Being a child has its advantages

The sun was bright outside.

Her surroundings were filled with dense vegetation, unusual for a big city.

An umbrella shielded her snow-white skin from the harsh violet rays.

Asha, dressed in a simple white dress and seated in a wheelchair under the midday sun, easily drew the attention of passersby.

Her emotionless face and serene demeanor exuded a quiet charisma that made people instinctively want to approach her.

Well, at least on the surface.

'Five days, twelve hours, and twelve seconds…'

'Five days, twelve hours, and eleven seconds…'

'Five days, twelve hours, and ten seconds…'

It had been a day since Asha was grounded, yet she hadn't stopped counting down the time until this ordeal was over.

Her mind was so drained that nothing could distract her.

She had already filled every page of her drawing books. In desperation, she even broke her own rule of avoiding books and read all the fairy tales Priyanka had given her.

But it was all in vain.

Like Lying Unicorn, every other story belonged in the same category—garbage.

Pure garbage.

Predictable plots, shallow morals, and dialogue so cringe-worthy it made her stomach churn.

That was why, for an entire day, Asha had done nothing but stare at the ceiling, counting the seconds.

If Priyanka hadn't taken her outside, she would still be lying there, lost in her own mind.

She glanced at Priyanka with a distant gaze.

As usual, Priyanka wore a serious expression, dressed in light clothes. Her white T-shirt and black pants gave her an air of neutrality and composure.

At the same time, her sharp gaze was enough to deter unwanted stares.

Where were they going? Why were they outside?

Asha had no idea.

But it wasn't hard to figure out with a bit of thought.

Along with the umbrella, Priyanka carried a bag full of documents—Asha's ID card, medical records, and other paperwork.

Priyanka wasn't the type to take her outside without a good reason, especially knowing how much she disliked unnecessary exposure.

She was probably taking her to a psychologist.

Normally, the wait time for an appointment would be much longer, but since Asha was considered an emergency case, a spot had opened up in less than three days.

No matter how she looked at it, the consequences of her actions were catching up to her.

At this very moment, she was about to have her sanity questioned—even though she was perfectly sane.

It all started because of a misunderstanding, but it was becoming harder to maintain that excuse.

Asha knew this was dangerous. Evading doctors was one thing, but fooling a psychologist was something else entirely.

She needed to handle this carefully. This was a potential threat to her current life.

And yet, even in the face of that risk, she felt nothing.

'Things will work out somehow… probably.'

That was all she thought before resuming her countdown.

If she were in a normal state of mind, she might have been having another anxiety attack. But in her current state, she simply didn't care.

The same, however, couldn't be said for Priyanka.

Asha sat quietly, staring straight ahead. She barely reacted to anything.

Normally, she would show curiosity, even about the smallest things, but now she was just an unreadable shell.

If Priyanka asked if she was okay, Asha would answer with a plain "Yes." If she asked if she wanted something, Asha would simply write "No."

She had always been reserved, but lately, she had become even more withdrawn.

From the beginning, Asha was never a particularly expressive child. When Priyanka first met her, she had been like a blank mirror—silent and unreadable.

But over time, she had started showing interest in different activities—drawing, painting, reading.

Priyanka thought things were improving. She thought she was helping.

But then Asha started watching TV. And everything changed.

Her interest in other activities faded. She became more detached.

That was why Priyanka was so strict about her TV time—Asha was becoming obsessed with it.

And now, after being banned from watching TV for just a week, she had regressed even further.

She was back to how she was at the very beginning.

For every step forward, it felt like she was taking two steps back.

Priyanka had originally planned to give Asha more time at home, to help her settle into a stable routine.

But it was clear now that her approach wasn't working.

She needed professional help.

With a resolute mind, Priyanka entered the subway.

The moment she stepped inside, many eyes turned toward her. She was the only person carrying a child in a wheelchair, so receiving such attention was only natural.

However, the moment Priyanka looked back, many eyes returned to their original positions.

Priyanka adjusted Asha's chair in the wheelchair support and sat next to her while checking her documents.

After visiting the psychologist, Priyanka planned to schedule some additional check-ups and update Asha's school registration. The day was packed with activities.

"Uwah!!"

Suddenly, Priyanka's thoughts were interrupted by a sharp cry.

Her attention was naturally drawn to the sound. A child, slightly older than Asha, was crying and struggling in his mother's lap.

"I don't want to go! I don't want to go!"

The child's screams were loud and piercing, drawing the attention of everyone inside the subway.

His mother, looking visibly uncomfortable, avoided their gazes and tried to pacify him.

"Brian, calm down—"

"Uwaah!"

But all her attempts were futile against the agitated child.

Inevitably, irritated glances were cast her way.

The young mother's face turned red as she continued trying to soothe him.

Watching the scene, Priyanka couldn't help but sympathize. One of the biggest mistakes young mothers make is their inability to handle embarrassing situations in public.

This was a problem only experience could solve.

"I don't want to go! I hate injections!"

