Chapter 20 - Departure [4]

After playing with the kids for a while, Kobi took Rio and headed to his temporary house. Reka was already inside.

"You're here!" Reka smiled, "What took you so long?"

"Yea! The admirer's of this great one are just everywhere!" Kobi sighed in exasperation.

Reka chuckled, "Here! Your clothes are finally all set. Umm, I... patched your shirt." Reka scratched her cheek while gazing at the shirt with zero visible stich marks, "But if you think its not fit for you to wear something that's mended, you... can keep those, if you don't feel inferior allowing other people to see you in them." Reka pointed at the measly clothes she bought him and smiled awkwardly.

Kobi raised a brow, "Tch! You are one dirty person! You don't want me to leave your memory so you want to take my clothes and secretly sniff them while giggling foolishly, dang! I didn't know you were such a freaking tsundere! If you love me just say it out loud, not like I will chew you up, right? Like, come on, come to my arms and confess to me how you feel! If you make my heart stir, I will make you my concubine and if you don't... how about settling with being my personal maid? Now, come, CONFESS!" Kobi threw his arms wide, with a chin touching the skies, he closed his eyes.

"..." Reka blinked her eyes, her trembling lips tightly clenched together... This freaking jerk!

She was here, feeling worried his 'hidden' superiority complex wouldn't allow him to wear these clothes and he was here asking for both set of clothes like a freaking tsundere!

'What's a tsundere anyway?' Reka blinked her eyes, noticing him peeking at her.

Something stirred in her heart, with a solemn and desiring expression, she walked forward slowly.

Kobi blinked his eyes, 'Oh shit seriously? This is not good, not good at all!' Kobi felt an ache inn his chest, 'MY NEXT SCRIPT WILL GO TO WASTE! ...Tch! Please do as I predict mortals!' Kobi wanted to cry... his precious script!!

Reka stood in front of him and embraced his stiff body. His out-stretched fingers twitched as he felt his heart breaking, 'MY SCRIPT!'

"O, Relative of Saint, I assure you, my heart is in tatters!!" Reka's words sounded lonely and and broken.

Kobi's eyes flickered, a frown on his face, 'This voice... is it genuine or a joke?'

"I feel like my heart is stopping just imagining you leave!"

Rio, who was standing right next to them, stared at his sister in aghast. Whose sister is this again?

'Something's... not right with this tone.' Sweat poured down Kobi's forehead.

"I... I want to bad-mouth you more! I want to curse you more! I want to keep you close and teach you some manners and shame, tch! Sadly, fate is cruel!" Sighing, Reka patted Kobi on the back and stepped back. A mischievous grin on her face, "Did that satisfy your complexes? Your majesty?"

"...Fuck! damn you, you sadistic witch!" Kobi spat to the side, his lips curled in disgust.

Rio raised his head in pride. Yep, this was his sister alright.

"You can keep both clothes... if you like them!" Reka shrugged her shoulders, her gaze strange as she sized up Kobi.

"Hmm! Then quickly lemme change into those!" Kobi smiled.

Reka shrugged and walked outside along with Rio.

Kobi changed his clothes swiftly and stored his villager's set in his inventory.

Seeing the extremely thin fabric underneath his shirt patching the tears with delicate yet strong thread, he marvelled at whoever patched up his clothes, 'It was Reka I believe.'

"Alright! I'm done!"

Hearing Kobi's voice, Reka asked Rio to wait outside for a moment and walked in.

"I got a few things for you, you didn't tell me where you would go, but just in case, here's a map, scaling through the forest is.... very hard, a map will serve you good in leading you through the forest and to the nearest city." Reka hurled a scroll in his direction.

Kobi chuckled, "Thank you." He raised his hand forward, the instant the scroll touched his hand, he muttered in his head, 'Move!'

"And... it's not much, almost worthless honestly but... take this! Looking at you, I heavily doubt you have any solid currency on you!" Reka stepped forward and pushed a pouch onto him.

"Huh? Currency? Wait, wait! There's no need!" Kobi shook his head vigorously while taking a step back. 'Shit, things are turning awkward... this isn't the way this young master should be living his life!'

