We made it to Chapter 5 in the end…
[ After a few minutes of running all the way down from the 4th floor of the apartment, Vaccine and ■ were rushing toward
Unlike the beautiful sky at the end of Chapter 2, the lampposts on the side of the road were pretty much on. Mixing with the dimming light behind those heavy clouds, it might create one of the worst backgrounds to ever imagine in some of the reader's minds.
That said, what was more important right now was which dishes they were going to make. Since this is the last year of the infamous 19th century, there's still nothing much to choose from other than meat and potatoes.
However, Vaccine kept getting distracted from their main task… ]
"We what?" [ He innocently turned around and tried to catch up on what ■ was saying earlier. ]
I said, "We have more urgent things to take care of… now."
[ In return, ■ replied with something else and successfully dodged Vaccine's prying for more information on his end. This back and forth from the two of them kept on going regardless of their current situation. It was getting out of hand to the point where it was so obvious that even a blind man could tell.
When did this happen, you may ask? Let us recap all of the recent events in this novel.
It all started with Vaccine getting dropped from
In the progress of figuring out where he was, he found ■, who he thought was his creator at the time, was standing on the top of a modern building from the 21st century, where he couldn't go through because of the invisible wall, also known as
After saving ■, they had a little conversation full of questions on Vaccine's side. On the last one, he received the news of his creator's death. This news was so shocking to him that he fainted at the end of Chapter 3.
Then, he woke up after that, but he still couldn't get over the loss of 'him' and ■ was planning to leave after knowing his circumstances. Between mourning for the death and ■'s departure, Vaccine decided to invite ■ over for dinner with no plans in mind whatsoever.
That is where we were in Chapter 4.
Although there are a few skipping scenes between the chapters, Vaccine has become extremely attached to ■, who's now the only memo of 'him,' with only half of this volume. He has already paid extra attention to whatever ■ was talking about, even if it was some random gibberish that ■ spoke out due to boredom.
Normally, getting
It could be a new advancement in your own story, plus there are many benefits along with potential relationships and further widened connections. But once you've considered his motives, you can see why.
Back to their current situation, to summarize, ■ ran out of breath before they could even reach the market, so Vaccine had to carry him once again ( in a different posture, of course ). The two of them hadn't concluded which food they should have made in their previous discussion, which led them to talk about it in the midst of running. ]
But first, what do you have in mind?
[ ■ asked for Vaccine's opinion before his. ]
"Eggs and bacon. What do you think?"
[ Starting with a common dish that usually appears in Europe and America, it's easy to make one at any time in a day. With the main ingredients stated in the name, it could have more than a million recipes depending on the consumer.
Because of that, Vaccine brought it up as such. It's certainly a perfect meal, but… ]
Isn't that a normal breakfast? You're seriously serving this to a guest without thinking of getting slashed…
[ ■ poked at Vaccine for his stupid response. It's true that this food is not healthy at all at first glance ( talking from an Asian's perspective ), although they said it's good energy food you need for a day, they can't deny the fact that these all fired with butter or oils on an iron pan. ]
"That's the best I could think of!" [ He argued. ] "If you're so confident in your knowledge, tell me then."
[ As they passed by a commoner's restaurant, ■ hopped off from Vaccine's hand and took a quick look at the food they served there, like meats and beers; in which he found it was preferable, compared to "eggs and bacon".
The dishes were swiftly brought out by the waiters. It's a simple white plate that anyone can find and buy, unlike those that cost thousands of euros in a five-star restaurant.
What captivated him was how the chicken was marinated with herbs and salts, which added a layer of essence-flavoured above it. And the golden skin shined brightly because of the sauce, making it even more delicious.
On the other hand, the beef was carefully fired in a suitable heat, creating a crispy layer on the outside and flaccid from the inside. Not to mention the garlic flavour added to the beef, making the layer of that beef more glittering under the golden light.
Such dishes can't exist without the workers' laughter. After a hard working day, they sat together and called for the most suitable and cheapest meal on the menu. Before the food came, they enjoyed their conversations with friends and co-workers. Around this era, it's a common sight in this kind of restaurant.
Knowing the workers were here, the chefs at the back had put extra effort into the meal they ordered. When the plates were served, their mood was elevated. Even a small joy in life could create this cheerful atmosphere and bring the lively to this place.
Anyone can tell that these are the perfect meals for tonight. ]
Well, we could have grilled chicken with potato stews or maybe cooked beef and garlic. Especially boiled pork and rice with fish sauce, it wouldn't be so bad…
[ Although the last part is a bit out of the question… ]
"…Hey, you know this is European, right?"
I just missed it.
[ ■ shooked his shoulders. It seemed that he couldn't help but bring it up; about the foreign feeling he had yet to tell us. Eventually, he discarded such emotion right away without a hint of remorse.
Seeing how disappointed ■ is, Vaccine tried to lift the mood by suggesting something else. He pointed at one of the bakeries from across the road. ]
"We could switch it with bread if you want. They're all starch, though."
[ The smell of the brand new loaves of bread taken from the old stove was found all across this town. They have a dark, well-fined crust on the top and bottom; the crumb is soft and can be seen from the side after they separate the unbaked one from the batches. Nevertheless, this bread has become a traditional food in Scotland for its unique form, a regular food that you could find anywhere around here.
Vaccine turned back at ■ to see his reaction, since bread is one of the most common foods throughout the history of humankind, no matter how far the gap in culture is, it must be eaten once in their lifetime. So, are they going to have bread for dinner? ]
Not the bread… I'm sick of eating those with stew, except for sandwiches. They are innocent. Should we have those?
[ It was unexpected how ■ wasn't keen on bread, yet he preferred sandwiches. The difference between bread and a sandwich isn't that big, to begin with. However, the preparation time is. ]
"No, we aren't gonna have those! Even if it's convenient."
[ Vaccine shaked his head and continued walking forward. Leaving those bakeries behind their back, yet his eyebrows twisted as a hint of conflict. ]
That's too bad… [ ■ shooked his shoulders once again. ] We could have made this easier, don't you think?
"A feast is a must for a guest's meal. Change my mind."
[ Without saying, ■ stopped their walking immediately after hearing his unreasonable demand. He then put out his hand towards the market with a sear amount of annoying and unbelievable could be heard in his voice. ]
What do you expect to buy in this hour, huh?
[ He is shocked to see how stupid Vaccine can be, trying to make this chapter, in particular, longer than expected; yet achieving literally nothing in return other than their late arrival at the closing market. Soon, Vaccine would realize what ■ was saying. ]
"Oh… sh*t."
[ Long story short, they came to a conclusion on simple