“I have a proposal for you today.”
He took a step back, instantly on his guard, his gaze switching to distrust and disappointment.
“I don’t do any shady work. I’ll leave now, mister.”
He turned his back to me, but I called out to him.
“Wait! It’s not shady work, and not anything weird. It’s just working in a shop, on a main street.”
This made him stop, and he rotated toward me once more.
“What sort of work? And why me?”
“To be exact, it’s a proposal for both you and your sister. I think you two would be a good fit for the job.”
“It sounds too good to be true.”
“It’s normal that you don’t trust me. Come, it’s better if you see it for yourself.”
I gestured with my hand while leaving without waiting for his consent. I sensed him hesitating, not moving a meter in my direction. I added a few words, without turning my head.
“Don’t worry, if I wanted to do anything wrong to you guys, I’d have done that a long time ago.”
Eventually, he started following me, albeit from a safe distance. We made our way through the streets, and he stopped once more when we reached the slum’s limits. I continued without care, and he soon groaned, before escorting me once more, from closer this time. I looked at him and saw he was tensed up, which made sense. People on the streets stared at him weirdly, an unwashed street urchin wearing dirty rags and smelling quite bad.
The more we advanced, the more anxious he became, coming closer to me as if seeking protection and reassurance.
“Where are we going?”
“To the shop, of course. We’re almost there.”
Things got even worse for him when we entered the rich neighborhood the store was located in. Fortunately, we reached the location soon after. I pointed at the large building.
“See this? This is my property, my store. This is where I want you to work with your sister.”
His mouth was wide open in disbelief, which he clearly immediately voiced.
“You’re lying, mister. That can’t be yours.”
“Really now? Look.”
I took the key out and unlocked the door. I crossed the threshold, waving at him to come inside, too. His eyes were now wide open, just like his mouth, but he still obeyed me after a few moments.
“Wow…”
There wasn’t much to see since the store was empty, but the sheer size of it was indeed impressive. Plus, the many shelves and displays truly gave the feeling of a large business. He admired everything for a while, eventually looking at me with wonder.
“How can something like this be yours, mister? Are you sure this isn’t your parents' shop? Or your uncle’s?”
“I’ve been decently successful in my trades. I just acquired this place, that’s why I’m looking for employees to help me run it.”
“But… Why us?”
“I’ll tell you that together with your sister. It’ll be faster than explaining the same things twice. Can we talk, the three of us together?”
“Well…”
There was a long pause, and I could see his brain working hard to consider his options.
“Okay. Come with me, mister.”
His face became resolute with his decision taken. We went through the same path, but in reverse now. Soon, we were back in the slums and made our way deeper into them. The alleys became smaller and smaller until we finally reached a dead-end back alley. At the end was a sort of makeshift home made of many pieces of materials, that seemed like it could barely protect anyone from the weather.
Aren headed toward it and, as he approached, a small creature came out of the “house”. He was a very young panther boy, maybe around four years old, running toward the older feline with joy, his arms wide open. He was a lot cleaner than his assumed sibling, and also in a healthier condition, without looking like he was lacking food, his black fur shining a little as he moved.
I felt my heart skipping a beat. I always tried to avoid young species since a lot of them were just too cute. This little guy was the same, but even worse. I impulsively wanted to take him in my arms and hug him hard.
I approached him with a big smile, my hand taking candy out of my bag.
“Oh my sel! Do you want to go somewhere with me, boy? I have candy.”
Unfortunately, my joke was wasted on them. Aren watched me with suspicion while his younger brother’s face brightened.
“What’re you saying, mister?”
“Candy!”
The boy rushed to me without any reservation to grab the sweets. I couldn’t help taking my hand out and patting his head, appreciating his soft fur and ears. He didn’t seem to mind, letting me do my thing without care while enjoying the candy.
“Run! Damn you dirty old fart!”
We all turned toward the one who shouted, the older sister who had come out of the shelter. Her eyes were full of fury as she witnessed the scene before her. Without any further consideration, she rushed at me, he claws already out to attack.
I carefully protected the little brother while holding my arms out in her direction to shield us. Her claws started to shred my arms, her fangs biting into my flesh at full power. I felt a small amount of pain, a sensation I was used to, as Aren tried to stop her sister’s enraged assault.
“Stop, Rin! I’m the one who invited him here! Stop attacking him!”
Her frenzy didn’t stop so easily. Her eyes were red, and her attacks on my innocent arm continued the same. Aren placed himself behind her and separated her from me by force, the two falling on their back toward the makeshift refuge.
She let out a frustrated howl of fury.
“Argh! Why are you stopping me, Ren!”