Mael and Lily made their way to the market not far from the park. When they arrived, Mael headed toward a wide alley lined from end to end with small food stalls.
"Alright, Lily, what would you like to eat?" Mael asked.
"My treat."
Lily happily skipped around, moving from one stall to another.
"Wow! This place is so cool!" she said excitedly.
Mael trailed behind her, watching as she skipped along with joy.
Suddenly, she paused as a stall caught her eye.
"Mael… come look!" she said, turning toward him.
"Yes? Did something catch your attention?" he asked.
"What is that? It looks tasty!" She pointed at the food behind a glass display.
As Mael walked closer, he saw it clearly—a white bun with sesame paste on the sides, making it look as if it had a face.
"That looks like a steamed bun," he said.
"Can I have it?" Lily asked.
"Sure. I'll buy one for you," Mael replied.
Welp, time to match my appearance to the role.
Knock, knock—
"Excuse me, mister," Mael said.
The stall owner stood up from his chair. "Hmm—yes, boy?"
"I want to buy two steamed buns." Mael raised his hand, holding up two fingers. "For me and my little sister."
"Sure, kid! That's two steamed buns coming right up!" the man said as he packed the food into a paper bag.
"That'll be six bronze coins, please."
Mael paused, then pulled out five bronze coins instead.
Lowering his gaze, he spoke softly. "Um… hey, mister, could you take one bun out? I'll just buy it for my little sister." His voice carried a hint of sadness.
Seeing this, the man hesitated, then sighed. "It's fine," he said, placing the paper bag in front of Mael.
"For you and your sister, I'll give you a special price."
With that, Mael placed the coins on the counter.
"Thank you so much, mister!" Mael said happily, bowing.
Lily followed, bowing her head as well.
"Let's go, Lily." Mael skipped ahead, and Lily soon followed behind him.
"Alright, see ya, kids," the man said, waving goodbye.
After several paces, Lily suddenly asked, "Mael, why did you act funny just now?"
Mael stopped skipping and slowed to a walk. "That's the good part of being young."
Lily tilted her head as she looked up at him. "I don't get it." Her face showed clear confusion.
Mael turned toward her and explained, "You see, Lily, grown-ups usually feel sorry when they see a kid who needs help." He chuckled softly. "If I looked like Mrs. Joann, that man wouldn't have helped me at all. He might've even chased me away."
Lily's eyes widened. "Oh! I get it now!"
"You want to try it for yourself?" Mael asked.
"Y–yes! I want to try!" Lily replied excitedly.
Mael glanced around the market until he spotted a stall selling orange juice. A sign above it read: Four bronze coins for one glass.
He pulled three bronze coins from his pocket. This should be enough. He placed the coins into Lily's palm.
"Try going over there and buying the juice," Mael said, pointing toward the stall.
"O–okay, I'll try," Lily said before walking toward the stall…
Knock—knock—
"Excuse me, miss."
A sleepy woman jolted upright at Lily's voice, but when she looked forward, she didn't see anyone.
Knock—knock—
She leaned over the stall, peering down, until she noticed a little girl—small enough that the counter nearly hid her—looking up with wide eyes.
"Yes? How may I help you, little girl?" the woman asked.
"I want to buy orange juice." Lily flashed her an adorable smile.
"Alright. Would you like ice in your drink?"
"Yes," Lily replied.
The woman squeezed and poured the orange juice into a cup, added ice, and sealed the lid.
"That'll be four bronze coins, please."
Lily opened her palm, revealing the coins resting there.
"I'm sorry, miss… I only have three," she said, her voice tinged with sadness.
"Oh—uh… it's fine," the woman said after a brief pause.
"Thank you, miss. I'll give this to my brother," Lily added, turning toward Mael's direction.
The woman blinked. "Aren't you going to drink it yourself?"
"I–it's fine…" Lily said. Her eyes began to water, and her voice trembled.
Seeing this, the woman quickly waved her hand. "W–wait, my dear, don't be sad." She poured another cup of orange juice and handed it over. "I made an extra just for you."
Lily's face lit up. "Wow! Thank you so much, miss!"
She placed the coins on the stall, then carefully picked up the two drinks and walked away, humming softly.
Watching the little girl leave her stall, the woman sat back down. Damn it… the boss is going to kill me.
She sighed, then smiled faintly. "Seeing kids happy makes it all worth it." With that, she drifted back into a light doze…
"Mael…" Lily called out from behind.
"Yes, Lily? How did it go?" Mael turned toward her.
"Wait—woah! How did you get all of that?" Mael exclaimed when he saw Lily holding two cups of orange juice.
"The kind lady gave it to me," Lily said happily.
"Right… Anyway, let's go to a tea shop I know and continue your studies, okay?" Mael said.
"'Kay!" Lily replied.
As they walked, Mael realized they had ended up with more food than he had paid for.
Maybe having this childlike body isn't so bad after all.
And with that thought, they continued on their way to the tea shop…
"Mael—I'm so tired!" Lily groaned.
"We're almost there, Lily," Mael said, his voice showing no hint of exhaustion. The tea shop was just up ahead.
Behind him, Lily huffed and puffed as she struggled to keep up.
"There we go. We're finally here!" Mael said as he set the books and food down on the table.
"Hmm… I think we should sit inside the tea shop. There's air conditioning in there," Mael suggested.
"Sure!" Lily said.
A small bell chimed above the door as they entered.
Inside, the tea shop owner sat behind the counter. When he noticed Mael, he stood up with a smile.
"Hey, sonny, I haven't seen you in a while now."
He walked over to Mael. "I thought something bad had happened to you when you delivered that package for the strange man."
The old man paused when he noticed the girl behind Mael. "Well now, I see you've got yourself a friend. Why don't you introduce her to me?"
"H–hi! My name's Lily!" she said.
"Lily, huh? That's a fine name you've got." The old man gently patted her head, making Lily laugh.
Noticing the empty shop, Mael asked, "Mister, why is there no one here? I thought you said business had been good."
"Well, of course it's empty—it's almost evening, after all," the old man replied. "Most people come to enjoy my tea in the morning or at noon." He chuckled. "I just keep the shop open in case someone drops by."
"Anyway, what brings the two of you here?" the old man asked.
"We just came from the market and wanted to rest and study for a while," Mael explained.
"Alright then, make yourselves at home," the old man said with a smile.
"Let's sit over there, Lily." Mael pointed toward a table by the window.
"Okay!" she said, walking over and sitting down, placing the drinks on the table.
Mael followed, setting the textbook and food down as well.
Just as he was about to sit, he caught sight of someone outside the window.
The figure wore a familiar blue suit.
He met Mael's gaze—and flashed a sinister grin before sprinting away.
"Mister! I'll leave Lily with you for a while!" Mael shouted.
Before the old man or Lily could react to the sudden request, Mael dashed out of the shop.
Left alone in the quiet tea shop, the two could only wonder why Mael had rushed off so suddenly.