Chereads / Zero(Temporary) / Chapter 3 - CHAPTER II A START OF A NEW FRIENDSHIP

Chapter 3 - CHAPTER II A START OF A NEW FRIENDSHIP

It was already afternoon when they arrived at the slums. While they walked to the place there were no people like it had been abandoned until they saw a girl playing in one of the houses "Hey! Can we ask some questions" Ikuro called the girl. The girl then went up straight to them "um can you tell where is miss Rizza house is?" Ikuro asked the girl "What do you want with granny?" the girl asked back. "We want to ask her about a certain thief," Ikuro answered. The girl just sighed and muttered under her breath "Really big brother" she then asked the two to follow her as she led the way. They had arrived at the place. A seeming old and abandoned but still kind of in its best condition Ikuro thought at the house of Rizza. The girl opened the door and came in while Ikuro and Clementine followed "Oh you're back so early Ran and brought some peculiar visitors " a voice called. An old woman in her late sixties sitting on a chair while drinking something from a cup staring at Ikuro and Clementine with a stern expression. The girl quickly ran to the old woman and told her everything and their purpose of coming. The old woman seemingly sighed and blurted out of the blue "That brat always brings trouble whenever he goes on his walk". The old woman told Ikuro and Clementine to come in and sit down with her as she ordered the Ran to serve the guest something to drink while they wait for their thief.

Both sat down and Clementine took the drinks offered to them and smelled quite aromatic and lovely until she took a sip and tasted the drink itself; it was rather fit to her taste. She hurriedly drank it all and left an amuse and satisfied look and thanked for the drink saying it was rather fit to her usual taste. While Ikuro also smelled the drink's aroma, he took a sip at his drink and the taste surprised like he wanted to throw it up but since they were offered kindly by the old woman he had no choice but to drink it. Ikuro left the cup rather full. The old lady smiled in amusement like she knew that the girl would finish her drink with a satisfied face while the boy with disgust at the moment he took a sip. Such memories especially remind her of the day of her youth but especially the look of Ikuro's face reminds her of a girl who used to hate her drinks but still drinks it.

"I enjoyed the drinks very much"

"Thanks for the drinks but I'm not quite thirsty to take another sip"

Both expressed their likeness to the drink.

Stepping off from the delicious taste of the drink, Ikuro directly asked the old woman if they knew where they could find and catch the thief they were looking for, to which she replied that they would be here in a moment.

"They?"

The door opened loudly while two figures stepped in. Ikuro and Clementine looked at his back and saw their thief and another one who shares the same face as their thief.

"We're back! Ran looked what I got y-

The thief stopped at his step as he looked at the two individuals he robbed looking back at him. While the other one with the same face like the thief looked at him and spoke

"It seems you have visitors"

Rizza stood up and welcomed her both grandsons back and told her thief grandson that his friends are here which Clementine retorted that she and the thief were not friends and only came for her stolen medallion and Ikuro added his stolen necklace. The thief growled and told them that they can get it back by buying it or trading it with the same or high value items.

" Hey, that's unfair! "

"There's no fairness when getting your stuff back boy, it's either you buy it or exchange it with the same or high value items that the rule of this house" Rizza explained to Ikuro.

"That's a stupid rule!" he yelled.

Ikuro only could look at her with hate and the fact she tricked them. Clementine's expression was rather intimidating. She reached her hand to her brown sling bag and pulled out a small bag. "How much for getting it back?" Rizza smiled and told her grandsons and her visitors to sit down and she told the thief's twin to check the items that belonged to them. The twin sat down where Rizza previously sat as well Ikuro and Clementine sat down on their chair while their thief stood besides his twin while Rizza stood between the two groups. The thief put his hand on his pants and took out a medallion and a crimson crystal necklace and put them to the table. The other twin first picks up the medallion and appraises it. Ikuro noticed a white symbol glowed in his eyes as he looked at the medallion while Clementine looked at the other twin. "20 golden coins'' he said as he put down the medallion. He soon took the crimson necklace and appraised it. The twin focused his eyes to Ikuro's necklace; he couldn't examine the right amount of the necklace and couldn't trace back its origins, the look in his face as if he was having a hard time. Over 4 minutes had passed and the look on his face hadn't changed. He closed his eyes, putting down the crimson necklace and sighed. The look in his eyes was rather disappointing "This necklace I can't trace its exact worth" he said. Which caught the eye of everyone, especially the thief. Clementine was confused, Rizza was curious, The thief was surprised and Ikuro was also shocked. The crimson necklace that was stolen from him had no exact value but even so Ikuro value it even more because that necklace helped him find his beautiful angel sitting right next to him. "Wait so this necklace had no exact value" the thief was too stunned to speak. " So I just really wasted time stealing that from him. " He picked up the necklace and stared at it, then put it down.

