting myself. Should I ask her for help? I am planning to spend time with him, which is why I purposely want Melia help to clear my schedule. But then again, where I can bring him to?

A café? But what kind of café?

A concert? Ticket wasn’t a problem, but what kind of music he likes to hear?

A resort? Will it be too much?

No, this is why I need Melia help, I can’t figure this thing out.

“Say… you want to bring someone with you, what kind of place that is fitting to spend time with them?”

I turn my focus to her now, waiting for her answer. She brings her knuckle to her chin, close both of her eyes, focusing to search for the answer. After a while a smile comes back to her face and her eyes slowly open.

“May I know what kind of relationship that you have with that person?”

I looked at her, stunned with her coming back. Right, I never thought about it, what should I call my relationship with him? We aren’t exactly a friend, an enemy? Well, I hope not. There are no words that actually fit our status now, we are perfectly strangers, if we look at it again in every angle, we are still a stranger.

“A lackey…”

Without much thinking, those words slip out from my mouth. Melia looked at me with a weird look, her upper body retracted a little bit, taken aback with my answer. Her eyes grew bigger and one of her eyebrows raised, her whole face fell into confusion as if she demanded a much clearer answer.

But before I can open my mouth again to explain what I mean, she starts laughing and shaking her head. She brings her white hands to cover her mouth, and as if she can’t control her emotion at all. I waited until her laugh died down, folded my arms to my chest.

She let out a heavy sigh, it seems she managed to let out all the steam in her emotion. Her hand reached into her neat blazer, and before long she gave me a small business card from her chest pocket.

My eyes moving from her face and her hand holding onto the small and thin colorful paper. Her eyes still kind as usual, and her smile never loses its light either. I study the paper that I am holding right now. There are rainbow colored words written and taken almost the entire space of the small medium paper.

‘Wonderland Fair’

I look up to her again to confirm what I just read.

“That is business card from one of the companies that introduced themselves 2 weeks ago”

She continued.

“I heard they just recently opened a new branch, naturally all types of people will be going there to try the new theme park, I think theme park is a good place for you and your…”

Her face moves to the side and her eyes going upward, her face appears to be trying to find a good answer, that even I, myself, can’t answer yet.

“Theme park, in my opinion, is a good place to hang out for any type of relationship”

“If you want to play and spend your time to enjoy the amusement park, then they’ll have ton of ride”

“They also have a dine in place, thought mostly it is family themed”

“If you just want to stroll around and enjoying scenery, they usually have parade”

“Now, to think about it, my son has been nagging me to go too, I wonder if I should go?”

She put her index finger on her chin, her head tilting little bit, thinking about her decision to go to the theme park or not.

After her explanation, I looked at the business card again. The paper surfaces are still clean and bright, it is very inviting, and the image Melia paints inside my head is not really that bad either.

Perhaps this is a good place to spend time with him after all.

To think about it.

I wonder, will he cry during one of the rides?

I can’t wait.

“Sir?”

I quickly regain my focus once I am aware with Melia hands waving in the front of me, she standing with concerned faces painted on her.

“Are you okay, Albern? I’ve been calling your name couple of times, you just sitting there in silent while smiling for a while now”

I immediately put the business card into my pocket.

“I’m sorry, I was occupied with my thought”

“It’s okay, I thought you are sick or something… you rarely smile”

I looked at her deeply, trying to process her words.

“Am I?”

“Yes, you usually smile if your parent is around or Kristin comes to visit”

I shake my head immediately.

“No that is just your imagination”

Meila smiled with my answer, proceeded to open her note, and brief me once more with our schedule.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The afternoon light glittering on the black cold surfaces of the metallic vehicle that was waiting for me. A man standing near the back passenger seat door, tips his hat and proceeds to open it for me. The black Maserati humming calmly, waiting for me to get inside. I step down from the stair, followed by Melia not far behind.

Before I step inside the car, I turn my body and let my hand rest on the car's metallic cold surfaces, facing the woman that is standing near me.

“I’ll be counting on you for next Friday schedule”

“Certainly”

She nodded with agreement.

“And before I forgot, make sure nobody contact me that day”

“Even for emergencies?”

“If it's a family matter, you can call me directly. But nothing from work related news”

She smiled softly at me and nodded with approval.

“Understood”

With that, I quickly jump into the car, and this black beetle starts humming and moving quickly. The driver drives silently, the destination has been briefed by Melia, he just smiles at me from the rear window.

I sat down silently, looking at the building that passed. I took my phone from my pocket and my finger immediately opened the lock, unconsciously my finger immediately tapped into the contact icon, and scrolled through the limited contact only to stop in one name.

