A lot has changed since then. My grandfather is doing a great job; he's even gained some recognition in the area. Thanks to his excellent work making furniture and fixing things, he’s caught the attention of more people who now hire him whenever he has the time.

The people who live with us in the tavern are very kind, especially Mr. Alan Wrecked. It’s always fun when he’s around because something funny usually happens.

Whether he goes to the bathroom and forgets to bring water…

Goes to eat and forgets to cook…

Goes to cook and forgets the ingredients…

Or tries talking to girls and forgets how to be attractive…

Stuff like that…

But he’s not the only one. Mr. Jay also helps Grandpa and me all the time, although we don’t talk much since he has to manage his other taverns.

Everyone has their quirks—they’re all nice and make this place feel comfortable. It may not be as charming as the cabin, especially since there are frequent fights between drunk people. Then again… I could consider it front-row entertainment. It just gets tiresome because it means more repair work for Lui.

As for me, although I’ve tried getting closer to other kids, I’m not very good at talking to them… I think.

For starters, I usually talk to them about ants, but they immediately make a face and go “Ugh…” and run away. I don’t get it—are there more interesting topics than how ants work?

Anyway, I try talking about toys. They don’t make weird faces at least, but they still run from me, and I don’t understand why.

Then I try talking about sweets—same thing. They just run off and leave me behind.

Every time I approach them, the first thing they say is, “Here comes bug boy.” They wait for me to speak and then walk away…

I don’t understand any of it. This was supposed to be easy. Anna said I needed to talk more with kids my age instead of trees and animals.

But I feel lonelier surrounded by kids than I ever did among plants…

Oh, right.

About Ashie—there’s been no progress since the first time we talked. He still avoids me, and whenever I try speaking to him, he responds coldly.

What did I ever do to make him hate me so much? I mean, when I arrived at the tavern, he was the one spying on me. If anything, I should be the grossed-out one.

Let’s not even talk about the clothes he wears—worn-out and dirty. He’s not exactly the cleanest person either.

Ha. Anyway, with those things, it makes sense he doesn’t have any friends, and why the other kids bully him too.

But my situation is completely different from his. There’s no clear reason why the other kids run from me…

No matter. Today’s the day I’ll try to approach a group that usually plays in Greenfall Square. I’ve already prepared everything I’m going to say—this time, I visualized it all clearly and perfectly.

I’ll talk to them about magic!

I don’t know much about it, but I saw it’s really popular among the kids.

I even saw some of them practicing it in the park, so it’s definitely something they find interesting.

Ah, right, I should get dressed first—I just got out of the shower.

I got changed quickly, put on my shoes, and ran toward the stairs.

Tiptoeing but fast, I went down to the first floor, and just as I was heading out, I bumped into a blind mule who walks without even opening his eyes.

“You... damn—”

Oh, wait, it’s Mr. Wayne.

Mr. Wayne is Ashie’s father. At a glance, they only look alike in their hair and eye color—blonde and green.

According to Mr. Ruth, Ashie takes more after his mother, who died of hypothermia years ago.

Hypothermia is when the body’s temperature drops uncontrollably because it can’t generate enough heat, and the cold environment makes it worse.

Or well, that’s what Grandpa Lui told me when I asked him.

The point is, Ashie looks more like his mom. That also explains why he has such a feminine appearance.

“Are you okay, Finn? Did you bump into me too hard?” Mr. Wayne asked, looking concerned.

“I’m fine, don’t worry... Sorry, it was my fault for rushing.”

“Oh come on, I should’ve paid more attention too. I’m sorry,” he said, smiling.

“We both messed up, Mr. Wayne.”

“Yes, we both did. Anyway—by the way, have you seen Ashie anywhere? I’ve been looking for him, but I can’t find him.”

“Well... Ashie and I don’t exactly get along…”

“Oh, right, I forgot... Hey, Finn... could I ask you a favor?”

“A favor? Sure, if it’s something I can do, I’ll do it.”

“Could you... try being Ashie’s friend?”

What kind of crazy question is that!? I mean, I’ve been trying, of course I have—but Ashie doesn’t make it easy at all.

Friendship isn’t something you can do alone—if the other person doesn’t want it, what can I do?

Besides, it’s not like I even like Ashie much. He’s always talking down to me and giving me dirty looks. Not exactly someone I’d want as a friend—not while he keeps acting like that.

“I know Ashie can be moody, I know that well... It’s just that... he’s a very sensitive boy, you know?”

“You see, Ashie used to be a really sweet and friendly kid. He loved talking to everyone and would smile at anyone. If you’d had a horrible day, just seeing him could brighten it up…”

Huh, I find that hard to believe.

