Outside the test hall, Mikey was smoking next to Yohann and said, “Jehez… he helped me quite a bit. If not for him, I would still be rotting in a room like thrown-away bread. He didn’t want to die of old age, but I didn’t expect him to die so soon. At least, he lived like a lion for as long as he did and had no regrets, but...” He exhaled smoke and paused for a bit. “Do you think he made his way up into heaven?”
Yohann didn’t reveal much emotion on his face. “Seeing how you are still unsure, how can I say anything about ‘your’ friend and convince you for sure?” His reply startled Mikey. “Nevertheless, why wonder if he had lived without regrets? Your friend is where he should be, though he didn’t get to ripen. Many folks dislike growing old just like your friend did, and I don’t blame them, but I believe there’s no better way to die than of old age. The more naturally you leave the body, the better—just like an unburdened breath. Now, I’ve got many more streets to cover, and I’m not as industrious as an ant, so if you’ll excuse me...” He picked up his bowl and started walking away with his goggles on and while holding a walking stick. When he felt the bowl in his hand, he thought back to the time when Lirzod had come to him to return the begging bowl. Though Yohann told Lirzod to keep it with him as it could come to be of use again, Lirzod shook his head and said he didn’t want it. When Yohann asked for the reason, Lirzod replied, saying that carrying a weapon might tempt him into starting a fight. Yohann still refused to take the bowl back and insisted that Lirzod might need it more, considering all the ongoing circumstances on the twelfth deck, yet he went silent when Lirzod asked him what would happen in both their lives in the next second, much less a day later. It had been a while since he was bested in a verbal exchange, though neither was really trying. Coming back to the present, Yohann strained his voice into a song:
“I’m not much of a fan of balladry, but this blind jerk seems to take me for a fool,” Mikey seemed quite let down. “Deer eating grass is true, but lions eat grass? I’m sure lions don’t eat grass. Such nonsense he’s spewing. These bards are best at circulating persistent canards rather than songs that actually help society.” He could only shake his head and then try to mind his business.
Meanwhile, inside the entry-forsaken test hall, there wasn’t much of a crowd.
“You are saying that there’s still a chance for us to get allowed entrance to the upper decks?” Lirzod looked at Limon questioningly. Both of them were currently sitting on the stairs leading to a chamber in the test hall. Lirzod was no longer wearing the armor, but his waist was wrapped up with bandages; however, because he was wearing the same shirt as before, most of the dressing wasn’t visible. His hands were also dressed. As for other minor cuts on his arms, they were healing on their own.
“Indeed,” Limon stated confidently. “Can’t you feel it?”
“Feel what?” Lirzod seemed as though something was making his flesh crawl. “It’s freaking stinking in this place.”
“Well, that’s because we’re sitting not far away from a sand knoll,” Limon pointed toward the room behind them, where there were also many cats that looked fresh because they were recently shampooed. “Anyway, I will get you through this deck, but you must help me with something later on.”
“Something?” Lirzod shot an iffy glance. Hundred, meanwhile, was discussing with Mikey in the distance.
“Don’t worry. I won’t ask anything that you can’t or don’t want to do,” Limon assured and licked on an orange. He remembered the moments when he had checked on Hovan’s condition a few minutes ago. The wound left on his chest was a strange one. I don’t think this boy used ‘inmi’ or ‘oumi’ during that attack, so it solely must have been the work of his martial arts, which makes it all the more impressive. I’m not interested in learning an entirely new martial art right now, but I can definitely learn a new move or two, like a palm strike or a way to stop the sword. Then I’ll get a step closer to access my ‘might’ and possibly even push through the bottleneck. As he looked at his fists and felt the warmth flowing through them, his complexion was getting better by the second.
“Mm… then it’s okay,” Lirzod’s eyes were on the orange, and he couldn’t hide his desire and kept staring like a child. Limon noticed that and gave him the remaining half of the peeled orange, lightening up Lirzod’s face. Lirzod happily started chewing on the fruit, including the seeds and was pleased with the sweetness. “Now, tell me about your plan.”
“It’s simple. As per the rules of this ship, who will conduct the ritual for anyone that got murdered here?”
“I don’t know. Maybe their family or friends?”
“Well, if the dead person doesn’t have family or friends, then their bodies will be dealt with on the ship itself. The whole process gets done by either the captain of the respective belt or the captain commander of the ship, Madam Stussy.”
“Oh, so what about it?”
“Well,” Limon was spitting the seeds while talking, “since nobody knows the cause of the murder yet, it’s highly possible that Madam Stussy herself will come. When she attends that event, we both are going to go and beat the crap out of her.”
“Pffft!” Lirzod spat the bit of the fruit he was chewing. “W-W-What?” he looked bewildered as he turned his head and looked at Limon.
“Yeah,” Limon clenched his fist. “Let’s show our intentions. If we succeed, then who knows, she might—”
“See ya,” Lirzod turned around to leave.
