𝙵𝙰𝙻𝙻𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝙵𝙾𝚁 𝙼𝚈 𝙻𝙰𝚆𝚈𝙴𝚁

Chapter 21

Eren was seated in one of the cushioned chairs, munching on the snack he'd picked. It seemed he'd calmed down. Further away, M/n had gathered the front desk personnel, the entrance security guards, and any other staff that had been around the lobby. He had his arms crossed over his chest.

"I want to know what exactly happened," he said, his gaze sharp. "Spare no detail."

One of the security guards was the first to speak up, having been one of the first witnesses to the commotion from earlier. 

"There was a group of older kids tailing after the boy. They had run over from across the street," they said. "Most likely, they came from the elementary and middle school just down the road from here."

"The younger kid came racing through the parking lot and into the building," the second guard added to the other's recount. "He looked like he was running from them, so we let him in."

"And the other kids?" M/n asked.

Before any of the guards could continue their recount, one of the janitors stepped up. "Those two blocked the entrance," they said. "The kids looked like they were trying to get in, but those two wouldn't budge. I even heard them telling the kids to leave the property before they got escorted out."

M/n's gaze moved back over to the guards and saw a faint nod of their heads. "I see. And after that?"

"He looked scared," one of the front desk ladies said. "But when he saw us, he ran over and grabbed a crumpled card out of his pocket."

"Yes," another confirmed. "He was giving out your name and said you knew him."

M/n nodded, now having the full story. "Thank you," he told them. "I appreciate what you've all done. Sincerely, thank you for looking out for the boy."

The staff all wore soft smiles on their faces. The group then dispersed and headed back to their respective areas. M/n turned on his heel and walked back over to Eren.

"Are you feeling any better?" he asked.

Eren watched as M/n sat across from him and nodded. "Yeah..."

"Are you hurt anywhere?"

The boy shook his head. "Are you sure?" M/n asked again, wanting to be sure.

Eren nodded and pointed toward the front desk staff. "They gave me a bandaid."

Hearing that, M/n grew alarmed. "Where are you hurt?"

The boy pointed to his arm, where the man could see a brightly-colored bandaid. "It was a scratch."

"I see... Does it hurt?"

"Not anymore."

"Okay, good... I'm glad," the (h/c)-ette replied. "Is it okay if I ask you a few questions?"

Eren nodded once again. With his permission, M/n's gaze moved to the many bruises. "If you're comfortable telling me, what happened that gave you those bruises?"

The boy's gaze drifted to the floor. He was silent, as though reluctant to answer. Although he and Eren hadn't met many times, he came to know from their first interaction that Eren hated being pitied and didn't seem to want to be perceived as "weak" by other people.

Knowing this, M/n decided to offer some reassurance. "It's okay to admit that you're not alright, that you're hurting... That doesn't make you weak."

Eren's gaze trailed back up to M/n, seemingly listening to his words. "But what's not okay is someone hurting you... I want to help you. Not because I pity you but because you deserve to be happy just like any other kid out there. Alright?"