Chapter 41: Chapter 40: A Friendship Is Born
"But that rabbit is really cute."
Chase suddenly said.
Rip was caught off guard by the sudden change in topic and was unable to react for a second.
"…Yeah, it was." Rip nodded in heartfelt agreement. Recalling the cute white rabbit with pink blush over its fur, he also wanted to pat it.
A little regret colored Rip's face. He shouldn't have just left, maybe if he stayed, he could have played with the little rabbit with Blake. It wasn't good of him to sneak around and listen in on others' secrets anyways. He should have just been upfront with Blake and let him know that he was there.
But it was too late for regrets now. Rip was too embarrassed to go to Blake now and tell the other party that he had secretly peeked at him while he was humming and unlike his normal self.
Taking a deep breath, Rip decided.
"I'll ask Blake tomorrow, first thing in the morning!"
Chase, "Why not today?"
Rip looked at Chase with dead fish eyes. "I need time to mentally prepare myself."
Chase nodded in understanding, "Oh."
Chase then added with a laugh, "Good luck!"
Rip rolled his eyes and puffed up his cheeks.
The ten year old child retorted, "What good luck!? You have to do it with me!"
"Yes, yes..."
*****
It was a lovely day.
The sky was bright and cloudless.
The birds tweeted sweetly as the tree leaves rustled with the gentle wind.
"Blake, can I talk to you for a minute?" In the morning, Rip tensely came up to Blake who was getting ready to wash his face, and asked.
Blake nodded.
This was another point of Blake that Rip liked and admired. He never gets annoyed or impatient with anyone, and he always accepts his requests.
After last night's conversation with Chase, Rip had been fidgeting throughout the night for what he was about to do next.
Right now, in order to calm down his highly strung nerves and muster up his courage for that one important question, Rip has been listing off all the good points and advantages of Blake to himself.
He tried his best to reassure himself that everything will go well and end well.
The gloomy and unpleasant atmosphere around Blake, once you notice him, easily puts people off. Either that, or scare them away.
And, for some reason, Rip was especially sensitive to it.
That's why he needed all this mental preparation and encouragement.
Breath in. Breath out.
He was ready.
Putting on a brave face to make himself feel braver than he actually was, Rip looked more like he was about to face off against a bloodthirsty beast than asking someone to be his friend.
Chase looked amused next to Rip, obviously calm compared to Rip who was in the same situation.
Blake did not speak a word, looking silently at Rip and Chase who wanted to say something to him.
Unnerved by the stare and afraid that the other party would grow impatient, Rip decided to just get out with it.
Short-term pain was better than long-term pain. He seriously cannot stand the suspense any longer.
"Please be our friend!" Rip shouted out in one quick breath.
Chase chipped in, "Yes, become our friend and your life will definitely turn colorful!" He pointed to his own hair.
A mass of orange and yellow. Definitely bright and colorful.
Rip nearly laughed untimely at Chase's silly antics.
And Blake…
Blake simply nodded.
No drama. No fighting. No crying.
Everything builded up to an anti-climactic end.
Instantly, Rip was ecstatic. He didn't think it would be so easy.
The gloomy atmosphere no longer bothered him and the unpleasant feeling that pricked at his skin disappeared.
In all his joy, Rip's senses were dulled and he failed to notice the sense of unease that never left him even after the success. He only thought that because they finally became friends, all his worries disappeared.
There is a known phenomenon where your brain convinces your body that something is true when it is not.
Commonly known as… subconscious self-delusion.
Rip jumped around all over the room in his happiness and excitement.
Chase grinned. He was also very happy to become friends with Blake. Since Rip suffered a lot for this beforehand, Chase considerately thought that he should at least do the followup.
"Looking forward to our beautiful friendship," Chase said with a bright and sunny smile—his signature mark—and stretched out his hand.
Blake hesitated slightly.
Ultimately, he did not reach out to take Chase's hand.
Chase did not mind. He retracted his hand. He thought that Blake might still be shy and that he was not used to contact with others. Because he certainly did not seem like a people person.
"Blake! What will you be doing for the talent show test?" Rip called to get Blake's attention and asked.
Since they were now friends, Rip was not shy at all about his questions. He immediately wanted to know all about his new friend that he fought so hard to obtain.
Blake did not leave Rip in suspense. He shook his head and quietly said a "No".
If it weren't for Rip paying close attention to his lip movement and seeing the movement of his head, he wouldn't have heard the mosquito-volume voice.
"Me, too!" Rip immediately dittoed, happy that he and Blake have something in common already. He was like a little kid—scratch that, he is a little kid.
"Chase, that traitor, he already decided on something. He's going to be cooking!" Rip mock complained.
In truth, he was happy in his heart that his friend knew what he was going to be doing, although he himself doesn't yet.
In his current state of extreme excitement where his heart was about to burst out of his chest in the shape of the word "joy", Rip just wanted to talk, to keep talking forever. He was full of energy that he needed to vent.
Suddenly thinking of something, Rip's eyes lit up. He turned to the quiet and gloomy Blake and giggled.
Blake, expressionless and calm, "?"
Even the gloom shaded like permanent ink in his eyes turned to light melancholy in the current condition's Rip's eyes.
Rip giggled some more.
