The Author's POV

"Ren, are you listening to me?"

As I absentmindedly lifted and lowered the spoon in my hand, I heard a familiar voice tickle my ears.

"Ren!"

The voice grew louder with every passing second, and before I knew it, it was right next to my ear, startling me out of my daze.

"Ren Dover!"

"Huaa!"

I screamed as my hand reached out for the corner of the desk to stop myself from falling.

Unfortunately, my efforts proved futile as I inevitably still fell to the ground.

Bang—!

"Ugh."

With my butt feeling the cold hard ground, I slowly raised my head to see my mother's face looking down at me. She had a rather worried look on her face.

"Are you okay Ren? Did something happen?"

"No."

Pressing my hand against the ground and picking up the chair, I sat back down. Then, picking up the spoon, I took a mouthful of cereal and ate it.

"Ren?"

"Mh, I'm just..mhm, I've got a lot to think about..mh."

"Don't speak while you're chewing."

With a small rag in hand, my mother sat down next to me.

Supporting her chin with both hands, she leaned her body a bit.

"Be honest with me. I can tell that something happened. You can tell your mother, I'm all ears."

Lowering the spoon in my hand, I turned to face my mother.

My brows soon furrowed and I sighed.

'Fuck it.'

"...I'm going to leave again."

Immediately following those words, I closed my eyes expecting my mother to go bonkers.

But...

"Hm?"

To my surprise, I did not hear my mother lose it even after half a minute had passed.

Upon opening my eyes, I was surprised to see my mother smiling at me. The sight caused my brows to jump up.

"Mom?"

"See, it wasn't so hard to tell me was it?"

"...What?"

Opening and closing my mouth, my head tilted.

I was legitimately very confused at the moment.

"...Are you not angry at me for leaving again?"

"Angry?"

Cocking her head a little, her neat blonde hair gently fell over her shoulder. Plucking her lips a little, she asked.

"Why should I be angry?"

"...Ehm."

Raising my hand to scratch the back of my head, I didn't know how to respond.

'What's going on?'

This wasn't the reaction that I had expected from her. Was there something wrong with my mother?

Was she sick?

Worry instantly flashed across my face.

"Don't look at me like that."

a frown on her face,

table, she walked toward the kitchen and placed it on the

the entire time, neither one of us spoke as I waited for her

why

didn't say anything before

"Right."

body, I met my mother's eyes. They looked an

I can no longer control you like when

sad smile flashed across her face as she leaned her body a

never going to stop you from doing whatever you want

for a moment, my mother let out a gentle

to tell me when you're going on such dangerous trips. Just so that I don't have to worry about where you

"...Okay."

away from my mother and staring at the bowl of

"I'll do that."

flowed from the faucet in the kitchen, the sound of the water echoed throughout the room. While putting one of the plates in the sink, my mother

"When are you leaving?"

hand suddenly paused. Bitterly smiling, I

"Most likely today."

couldn't push the trip any further

fact, I probably shouldn't be here right

also a lot of things that I needed to do in order to ensure that the trip was going to be successful. I had already contacted Smallsnake about

problem was

'Jin.'

on full steam. But in order for that to work,

"Haa..."

escaped from my

to be a busy

new one, she placed the old one

are you

"I'm not too sure."

"I s—"

Clank—!

and a familiar figure appeared. While rubbing her eyes

and slowly walked toward the kitchen table, and helped herself up. It was clear that she was still sleepy

off my

"Sleepy?"

"Mhhh."

gently stroked Nola's head. In spite of this, she did not react as she simply lowered her head so that I could stroke her

'How cute.'

my bracelet once. In the blink of an eye, a large teddy bear

"Hey, Nola."

"Mhh..."

"Look, look."

the bear touched Nola, her

"Waah!"

let out

as soon as I noticed her reaction as I

about it Nola? Do you like

"Brother!"

both hands, she jumped toward the

amusing aspect of the situation was that the bear was almost twice Nola's

"Mhh..mhhh..mhh..mhh.."

bear tightly. The sounds persisted for a couple of seconds before they

"Nola?"

as my

she stop

my seat, I circled around the bear to discover Nola's figure motionlessly hugging

"Hey, Nola."

placed my hand

"Nola."

to set

"Hey Nola, Nola, Nol—"

"Booo!"

"Whoa!"

almost tripped on the ground. Raising my head, I was met with the sight

"Hehehe."

realizing that I had been fooled, I glared in Nola's

can get away with what you've

Mother! Haha, hehehe,

I ticked Nola's sides.

she was especially ticklish. Just tickling her legs would

"Hahaha, brother! Stop!...hhahaha..."

of mercy, I stopped after ten seconds. I wasn't cruel enough to

better have

I will...never do

on top of the bear on

that she had learned her lesson as she

Nola. Lowering

"Stinky brother."

let's go for another

"Kyaa! Noooo...ahahhahah!"