Chapter 12

It’s been an hour since Kiryan told Franz to stop crying but to no avail. This made Kiryan raise his voice at him suddenly.

“Uuuugh!” Being startled by his voice, Yvonne shuts her mouth and bursts out crying more due to swallowing the sound coming from her throat. Kiryan smiled involuntarily at the sight of her holding back her hiccups while wheezing. He took a deep breath, not giving her time to calm down.

“Are you crazy? A guy who doesn’t even know how to fight tells them to jump on? What’s really going on with your head?” Kiryan scolded her.

“No. I know how to fight!” Yvonne defends herself.

“You are funny for someone who has never been kicked. I often fight with my dog over sweets! We roll around on the dirty floor and growl at each other! Let’s not talk. I’m really sorry.” Kiryan said to her while calming herself down.

“How are you going to save this guy? What are you thinking? You came all the way here.” A kid with broken glasses asked him.

“Kiryan. Are not you hungry?” Yvonne asked while choking back her sobs. Kiryan sighed once more at her distraction. Yvonne took off her bag, not paying attention to his reaction. He found some dry bread that had been shaken and handed it over. Unconsciously receiving it, Kiryan clicked his tongue.

“It’s delicious.” Yvonne urges him.

“What does that mean? You’re stupid.” Kiryan muttered but still took a bite of the bread.

Diana often says that too. “Franz, how are you going to live in this harsh world because you are so blind? I’m worried about you. I’m worried.”

“Where is your house?” Kiryan asked.

“No. I’m not going home.” Yvonne , finally being able to breathe normally, refuses to tell him.

“Aren’t you scared here?” Kiryan told him.

“Scared…” Yvonne said in a small voice.

Kiryan raised his voice in response to the gloomy answer. “Today, the sun is setting soon, so go home early tomorrow morning.”

“Go back. Your brother Kiryan is saying something right. A child like you cannot survive alone.” The kid with glasses agreed with Kiryan’s suggestion.

Yvonne ignored their protests.

“Ummm… I also have sweets… Oh, yeah. Eat sweets. It’s not wet yet.”

She was hungry, so she handed them a snack that she had been chewing on. Kiryan looked at her and her sweets alternately, seemingly at the bottom of his absurdity. Yvonne thought as she lifted her chin and turned her head.

“This is delicious.” She was sad that Kiryan didn’t try her favorite chocolate-studded cookie. So she forced the cookie into his hand. “This is so delicious. Kiryan, you eat too.”

Kiryan carefully ate the cookie with a face like a dolphin seeing a puppy for the first time. Contrary to her expectations, Kiryan’s face did not brighten and rather, Kiryan’s face hardened.

“Tasty… No? It would be delicious.” Yvonne continued to munch on her food.

“Too sweet.” Kiryan muttered with a crumpled expression.

“Then it’s delicious.” Yvonne smiled at his tastes.

“Don’t you think you like sweets too much?” Kiryan asked him in disgust.

“Why? Do you hate sweets?” Yvonne asked.

“Hey, what town are you from? It’s the first time I’ve seen someone like you. I am from Münster.” Yvonne started talking to the kid with glasses instead.

“If you’re from the countryside like that, you’ll love sweets.” She continued.

Kiryan shook his head at Yvonne’s behavior. He just let heer be and started to stand up instead while dusting his clothes. “Let’s go.”

“Where are you going?” Yvonne asked.

“My home.” He simply answered.

Hearing the word home, Yvonne took a deep breath. Kiryan narrowed his eyes in wonder.

“What? I’m dirty now and Kiryan’s mother and father can’t be greeted like this.” Yvonne started to somewhat fix her appearance.

“Gibberish. Follow me.” Kiryan said. Yvonne groaned as his reply. And they left for the road.

Kiryan heard the most pathetic sound in the world. He let out an annoyed breath.

Yvonne followed him and walked a lot. Because her leg hurts and she whined over and over, she got flicked on the forehead several times.

After passing through the narrow alley, everything came to light and what was shown to him was a shabby house.