“As you might know, we come from the Hasselof family—a very prestigious line of lightning mages. At one point, we had it all, and Ashie really noticed it. We lived in a big, beautiful house. We even had enough money to send him to school. And of course, his mother gave him all the love in the world…”

“One day, his mother and I decided to hire him a private tutor to help develop his lightning magic. He has a really interesting mana flow, so we wanted to make sure he had a secure future.”

“Of course, it wasn’t against his will—Ashie actually wanted it, so we thought it was reasonable. We hired Mr. Tanner Li Hasselof, a top-class instructor, hoping Ashie would develop his magic properly. At first, we noticed a big change. If Ashie used to shine, now he was even brighter than the sun itself.”

“Everything was going well… but out of nowhere, his behavior became more withdrawn. At first, if you raised your voice even a little, he’d start crying immediately. Then, over time, when I’d go to bathe him, he started trembling—especially when I had to wash his thighs. He’d run to a corner, hug himself, and cry uncontrollably. His reactions just kept getting worse.”

“He didn’t want to go to magic lessons anymore. Whenever we mentioned it, he’d vomit and bang his head against the wall repeatedly. One day, my wife decided to talk to Mr. Tanner and ask if he’d noticed any changes in Ashie. But she didn’t come back home. So I went to look for her… and I found her lying in a river, showing signs of hypothermia. And… there was no pulse…”

Wayne sighed and continued.

“I’m sure it was the ice mages. I’m completely sure… but that was the start of everything…”

“After her death, I started drinking heavily and neglecting everything. I got into trouble with the main Hasselof lineage, and they ended up banishing both me and Ashie. I thought that would be the end for us, but like a ray of hope, for the first time in so long, I saw Ashie smile again…”

Wayne took a breath and smiled.

“You know, I owe that kid everything… I’m a terrible father, but even when I couldn’t help him, he gave me another chance… and in the end, he was the one who helped me…”

“So Finn… would you accept a favor from this awful father, to help make his beautiful son happy again…?”

I see. Thinking of it that way… I understand why Ashie is the way he is—why he’s so afraid of meeting new people.

I also understand something new now. The kids didn’t mock Ashie because he acted creepy around them—they bullied him because they noticed he didn’t want to get close to anyone…

Now I get it. I haven’t been helping by despising him for who he is.

When did I ever think it was okay to look down on him the same way others look down on me?

“Because of his clothes or his looks”? That’s nonsense... Maybe deep down, I just didn’t want to feel like I was the only miserable one…

But now I’ve realized—I really was…

He’s someone who wants to ignore the world because when he trusted it the most, it hurt him the worst. Why keep snuffing out that tiny flame of light still flickering inside him?

Should I wait for the wind to finally blow it out, leaving behind nothing but worn-out lies?

I want to be Ashie Van Hasselof’s friend. No—

I will be Ashie Van Hasselof’s friend.

I looked at Wayne, resolved—my decision was irreversible.

“Mr. Wayne, thank you.”

“Thank you…?”

“Yes. I think I just realized something. I’ll be Ashie’s friend—I promise. I’ll make sure he stops putting thorns around his heart!”

It was something Grandpa always said when I felt sad. He said if you put thorns around your heart, you’re the one who gets pricked.

We can’t just put up thorns and hope they hurt others to protect ourselves—because in the end, the one who’ll bleed the most is you.

“I’m going to find Ashie now. See you, Mr. Wayne!” I said as I ran off.

That boy…

Where…

Where…

Where are you!?

Think, think, think…!

Every time I saw Ashie go out, he never went to crowded places. The spot he visits the most…

It’s gotta be that one!

“Why do you freak out whenever we try to take your shirt off? Don’t be such a sissy!”

“Faggot, faggot, faggot, faggot…”

“LEAVE ME ALONE! LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE! GET AWAY FROM ME!”

Ashie screamed, crying uncontrollably.

“Are you hiding something? Kukuku, come on guys, let’s just get his shirt off already.”

“N-NO! DAD!” Ashie’s scream was so gut-wrenching it felt like even his vocal cords were crying with him.

I’m sorry, Ashie. Maybe I brought back terrible memories by not getting here sooner, but I swear… I swear!

I’ll put an end to your suffering!

I grabbed a rock and, without hesitation, hurled it at the head of the boy who was grabbing Ashie.

“AAAAAAAH!” he screamed loudly—surely more than one adult heard that.

“H-he’s bleeding…” the kids started gathering around him.

