"Erm, so...Where to begin, actually? A week ago? No, that's too short."
"Just go back to the beginning."
Although Lee considered Eileen to be an agreeable person to talk with, her current behavior reflected the opposite. She stuttered and repeated herself, muttering gibberish under her breath with a confused air. Well, it could be argued that Lee wasn't at fault. Eileen's soul-piercing state wasn't helping, for once, and he didn't expect for a child to have a good toolkit of social skills either.
Still, if there was ever a limit, Eileen would put it here.
"...I'm trying, you know?" Lee defended, using her shirt as a napkin for sweat.
Eileen blinked; the first time in the past minutes. "And I'm here, trying to listen to you. If you don't want to talk, that's fine, but don't expect me to do anything."
Despite Lee's doubtful expression, she eventually calmed herself. Her words became sharp and concise.
"To start off, I own this flat. It's a complicated story and a bother. Don't ask, okay?"
It was a strange request, but Eileen nodded. He was more interested in the flat itself than the underlying story. Moreover, Lee's gaze was pleading.
"Alright."
"Hm." Lee nodded. "That flat is how I make my money. It's my home too, of course."
Eileen tilted his head. "Do you rent it? To whom?"
"People." Lee answered curtly. "I go around the slums advertising it. They pay for the key, then leave when the time is due."
"..." There was a slight period of silence, during which Lee grew embarrassed.
"That's..."
Lee cut Eileen off. "Do you think that's dumb?"
The two had a stare down; Eileen couldn't hide the awkward smile creeping up on his face.
"Well..."
He was about to talk, yet Lee's rough vocabulary had beaten him to this race.
"Yeah...Wait, you mentioned this was your home, right?"
"Yes...Ah." Hearing Lee's embarrassed words, Eileen buried his face on the table.
"Wow...That's even worse than I expected..." His mutterings didn't reach Lee. He jolted awake from his slouched posture and glared at her.
"Do you realize -" Eileen said, stressing each syllable. " - how dangerous that is?" As he paused, his eyes skimmed at the room. The flat seemed empty of any bedrooms, and certainly not enough for two people.
"Where do you even sleep?" Eileen asked, clicking his tongue in disapproval. It took a while for Lee to answer. She was hiding her face behind her slim legs and hair length.
"Hey..."
"..."
"...I'm not mad, you know?"
"..."
Lee, stuck in mutism, answered by pointing at the large crescent sofa. It didn't take long for Eileen to express doubt.
"...You can change it into a bed?"
Although the concept wasn't foreign to him, it was a luxury product. Eileen's glimmery eyes soon dimmed down, however. A realization hit him. He had to ask.
"Wait...Who?"
"Huh?" Lee's eyes peeked out from her forest of tangled hair.
"Who sleeps on the bed?"
Then, for the first time in a while, Lee raised her head. She had a gaze of disbelief and forgot to blink.
"The tenant, of course?"
Eileen pushed further. "...Where do you sleep, then?"
In the same matter-of-factly tone, Lee answered.
"In the kitchen."
Seeing Eileen rubbing his temple worried her. Her body language was uneasy, with erratic movements that stopped half-way.
"Ah...Is that weird?" Lee asked in a faint voice. The tone that answered her, however, wasn't dim at all.
"Yes. Very."
Lee's cheeks were flushed; more in embarrassment than concern for her safety. On Eileen's side, his expression was ever-changing.
"Isn't uncomfortable?" He asked, although accustomed to these types of treatment. The difference, however, was evident. Eileen was an adult. Lee, a child.
Lee was thoughtful, yet answered in a coy tone. "Sometimes? I guess some nights could be better."
"Were you ever injured?"
Although she flashed a brief blank look, Lee's answer was as curt as ever.
"No."
Eileen sighed, stood up, then threw his body at the couch.
"You're lucky. Very lucky." He paused, resuming his staring. "Well, first of all. Where are your parents?"
Lee averted her gaze while contemplating the floor.
"Never mind. Why don't you go to an orphanage, then? What about family? Cousins, maybe?"
While fidgeting, Lee raised her voice. "I don't know them. And I don't want to go to the city." Although her behavior resembled a childish tantrum, Eileen interpreted it otherwise.
"Why?" He tried asking. Lee's fiery glare, however, shut him off.
"That's not your problem."
"Oh?" Using his remaining mental strength, Eileen left the bouncy sofa and crouched to Lee's right side. The latter didn't complain, albeit with a noticeable twitch.
"Okay, then. Just answer that last question. Is that fine?"
It took some convincing, but Lee ended up nodding. "...Fine."