“W-Wait!” Limon grabbed his shoulder. “Where are you going?”
“Are you stupid?” Lirzod pushed Limon’s hand away and barked. “We have no reason to fight her. Even if we did, Snow White is super strong. We will probably get squashed before we even get to touch her shadow. Nothing besides a miracle can help us if she gets going.”
“I know,” Limon said, grinning impudently, causing the fruit juice to drip down his mouth. “But that doesn’t matter.”
“Huh? What’s up with your saucy smile?” Lirzod’s expression was like that of a little lamb that had seen a gorilla smile for the first time. “You’re acting weird.”
“Hehe, just trust me.” Limon let out a confident grin and then took out another fruit from his pocket. He swiftly peeled the skin off in one go and then broke the fruit into two pieces. He put the smaller one, one-fourth of the fruit, in Lirzod’s hand.
“This is a bit bigger… but…” he sniffed it once. “Isn’t this sweet lime?” he glanced at Limon, who nodded back. “It’s been a while since I ate this,” Lirzod was about to put it in the mouth but then stopped. “Wait, what the heck do you mean by trusting you? If Snow White’s pissed, she might very well bury us alongside that poor Jehez.”
Though Limon’s hair raised for a moment, he quickly controlled the fear as he chewed on the fruit and swallowed the pulp after spitting the seeds. “That won’t happen.”
“Hoh, and why is that?” Lirzod also tossed a piece of the fruit into his mouth. When his teeth dug into the flesh of the fruit, the sweetness didn’t overwhelm his mouth, for there was also a bit of sourness that followed the initial taste. Overall, it made him experience a familiar flavor once again.
“The thing is—since we are out in public, let me use your ears for this once,” Limon came closer and whispered in his ears.
After Limon finished talking, Lirzod looked more than a little surprised. He glanced at Limon and smiled. “So, all I have to do now is wait until she comes.”
“Yeah.”
“Let’s hope this works, and I wish you good luck.”
“Mm, so…” Limon looked at Lirzod’s biceps and pressed them a few times. “I don’t feel much muscle at all, yet you can generate ‘some’ power. How do you exercise?”
Lirzod cast a glance at Limon’s belly. “You eat lemons as if they’re fruits, yet why do you have such a big belly?”
“Ahaha,” Limon boisterously laughed and then rubbed his belly, “let’s say that lemons keep this thing from ballooning up even more.” When he looked at Lirzod, who was smiling, the boy’s teeth grabbed his teeth. “Ahem, anyway, what happened to your teeth?”
“Ah, that’s a long story. I don’t know how long it will take before they grow back.”
“I also have a lost tooth, but a new tooth hasn’t taken its place because I’m not that young anymore,” Limon sounded a bit sad and disappointed. “The old man who taught me martial arts once told me that even adults could repair their broken teeth if they could master the art of making lemons stand at the edges of their mustache. I thought it was a real thing back when I was a kid. Now, I know he was probably cooking up a story to pass the time.”
“I also don’t think lemons can stand on a mustache,” Lirzod opined, only half-heartedly as though he wasn’t sure.
“Of course, that doesn’t make sense, but the old man also told me the only loss he suffered after he grew a mustache came in the hands of someone who could make lemons stand on his mustache.”
“Eh? Really?” Lirzod was intrigued. “Who was the opponent?”
“I don’t quite remember the name, but I think his family name was Basheel or something. The old man always used to curse that man and his entire lineage to become bald.”
Those words gave Lirzod the heebie-jeebies. He sat straight. “Man, your mentor seems like a scary person!”
“You have no idea! He eats a ton, farts far more often than a fat bull, takes dumps for hours in the bushes, then comes out and vents all the frustration built up by his constipation on ‘poor’ me. Heck, even his snores rustle the leaves and split the trees. Just being around him was like being in a dragon’s den.”
Lirzod’s spine arched backward, and his chin lowered a bit. “I feel you.”
A few hours later.
Five men gathered outside a certain room. Some held clubs in their hands, while some were brandishing their knives on nearby rock benches.
“Are you sure this is the room?”
“Yeah, I have seen him enter with my own eyes.”
“Great. His guts must weigh a ton for that little thug to not flee to the tenth deck. I thought he’d be long gone, but luckily, that’s not the case.”
“Why don’t you come out, Chickenshit Lirzod, and have a taste of our weapons?” one guy shouted, albeit with a sweet voice.
“Hehe, yeah. It’s been a while since my hammer broke someone’s bones,” a bulky guy taunted.
“And my sword tasted a bastard’s blood,” another one licked his sword.
“Don’t worry, son. We won’t defile you. We will just do worse. Keke,” a couple more men vulgarly laughed.
“Why aren’t you talking, sweetie? Are you splashing your boots or something?”
“Haw-haw, he’s probably already shitting his pants as we speak.”