Why are they worried now!? Do they have selective empathy!? Of course I hope it’s not serious—but honestly, he deserved it.

I ran to Ashie, took his hand, and ran with him without stopping.

“W-why…?” Ashie asked while we kept running hand in hand.

“Ashie, I used to think you acted the way you do because you wanted to shut the world out, but now I realize—you shut it out a long time ago!”

“WHAT DO YOU KNOW!? EVERYONE TREATS YOU NICELY, YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND HOW I FEEL!”

“It’s true! I know a lot of nice people, just like I know people who treat me like garbage! But Ashie—the reason you resent others so much is because you won’t give anyone a chance!”

“You live to resent and suffer because you won’t let yourself be loved! Don’t you see how many good people are around you?”

“Mr. Wrecked’s delicious food, Mr. Ruth’s good advice, Mr. Moore’s endless jokes—and most of all…!”

“Your dad, who’s never left your side!”

“Remember! Remember the warmth you once felt!”

Why…? Why does this boy want to help me so much…? I’ve treated him so horribly… So why do you care so much…?

Suddenly, Ashie stopped me, looking down. His tears were no longer visible.

“Can I… Can I become like them too?”

“Yes, you can. Ashie, maybe you haven’t noticed, but lightning magic isn’t the only kind you can use.”

“Huh?”

“Your most powerful magic… is when you smile.” I said, not realizing a soft smile was forming on my lips.

At that moment, Ashie turned as red as a tomato and, while smiling, his tears painted his rosy face again.

“Ashie, will you be my friend?”

“Yes,” he said instantly, still crying uncontrollably.

That crying, once filled with pain, had become crying from joy.

Sometimes the true beauty of humanity is found in the little details very few notice.

I’ll make Ashie happy—and I know he’ll make me happy too.

Because even now…

I’ve felt real happiness, just by seeing him happy.

For some reason, even after everything ended, we kept walking hand in hand.

No, no one was chasing us for revenge or anything.

We just kept walking.

“You say the dumbest stuff,” Ashie laughed.

“Ants don’t pee—they’re all girls!”

“That’s not true! And don’t say girls, it’s females. That’s what my grandpa says.”

“Then how do they have babies?”

“I don’t know… Maybe, uh… I don’t know.”

“T-then why ask me! You said they’re all females!”

“Hehehe, but you still answered me anyway,” he said, sticking his tongue out.

“Dummy…”

Ah, I’m so sleepy. All this wore me out. I’ll head back to the tavern, eat something, and sleep. Ashie should do the same to clear his mind.

Today was exhausting… After what happened with those boys, we went to the market to look at stuff we’ll probably never buy.

But as a way to ease the tension, it worked pretty well.

Though now my hands are sweaty—since we’ve spent the whole day holding hands.

By the way, Ashie’s skin is really soft. Incredibly soft. It’s comforting to the touch, so I don’t mind at all.

Besides…

How could I complain about that, when I get to see such a beautiful face smiling?

Wait, my cheeks are heating up.

“Finn, thank you…”

“Hmm?”

“Thank you for everything. I really had a good time today…” he said, with a bright smile.

Ah, so this is what you meant, Wayne—when you said he could shine brighter than the sun.

I smiled back and nodded.

“Me too… I really had a great time…”

“H-hey… F-from now on… let’s eat and bathe together!”

His ears were red. I couldn’t see his face since he was looking ahead, but he must’ve been blushing like mad.

“Y-yeah…”

Of course, me too.

We walked a bit more and finally arrived at the tavern.

“Ashie, Finn!” the one who greeted us was Wayne.

“Dad, what are you doing off shift?” Ashie asked, pouting.

“I was so worri—… Are you two… holding hands? And blushing?”

Wayne sighed and calmed himself.

“Anyway… I see you had a good time, and I’m glad nothing happened to you both…”

I need to thank Finn. That expression—until recently, I thought I’d never see it on Ashie again.

“Go to the living room. I’ll bring you some snacks.”

“Okaaay!” Ashie said, raising his leg as we headed to the living room.

This day, I’ll definitely remember it.

It’s the first time I’ve made a friend my age…

No—it’s the first time I’ve made a best friend.

A while later, Wayne came back with some snacks.

“I’m ba—”

I see… They must be really exhausted…

Wayne smiled, left the snacks on the table, closed the door, and left.

It was a truly productive day—not because we did a lot. In fact, besides walking and talking, we didn’t really do anything that exciting.

It was a productive day because we discovered things about ourselves that maybe, without each other, we never would have realized.

These are the kinds of things I call “a place to belong.”

 “And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who couldn’t hear the music.” — Nietzsche