Joshua

My finger looming above the screen. My heart wants me to hit it, but my brain says stop it. In the end I just freeze in time, no moving or talking. I feel like it's just a mere second I contemplated my decision, but it turns out we already reached our destination. The driver sits there, our eyes meet and he is eyeing me silently, he smiles and gets out of the car, not long after my door opens and I can see the driver shadow bowing once again at me.

I quickly stepped out from the car and the hostess immediately came right at me, he bowed his head and extended his arm with open palm, directing me to go inside, welcoming me. Another two staff open the big wooden door with flower carvings into it. The jazz and the low chattering noise can be immediately heard, as soon as the door opened.

“Welcome sir, your table is ready, please follow me…”

And with that he signaled me to follow him, despite him walking in the front of me, but his pace following mine. We pass through table upon table, passing an old lady with a big diamond hanging from her neck, some sophisticated gentleman at the other side kissing a young lady's hand. Bunch of a young and rich mom grouping together chattering gossip.

Glass clicking.

Wine pouring.

Chattering.

The slow music in the background.

We kept walking until we reached the balcony, the hostess hand directed me to one of the seats, slid it backward to make a room for me to sit. I sit silently, and the busser comes and asks whether I want to drink something while waiting, I choose Coffee, she smiling and politely asking me to kindly wait for her.

Not for long my coffee came with the rest of the necessity.

Sugar.

Cream.

The waiter comes soon after greeting me and gives me a little bit of a trivial chit-chat while handing me the menu. My eyes scheming the content, passing the image of the professional made food one by one, reading each of the names, while listening to his recommendation menu for this afternoon.

Before long I cut him short with my order.

“I’m waiting for someone, but bring me Boulevard Clam Chowder for the appetizer”

He immediately writes the order down in his note, the note is small, smaller than his hands.

“For the drink sir?”

“Bring me latour-giraud”

With that he excuses himself, and leaves me alone waiting. I let out a sigh, let my back relax and slumped on the chair, let the scenery and the cold wind calm me down. The work is always hectic, and I do not always have time for myself either, it always boils down to school and work.

At this point perhaps I just got used to my hectic life, that I’m not even consider this is kind of a boring life. Perhaps I’m just busy, not bored. But even so, why when my eyes laid on him I felt something, it felt like you found the world all together. We have not exactly exchanged words properly, but why it feels doesn’t even matter, he's just interesting and that’s all.

But something about him is still lingering.

But I don’t know what it is.

There is this kind of relief feeling.

I took a sip of my coffee, enjoying the bitter taste and the warm liquid that immediately touched my tongue. The taste refreshed my head from any thought, yet he still linger. I pull out my phone out of my pocket, still not sure whether I should call and annoy him or not.

I bet when he read my name pop out from the screen, that I think lips of his will be pouting. And his whole body will be tensed, his leg will be pacing. I wonder, will he answer me rudely? I bet he will, but I do not feel irritated either, in fact the more he is trying to be rude and fail, the more I find it amusing.

He sounds very strong and cold.

But for some reason he has this timid aura.

And I want to exploit those aspects of his for my end.

“Why are you smiling like that?”

I turn my eyes to the voice owner. I throw a sly smile to the man that is standing not far from the table. He still has not changed, it’s been many months I’m not spending time with any of them. I’m glad he is able to meet me even during our hectic time like this.

“You are late asshole”

“Be careful sir, that is can be count as felony”

We both laugh at the same time.

Both of his hands resting on his hips, his position forces his long black coat draped to the back of his body. The coat exposed his tall body and his small pack that wrapped around his tights.

He walked toward me and proceeded to sit down on the chair across mine, he proceeded to take out his black coat and hang it on the side of the chair. His upper body figure exposed by his empty harnesses tighten around his muscle.

At the same time the waiter came in with my order and went on to take order from the man that was sitting down across mine.

“Albern, have you ordered the main course yet? Give me roasted ling cod, I’ll just eat the main dish right away”

“Ah! Give me one glass of water and I’ll have whatever wine he have”

I shake my head, and smile at him. It’s my idea and I’m the one inviting him, don’t be ridiculous.

“His tab on mine, bring the whole bottle here. And bring me charcoal grilled halibut for my main dish latter, after I finished with the clam chowder”

The waiter smiled at both of us, and excused himself.

“Sorry I’m late, my team leader been bitching about the new case lately”

“Are the security bureau cases increasing lately? Your parent going to be disappointed with you Alex”

Alexander laughed when he heard I’m mocking him, he shook his head and let out an exhaustion sigh.