Although Rip knew the reason why he was giggling, Chase didn't know. To him, Rip just randomly started giggling creepily out of nowhere.
'Did he go crazy again?' Chase pondered when he saw Rip's idiotic expression.
Seeing Chase's expression that honestly showed his thoughts, Rip instantly retorted without thinking, "I am not crazy!"
Smiling teasingly, Chase asked, "What then? What were you thinking that made you laugh like a madman?"
Talking about the idea he just had, Rip immediately dropped the grudge.
"I just suddenly had this cool idea! Blake, you should sing as your talent!" After saying the first part, Rip spoke the second part to Blake who gave no visible reaction to Rip's words.
"Oh! That is a cool idea!" Without a second of hesitation, Chase put both of his hands up for this idea. Although he hadn't heard Blake sing like Rip did, Chase, without a hint of falsehood, thought that it was a good idea. Interesting and a classic.
"Isn't it?!" Rip excitedly said, glad that Chase was on the same page as him as always.
"What do you think, Blake?" Chase asked Blake.
Rip also looked at Blake in anticipation.
Blake did not answer. He merely stared at Rip.
Rip broke into a cold sweat from Blake's unwavering and intense stare. He suddenly remembered that he had been peeping in on Blake at the time when he was singing so the latter did not know he was there when it happened.
Lying was obviously not an option. So Rip could only grit his teeth and answer.
"Yesterday… I accidentally overheard you humming to a rabbit…" Rip looked down while guiltily confessing his crime.
"Wow! Blake, you can sing?!" Astonished, Chase exclaimed expectantly. "I agree with Rip, you should sing!"
'Stupid Chase! It's one thing to help me, it's another to just stand by. But you're actually making things worse for me!' Rip complained in his heart, a little scared that the new friendship that had just blossomed would wither with just one unintentional mistake from him.
Afraid that Blake would get angry, Rip sneakily stole a glance at the other's reaction, only to see Blake looking as nonchalant as always.
'Phew! It seems like he doesn't care. That's one hurdle crossed.' Rip wiped away his sweat. 'Almost got into a friendship crisis on the first day of said friendship!'
Suddenly, Rip's thoughts were disrupted. Someone spoke in a crisp and pleasant voice.
"...I'll—"
*****
In a room that was recently cleared out into an office.
Two men stood in front of a teenager with dark-to-light purple hair and light purple eyes.
Their eyes did not conceal the sincere respect and loyalty they felt towards the young man who was a lot younger than they were.
Currently, the two men were reporting on the success of a recent task they were sent out to do.
As per their master's order, they had successfully conned a huge amount of funds from a neither small or big company called EVL Wald, Inc. that recently appeared in the business scene, and disappeared without a trace.
Sling can guarantee that they will never be able to find out it was him who did it.
Although they still had no idea why their master had them do this, they did not question his order, trusting that he had a greater plan in mind.
"Where did you place the money you got from them?" The teenager, Ian, lightly asked as he flipped through the report Sling handed him.
Sling said something and Ian nodded, satisfied.
During the summer of XXXX when he was 15 years old, it was the time they launched their third massive investment project. Knowing this event from his past life's knowledge, he had Sling write up some impressive investment plans as well as set up some fake companies and build amazing but believable portfolios for them to trick them with.
For the specific details, he handed it all over into Sling's capable hands for his discretion.
In this way, Ian used Sling's swindling ability to the fullest and earned an enormous amount of capital from his enemies who must be fuming after finding out that Sling was just a fraud.
Ian's eyes were ice cold with a hint of sarcastic sneer.
Smiling with sincere emotions, Ian praised Sling for a job well-done. "Excellent work, Sling. I knew I could trust you with this important task and you did not disappoint."
Sling beamed upon hearing his master's praise.
He humbly bowed, a habit ingrained into him from the special training, and said modestly, "Thank you for your trust, Master. I only did what was expected of me."
Ian smiled. "No need to downplay your abilities. No one else could have done as wonderfully as you did." Perhaps except for your son.
"Since you have finished your mission earlier than expected, why don't you spare some time tomorrow to go and watch your son go through the test," Ian suggested.
"Yes, that would be more than I can ask for!" Sling happily agreed.
Besides the instructors and the trainees, only the bloodline of the Everett family were allowed to watch. Of course, anyone they permit were allowed to come as well. After all, everything was confidential.
That's why Sling was so happy, he never thought that he would get the chance to watch his son go through the… unspeakable test after the special training, thanks to his master's grace.
While they were talking, inactive, Shade silently faded into the background.
Just as he was about to disappear completely from view, Ian called out and Shade's body became clear again.
"Shade," Ian called out.
"Yes, Master," Shade immediately responded to his call.
"You fulfilled your duty outstandingly during this time. I just read from the report—you saved Sling from gangsters who tried to attack him and made Sling appear more reliable to the EVL Ward corporation's people." Ian's lips arched.
Expressionless, Shade saluted respectfully and said, "Yes. Your will is my conviction." Then he made a request unhesitatingly, "Master, may I guard you once more?"
Ian laughed, but Shade's sentence truly touched his heart. He complied, "If that's what you want. By the way, come with us tomorrow to see the test."
Shade nodded and disappeared back into the shadows.
Not that he won't be coming since Ian will be there.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
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