Blood Of Platinum
Chapter 54. Intentional Destiny at a Time
After Theo recalled the incident, he could only silently stare as he said inwardly with sweat coming out of his forehead. Of course, fear also comes.
‘I'm in trouble now. How could I tell Kino-nii that I was the one who stole something from him?! Why is fate so cruel to me!’
Kino looked at the boy's face with a look as if everything was normal as if two people who had just met the first time and didn't know anything at all, but Theo couldn't be like that.
“Ki–Kino-nii..” Theo calls Kino with trembling lips.
“Yes? What's up, Theo-kun?” Kino looked at Theo's face with a smile
“……”
After calling out Kino's name, Theo only kept silent a thousand languages without saying anything more. Kino looks anxious to see him quiet without talking and asks him.
“Theo-kun, what's wrong? Do you have stomach pain? If Theo-kun is sick, I will look for that thing alone. Ah, Theo-kun can keep the money. I'm not–”
“I'll do it! I'll help Kino-nii, don't worry!. I'll find your pocket watch, Kino-nii. Trust me!”
Before Kino's sentence continued, Theo suddenly spoke loudly and then shouted. As if to make him more confident, he also gave a feisty face that looked forced upon Kino. Of course Kino realized it, but Kino still returned with a smile.
After tidying up the leftovers of the food and drink wrappers, they decided to sit back and think about where they were going.
“Hmh, according to Theo-kun where should I look? Previously I had traveled around the city to look for it, but I did not get any leads until yesterday”
“What...Kino-nii remember where you are...lost that thing?”
“I don't remember that much. At first I thought that the pocket watch might have fallen because of my carelessness. However, after hearing the bird's news on the altar today I thought maybe my pocket watch wasn't lost because of a fall”
“Birds news?! What bird's news is that?!” Theo instantly turned frantic hearing Kino's words
“Today I heard from someone I knew that at the altar there had been a week of loss. But after knowing the type of lost goods, it seems that these objects are not lost without cause but have been stolen”
“......!!” Theo instantly turned pale
“If there really was a theft, I began to think that the possibility of my pocket watch was also stolen, although I still wonder why the thief would take the old watch”
- Deg
Hearing all of Kino's words, Theo was immediately hit by another lightning strike on his chest. His heart rate immediately beat fast as if it could stop at any time.
In his heart, Theo thought of many things.
‘Birds's word about lost items at the altar has spread?! Just this morning Fabil warned me about this. Did Stelani and the others already know about it as well? Good thing I didn't go to the altar and steal again there today. If I had done that, I'd be sure Stelani, Fabil and the other boys would have started to be suspected. I'm lucky to have heard this from Kino-nii!’
But at the same time, Theo also glanced at Kino's face with a sad look and sad eyes.
‘After knowing this reality, what can change?. In reality, I was the one who caused Kino-nii a hard time. I really didn't expect it to be like this. Anyway I don't want to be hated by Kino-nii, but if I'm honest about that pocket watch, Kino-nii probably won't forgive me’
Theo who was silent without saying anything after hearing him speak made Kino so had to ask him again. A question that could be said to be futile because it was never answered correctly by the child.
“Theo-kun, are you okay?”
“Ah..um...” Theo nodded.
“Then do you think we can look around the altar again?”
“……!!”
Theo's eyes widened in shock and he became even more misbehaved.
‘No, no, no! The pocket watch is likely with the gorilla so Kino-nii finds it there! How am I supposed to take that thing from the gorilla at the bar after last night's murder incident?! And again, how do I tell Kino-nii now?’
As if he did not want to waste any more time, Kino invited Theo to stand up and walk with him to the altar.
“We'd better go now, Theo-kun. The day has started noon and it will be even hotter after this”
“Ah, I–”
“What's up?”
“No. It'sit's nothing. I'll help Kino-nii find that watch” Theo smiled with a forced smile
Hearing that Kino replied with a smile.
From a distance, there was a figure watching them from afar. When the two people sitting on the garden chair stood up and decided to leave, one of them looked at him with sharp eyes.
“……”
“What's up?”
