✔ blue-coloured beginnings 「 khunbam 」

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"Any response from him yet?"

ー・ー

Shibisu thinks the boy- this Twenty-fifth Bam fellow, was rather peculiar.

The lasting image of the wrath he directed towards the redhead in a bodysuit- with a body so frail, literally falling from the sky, and had just undergone a brutal encounter with his teammate, Anaak Jahad, the moment he woke up, had been permanently etched in his memory. And God knows Shibisu's memory had always been excellent.

However, a day after that historical game-changer, the man clad in purple never once thought that he'd come across the same guy stuck on the vendo machine furthest from the cafeteria for about thirty minutes now- wiping the cold sweat forming on his forehead as he concentrated on operating his pocket.

"Excuse me," Shibisu began, almost immediately flinching at the sight of his icy gaze which generated acknowledgement. "Do you perhaps need any help?"

Bam blinked, and only then did the former realize his grasp forming over the brunet's slim wrist. He cursed, muttering incoherent apologies as his touch recoiled, as if he was being burnt.

"Please don't get me wrong. It's not out of pity or anything of that sort, I promise. It's just that you've been poking and staring over your pocket for about half an hour now and watching you was becoming kinda-"

"Painful?" Shibisu grimaced, but responded with a dubious nod.

The boy showed a grim look before breaking out into a gentle chuckle and it was as if the gods thought it was the perfect time to shine a spotlight only for him. If Shibisu had not witnessed firsthand the side of him which seemed like a cold-blooded murder waiting to happen, he might have thought that this boy and himself had a lot in common- a sense of normalcy. Bam looked so much like an ordinary boy- hopeful and full of vigor, from the outskirts of the Tower. Too ordinary, that at the sight of his sheepish smile, Shibisu instantly felt the need to let his guard down. It was a terrifying feeling, really.

"I'm sorry." Bam took in deep breaths between laughs before he could finally look at the other straight to the eye. "I just really did not think you would actually stay and watch me struggle for thirty minutes. It was sort of amusing."

Shibisu pursed his lips, crossing his arms while wearing an offended expression. "You're mean."

"You think that was mean?" the younger brunet snorted, yet still managed to flash a fond smile. "You should visit where I am from. You get people watching over like a hawk almost every hour of the day, in seven whole days of the week, and if they did not try to assassinate you within the next hour, it's either an act of mercy or you are already targeted as someone else's prey. Usually, it's the latter."

"I think I'd rather settle for your pocket and a hard pass, thank you very much." The former's mouth hung agape then gulped nervously, staring at the other, terribly disillusioned. He should have already figured out that this child did not grow up in a normal environment when he decided to snap and borderline gauged out that regular's eye. Well, it's not like it is any different out here, though. "So, what was delaying you so bad?"

"They take outside cash for conversion, am I right? Mine keeps getting rejected."

Shibisu nodded. "Usually, it's for a maximum of 15,000 points depending on what currency you were using. May I see your slip- WOAH!"

"What is it?" Bam immediately hovered over him and the pocket, as if he was examining it carefully like an antique. "Did I accidentally break it?"