Mansion in the Forest

Don't Fight Kids

"What the hell was that?"

"Who's that guy?"

"Why did the SUV explode?"

"Whose car is it?"

Those are the questions they bombarded to Lexi while they were driving like nothing happened just a while ago. Lexi looked for the perfect spot to park the car and she killed the engine, then sat inside the car in knee deep silence as they were all afraid that someone might notice their car.

"Lexi."

"Okay." Lexi turned her body in a stride position so everyone could see her while she's answering all of the questions they asked. "First, remember that hippie guy in the apartment next to mine?"

"Yes, the guy who has a love for nature and animals but he also has animal skin as a carpet in his living room." Jisu nodded her head. That's one way to describe that guy in a weird description because why not?

"That's the guy earlier, I contacted him while the cops were chasing us and he let me borrow his car."

"So why did the SUV explode after we left it?" Denver asked.

"So the police will think that we're all dead."

"And they'll see no dead body inside that car, just a great escape plan Lexi." Blake snorted.

Lexi tilted her body a bit to see the guy at the back of the car and she smiled, like she was already expecting that remark from him or from Iris. The only two people who love spitting remarks.

"That doesn't matter, all I have is enough time to escape from those cops and by exploding that car is the only way. So they have to stop and make sure that we're in that car."

"So you mean we're still not done running from the cops?" Siena asked, though the answer was already obvious.

"We're not, until we leave this country." Lexi replied and all of their shoulders slumped down in disappointment. Though it's still good that they don't have to run for now and they have some time to think of a plan. Or eat at least.

"I'm hungry." Herlie pouted her lips while stroking her flat stomach.

"Yeah me too." Siena lay her head on the window and looked outside. Her eyes flickered when she saw an open Japanese food stand not too far from where they parked. "Do you have any money?" She asked, her eyes following the smoke coming out from the bowl of ramen that the guy served to the couple.

"And who among us will have the money? We all come out from the jungle." Chantelle snorted.

"This car should've at least some change, go take a look at the compartments." Jazen said. Lexi and Trevor started searching every box but unfortunately, there was no money or even spare change.

"Okay that's it, since they are treating us bad people, might as well do something to justify that accusation." Siena hissed as she opened the door on her side and got out of the car.

"Stop it! You're not gonna rob that poor man!" Iris tried to stop her friend but Siena seemed not listening as she needed to fill her empty stomach. She was also thinking about the kid, so Jisu sighed exasperatedly and she also got off, followed by Blake and Denver.

"Guys, get back inside!" Lexi yelled but the teenagers didn't even look back and they all ran to the stall. "No one would stop hungry mammals." She spat.

Siena walked around the stall and stood next to the ramen guy, wearing a white hachimaki in his head and a kimono robe, while Blake and Denver sat in front of the couple to intimidate them and probably scare them away so they wouldn't see what they were going to do.

The couple got scared of how Blake put down his dagger on the table and the guy quickly grabbed his girlfriend's hands and they were about to run but Blake stopped them.

"Pay the food first, dumbass." He said.

The guy fished out a couple of bills and threw them before they ran away. Blake picked it up and battled whether he should give it to the poor salesman or not. But when he looked up, Denver and Jisu were staring at him.

"Fine, I'll give it to him." Blake scoffed and he walked back to the stall and put the money in the box.

"Look, we're not going to rob you." Siena started, earning a ludicrous look from her friends. Because they are literally going to rob him, bit more not his money, maybe a couple bowls of ramen. "Fine, we're going to rob you, we need food."

"There's a kid with us and she's hungry, so we need to fill her empty stomach." Jisu said, basically using the kid to get sympathy for the salesman.

"If you want food, you don't have to scare my customers." The guy who owned the stall said, calmly.

"We have to, because we have no money to pay you—."

"I don't care. If you want my ramen, then take a seat and I'll serve it to you." He scoffed.

The teenagers exchange confused glances then back to the guy.

"Are you sure? I mean—."

"It must be hard to be the enemies of the state and although I couldn't relate, I can fully understand your situation." The guy said, cutting off Siena's words. "Just call everyone out of that car and tell them to sit here."

"We can't, someone might see us." Jisu refused.

"Don't worry, if you're thinking that I'm going to call the cops on you then you're wrong. You are my customers so take a seat and wait for your food." The guy said and he ushered Siena to the table, and took the two bowls and walked back to his stall.

They were confused, but at the same time, grateful. So Denver ran back to the car and call everyone.

"Are you sure it's safe?" Jazen asked worriedly.

"I don't care if it's not, I'm starving and I'm not wasting this chance to eat." Denver scoffed and he cradled the kid in his arms and he walked back to the table.

Lexi just shrugged her shoulders and got out of the car, she then took Jazen's hand and dragged her to the table, everyone followed her soon because Denver was right, this was their only chance to eat after a lot of events they went through in that forest.

They all sat around the long table, then the guy started serving a bowl of ramen to each one of them. There were even a lot of side dishes aside from the noodles. When he noticed that no one was touching their food he walked back to the table and crossed his arms on his chest.

"Why aren't you eating?" He asked.

"You're not planning to poison us, right?" Lexi asked back.

The guy snorted as he pulled a chair from the other table and sat down, he leaned his elbows on the table and looked at the teenagers.

"Look, if I am a bad guy, I would've already called the cops on you the moment you scared away my customers, but I'm not that kind of a person. You have to eat because we don't know when you will have the chance to eat again." He encouraged them.

He's not really a bad guy, it's more like he experienced the same fate with them. That's why he's in New York and selling ramen in some free areas. He was lying to himself about it because he never wanted to remember those worse days of his life and could totally understand the teenagers' situation.

"Can I ask you a question?" Jisu looked up to the guy and she put down her chopsticks.

"Shoot."

"I assume that you already know us because you mentioned being enemies of the state." The girl said, which the guy nodded his head as a confirmation that he already knew them. "Do you perhaps know the reason why we are all wanted?"

"Wait, so you mean to tell me you don't know what you guys did?"

"We wouldn't have to ask you if we did." Iris retorted.

"Treason."

"What?" They all gasped except for the kid, who's so focused on her food.

"We didn't betray our country!" Blake spat and struck the table but immediately apologised to Herlie for startling the kid.

"If not, why did the government tell that to all people? Even in your country." He pointed at Jisu.

"Me?"

"Yes, you're from Korea right? That's what the news said and you are banned from going back there or they will arrest you."

"What?! No! I can't be banned in my country! My parents—."

"Are dead." Denver reminds her just in case she forgot that she has no reason to go back to Korea aside from her parents' ashes that are still inside their house.

"f**k you." Jisu sneered at him.

"Sorry, I thought you forgot."

"I did, and thank you for reminding me about the pain I felt."

"Yeah, same feelings when I lost my brother." Denver shrugged his shoulders.

"Don't fight kids, you have more problems to take care of. And the only advice that I could give you is to leave New York."

"We will and we're going to need help." Lexi said as she fished out her phone from her pocket and called Sakura. After two rings, she heard the Queen's voice.

"It's done, everything is ready so I want you to bring Herlie and get the hell out of this country and never say a word again, Lexi Myers."

"Thank you, let's meet at the airport." Lexi replied and she hung up, put back her phone inside her pocket and smiled at her friends. "We're leaving, so better finish all your foods."

"Finally!" They all exclaimed. The guy was just watching them with a smile on his lips when suddenly, his head dropped on the table, blood flowed and the teenagers were too stunned to react.

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