|Location: wasteland, camping site|

-ZERO-

I was just done having my own endeavor with the clothes Nuk gave me, after that I immediately went out to check where he was since he is nowhere to be seen inside his tent. My eyes immediately caught him sitting on the ground near the edge of the hill where his tent stood with a lamp beside him, Nuk glared towards the huge bonfire ahead where plenteous people seemed to be enjoying themselves around it.

He continued to stretch his view towards the crowd far ahead, solemnly watching as the noise of the people dancing flew as to where he sat. But the subtle sound of footsteps pierced through the noise, attracting my attention.  I turned around and saw Hansel, our eyes met but he immediately avoided mine. And immediately set it on Nuk.

It was a fleeting moment but I noticed just as he turned away from me, he gave off a callous feeling towards me. But why? Was he wary? Or was he thinking of something else?

I decided to let it pass as it was only a frame of a memory for me, but mainly because Hansel smiled as he ran past me going to Nuk. Which didn't sit right on my part as to interrupt that.

"You'll set everyone on fire if you continue at what you're doing." He said. Tackling Nuk from behind.

"Hansel what? Just-."

Nuk tried his best to push Hansel away but he grabbed into him tightly. I observed them silently behind and tasted slight bitterness inside my mouth. That moment I deliberately stepped on a twig willingly made my presence known. Nuk turned around and finally noticed me. He stood immediately and walked towards my direction. 

"Zero, you're done!"

His eyes started to flutter on me, clearly, he was checking if the clothes were okay for me.

"It seems to be a perfect fit." Nuk said and Hansel stood beside Nuk.

"Since Zero is here, let's go." Hansel said as he looked at me. His throat moves as if it gagged on something and especially his eyes, it all gave me a hint of hesitation.

"Ah! Nuk 'Uncle' has asked for you."

Nuk immediately replied. "There's no point drilling our heads on this one. I'm bound to meet him."

His emotion this time was clear for me to see. His eyes looked back towards the crowd but without the longing that I saw from before, but instead the flames that reflected in his eyes could very well be an accurate definition of what he is feeling right now.

"Okay… I see …" Hansel stepped back as he said that.

I immediately took his place and went besides Nuk, the way those two had their conversation felt like I would be left out if I'll just be quiet. I can't understand myself but I was anxious.

"Are we going over there?" I said, squeezing myself between his arms.

"Yes, so try not to wander far away from me."

Nuk said hearing it coming from him gave me a sudden relief. I don't know how but it made me happy. Which also gave me some thinking of the different people I might encounter there. My 'current' eyes can't even see all of them at one glance, just thinking about the crowd got me excited.

"Oh! I can meet more-."

My excitement made me remember what happened back then as if my mind played a trick on me, 'testing' me, making me experience numerous emotions in just a matter of seconds. And the things I'm feeling right now were ruined in an instant by the memories I remembered. Especially all about that 'person'.

"No?! They didn't seem to like me earlier."

Nuk rubbed my head. "That's why, try not to stray."

I slightly pushed Nuk away, my raw actions have once again stepped beyond boundary. Especially what I said. "Well, they didn't like your arrival either. Nuk."

My actions just now suddenly made me contemplate. childish.

How peculiar, child? That thought came to me not a moment after what I said but it didn't sit in me that long, just like how it came so suddenly it left my thoughts just as fast. I immediately turned my attention back to Nuk.

"It's nothing new to me."

His voice sounded pitiful yet loathsome. Which made me wonder, redundant as it already sounds coming from me but this question had stayed with me the moment, we got that so-called 'welcome treatment'.

I was about to ask why, but then I suddenly heard a deep pitch of growling that didn't sound like any of the animals that I know based on the archives I have that I got from SAI. It was deep but soft and loud but somehow muffled.  I tried to look around but noticed nothing. "What was that?"

That immediately grabbed my curiosity.

I vigilantly looked around just to make sure I wouldn't miss a surprise attack. All of a sudden despite my seriousness I heard Nuk behind me trying to restrain his laugh.

"That was Hansel saying he's hungry." Nuk said to me patting my head as he burst into laughter. I looked at Hansel and saw how flushed his face was and it was then out of nowhere a sound coming from his abdomen leaked into my ears. The source of the sound was from Hansel.