“We know you are not sleeping inside, lizard boy, though you’re being as mute as a monk. Just come out now before we decide to come in. Either way, we’re gonna beat you like grains in mortar. That’s not changing. In case you’ve pissed by now, just put on a new pair and step out. You can’t keep your guests waiting for so long. Where are your manners?”
“Hehehe,” the men continued to share snickers.
At that moment, a skeptical voice came from inside the room. “Aren’t you people afraid that Captain Gorka will be further displeased with your current actions?” That voice was of Hundred.
“Eh? It’s not the voice of that boy. Who the fuck are you ?” those outside the door started banging on it.
“Easy, idiots. I don’t know this Chickenshit Lirzod you’re looking for. He’s not inside. This is my room. Please don’t disturb me and get the hell away,” Hundred’s voice came from the inside once more.
The crowd looked at one another and were left briefly puzzled.
“Idiot, if this isn’t Lirzod’s room, then why the heck did you say you saw him enter the room?” a guy in the crowd got angry at another.
“No, I saw him enter. I promise!”
“Yeah, saw him with your eyes or ass?”
As those two men were quarreling, another man shouted. “Hey, wasn’t there a guy named Big Belly roaming alongside that boy, posing as his offsider?”
“If I’m correct, he’s the one many people called Brother Big Belly in the voting hall.”
The five men blinked and looked at each other. Then one of them howled as he banged the door, “You motherfucking Big Belly! You dared to fool us!” He kicked the door. “Come out if you dare, you yellow-bellied cunt! We’ll slice and dice you.”
“Yeah, come out and face us instead of hiding in there like a chicken.”
“Idiots.” Hundred laughed out loud from the inside, throwing those men into a bit of confusion again. “Sir Gorka will come for you all.”
Though they hesitated for a moment, those words still weren’t enough to stop the flames rising in their hearts. “Stop your foolish tactics and bring Lirzod out. We know he’s inside. We’ll give you ten seconds.”
However, there was no response.
Some of the hollows in the group put their tongues to work. “Since you are a fellow hollow, if you bring him out now, we’ll exempt you from our hostility. How does that sound?”
Silence filled the street, though only transiently. Everyone held their weapons tightly, assuming that Big Belly had fallen for their trick, and they also began to discuss that once the door opened, they would first beat Brother Big Belly for getting on their nerves.
“Your offer sounds exactly like your shitty voices,” just then Hundred said out loud.
“You…” the expressions of the people turned ugly as if they smelled each other’s farts. “You are trying our patience!”
“Patience?” Hundred snorted sharp enough to cut the wind. “I bet my ass is much prettier than all of your patience combined. Just say that you are scared of breaking the door, afraid of having to pay for the destruction you’ve caused. Who doesn’t know that? Only fools wouldn’t.”
“You think we don’t dare?” the men raised their voices.
“Hmph, dare it if you can,” Hundred didn’t back down, either. “Though I wonder if you mutts can ever muster the courage to do so.”
“You damn Big Belly...” everyone was utterly furious, with veins popping out and all. “You are a disgrace of a hollow. You always were. If we’re mutts, you're a virus among mutts!”
“Maybe, but my mama didn’t forfeit me, like your mamas did you all,” Hundred didn’t back down, even though he knew what he was saying was not correct. “Otherwise, you wouldn’t be here, wasting your time just to satisfy your egos.”
“That’s it. I’m done talking,” one guy flexed his muscles and pushed others away. “Gorka, or whoever may come here, I don’t give a flying fuck anymore.”
“Dammit, dammit, dammit!” Hundred, who was standing by the wall inside the room, said in a low tone as he tiptoed over to Lirzod. “They are coming in, and they seem confident. If they all get in, we might very well get beaten to the bone. That damned Limon brought us to this room, saying it’s safe, but I should’ve known better. These dogs sniffed out our location so soon, and more men are bound to follow their lead.” He punched his own palm. “Though it would have been pricey, we should’ve hired a couple of guards from the Turtleheads guild.” He was hastily speaking, but he noticed that Lirzod appeared to have taken a chill pill. “How can you be so calm in this situation? Don’t tell me—you still think this plan of yours will work?”
“Stop fretting, my friend. If Gorka gets the news of what’s going on, then he’s likely going to bring us to safety,” Lirzod coolly reacted while seated on the bed. The room had been recently vacated but wasn’t cleaned afterward, so there were still breadcrumbs everywhere, with ants busily feeding or carrying the food away. “Lower decks are obviously not going to be safe as mutts like these who have a grudge can follow us. Back in the test hall, some people have looked at me like I was as irritating as an itch they couldn’t reach, but is their anger hot enough to rise into upper decks? I’ve already passed this deck’s test, so I don’t see any reason why Gorka doesn’t consider the easiest option that can calm down these masses,” he said and then mulled over things. Though that lemon fellow told me an idea, and we’ve tried it, there’s no guarantee that it’ll work. I surely can’t put all hopes on Snow White’s mood. On the other hand, if this Gorka guy has a brain, then he should fall for my trick, but given how he doesn’t like getting taught, I hope this doesn’t backfire.
