Ajin continued to walk and look around. More vendors lined the sandy roads and buildings with handwritten signs outside of them. A brothel right next to a nail painting business, a basket weaving building in front of a paper making business, and yet another basket weaving business next to that. A fabric shop right next to a robe-selling business with people outside with quite beautiful robes, great advertising. “I should buy myself a new robe, don’t you think?”

“Yes, master, you should.”

“I should get one for Akimatsu as well, his is dirty.”

“If you need to know, his size is two up from yours.”

“That makes it easier, thanks!”

“Of course, master.” Riki affirmed, knowing well Ajin would refuse to check Akimatsu’s size for the sake of Akimatsu’s ‘privacy.’ 

"Oh, but master, you should really apply for that job right after.” Riki advised once more, “Of course, I can’t just use up my coins and end up starving.” Ajin thought, using his critical thinking skills to realize he needs to earn money. “I believe that should be a great place to purchase robes.” Ajin told Riki, “They have male clothes and female clothes on display, I believe you’re right.” Riki agreed. The building had an open-like style to it, and people were right outside with beautiful robes with other robes on display, Ajin walked towards them. “Hello! Welcome to Akako Hano Seamstress Shop! We sell male and female robes made by Akako Hano herself!” One of the girls stated as she saw Ajin walk towards the shop. “Hello Miss, how much does the average robe cost?” Ajin asked, finally reaching talking distance. “Twenty coins per robe, more depending on the material.”

"Ok, miss, thank you, may I go in?”

“Go ahead.” The girl said as she signaled Ajin in. Ajin went in, and another girl turned to her, “Isn’t he handsome?” The girl whispered and teased her friend, they giggled into their hands. Ajin once inside glimpsed around. Robes hanged from the ceiling and robes hanged on what seemed like racks, all sorted by different color. A male and female section wasn't notable. The robes were just robes for anyone. “How may I help you, young man?” A woman asked as she came up to Ajin. "Oh, I came to purchase robes for me and... my brother.”

“Alright young man, I believe your size should be right over there, why don’t you wake up your brother so he can look around too?” The woman added as she signaled to Akimatsu on Ajin’s back. "Oh, sorry, I cannot- he hasn’t slept for a while, so I have to let him sleep.” Ajin detailed. "Ohhhh, alright, you tell me when you find something nice you like.”

“Yes miss.”

Ajin turned from her to look at the robes she had pointed. Every color robe lined the hanging racks. Reds, whites, pinks, yellows, oranges, greens, purples, browns, blues, greys, and blacks—Ajin headed to the front of the hanging racks—to the reds. “I can’t get light colors, so white, pink, yellow, and grey robes are out of question; the dirt will show up fast.”

“You’re right master, I feel orange and green are not your colors by the way.” Riki remarked, “I would be offended, but I know you’re right, I feel either blue, red, black, or purple would be good,” Ajin thought, as he felt a red robe. “Brown is not your color, even though it’d cover dirt, you’d look dirtier, not a color suited for a prince.” Riki advised, thinking of how Ajin would look. “I think I like this one.” Ajin smiled, coming upon a red robe that had gold and white details on the sleeves and bottom. The robe had leaf-shaped embroidery on its lower part and tiny stars embroidered as well. Ajin took it down and held it to his chest, he looked at the size. “It’s one size above mine, but that’s fine, it’ll fit longer.” Ajin thought to himself. He continued to look on. He skipped the whites, pinks, yellows, oranges, greens, and he looked at the purples. “Do you think purple is his color?” Ajin asked within himself to Riki. “Perhaps master, but let’s keep looking.” Riki answered, Ajin skipped the browns and then took a look at the blues. He felt the fabric and moved on, it wasn't the best, he skipped the the gray robes and reached the blacks. “I feel black is everyone’s color, don’t you think?”

"Yes, master, it is.” Riki replied. Ajin felt the fabrics and reached a robe that also had the same leaf-shaped embroidery on its lower part, embroidered in white, along with the tiny stars. On the sleeves, embroidered red flowers. He pulled it down and checked the size. “I think I should get this one for Akimatsu, even though it’s also one size up from his, but that’s fine. He’ll grow too.” Ajin thought. "Yes, you should, it’s matching.” Riki added, not having the heart to mention that Akimatsu wouldn’t grow due to him being technically dead. Ajin held both the red and black robes to his chest. He walked to a bench, sat Akimatsu down, and walked to the woman he had talked to. "Hello, miss, I found robes for myself and my brother, may I try mine on?”

“Of course, this way.” The woman motioned as she walked out of her booth and signaled Ajin to a wall that had a brown cloth over it. “Step in there.” She motioned, Ajin walked into it and touched the cloth, and it split into two, revealing a small room with a half mirror attached to the wall.

