A lush green prairie, swept by summer winds. Beneath the blazing sunlight that seemed ready to swallow people whole, a lone figure strolled along a stone-paved path.
"You should slow down a little. Walking too fast will drain your strength."
A young man appeared behind her. He was wearing a white suit and holding a black umbrella to shield the girl from the sun.
The girl's hair fluttered in the wind, golden strands dancing beneath the blue sky.
"You two are here again?"
A man who looked somewhat older stood in their way. He, too, had long blond hair that covered part of his face.
"What is it about this orphanage that draws so much attention anyway?"
The man brushed his hair aside, but the sunlight cast shadows that still hid his eyes. The only thing visible was the faint smile on his lips.
"Children, we have guests."
The old man called the children over—most of them still very young, the oldest no more than around thirteen.
The young girl waved at them, while the man holding the umbrella pulled candies from his pocket and handed them to the well-behaved children.
"We're here today to keep our promise to you," the man with the umbrella said in a hoarse voice.
"Would you like to hear more strange stories?"
In response, the children rushed forward, snatching the candies from his hands before running inside to escape the heat.
Watching the pile of candies being brazenly stolen, only a sigh escaped him.
"Oh, those kids~"
…
Inside a bar, a man in a white suit—his black hair streaked with white, his face aged and weathered—sat down at a round wooden table.
"Every time I want to meet you, I have to come to this place?"
The man spoke as he raised his hand to call for a drink, intending to order a beer, when a voice sounded from across the table.
"It's fine. You could come to my newly opened restaurant instead. I think I'll even give you a few discount vouchers."
"Hmph, you really should be a bit more serious."
The man looked at the person in front of him—a young man around sixteen or seventeen, with brown hair and a gaunt, pale face.
In the crowded, noisy bar, the two of them sat silently, playing poker together as if the clamor around them didn't exist.
"…Is this all you intend to do?"
"? What do you mean, sir?" the young man asked, flustered by the middle-aged man's words.
The man pointed to a photograph that had just been placed on the table.
"I accept your proposal."
The young man's face lit up with excitement.
"As expected of my good friend."