"Brian, it's for your own good—"

"I don't care! Get me out of here now!"

The child screamed hysterically, pulling at his mother's hair in frustration.

His cries grew louder by the second, causing the passengers around them to frown.

"I hate you, Mom! I wish you didn't even exist! That's why Daddy hates you too!"

Seeing the young woman's face contorted in pain and shock, Priyanka felt the urge to intervene. But before she could move, something flashed before her eyes.

Thud.

A small ball of paper hit the child.

For a moment, the entire subway fell silent.

When Priyanka turned to the side, Asha sat there, her cold gaze locked onto the child. A sheet from her notebook had been torn precisely in half.

The culprit was obvious.

Brian glared at the crumpled paper and opened it.

The word "Crybaby" was written in elegant handwriting.

His face turned red, a mix of embarrassment and anger, as he snapped his gaze toward Asha.

"Y-You!"

The boy pointed at her, struggling to find words.

But before he could speak, Asha flipped open her notebook, revealing a drawing of a baby with his face.

That alone was enough to enrage him, but what happened next was even more surprising.

With her other hand, Asha turned the pages, transforming the static image into a flipbook animation of a baby crying repeatedly while sucking its thumb.

The blatant provocation was clear to everyone watching.

"Pft..."

Laughter rippled through the subway.

In an instant, the heavy atmosphere was replaced by the amused chuckles of the passengers.

"It's not funny!"

The boy stomped his feet repeatedly in frustration, but the unreserved laughter only seemed to multiply with his tantrum.

With no outlet for his anger, his eyes naturally turned to Asha, who sat in her wheelchair, watching him with an icy stare.

"You! This is your fault!!"

Fuming, he stomped toward her and grabbed her by the collar.

Asha's expression remained unchanged, completely unbothered by his aggression.

"Apologize!"

Brian demanded an apology, his eyes locked onto her face.

But instead of fear or remorse, Asha's lips curved into a small, taunting smile.

Silently, she mouthed the word *Crybaby.*

Brian felt something snap inside his head. Without thinking, he swung his fist at her.

But, of course, it was pointless.

His wrist was caught midair—by an enraged mother.

When he looked up, Priyanka's deadly glare bore into him. Not just her, but all the passengers were watching, some ready to intervene.

Seeing that no one was on his side, Brian hesitated, lowering his fist.

"I-It's not my fault! She started it!"

Before he could argue further, an angry voice cut through the air.

"Brian!"

His mother, who had previously looked flustered, was now fuming. In a flash, she yanked him back and smacked him with her slipper.

"M-Mom...?"

Brian looked at her in disbelief, stunned that she had hit him in public.

But before he could protest, his mother turned to Priyanka and Asha, bowing slightly.

"I'm so sorry for my son."

"I didn't do anything wrong!"

"Brian..."

His mother's sharp glare silenced him, and, reluctantly, he bowed his head, tears welling in his eyes.

Priyanka sighed, watching the situation unfold.

"I apologize for my daughter as well," she said, her gaze shifting to Asha, who was staring blankly at her notebook.

There was no remorse in her expression.

In fact, no one on the subway seemed to judge her actions. The real problem had been obvious, yet no one had stepped in.

It was almost shameful that, out of all the adults present, a mute, wheelchair-bound child had been the first and only one to act.

"No, she didn't do anything wrong. I was too lenient."

With that, the tense atmosphere eased.

Priyanka, as a more experienced mother, understood the woman's struggles and offered a few reassuring words.

"Don't worry, you're young. Raising a child isn't easy," she said, gently comforting the woman.

Based on Brian's outburst, Priyanka could tell that there was trouble at home. More than anger, she felt concerned.

Considering his behavior, the possibility of domestic violence wasn't far-fetched.

"And about your husband..."

As if sensing Priyanka's thoughts, the woman quickly reassured her.

"Oh, don't worry, I'm divorced."

"That's a relief," Priyanka said, exhaling slightly.

While Priyanka and the woman continued their conversation, Asha turned to Brian, who still glared at her with resentment.

Catching his gaze, she flashed him a wicked smile.

Brian scowled, his face as red as a tomato. But under his mother's restraint and the watchful eyes of the passengers, he kept his mouth shut.

For the first time, Asha thought that being a child had its advantages.

*

Author Note

Good News -> I managed to write more chapters in this absence (just one though).

About the last weeks: I couldn't write. Although it was easy to start, I seemed to lack ideas to finish my chapters. I've been writing for over 8 hours straight today in my day off and somehow it worked.

I just didn't make any more announcements because I was too embarrassed. It wasn't for lack of willpower, I just couldn't write at all. Staying up all night didn't make a difference, it wasn't a matter of time, but of creativity. After reading a few stories I finally got inspired.

I try to be as methodical as possible, but I just realized that without inspiration I can't produce anything. Sometimes I can write several chapters in a day like today, other times none for weeks ;-;. How the hell do I explain that? Maybe I should make it irregular.