The morning sun poured through the blinds, but Evan remained fast asleep, still worn out from yesterday's exhausting trip.
Unfortunately, fate had other plans.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A loud knock on the door jolted him awake. Groggy and annoyed, Evan groaned, trying to ignore it. But the knocking continued.
"Ugh… who's banging the door this early?" he mumbled, rubbing his eyes. Then his gaze shifted to the clock.
9:12 AM.
Panic struck.
"Crap! Sir Jason told me to come for breakfast!"
Throwing the blanket aside, he rushed to the door and flung it open—revealing a rather unimpressed Jason.
"Kid," Jason said, voice slow and deliberate, "I believe I told you something last night."
"S-Sorry, sir. I overslept. I'll freshen up quick—you go ahead," Evan stammered.
Jason gave him a look, then turned and walked off.
Evan shut the door behind him and sighed. "Oh great, not even my first full day here and I'm already messing up."
He hurried to wash up, still in the same dusty clothes from yesterday's journey.
Fifteen minutes later, he left his apartment and headed downstairs toward Jason's place. Outside, the neighborhood bustled—students and workers moving about, chatting and hurrying along.
"Doesn't seem all that different from my old neighborhood," Evan thought, "just a new place… new faces."
But just as he was about to reach the bottom of the stairs, a man in his mid-twenties passed him on the way up.
"So, you're the one Jason mentioned, huh?" the man said, eyeing him curiously.
Evan nodded, his introverted nature kicking in. "Y-Yes, sir... I'm the guy—"
"Can't hear you, kid. Speak up a little," the man cut in.
"I said I—"
Evan paused mid-sentence. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a man exiting his apartment building. Even from the back, the figure was familiar.
It was Jason—now dressed in clean clothes.
As Jason approached, another voice rang out.
"Hey! What are you two doing here?"
Jason's tone was sharp, almost confrontational. The man's mood changed instantly.
"Oh, I remember you," Jason said, narrowing his eyes. "Aren't you the one I banned from this building?"
"Yeah, yeah. You said I couldn't come here at night. I'm just visiting a college friend," the man replied, trying to push past Jason's stare.
Evan instinctively stepped in, blocking his path.
Jason didn't back down. "I warned you last time. Come here again and I'll call the cops."
The man scoffed. "Look, old man, my friend needed help last night. I'm just trying to look out for her. Can't you back off for once?"
Jason's expression hardened.
"I know the kind of 'help' you offer. If she doesn't sort herself out soon, she's gone too."
That last part was said low, but Evan caught it. He stood there, uncertain. To him, the man just seemed like someone trying to help a friend. Was Jason being too harsh?
He asked quietly, "Sir… was he really that bad?"
Jason shook his head. "Kid, you're too young to understand. Just leave it. Let's get some breakfast."
Without waiting, he grasped Evan's wrist and led him away.
Inside Jason's apartment, Rossy was setting the table.
"Oh, finally!" Rossy huffed, hands on her hips. "We've been waiting forever, Evan."
"Sorry, Mrs. Rossy… I overslept. And then some guy stopped me—he said I took his apartment," Evan explained.
Rossy blinked. "What guy?"
Jason gave her a look, silently telling her they'd talk about it later. She nodded and motioned for them to sit.
The three of them ate in silence. When they finished, Rossy stood and began clearing the table.
"I'll help—" Evan started to rise.
"No need, dear. Stay and talk with Jason," she said, disappearing into the kitchen.
Jason leaned back in his chair. "So. The reason I asked you to come over is simple. I've arranged for you to attend a nearby school. The chairman's an old friend of mine."
Evan sat up straighter, eyes widening.
"But… if you don't want to go, I can help you find a part-time job instead. Just until you turn eighteen," Jason added.
Evan didn't answer right away. His thoughts drifted back to his teacher—the one who once told him that knowledge was power, and without it, a person could never truly help others.
Finally, he nodded.
"I've made my decision… I want to study, sir. I'll do my best not to mess up or cause any trouble."
Jason was visibly pleased. Rossy peeked from the kitchen, smiling at Evan's words.
"Alright then. I'll handle the paperwork," Jason said.
Evan stood up, ready to head back.
"Where are you off to now?" Rossy asked.
"Back to my apartment."
"Oh? Why not explore the neighborhood a bit? Might help you get familiar with the place," she suggested.
Jason nodded. "She's right. Walk around, learn the roads. It'll help later."
Evan hesitated. His gaze dropped to the floor.
"Do you… have a problem, kid?" Jason asked.
"I… I'm scared I'll get lost," Evan admitted, voice barely above a whisper.
"Huh~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~?" Jason blinked, then groaned dramatically.
Rossy burst out laughing. Evan's face turned bright red.
Jason scratched his head. "Alright, alright. Let's fix that. Rossy, can you bring me that thing?"
Rossy tilted her head in confusion, then her eyes lit up. "Ah… that thing." She vanished into the other room.
A few minutes later, she returned and placed something in Jason's hand.
Evan's eyes widened as Jason handed it to him.
He hadn't expected to receive something like this.
To be continued...