There was a hole in the corner of the ceiling, and in front of the door was a mouse that was not afraid of people.

“Aww!” When Yvonne saw the mouse running away, she screamed in amazement. Kiryan ignored her like that and opened the door.

The joint is rusted and the door squeaks but then it opens easily. As she shrugged her shoulders at the creepy sound, Kiryan snorted then they laughed.

“Go, go inside!” She rushed after him and went inside. She had never seen such a house until she was ten years old.

Dust was piled up white, and all things were messy and scattered. There was no sunlight and it was very dark. At that moment, she clapped at the door and grabbed Kiryan’s arm, terrified.

With a sigh that was not childlike, Kiryan lit all the candles.

“Coward. From now on, I will call you Coward Franz.” Kiryan teased him.

“I… I’m not a coward ah, no… I think. That’s right.” Yvonne let go of his arm. Kiryan burst into laughter at her reaction.

“You are really stupid.” He said to Yvonne.

“What kind of bread is Erbong?” Yvonne asked to change the subject.

“It’s a kind of bread that resembles an ugly guy like you.” Kiryan continued to tease him.

“Diana said I was the prettiest in the world!” Yvonne pouted.

“Can a guy be called pretty? Not even a girl gets complimented like that.” Kiryan snorted at her remark.

“What if I said that I was a girl?” Yvonne asked with a numbness in her foot. “You don’t like girls?” She looked at Kiryan weighing the weight of her question to him.

“All women are terrible. There’s a nervous and crazy corner inside their head. Why am I telling you this?” Kiryan said, puzzled by Yvonne ’s sudden question. Kiryan passed her and entered a small closet. It was so narrow that there was no room for a bed. He was lying on his back in the room.

“Hey, can I lie down next to you?” Yvonne asked him. Kiryan sat up suddenly then.

“Do you want to die? Who are you going to lie down next to?” She saw Kiryan giving him an evil eye over the flickering candle.

Scared of his dark house, ‘Diana, I desperately wanted to see you.’ Yvonne and Diana would fight like they would never see each other again, and then they would snuggle together to sleep in the same bed. Even if everyone has a bed.

So Yvonne missed Diana’s warmth so much. All about her. Her red hair reminded Yvonne of a burning candle.

“Are you crying again?” Kiryan heard Yvonne sniffing. “Oh, don’t cry! Come on, go to sleep on the sofa.” Kiryan tried to comfort a crying Yvonne again.

“Are you hungry?” He asked him then.

“I’m not hungry.” Yvonne told him.

“Lies.” Kiryan said.

Yvonne squatted and crumpled up next to Kiryan, causing Kiryan to exclaim vigorously.

“Go away!” Kiryan tried to push her away.

“Aww! It’s scary!” Yvonne held on to his arm instead.

“You still can’t even sleep alone even though you’re that old?” Kiryan said in disgust, pushing her away again.

“Yeah, it could be! Will you stay by my side until I fall asleep? You can’t go anywhere! Understand?” Yvonne kept hugging him with no intention of letting go.

Every time she got nervous, she grabbed his arm even tighter. Kiryan’s body temperature was slightly higher. As he was about to let go of her wrist, he grabbed her hand.

“You really are a coward.” Kiryan quietly surrendered to her whims.

“You are brave.” Yvonne said.

“Until there is a crybaby.” Kiryan teased him again. He just sat still with Yvonne’s arm hugging his arm, Kiryan looked at her, “You are not crying.”

“Because I’m all grown up. I have grown up too.” Yvonne said convincing him, though to Kiryan, she is convincing more of herself than him.

“Do not be ridiculous. You still have some mother’s milk on your lips.” Kiryan looked away.

“I am over ten years old! I am much more than that.” Yvonne retorted and got sleepy as well.

Yvonne wondered if Kiryan would disappear while she was sleeping. She took his hand and yawned.

As she felt his warmth in her hand, her fears went away and like all business people, Kiryan started camping with a bonfire.

It felt like a maze adventure or a dragon adventure. The bonfire is a dream candle, and the night sky is a black ceiling, it made Franz giggle.