“Mm… it sounds great,” Hundred nodded, but then he made a displeased look. “But all of this hinges on whether Gorka gives a shit about our lives or not.”
“That, we can only leave it to fate.”
“Fate? That’s what brought me this name,” Hundred looked further down. “I was one of the luck-less people, or must I say one of the unluckiest ones on this whole ship?”
“Don’t be so down. I'm sure many others have a worse history on this ship than you do. Take Triple Seven, for example. Isn't his number quite high?”
“Well, it raises alarm bells, for sure, but his number’s big because he probably abandoned entries if they weren’t up to his imagination. But it’s the opposite in my case.”
“Oh…” Lirzod smiled a bit cheekily. “I will try my best to not abandon you then.”
“Most of the entries I previously supported also said similar things.”
“You are comparing me with such others?”
“I’m not comparing,” Hundred said as he thought back to the time when Lirzod had blocked the elephant’s trunk, which probably saved his life. “I owe a lot to you. I don’t mind if you abandon me, but I’m just afraid, that’s all. In the end, we are all human beings, right?”
Lirzod sighed. “If we can’t quite stay united in this mayhem, then what’s the point of tagging along? Maybe, you fit better with Sariyu. The next time we meet her, I’ll tell her to take you as her offsider instead.”
“I don’t want to leave your side, but since you keep insisting…” Hundred pondered for a moment. “But will you be fine, alone?”
“I can take care of myself with no problem,” Lirzod said and secretly smiled. I can’t wait to see the face of Triple Seven when he gets a cold shoulder from Sariyu. Will he still try to persuade her, or will he come to beg me? Either way, I’d feel bad for him, but still, having Hundred stay with her is better than having the stingy Triple Seven around, or Sariyu might become cheeseparing. I’d rather keep him by my side than let him affect her.
Meanwhile, the men outside the room were still being indecisive and kept quarreling with each other, trying to force everyone—save themselves—into breaking the door. Some among them kept murmuring as to how they would have long broken through the door had there been more people in their group. If the five of them were to do it now, the chances of them getting penalized later on were high, so no wonder they were being hesitant about breaking in.
At that moment, a wooden swan cart entered the street, grabbing the five men’s full attention. Two beautiful blue swans were pulling the cart graced by two lovely-looking women and a creepy-looking man sitting in their middle with a mug of rum in one hand and a roasted lamb’s leg in the other. The two ladies were openly embracing him from the sides.
“Those women…” one of the men noticed the long floral skirts of the women. “They are from the Fallen Flowers guild.”
“Those bitches demand excessive amounts to get hired for company,” another man voiced his mind and licked his lips. “Who’s that fat sheep in the middle?”
“I know him,” the man holding a long club said while putting one of his hands on his crotch. Anger quickly cooked up his face. “That bastard… If not for him, I’d have long screwed Jehez’s lover by now.”
“What? He’s the one!” the rest of the men were startled.
“He seems rich. That’s for danged sure. No wonder that chick was into him. After Jehez died, she took over his chicken farm because he didn’t leave his will. Still, she continues to go after other men shamelessly, even though it hasn’t even been a month since Jehez died.”
“I don’t give a fig about that whore Gawl,” another man blurted. “Let’s attack this clown-looking man and empty his pockets!” he was covering his face with a kerchief.
“Don’t be stupid. The Fallen Flowers are not someone our weapons can ever reach,” the eldest among the five men said. “It’s best to just smile at them as they pass by.”
Soon, the swan cart reached them. The man sitting in the company of two gorgeous women was Booboo, with his eyes half-open. “I can guess the person that posted my name to the upper decks, but who sent you two lackluster lasses to get me?”
“You are calling us ‘lackluster’?” the two women seemed a little surprised and disappointed. “There’s no problem with your eyes, or is there?”
“You tell me,” replied Booboo. “Nowadays, I can’t come to appreciate womankind as much. They all smell the same when I get down to the business. Maybe I need to catch a break or something.”
“Haha, you boast like an old drunk who's only good with tongue and fingers.”
“I must say, you’re not the first person to say such words to my face.” Booboo briefly gave them a sharp gaze. “Anyway,” he once sniffed the hair of one of those women, “you don’t smell all that bad, but when are you going to tell me the purpose of your visit, dear?”
“Not before we…” one of the women brought her mouth closer to his ear and whispered something.
“Oh, I’m totally okay with that. Though I mostly live in shadows and lack a bright smile, you girls found me. The old adage does say, every person’s life has some evidence that money can work many miracles. Someone sold my identity out for coins, and I don’t mind it,” Booboo’s face brightened, causing the women to giggle amusedly. “Though it’s a pity that I left the latest Heehaw behind, I can still find him later. Now then, you girls can go ahead and play a tune for me since we’re leaving this deck when everyone else can’t.”