"It's fine, just take it! I don't want you to starve to death the instant you reach the nearest city!" Reka chuckled.

"No, no! Its fine, I do have some money on me! Its fine, really!" Kobi felt bewildered, he didn't expect such kindness in the least.

Reka chucked, and slowly pushed the pouch in his pocket, her eyes glowing kindly and softly, "Just take it, for the ease of my mind!"

Kobi blinked his eyes speechlessly, his lips moved as he tried to find words to say but... in the end, he just took it.

"And... lastly!" Reka shoved her hand beneath her clothes and took out a dirty rag.

"This..." Reka unwrapped it, bewildering Kobi, it was his gold bracelet and necklace.

He knew they were missing, he realized it on his second day, but... he didn't question Reka, after knowing her living conditions, he felt these things would do better with being with her.

He didn't really know if she took it or not, but he didn't wish to disturb the village's peace either and... he kinda wished it really was Reka.

But he didn't expect this... at all!

"You... what??"

"Listen, I don't know why you didn't ask me or... whether you just don't know what this thing's worth is but... this is gold!" Reka pierced inti his eyes.

"The instant the villager's eyes fell on this, you would've been in danger, that's why I took it with me, I already decided to return these when you were about to leave... I am sorry, if you think I stole them but here," Reka smiled solemnly, doubting her was a matter-of--fact thing, and she knew Kobi was no fool.

Though she was, in a way, glad that Kobi didn't say anything.

"It's... not like that!" Kobi blinked his eyes strangely, in a numb state, he raised his hand forward.

Just as he was about to grab them, Reka shifted her hand, she leaned closer to him and whispered in the most serious tone she possessed, "Listen, under no circumstances should you even think of selling this, according to my estimate, this is worth about 25 gold coins! Unless, you are confident in your strength, no matter what, don't reveal this, understood!?"

Kobi, noticing her seriousness, gulped and nodded.

"Good!" Reka smiled and placed the rag in his hand.

"Also... I don't know how you do it, but, if you can bring out valuable things like this from thin air, like your machetes, don't bring them out.

"I half trust you have money on you, but I believe they are most definitely gold and silver coins, don't use them! A single silver coin is worth 1000 bronze coins and a gold coin is equivalent to 100 silver coins!"

'Shit! This conversion... isn't it too much?' Kobi gulped, sweat sliding down to his chin.

Reka sighed in relieve, "I guessed right, I believe! Use the bronze coins I gave you! Don't use anything else, no matter what!"

Kobi nodded with a wry smile, "Roger ma'am!"

Kobi scratched his cheek and from the rag, took out the necklace.

"I want you to keep this, just tell the villagers, if you do decide to wear it, that its bronze coated in gold paint. Its a useless thing to me anyway, since I can't sell it and all!" Kobi smirked.

Seeing her stern face, he moved his hand closer, "Just take it, no buts, consider it a noble's squandering, I am awarding you for sewing my shirt!

"And besides, I am too cowardly to hold something that could cost me my life! Consider it me sharing our danger!" Kobi smirk widened.

Reka's face turned conflicted, "There's no way you would be in," Her voice trailed off as she peered into his dazzlingly eyes, "danger.'

"There's definitely no other way for you other than to take it!" Kobi smiled.

After a deep, deep stare, Reka hesitantly took it and clenched it in her fist, "Even though there's no way these villagers will think this is gold, I have no plans of wearing this openly and risking my life." Reka glanced back, at Rio's sillouthe, "And besides the fact my own life is pretty worthless, I still need to live... for my brother!"

Kobi chuckled and patted Reka's head, "You aren't worthless, at least, far more worthy and graceful than anybody in this village! Of course, still way worthless than me!" Kobi puffed his chest out in pride.

Reka shook her head speechlessly, "Is that consoling or more depression?"

Kobi shrugged with a grin.

"Anyways! Come, the village chief is hosting a lunch for you, some of the villagers are there as well."

Kobi raised a brow and nodded. "Roger! I need to give my parting gift to that crooked tree as well."

Reka's face darkened, 'This... what can I say?'