•Chapter Seven•

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Recap:

After we ate, I see that it's near time to go to work at Junk Shop Heibon. We set off and I call my grandmother to tell her that I was fine and was going to work. Rei-san tells me that I should return tonight. I agree and say farewell. She says goodbye with a nervous tone.

"Bye, bye, Rei-san, I'll see you later."
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[Amaya's POV]

Holding onto a box, I move it to the back. Junk Shop Heibon has been busy lately and Haga-san has been taking care of it. Ren was at his usual spot, and Shadow was on top of a shelf.

A few minutes has passed. I had finished moving the boxes. I stretch my back.

"Are you done moving the boxes?" Aoba asks.

"Yup!" I say.

I sigh from exhaustion and look at the door. I wonder why the kids aren't visiting. They could be terrorizing the other shops, so I guess that's one reason.

Suddenly, a loud crash emerged from the front of the door, making Aoba, Ren, Shadow, and I look towards the door. Clearly we were startled because this is something that we weren't expecting.

"What the hell?!" Aoba yelled as he stood up.

"Let's check what happened.." I said, hoping that whatever or whoever that caused that crash to be all right.

I walked out the door and saw a man with white hair collapsed on the floor. My immediate thought is:

'Is he dead or is he still alive?'

"Hellooo?? Are you alive, mister?" I asked the man down on the floor.

"Is he alive?" Aoba asked, looking towards his Allmate.

"It appears that he is showing signs of life." Ren said.

The man suddenly moved his upper body to look at Aoba, making Aoba jump away from the unknown man.

"I'm glad you're okay, Master."

...?

"Master?" I asked, looking towards Aoba, "Are you into that kind of thing?"

"No! Anyways, this 'master'?" Aoba yelled.

"Upsy-daisy!" the man said as he got up, startling me because he seemed fine even though he just fell off of a roof.

I went to Aoba's side, even though the man doesn't seem like a bad person.

The man pointed to Aoba's direction happily.

"You are my master, Master!"

"Eh?"

Aoba looked around in confusion. I glared at him in annoyance, hoping that he understands that he is the one being called master. He looked at me and immediately understood.

"Well, uh, you might have the wrong person." Aoba said.

"That can't be! Oh! My name is Clear!" The man said, coming closer to us, "Well, I was the one who brought you and your friend here!"

I stepped back a little. Was he the one who attacked us yesterday? Aoba must've been thinking the same exact thing because he asked:

"Were you the one who attacked us yesterday?" narrowing his eyes at him.

"It wasn't me," Clear said honestly, "but I heard your voice, Master. You said 'Death and Destruction.'"

"Hm, that does sound familiar.." Aoba said.

Suddenly Aoba yelped out in pain as Clear pulls on his cheeks roughly.

"Owww?!! What are you doing?!" Aoba yelled.

"You seem different from yesterday," Clear said, continuing to pinch at his cheeks roughly, "It's hard to explain, but your face features and voice is messy."

"They are not! Let go!"

Clear casually lets go of his cheeks, and Aoba held his cheeks in pain. Clear's pink eyes meet mine. He puts his hand on my cheek and observed my eyes.

"You seem different, too. Your eyes were a brighter shade of blue." he said.

"U-Um...?" I said, looking away in distress.

'Please don't touch me.'

"You're eyes are a pretty color.." Clear says with a comforting tone.

I stepped back in embarrassment as he said that and went to Aoba's side again.

"Who the hell are you? And what's up with that mask? Take it off and show us your face." Aoba said, still holding his sore cheeks.

Aoba approaches Clear, who clearly was disturbed by the idea of taking off his gas mask.

"No! I can't take it off!" Clear said as he held his gas mask tightly to his face as Aoba tried to take it off.

"Take it off!"

"No!"

Clear steps away and crouches down , still holding onto his mask as Aoba gave up on trying to take off the mask.

"Why you-?!" Aoba muttered angrily as he kicked Clear's bottom as Clear held it in pain.

"Agh!"

"Aoba! Don't hit him!" I protested.

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