“Sure thing,” the women started playing the flute.
The five men came in the way of the cart, and one of them inquired, “Brother, how do you plan to leave this deck? Can you—” Before he could finish his sentence, the two seven-foot-tall swans pecked the crap out of them and pushed them away while simultaneously forcing them into kissing the floor with their bottoms. “Dear Lord! The swans from their guild are as fierce as the fallen flowers. Won’t you give us a hand, brother?” they cried out. Regardless, the five men then learned how getting downright ignored would feel.
The cart hastened away, with the slinky flutists cranking up their skill and Booboo singing with the shit-face of a boozehound, “In a mist long as a lady’s leg, thick as a maid’s thigh, a lone man is looking for love. Alas, his hardened heart hungers for what hides behind the valleys and peaks and uncovers ever and anon and seemingly slashes through the bushes if anyone dares draw near. He cannot help but bluff his way beyond the bushes and hit the honeypot, then move on seeking superiorly moist places while having as much ale as the miracle of a love affair.” As the melody played on, he remembered the time he first met Jehez’s lover at Sweet Spot—a park with an artificial sun where cats could be bought as pets—and instead of buying cats, he kept looking at her. When she asked him what he wanted, he just smiled. She then asked him who he was, and he responded with five words: ‘Just a friend of infidelity.’ Then after a bit more of equally stimulating verbal exchange, the two of them made Sweet Spot a temporary home for honing their carnal knowledge.
A couple of hours back in time.
Stussy stood silently with her head down in front of the decorated coffin of Jehez. Ororo curry that she had personally cooked was also placed inside the coffin because it was Jehez’s favorite food.
At the moment, nobody else was present in that pathway except for her and a corpse. The outside of the ship could be seen through a glass—strong enough to withstand cannon fire for a good while—and by raising her arm, she pulled the glass out of its spot. “Although you haven’t been honest in your work, Mr. Jehez, the least I can do is make it so that whoever is involved with your death will suffer the same fate.” She lifted her hand, and the tip of her finger almost touched the wall. She uttered two words: “Summon Spark.”
A twinkling white light connected her finger and the wall. One of Stussy’s brows raised. She quickly stepped to the side. Something came shooting out of the wall, flew across the pathway, and slammed itself into the opposite wall before falling flat on its back. It was a five-foot-tall pink-winged axolotl. Stussy walked up to the unmoving beast and just stared at it for a few seconds. One of her brows twitched. “Stop playing dead!” she slapped the beast’s belly, causing it to roll the opposite way and get back on its feet before it employed its wings and flew around Stussy and rubbed its face to her arm in excitement. Stussy’s anger almost immediately faded away because of its adorable smile and fastidious voice. Stussy rubbed its gills for a little while and comforted the beast before saying, “Miracle, I’ve brought you over for completing a task. Bury this coffin somewhere safe.”
Miracle, the flying axolotl, however, was too busy showing its affection. It had a blue cone-shaped hexagonal-patterned crystal protruding out of its forehead. It also had a faintly glowing white tie around its neck.
“I know you’ve heard me,” Stussy casually coerced. “Get the job done, or I won’t summon you again anytime soon.”
Miracle kept shaking its head, but Stussy wore the same indifferent expression. Miracle’s look turned a bit pitiful with its gills and wings lowering. Still, there was no change in Stussy, so it quickly went over to the coffin, sniffed the ororo meat once, and then slurped all of it in haste, as though it wanted to finish stuffing the food in before Stussy could intervene. A flap of its wing then shut the coffin close. It swallowed the whole casket and then gobbled up the ororo meat. Miracle then briefly rubbed its tail against Stussy’s leg before shrinking a bit in size and flying out of the ship through the open window.
Stussy let out a faint breath. “If possible, Mr. Jehez, I will find out about your background and offer some help, in case you have a family.” As per the records, Jehez didn’t have a family, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have one. There were some instances of people hiding their true identities as they boarded Exvo, afraid that those who seek revenge wouldn’t be able to follow them back home. However, faking one’s identity wasn't an easy thing to accomplish, so Stussy knew that the chances of Jehez having a family were slim.
As she turned away, the glass went back to its place. She began to eat a banana, which she took from one of the fruits placed near where the coffin was. Eating one was a gesture of goodwill, which generally meant that the dead person was known prior to their death, even if they had only shared a single insignificant memory.
“Miss Stussy!” a voice came from far, and someone entered that hallway. “So here you are.” That person was Limon. “You can’t go anywhere.”
“He’s absolutely right!” Lirzod came from the opposite end of the hallway. “Today, I’m gonna make you fall in love, ahem, I mean, we’re going to beat you, Snow White! Then you’re going to let us continue climbing the decks!” He then murmured to himself, “Hopefully.”
