“Looks like you were working hard.”
A melodic voice coming from somewhere above startles Miki awake. Just as he is about to reach for the knife strapped to his thigh, he realizes who is talking to him. It is a very, very good thing he does. If everybody in the gang found out that Miki was threatening the leader herself, not even the gods could save him then.The guy brushes his hair out of the eyes to see better. A young woman stands above him. She seems to savour this extremely rare moment when she has the height advantage over Miki. Well, not for long, as he gets up from the leaf pile that served him as a mattress. The girl’s big green eyes flash with disappointment, but she quickly covers it up and gives him a big warm smile.
“I was looking everywhere, you know. Sorry to disturb your peaceful slumber, but you disappeared so suddenly. I didn’t know what to think of it.”
Here she is, apologetic and polite as always. If only her facade wasn't so transparent – maybe then there would be a one-in-a-million chance Miki would actually buy it. He has known Nima for a couple of months already, so he had enough time to completely debunk her fake persona. Truly kind people never try to impose their sympathy on others without their consent.
At first glance, it almost makes no sense for such a “sweet angel” to lead a group of armed and dangerous robbers. However, when you think about it, those people were never exposed to love in their miserable lives. It’s obvious why they are easily swayed with kind words of encouragement and support. With her charming and caring “personality”, Nima managed to steal the hearts of many ruthless criminals. Almost everyone in the gang was put under her potent spell. Except, of course, Miki himself and a few other souls that she deemed to be “beyond repair”.
He looks at her and says nothing, matching her curious gaze with his emotionless one. Not long after, Nima, who is probably feeling very awkward in this attempt to have a conversation, speaks up:
“Everyone has been so worried about you recently, Miki. You just seem… more distant than before. I know you are not sociable, but maybe you could try to...”
“Enough with the bullshit, Nima,” Miki rudely interrupts. He can only take so much wool being pulled over his eyes. “I know the real reason why you are here. Spying is low, but not out of the question for people like us, I suppose.”
He doesn’t blame her for doing that. In this world, in this environment, you have to constantly resort to dirty tricks if you want to survive. Miki is simply annoyed that Nima is trying to sugarcoat it. Shit will always be shit, no matter how many candy wraps cover it.
The girl looks towards their camp, her ash-blonde hair fluttering behind in the wind. The sight of it might’ve even seemed picturesque to him right now. That is if the boy didn’t hate her with every fibre of his being.
“Okay, if you want to phrase it like that,” she responds with a sad smile. Miki sure hopes that she is not about to play a poor bullied girl right now. “But, still, it is nice to let someone take care of you once in a while, don’t you think?”
“If receiving someone’s care means that I have to be under constant surveillance, then no, it isn’t nice.”
Nima chuckles softly and signs. The look on her face is somewhere between annoyed and amused. “But still, I saw how you looked at the kitten that lives in our dining area. Don’t tell me you are all tough and unapproachable.”
The feeling of dread overcomes Miki’s body: for how long has she been spying on him? “I was just making sure that thing was not having a single bite of our food,” he says abruptly.
Nima laughs again. “Sure, sure, I completely understand. Back to the important matters, why don’t we go back to the base together? I’m sure everyone would love to see that you are back from your mission. Without a scratch, no less! I must admit, your athletic skills are as sharp as ever!”
Miki thinks it over and then decides to go for a compromise. “Go on without me. I will be back shortly. No more dosing off – you have my word.”
“Not sure if I could call “your word” a reliable guarantee, but very well!” Nima plasters the cheerful smile back on her face. “We have to put faith in our beloved comrades. After all, when there is no trust, there is no team. See you soon!”
As she almost sang the last sentence, the girl left the meadow. Miki was finally alone. That is how he always preferred to be.
The team and the trust, huh… Just what kind of true companionship could be built in a place where everyone fights for even a small amount of food? In a place where how much you steal determines the quality of the roof you are going to sleep under? Nima, just like everyone else, is just trying to benefit herself. By using the words that are just as sweet and disgusting as the burnt sugar.
No word in the English language describes just how much Miki despises her.
Suddenly, Miki comes back to his senses. Even outside the camp, not being on your guard all the time can cost you greatly. The guy tries to ground himself by listening to the energetic tune of the birds. When he does so, he notices the faraway sounds that are unnatural for this forest. Something very similar to angry human screams.
Shit. Just when he was about to take another nap. For a second, he thinks about actually listening to Nima and going back. However, a thought about scoring some loot for himself is much more seductive. He tries to approach the place of the commotion as quietly as he can.
After hiding behind a tree, Miki finally has a look at an unusual scene unfolding before him. Two grown bulky men are picking on a child, who looks no older than eight. The boy is holding tightly to a leather backpack like he is drowning, and this old thing is his only lifebuoy. Miki takes another look at the men – they are from his gang, though he is not very familiar with them. How in the world have they taken so long? If they wanted the boy’s possessions that badly, they could’ve taken them just by using brute force. Are they seriously hesitant to hurt a child? Mika is shocked that some people whom he works with are so kind-hearted.
