Aren and the purple-haired girl left the cave at the same time. Once they were outside, Aren paused and turned to look at her.
"Alright," he said, "let's discuss this thing you want to do. I'm not really comfortable with someone following me, especially someone I don't know."
She looked at him and tilted her head to the side, like a puppy trying to understand what he was saying.
"There isn't really anything to discuss," she replied. "Either I follow you with your permission, or I stalk you and make things even more difficult for you."
Aren groaned deeply and ran a hand over his face.
"Fine. First things first, what's your name?" he asked.
"Zero," she replied.
"Huh?" Aren frowned. "What did you say?"
"My name is Zero," she repeated.
"What kind of name is Zero?" he asked.
"There's a reason for it," she said.
Placing both hands behind her back, she started walking ahead, swinging her legs freely as she moved.
"And what's the reason?" Aren asked, following behind her.