“You two don’t seem to be drunk,” Stussy remarked, rather calmly. “Besides, drinking in these decks for most low-level entries or hollows is quite a rare thing. So, what gave you the heart to come and talk to me in such a manner? Do you two perhaps not wanna live your life in peace anymore?”
Lirzod looked a bit hesitant as though he wasn’t sure what he was doing.
“Hmph,” though Limon got chills from hearing her speech, he mustered all the courage he could. “Let’s see if you can say the same after we shave every single strand of hair on your head.”
Lirzod was struck dumb by Limon’s approach. This wasn’t in the script! This lemon dude is going too far.
Hehe, that should get her going. Limon licked his knife. “Your hair may be tough, but this knife of mine has cut hundreds of thousands of lemons! And a thousand billion is its lifetime target! Your scalp won’t stand a chance!”
What the heck is he saying? Lirzod didn’t know what to think anymore. When Stussy coldly glanced in his direction, he felt a strange pressure binding him, and he couldn’t stop his hand from shivering. What is this feeling I’m getting just from her gaze? It feels as if she can have complete control over me if she wished.
“Are you two all words, or is there any action?” Stussy said as she threw the banana peel ahead.
“You can react as you want, but none can stop us two once we act!” Limon dashed forward, and his eyes seemed like that of an eagle eyeing at its prey.
A second later, Lirzod also reflexively ran, though there was doubt and hesitancy written all over his face.
“Are you so scared to move now?” Limon sneered as he closed in, but suddenly he stepped over the banana peel and slid forward for quite a feet. Stussy effortlessly dodged him by taking a step to the right. By the time Lirzod stopped his momentum, Limon’s whole frame was upon him. Bang!
“My chin...” Limon frowned from the pain since his chin and Lirzod’s head had clashed during the impact. What the hell happened? He glanced at his hands that were profusely sweating. His sight was blurry. I was moving straight ahead. I’m sure that the banana peel wasn’t in my path. But it appeared under my leg out of nowhere.
Lirzod, on the other hand, looked at Stussy, who was approaching them at her own pace. He promptly whistled; however, he miserably failed. It took him a few seconds to realize why he couldn’t whistle because four of his teeth were missing, so he couldn’t whistle, not even decently. Still, he kept trying, but that only made him look like a fool. After failing for a dozen times, he stopped, and while panting a little, he looked at Stussy, who seemingly couldn’t comprehend what he was trying to accomplish.
“What are you even doing?” she asked, her gaze weighing him down.
“Ah, just a second.” He hastily turned toward Limon and said, “whistle, Lemon!”
“What?” Limon was startled. “But I don’t know how to whistle.”
“Eh?” Lirzod’s expression greatly changed. “You don’t know? What the heck are you talking about? Why don't you know such a simple thing?”
“I could say the same to you!” Limon’s blood was running cold. “Didn’t you say that you can whistle?”
“I did! But right now, I can’t,” Lirzod barked back.
Stussy took a breath. “So, you guys want someone to whistle.” Both their heads turned in her direction when she said that. “Okay, let’s see what happens when someone whistles.” She used two little fingers to whistle, which looked cute, at least until her breath escaped out through the mouth. Even though it didn’t look like she put much energy into it, the sound of the whistle traveled far and almost reached half of the deck.
After she stopped, there were a few moments of silence, with Lirzod and Limon looking at each other’s faces like lost chickens.
“I guess nothing happens,” Stussy was about to take a step forward, but she stopped, and her ears flickered as she heard the footsteps of incoming people. Soon, dozens of people came dashing into the hallway from both sides.
“Haa!” the roaring sound of so many men in that hallway was threatening enough to make a pride of lions run for their lives without looking back.
“Today is the day you lose your imprudence, Lirzod!” some of them shouted, looking so enraged that they might bite their enemies’ heads off.
“You have to beat her first if you want to get to me,” Lirzod yelled.
“Hmph! We’ll ground any ass that dares to come in our way!” they roared, but as they got closer, they all got their bowels shaken upon seeing Stussy. If their jaws were elastic enough, all those jaws would have hit the floor and rebounded so hard that when they came back, their teeth would have cracked, and they would have all lost a few teeth from the collision. “Eh? I-I-Is that the captain commander? Shit! Run!” before they even got close enough, they all changed directions and fled like chickens that had caught sight of a fox.
What had actually happened was that Limon had gathered those people saying that he would bring Lirzod to a place and that they should all hide nearby and come out when they hear a whistle. However, they weren’t expecting to meet a disaster beforehand, so they turned their non-existent tails and fled the scene without a shred of shame on their faces.
Seeing them scamper away at full speed, falling multiple times on the floor, Stussy sighed, and she didn’t even want to take action.
As Stussy’s eyes were on those people, Limon attacked from behind, but his hands stopped before they reached her as though some invisible pressure held him back. She slowly turned around and coldly gazed at Limon.
