"What fresh air!" Will exclaimed. At the same time, both him and Raven dramatically pulled in a deep breath and then hugged the air.
Jaden stared at them with a judging look.
"What should we do first?" Will asked. Raven and Jaden looked around the streets.
The streets were lively. Houses were lit up by lanterns. The moon above them in the starry sky also added to the liveliness. Will suddenly spotted a barbecue stall.
"There." He nodded his head meaningfully, staring at the stall. Without any other word, he headed there.
Raven was about to follow behind, but Jaden immediately called her. She turned at him only to see a blue hair ribbon in his hand. He handed the hair ribbon at her. Raven stared at it suspiciously before taking it.
"Is it a present?" She asked scrutinizing the hair ribbon and suddenly realized it was originally hers.
"Ugh, it is mine. Where did you get it?" She started tying it on her wrist with much struggle. Instead of answering, Jaden snatched the ribbon from her and placed it in her hand.
"Just put it in your pouch." Jaden said with a frown. Raven involuntary clicked her tongue. But she still put her hair ribbon in the pouch tied around her waist.
At that moment, she remembered that she had once left the hair ribbon in Jaden's and Will's room when they were drinking one time. Before she could realize it, Jaden was already almost at the other side of the street. "That imbecile." She muttered to herself and rushed there catching up with him.
"You really are very talented when it comes to betraying people." Raven teased.
"It is simply a talent I was born with." Was the reply.
"Right?"
"Right."
When they reached the barbecue stall, Will was already eating skewers. He had two skewers. One in each hand. Jaden's lips twitched at the site of the grease on the corner of Will's lips.
"Wipe the corner of your lips." He commanded. Will was about to use his sleeves, but Jaden immediately caught his arm wearing a look of disgust.
"What are you doing?" Jaden asked with furrowed eyebrows. The confused Will glanced at Raven who only rolled her eyes.
"Here." Jaden handed him a pure white handkerchief.
"How am I supposed to take that?"
"Put one skewer in your other hand and take it."
Will stared at Jaden as if he did not understand what he was saying. Jaden frowned in anger and shoved the handkerchief at Raven.
"Wipe his lips." He commanded her. Raven glanced at the handkerchief and then at him.
"Why me???"
"Just take it."
"Why can't you do it yourself?"
Jaden cursed under his breath. Forcibly took her hand and stuffed the handkerchief in her hand.
"I need it back. And clean." He told Raven and then turned at Will.
"Have you soaked your brain in water?" And then strode away. Will remained there trying to chew on that sentence.
"W-Wait! Did he just ask me; if I have soaked my brain in water?" He asked Raven shaking his head.
Raven nodded as she wiped the corners of his lips.
"Thanks. Do I look like I have soaked my brain in water?"
"No." Raven assured him. Will nodded his head in approval with a genuine smile.
"You soaked it in alcohol." Raven added. Will's smile froze.
"I really cannot blame you for your blind eyes. You and Jaden got that in common."
"Whatever." Raven stated as she stuffed the handkerchief in his pocket.
"Can you not wash it for me?"
"If I am your mother, then yes I can."
"A skewer is ten crystal coins. WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH YOU?" A stall keeper told a tall lean guy who stood at his stall. Will and Raven turned and looked at the two people.
"It was five crystal coins in the afternoon." The guy stated in a low calm voice.
That voice. Felt familiar.
But wasn't it common for people to have the same voice? She decided to ignore it.
The stall keeper sneered, "Afternoon is afternoon! Open your eyes, and lift your head and look at the sky. WHAT TIME IS IT?"
"But…"
"But, but what? DO NOT DARKEN MY STALL."
The guy simply bowed and walked away in his ragged dirty clothes.
Raven then approached the stall keeper.
"How much are the skewers?"
"Five crystal coins." The stall keeper replied with a wide smile. Raven swallowed back the urge to click her tongue in annoyance.
"Thanks." She told the stall keeper with a nod and turned to walk away.
"You are not buying?!"
Raven simply shrugged. She then went beside Will. "Wait for me here." She whispered.
Raven then rushed to the guy.
"Excuse me!!!" The guy immediately stopped. He slowly turned and stared deeply at her.
Raven only frowned at his appearance. No wonder the stall keeper was too eager to get rid of him. He was dirty from toe to head. His face, barely recognizable.
'Pigs are damn too clean.' Thought Raven.
But she still approached him with a smile.
" Greetings."
The guy nodded.
Before she could know what she was doing, she untied the money pouch from her waist. She stared at it for a moment and gave thousands of sighs in her heart. Being kind was not an easy thing.
"Here." She handed it to him. It was hard earned, but she believed the guy needed it more than herself.
Raven had expected the guy to smile at her and take the pouch but that was not the case. Instead, the guy glared at the pouch as if his eyes could make it explode. Raven did not notice his clenched hands. She also didn't notice his angry facial expression as his face was entirely covered in dirt.
"Take it." She stated as she took his right hand and placed her pouch there. Raven glanced at that right hand of his that was clenching on the bag, and mentally sighed.
"People treat others differently depending on their looks." She subconsciously stated.
"Why?" The guy asked in whispers, more like to himself than to Raven. Raven was able to get the sadness that enveloped that question.
If a person was told to choose from a caterpillar and a butterfly, naturally that person could choose a butterfly despite the fact that the caterpillar would also turn into a butterfly sooner or later. And this guy wasn't even a clean one feeding on fresh leaves but a dirt one feeding on rotten leaves. How could anyone possibly choose that kind of caterpillar? Instead, they could just step on it and crush it.
Raven said nothing for a while. Silent sighs were stuffed deep in her heart. As she lowered her head, her eyes suddenly caught the sight of blood dripping between his fingers. With a closer look, she noticed the protruding bloody bandages through his sleeves.
"That is just how it is. Take care." She clapped him on the shoulder and then walked away.
The guy stared at her figure as she walked away. He then gave a wry smile as he tossed the pouch down and lazily kicked it. The passersby were giving him disgusted looks. Some even covered their noses. That; he didn't care. They were disgusted by his looks; he was disgusted by their wicked hearts. He had heard them preaching of goodness and universal love. Where the heck was it then? Subconsciously, he laughed out aloud.
"Mama, is that guy crazy?" The guy immediately turned to the little girl who just asked the question. His cold gaze made her shrink behind her mother. He then shifted his gaze towards her mother as they passed by. The mother glanced at the guy.
With a sigh, "He is just not fine." She then approached him and gave him a medicine bottle. That was when he realized that there was blood flowing between the tips of his fingers on the left hand. He took the bottle from her slender hand and murmured his thanks. That woman just gave a lazy smile and picked up her daughter before walking away. The little girl waved at him. He waved back.
"Orchid." The girl mouthed her name.
"Kenji." He gave a genuine smile. Kids are really pure. In the end, he picked up the pouch.