Eleven looked at the ceiling and suddenly turned over, "I forgot to ask, what is your name?"
"Jane Hestad."
Eleven turned around with a slightly unhappy expression, "I meant your real name. Can't you just tell me?"
Hesta looked at her, "That's her real name."
"Stop lying to me," Eleven turned over and sat up, "No one uses his clan name as his surname. If you don't want to say it, don't say it. Don't treat me like a fool!"
This sudden anger left Hesta a little confused.
"Huh, if you don't tell me your real name, then I won't tell you either." The little girl lay down again and muttered, "Don't even want to know what my real name is."
Eleven turned around, but heard a rustling sound behind him. She endured it for a while, then quietly turned around - Hesta was opening the bread she brought back tonight.
"Stop!" Eleven jumped off the bed and snatched the bread from Hesta's hand, "This is reserved for tomorrow - you almost ate the big pot of noodles alone at night. Why are you still eating!"
"I'm hungry," Hesta turned to get another bag of bread, "Noodles, not enough."
"Don't open it! Don't open it!" Eleven shouted, stuffing the bread he just grabbed back into Hesta's hand, "Forget it, just eat this you opened... What's wrong with you? It’s so delicious!”
The little girl walked back to the bed angrily, deliberately making every move she made loud, but all this seemed to be unable to cause ripples on Hesta's side.
After a while, the little girl looked at Hesta quietly again. He was still sitting in the same position as before, chewing slowly and not knowing what he was thinking.
The little girl watched Hesta's every move carefully.
This big guy... is really weird. She seemed to be easy to bully, and she didn't react even if he scolded her casually.
But at the same time, this person is very good at fighting...
"Hey." She called.
Hesta, who was chewing, raised his head.
"What did you say you were called, your name?"
"simple."
"Okay, Jane," the little girl snorted, "Tell me, am I nice to you?"
"Huh?" Hesta looked at the little girl, wondering what the other party was selling.
"Am I very kind to you?" The little girl stepped on the tattered bamboo mat with her left foot and raised her chin slightly. "Look, you are a newbie here and you have no place to live. It's me who gave it to you. A place to shelter from the wind and rain, and I’ll cook you something to eat—am I treating you well?”
This long sentence was temporarily beyond Hesta's understanding, but she recognized that it was a question, so she hummed vaguely.
"So you have to repay me." The little girl continued, "Otherwise, you will be a little white-eyed wolf... a big white-eyed wolf!"
Seeing that Hesta didn't respond again, Eleven stood up and said, "Repay, do you understand repay? I have done something for you, so you have to help me too."
Hesta still didn't know much about it: "...What are you helping me with?"
Eleven raised her head and thought for a long time. She didn't think of anything that Hestad had to do for her, so she lay down again.
"Help with what?" Hesta asked again.
"Oh," the little girl was a little annoyed by the questioning. She turned her head, crossed her legs, patted her belly gently with one hand, and let out a long sigh, "I really can't count on you, but I can't. Go to sleep, go to sleep.”
Hesta tied the leftover bag of bread into a knot and gently threw it towards the place where they were stacking sundries not far away. The half bag of bread accurately landed on top of the other bag.
"Good night," Hesta replied softly.
…
Early the next morning, Hesta decided to go around the Mercury Needle Workstation in Mei County to at least understand their working hours.
Along the way, Eleven always followed Hesta. She found that the big man could not tell where he was going, so she volunteered to protect her from the stranger's deception.
The two held hands and walked on the deserted road. The countryside of May County always reminds Hestad of Short Ring Lane - even though weeds and wildflowers can be seen everywhere, and a crooked tree pops up from time to time along the road, everything is still gray.
"The countryside is the safest right now," Eleven said loudly. "No homeless people get up early. They are all sleeping at this time, so you can't touch anyone."
"Tramp." Hesta captured the term accurately. She pointed at Eleven, "You, tramp?"
Eleven's eyes suddenly widened. She shook off Hesta's hand again, took a few steps back, and then accelerated towards Hesta.
"What are you talking about!"
Hesta had become somewhat accustomed to the little girl's moodiness, and she easily dodged Eleven's attack.
"Are you not a homeless person?"
Eleven stomped his feet angrily, "I am a 'Wanderer'!"
"have what……?"
"The difference is huge!! Tramps are all homeless people, but vagrants are different. Tramps come out to 'experience life' - I don't come out to wander, I come out to experience life, do you understand? ?" Eleven was furious, "These homeless people outside die on the road and no one cares about them. I am different from them!"
The little girl looked at Hesta's face. Judging from the other person's expression at the moment, she probably didn't understand.
"you!"
Hesta stopped smiling - Eleven's face was already red with anger. She grabbed her hot and itchy neck hard, leaving several red marks on her dirty neck.
"Uh..." Hesta looked at her, "Sorry?"
"I have a mother! I - have - a home!" Eleven shouted, "I'm not a homeless man!"
Hesta squatted down, and after a moment of silence, she opened her arms.
"...Well, you're not a tramp, I was wrong."
Hearing these words, Eleven finally let go of her breath. She looked away, her voice a little choked, but she could still hear the anger: "It's good that you know! Anyway, remember, don't call me a tramp in the future." !”
Hesta nodded quietly.
The two walked forward in silence for a while, and not long after, Eleven's steps began to bounce again.
"simple?"
"Um."
"I didn't even ask yesterday, where is your mother?" Eleven raised his head, "Isn't she worried about you running so far alone?"
"My mother?"
"Yes, your mother!"
"She," Hesta thought for a moment, "isn't here."
"You mean," Eleven grabbed his neck with both hands, stuck out his tongue and made a face, "Isn't it like this?"
Hesta was still looking forward, "Yeah."
Eleven looked up at Hesta again. This time, the little girl was silent for a while, but soon returned to her previous cynical appearance.
"You have to thank me properly, you know?" The little girl held her head high, "I am your benefactor."
(End of chapter)