The men’s patience seems to have finally run out. They surround the boy, blocking his only means of escape.
“This is your final warning, you brat! Give the bag to us now, or we’ll make sure you regret it,” says one of them, who is way taller than his friend.
“No!” the boy cries with desperation. “You don’t understand! I can’t give it to you! It is too-”
Just as the boy is about to say something else, the shorter of the two men violently pushes him. It is enough to send the poor lad to the ground. Because of the impact, he loses his grip on the backpack. Something brightly-coloured falls out of it.
It is a plush toy of a fox.
Miki freezes.
-----------------------------
In this fleeting moment, his entire world is the teddy bear in his arms. The softest, warmest, and kindest thing that has ever existed. The only thing that has ever existed. The cold and dark room that surrounds him is not real. Tons of creepy white furniture, fresh from the box, are not real. And his father, towering above him with a condescending gaze, is not real.
Miki’s father is a salesman. He is great at persuading people to do illogical things. There was a case when *** convinced a family of three that they desperately needed an interactive dancing floor. Nothing is beyond the realm of possibility for this man.
“You do understand that this change will benefit all of us, don’t you? You have always been a bright kid. I call people like you “one of a kind”. It is a very prestigious title.”
“Indeed”. He failed to notice that his mother was also there, standing behind the overwhelming silhouette of ***. But it doesn’t matter. She is also not real. Only the teddy bear is.
“Your uncle is a unique man. He has been in more countries than I can remember. He will be telling you all about his exciting adventures.”
“|||, don’t forget about the most important part!” *** exclaims loudly. “000 is the most intelligent person I know. He will be a strong guardian figure for you. We could never dream of reaching his level.”
“Indeed, sweetheart.” ||| finally leaves the shadow of the boy’s father and reaches out to Miki. He swiftly evades her hand. She gives him a hurt look, but then quickly recovers. “You know your father and I were never really fit for parenthood. I saw how lonely you’ve been lately. Honey, you definitely deserve someone better than us.”
He hasn’t been lonely. He has Mr. Bear by his side. They are the best of friends, but Miki doesn’t tell them that. Why should he explain himself to people who are not even real?
*** finally drops the overconfident look from his face. “This is pointless, sweetheart,” he appeals to |||. “He isn’t even listening. He never does. Always looking at that damn bear.”
Miki looks at the “damn bear” again. In his black button eyes, he tries to find the gaze of admiration. The gaze of support. The gaze of solidarity.
He doesn’t like this idea too, does he?
Just when Miki is about to find it, his father snatches the only real thing away from him.
How can this be?
The boy neither cries nor pleads. His eyes are fixed on the old plush toy in ***’s arms. If he looks away, their only connection will be broken. This should not matter too much, since true best friends have a bond that distance cannot break. Their hearts are already connected for life, after all. But the thought of losing Mr. Bear still hurts Miki deeply.
Why is that, I wonder…
------------------------------------
An unpleasant laugh from one of the men makes Miki return to reality at once.
“Seriously? A plush toy?” The tall guy exclaims mockingly. “I haven’t seen one in ages. What makes you think you can set up your little playground on our territory, huh? You little bastard…”
Miki also hasn’t seen a plush toy in, like, years or so. That is why just the sight of one caused so many suppressed memories to come back. Right now, he sees nothing but the toy that is being taken away from its best friend. He can only hear the voices of his parents, so sickeningly sweet to the point when they provoke vomit. They tried to seem so kind and angelic when they were deciding to send Miki away to his uncle.
And what has their care and love resulted in? He would be better off without it.
Miki does not think straight as he exits his cover and steps forward.
“Leave him alone,” he demands. The tone of his voice doesn’t leave room for discussion.
“Wow, what are you doing here?” the short guy asks, surprise and terror evident on his face. Mika didn’t expect the man to recognize him. That is a good thing, though. It’s going to make things much easier.
“We were just hunting for some loot…” the other one says. Right now, he looks like a schoolboy who has set something in class on fire. “You know how little we have been getting lately.” Miki actually doesn’t. It’s not like he cares about how others are doing.
“Well, your hunt is over now. Leave,” Miki repeats. They nod nervously and scram away.
Wow, they were actually that easy to get rid of. It kind of makes sense, though. The ones who can only rob small children cannot pose a serious threat.
After making sure the men are away for good, Miki turns to face the child. He is still on the ground, shaking rapidly.
“They must’ve given you a scare, huh?” Miki asks. He is not good with comforting anyone, and even worse with comforting children. And yet, he tries. This boy reminds him too much of his childhood self. Miki extends his hand so the child can get up. He also picks up the fox from the ground. It is covered in dirt and sand, but its gaze is still unmistakably mischievous.
Miki looks into the button eyes of Mr. Fox for a while. A connection that was broken long ago seems to sparkle anew inside of him.
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