The lights flickered on, they revealed a small apartment, with a run-down kitchen and an empty guest room. Across the room was probably Toru's room and a hallway leading to the kitchen. No TV and only a couch which looked very hard and uncomfortable, followed by a used laptop belonged to the boy who lived here for a long time.

"So, this is your home... it's messy." Liam could feel a stinging pain on his right side. 

"Ouch!"

"Don't mind him, Toru." Nadya apologized. Toru went red as he turned away from them.

"Yeah, this is my home. Sorry." Toru said, looking down at his shoes as he was embarassed of his apartment.

"It's fine, Toru. So, shall we get started?" Nadya grinned, beating Liam who scowled at her for reading on his thought, again. She pushed the door leading to the bathroom and looking through the cabinet. She rummaged through a box full of medicine and pulled out a small dose of painkiller pills and washcloth. 

Quickly, she began to clean the dried blood around his lips with warm waters and both arms also legs followed suit. Liam brought some water for his friend to drink his pills to ease his nerve and throbbing bruise. 

After they finished, they told the azure eyed boy to take a shower and change his clothes before they went out for Toru to carry out their instruction. 

Of course, he complied as he didn't see other choice. But he forgot one thing, his clothes. 

"U-um... Liam? Nadya?" Toru stuttered.

"Oh right, we forgot your clothes." Liam went to the boy's room as he dug through his closet to get fresh clothes for Toru. There's not much here, so he grabbed a random shirt and some jeans that looked like what Toru was wearing before. 

"Toru, I'm gonna leave it here."

Liam knocked twice and greeted by Toru's right hand who waved around trying to said what looked like thank you. He walked to the kitchen and seeing his counterpart rummaged through the cupboard and found an unhealthy instant cup noodle. He guessed it was her inner mother mode who forced her to take care of him.

"Well, nothing surprising there." Nadya answered as she heard his thought. The boiling water are bubbling and she poured it into the cup as she added the flavor packet. Liam looked hungry as well but her glare was terrifying so he backed down from asking. 

Just a moment after, Toru came out looking fresh. 

"U-mm... thanks for doing this to me. I appreciate it." 

"No problem, Toru," Liam said as they stared at eachother before smiling back. The azure eyed boy noticed a familiar smell coming from Nadya. She brought it to him and he took the cup, stirring the cooked meal after a few minutes passed. The latter used to had small conversations with himself when he was alone, so Liam and Nadya tried to bring up the topic as he ate the meal.

"So, what happened back there, Toru?" Toru flinched.

"I still don't understand. Did you steal something from that man?" Liam asked with a serious gaze, it started to make the other boy anxious. Even though, the truth was he didn't steal anything.

"N-no. Of course not. We played games.." Toru mumbled to himself, so lost to his own thought. He mentioned card games, dice and money. How he can't work and needed to earn money. So, basically that's the gist of it through the whole mumbling he barely heard. In conclusion, gambling games. He sighed heavily before asking,

"I get it, Toru. You don't need to explain it more. But, it's true right? Your ability are related to dice?" Liam motioned the dice scattering around them like a castle everywhere they looked. Some of them are impressive, how they looked more bigger and the structure was perfect and well-balanced to hold the weight of the others. 

"I guess."

"You're not sure?" Toru shook his head.

"I felt like there's something wrong in my analysis about my ability." So, that's what it was. Liam thought people knew about the secret about an ability. The hidden desire, a mark of ability starting point. 

"Well, I can't explain it but what's your hidden desire? If you can recall it, I'm sure you will know what your true ability."

"What do you mean?"

"Every ability had a starting point, it's called hidden desire. It got some connection to our ability. In short, your hidden desire are the origin of your ability." Toru nodded, seeming to understand the general concept. But what he wanted only existed in the realm called dreams. The reality of his despair.

"This is only a theory of mine but I can prove it. Nadya is here cause of my ability. My hidden desire was to..." Liam trailed off, suddenly realizing what he was about to say. He seemed reluctant but Nadya nudged him to give a signal that it was okay while Toru tilted his head, confused why his friend stopped.

"My hidden desire was to be an ideal child for my parents. To be a girl my parents wanted. Smart, diligent and anything a girl can do. That's why it manifested into her. My ability."

"Oh." That was Toru's only response. A word of neither acceptance or rejection. Just an answer the older boy didn't expect to get. 

Toru pulled his knees close to his chest as he slowly eat his noodle which about to crumpled and going cold. He glanced at Liam and brown-eyed boy stared at him back before looking away to the coffee table. It was full of his last night supper and recently earned money. He had successfully gotten a pocket full of money to last a week or two, it was a hard win.

"..." He stilled his thoughts and trying to shake the feelings of a missing piece. He almost missed it after remembering his money.

Then he remembered something. Money. His inheritance. That's it. He wanted an ideal things, not an old ones from his parents.

What are they gonna said? Are they gonna said he was ungrateful? There are no noble things in what he did. Not like Liam at all. 

"So, what is your hidden desire, Toru?" Liam said. The younger boy bit his lips and smiled awkwardly. 

"It's nothing important, Liam." Toru decided to not lie. it was one of his only code. Never tell a lie. Simple but meaningful because nothing went wrong in his life after all this time.

"Oh. Ok then." Liam responded dejectedly. He seemed down by what Toru said. But the younger boy only thought was about what his ability should be. He needed to figure it out soon otherwise the SIU will put him in the facility where problem Stray punished. He did not looking forward to that.

"I almost forgot, why didn't you eat? I had a full stock of cup noodles in there. It's not a problem if you want to eat." Liam checked the time and quickly turned off the phone and crossing his ankles as he did so.

"Hey, Toru. Would you mind if I sleep here for the day?" Liam said smoothly, unaware of the glare behind him. He noticed that Toru went still and got a bright smile from him. The azure-eyed boy was ecstatic to know and quickly accepted.

"Of course!" 

Minutes passed by as he ate in a comfortable silence, knowing he was not alone for once. Moreover, he had friends. A stray too. He briefly smiled to himself as he continued to eat slowly, followed by the warm feelings he felt in his heart.