Cold Shards and Warm Stars (OliKase-FukaOli)

7. A Fun Day with Friends

   Today feels strangely cool. Maybe that's normal for this place, every area has its own climate! Whatever the reason for the cold, I'm dressed warmly today... I'm afraid of the cold, it reminds me of that escape and the terrible pain, and I don't want to remember that!

   – Oliver! – I heard from afar. Nana was calling me, waving her hand and jumping on the spot so I would notice. She wasn't alone; she was with our entire team, except for Fukase. Though I still don't know if he's considered part of our team...

   I ran up to them, slinging a big backpack over my shoulders, which I usually didn't carry. I just needed a bag to put a lot of things in.

   – Hi, guys! – I said, reaching the group and hugging them all at once, – Thanks for agreeing to help me! I don't know where to find a craft store here, and my brother doesn't really support my work, ha-ha...!

   – It's all good, you already told us, let's go! – Piko said, heading towards the town center. He was on a bicycle with Nana. I sat with Defo.

   – Still can't believe you just started selling my work without asking... – I said to Defoko.

   – Come on, Oliver's got money now! – Defo exclaimed, focusing on the road.

   Those twin girls wanting plush toys approached me again on Friday and began pleading for me to make them stuffed animals, one wanted a pink baby dragon with blue speckles, the other wanted something like a Japanese blue dragon with pink speckles, they even had a crude drawing prepared. I started to say that it would take time, and I needed money for materials, and time was short, but Defo barged into our conversation, offering $29.99 per toy, with a 50% upfront payment for materials. I didn't want to do this, school isn't the place for business, but since these fools had already made the girls happy, I was too embarrassed to refuse... Defo, as the parliament representative, declared she would take care of covering for me. Nana even suggested maintaining the myth that "we trade outside school territory," so there shouldn't be any problems.

   – Stop! – I exclaimed, spotting Fukase walking down a path with a skateboard in his hands.

   Defo stopped, as did Piko and Nana, hearing me. I hopped off the bike and ran up to Fukase. I wanted to hug him, like I did with my friends earlier, but he stepped back slightly, indicating that I shouldn't.

   – Hey! – I blurted out, not knowing what to do with my hands... I wanted to hug him before, but what now? – What are you doing here?

   I looked behind him and saw in the distance... a dump?

   – I was collecting clothes... There's a place where people can leave things that are nice but they no longer need. I pick up clothes and some other stuff there... 'Someone' always leaves new things that fit me perfectly, and they're exactly my style, so yeah...

   – Wow! That's interesting! – I exclaimed genuinely, examining his new long coat, seemingly unisex, – Can you show me around there sometime? I'm curious to see! In England, I lived in a bi-i-ig city, we didn't have that there!

   – Yeah, sometime... – Fukase replied, glancing at my friends.

   – Wait, Oliver, weren't you born in the States? – Piko noted, looking at me with interest. Panic washed over me. I'm such a fool, I forgot that it's better not to let people know where I'm really from!

   – Oh, um... um... I didn't say, but I actually lived in England for a long time, but was born in the States, ha-ha! I'm just a bit... dramatic, didn't want to spread too much about myself, sorry! – I tried to wriggle out of it, blushing and stuttering with fear.