[NOTICE what the HOST heard was borborygmus]

[or stomach rumbling]

Information about the subject suddenly flooded my head, catching me in awe by the data.

"Cool!" 

I said looking all fascinated. At this movement even I can tell how my eyes sparkled. Every new information to me is a treat I can't be not happy for, maybe leaving that dessert was the best thing i did. If not then I might not have experienced this much.

"How was that cool?"

Nuk sounded confused from what I said. And I was about to answer him when Hansel butted in right after. "Let's save that for later, like Nuk said."

He stopped and turned his head away from our direction but I could tell from his ears how embarrassed he was when another wave of rumbling came out. " I'm hungry."

Hansel immediately walked away from us and we soon followed after him. Nuk was all giggling and I can't help but to imitate him. "Ah! Is this what they say stating the obvious?"

"They?" Hansel mumbled.

That made me wonder, why would I even say that? Who is 'They'?

We followed the street of lanterns that brightens the dark forest around us. It caught my interest right away and with further examining it, I noticed a weird mechanism inside that looked like it was absorbing something. It was similar to Nuk's lantern but this was a little different.

I would love to ask SAI but currently my mind is also expecting the huge bonfire at the far end of my sight that keeps on glistening.

That's why I'll set it aside for later. But Nuk somehow noticed me and somehow guessed what's on my mind, he was able to discern it. Spot on.

"That has a regulator inside, unlike mine this one is much 'safer'." I could feel bitterness from my mouth after hearing that and kept my silence along the way.

I continued to follow Nuk until we finally reached the bonfire, meeting it up close was more mesmerizing than when I was afar. I could feel the heat it emits and see how bright it was.

But unfortunately, the light receptors in my eyes got automatically adjusted to fit the brightness of the bonfire making it deem, only making me enjoy it for a few seconds.

At times like this I wished SAI didn't apply the auto functions. My mood suddenly dropped even more when I heard a familiar irritating voice.

"Look who's here for their rations."

His smug face and the way he looked at us as if we were a nuisance really rubbed on me this time and the moment, he shoved two small wrapped 'thingy' to us almost snapped me that I will snap him into two. 

"Here, take this and go."

Fred turned around after shoving this 'thingy' to us and walked away. But then he suddenly received a hard kick to his legs making him fall to the ground with his face first.

"How about you be more polite before I roast your head over there?" Walking out from the crowd was Dia, Fred immediately stood and looked at her really pissed.

"Come on, can't even take a joke now?" He said cleaning off the smudge on his face. Looking towards Nuk, he knows how to hit where the nails hurt.

"Your eldest sister was more sensible than you."

"Shut it." Dia launched her knuckles directly to his face but it was a failed attempt when Hansel managed to stop her in time.

Fred smirked widely as he walked closer to us, that just made him even more annoying and irritating at this point.

"Whoa! Now I wonder, where did your temper come from?" He slowed down as he continued to talk and at the same time, he began to raise his voice.  "Did you and Nuk have the same father or something?"

Hansel pushed Fred away trying to gap the two. "Hey! That's going too far!"

"I see, in the end you're just a hypocrite." He smirked while looking at Hansel and soon he looked at me and smiled.  "Look! It's the short ears I was telling you guys about."

The way he said it sounded like a chicken wanting to yell as loud as it can despite its pipe being held tightly. In short it didn't sound pleasant.

His loud voice began to attract the people around us, the laughter of both the young and the adults instantly disappeared as the whispers of all the people present here loudly echoed through the dark forest around us.

Their eyes all screamed with hatred as it looked at me and Nuk that stood beside me motionless was clenching his fist and grinding his teeth silently.

The longer I was exposed to this kind of treatment the more it felt like there's this invincible force pressing me down making me feel small and 'alone'. I immediately closed my eyes and tried to block the whispering noises around me. "SAI shut them up. Please."

I continued to whisper again and again calling for SAI, but I heard nothing back in return. That's when I realized I might be 'alone'.

Alone?  That! I-I never want to feel like that. I never wanted to be isolated. Ne-never will I be alone again.

Amidst the chaos of my mind, I suddenly felt a warm feeling that tightly grabbed my hand snapping me out back into reality.

"Zero! Calm down. Let him go."

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