Boys of a Daytime Star

TOGETHER: Part ∞ + 24

The road passing through two skyscrapers was empty as Paikek, Seanyung, Bomyu and I walked across the pavement to the other side of the street where the library was located.

When we reached the library building made of red bricks, it was noticeable that the front door was open so it was easy to get in.

Wooden tall shelves were full of magical books and there were potions on the tables. Despite having no windows, the library was dark inside and some lights were off.

We looked around the tall shelves reaching the ceiling. It seemed like nobody was inside the place that was as big as a maze.

"I missed this place. It takes me back to my memories. Remember the times we picked perfect books for each other." Paikek effused, as he recalled.

"Yeah, those were great times." Bomyu put his arm around Paikek's shoulder as he checked behind the shelves on the alchemy section.

"Mrs Marleigh? Are you there?" I called out her name while I walked around in the middle of the library.

"Mrs Marleigh? Mrs Marleigh?" Paikek called her name as well, multiple times while looking around.

"I think she isn't here." Bomyu surmised after he checked every corner.

"No, that doesn't make any sense because she is the only one who works here. She can't leave." Seanyung opined as he picked up a random book from the shelves. The book had a golden cover and it was a big one.

"I am not going to lie, that boy has got a point. But you better put that book back to its place." Unexpectedly, the old lady Mrs Marleigh's voice heard, then she came down slowly from the stairs. She was wearing a long black dress, round glasses and a black hat.

"Sorry. I was just checking." Seanyung put the golden book back to the shelves.

"What brings you here young men? Do you need any assistance?" She asked, but she spoke like she didn't want to help.

"We're trying to find who stole the star book. Could you help us please?" Seanyung kindly queried as he picked up another book from the shelves.

"I can't help you! I am sorry." Mrs Marleigh refused to help, lifting her eyebrows. Then, she turned her back and began walking to the other side of the library.

There was no way to tell her directly that I thought that she was the one who stole the book. However, she acted suspiciously so I had to do it.

"Don't get me wrong Mrs Marleigh, but if it wasn't you, who stole it?" I asked in a hesitating way. My face started sweating as I was getting very nervous.

"It's true that I was there when the book was stolen but I can assure you that I was only there to help you find your friend, not to steal the book." She shouted at me with a croaking voice.

"Then why don't you help us to find where the book is?" I questioned in a very puzzled way.

She laughed at me in a croaking voice, and she smiled as she looked directly in my face with her widened eyes; "Because I am trying to show you that nobody cares when you need help unless they have something to get."

"What does that even mean?" I asked her but she turned her back at me, and she began climbing up the staircase.

"Let's go, Karu! She is not helping." Bomyu held my arm as his eyebrows got closer.

I turned my face to Paikek and Seanyung, and they seemed like they wanted to leave as well. We walked behind the tall wooden shelves till we found the back door.

"Mrs Marleigh let us down." Seanyung commented as he pulled the handle, opening the back door, and we got out of the library. Nobody seemed to be around, not even a car was there.

"I don't understand why she acted so weird. If she didn't steal the book she wouldn't act strange." I thought out loud, while we were stepping through the narrow street on the back of the library building, where there were apple trees beside the sidewalk.

"You might be right. She acted very suspiciously." Seanyung agreed with me, while we walked beside a car park with no cars in it.

It became rainy as we walked and walked on the road surrounded by apple trees. The wind was not very strong but it could carry the autumn leaves across the street. However, I started shivering a little, by the effect of the cold breeze.

"I am tired. Where do we go now?" Bomyu asked in a low tone.

"I don't know. Our apartment is destroyed and we have no money." I sighed as I felt hopeless.

"I wanna go back home." Paikek picked up his dolphin plushy, Tootmuyu, from his bag and hugged him.

Bomyu stopped walking and hugged Paikek in the middle of the sidewalk.

"Don't worry we will find a way." Seanyung comforted him and cuddled him as well, as he shed tears, closing his eyes.

"I know so many bad things happened lately, but we will stay strong and we will find somewhere to stay." I consoled, hugging him tightly too.

We stood together in the rain, as Seanyung, Bomyu and I cuddled Paikek to relieve him. However, we were scared too; scared of being left outside.

"We can go to Mrs Kimiko if you want. She always helped us. I am sure she can help us with this as well." Seanyung suggested.

"That's a great idea. She helped me with finding you guys, so I trust her!" I agreed with Seanyung. He was really smart.

After walking for a few minutes, we arrived at the street of the magic academy which was a silent narrow street.

The Magic Academy building which was made of red bricks and its roof was brown. There were two benches in front of the Magic Academy building, which was an old building with flower pots of every colour all around it.

Without giving us a chance to enter the building, the colour of the magnificent sky turned from light blue into black, in less than a second. And, everywhere became darker as darkness fell over the street. Four of us looked upon the dark sky, seeing the remaining star on the middle of it.

"How- How did it become dark? What is happening?" I questioned after it became night in a short amount of time.

"Time magic!" Paikek concluded as his eyes widened, lifting his eyebrows.

"Time Magic? I don't understand. Who can be strong enough to use time magic?" I puzzled, dropping my jaw.

"Someone who has the star book." Seanyung put in, as he gazed upon the dark night sky.