“No, that is going to be awful if it were true. This is regarding ‘Barnaby’ family”

My hand stopped in midair while holding the wine glass once I heard that name. Barnaby? It’s been a while since anyone even mentioned that family name.

“Barnaby? When was the last time I heard someone speak about that name? 10 – 15 years ago?”

“Right, that family been inactive for long times, or so it seems”

Alex chimed in, and proceeded to empty his glass of water in one go.

“Barnaby family never been open about their activity anyways, and they are never seen as people that follow the rule nor anything by the book”

I continue to talk with whatever information about that family that I vaguely remembered now.

“They are still noble alright, just like yours, after all your family kind of their enemy, and vice versa”

His hand made a gun gesture and pretended to shoot me. I smile and shake my head with his silliness, despite the justice enforcer's humor still intact. His whole family has always been in the Law and Justice Department, and known to be very strict too. Even my family can’t really have a shortcut when they are around.

And Alexander, even though he has been my friend since childhood, even though we are best friends, he never cut me some slack. Among five of us, he is the most notorious for doing everything by the book and by the rule.

But what most admirable about him and his family are their compassion. No matter what happens, they are judging people based on their humanity and kindness, not by blind obedience.

“To say that we are enemy is kind of stretch, we just two family that have different vision, and it’s not like our family ever crossed path personally”

“But again you can’t shake the feeling that they do have some kind shady business”

I scoffed at Alexander's suspicion, in this day and age, I won’t be surprised. But I never heard Barnaby's actually do something terrible before, but they are very careful in regards to exposing their line of work to people.

Barnaby has been stagnant for many years now, as if they aren’t active at all. Actually to think about it once again, do I know one of their family personally? I never heard any of their individual names before too. Their family name has been tossed around, but has anybody ever seen them before?

“So, what makes Barnaby gain attention from the public bureau?”

Alexander starts messaging his head, this seems kind of a pretty heavy topic for him.

“It’s been a while they are inactive, and suddenly we caught a wind that they are kind of making affiliation with underground group, like mafia and stuff”

I immediately baffled with his answer, both of my eyebrows raised. That is a very drastic action they have made, if it were true.

“I can’t really speak about it further, but the condition at the office not really getting better, and they keep sending me out to investigate this thing”

He continued to talk about it further, and slumped backward on his seat.

And the waiter came back with both of our orders, we both slowly tasted the dinner. Alex proceeded to take the wine that offered to him politely.

“Never mind! How about you?! Something good happened?”

Alex immediately changes the topic, and somehow his side lips moving upward forming a mocking smile.

“Nothing out of ordinary, same stuff”

“Bullshit, you just smile when I found you sitting here alone”

I raised my eyebrow.

“I never smiled before? Or I can’t smile at all?”

“You are the second person today said that to me, I swear to god by the third something bad going to happen”

He laughs while playing with his wine glass, the liquid dancing inside the fragile medium, sparkling slowly with the sunset light.

“Listen, I know you since forever, that smile you just made... That is the most genuine I ever seen”

“Tell me…”

he continued.

I put my wine glass back on the table. Looking at him with a ‘smile’ throwing directly at him.

“Seriously there is nothing at all, you don’t trust me at all?”

His right hand covers his left knuckle, he brings both of his hands to his face, the both hands cover his mouth and his eyes suddenly become menacing. Are you going to interrogate me now?

“Fine… there this boy I meet back months ago, I don’t know, he just amused me somehow”

I shrugged and closed my eyes. I hope he is satisfied, because I don’t know what else I can say, there is no definitive answer.

“And what is he to you?”

I’m thinking this again, and my lips let out a groan along with the same answer.

“A lackey…”

His eyes widened and his body tensed for a second there. But he proceeded to laugh soon after that.

“Since when did Albern become a bully?! What is wrong with you? Something hits you on the head?”

He keeps laughing and laughing, and suddenly he takes out his phone, while tears are still forming from his eyes.

“The other need to know about this”

“Alex! What the hell! Stop it!”

I tried to reach out to him, but he managed to move away from my grasp.

“You stay there! The other deserved to know about this anomaly!”

“God dammit! Alex stop it!”

We both laugh and tease each other, throwing a few couple of cursed words. Until we both calm down, and Alex raises his glass, a sly smile plastered on his face. I smile back at him and our glasses click, and we both proceed to bring the liquid that contained directly into our mouth.

“Don’t hurt him okay”

Alex laughs while saying those words.

