Dani let out a long sigh before finally getting out of bed. A mix of emotions still lingered within him—tension, amusement, and a slight headache from the bizarre experience earlier. The sound of panting breath still heard in his ear convinced him that Neir was indeed running.
It was like watching shaky, unstabilized camera footage. Dani saw from Neir's perspective—the view of the stone-paved streets, rows of simple buildings, and the open field near the town hall where her school was located. The swaying image was enough to make his head spin.
"Ugh... if this keeps up, I might get motion sickness," he mumbled, rubbing his face.
However, his thoughts were soon diverted when he remembered something more important.
This was the first day after he received his wages. Dani immediately reached for the envelope stored in the drawer of the small table next to his bed. With his fingers, he counted the money inside again—Rp1,200,000.
For some people, that amount might be small, but for Dani, this was the largest sum he had ever held at once and the fruit of his first hard work. A feeling of pride crept into his heart.
Without a second thought, Dani left his room and headed to the living room. From the stairs, he could see his mother still busy picking up the fragments of the plate that had fallen to the floor. His mother's face was a bit sour, probably still annoyed about the earlier incident. Dani swallowed, feeling somewhat guilty.
He approached, waiting until his mother finished tidying the broken plate pieces into a plastic bag. After that, he handed over several bills—Rp500,000 that he had deliberately set aside.
"Mom, this is for you," he said carefully.
His mother looked up, stared at the money for a moment before sighing. "Dani, I don't have time for jokes right now. Put your money back."
Dani frowned. "I'm serious, Mom. This is my first wages. How can I use it all for myself?"
His mother sighed more deeply, her expression still irritated. "That's precisely because it's your first wages, you should use it for yourself. I don't want you thinking about others before you've had the chance to enjoy the fruits of your own hard work."
Dani rubbed the back of his neck, trying to hold back his emotions. A small argument ensued. He insisted on wanting to help lighten his mother's burden, but she flatly refused.
Dani knew his mother wasn't refusing because she didn't appreciate his effort, but because she felt Dani was already responsible enough by never asking for money except for basic needs like internet credit.
In the end, Dani gave up on giving the money directly. He tried another way. "Then, how about I use it to pay for electricity tokens or buy groceries?" he asked, half conceding.
His mother looked at him for a moment, then snorted softly. "Up to you, as long as you don't force me to take your money."
Dani nodded, finally able to breathe a little easier. At least, there was a way for him to still help without arguing any longer.
---
"On the other side, Neir was still on her way to school. Faint voices had been buzzing in her ear, but this time, she could hear Dani and his mother's conversation clearly."
Neir stopped in front of the open school gate. Other students passed by, some running cheerfully into the school grounds. "Yet, Neir remained still, her gaze empty. Dani and his mother's voices still echoed in her head, as if not just a buzz, but something truly real."
She didn't fully understand Dani's situation, but one thing was certain—she knew what it felt like to want to help her own mother. Since childhood, she had been accustomed to helping Mariela sell fish. That was the only way they could survive. And now, for some reason, hearing Dani experience something similar made her heart feel strange. All of this felt... familiar.
However, her reverie was broken when someone suddenly tapped her shoulder.
"Hwaah!" Neir jolted, her breath almost catching in her throat. Her heart beat faster, as if she had just been pulled back to the real world.
Tira looked at her in confusion. "Neir? What's wrong? Why are you just standing here?"
Neir blinked several times, realizing she was still standing in front of the school while the other students had already entered. "Uh... I..." Her lips parted slightly, but her mind was still in disarray.
Tira raised her eyebrows, then smiled playfully. "Don't tell me you're still sleepy?"
Neir could only nod weakly, though in her heart she knew that wasn't the reason. But before she could explain further, a voice from afar made her aware again.
"Hngh?!"
Dani jolted, his shoulders tensing instantly. His heart pounded hard, as if someone had just shouted right in his ear.