"Was the earlier issue regarding the men related to your renting business?"
Eileen's confidence collapsed as he observed Lee's frozen state. She shook her head in clunky robotic motions.
"Erm. Then, what was it?" He asked.
"...A month ago -" Lee began. "- They were tenants here. But, because I was short on money, I...did some mistakes, I guess?"
Eileen scoffed. "You charged them too much, and promised to pay back the excess?"
Lee nodded in an apologetic expression. "I was robbed later the month, so I couldn't repay them. In the end, they found me that evening." In a pathetic display of cuteness, she winked at Eileen. "Tough luck, huh?"
What Lee got, eventually, was a mocking chuckle that stopped after a few seconds. Observing Eileen's shifting expression was a strange experience. From a light grin to the deepest of frowns.
"You got robbed?"
Lee shrugged. "As I said."
Eileen narrowed his eyes. "...Does it happen often?"
"No." Lee emphasized. "A couple of times a month at worse." Her tone was stable, without a hint of hesitation. Eileen chuckled at the situation.
"...You're crazy."
Despite his faint voice, Lee caught it. She threw a bloodshot glare at Eileen while puffing her cheeks out. An angry hamster, by all appearances.
"No. No, I'm not. I can't do anything about this situation anyway."
Just then, Eileen cut her off.
"That's wrong. You can." He stated in a bold statement. Listening to Lee's silence, Eileen continued. "Just rent me the entire flat."
"Ha?"
Lee's grunt couldn't stop the fire in Eileen's eyes. While walking in circles around the room, he continued his explanations.
"I need a stable home. Somewhere to sleep, at least. Previously, I didn't care where, but after seeing your flat, well..." He glanced around the flat. "- I'm beginning to reconsider. It's perfect, essentially."
Lee remained silent. A minute passed without an answer. Despite the logical proposition, her mind seemed like a complete mess. She was idling, then rolling on the floor, before going back into a neutral state. Eileen was at a loss. He continued throwing occasional glances, waiting for a sign of approval.
Eventually, Lee sat on the sofa. Her haughty posture didn't match her haggard appearance in the slightest.
"...Do you know my fees?"
Eileen shrugged. "No. Is it monthly?"
"Daily." Lee corrected.
Expectations brew within Eileen. He was back to playing a game of guessing. Anyhow; Eileen felt confident in his ability to fill his deep pockets.
"How much?" He boasted. Then, sometime after, his inward composure crumbled.
"A hundred dollars."
The price wasn't the issue. Well, part of it. Rather, Eileen was concerned about Lee's nonchalant attitude. She had a bored look, on the edge of condescendence, which leaked into her tone as well.
On the outside, Eileen had no reaction. Perhaps, was he amused? Lee tried her luck at guessing.
"...Is it the standard fee?" Eileen asked with a narrow gaze. Once again, Lee's words fell on his head like a hammer.
"Not at all."
All of Eileen's hard-earned confidence crumbled. His furrowed his brows, gritting his teeth, and let him mouth loose.
"...Excuse me?"
Lee remained steady. She stated her next words matter-of-factly. "That's right. I guess I would usually charge you half of that fee."
Embarrasement layered on top of Eileen's ugly expression. It was a mess. "Erm, Lee? Did I do something wrong?"
"No." Lee smiled. "I don't like you, that's all."
A loud silence echoed.
"...Are you being petty?"
Like a flower in spring, Lee's grin never stopped growing. "Why are you saying that?"
Despite Eileen's bubbling anger, he took some distance from the matter. His mind was light. Lee's previous answer surged back at once. With time, Eileen's crisped expression transformed into another emotion.
Bearing a faint smile, he nodded. "Alright. A hundred per night. That's fine by me."
It was Lee's turn to experience bewilderment, as payback.
"H-Huh?"
Eileen walked up to the couch in a sleazy gait. His shadow covered Lee's figure. "Is it that surprising?"
She clicked her tongue. "Yes, it is."
However, another sentence interrupted her trail of thoughts.
"However -" Eileen said, sitting on the couch. "I want to be the only tenant."
Lee could only agree to his proposition. Living with two strangers had never turned out for the better. Mornings were awkward, and evening worse.
"Sure." Lee shrugged, before extending her tiny hand to Eileen. The latter blinked, then nodded to himself.
"Ah. Yeah." He took out a hundred-dollar bill from the stolen leather wallet. Grease and other filth had turned the paper sheeny, though Lee seemed unbothered.
"Thank you." The two said in unison. With a straight back, Eileen offered a proper ninety-degree bow, while clasping his hands together.
"Then, to a happy collaboration."
