[Neo Zone] Population: 23 Kids

Unexpected Helper

YangYang sighed as he shouldered his backpack and walked out of the school. Mark was going to wonder where he was when he didn't go sit with him at lunch, but there was nothing he could do to help that.

He knew he couldn't just go home. That was not an option even though that was the direction. If he came home in the middle of the day this early in the year, he was done for. But if he walked around the city alone he knew that would be just as dangerous. So he walked from the school to the only place he knew he would be safe.

The cafe.

A bell rang above his head when he walked into the crowded cafe, and he sneaked his way through the crowd of people to the counter. He knew what the usual morning and lunch rush looked like, but this was more than he had ever seen.

He dropped his backpack on the floor by the basement door, noticing that Johnny's Dad wasn't behind the counter and it was just his Mom. Without being asked, he put on Mark's apron and tapped on Johnny's Mom's shoulder, startling her.

"Where can I help?"

"Do you know how to work a register?" He nodded after a moment of hesitation, trying to remember if he did actually know how.

"That'll work. If you can take over that I won't ask why you're not in school. For now. My husband went to get more ingredients and I don't have the time to question." She said, handing a take out bag to a customer with a smile.

YangYang gladly jumped up onto the stool and started ringing in orders, staying even once Johnny's Dad returned with the ingredients and started helping with the orders. It was a welcome distraction from what he had just come from, and he was pretty tired of smiling at the end of the lunch rush.

"You two can eat lunch now, I'll take over for now." Johnny's Dad offered, and YangYang hesitantly followed Johnny's Mom to the upstairs portion of the cafe, putting Mark's apron back on his hook.

He had never been upstairs before, but it was a nice space. Small, which was definitely why Johnny's room was in the basement and why they spent all their time down there, but it was nice nonetheless. 

YangYang helped Mrs. Suh make sandwiches in their kitchen, sitting down with her at the table to eat. He had hoped she would've forgotten that he was supposed to be in school and hadn't asked him why yet, but that was not the case.

"Now are you going to explain why you're here?" He sighed, slowly chewing the food in his mouth so he could delay his answer.

"I got sent home because I was being a distraction. It wasn't my fault that the kids couldn't stop staring at the chalk one of the girls put in my hair!" Mrs. Suh now just noticed the yellow streaks in his bangs, mentally noting she should help him wash that out later.

"And that's what got you sent home?" YangYang hesitated under her motherly gaze.

"I may have also started laughing in the middle of a history lesson... He had a funny name though!" She started laughing at how quick he was to defend himself, remembering a similar predicament she had had with Johnny when he was around that age.

"Why didn't you go home then?" YangYang froze, opting to take another bite of his sandwich while he thought of an answer that would be acceptable.

"I didn't? Where did I take a wrong turn?" She laughed, reaching across the table to take YangYang's hand in her own with a more sincere smile on her face.

"What can I do to help?" He quickly shook his head, knowing anything she could do would only make it worse. It wasn't even that bad at all, except for when he got in trouble. The best thing he could do was stay away for a few days.

"Can I just sleepover? Please." The last word was thrown in at the end, and Mrs. Suh took her hand back to properly be able to take another bite of her sandwich after her response.

"Of course, stay as long as you need."

Once the two were done with their lunch, they cleaned up and Mrs. Suh helped YangYang get the chalk out of his hair. She showered him with hugs the entire time until the other boys got back from school, making sure he had everything he needed in the basement to stay the night.

The only problem was now YangYang was tempted to get sent home early more often.