"...Cement is coming."
"Well, well. What a lovely scene you've got going on here."
Whack!
"Go hit your mother's back instead."
Cement stopped beside me.
"Since you're here, want a massage too?"
Cement scratched his neck.
"Maybe later. Right now, I've got a question for you."
I started sweating like crazy.
"What do you want?"
Cement cracked his fingers.
"I think I'll go to the bathroom."
Seraphine tried to stand, but her legs had no strength.
"No. No one leaves until I get my answer. Who should I ask first?"
Not me. Please, not me.
"Cement, Kaela wants to go first."
"Not me. I'm staying quiet."
You four-legged idiot… I'm going to beat the hell out of you someday.
"How old are you, Kaela?"
I lowered my head and glanced at Lyra. She was counting on her fingers.
"I'm twenty—"
"Kaela is fourteen."
"I'm fourteen."
"No, I'm—"
"Oh? So you're fourteen but claiming you're twenty? Lying children deserve punishment."
"No, believe Donke. I'm really twenty."
Oof!
Cement punched me in the stomach.
"AAH!"
Everyone felt the same pain I did.
"Ha ha ha."
Keep laughing, Donke. Your turn is coming.
"Who's next?"
"1, 2, 3…"
Lyra is still counting.
"Lyra, how old are you?"
Lyra clenched her hands when she heard Cement's voice.
Poor girl. She's about to get punched and pass out—I can already see it.
She already told me her age...
"I added it up. I'm thirty years old."
Yeah, thirty.
Liar. You're fifteen.
"Alright. You're free."
What?! He's actually believing her?
"Yes!"
Lyra celebrated and stuck her tongue out at me.
Yeah, Lyra, I'm never helping you again.
"Next."
Now it's Seraphine's turn—but she's already completely red before even getting hit.
"I… don't know my age."
"Don't cry, Seraphine. Why don't you know?"
Lyra held her hand.
"My parents never celebrated my birthday."
No one is going to believe that.
"Poor girl… That's so cruel."
"Buaaa…"
"Why are you crying? You actually believed her?"
Calm down, Kaela. Breathe...
"Seraphine is lying. She's fifteen."
Don't look at me like that—you all look like you want to crucify me.
"Wow, Kaela, you're so insensitive. Seraphine never had a birthday."
Donke hugged her.
Idiots. She literally just said she was fifteen.
"Seraphine, today we're celebrating your birthday!"
You've got to be kidding me.
Happy birthday to you…
"Long live Seraphine!"
"Long live!"
I refuse to participate in this nonsense.
"Are you happy now, Seraphine?"
Even Zafrom bought it.
"I am… but Kaela didn't congratulate me."
Yeah, not happening.
"Kaela, aren't you going to congratulate our friend?"
"Oh, of course I am. No need to beg so nicely."
"Happy birthday, Seraphine… you idiot."
I almost got beaten up by the Men's Tribe.
"How old are you, Donke?"
Cement climbed on top of him.
"Boss, my age is meaningless, for I am but a young soul."
What is this donkey even saying?
"Donke, when I first met you, you were a tiny little thing. Skinny—and very hardworking."
So they've known each other for a while.
"Ha ha ha."
Hardworking? That has to be a joke.
"What are you laughing at, Kaela?"
"Cement, I'm laughing because you said Donke is hardworking."
He probably sleeps all day.
"Kaela, you're just jealous."
Jealous?
"Ha ha ha. Jealous of what, Donke?"
"What, you wanna fight?"
"Come on, Kaela. I'll beat you even with my hooves tied."
I'm going to—
"I'll beat the hell out of you, Donke. Think I forgot what you did to me? I just won't do it now because Cement is sitting on you."
"Oh, that's no problem. I'll get off."
Great. I'm dead.
"Come on, Kaela."
Donke stood up on his hind legs, ready to fight.
"Hey! You two are fighting now? What about my massage?"
"You're not done yet. Forgot our deal? Or do you want to die?"
Phew. Saved again.
There's no way I could beat Donke.
"I'm doing it already, you idiots!"
Thank you. Seriously, thank you.
I looked at Donke—he was smirking.
That bastard. It was all part of his plan.
Cement forgot to ask his age.
"Thanks, Kaela. You're a great friend."
I clenched my fists.
My urge to strangle Donke is over eight thousand.
"And you, young man—how old are you?"
Now it's Dorian's turn.
He looks older than all of us.
"I'm not telling you."
He turned his back completely.
"Did you forget who's in charge?"
"Ugh…"
Cement locked him in a chokehold.
"I won't say it. You took away the reason I live."
Ah… he's talking about—
"What are you talking about?"
Cement tightened his grip.
At this rate, he's going to kill him.
"I'm talking about Brick's mother."
"You mean… my wife?"
Yeah. He's dead.
"Why didn't you say that earlier? Sorry for choking you."
Wow. Dorian almost saw heaven.
"Dorian, you've got excellent taste."
"When it comes to women, I know what I'm doing."
What a disappointment. I thought he'd get punched too.
"One day, I'll let you go out with my wife."
What kind of insane logic is that?
Poor mannequin… I mean, Brick's mother.
In the end, I was the only one who got punched in the stomach.
Still… what's so important that we're not allowed to see?
"Zafrom, sorry for the delay."
"No… you did the right thing. Children shouldn't witness what we're about to do."