The group resumed their business as Clementine looked inside her bag and took out twenty golden coins from it and gave it to the thief but Rizza stopped Clementine's hand and told her to keep her money which surprised all except the thief's twin. A sudden change of mind clearly surprises Ikuro but Clementine thanks her and gets her medallion back. The thief angrily asked why Rizza had a change of mind which Rizza replied that she can't sell it anyways. Which led the thief to be disappointed by her but Rizza didn't care and also gave the necklace back to Ikuro. Ikuro said thanks to Rizza and wore the necklace. Upon seeing his hard work of stealing the medallion and necklace being returned he walked away only to be stopped by her brother asking him to let it go which he lashed that he worked hard to get those and his payment was to return it back. What kind of thief returned what he stole but the twin persuaded him with his words.

"Mother and sister did not want you to become a thief that why mother work so hard to gave us a good life and that's why sister left to provide us good life" he said

"Only father wanted you to become a thief. After all if the God of wealth hadn't blessed neither both of use will suffer"

Such words really persuade such a person but nonetheless as long as it works nothing matters. As the twin calmed down they decided to say their apologies to the two which Clementine easily forgave and Ikuro also forgave them. The twin then introduced themselves. Ray Prosch, the other twin and River Prosch as their thief.

Clementine and Ikuro decided to stay for a while and chatted with the twins as time went on they got to know the twins.

Knock knock knock

The sound of the door knocking directed the group focus.

Knock knock knock

"Come in" said Rizza

The door opened as the bell rang there two individuals approached the door. A browned haired boy and a floating cat. Both faces expressed relief when they both looked at Ikuro and Clementine.

"K-Kuma? "

"A-Allen? "

Both Ikuro and Clementine said at the same time both were shocked to see them. Kuma went directly to Clementine as well as Allen to Ikuro. Kuma scolded Clementine to not leave his side and Allen scolded Ikuro about disappearing. They both apologized. Then another figure showed itself. A black haired young woman who smiled at Ikuro surprised him.

"Woah a hot chick" River commented with Ikuro looking at him with a weird face but he can't argue with that because her mother is the beauty of their neighborhood. Ikuro then directed his attention to his mother, confused as to why she was here and how did she got here

"Mary?" Rizza looked bewildered while Mary nodded with a smile and greeted Rizza. .

"It's been a long time since we met each other isn't it Rizza"

"Yes 15 years had passed you lousy woman"

Rizza said her face was bitter like something happened between them. The atmosphere was tense with Mary's expression changing to a sad one while Rizza was quite bitter. Ikuro and the others could only look at them, none of them wished to disturb them which would only add fuel to the fire. River honestly didn't care and asked Rizza what's her problem with the hot chick? Rizza smacked him and just told him that she was a lier. Mary tried to apologize for not telling Rizza her plan from 15 years ago and she only did it for the safety of her son.

"Safety of your son? " Rizza was confused. Even though they have known each other for years still Mary's face changes as she talks in a vague manner, especially when she receives certain visions from the Gods that forbid her to fully tell it.

"An unthinkable future full of suffering. I don't want him to feel that" she said. "But it is still my fault for not telling you everything and for that-

I'm sorry" words left her mouth with sincere regret. Ikuro never saw his mom like this since he was a child. Rizza comforted Mary and told her that it was her fault also for not understanding her reasoning. Ikuro could only watch them, he and the group sat down and let Mary and Rizza catch up.

While Mary and Rizza talk, Ikuro and the group discuss Mary with River commenting that she was hot and never thought that she had a child while Clementine told them that she looked quite familiar. "Now that you say that Tina, she's indeed quite familiar but I can't remember how I saw her," Kuma said while playing with Tina's hair. Ikuro could only listen to the others talk about his mother while from time to time they exchange glances.

When they heard the sound of the bell, Mary said her goodbye to Rizza and the kids but immediately stopped after she opened the door.

"Ikuro, aren't you coming?" Mary's tone was rather confused

-I..uhh…

Ikuro could only mutter those words before nodding his head as he quickly rushed to her. Both said their goodbye and left but Clementine rushed to open the door but saw that they already were gone. She still hasn't thanked and repaid the boy for his kindness.