Partners in Crime-2

A few days had passed, Kai and Lira made it their routine to wake up in the morning, eat breakfast and go to Zer's cave to play with Luna all day, and return home to sleep.

"Why are there so many people today?" Lira asked, while walking through the streets of market square.

It was still morning but the air was already filled with the hum of merchants bribing costumers. Jiggling of the coins, and the creaks of wagon wheels.

"Huh?" Kai tilted his head towards her, "Didn't you hear? The Year festival, which was delayed, has been announced for next week."

"Ah, Is that so? Huh!" She said while nodding before turning her head towards Kai. "But...what is Year Festival?"

Kai looked at her for a second and then averted his gaze.

He pondered a little bit, pinched his chin and said, "Hmm, Year Festival is a Festival that is celebrated every year around this time because, well..."

He paused and looked back at Lira, with his tough-guy demeanor, "It's just those rich people come here and we make money, simple."

Lira's lips twitched at his explanation. She opened her lips to say, "But how do you make money? Do you sell something or..." she paused for a moment and smirked, "You lick their shoes and beg them?"

Kai glared at her, but quickly composed himself, smiling slyly, "Just wait and see!"

While they were wandering in bustling market square, they passed through many people, blending seamlessly in the crowd.

Kai's eyes scanned the area, like a predator searching for it's prey. While Lira glanced around, taking in the lively sights of the market square.

"Ah, found it!" Kai exclaimed, coming to a sudden halt.

"Found what?" Lira asked, turning towards him before following his gaze where his eyes had locked.

"Just wait!" Kai muttered before darting towards a man, who had just finished shopping at a stall and was putting his pouch back into his pocket.

He moved like shadow, blending into the crowd effortlessly, closing the distance between himself and his prey. He quickly picked up his pace and—

Bump!

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" He apologized, helping the old man regain his balance, by grabbing his arm.

His fingers, steadily slid into his pocket, and danced around the mouth of the pouch.

"I'm sorry, I was rushing home, because, well, nature's call, haha!" He chuckled, and then bowed down a little, with his legs vigorously shaking.

"Hmph! Just be careful next time." The old man scoffed and moved to mind his own business. Clearly uninterested lecturing the boy. He didn't want to risk delaying him further, fearing the unpleasant 'fragrance' that could ruin both his mood and the market's atmosphere.

While all of this was happening, Lira just stood at her place. He wide eyes blinking as she processed Kai's actions

"Why did he just bumped into that Man?"

Just a few seconds after the man left, Kai quickly dashed towards Lira.

"We gotta go, fast" He grabbed her hand and tugged her along with him as he began pushing his way, out of the crowd.

"Why are you running all of sudden? And this isn't the way to Luna!" Lira exclaimed, trying to keep up with his pace.

"I'll explain later, for now just run." Kai replied.

Lira nodded, deciding not to press further and followed him without a word.

After weaving through few narrow alleys beside the large shops and houses, they finally reached an empty alley that was just beside an old abandoned mansion.

"See!" Kai said while smiling as he pulled a brown colored pouch from his pocket and flashed it towards Lira, "That's how we make money."

"You...you just..." Lira's eyes widened in disbelief as she processed his words and started at the brown pouch in his hand.

"You thief!"

"Shhh!" Kai quickly put a finger on his lips, "Do you want us to get caught?"

"So what? You are a bad person. You deserved to be caught," she retorted, narrowing her eyes, glaring at him.

"What? You are my friend, why go against me?" Kai exclaimed.

"I'm not a thief's friend."

"You traitor!"

"I'm not!"

"But you just said—"

"What I said is that stealing is bad, you should work if you want to make money." Lira interrupted, crossing her arms.

"Huh? You think I've never worked before? Of course I have! But most of the time, I can't find work, and even when I do, they barely pay me anything."

Lira lowered her gaze, her tone softened as she said, "Ah, I forgot!... You are just a kid, like me. But still, stealing is bad."

"So what should I do then? Always go to bed with empty stomach and just wait to die?"

Lira looked at him with a little pity.

"Besides," Kai continued, "I don't steal all the time. It's festival week—our only chance to make a little extra money."

He stretched out his arm, clenching his fist for a fist bump, and smiled. "Are you with me?"

"Eh? Of course not! I'm not a bad person like you," Lira said, pouting and turning her head away.

"Oh, come on! It's not really that bad," Kai tried to console her, hoping to win her over.

"Hmph!" Lira shook her head and crossed her arms in an exaggerated 'X.'

"Alright, you said it," Kai muttered with a shrug. "Ah, I almost forgot—we're out of money."

He waved the pouch in front of her and smirked, curling his lips into a mischievous grin. "I guess only I get to eat breakfast, since I'm such a bad person." He turned and began walking toward the exit of the alley.

Garrr!

Lira's stomach groweled loudly, her cheeks flushed red as he opened her mouth.

"Fine!"

Kai stopped in his track and a toothy grin spread across his face as he turned back.

"I'm with you," Lira said, clenching her fist near her chest, "Let's do some bad things."

Kai's lips twitched, holding back a laugh, "Hey, it's not bad stuff. We are only doing this because we are just kids without parents, what can we do to survive?" He said with a shrug.

Lira sighed, but smiled reluctantly, "Alright, let's do the bad things...that are not too bad for survival."