_Chapter Begins_
The sky was now clear. The grim, grey clouds that had been pouring rain were nowhere to be seen. With the storm passed, all that remained was the night sky—distant stars scattered across its dark canvas, paired with a pale white full moon that bathed the area in its cold glow.
William and Elsa sat beside a trash can, locked in an intense conversation.
"So let me get this straight—you want me to help you rob a store?! Are you insane?" Elsa said, waving her hands around.
William, expressionless, replied with something no one would have predicted.
"It was only an offer, bitch. I'm not demanding your help."
Most people would've been offended—and probably slapped William's pale face. But strangely, Elsa wasn't bothered at all. She continued speaking like he hadn't said anything.
"You shouldn't involve yourself in degenerate activities like robbery."
As she launched into a speech about morality and the good of humanity, William stared at her with an unreadable expression.
"Huh. After I insult people like that, I usually get a slap. She doesn't even care a little bit... Who exactly is this girl?"
While Elsa kept going on her little morality speech, William slowly began to notice something strange about her appearance.
"Her dress is torn up and dirty… but her hair and face are completely clean. That's weird."
His thoughts started to fog, as if something about Elsa was mesmerizing him—but the trance broke when she suddenly shouted to grab his attention.
"Hey! I'm talking to you, William!"
William jolted from the raised tone and finally focused on her words.
"Look, if you don't want to help me, that's fine. Just don't get in my way," he said, locking eyes with her.
Elsa didn't flinch. She stood her ground and replied calmly while meeting his gaze.
"If you go and rob that place, I'll call the police."
William stared at her in silence for a few seconds. Then, without a word, he stood up and began stretching.
Elsa tensed, half-expecting him to do something drastic. But when she realized he was just stretching, her shoulders relaxed.
"…Why are you stretching?" Elsa asked, tilting her head.
William stopped mid-stretch and looked at her.
"Well, since you're so proud of being a fucking snitch, I'll have to find a new way to make money today."
Elsa stared at him with widened eyes for a moment, then a faint, polite smile crossed her doll-like face. She stood up and lightly patted William on the back. William responded with confusion… and a hint of annoyance.
"Alright. Since the rain is over, shall we take a walk through the city?" Elsa said in a calm, measured voice.
William jolted again, wanting to lash out and mock the idea—but then he looked into Elsa's bright smile, her watery blue eyes gleaming under the moonlight.
"…Ahhh, fuck it. Okay, let's do it," he muttered, crossing his arms and turning his head away.
Before they continued, Elsa glanced back at the alley.
Dozens of homeless people still lay across the concrete—elders, young adults, even children—all stranded on the cold, uncaring streets. The scene made her eye twitch slightly, and a deep frown formed on her face.
"Hey! You coming or not?" William called out.
Elsa slowly turned away from the sight and jogged forward to catch up.
"So… where are we headed?" she asked with a polite but strained smile, the image of the street still clinging to her thoughts.
William didn't respond. He just kept walking forward, eyes fixed on the road ahead.
"…So you're just going to ignore me again? Wow. You really aren't a very nice person, huh."
Her words didn't affect him at all. If anything, it was like he took pride in being an asshole for no reason.
Elsa narrowed her eyes and stared deep into his back.
"Well… at the end of the day, it's your fate to become like this. Not much I can do to fix it."
_Chapter Ends_