His mother, who was bending down to clean the broken plate, immediately looked up, staring at her son with a furrowed brow. "What's wrong, Dan?"
Dani blinked, trying to compose himself, but his mother's face was full of suspicion. "Don't tell me you're possessed by a spirit this early in the morning?"
Dani could only smile stiffly. "I-I'm fine, Mom… I swear."
His mother snorted, still looking at him suspiciously. "Huh, you're being weird."
---
Volunteer at the Gate
That morning, students began arriving at the school. Some walked leisurely, some were in a hurry, and some were still half-asleep. The typical morning school atmosphere felt lively, with the sound of chatter and footsteps echoing in the front yard.
"Near the school gate, a young man stood calmly. His face looked relaxed, but there was a firmness in his gaze."
Reynard, one of the volunteers at the school, was on duty supervising the entering students. He was handsome, with slightly messy black hair and calm gray eyes. The volunteer uniform he wore was clean and well-kept, reflecting his discipline and responsibility.
Beside him, another man stood with his arms crossed. Edric, his fellow volunteer, let out a short sigh.
"Look at that, they're making a fuss over you again," Edric muttered, half-annoyed.
A few steps away from them, a group of female students whispered while occasionally glancing toward Reynard.
"Reynard is here again...!"
That soft voice was followed by suppressed whispers that began to spread among a group of girls gathered near the gate. Some of them tensed up, others nudged each other gently, trying to hold back the smiles spreading across their faces.
"He's really cool...!" one girl whispered with both hands clasped in front of her chest, her eyes sparkling with admiration.
"Not only handsome, he also has a different aura. Calm, authoritative... no wonder he's a volunteer."
The whispers grew more numerous, mixed with small, bashful laughs. Some covered their faces with both hands, others pinched their friend's arm softly, as if wanting to share the nervousness filling their chests.
"Hey, do you guys know? I heard from Sister Elena... they say Reynard was a hero when he was a teenager."
Eyes that had been sparkling with admiration now widened even more.
"Really? A hero?"
"Yes! He once saved a village from a bandit attack!"
Some of them nodded with full conviction, while others looked doubtful, exchanging glances.
"Don't believe rumors like that," interjected a girl who had been listening quietly. Her voice sounded skeptical, though still full of curiosity.
"Yeah... but come to think of it, what hero would suddenly become an ordinary volunteer?"
For a moment, a brief silence enveloped them. However, as soon as Reynard glanced in their direction, as if hearing the whispers they had thrown, a small panic broke out.
"A-Ah!"
One girl quickly lowered her face, her cheeks red to her ears. Another reflexively turned away, pretending to be interested in something in the distance. Yet another quickly hid behind her friend's back, holding her breath as if afraid of being caught.
It didn't take long before soft whispers filled the air again, mixed with bashful, restrained laughter.
Reynard only smiled slightly, not showing an excessive reaction.
"You hear that?" Edric raised his eyebrows. "They really think of you like a character from a novel. Seriously, why don't you just become a celebrity? It'd be decent, you could get famous along the way."
Reynard chuckled softly. "Rumors are just rumors."
Edric looked at him with a scrutinizing gaze. "But I'm curious... is it really just a rumor?"
Reynard didn't answer. His gray eyes just stared straight ahead, watching the flow of students entering.
In the distance, a red-haired girl seemed to be standing still in front of the gate, as if lost in her own thoughts. Before Reynard could react, the girl's friend suddenly tapped her shoulder, making her jolt in surprise.
For a moment, Reynard's eyes narrowed slightly... as if seeing something familiar. But what? However, in an instant, he resumed his calm expression.
Edric, standing beside him, observed the change in expression and frowned.
"Oi, what's up?" he asked.
Reynard only smiled faintly. "Nothing."
But in his mind, something was bothering him. As if there was something familiar about what had just happened.
And he wasn't sure if that was a good sign or a bad one.
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