“S-Spare my life... and my lemons,” Limon implored as a wintry chill numbed his heart. His hands were covering his crotch as he did his best from the vein getting drained. I was wrong. This woman’s too strong to even impress with our fighting abilities. I can only hope that she won’t dispose of me like I’m some moldy lemon.
Stussy kept watching Limon while Lirzod’s eyes were on stalks, astounded with how she had dealt with the big fellow, supposedly without even trying.
“I-If you let me go, I can give you a lemon,” Limon was about to pull a lemon out of his pocket, but something invisible struck his head from behind and whitened his eyes.
As he fell flat on his face, Stussy shifted her gaze toward Lirzod. “Now, it’s just you and me.”
“Are those bananas free?” Lirzod seemed like an awkward customer, unable to stand still, as he looked on and off at the bunch of bananas.
“They are, but answer me first,” Stussy lowered her guard and loosened her posture. “What brought you here?”
“Oh, no!” Lirzod almost stood on his toes. “What’s that behind you!”
“Mm?” Stussy slowly turned around. “Is it those guys again?” However, there was no one in the vicinity.
When she turned back, Lirzod was hastily dragging Limon away by his ankle while carrying a bunch of bananas on his back. I can’t get a good grip on his ankle. He’s a bit too fat.
“Where do you think you’re leaving?” Just then, Stussy’s words reached his ears.
“Geee…” Lirzod turned his head back a little and embarrassingly smiled. “My follower Sariyu likes bananas. I’ll go and give her these and then come back.” Saying that, he slightly increased his pace.
“Not so fast,” Stussy raised her finger a little, and Lirzod ended up hitting an invisible barrier, which stopped him from going ahead.
Eh? What’s going on? After trying to force his way through the barrier a few times and suffering failures, Lirzod understood what was going on. This is… He was surprised, for it felt like the one he faced when he tried to meet Stussy the last time. It also made him remember the mighty rock he couldn’t budge.
Stussy started walking toward Lirzod, “I’ve heard of your stunt that saved an elephant’s life. It bettered my impression of you a little bit. Yet here you are, trying to pull something even fools wouldn’t have the brain to.”
“A-Actually, this is all his idea,” Lirzod pointed his finger toward Limon.
“Are you blaming it all on him because he’s not awake?” she narrowed her eyes.
“No, no. I’m telling the truth,” Lirzod, despite his words, couldn’t hide the guilt of teaming up with Limon. “You can wake him up and ask for yourself.”
She stopped in front of him and stared at him coldly. Generally, if anybody did a marked good deed on Exvo, they’d be publicly rewarded for it with a badge or money or food or through other means. This reward was titled Extensive Award. Even if Lirzod was saving an elephant, if only he hadn’t fought inside the test hall, he might have gotten rewarded, just like how Sean mentioned it when he let Hundred keep the beast bit. Stussy’s eyes then fell on the bandages on his arms and hands. She paused for a moment and said, “I’ll trust your words this time, but don’t repeat this.”
“I understand,” Lirzod said and then sniffed a couple of times. “Wait, I smell some curry in the air.” He looked around. “Is someone cooking? Is there a restaurant nearby?”
“No,” Stussy put her hands behind her back.
“Then…” Lirzod’s eyes met with Stussy while his hand slowly lifted and shut his nose. “It’s the smell of a curry bomb.”
Stussy seemed slightly mystified. “What’s a curry bomb?”
“It’s okay. Sometimes, you can’t help but burp through the bottom after eating a curry. It’s a natural phenomenon,” said Lirzod, though it looked like a kitten was commiserating with an adult cat, “so you don’t have to feel awkward or anything.”
Stussy slightly squinted her eyes as her skin faintly flushed under her eyes. “I should’ve never bothered asking, but what made you think I polluted the air, huh?”
“Y-You didn’t?” Lirzod questioningly looked. “Then…” he glanced at Limon. “He must’ve done it. No, no, wait, ” Lirzod shook his head, “I was with him. He didn’t eat any curry recently.” His eyes suddenly widened. “Ah! Now I know!” He slapped his cupped fist in the other palm. “It must have been one of those guys who came to attack me just now!”
Stussy lightly exhaled.
“I apologize for the mistake,” Lirzod put his hand forward. “How about a handshake before we part?”
“I don’t like making exceptions,” she glanced down at Limon. “Take him with you.”
“I wasn’t gonna leave without him anyway,” Lirzod said and smiled back, but his shoulders slightly slumped because she didn’t give him a handshake.
“And…” their eyes met, but her eyes subtly swept his wounds once again, “standing up for a dumb beast is good and all, but kindness is a double-edged sword, so be prudent.”
Lirzod’s facial muscles all quickly relaxed. “A-Are you perhaps worried about me, Snow White?” His face soon lit up, and he almost clapped his hands in pleasantness. “I found a frank friend who cares. It feels great.”
