I couldn't describe the feeling of being in the middle of a rage, being looked at like a demon, and yelled at like a pig. There was nothing more dehumanizing and shameful than where I was standing. 

Standing in the middle of those people and enduring their harsh words. My heart was beating so quick, and the whole scene was so loud to me that my ears slowly became deaf.

But suddenly, out of nowhere, I wasn't scared anymore.

Just a minute ago, I was so afraid, wanting to curl up to hide my existence. But why did when I got exposed, I felt more relieved than terrified? Was it because I don't have to constantly worry about hiding my identity anymore? I don't know.

Looking at Ly Giai, I don't think I had seen horror from her ever until that moment. She was speechless and trembling. Even though those anger and curses weren't directed at her, she was still shaken by the pure pressure of them by just being physically there next to me.

Si was also horrified. He hid behind me, clenching at my shirt while tightly shutting his eyes and covering his ears.

It was that horrible, that terrifying, that shameful. Yet, I felt little from it.

Was it because I have already experienced it many times over, not just words, but physical violence from these people that I have become numb to it? I don't know.

Ly Giai instinctively stepped back until she hit me. When our eyes touched, her look turned from frightened to disbelieve. 

It was as though she was asking, "You were enduring this much every day?"

I smiled and hugged her, replying without words, "I am used to it. It did not affect me anymore."

I heard her crying but wasn't sure if the tears were because the scene was too much for her, or that she was crying for me. Either way, I patted her back and rubbed Si's head to calm them down. My face was revealed, there was no better use for my hands to comfort those around me.

When the crowd around us began to quiet down, across from us, the old leader spoke, "Miss Ly Giai, I don't think you know who you are standing with. That man is the Grass that we told you about a few days ago.

Ly Giai also calmed down and became less afraid. She wiped her eyes and left my arms. She turned to him. "I know about it. He has confirmed his identity to me."

"And you still stay beside him? Even after knowing the truth? Did you leave us to be with him?"

Ly Giai smiled with love in her eyes, "Yes to all three questions."

The old man was puzzled, "I don't understand. Why? Knowing what he did, you are in the devil's arms."

Ly Giai gently shook her head, "With all due respect, old leader, despite what you and everyone have told me about him, Do had never done anything out of bounds. I never once felt discomfort or unsafe around him. Do saved me from South City, raised me from my lowest point after losing my family, yet all he did was give me caring words and warm looks."

I never felt more love in my life. Her words, Ly Giai's words, each of them like honey, sweet nectar that slowly poured into my ears. For some reason, I felt the atmosphere in the mountains so nice and comfortable. I looked behind me and Si was more relaxed now, so I guess I wasn't the only one that felt it.

I noticed Ly Giai would just not stop. "He never voiced any demand from me. Not then, not now, not once. Do is a good man. He is..."

"BULLSHIT!" Someone suddenly yelled.

We all turned to who it was. It was the mother of one of the three boys.

The mother stepped up, with high energy. "Young lady! You made him, Grass," she pointed at me, "sounds like such a gentle and caring person!"

"But he is," Ly Giai happily replied.

"Then look at what he did to my child," she brought one of the boys up for everyone to witness. She then turned around and spoke to the audience, "Don't you see them cry? Don't you see how afraid and scared they are even just looking at this Grass?"

Suddenly whispers everywhere. People started talking to each other.

Ly Giai immediately raised her voice, loud enough to bypass the gossiping. "His name is Do! And these boys didn't cry out of nowhere. Do asked them to apologize to Si, the kid with us here. He never touches them or threatens them!"

"Phh! How can we believe what you said?" the mother attacked.

Ly Giai wasn't backing down. "Then how can I take your words that Do did the thing you people have accused him of?"

"Everyone knows about his crime!" the mother yelled.

"That doesn't confirm that Do did it!" Ly Giai also raised her voice.

The two women stared like they wanted to swallow whole the other person. Standing there next to them, I slowly moved back a little with Si to avoid the two lionesses.

Even the people surrounding us felt the danger and took a few steps back. For a short moment, everyone thought a fight was about to break out.

But the old leader raised his voice. "Enough of this!"

He walked up and announced. "This problem that was about kids fighting had been blown out of proportion." He turned to the mother and us. "I don't care who is in the right and wrong. We are in a hurry running to the capital. This is not a picnic. This is survival!"

He spoke to the mother and Ly Giai, "How about we both take a step back for the benefit of everyone? Grass..."

"His name is Do!" Ly Giai restated.

"Do," the old man went with it. "How about you apologize for scaring the boys, and they apologize for hitting your kid?"

Ly Giai looked at me. "I agree," I said.

The leader nodded. He turned to the mother, "And you?"

The mother wasn't going with it. "Why do they have to apologize!? My son is so kind, that kid must be provoking him. He..."

"Miss." the old man stepped up to her and spoke calmly yet intimidatingly. "We are all tired here. We need to rest and wake up early to travel to the capital. Do you want to drag on this issue for longer to slow us down and risk both you and your son's life? Or do you want this to be over so we can be done with it?"

The mother couldn't say anything back. She looked around, saw eyes of disagreement all around her, and got nervous. "I agree," she finally said.

I then went up and apologized to the boys for making them scared. Although they were forced and didn't like it, they also apologized to Si for hitting him.

After the exchange, the old man proposed to Ly Giai, "Now that you are all here, please join our group. It must be hard to travel with just three people taking care of each other. Here, you can rely on our help."

Ly Giai looked at us. Si and I both shook our heads. She smiled and turned to the leader, "That does sound nice, but we have had no issue traveling by ourselves. But thank you for asking us."

"If that is how you decided," the old man shrugged. He looked at me and added, "But if you or the kid is ever in danger, come to us." He intentionally spoke so that I could hear it as well.

Ly Giai smiled, "Thanks for caring, but I don't think we'll ever need it."