The two sprinted toward her.
By the time they reached her, the little girl was on the ground, her arms scraped and her knees lightly bruised.
Tristan scratched his head, unsure whether to laugh or panic.
Shin didn't hesitate. He crouched down with a sigh. "Stop crying. It's not even that bad."
The little girl howled louder. Her panda headband had slipped sideways, giving her the look of a tiny panda also mourning its life choices.
"Okay, okay, hold still," Tristan said, crouching beside her. He pulled out a handkerchief and gently wiped her dirt-streaked cheeks. "There. Better?"
"Muh… huuhhh… huuhh…" she hiccupped, her voice cracking like a broken recorder.
Shin stood up and glanced around. People were starting to stare. "Damn it, let's just go to the help desk."
Tristan nodded and picked up the little girl like she was made of antique porcelain. "Shouldn't we hit the infirmary first? And seriously, why are we on babysitting duty today?"
"She wouldn't be crying if you hadn't told her you were broke."
"You're the one who refused to buy her another ice cream!"
"She already had one!" Shin snapped.
Seeing she was about to burst into tears again, Tristan panicked. "Don't cry anymore... I can't get you ice cream right now, but once you grow up, big brother will marry you and you can use all my money to buy ice cream. How about that?"
"Molester," Shin muttered.
Shin unconsciously nodded at his younger self, almost tempted to give him a thumbs-up.
Damn Tristan, daring to make a childhood promise to his future girlfriend...
Thankfully, little Yeri's brain was just a sprout at this time.
"Ice kem?" she sniffled, eyes hopeful, nose red and puffy.
"See? It's not like she understood your creepy nonsense. This panda brat is so stupid, her brain must be 80% dairy product," Shin muttered, walking toward the help desk.
Adult Shin: "..."
On second thought, he still wanted to beat up the younger version of himself.
As they passed a souvenir shop, a vendor in a bear costume waddled over holding stuffed toys.
"Hello there! Would you like to buy your little sister a toy?"
"Unicore!" the little girl gasped, her eyes lighting up like she hadn't been sobbing seconds ago.
Young Shin frowned. "No. We don't have money."
"Do you accept card?" Tristan asked, all business.
"Of course! I work at the toy store over there, you can pay by card!" the vendor chirped, handing the plush unicorn to the little girl. "Your little sister is so pretty and cute!"
"What's the use if she's an idiot?" Shin mumbled. "Honestly, if I didn't know better, I'd say this dumb panda was planted to scam us."
"Yay!" the little girl squealed, hugging the unicorn that was nearly her size.
Tristan looked pleased. The plushie's pink-peach color and rainbow horn matched her outfit perfectly.
"Are you his father?" Shin glared, annoyed at Tristan's sudden generosity. "Why are you spending money?!"
"Uncle Allister gave us bank cards. It's not ice cream, don't be a cheapskate." Tristan ignored him and walked to the store.
"That plushie costs more than an ice cream! Did you drop an IQ sticking to this panda?" Shin followed, scolding.
Tristan said nothing, he simply whipped out Shin's bank card at the counter. He knew Shin rarely used his Keir family funds, which meant the balance was probably untouched.
After paying, they entered the mall, only to realize the help desk was in the opposite direction.
Shin stared at the two boys glaring at each other, silently blaming the other for taking the wrong direction.
Well, he wasn't perfect. His brain also malfunctioned at times, too.
"I'm not going back, it's too hot," Tristan complained. "Let's go to the first aid area or infirmary. Panda needs minor treatment."
This time, Young Shin didn't argue.
"Big bother, sheepy!" the little girl mumbled, patting the plushie and looking sleepy.
Shin: ???
Glancing at the nearby picnic area, Tristan suggested, "Let's lie down for a bit. She looks drowsy."
"We're going to the help desk. Now." Shin glared, he has to get rid of this troublesome panda fast.
The little girl rubbed her eyes and burst into tears again. "Wanna lie down!"
"I'm not your mother. Sleep at your own house," Shin muttered, grimacing.
"Eri is a princess!" she wailed.
"I don't care even if you're an immortal," Shin mumbled.
Tristan patted her back. "So your name is Eri? That's cute. Princess Eri it is."
Shin: "…"
---
As they passed the ice cream shop again, the little girl's eyes sparkled with admiration. Sleep forgotten. Ice cream remembered.
"We shouldn't have passed here again." Tristan muttered.
