Chapter 9: Dodong

Yuna's POV

It was the weekend, and I'd just gotten the details about the time they'd be calling me again for work.

Of course, the time difference meant I'd be up at 3 a.m., just to receive a call that probably could've waited until later.

But, hey, that's life when you're balancing a new job and trying to maintain some semblance of normalcy.

But before all that chaos, Aunt Rosa had this brilliant idea.

"Yuna, let's go to the market!" she said, as if that wasn't a major life decision. And, of course, Lily—my bouncy younger cousin—was all for it.

I had no choice. Apparently, I was the designated 'market helper' for the day.

So there we were, trudging through the early morning haze, Aunt Rosa leading the way like she was on a mission, while Lily skipped around, pointing out every possible thing in sight.

Meanwhile, I trailed behind, already regretting the fact that I didn't have a better excuse for staying home.

"Stay close, Yuna!" Aunt Rosa called back as she haggled for some tomatoes.

"I'm right here," I mumbled under my breath, already sensing where this was headed.

The market was a labyrinth of people and fruit stands, and I swear, no matter how hard I tried to keep my eyes on Aunt Rosa's brightly colored scarf, the crowd was always in my way. It wasn't long before I realized—yup—I was lost.

I spun around, looking for some familiar face.

"Aunt Rosa?" I called out, my voice barely reaching over the chatter of the crowd. No response.

Perfect.

I walked down one row of fruit stands, then another, desperately trying to spot Aunt Rosa or Lily in the throng of shoppers. But no such luck.

I ended up somewhere near the butcher, which was not at all where I wanted to be.

"Lily! Aunt Rosa, where are you?" I called again, though I knew it was hopeless. My voice was just another murmur among the market noises.

I tried to retrace my steps, but let's be honest—I had no idea where I'd even started. Great. Just another typical day in Yuna's life.

Minutes stretched into what felt like hours. By now, I'd already passed three different stands selling the same overpriced apples and two fish vendors who definitely weren't helping my sense of direction. I pulled out my phone—no signal. Of course.

"Alright," I muttered, "Let's just give up and start asking for directions."

I was on the verge of losing it. I had spent what felt like hours walking in circles, passing the same fruit stands, and dodging awkward conversations with vendors.

I couldn't figure out if I was still in the same area or if I had wandered into another dimension entirely.

That's when I heard his voice.

"You're lost again, aren't you?"

I turned around to see Kai, smirking, of course. He was standing by the fruit stands, looking way too comfortable in this market chaos.

"You're not helping," I muttered, crossing my arms and hoping I didn't sound too flustered.

He raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, I think I am. You've been walking in the same direction for the last fifteen minutes. Care to let me help?"

"I'm not lost," I said, trying to sound convincing, even though my brain was telling me that I was completely hopeless at navigating.

"I just—need a second."

"Right," Kai said, not even bothering to hide his amusement.

"Tell me again how you managed to get home last time?"

I shot him a look, but it was hard to argue. He wasn't wrong. The last time he helped me was my first time in this town, he had literally guided me all the way back to my aunt's house. So, it was either let him help or keep embarrassing myself further.

"Fine," I grumbled, feeling the defeat settle in.

"Lead the way, Kai."

"Gladly," he replied with a grin, starting to walk in the opposite direction of where I'd been heading.

"Follow me. And try not to get distracted by any more fish markets this time."

I rolled my eyes but followed him, figuring that maybe I'd learn the layout of this place eventually—though not today, apparently. Kai moved through the crowd like it was second nature, while I was still getting caught on the occasional fruit stand.

"So, tell me," he said, glancing back at me

"how did you end up this lost? Was the market really that confusing?"

"Don't remind me," I muttered, my mind flashing to the chaos.

"I had to get a few things, but then I somehow lost track of where I was."

"You're like a walking disaster," Kai teased, though there was a touch of concern in his voice now. He slowed his pace a little to match mine.

"Are you okay? It's not just the market, right?"

I looked up at him, surprised by the concern in his voice.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just... trying to manage everything that's going on."

He nodded slowly, his expression softening. "I get that. You seem to juggle a lot."

We continued walking in silence for a while, the noise of the market fading into the distance as we made our way toward the quieter streets.

I was grateful for the change of scenery. The hustle and bustle of the market had started to overwhelm me. It felt good to breathe, even if I was still stuck with Kai as my guide.