 “Mirrors are expensive, this is a wealthy establishment.” Ajin thought as he looked around and then turned to the mirror and stared at his reflection. His eyes with sorrow stared back, his gray hair a mess and with grass in its strands, his lips dry, and his robe with dirt. His expensive shoes coated in mud, and the lower part of his robe, dyed brown. “How would she allow me to try on such a beautiful robe when I look like this.” Ajin thought, extending his arms and seeing his sleeves were also coated in dirt. He rolled up his to reveal his arms, which had a few drops of blood. Ajin quickly licked his thumb and wiped it off. “I wasn’t able to clean your actual body, just your robe.” Riki mumbled within Ajin. Ajin stared into his eyes. Slowly he removed his robe, not looking down. He felt if he looked down his heart would be pierced again. 

His eyes closed, he feared to see an open wound. He opened his eyes and glimpsed his chest. A huge scar, bigger than the size of his entire hand, dry blood surrounded it, but no blood oozed out. Ajin then looked at his hair, he picked at the grass and finger-combed his hair, and shook off the dirt trapped in it. He lifted the robe to eye level. “This robe isn’t expensive at all, before, it’d seem unfit for me to wear this robe because it’s cheap, but now I’m unfit to wear it because I’m poor and filthy, this robe is too good for me.” Ajin thought as reality seeped in. He let go of a breath he had been holding with no thought. He pursed his lips and clenched the robe.

He put on the beneath layers that came with the robe as well as the robe. “This feels better. I feel cleaner.”

He stared at himself with the robe now on, a smile plastered on his tired face, it was genuine but no emotion behind it could be detected. “Indeed master.” Riki butted in, hoping it'd help Arakan mentally.

Ajin went out of the fitting room, and now with Akimatsu on his back, he went to the woman who showed him the fitting rooms. “Is that all you’ll be taking, young man?” The woman asked. “Yes miss..” Ajin said confidently, without knowing what her name was, “Akako Hano.” The woman stated. “Miss Hano, thank you.” Ajin affirmed, “Of course, that’ll be forty four coins.”

“Ok, here, Miss Hano.” He counted the coins and handed them to her.

“Mmh,” Miss Hano pondered, “I haven’t seen you around, this is a small town, are you new?”

“I am.”

“Really, well, I’m looking for someone who can cut fabric and carry heavy items, do you know how to do that much?”

“Oh, yes, miss, I can.”

“I only have females who work for me, it would make it look more versatile if I had a handsome young man in my store, would you like to work for me?”

“I have been looking for work, I’d love to miss.”

“Here then, take back twenty two coins, one robe will be free, come back tomorrow morning to start.”

“Oh, yes, miss, thank you so much.” Ajin assured surprised, a job acquired as easy as breathing, “I can’t believe I have a job already!” Ajin thought to himself. He bowed and turned, walking away to the door to leave. “You should apply to that first job offered as well master, we won’t be able to afford somewhere to live and spend winter with just one job.” Riki advised. “You’re right, let’s head there now.”

Ajin reached the door he had walked through and waved goodbye to the girls who had welcomed him in, they waved back with smiles. Ajin placed the two robes he had purchased inside his fruit basket and took out the scroll he had been given. There was a terrible map drawing on it. It took him an hour just to get to the shop. Riki laughed to himself, knowing the map had been upside down. Ajin stood outside the shop. 'Yuri’s Paint Shop' was written on a sign next to the front door. He went into the shop and saw no one. “Umm.. hello, I came to see if I could find a job here.” Ajin said, trying to be loud but not so much where he was yelling. “You came! Hello, I’m glad you’re here.” The girl he had seen before said, popping from behind the front desk. “I came to see what I could work as Miss.”

“Akiye Yuri, my name is Akiye Yuri.” She smiled. “Ah, yes, Miss Yuri, my name is Ajin.”

“Come on, call me by my name instead, that’s too formal.”

“Miss Akiye it is.” Ajin said, “Not what I meant, but ok.” Akiye thought, liking being called Miss Ayike, making her feel superior.

“Well, we need someone to make paintings for display, we need someone to help chop wood for paper, and we need someone to collect the ingredients to make the paints.” Akiye listed, watching Ajin walk closer to the front desk. “I could do anything you’d like.” Ajin proposed.

“We have a new hire as well, she came in just a few minutes before you, I assigned her collecting ingredients for the paints, she starts tomorrow, since you’re a boy, you can chop wood, and well, so it isn’t too hard on you, also painting if you’d like, simple paintings, not too much.”

“Thank you, that’d be perfect, thank you for being considerate.” Ajin acknowledged.

“And who is that on your back?”

“My brother!” Ajin replied fast. “Does he want work too?”

“No! He is- sickly, he can’t work, he must rest.”

“Oh alright.” Akiye confirmed, "Odd, he’s carrying him around though.” She thought, looking Akimatsu hard on Ajin’s back, eyes closed. “You can start tomorrow if you’d like, what works best for you? Afternoons or mornings?”

“Oh uh.” Ajin muttered, “I got a job in the morning so afternoons if it isn’t too much trouble.”

“Not at all, that’s perfect.”

“Thank you, Miss Akiye.”

“Of course, I’ll see you tomorrow then.”