Just then, a sudden commotion erupted nearby. A man broke free from the crowd and pointed directly at Shin.
"It's him! That boy! He beat me up and kidnapped my niece! Look, he even has an accomplice!" the skinny man shouted dramatically.
Two security officers exchanged glances and approached them.
"How are you related to this child?" one asked.
"They're delinquents, officers! Look—this one still has a bruise on his face. Kids these days, no manners, no education!" the skinny man ranted.
Tristan smirked, finally understanding why Shin had returned with the panda in tow.
Shin looked unfazed. "I caught him trying to molest the little girl in the men's restroom, so I stepped in. We were just about to—"
"Lies!" the skinny man shrieked, cutting him off. "I was helping her pee when he sucker-punched me from behind!"
"From behind?" Shin snorted. "What happened to your front teeth, then?"
"Would've been more believable if you claimed to be the nanny," Tristan added dryly. "Have you seen a mirror recently?"
The man faltered, clearly insulted. That was the second time today he'd been told to look in the mirror.
"What's wrong with my appearance? Don't look down on poor people too much!"
"So you're her poor uncle? This little girl's dressed in thousands of dollars' worth of clothes and you…" Tristan sized him up. "Maybe a hundred bucks, max."
The man was rendered speechless, his eyes darted around nervously.
"Alright, all of you to the security office," one officer said.
"Don't talk nonsense, my niece's just wearing some brand imitations." The skinny man tried to reason but no one listened.
"Big bother, ice kem!" the little girl chimed in, pointing at the ice cream shop again.
Onlookers began to murmur.
"I remember now! That's the bad brother who wouldn't buy her ice cream!"
"Oh yeah, he yelled at her too. Tsk, tsk!"
Shin's eyebrow twitched. Were these people paid to ruin his life?
"Little girl, do you recognize that man?" one officer asked.
The child's gaze remained glued to the ice cream. Misty-eyed. Ice cream withdrawal was real.
"Don't bother. Her brain's only halfway functional," Shin muttered.
As the officer coaxed her to look, the skinny man suddenly bolted.
"Another idiot," Shin said flatly.
Well, that was basically a confession. He wouldn't get far, not in an amusement park.
While the security chased the suspect, Shin and Tristan were escorted to the security office. The little girl, now exhausted from crying, promptly fell asleep.
They gave their statements. When asked for ID, Tristan handed over Shin's.
The surname Felan doesn't have the kind of influence and power a Keir has.
The officer's face froze. "You… how are you related to the Keir family?"
Tristan casually pointed at Shin. "His dad's the current CEO of KGG."
Shin gave Tristan a death glare. The traitor wasn't even sweating.
"If this hits the police and reaches the main house, they'll use it to make trouble for you. Better to use Uncle's influence to end it here." Tristan whispered.
Shin huffed but didn't argue. He wasn't afraid of the Keirs, but he was allergic to pointless drama.
Unsurprisingly, the officer's tone changed instantly. He offered them snacks and even adjusted the AC.
Tristan politely declined.
Soon, the skinny man was caught and handcuffed. While waiting for the police, a man and a boy around eight or nine arrived.
After a quick explanation, the boy rushed over.
"Thank you for saving my sister," he said politely, reaching for the sleeping panda.
Tristan chuckled and handed her over. "Don't lose her again. There are a lot of bad people out there."
As the boy nodded gratefully, Shin added, "Tell your dad we bought that plushie. And an ice cream."
Tristan choked. Seriously? Shin wasn't joking about compensation?
He cleared his throat and cut in quickly, "Alright, take care now. I'll hand the plushie to your dad."
The boy didn't catch on, but looked worried. "How many ice creams did she have?"
"Just one cup," Shin replied, deadpan.
The boy sighed in relief.
"However—" Shin started again.
"Okay bye now!" Tristan laughed nervously and shoved the boy gently back toward his dad.
Shin was clearly displeased.
As the two began to argue, watching from the sidelines, the present Shin immediately recognized the boy as Jj Zhi. But the man beside him wasn't Klaus.
It was Nolan Zhi.
His eyes narrowed. Of course, back then he had no ties to Yeri but now? He knew all too well about the power struggle between the two Zhi brothers.
And judging by Nolan Zhi's cold expression, he didn't look the least bit relieved that little Yeri was safe and sound.
He wanted to observe longer but suddenly, the dream began to distort. The colors around him blurred, warping like melting paint.