It was very late at night when without much actually going on in his own mind, the boy decided to go downtown alone… Somehow managed to get through every sidewalk without encountering any thugs or muggers.

And even though at the time the atmosphere itself was such an idyllic and tranquil one indeed, the boy's heart as well admitted it… But Daniel's persistence in achieving his worldly pleasure did not yet waver even in the slightest if not only getting stronger with every second that passed.

However, there was still a day and a half left until the twenty-sixth, which is why he still thinks 'why not?' to all the stuff he can enjoy… Experiencing as many things from the worldly side as possible before his body would inevitably turn cold and pulseless… And perhaps for the exact same reason, considering the way he will go is neither because of something natural nor unexpected, he didn't think even for the slightest moment about whether this one particular idea of his own was in fact too much for someone like him to take.

So then at that night, with full consciousness he lands up at the most unacceptable place a young person of his age should choose to visit.

As he was seen discussing something with an old man standing behind a counter, who offered him a book featuring many photos… Telling the boy to choose one and then he advised Daniel to sit wherever he wished to, only so he could wait for that person he had previously picked from the list to approach him later inside such a gloomy cafe he was at.

In which he had a glass wall to his right that showed an empty midnight street yet at the moment was just as dark as it was indoors… With one only difference being the red and purple colors of some neon signs in several shops that were already closed, bordering the narrow alley, creating a whole different atmosphere that is more festive but also strangely way much hollow than the place where he was sitting there by himself, alone in the corner of the room… Waiting for someone he didn't even know who it was, till a girl decided to come and sit opposite Daniel. Shook her head as she gave an awkward chuckle before hesitantly asking, “Are you really the kid who booked me from the boss just now?”

“Giselle?”

“......”

“Uh… You’re Giselle, right?”

“Yes, yes, Name’s Giselle…. Nice to meet you too, handsome. But before we go any further, this is important, and I'm just a bit curious about it… How did you convince that old man at the front to let you get in here?”

“Uh… I talked it out with him, I guess.”

“Right… So you talked to him. And then somehow he just… Let you in?”

To which the boy nodded, smiling casually in response to the question. But all things considered, it surely did not appear to be enough to ease the girl who inquired, that she even expected someone in her own imagination to come forward and to oppose quite a nonsense the boy had on the table, when for the second time the girl then asked Daniel, “Don't you think you’re way too young for this kind of thing?”

And it just couldn't be blamed when Giselle stated such, after she only took a mere glance at the adolescent, who was also somehow clueless and perplexed by what the girl in front of him had just said about his innocent face; for Daniel is actually quite a young boy, especially with such an appearance that he has… Which would lead anyone to believe he is still around the age of any high school student that could just be found anywhere around the city.

Though this whole fact somehow remained insufficient to make the boy grasp… About what was wrong with his being there so late at night, that he couldn't help but to expect confirmation from the girl in front of him about it: whether his request could still be carried out by her or not, hence he asked, “Would that be a problem?”

While looking like he was trying to get his wallet out of his black jeans pocket he also added, “Because you see… My brand new ID got burned just a month ago, but I still have some kind of letters each from my doctor and the police. At least both say my age in so many places if I remember it correctly.”

The girl then gazed at the two letters Daniel had handed her, but she didn't read any of the paragraphs, nor the sentences… Not even a single word; instead, Giselle giggled a bit and stared at the boy who had piqued her curiosity even more as they spent each second together at the same table. Until the same young woman tilted her head and in such a sultry tone she said, “So… This will be your very first time doing it then… Or am I wrong?”

"No, you’re right... And hopefully this won't be my last time." The boy laughed whilst he responded, trying to jest so as not to appear nervous.

“But… Let's talk a little bit more… I mean, you’re quite a handsome one, you know that? Even way more than any man I've talked to so far, so if you don't mind telling me… With everything that you have over there, why did you have to come here in the first place?”

“I don’t know… Maybe because why not?”

“C’mon… Don’t play dumb with me.”

“Sorry?”

“I mean if you really wanted to, you could just easily seduce any girl, or at least the ones closest to you… Someone younger, healthier, cleaner, someone who is better than my kind.”

“What? Now hold there for a second. What is it exactly you are trying to say? But, anyhow… If I really had to state something so obvious here, then no, I never thought of it that way. Nor have I ever looked at any girl like how you just describe it. However, the thing is… I’m just– Okay, look…”

Daniel began to stutter over his own words, as how he didn't even usually talk that much in one go, ever before… Yet he still struggled to keep a smile while he continued saying, “I have my own reasons, alright? I know exactly what I want and it’s more than enough to justify me being here with you.”

“......”

A brief moment of silence came unexpectedly…

“Aw, I'm flattered…” Giselle's blush appeared along with such a soft voice she just let out that felt a little like a whisper.

“Eh? But… Why? Seriously… I'm so lost on your point, madam.”

“I mean, isn't it basically just the same as you saying that you chose me, because I'm all and the only one you want right now? Oh, silly… You just plainly admitted that I am indeed the prettiest on the list, or was it not?”

“Well, yeah… Surely your beauty was one of the main factors.”

“Really!? You swear on god?”

“Uh… Yes?”

“Even prettier than Selena herself?”

“......”

The name that just came out of the young woman's mouth suddenly stopped Daniel's painstaking efforts to keep smiling kindly… And instead filled with an expression of surprise as if to convince the boy himself to ask her about it.

"You know me?"

