Chapter 3 - Torchbloom and Sandwiches (Part 2)

With nothing to eat for lunch, Jade was forced to return to his aunt's house earlier than expected – and, naturally, he was starving by the time he got there.

Nothing went as planned that morning. He had to admit defeat regarding the Whisperleaf; not only did he not find the plant again, he didn't even find the place where he found the plant!

Yet, at the same time, he felt like he gained something much more valuable.

The Torchbloom was incredibly beautiful, and unlike anything he'd ever seen. Even when he arrived home, he still couldn't take his eyes off of it. It wasn't just pretty, it was also intriguing. It was magic. It was warm.

Jade knew this feeling. He had felt it before. A passion for something that burned so strongly it was all he could think about. The kind of passion that would take over his whole life until everything revolved around it. The kind where he couldn't help but be fascinated.

"Oh my, is that a new plant for your collection?" His aunt asked when she saw him holding the glass case like he was afraid it would shatter with the slightest breeze.

He didn't argue her use of 'collection', for now he was certain that there would be many more after this one.

"Not what you were looking for, but this is an incredible find! Torchblooms don't grow around here, and they're difficult to acquire; even our shop doesn't have any, they're simply too difficult to grow to make a business out of. Where did you even get it?"

"I ran into a trader. He gave it away for... my homemade sandwiches."

His aunt burst out laughing. "Your uncle never changes!"

Jade froze. Come to think of it, mom did mention before that her brother was a trader traveling around the world! No wonder he knew his name and his voice sounded so strangely familiar. With his uncle constantly traveling, he hadn't seen him that much at family gatherings before, and his face was obscured in the shrine.

But now that he knew, he couldn't help but be a little upset. He knew who I was and he still took my sandwiches?! Couldn't we have figured something out later... With a sigh, Jade accepted that everyone in his family had their own quirks.

I hope he liked my sandwiches at least.