“It looks like this time I didn't see it wrong. We were lucky for deciding to come here”
******
On the way to the back road of the altar, all the adorable little ones kept smiling while remembering what they had experienced this morning.
“Enak yes, I have only eaten meat for the first time!”
“It's delicious! It seems like all my life I've only eaten such good food for the first time”
“All the cakes are also delicious and sweet. The ice cream is good too!”
“Senice~ It feels like a dream to meet people as good as Kino-niichan”
Stelani and Fabil who heard their conversation smiled at each other. It never occurred to them that they could return to that foreign place in this state of fullness and happiness.
Michaela who was holding Stelani's hand asked him.
“Stelani-neechan, we can really meet again with Kino-niichan right?”
“Sure. Kino-niisan said she was happy to meet us too earlier so we will be able to meet her again as long as she is still in this city”
“Eh~ Kino-niichan will not stay in this city forever?” Michaela asked in a disappointed tone
Hearing Michaela's words, the other children stopped and looked towards Stelani and Fabil while whining.
“Kino-niichan not staying here?”
“I want Kino-niichan to stay here forever! Can't we beg her to stay, Fabil-niichan?”
“Eh...” Fabil who heard that became confused
Stelani tried to win the children over by saying they could eat all the cake once they got home. Although they did not change their whining about Kino but saw the bag of cookies in Stelani and Fabil's hands, they smiled slightly and walked back. Innocent and innocent children who are very easy to woo with sugar and cake.
The whining of the children made Stelani and Fabil not stop to continue whispering so that Michaela and the other children did not know.
“To be honest I don't want Kino-niisan to leave this city either, Fabil. After a long time, I finally get to meet an adult I can trust” Stelani spoke in a sad and disappointed tone
“I too but we can't do anything either. Besides, you didn't forget what Kino-niichan asked before, did you? He's looking into the incident at the altar. There must have been something that happened to him so he could ask like that to us”
“You're right. As we previously talked about in the restaurant earlier, once Theo comes home later we have to talk about this to him” Stelani spoke in a serious tone to Fabil
Their journey took them about fifteen minutes to get to the road behind the altar. After which, they walked straight towards the secluded place in the city. The gloomy atmosphere with various unpleasant scents wafted. Like everyday food, none of them had any problem with it.
They continued walking straight until they reached the building they considered the house.
“You don't need to come with us to the bar huh. Take this food and come in. Wait inside and no one comes out, understand?” fabil's message to them
“Fabil-niichan, Stelani-neechan, are you sure you want to face Justin-sama alone?” Michaela looks worried about them
“Do not worry. Thanks to the help of Kino-niichan earlier, we have earned enough money to exchange for the Fabil Bread” stroking Michaela's hair
“I don't want dirty bread from Justin-sama. I want you both back safely. Since Theo-niichan does not exist then Justin-sama will definitely hit you guys later”
Michaela hugged Fabil with a trembling body. The other children also embraced Stelani and Fabil. Of course the two children who are bigger than them know what they will face later.
“You all calm down. The two of us will be nothing even though Theo has not returned” Stelani tried to calm them down
“I'm not as strong as Theo but if I only protected Stelani from Justin-sama I would do something. I won't cry in the back like yesterday so don't worry about us ya” Fabil with a confident smile rubbing the heads of those kids as encouragement
All the children were not very understanding but different from Michaela. He knew that it wouldn't end well if it came to Justin. Even so, he still smiled.
Michaela put on a smile saying to them.
“I'll wait for you guys to come home and we eat cake together with Theo-niichan”
Stelani and Fabil hugged all the children and saw them come in carrying bags of food and cakes into their homes. After all the children had entered, they both walked towards the bar where Justin was.
“Theo did not say when he would return this morning but we can only trust him” Stelani spoke to Fabil along the way
“I hope he doesn't act crazy like stealing or anything. In the city there are many children like us, but they prefer to steal. I'm pretty sure his wound yesterday had something to do with it all”
“We've bought the medicine but she refused to be treated. I can't stop worrying about him, Fabil”
“Not just you, Stelani. I'm worried about him too. Only he can act rashly. I hope he's not in trouble”
It was getting late even though the sunlight could not enter the place well. After spending a few minutes walking, they almost arrived at the entrance of the bar. So tense and scared, they decided to pause and take a deep breath and exhale.
