"Buwkawnkahgsrfgb"
"Swallow first before talking."
The boy we took to the nearest clinic earlier is now eating mom's cooking like crazy, to the point that the bandage on his arm just looks like decoration to him. Luckily his injured arm wasn't too serious, and if he keeps taking the medicine the nurse gave at the clinic, he'll recover pretty fast.
After that treatment, mom and I finally decided to go home, of course with this random kid who's now making the dining table even messier because of how glutton he is.
On the way back earlier, this kid was super talkative about so many things that I honestly got tired of listening, so I just stopped caring and had no idea what he was saying. But because of that, I did learn his name, he said his name is Emil.
"Isn't the name 'Erina' too elegant for you?" Emil said, apparently not realizing his face was covered in bread crumbs.
"Why should I care?" I snorted, trying not to get provoked by his mockery.
"So cold, just what I'd expect from a gorilla."
Smile… smile… just keep smiling…
I couldn't give that kid a lesson since mom was sitting right beside me. Plus, she said we should respect and be polite to guests, but it seems that doesn't apply to this very rude guest of ours. Maybe if I look in the mirror now, I will see my facial muscles that are holding back my anger behind this smile.
"Really," now mom beside me joined in. "I gave her that name so she'd grow up as an innocent and obedient girl," she said, ending it with a sigh.
Frowning, I said, "can we please not talk about this for just one day?"
Honestly, deep inside I was already sick of it, but since I didn't want to hurt her feelings, at least I asked politely. Mom, hearing my request, only replied with a see? while rolling her eyes.
Meanwhile that kid, with no idea what right he had, crossed his arms, shook his head, and wore a face that looked like disappointment.
Not caring about them, I decided to grab the wheat bread on the plate right in front of me. The bread itself was still decent quality, considering our current situation, though I figured it would only get worse over time.
"That's enough about me," I muttered while breaking apart the piece of bread I'd taken. "What about you?"
"Me? What do you mean?" Emil asked, tilting his head.
"Yeah, like where you're from and stuff," I explained while dipping the wheat bread into a bowl of soup.
Before this he had only told me his name, instead of explaining more about himself. And on the walk earlier, all he did was ramble about how the nurse who treated him was really pretty, how he just learned how a stethoscope works, that it was his first time ever going to a clinic, and so on.
Hearing my question, Emil didn't answer right away. Instead he just smiled about something.
Crap, I've got a bad feeling about this!
"Oh? Are you interested in me?" he said with a disgusting grin. "Sorry miss, you're not my type, and I already have someone I love."
Knew it!
Holding back my anger, I said, "don't get ahead of yourself, you pervy brat!"
"No need to be shy, every girl in my neighborhood always wants to be around me, you know?" Instead of realizing anything, he just puffed himself up even more.
At the same time I could feel a vibration that was clearly coming from mom as she tried to hold back her laughter. I was glad she'd been more cheerful lately, and that she was forgetting her sadness, but still…
To be fair, Emil really did have good facial features, and with his blond hair cleaned up, his looks would probably get even better. I was sure he'd grow into a handsome man someday. But no, I didn't feel any attraction to either the opposite gender or same, though maybe that was just because I was still young and didn't know how things would turn out in the future.
"Haha, alright, that was pretty funny," mom cut in again, wiping her eyes as she held back laughter. "But honestly, Emil, I'm actually curious too. Where are you living now?"
Emil pounded his chest a couple times and swallowed whatever was in his mouth right away. "Oh, if Aunt's curious, then what can I do, right?" His attitude was completely different from when I asked him. "Well, me and the kids my age live in the Neirden sub-district."
"I see…" Mom said, looking at Emil with concern.
And it wasn't without reason she reacted like that, since everyone already knew Neirden was a really rundown area in the southeast part of the capital. That's also where industrial waste flows through the man-made canal. So yeah, no need to ask what the quality of life is like there.
Back then it was also a nest for criminals, even major crime organizations. There were tons of criminal activities spreading around that area during the previous government.
It's true that under this regime, groups like that were crushed until they could barely do anything anymore. After all, they were going up against the power of a state. But even so, I hear there plenty of remnants of those organizations were still roaming around, even if they couldn't move as freely as before.
I tilted my head a little, watching him munch down another piece of bread like nothing was wrong.
"So… Emil," I started carefully, "do you live there with your family?"
The question must've caught him off guard, because for the first time since we met, his chewing actually stopped.
"My family, huh?" he muttered, staring at the bowl of soup like it suddenly became the most fascinating thing in the world.
That alone already gave me a bad feeling, so I quickly added, "I mean, it's fine if you don't want to answer. I was just—"
"No, it's okay," he cut me off, forcing a little grin as he scratched the back of his neck. "The truth is, I don't have any family anymore."
His words hung heavy in the air, way heavier than anything I'd expected. Mom put her spoon down, lher face softening right away.
