Basim turned around as well and found Mr. Fathih, a middle-aged man, holding Laith’s hand tightly, staring intensely at both Maysa and Basim.

The moment their eyes met his, Maysa and Basim instantly pushed each other away and started yelling at each other.

Without hesitation, Maysa ran and hid behind her uncle Fathih, peeking cautiously at Basim, who now stood at a distance, equally puzzled by their sudden presence.

Fathih glanced at Basim, then shifted his gaze to the fool tied to the tree trunk, grinning like a madman, staring at everyone.

Fathih sighed deeply and exhaled in frustration, muttering, “I don’t even know which one of you is the real fool,” his words were aimed at Basim, who just scratched the back of his head and gave a careless smile.

Then Mr. Fathih bent down to untie the fool while Maysa and her little brother held onto each other, watching every move he made.

As soon as the rope came off, the fool jumped to his feet and started yelling, “Basim found me! And Uncle Fathih too! Basim and Uncle Fathih found me!” while running around the cemetery like a lunatic.

Fathih glanced lazily at Basim before turning to his niece and nephew, saying, “Let’s go…”

Meanwhile, Basim stood silently, waiting for them to leave before making his quiet exit.

While Laith held his toy in one hand and clutched his sister’s hand with the other, he glanced behind him and noticed Basim walking a few steps behind them, having just exited the cemetery.

He asked, “Do you know him, sister? Why is he following us?”

Maysa turned as well, spotting Basim kicking a small rock as he walked lazily behind them. “I don’t know him… that fool just scared me a moment ago, and it just happened he was there,” she answered, still puzzled.

Mr. Fathih, overhearing their conversation, said, “He lives in the house across from ours.” Then he added, “That idiot always ties the fool to that tree trunk in the cemetery whenever he gets too annoying.”

Maysa and Laith exchanged a surprised look, then turned back to stare at Basim. Maysa asked, “Is he the fool or what?”

Her uncle chuckled and replied, “I wonder that myself.”

They continued on their way home as darkness slowly settled in. The sounds of night insects filled the air, carried on a soft breeze that gently swept across the summer night.

The moon lit up the sky calmly, and the stars softly shimmered in the dark above.

Maysa sat on the balcony of one of the rooms that would soon be hers—she had decided to spend the rest of the summer in her uncle’s village home.

Her hair strands danced in the wind as she soaked in the peaceful night, her eyes quietly fixed on the horizon.

Then, a soft, affectionate sound caught her attention from the alley below.

She peeked down at the neighboring house, only to find the same young man she’d clung to earlier now gently playing with a dog, clearly enjoying the moment.

She kept watching until Basim lifted his eyes and noticed her sitting on the balcony. Without caring much, he simply looked away and resumed petting the dog.

Then, out of nowhere, he said, “So? Do I not look like a fool now?” speaking directly to Maysa, catching her off guard.

She stared for a second, then quickly drew the curtain shut and stepped back inside, muttering to herself, “What do I care if you're a fool?”

She threw herself onto the bed to get some rest.

Meanwhile, Basim looked back up toward the balcony, seeing the curtain sway gently with the breeze. He mumbled to himself, “Tch… just a villager,” before going back to playing with the dog without a second thought.