“You ready, Stelani?”
“I'm ready, Fabil. Remember, we have earned quite a lot of money thanks to Kino-niisan. Shouldn't Justin-sama be mad at us”
“Stelani, how now? Given what Theo saw and what we heard from Justin-sama's men last night it makes me hesitate to enter” Fabil looks shaky now
“....” Stelani is speechless
Sculpting without being able to say anything, their hearts almost stopped when the bar door opened. The two children immediately shouted as loudly as they saw someone coming out carrying a large black plastic bag.
“Waaa!!”
“Waaa!!! Wha what?. Is that gorilla back!!”
No less panicked, the person who opened the door of the bar also shouted by saying a strange thing that was familiar to both ears.
‘Gorilla said? My ears didn't hear wrong, did they? That's right gorilla’ said
‘There are people besides Theo who call Justin-sama as gorilla’
The three people were each staring at each other with strange gazes without a blink.
“Haa, surprise me”
“A–Arkan-niisan” Stelani sees a figure that opens the door and carries a large platic bag
Arkan looked at the two children with an expressionless look. Although he had only made a strange face from shock some time ago but now he was back with his white face.
“Why are you guys staying here? Don't want to enter?” Arkan asked the two of them
“Ka–we want..meet with Justin-sama” Fabil replied with a stammer.
“You'd better go home. Justin-sama just came out a while ago. If you want to give your own money, you can come again later tonight”
“Pe–go?” Stelani was shocked to hear Arkan's reply
“Ya, just left about thirty minutes ago”
The two children were staring at each other. Stelani could not even stop asking inwardly.
‘Not usually Justin-sama comes out before we come. Where and what did Justin-sama do?. Does this have anything to do with what we heard last night from his men?’
Arkan looked back at them as if waiting for a response from the two. After a moment of silence, Fabil asked Arkan.
“Ka–then..can we leave the money to you, Arkan-niichan?”
“Sure. I think it's best. Since last night, it seems like Justin-sama's feelings are getting worse. Even since last night's party, I still have to work hard to clean up all the rest. Basic bald gorilla sucks”
Forget about the insults from Arkan, they both focus on the word ‘party lamable’ he said. Pretending to be stupid, Fabil asked Arkan.
“Me–there was a party here last night?”
“Ah, you haven't heard from Theo. I don't think he would be able to tell anyone such a thing considering he himself couldn't even move when it happened”
“Hal...what do you mean, Arkan-niichan?”
“Nothing special. Only the murders committed by Justin-sama to his two men and three women who often accompanied him to sleep. Their bodies were just taken by Riz and I still have to clean the bloodstains inside, therefore I closed the bar while”
“......!!!” the two children instantly turned pale
Arkan continued his sentence without caring about the faces of the two children.
“Look, this trash is the trash that is in Justin-sama's room. I was only able to get him out once he left”
Everything Arkan said with a flat face without expression as if the murder was not important, but not for the two children.
They recalled everything Theo said last night.
[I've met him. That gorilla just killed a lot of people at the bar]
[I heard gunshots coming from his room. When the door opened, the women we saw this morning ran to the bar and cried. When I saw what was behind that door, the gorilla had just killed two of his own men. And when he came out, he also killed all the women who were with him by shooting them in the neck many times]
They could both imagine what the real events would be like just from the memory records Theo had told them. Unwilling to stand in that place any longer in shock, Fabil immediately took out the money he had in his pants pocket and gave it to Arkan.
Arkan received the money while asking them.
“You guys are okay? You guys pale like that? Are you imagining what I just said?”
“Ti–no. We were just a little surprised” Stelani tried to control her trembling lips as she answered him
“Hmm..”
When putting the money in his pants pocket, Arkan also took out the pocket watch inside and looked at the time the clock showed. Stelani and Fabil were just glued to see the quiet Arkan while looking at the pocket watch he had in his hand.
