"What! Karan! What the hell are you doing?" Chiaya burst out.
"There's seven thousand dollars in there! Do you even know what you could buy with that kind of money? Sure, I spent a little on you—but it was definitely not seven thousand! Not even a thousand!"
Chiaya pushed the envelope Karan had handed her back toward him. People around them were watching.
"Ugh, I wish I hadn't shouted that there's seven thousand dollars in here," she muttered. Then she added, "Look, I get that you want to pay me back, but how about doing me a favor instead of taking your money back?" she said as they got into the car
Karan replied, "What is it you need? Tell me."
"Look, my friends have been bothering me since morning," Chiaya said. "They want to meet the childhood friend Buse mentioned—a.k.a. you.
They're planning to hang out tomorrow evening. If I don't bring you, they'll kill me. So, for my sake, could you just be my childhood friend for one evening?"
Karan wanted to go to the place where the man named Vardal Soran had been killed as soon as possible. Chiaya's concern seemed meaningless to him—but the pleading look on her face was hard to ignore.
When Chiaya looked at him, she realized the worried expression on his face.
"I know you want to go as soon as possible," she said gently. "But remember what the seller said—he'll call us within three days with the time and place of the auction.
And the agreement clearly says that if the owner doesn't attend, the item will be handed over to the auction house. What if he calls tomorrow and tells us to come right away?
You can't just leave your money behind. You'll need it—for food, a place to stay… and didn't you say what you want most is information? Money makes a lot of people talk," she added with a smile.
This woman… She was truly skilled at persuading people.
His conscience ached for not being able to leave immediately—but Chiaya was right. He would have to stay a while longer.
"Alright," Karan said. "I'll be your childhood friend for tomorrow evening."
Chiaya smiled with delight and turned on the radio.
She started singing along to the song that came on.
Karan had fought off giant purple crows that attacked his village with bloodcurdling screams. He had tamed three-tusked bulls whose roars could shake the windows of all houses.
Even so, this might have been the worst sound he had ever heard in his life.
By the time they got home, the sun had already set.
Chiaya sank into the couch the moment she stepped inside. Even though she hadn't done anything physically tiring, she still felt exhausted.
Chiaya thought to herself, These have been the strangest two days of my life.
Then she tried to put herself in Karan's shoes.
If he truly knew nothing about how life worked here, it had to be even more insane for him.
He would be leaving in a few days, but who knew what he'd face wherever he was going?
"Hey, Karan," she called.
"Hm?" Karan looked up from the book he'd been reading.
"What language is that book written in?"
"In Narvalian. Same as the language we're speaking now, but apparently the script is different."
"What's it about?"
"It's one of Elara's journals, from her time in Narval.
I'm reading through it again in case there's something I missed—some clue I overlooked."
"What does it say?" Chiaya asked.
"It's from when Elara first started learning the Narvalian script," Karan replied.
"There are writings from her early days—things she saw, people she met while she was still getting to know Narval.
She also wrote observations about the structure and nature of the beings there.
So most of it isn't that useful to me. I'm just reading it again in case I missed some clue about her life on Earth."
He flipped a page.
"I only found this one line—listen to this:
'With the way it wagged its tail, its big eyes, and the way it breathed so fast, it reminded me of my Poppy.'
I don't know what a Poppy is."
Chiaya smiled. "I think Elara had a dog named Poppy."
"A dog? What's that?"
"It's a type of animal.
Usually very gentle, very loyal... and probably the most wonderful living being on Earth." said Chiaya.
"Do you have a dog?" Karan asked.
Chiaya shook her head. "No."
She smiled to herself, thinking about how he'd stayed by her side since last night, how he had followed her everywhere.
Feels like I already have one, she thought—but maybe I shouldn't say that out loud.
"But I'd like to have one someday," she added, "when I finally have more time to spend at home."
After a pause, "You really can't read, huh?" she said, looking at him.
"Would you like me to teach you a little?"
"Yes," Karan replied. "I would."
"Well then," she said, and pulled out a notebook and some pens from her bookshelf.
It had been a long time since Chiaya last used pen and paper, and the idea of writing by hand gave her a little spark of excitement.
"I might turn into a very strict teacher," she said with a smile. "If you're going to back out, now's your chance."
Karan gave her a playful look and sat down at the table like a model student and said "Alright then, show me what you've got. Teach me your human wisdom Chiaya the Sage."
"I think you should start with numbers," she said. "When you're out shopping, being able to read the numbers on prices will matter the most."
She only had to show him once what each number meant—he didn't need it repeated. He only mixed up six and nine once.
People in Narval used a base-ten number structure too, so it was fairly easy for him to pick up.
Writing might be a bit trickier.
At least I don't have to learn a whole new language, Karan thought, grateful.