"What? I was talking about the stars in the sky,"
"Oh, yes of course," he said with a small shrug. "I was talking about the stars as well."
Airam considered him for a moment. "Of course you were," Airam smiles.
That surprised him. He looked at her fully for the first time, eyes warmer. "You are beautiful," he admitted quietly. Airam smiles with a soft voice. "Thank you."
There was a long pause."You were right, though," she added, exhaling. "About that day… I shouldn't have attacked you like that. You were only trying to help."
Harry didn't speak immediately.
Then very gently, "I wasn't trying to intrude, Airam. I just… like being useful. And I like them." He paused. "Even when you look like you want to throw me down the staircase, I still get it. You protect them. Fiercely."
Airam swallowed, surprised by the sincerity in his tone."I've had to," she said quietly. "Too many things have gone wrong. I don't trust easily."
"I noticed," Harry murmured, but without mockery this time.
There was another silence, this one was warmer, quieter, almost gentle.
"Well," Harry said with a small smile, "I guess I'm no longer a stranger anymore. Let me properly introduce myself. I'm Harry, Harry Johnson. I have a father I barely get along with, and my mother… she passed the day I was born. So it's just me and him. And as you can tell, I'm not from here."
He spoke casually, but there was a loneliness beneath his words.
"So," he asked softly, "what's it like being Airam Gray?"
Airam shrugged. "Just… a happy, loud family."
"Doesn't it get exhausting?" Harry tilted his head. "It's okay to ask for help, you know."
"There was never anyone to help," she said quietly, "so I stopped counting on it. I don't know how to."
Harry nodded. "I understand."
A breeze rolled across the balcony, lifting strands of her hair. For a moment, he watched her, her tired eyes, her guarded posture, the strength she didn't realize she carried.
Then Harry reached out and gently pushed the small desk lamp closer to her.
It was a small gesture. Simple. Almost nothing. But to her… it meant more than an apology.
Airam's voice softened to a whisper. "Thank you. Harry's eyes swarmed. "Anytime."
For the first time since they met, they weren't arguing, weren't accusing, weren't judging. They were simply two people sharing the same quiet space, and somehow, it felt right.
The soft moment shattered when the electricity snapped back on, and noise exploded from downstairs.
They exchanged a glance, then rushed down.
Jane was cornered by two rough-looking men. The children huddled behind them, terrified.
"Where is your husband?" one of the men barked, his voice harsh and gravelly.
"I...I don't know. He's not here," Jane cried, trembling.
"I see." The second man's eyes slid to Jojo. "Then you give me the money. Or I'll take the child until the debt is paid."
He reached for Jojo.
Airam leapt forward, yanking the little girl back. "Don't touch her! I...I'll pay Damien's gambling debt. Just give us time."
"Oh, sweetheart," the scarred man sneered. "I gave your useless husband enough time. Seven hundred thousand. Pay up. Or the child comes with us."
"We need time!" Airam shouted, her voice shaking but firm.
The man grabbed again for Jojo
And Harry stepped in, shoving him back.
"Demien owes you," Harry said coldly. "Go find him. And don't you dare come back here again."
The scarred man narrowed his eyes. "And who are you?"
Harry stepped closer, unflinching. "Someone who can have you arrested. I know every one of your illegal gambling spots. Try this again, and I'll bring the police to your door."
"How dare you!"
The man threw a punch. Harry dodged, then another came, and within seconds, a full fight erupted. Harry moved fast, strong, throwing the men off one by one until they stumbled out of the house, swearing as they fled into the night.
Breathing heavily, Harry straightened his shirt. He braced himself, expecting Airam to lash out again, angry that he had meddled in her family's problems.
But she didn't yell.
Instead, she stepped forward, eyes soft, voice trembling.
"Thank you," she said. "It… it means a lot to us."
Harry froze, stunned.