“Hehehe. Kiryan, good night.” She turned to her side and smiled at Kiryan.

Their eyes met in the dim light of a moment before the candle went out. It is reflected in a golden hue. It was a twinkling light. Yvonne thought it was because his eyes were like stars

“Hey, crybaby. Are you not afraid of me?” Kiryan asked him.

“Why? Are you scary?” Yvonne asked back.

“Everyone in my town is afraid of me. I didn’t do anything. Because of my parents they think I’m crazy too. Ha ha!” Kiryan laughed bitterly with this memory.

“No, I’m just a coward. But Kiryan is not scary.” Yvonne said.

After a long yawn, her eyes were closed. She was sweating but her body was cold. Kiryan put a blanket to cover her. Yvonne instinctively fell into Kiryan’s arms.

“Hey, hey.” Kiryan tried waking her up.

“It’s cold.” She groaned then she hugged Kiryan tightly like how she hugs Diana when sleeping.

She loved Diana’s arms. The two often fought, but they loved each other more than anyone else. Kiryan’s arms were different from Diana’s, but he was strong.

“Kiryan. Sleep well.” Yvonne mumbled and fell asleep.

At dawn, Yvonne woke up to a loud noise. Kiryan was not by her side. Without a moment to cry in an empty seat, outside Kiryan’s voice was heard.

“Die! Die! Why are you doing this to me!” It was a desperate scream. It was the first time she heard a scream like that, but one day Beth cried like that of the ‘cat that is cornered and raises its claws’ Yvonne thought the sound would be like that.

“Do you know what my life has been like because of you? Huh? It’s been ruined! I shouldn’t have given birth to you!” The woman continued to scream.

“Shut up!” It was Kiryan’s voice this time.

“It was a mistake to have you and to raise you.” The woman continued.

“Go away! Get out! Why did you crawl into the house?” She continued to hurl insults to Kiryan.

Yvonne heard something break and sharp bursts and sounds not familiar to her. She was terrified, crouching down on her body and holding her breath.

“You bastard who doesn’t even know grace! Leave me alone! Just go to your useless father!” The woman said hysterically.

“Okay. Who is that handsome father? Do you know who my father is? Do you remember him apart from the guys you’ve been through?” Kiryan snarled back.

“You wouldn’t know about him. I don’t even remember his face.” His mother spite him with disgust.

It was a sound that anyone could hear.

At that sound, Yvonne felt her chest sink. It was unimaginable for a parent to beat their child.

Of course, the same goes for their conversation. It was a very frightening situation for Yvonne.

Fighting with evil as if the world was destroyed, and the fierce hatred that spreads through the closed door.

“Ahhh! Why are you hitting me! What are you hitting!” Kiryan groaned.

“Shut up! Shut up!” His mother continued to hit him even though he wasn’t even fighting her back.

The pounding sound and the strong air vibrations choked Yvonne. She wanted to cry right away, but she was so scared that she didn’t even have the courage to cry. ‘Mother, Father, Diana… I’m so scared.’ She silently pleaded for the beating to stop.

“Crazy bastard. I gave birth to a monster like you and raised it, and then now it’s my fault. What a crazy life! Go to hell!” She shouted as if it would make her miserable life better.

Then there was the sound of banging footsteps and the door slammed shut.

The door of the closet where Yvonne was located squeaked and opened naturally in the recoil of the wall throughout the house.

Kiryan, who was standing in the living room, turned his head towards her. When he saw that she was awake, Kiryan’s face showed a little bit of embarrassment. But soon the feeling turned to shame and he blushed right away.

She knew how much Kiryan’s face was going to suck, and that he was ripe like a blush even in the early morning when the day was not yet bright.

Kiryan didn’t say anything. He just went to the front door, opened it and ran out of the house.

“Kiryan-! Kiryan!” Yvonne felt it was all her fault that Kiryan ran away, so she was instinctively convinced that her existence had hurt him, so she hurried to pursue him.

She hurts her first friend just like how she hurts Diana just by being there.