“I’m won’t promised that to anyone”

I throw him with my usual arrogant smile and his calm face wipes out in an instant. I laugh loudly with his reaction and proceed to drink my wine again. And yes, why should I promise anyone about not bully him, I want to make him cry, what else should I do but to torture his emotion?

The both men tease one another, laughing and talking about present, old and future days. Reminiscing their time together, both of them feel grateful with their times, able to meet with one another during the busiest days in the live it’s a rare occasion.

The weather is getting colder, yet both of them do not feel the chill at all. All they feel is warm from their nostalgic feelings. There was once, not too long ago, they all had their time shortened and they were able to spend their times together with silliness and enjoyment.

But they all have to be an adult someday, even if it's not today, soon they will be.

The snow has not yet fallen but close, winter just around the corner, and then everything will be like the snow, everything going to fall down in one place.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

These last few days, the boy doing nothing new, day by day it’s just the same routine. Reading a book, studying, playing some game. The maid keeps him company, keeps him feeling happy, and entertains him.

But today, especially today.

Everything feels quiet and sad inside his heart.

The clouds are getting darker, rain has been pouring from the morning till now. The rain does not show any sign of slowing down either, and those melancholy feelings start eating the boy hearts away. And suddenly the rain starts slowing down, and his eyes start sparkling with hope.

He jumped from the window, immediately took his small rain coat, wearing it and running directly to the big door that protected all the people inside this massive mansion. The rain sounds getting softer, signaling that the days are getting better.

“Young master Shaun! Where are you going?!”

The boy looked back and saw a maid holding onto a basket full of clean laundry. The boy smiled brightly at her and waved vigorously.

“I'm going to town! I’ll be fine!”

“No! Young master! Young master! Please wait! Someone! Please help! Young master you have to have a companion! Someone!”

But in mere a second the boy shadow has been gone and can’t be found, the entire mission starts panicking. From the first floor to the most upper floor, everyone starts to make chaos, some maid and male guard goes out of the mansion trying to catch up with the small step that is owned by the small body that just ran away a few minutes ago.

“Master won’t be happy to hear this!’

“We need to keep it secret!”

“I hope the guard and the maid can find him sooner!”

“I told you someone needs to stick beside him all the time!”

“Mr. Bernard and Mrs. Lily are going to be devastated and panicked when they hear this news!”

The maid and the guard that left behind start to compromise with the condition they are having now, and start to think of a good plan to solve the problem. And suddenly a rough hard stomp can be heard getting nearer, and all the guard and the maid quickly line up and keep their mouth shut.

A slender man got into the room with a face mixed with worried and anger. His knuckle pressing hard, his teeth grinded to one another. His face clearly displeased with the whole thing that happened.

“How could you let a young master step out from this mansion without supervision?!”

His voice booming inside the room, brings fear to the entire people inside.

“But Mr Theodore, we are…”

“I don’t want to hear any excuse! This is beyond forgiveness! This is beyond unprofessionalism!”

“He is not allowed to go out like this! If anyone outside there knows who he is, only big trouble will occur!”

“Find him immediately before they come back!”

“Sir!!!’

Every staff member answered him in unison, Theodore's eyes lightened with fire, he was anxious, the young master had been raised with care and sheltered, and everything out there could harm him.

At the other side of the scene, the boy just kept running happily, jumping from puddle to puddle, going to the crowded town down the hill.

The town for today is crowded, every kind of person starts pouring onto the street, the street lights start to lighten up the road, every type of sound starts to manifest. The boy kept walking, humming to himself, enjoying the pitter patter rain that fell on his raincoat.

His blue colored rain coat looks very out of place, but no one is paying any attention to him, as if he was merely a pebble on the road. Before long his eyes fall to the bunch of kids sitting and hugging each other inside the dark alleyway.

The boy innocently moves closer to them, feeling concern. Some of them look battered, some of them even have fresh wounds and their clothes look dirty. The boy crouches down and moves closer.

“Are you okay? That looks hurt, why you not treat them?”

The girl just stared at him silently, all of the kids started looking at him now.

“If I hurt, my maid will scope me and treat my wounds! Where is yours?! Ah! Do you want me to call mine? They are all very kind!”

The boy was talking with a smile brightly, his white and round eyes looking like sun. His small body squatted down in the same level with all the kids that were sitting down there wet. The puddle ripple below his blue boots, and the hoods that covered his head protected him from the dirt and the rain.

And suddenly a growling sound can be heard from the girl he is talking to, the girl hanging her heads with shame. The boy once heard that noise limitedly standing up and putting his hands together, clapped, like praying.

“Are you hungry?! Wait here for a moment!”