Like a parrot, Lee chose to mirror the gesture, albeit in a stiff manner.
"Yes. Erm..."
Her hesitation stopped as Eileen leaned closer, muttering.
"That's the part where you're supposed to say it, you know?"
The quick-fire teasing left no room for to answer anything else.
"...To a happy collaboration."
"That's the spirit."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
While gazing at the window, Eileen noticed a faint golden hue in the sky. A sea of yellow clouds clogged the scenery. He stared absentmindedly, while drowsiness acted on his senses.
"Lee?" He asked. A voice reached him from the kitchen.
"What? Are you hungry?" She asked in a curt tone. Eileen shook his head by himself.
"Yes. But that's beside the point. Shouldn't you be asleep by now?"
"Shouldn't you be?"
Ignoring her answer, Eileen collapsed onto the sofa in a soft thud. Lee escaped the kitchen, jogging to his position a knife in hand. The sight made Eileen back off a little.
"Your knife..." He pointed his index at the ceiling. By that time, half of his consciousness was gone.
"I won't stab my money factory, don't worry." Lee explained in a dry tone. She tried nudging Eileen out of his sleeping posture with commendable effort. Of course, it didn't work at all.
"What?" Eileen said, his eyes closed. His behavior was both erratic and zombie-like.
"Get up!" Lee shouted in a bossy tone. On instinct, Eileen's body retracted on itself, before complying to her demands. With wobbly legs, he had to use the wall as support. Lee, uncaring about Eileen's state, grabbed the bottom edge of the sofa. As she pulled on it, a second layer folded horizontally, doubling the sofa's area. Indeed, Eileen had to agree; armed with a pillow and a blanket, it made for a perfect bed.
"Better, isn't it? You can use a cushion as a pillow." Lee explained, turning her back to Lee in a graceful spin.
"What about the blanket?" Eileen asked disgruntledly. However, he was met by a smug face.
"Deal with it yourself."
"What? That's..."
Eileen was losing the strength to complain. The colors he saw became a gradient of gray. His body turned heavier several times-fold. There was nothing to feel, except the sofa's bounciness.
"Good night."
As he heard these words, however, Eileen managed to continue the conversation.
"Lee."
A few footsteps echoed in the flat.
"What?"
"Don't ever sleep in the kitchen"
"..."
Eventually, Eileen's consciousness turned all black. Lee, however, had a deep frown on her face.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
'Huh? Where am I?'
Eileen's mind was fuzzy. His body felt heavier than usual and, combined with a headache, created an immense discomfort. He creaked his eyes open. The scenery was unfamiliar, lit up by a faint navy hue. There were barely any gray tones, instead replaced by warm beige and brown shades. A soft scent traversed the room.
It all happened in an instant. Eileen shot up awake, his eyes glaring at the room. He rested on a bouncy material, and, right underneath his head, there was a blue cushion.
As Eileen took a deep breath, he remembered. All tension left his body, his shoulders slumped down.
'That's right. Lee.'
The room was silent and traversed by a cold gale. Eileen stretched his sore arms, then stood up to stretch his legs. After training over a good range of motion, he strode to the half-opened window near the kitchen.
In the sky, a blueish shade of black ruled. The clouds hid in plain sight, giving the scenery a clean appearance. As Eileen stared downwards, he gained view on a large alley, albeit not enough to be called an avenue. Apart from a few stray drunkards, it was empty.
Eileen glanced at the former sofa and called for Lee.
Nothing.
Despite a thorough look, he couldn't find the girl. In light steps, Eileen walked over to the entrance. A quick search resulted in the same conclusion.
Lee wasn't there.
However, he noticed a door at the entrance's right. Eileen pulled on the handle. It was a standard, pure white bathroom, one of the cleanest he'd ever come across. Although strange, Eileen hoped that Lee would shout at him at this moment.
Still, there was no Lee.
As Eileen was walking back to the sofa, the end of his conversation with the girl surged in his mind. He halted his steps. The frown on his face was the ugliest he could manage.
While taking exceptional care to muffle his steps, Eileen entered the kitchen. His eyes darted around the cramped area. Nothing unusual. Shades of gray everywhere.
However, nudged in a corner, Eileen noticed her. She was shivering, nudged against a corner without any blanket to cover her pale skin. Although he wanted to, Eileen never scolded her. He lifted the girl off the floor and through the flat with gentle motions, until she rested on the sofa.
After sighing, Eileen took some to check on her condition. To his surprise, Lee had changed clothes. From a shirt and skirt to a chummy, neon-red pajama.
It was childish, yet cute.