“I know your aunt, at least. And as you might have guessed, the old man actually ordered me to do nothing but persuade you. To try to stop what such a brat wants to do in this kind of dim place, late at this hour… Perhaps our old geezer right there really meant it when he said that he felt sorry for you, as a result of something that happened in the past… Something he overheard from that conversation you had with your aunt at this place quite a few years ago.”

The young woman nonchalantly murmured the words as if she was confident that they would not signify anything to the boy who always manages to somehow conceal his actual emotion, only so that no one would feel awkward giving him the truth. Therefore no one can actually be blamed for what she had just waved and what she was still about to say while her act suddenly turned fishy and cautious from the people around them.

“But, yeah… That's just how that is, apparently.”

Said the girl as if she didn't want anybody other than Daniel to hear her words… Yet also didn't want to make the boy suspicious over her own motives at the same time, so she then opted to clarify by deliberately saying out loud, “That I'm not allowed to play with you, only because there's someone behind the counter over there who’s concerned that spending even just a one fucking night with me would lead you down to the wrong path of a whole humanity. That’s right… Out of the many other new lost people who come to this place in every fucking night, you are the only exception to him.”

“I see…”

“But gosh, it's too much of a waste for me to lose out on someone as handsome as you, so here's the plan.” The girl abruptly interrupted and rejected Daniel's disappointment.

Then decided to touch the boy's hand, pulling the smartphone out of his fingers and grinned as Giselle remarked, “This will be a guarantee so that you don't run away from me.”

Only after that did she get up from the chair, rubbing Daniel's head with her hand which slowly moved to his cheek and her mouth coming closer to the ear as she whispered, "Meet me behind the building.”

To which Daniel gave absolutely no response whatsoever to such strange stimulation he had just received from technically the woman of his choosing.

~~~~~

“All is done… Your dear boy agreed to go home.”

The young woman walked past an old man who was sitting quietly behind the counter, where she delivered such a short message without any intention of politely stopping her own steps and instead, immediately disappeared behind the curtain that concealed the dark hallway in the middle part of the building.

Meanwhile Daniel only remained silent in his chair for just about a minute before getting up as well, and walking out from the cafe's front door alone by himself.

Stopping for yet another moment to get some breath of the night’s fresh air until continuing on through the small alley at the side of the building, to meet someone who was leaning against one of the walls behind it.

As that person then said, “You didn't put any lock on your smartphone. So I took your number for myself and I put mine in yours.”

“Why?”

“What do you mean why? Nothing will be the last time for us, you dummy… Why would we stop with just one try if you know you'll love each time we do it?”

“......”

“Right?”

“Right…”

With an expression that slowly became even more unnatural, Daniel nodded at what the young woman had just said about his own future… For his heart stayed strong in its belief that he would still end his own life soon, no matter what gets in the way.

~~~~~

“So… Do you have your own place or should we go to my room instead?”

The young woman slowly rubbed the boy's left ear with her finger… Smiling seductively as she noticed Daniel becoming increasingly uneasy, which only fueled her desire to do even more by swapping positions, pushing him to be the one leaning against the wall instead of her.

But suddenly the boisterous sound of a group of people chatting from a distance drew Daniel's attention, where there he found three men accompanying one of their friends who was vomiting on the side of the road… Seems to be the result of excessive drinking, though each person's state does not actually show much difference from the one who is vomiting. Yet it was not anything that caused Daniel to break out in a cold sweat but rather something more familiar, which was plainly evident on their matching outfits.

And the young woman obviously sensed that dread from him as well, so she opted to join back in leaning against the wall, right next to Daniel… Blocking not only the boy's vision of them, but also those who would have seen Daniel's presence if she hadn't taken steps to cover the boy's position by utilizing her own body.

After that she asked, “Friends of yours?”

“No… I don’t know any of them.”

“I see…” Giselle squinted, returning to her doubts. “Do they have anything to do with why you are so unconcerned about your own life, then?”

“What?”

“C'mon... It's not that hard to guess. Anyone who paid even the slightest attention to your empty, pitiful stare would have spotted it right away, the same way I just did back in the cafe.”

The girl, who had just finished her sentence, seemed to have missed something much more obvious, so she decided to ponder for a moment… Rubbing her chin while thinking before adding, “Well, to be fair, even without looking at it, everyone would definitely be concerned once they heard that someone as young as you had opted to come here looking for love, but… Forget it. Tonight, you don't have to worry about anything. I promise I'll make you feel good, so come with me now.”

Yet when the young woman grabbed Daniel's hand to take him away, he suddenly stood his ground instead… Intending to refuse the kind offer he had just received from the girl who was only trying to be his help as the boy said, “Sorry… I just remembered that I have to do something really important.”

“Nah… It's too soon for you to die. At least not tonight.”

“I know! I won’t! Trust me, it's not what you think it is… I’m not trying to die by any means. I just really gotta go now!” Daniel said in a hurry… Eventually was able to escape the strong grip on his own hand with such a simple untruth. Giving himself space after taking a few steps back from Giselle but before leaving, he recalled something he could do to compensate.

So he pulled out a hefty stack of cash from beneath his jacket and handed it to her.

Then the boy said, “I still have a lot more for myself and I'm not giving this one to you for any reason other than the fact that you deserve it, so please don't think otherwise and that's it… I have to go now. Thank you very much and see you later!”

Daniel finished his words while continuously walking backwards away from the young woman, until the two of them got even more apart with Daniel turning his body around, chasing after those who had just gone out of his own sight… Trailing the group of people in their matching jackets for something the boy really wants to know about but can not understand why.

~~~~~