How comes you have it?

Time seemed to have slowed down as the two exchanged curious glances without uttering a word.

A minute later, Casper heaved a sigh as he shifted in his seat.

"You are surprised, isn't it?"

With a nod Jean responded.

"Somehow..."

Smiling with the corners of his mouth,  Casper lingered.

"No need to worry because the portion you consumed won't interfere with your soul since it is impeccably fine."

With a frown, Jean blinked for a couple of times before letting out a snort.

"Ironically,  that's not what has surprised me. What has really surprised me is the fact that a soul can incur some damages. This is my first time hearing about this."

Jean said in a calm tone with a confused look plastered on his face.

This was his first time hearing about soul damages. And since this possibility seemed unreal to him, he found it hard to comprehend Casper's statement about the matter.

"I see, but I can't be doing you good by feeding you with such sensitive information. All you have to keep in mind is that, this information belongs to dangerous people."

Casper said in a serious tone.

Just at that moment, Jean asked another question.

"If this information belongs to dangerous people, how comes you have it?"

Jean asked while eyeing Casper with a curious look.

"It is a long story. When we are done with charging your cellphone and linking you up with your mum, I might spare some time to tell you how I was able to acquire this sensitive information. I want us to use this time to know each other better. The other time I was the one interrogating you, so, today is your chance to do the same."

With a scoff, Jean got to his feet and started clearing the table.

"That's good of you. But I think there is something you are forgetting."

Jean said as he busied himself in clearing the table.

For a moment, Casper was mute, his face distant.

When Jean noticed this, he was compelled to clarify his point. But before he could say anything, Casper resounded.

"The herb?"

Casper asked in a gentle tone.

In response, Jean nodded silently.

"I haven't forgotten. I was just going to wait you finish clearing the table and cleaning the dishes before I explain everything to you."

Jean was enraged, but didn't allow it show on the surface.

Since he started staying with Casper, he had never for once cleaned the dishes. The only thing he could give a helping hand was clearing the table and maybe cleaning the bedroom. Other than that, he would just lazy around as Casper busied himself in preparing their meal or sometimes weeding the garden.

Although it was barely three days since he started reading at the place, he was already attuned to this kind of life that he was almost forgetting that Casper wasn't his house maid. As if he had one before.

'So this is how those spoiled brats from rich family always feel whenever they are sent to such errands? No wonder my mum tried so hard to minimise me mingling with them anyhow. They might have corrupted my character.

See, just a short blissful moment that I have had under his care was almost enough to erase the memories of good deeds that he had done for me all this time.'

Jean thought as he barred his teeth with rage.

It was not that Jean wasn't willing to give Casper a helping hand. It was only that the event ahead of him was too good for a common house chore to delay him.

He was going to have a chance of knowing about the herb that he liked so much.

'That herb is special, even if I won't have a chance to take it home with me, it is still fine to at least know something about it.'

Jean mused as he took the last dish off the table with a jolt.

Casper on the other hand, crossed his legs as he lazily leaned back in his seat.

Ten minutes later, Jean was done cleaning the dishes after wiping the dining table clean. He was now standing next to Casper as he waited for the guy's next instruction.

After a short moment of silence, Jean recounted needing something a while ago. Without any further hesitation, he turned around and headed in the bedroom.

As soon as the indifferent Casper noticed this, he raised his gaze and turned in the direction of the room with a confused expression.

'What is he up to? Is he tired waiting or perhaps annoyed by my silence?'

Casper thought to himself as he uncomfortably shifted in his seat.

When Jean came and stood next to him, Casper looked away and pretended not to notice him. He had done this to compel the boy to initiate the conversation. But when the boy suddenly left the premises and headed in the bedroom, Casper immediately understood that his plan had failed. When he raised his head and gazed in the boy's direction maybe to talk to him, the boy had already disappeared behind the bedroom door.

This sudden realization confused Casper to a certain extent. He wasn't sure why the boy left in haste without uttering even a single word.

What he didn't know was that Jean was on his way to put on the jacket that he gave to him.

Albeit the temperatures had rose between this time and when he was waking up, he still found it important to cover his ailing chest from the unbearable cold.

He knew well that for him to avoid complications, he had to protect himself from the cold. It was not like the temperatures in the house were that low, in fact they were strangely normal. The only reason to why he had to put on the jacket, it was because he was expecting their conversation to resume from the outside. Even if Casper wasn't going to come up with the suggestion of getting out, he was prepared to be the one to suggest that.

Two minutes later, Casper noticed Jean walking out of the bedroom. As soon as he was a step away from the door, he stopped in his tracks and gazed in Casper's direction.

The blonde haired boy was putting on a black leather jacket that fitted his lean body as if it was specifically designed for him. Inside, he had changed into a black t-shirt that barely fitted him. On his lower body, he was wearing a blue trouser that was somewhat oversized.

These were some of the clothes that Casper had lend him since he no longer uses them.

The leather jacket belonged to him, but this was when he was the same age as Jean. Seeing the boy in the leather jacket reminded him of his youth life. It was like Jean was a representation of his young self. The only difference could be that he had a masculine body and black hair with brown eyes. Other than that, everything else was an exact copy of his younger self.

The rest of the clothes were still his but he didn't use them anymore.

Since he was somewhat fat than Jean, Jean's lean figure swerved in the t-shirt and the trouser. He had to fasten the trouser with a belt for it to fit him.

The leather coat was the only fitting cloth on his body.

The black colours almost portrayed him as a moving portal. He was barely visible from where he was standing considering the low light that was being emitted by the single lantern in the middle of the living room. The strange thing was that up to this time, no window was opened despite the outside clearing out.

Without waiting for Casper's instruction, Jean went ahead and opened the only window in the living room that was in the direction of the main door.

As the light penetrated into the house through the open window,  Casper got to his feet and put of the lantern. This wasn't the first time Jean was opening the window. He had done the same in the previous day after Casper taught him. Now that he was already aware of this, he didn't need a reminder to do what was necessary.

Up to this point, the two had not spoke to each other, but from the way that they were attending to their duties, it was clear that a sense of understanding had started to develop between them.

As soon as Casper saw Jean putting on the jacket, he could have asked him why he had to put on a jacket in a house that its temperatures were normal. But since the two shared similar thoughts, he immediately understood his reasons the moment he set his eyes on him and realized that he was putting on the jacket.

'So, he cares for his health.'

That was the thought that formed in Casper's mind as soon as he saw Jean stepping out of the bedroom.

Immediately Casper was done putting off the lantern, he turned and faced Jean. When Jean noticed the guy staring at him, he started moving towards the main entrance. When he was just about to step out of the door, Casper resounded, thus bringing him to a halting stop almost immediately.

"Where are you headed?"

Casper asked, clearly pretending not to have a hunch of where Jean was heading to.

Slowly turning back, Jean frowned.

"At the fireplace. Do I know any other place other than that?"

Jean said with a hint of exasperation in his voice.

Letting out a muffled chuckle,  Casper lingered.

"What are you up to?"

Casper asked with an amused look.

This made Jean to turn around and face the guy, a serious expression on his face.

The reason he decided to walk out without informing the guy, was because he expected the guy to read between the lines and understand his intentions. But now that the guy seemed not to align with his thinking, he felt the urge of letting his plan known to him.

"Aren't you going to join me at the fireplace for the interrogation?"

Jean asked with a hint of annoyance.

Instead of the guy answering, he just lunged forward and squeezed past him. Shoving him to the side with a stumble.

This act from Casper puzzled Jean as he tried to figure out what was wrong with his statement.

~"◇"~