He immediately ran and schemed through the store near the alley. He found a bread shop nearby, and immediately ran inside.

“Welcome little boy! Is there anything that I can help you with? Where is your parent?”

A young lady greeted him with a kind smile once he got inside, the boy standing with a smile plastered on his face, his coat wet with rain, but he was still beaming like the light. The boy quickly took everything inside his pocket, a bunch of crippled paper came out.

He immediately gives it all of them to the kind lady that crouches down to reach his level. When she received the bunch of money paper that almost looks like a ball from that little hand, she started counting and surprised with the total amount.

“Can I buy bread? I don’t know how much it is yet, but my mom said this paper can be exchanged with many items, can I exchange it and buy the bread?”

The boy smiles and his white teeth line up inside his mouth.

“All… all of this?”

The lady can’t help but be baffled with the boy. The boy nodded vigorously, his both knuckles placed on his chest.

“Is it enough?”

“Enough?! This is not worth one month's supply!”

Before long the boy stepped out from the shop with a big plastic bag that was almost as big as his body. The boy kept waving to the lady inside the shop, they both smiled at one another.

The boy came back to the alley, immediately he put the heavy bag on the dry cardboard, opened it slowly and took one of the bread and gave it to the girl that he met the moment ago. The girl just looking at him warily, did not move.

“Take it! It's okay! We eat together!”

The girl, shaking hands moving toward the boy, takes the fresh baked bread from the boy's hands. Tears immediately fall from the girl's eyes once the sweet fragrance hits her nostril, she immediately eats the bread, forgetting to savor the taste all she thinks is to fill her belly.

“Here, you too! We eat together!”

And one by one the kids that slumped in the alley took the bread from him, quickly eating it like they were afraid someone might steal it from them.

“Who told you guys can eat!”

Suddenly three big rough looking men coming from the deepest darkest part of the alley, they don't look friendly at all. Some of the kid’s immediately swallowed the rest chunk of the bread, some managed to hide it.

The most menacing one stride forward and grab the girl near the boy by the hair, an immediate painful scream slips from the girl's mouth. The boy's heart dropped the moment he witnessed what happened. The kids start getting beaten up by the other bulky man, scream and cry and start filling the alley.

The boy's legs start shaking with the horror he is witnessing right now, his lips trembling, tears start forming from his innocent eyes. He jumped and tried to grab the man's hands while still pulling the girl's hair.

“Please stop! Please, she is hurt! You are hurting them! Please”

“Who are you?! Who is this kid?!”

With one easy swoop the man pushed the boy hard, the boy fell down to the dirty concrete, mud water splashing and stained his body. But to the boy horror, the event that revolved around him right now is pure horror.

“But… but I just… I want to help them…”

“I… I want to be friends…”

“HAH!!!”

The man that was standing in the front of him mocked his resolve, and that dirty hand looming and trying to reach him. But before that hand can touch his body, a strong force comes immediately protecting the boy.

“We found him!”

Four man with black suit start making barricade and hide the boy view from whatever happening over their body.

“He is appear to be fine for now, call the doctor to standby”

One of the men crouched down and inspected the boy carefully, one of the men finger touching the device that was attached to his ear.

“Understood, we will bring him to the mansion immediately”

“Young master!”

Another three maid comes soon after, one of them scoop the boy at once, the other two start circling around him touching him, checking whether he has any fresh wound, or is he in pain.

One of the maid nodding to one of the guards, they are exchanging words, yet the boy can’t understand what they are saying. Before long the maid was holding him and carrying him away from the alley.

The boy starts screaming and asks the wellbeing of the other kids. Begging them to put him down, but to no avail the maid walking even faster from that place. After a while he arrived at the mansion, he was still crying with his wet body, standing and refused to move.

Theodore, being waiting on the front of the door, immediately embraces the boy. The boy keeps crying on his shoulder, he keeps asking why he is not allowed to go back there.

And why we can’t help them.

Why he is not allowed to go outside.

Theodore kept holding him until the boy tired and fell asleep. To his dismay, the young master almost fell into a dire situation, if anything were to happen to him, Theodore can’t forgive himself.

Theodore is only able to whisper softly to the boy's ear.

“Kindness not something you can give it just like that, when you grow up you’ll understand how the world works”

“And you aren’t born like nor to be like anyone else, you are born to be different, you have different purposes. I’m sorry you have to find it this way, Shaun”

And the first snow starts falling down, the entire city starts getting engulfed by the white blanket. To hide the pain and hide the sadness. The boy cheek cold just like the ice, full of pain and regret from the revelation.