“I care for everyone on this ship,” Stussy replied candidly. “That’s my job.”
Lirzod’s shoulders slumped further from despondency. “Stop deflating my hopes straight away. Your tongue is sharper than any sword, I swear!”
“It’s time you left,” she asserted with her stare and then turned away while also quickly straightening her clothes.
Lirzod felt downhearted because she turned away from him. “Did you perhaps find out any clue regarding Jehez’s death?”
She glanced over her shoulder. “Even if I did, why would I tell you?”
“I’m just asking, that’s all,” Lirzod’s expression looked like a still lake, also dull because of the lack of breeze. “In stories, people celebrate when a bad guy’s defeated or killed, but in reality, defeat or death are things you can never smile at. Whether Jehez’s a bad guy or not, I felt bad when I saw him lying cold and lifeless in a coffin.” His mouth turned down a bit, while his heart worked uneasily. “Most of the time, death catches people unawares. How bad it must feel for those who like Jehez? If possible, I want to help in bringing out the truth regarding his sudden death.”
“A lofty viewpoint, but regrettably, I haven’t caught a bean to spill yet,” she replied.
“That’s too bad,” Lirzod said and sighed deeply. “Anyway, thanks for your time, Snow White.” He grinned like a child. Afterward, he took out a lemon from Limon’s pocket and sprayed it on his face, causing him to wake up. Limon woke up while licking the lemon around his lips and smiled from the taste, but upon seeing that Stussy was around, he shrieked and speedily ran away like he had seen a ghost. Lirzod, however, stayed behind, still looking a bit hesitant. “I know this isn’t the right time, but I reckon that no matter what the weather, no love is lost between true lovers. I’m not saying we’re lovers or anything, b-but I want to know if you already have someone you love?” Stussy was facing the other way, wherefore he couldn’t see her face.
A momentary silence followed. “I will not answer that question, but I will tell you that you’re not even old enough to be dreaming of marrying me, or any woman for that matter,” she replied without looking back. “Don’t waste your time fancying far-off wonders. Be more realistic.”
“U-Uh,” Lirzod felt like all the gas in his body was sucked away. “I’m not old enough, yes. I get told that a lot back home,” his shoulders flailed. “Can you at least tell me what makes your lover sweet? I mean, assuming you have one.”
“Mm, no one has asked me such a question,” Stussy seemed a little inclined to answer. “Fine, I’ll tell you. I don’t have a sweetheart, but I think…
“That’s how ‘the sweetest lover’ acts in my opinion, though it's nigh impossible to come across such a character, let alone make them yours. Are you satisfied with my respon—” as Stussy was turning her head, Lirzod planted a neat kiss on her cheek while standing on his toes.
“Thanks for the bananas and your time.” He grinned childishly, picked up a hand of bananas and then took off while waving goodbye and also looking a bit happier now than before he met Stussy.
“Such cheekiness,” Stussy spontaneously smiled, though only faintly. As she saw him leave, she turned sideways and kept staring at the boy. Her smile straightened into a flat line. You don’t give off a bloodthirsty vibe, so I can tell that at least it’s not you who killed Jehez, but still, you are quite gullible, young fellow. Having a good heart isn’t enough to get things done as they should. Unknowingly, you’ve dropped a bait in the ocean by changing a rule regarding the bettings. All the hungry fishes will now swim to this deck, looking to steal a chunk out of that ten percent share in the profits supposed to be spent for the cats. I hope the waters will not change much of their color for wealth[1].
After Lirzod and Limon left, Stussy calmly stared at the ocean through the glass window. A conversation she had with an old man holding a staff in his hand flashed in her mind. “How long are you going to keep your heart shut from everyone because your close friend betrayed you, Stussy? It’s not your fault that they didn’t know the value of a good relationship. Most people we’ll ever meet in our lives can be broken down into two simple characters. Either they are those who get too caught up in pressure and fail to live life, or they’re those who get too caught up in pleasure and fail to lead life. Neither kind can ever fully satisfy themselves, let alone those around them. It is the third kind of character that appreciates life better, knowingly, or not. This type of character, we don’t often come across, but when we do, we may not know it right away, but we’ll know it eventually, for they are the type who believes that the most important thing of all is life, yet they don’t regard their own life to be worth that much. They value things less for what they were and more for what they will be. Truly, they are like good viruses in the gut. If you don’t want to get cheated again, find yourself such a friend who recognizes your worth. Otherwise, it might get tricky for you later on in your Martial Way. Now, get back to your life again before revenge gets a hold of your heart. Someone like you is too good to let be turned into a synonym for stupidity.”
Coming back to the present, Stussy took a faint breath, and then she glanced at Lirzod once more, and he was so close to leaving that hallway, “He’s a bit too credulous, but it’ll be interesting to see how this baby virus grows and handles the ambiance around him.”
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