The old lady squinted at Shun, her voice slow, deliberate.
"So… you got any leads? Any plans where you're headed?"
Shun didn't answer right away.
He just looked at Dumdum.
Dumdum stared back.
Blank face… Empty eyes...
Not a single thought behind them.
Shun tilted his head.
Dumdum tilted his too.
...Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
Shun turned back to the old lady.
Smiled.
"Nope."
The old lady's face went flat.
"...Seriously?"
She stared at him.
He kept smiling, while Dumdum kept staring at nothing.
Her eyes twitched.
This kid... she thought, pinching the bridge of her nose. Not a single plan?
She exhaled slowly.
The old lady slammed her palm on the table.
THWACK!
Dumdum jumped. Shun flinched.
"I can't send you off without a plan!" she snapped. "The world's a dangerous place—far more dangerous than you could ever imagine!"
Her voice echoed off the walls.
Dumdum swiveled his neck toward Shun.
One eye finally landed on him, the other kept staring at a loose nail in the corner.
Shun stared back.
Dumdum dropped his head toward the food.
Then lifted it again.
Look at Shun.
Look at the food.
Look at Shun.
Look at the food.
His hoof tapped the floor.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Shun's brain caught up.
Food. Right there… Free.
He leaned toward Dumdum, then whispered.
"Yeaa... yea... free food... say less..."
Dumdum's ears twitched.
Shun straightened up and cleared his throat
"Okay. We'll stay. For a bit."
The old lady just stared.
Shun grinned.
Dumdum grinned back—if you could call it that. Half his teeth showing, tongue hanging out the wrong side, one eye fixed on Shun, the other still staring at a loose nail in the corner.
They looked at each other.
Then both hands dropped below the table.
Dap.
The old lady smiled.
Tossed the key at Shun.
He fumbled it—bounced off his palm, nearly hit the floor—then snatched it mid-air.
"Second floor. Drop your stuff there. Then you can explore the whole town, see whatever you want."
Shun grabbed Dumdum by the mane and hauled him up the stairs.
Hooves clattered.
Dumdum's neck flopped everywhere.
They hit the second floor.
Shun looked down the hall.
Lots of doors… All locked.
He looked at the key.
Grinned.
Ran to the first door. Stabbed the key in. Twisted. Nothing.
Ran to the second. Stabbed it in. Twisted. Nothing.
"FAR LEFT!" the old lady yelled from downstairs.
Shun stopped.
Looked left.
Looked right.
Looked at the stairs.
Looked left again.
"Far left from where?! Your left or my left?! Which angle?!... Hah.." Shun sighed.
"Screw that shii!"
Thug.
A door finally opened.
Shun tossed his bag inside—didn't even look where it landed—and bolted back down the stairs.
Dumdum clomped after him.
"Just come back before sunset!" the old lady called out, smiling. "So I can cook something."
Shun waved without looking back.
Already gone.
The door clicked shut.
Silence.
Then—
BLAM!
The door slammed open, bounced off the wall… Nearly came off the hinges.
The old man stormed in. Same one from earlier.
His face was red, veins popping out.
Fists clenched like he was ready to swing.
"WHY THE HELL IS THAT KID HERE, CHIEF?!"
His voice boomed through the whole house.
Dumdum would've bolted if he was still there. Good thing he wasn't.
The old lady didn't even flinch.
Just stood there.
Then—
Blink.
She was behind him.
Squeezed.
Her hands were wrapped around the back of his neck.
Started shaking his head back and forth.
"Have you gone senile, you old bastard?"
His head wobbled.
"Ch-chief—ack—"
She kept shaking.
"Would you? Chill out. For a moment."
Shake. Shake.
He grabbed her arm.
"I'm calm! I'M CALM!" he choked out.
She stopped.
He stumbled forward, grabbing the table, gasping like he just ran a marathon.
The old man slowly calmed down.
His breathing evened out. Shoulders dropped. The red faded from his face.
"Urr... sorry chief." He rubbed his neck where her hand had been. "Old habits."
The old lady sighed.
He looked out the window. At the statue in the distance.
"The thing is..." His voice went quiet. "That kid. His attitude. The way he moves. The way he just... do stuff without a care."
He pointed at the statue.
"Reminds me a lot of him."
The old lady followed his gaze.
Silence sat between them.
"I'm passing the book to him."
The old man whipped his head toward her.
"CHIEF—He's not."
She cut him off. "I know."
She kept staring at the statue.
"We don't have much time left."
The old man looked at her. Really looked.
The wrinkles. The gray hair.
His face dropped.
The kind of sad that sits in your chest and won't leave.
The old lady kept staring at the statue.
"Maybe one day..." She paused. "He'll cross paths with that man's descendants."
The old man stared at the floor.
Scratched his head.
"...Aight." He let out a long breath. "I'll tell everyone."
He turned toward the door.
The old lady watched him go.
"Thank you." Barely a whisper.