Squid was dumbfounded, shaking his head wryly.
"As always, you never cease to amaze me."
If he were in Levon's shoes, he wouldn't feel happy about being followed and targeted so much.
"Aren't you scared? Knowing you can't fight the government, this means your fate will be compounded by whatever they have in store for you."
Squid observed Levon's silence, and fell quiet.
If he were Levon, he would be worrying to death.
However, his good friend was smiling from molar to molar, as if possessed by some evil spirit.
No matter how many times he sees Levon's face that showed a fire of excitement, it always looked like the face of a naturally born villain.
Walking Levon to the door, Squid said his final goodbyes to his good buddy.
Who knows when they'll see next?
"It would be great if I could give you one of my miniature tracking devices. But with how much security they've put on that fonder, I bet they'll find it in under a minute... Then this is it... Good luck, Levy."
"Well…" A dark chuckle escaped Levon's lips. "Thanks, but don't need it."
"_"
.
.
After carefully sneaking into his home undiscovered, Levon made a list of things he couldn't do without.
[Only bring essentials. No electronics, or clothes allowed, apart from the ones you're wearing.]
The rules were straightforward.
Then, there was a list of things that were not considered to be ESSENTIAL.
Would you look at that? They weren't even allowed to bring their IDs. Toothbrushes were also NOT considered essential.
Levon licked his lips with interest and a hint of confusion.
They did say to bring essentials; but what is essential to one person, might not be the same to another.
'So the real question here is what they will allow, and what they won't.'
'Is it all standardized?'
'Are the rules the same for everyone?'
Levon swirled the lollipop in his mouth deeply.
A towel and underwear were good and all... but what about his favorite lollipop?
Does he look like someone who can do without it?
Was he addicted to it? Yes.
To him, this was the most ESSENTIAL item he could think of.
If they investigate him, they should also be aware of its importance to him.
They should at least be smart enough to understand that much.
With his thoughts organized, Levon spent the following 8 days preparing.
He kept his phone, I.D card and other important cards with Squid.
Should he return, Squid would have left clues on how to get the items out of the bank's safety deposit box.
Should he NOT return, everything will be Squids.
They were both wealthy, wealthy enough to not have greed for each other's properties.
It's not the first time he has left his things with Squid, especially for him who lived in a house of enemies always searching for his things.
Squid was one of the few people Levon trusted.
"Ahhh…" Levon ruffled his hair, somewhat stumped by the academy's meaning behind the word essential.
Well, there was no use worrying about what he couldn't understand.
In time, everything will be clear, no?
Closing his eyes, Levon fell into deep slumber.
Then, several more days flew by. And with every passing day, his parents watched him like hawks.
Even when heading for the bathroom, they would tell him to do his business with the door open, lest he flees out the window instead.
The closer the Dee-day, the greater their paranoia.
Finally, the day for departure arrived.
BANG! BANG! BANG~
His door was hit so hard the room particles of dust sprayed out.
Well, he was in a room underneath the stairs, a narrow one at that.
"Well, well, well..."
A familiar voice rang.
Seeing him carry his backpack out of his room, Lock mockingly Lock.
"Brother, this goes without saying, but I hope you NEVER come back."
"Wasn't planning to."
"Heh." Lock sneered, not believing him at all. "It's good that you know your place. Just make sure you mean what you say."
Adjusting his stance, he looked down the stairway at Levon like an aristocrat looking at their servant.
"Goodbye, brother. This is the last time I will call you that."
"Alright… And it's supposed to mean something to me?"
"_"
.
.
Being rushed, Levon took his bath and headed to the dining.
'She even cooked?'
It would be a lie to say he wasn't shocked when seeing the meal laid out for him.
It almost looked like a… a bribe—A bribe telling him to go far away and never return.
Levon's eyes twinkled with amusement.
They didn't even give him ample time to swallow and enjoy his meal.
Everyone was RUSH-RUSH.
From there, he led him out the house.
"Listen up." His Father began. "You'll be following us closely, and no daredevil thoughts while in the car. Understood?"
Levon shrugged and sat nonchalantly in the back seat.
Not surprisingly, his Father joined him at the back while his mother drove.
His father was confident that if he tried to pull any stunts, he, the Father, a fully grown adult, would knock Levon cold if he had to.
Levon was unfazed by their defensive attitudes. As for where they were going…
It's true that the Academy's letter stated that the school would cover travel expenses. However, it also stated that all students had to appear at the rendezvous point.
So, to ensure he didn't run away, his parents happily volunteered to take him there.
Looking at the many passersby, Levon still couldn't shake off the feeling of being watched.
'How diligent.'