The cool air helped clear my head, and I was finally starting to feel like I could breathe again. But then, as we walked through the familiar streets, something unexpected happened. A wave of dizziness hit me, and I stumbled slightly.

Kai noticed immediately. "You okay?"

"Yeah," I said quickly, trying to shake it off.

"Just... tired."

He looked at me carefully, his usual playful expression replaced by something a little more serious. "You sure?"

I gave a small nod, though I couldn't help but feel like maybe I wasn't as okay as I wanted to be. "Yeah. Just need to get home."

We walked on in silence, and for once, I didn't feel the need to fill the space with words. I was too distracted by how surreal it was to have Kai, of all people, guiding me back home.

The same Kai who had helped me find my way home that first time when everything felt like it was falling apart.

It wasn't the worst way to spend an afternoon after all.

We were almost home when I thought I could finally relax. Or so I thought.

We rounded a corner, and then I froze, eyes wide.

"Is that... the chicken?" I blurted out, not believing my eyes.

Kai, walking next to me, raised an eyebrow and looked where I was pointing. "What chicken?"

"That chicken!" I pointed frantically. "The one that tried to assassinate me last time I was here! It's the same one!"

Kai turned his head slowly, staring at the chicken in question. The chicken, who was now waddling proudly down the middle of the road, looked like it was on a mission.

"...The one you said was trying to kill you?"

I nodded. "YES. The same one! It kept following me around like I was a target!"

Kai squinted at the chicken, blinking once, then twice. "Okay, but… are you sure? I mean, it's just a chicken."

I was not about to back down. "I swear! It's the same one! It was out for blood!"

The chicken puffed out its chest dramatically, strutting forward like it was a runway model.

It pecked at the ground like it was surveying its kingdom, giving us the most intense stare I had ever seen from a bird.

Kai sighed and rolled his eyes. "Alright, alright. If it was that serious, then I guess I should introduce you properly."

I frowned, confused. "Introduce me? To the chicken?"

Kai gave me an unamused look, like this was totally normal. "Yeah, you've already met him, but you don't know his name."

"His name?" I blinked, still baffled. "You mean, this chicken has a name?"

Kai didn't miss a beat. "Yup. His name is…..Dodong."

I stared at him. "...Dodong? What kind of name is that for a chicken?"

Kai looked at me like I had just asked the dumbest question in the world. "The best name for a chicken, obviously. He's kind of a local legend around here."

"Dodong?" I repeated slowly, as if testing the name out on my tongue.

"This chicken's name is Dodong? That's the name you give a chicken?"

"Yep," Kai said, casually shrugging. "Dodong the Chicken. He's... well, he's a big deal around here."

I looked at the chicken, who was now pacing around like it had a purpose.

"It doesn't look like a Dodong to me. It looks like a... menacing feathered assassin."

Kai nodded seriously. "That's because you don't know him like I do. Dodong takes his job as a street guardian very seriously. People around here respect him."

I stared at the chicken, who was strutting away like it owned the street. "So you're telling me this chicken... is some sort of... guardian?"

Kai smirked, clearly enjoying this whole conversation. "Yep. He's the unofficial protector of the market street. I'm pretty sure he even has a fan club."

"A fan club?" I gasped. "Are you serious?"

"Absolutely," Kai said, nodding like it was the most normal thing in the world.

"People come from miles around just to see Dodong do his rounds. You can tell he's got some real authority."

I turned back to look at the chicken, now standing still, puffing out its chest with a look of utter superiority.

"I can't... I can't even. A street guardian chicken named Dodong? This is too much."

Kai let out a short laugh. "Well, he's got a reputation. You don't mess with Dodong."

I turned to him, raising an eyebrow. "Is that supposed to be comforting or terrifying?"

Kai grinned. "I'd say both."

I shook my head, still not sure what was going on. "I think I've seen it all now. A chicken named Dodong. The guardian of the street."

Kai shrugged like it was nothing. "Just another day in the province."

As Dodong strutted off into the distance, looking like it had just solved world peace, I couldn't help but laugh.

"Well, I guess we've been blessed by the great Dodong."

"Don't disrespect the legend," Kai said, grinning as we started walking again.

"I'll be sure to send him a fan letter," I muttered, still trying to wrap my head around what had just happened.

Kai chuckled. "Good luck with that. He might personally come to collect it."

And with that, we continued our walk home, the absurdity of it all hanging in the air like a bad joke I couldn't stop laughing at.

A chicken named Dodong. A street guardian. The province was definitely full of surprises.

To be continued.