“Jam 09.00. This pocket watch works. Previously, it did not seem to move at all. How strange. Ah, you poor kids can go home now. Don't let you interfere with my work. The money I will give to Justin-sama once he comes home later”
“Alright then. We..we excuse us first Arkan-niisan”
Stelani pulls Fabil's hand and they walk very quickly leaving the bar. After a few steps, Stelani started to let go of her hand and they started running away and continued to run faster with a panicked face.
While Arkan who saw from a distance just put the pocket watch into his pants pocket back while closing the door of the bar and go to dispose of the garbage into the bottle to the empty building at the front of the bar.
“I don't want to throw it back because I still remember the bad view last night, even though the body was taken by Riz. In addition, the person who should have picked up the trash this week has not come. I'd better put in front of the empty building just so as not to accumulate behind”
Finished with his trash, Arkan re-enters the bar for a re-work of rods.
******
Along the way, Theo kept glancing towards Kino while hiding his panicked face. Not just a feeling, but Kino felt the child beside her continue to look at her. Kino asked Theo.
“Is there something on my face, Theo-kun?”
“Ah! I.. I was just thinking where your sister is, Kino-nii”
A nice diversion from Theo. A reasonable question considering that his first meeting with Kino was yesterday because the good sister beside him was waiting for his sister.
“She went looking for our lost pocket watch before”
“So. Did he go alone?” Theo ventured to ask him
“I don't know now, but before parting with me at the fountain pool near the altar this morning she left with our friend”
“Friends..”.
Theo recalled when he saw Kino near the stairs leading to the secluded spot in the city yesterday afternoon. He clearly remembered that there was another person standing with Kino besides the younger brother.
‘Man with sword without sword sheath!’
Theo was screaming in his heart. He was convinced that the man was also looking for Kino's pocket watch. Given that Kino has a relationship with the person Justin is looking for makes him even more shaky.
‘This issue is too complicated and too coincidental! How could it be that in just one day, me and Kino-nii already have issues related to each other like this?! It's like a deliberate fate!!’
Along the way, Theo looks unsettled. Whereas before he was so happy to meet the good brother who had given him bread yesterday but now there was only a feeling of fear in his heart. The fear of being hated, the fear of the relationship between Kino and the swordless man and the fear of last night's incident that had something to do with Justin's search for the sword man.
Kino was speechless watching the child beside her and sighed for a while. After that, he stopped and rubbed Theo's head.
“Theo-kun, everything will be fine. There's nothing to be afraid of, Theo-kun. Don't worry, ya”
Theo's eyes glazed over as if holding back the cry of hearing the sentence. He hated himself for making people who had helped him this hard. In her present self, she intends to return to the bar to pick up the pocket watch Kino meant from Justin.
‘I have to immediately retrieve the thing I stole from Kino-nii from the gorilla no matter what!’
Their journey takes about 20-25 minutes to the altar because Kino often stops and invites Theo to look at the store they pass. Until they finally reached the altar.
“Kino-nii, I think I'll help you find him around the altar. It's best that Kino-nii keep looking around the fountain” Theo volunteered himself to go to the altar
“Eh? Why don't we look for him together?”
“No problem. Didn't Kino-nii hire my services to help you? Let me do my job and I will definitely find your pocket watch no matter what happens”
What a convincing sentence even though the sentence is actually also very dubious at the same time.
Kino seemed anxious to hear Theo say that and intended to reject him. But because the boy insisted, Kino only allowed him to the altar for ten minutes.
Actually, Kino tau looking to the altar was just a futility since he had found all ‘threads that connected’ with his own efforts. He took Theo to the altar for a reason, but the boy with him asked them to split up.
Theo finally ran towards the altar. While occasionally glancing at him, he ran as if he had almost reached the rungs of the stairs leading to the entrance of the altar. Theo realizes that Kino keeps paying attention to him, until an opportunity comes for him to escape Kino's sight.
Kino was accidentally nudged by one of the residents who walked around the fountain pool. It sidetracked his eyes and he thought Theo had run up the stairs to the altar.
“I have to rethink to make him talk later” Kino said as if muttering
**
Theo who had managed to escape from Kino's tutelage had finally set his heart on returning to the bar past the path behind the altar. After running as fast as he could, from the back he was caught by someone.
How shocked Theo was to see who caught him.
“Yo, finally we meet again”
******