"Ah… sorry to hear that," she whispered, her voice filled with genuine sympathy.
Emil only shrugged, as if he was used to saying it. "It's fine. The kids in Neirden are like my family now. We look after each other… kind of."
Honestly, I felt like his fate was exactly like the start of my own life in the world I used to live in before. Having to struggle to survive on the streets at an age where kids should still have the right to enjoy life, before being hit by the reality of adulthood.
It's pure hypocrisy when the people at the top keep saying that wars are started for the sake of the next generation, so they can live a better future, when in reality it's that very next generation who has to fix the mess left behind by the ones before them. No, it's not just hypocrisy anymore, it's one of humanity's paradoxes, how people always forget their humanity whenever ideology and politics come into play.
"But…" Emil now lowered his head, the cheerful and calm look he usually had vanished completely. "We've been experiencing strange things lately…"
"Strange things?" Before I could ask, mom cut me off.
"Yeah, lately for some reason kids around Neirden have been disappearing one by one without any explanation, and that makes our already tough situation even harder…"
"Ah, that!" Mom suddenly shouted for no reason, making both Emil and me flinch at the same time. "Ah, sorry. Actually, that's also been the talk at my workplace, 'kids suddenly disappearing without a trace.'"
Emil looked up again, his brows furrowed. "So even adults are talking about it too, huh… I thought it was just rumors spreading around us kids."
"It's not just rumors," Mom replied with a grave tone, her earlier lighthearted mood completely gone. "Some people said they saw suspicious men wandering near Neirden at night. No one knows who they are, but the city guards don't seem to be doing anything about it."
"Tsk, figures," Emil clicked his tongue, leaning back against the chair. "The guards never cared about our place anyway. Unless someone rich complains, nothing ever changes."
I stayed quiet for a moment, staring at him. His cocky grin from before had vanished, replaced with a look that didn't fit a kid his age.
"Emil…" I muttered, but couldn't find the right words to follow.
He caught my gaze for a second, then quickly forced a smile again, like he didn't want me or Mom to worry. "But hey, don't mind me. I'll be fine, I always am. After all, I'm Emil, even police need a platoon to caught me, you know?" he said, puffing his chest again like earlier.
"It's strange that you forgot that we just took you to the clinic because you were assaulted by the military police," I quipped to him.
"Hey, I was able to get caught because some sycophantic guy told me! That doesn't count!"
Mom's expression, however, stayed tense. She sighed, folding her hands on the table. "Both of you should be careful," she said firmly, her eyes moving between Emil and me. "It's not just Neirden. If kids can disappear there, what makes us think it can't happen elsewhere too?"
That silence after her words felt heavier than the room itself.
I wanted to protest, to say I could handle myself, but one look at Mom's worried face made me swallow those words back down.
The rest of dinner passed by with only the sound of spoons against bowls and the occasional creak of chairs. None of us really said much after that.
When the plates were finally empty, Emil leaned back with a satisfied sigh, patting his stomach like he'd just conquered a battlefield. "That was the best meal I've had in months! Thanks a lot, Auntie."
Mom gave a small smile, though her eyes still carried that same concern. "You can stay here tonight if you'd like. It's late, and with how things are in Neirden…"
But Emil quickly waved both hands, almost like the idea itself was something dangerous. "No, no, I can't trouble you any further. Besides, the guys back home would never let me hear the end of it if they knew I got spoiled like this." He chuckled, though it didn't quite reach his eyes.
"You just said kids are disappearing, and you still want to go back at night?" I couldn't help blurting out.
Emil shrugged, standing up and brushing crumbs from his shirt. "That's exactly why I have to go. If I don't show up, they'll think I was one of the ones taken. And trust me, I can't let them worry like that."
There was something stubborn in his tone that made it impossible to argue.
Mom exchanged a glance with me, but in the end, all she could do was let out a quiet sigh. "At least be careful, Emil."
"Of course!" he grinned again, already back to his loud, cocky self. "Don't worry, Auntie. Like I said, it'd take a whole platoon just to catch me."
We walked Emil to the door. He waved like he didn't have a care in the world, shouting some cocky remark before disappearing into the dimly lit street. I stood there a little longer, staring at the darkness he'd just walked into, until Mom gently touched my shoulder.
"Come on, Erina. Let's go back inside."
The moment we stepped into the house, the phone in the corner suddenly rang, its sharp tone echoing through the quiet night.
Mom walked over and picked it up. At first her tone was casual, but then I noticed the way her eyebrows shot up, her lips parting just slightly in surprise. She turned her back on me for a moment, as if to compose herself.
"…I see. Yes. We'll be there."
When she hung up, she hesitated for just a second before facing me again.
"Erina," she said, her voice steady but I could still see a flicker of something in her eyes—surprise, maybe even unease. "Between this week, Wilhelm will come to the capital."
I froze at the unexpected news that came out of Mom's mouth.