The door creaked open, inviting us inside a two-story abode filled with vintage furniture. Everything inside was decent and modest, if not a little dark.
"I like the atmosphere of this place."
"...Why did I invite you home?"
I ignored Shin's grumbling voice and made my way to the living room. I sat on the sofa and immediately felt like falling asleep.
'Wow. How can wooden sofas be this comfortable?'
I closed my eyes to get a better feel of my surroundings. I could feel the warmth of the candles emanating from inside the lamps and hear their footsteps coming towards me. River's steps were heavy, completely opposite to Shin's steps that were barely audible like that of a trained assassin.
"Hey, aren't you making yourself too comfortable? This isn't your house, you know. Can't you at least feel embarrassed?"
"Eh? Embarrassed? No, no. Su casa es mi casa."
"Mi ca... what?"
"Your house is my house."
"What?! It's not! I change my mind. Get out."
For the second time, I ignored his grumblings. Because even though he told me to get out, he never actually made a move to throw me out.
He grumbled again and asked River to help him with something. I couldn't hear him since I was already half asleep. I just kept in mind that the two started walking away as my mind wandered back to the moments earlier.
"Why don't we take over this town?"
After declaring something bold at the rooftop, Shin looked like his blood was drained out.
'Turns out, that was a taboo thing to say in the Black district. I was joking though...'
I sighed.
It was easier said than done.
Becoming one of the powerhouses here is already a huge hurdle. Taking over this place was nothing more than a beggar's dream.
However, Shin said that people would start to monitor us if they heard it. He even tried to escape but River stopped him by my orders.
"If someone heard us, then he probably saw you with us too. It doesn't matter now, does it? River and I don't have any place to go."
Shin, with his surprising innocence, finally accepted us into his house when River told us after that no one was around.
Though I'm not sure with that. River may have vampire senses that can hear any barely audible sounds in the surroundings but we're in the Black district. It's not impossible to find someone to mask their presence and make it seem like they never existed in the first place.
On another note, Shin found out about River's race.
'I was sure he would kick us out after learning it.'
But no, surprising me yet again, he said 'Men must stand by their words!' or something and that's how we ended up in a house at the outskirts of the Black district.
I almost doubted my eyes on the way.
Even the district's boonies, which I wrote to be quite infamous for shady dealings, were fairly humble despite my emphasis on its notoriety.
'Guess I have rainbows and unicorns for imaginations.'
Yaaaaaawn.
'I'm gonna... sleep... for a bit...'
I don't know how long I slept.
In my dream, there was a huge bowl of delicious soup that was telling me to chase him. My feet moved as I remember that I haven't eaten yet.
"Wait... soup monster... wait for me..."
I heard snickers around me but I didn't pay it any mind. The delicious-smelling soup monster was getting nearer.
"Hahaha! Is he sleepwalking?"
"It's the first time I saw him like this."
I ignored whoever was talking.
Why? Because the soup monster was in front of me.
"Hm?"
Suddenly, a ceramic hand grew from the side of the bowl like a mung bean growing into a sprout. The soup bown raised its hands like he was waiting for a high-five.
'Do I need to high-five to eat soup?'
I also started to raise a hand but my eyes widened when the soup bowl immediately swished its hands down to my face.
SLAP!
"Gah! What the hell?!"
My eyes fluttered open. The stinging pain in my cheek told me that I wasn't dreaming anymore. I was slapped in real life.
"Bastard! Who did that?!"
"Hahaha!"
"You... haaa."
My eyes darted to Shin. His lips were curved up and his hand was holding a folded newspaper. The culprit was obviously him.
'This cheeky brat!'
I glared at him.
I was prepared to give him a piece of my mind when River suddenly interfered.
"Dark, sit down."
"But-"
"Sit."
"I'm not a dog, damn it."
Shin's lips twitched as he held back his laughter. Only then did I notice where I was.
'Dining room?'
I was in the dining room that was directly connected to the living room. The sofa I was sleeping on was far from me and my sight is filled with mouthwatering chicken soup.
"Was I that hungry that I walked here in my sleep?"
"Mm."
"Bwahaha!"
Slightly mortified at their confirmation, I sat down in my seat with a sigh. The table for four was inviting. It has a huge pot of chicken soup in the middle and a bowl of rice at the side.
"Thank you for the food."
Shin clasped his hands and thanked the Almighty. I struggled not to make a face while copying him.
'Thanks for the food? Tsk, tsk. This is why he got stabbed.'
He was too innocent. The only thing that probably kept him alive was the fact that he kept stealing. As I said, this world don't favor the good.
Praying to the Almighty was the nearest thing to that.
Praying.
'Hmm?'
My eyebrows started to knit.
'Wait a minute. Pray?'
A weird idea just popped inside my head.
'I guess I can add 'that' to my list of business ideas.'
Slowly, that idea started to grow into a rough plan. After setting up the gist in my head, I thought that it was a good one.
"Hehehe."
I couldn't stop myself from giggling like a creepy old man.
Unknowingly, the two people eating with me suddenly shuddered at the same time when they heard me giggle.
Shin leaned to River.
"Psst. River-san, why is he smiling like that? I'm having a bad feeling."
River just shook his head.
He was too hungry and tired to deal with me at the moment.