"Your companions are really strong," Scale tells Flos, already having an appreciation for Flos's variant plants, but still gets amazed again and again, nonetheless
After a discussion, they all decide to go find King Ray, who is fighting the variant beast at the East Gate. Whether Flos will join the battle or not, nobody asks and Flos doesn't say. But before they meet up with the King, Flos asks to detour 1st. She doesn't want to keep wearing this wet dress. Hearing Flos's request to change her cloth, Scale also wants to change his too.
Thus, Flos and Scale go to change out of their wet garbs whilst Queen Viola and Rhythm go to the East Gate 1st. For insurance, Flos leaves Picky Eater in its seed form with Rhythm. Since Picky Eater is already satiated with the variant beasts, in a short time, it won't act up. So, whilst nervous, Rhythm accepts Picky Eater when Flos hands it over.
Protect the Her Majesty the Queen is the priority. Picky Eater is also warned by May-Day to behave, so it should...be fine.
Even if Picky Eater is disobedient, it is too full to move flexibly. At that time, Rhythm alone is strong enough to smack sense into Picky Eater, right? Having such careless thoughts, Flos waves at the 2 and walks away with peace of mind.
On the way to the room storing the outdated clothes, knowing he won't bother others with his actions, Scale has no scruples in showering Flos and her companions with compliments.
Listening to Scales's words makes Flos wonders, "Aren't you scared?"
"Scared?" Scale seems to have a question mark pop out of his head
"May-Day almost fed you to Picky Eater," Flos reminds the man of how he was caught and treated
Scale recalls that scene and laughs, "It's a new experience, that's for sure," at the look Flos gives him, Scale tries to defend himself, "I didn't think May-Day would drop me. They didn't have that intention, right?"
"How would you know?" Flos wants to question this person's sanity, but then she recalls this person's sanity is skewed already, "Well, I would stop them either way,"
"I know you will, so I also count on you to stop them in time," smiling brightly, Scale tells Flos. He really thinks so.
Flos looks at this man beside her and gets a weird thought in her head. It is not entirely impossible, but... "Scale, are you interested in me?" aside from finding her and her companions interesting and powerful
"Romantically interested, you mean?" this man has the nerve to recognise his feeling with a happy grin, "Yes,"
"Oh," Flos takes back her gaze, pondering about Scale's words, "Is that a confession?"
"Consider this a...notification 1st," Scale doesn't have a plan, nor does he know how to court someone, but he still feels this kind of confession just won't do, "I will take you out on a date... Then asks you to be my girlfriend later. Do you mind?"
"When's the date?" it sounds like Flos doesn't mind
Scale can't stop the laughter from slipping out, he is feeling so happy, "Sorry, but I need to run away from His Majesty's grasp 1st for the date to happen,"
Oh, yes. There's so much work to do. Flos continues walking to the destination in silence, thinking of how she can keep Scale away from King Ray's reach. The only thing she can think of is asking Queen Viola to keep King Ray at bay. Maybe she will do just that.
At this point, Scale thinks of just asking Flos in person, "Should I ask for permission from Mister Rhythm to take you out on a date?"
"Huh?" Flos blinks her eyes at Scale in confusion, "Why ask him about my business?"
"Hm," Scale tilts his head, "You 2 are...partners, right? Aside from having a partnership, Mister Rhythm is a person you trust, right? He is like a family to you, right?"
Right. Right. Right. But Flos still doesn't understand why Scale has to ask Rhythm for permission about her business. It doesn't matter, Flos decides. To answer Scale, "Just let him know we will go on a date, no need to ask for his permission,"
"Hm~" Scale hums thoughtfully, "I see. I will do that,"
"I told you I am an orphan, right?" Flos decides to tell Scale a little more about herself, "Rhythm's family helped me a lot in the past and is still taking care of me even now. It's okay to let them know about my affairs, but there's no need to ask them for permission about my business because my matter is settled by myself,"
Scale smiles at Flos, nodding his head along, "Okay. Noted,"
Tilting her head at Scale, Flos asks this man, "What about you?"
"Me?" Scale brushes his hair back casually after feeling the water drip on his face, "Uh... I grew up in the slum, no parents or relatives. I think I told you that?" after seeing Flos's nod, Scale continues, "I and a bunch of other kids with no adults gathered and lived by stealing kinds of stuff," at this point, Scale has a wry smile on his face, "I wasn't the fastest nor the strongest. But I lasted the longest... The only survivor, so to say,"
"They died?" Flos widens her eyes in surprise
"Died of hunger, sickness, beatings, accidents; all sorts of reasons," Scale nods, no longer smiling, "As you can guess. I survived just because of my power," sighing, Scale can't help but shakes his head, "At that time, I was just waiting to die too, following others. Then... King Ray, who was still a Crown Prince at that time, was recruiting private soldiers. I signed up, just because there was nothing else to do. I joined the army at the age of 10, I think, doing chores in the army because of my age. The army also accepted a bunch of other children too," at this point Scale gives a shrug, "I didn't know what that army was for. They just trained every day. King Ray also visited the army himself, but I didn't meet him at that time. I was just living in the army for a few years, training with the intention to be a Knight to fight the variant beasts as I grew up,"
"How were you scouted?" Flos has heard a little about this, but she is a bit curious about the event
"Let's see," Scale tilts his head up in thought, "I was in the army, right? Because I signed up as a kid, they had me do chores, you know? I grew up in the army and learned a lot about how to fight among other things, but not to study," Scale finally gets to the point, "At that time, it was a normal day for everyone. Soldiers in the army gossip about anything they heard and 1 of them talked about His Majesty, King Ray had become the King by then, was angered by someone at the Castle and visited the army to calm down,"
"That's the moment, huh?" Flos figures that's the time when King Ray found Scale
"Yep," Scale nods with a laugh, "We were gossiping about King Ray, guessing the reason King Ray lost his temper among other things, when someone came running, warning us that King Ray and the Commanders and a bunch of other people were walking this way, causing us to scatter and made ourselves looked busy,"
"What were you busy about?" Flos raises an eyebrow as she listens to Scale's story attentively
"Paperwork," Scale can't help but laugh out loud, "I didn't recognise letters nor did I know how to read, but I still could sort the papers based on my memory of the marks on the papers," the laughter ends as a sigh, "King Ray came by and saw that I was categorising paperwork, probably reminded him of the matter at the Castle, so King Ray asked a Leader in passing about my performance. Who knows why that Leader said I had a good affinity with paperwork, never wrong with sorting the papers and was good at archiving, and recommended me to King Ray,"
Scale smiles at the stare Flos aim at him, "Of course, King Ray didn't just believe that Leader's recommendation. King Ray was recommended a bunch of aides who ended up disappointing him, after all. So King Ray looked at me and asked a bunch of questions," Scale drops his shoulders pitifully, "Because I knew what King Ray talked about, I was aware he was the King so I didn't dare to neglect him when King Ray talked to me, and answered his questions correctly, that much I could do after staying in the army for so long, King Ray then asked me to follow him back to the Castle. I stupidly followed him, listened to some of his explanations, and did the work he assigned me,"
"Then you were sent to study and became the King's aide later," Flos spoils the ending without surprise
Scale can only shrug helplessly, "What can I do? He is the King and I can't just ignore him,"
That's right. Scale can't just ignore King Ray even if he wants to. The people around him won't let him get away from that.
"But you do gain a lot of benefit as the King's aide," Flos points out, patting the man's back to console him, and asks an irrelevant question, "By the way, how old are you now?"
"About 24?" Scale smiles at Flos for her kind gesture, "I also don't know my birthday, like you," then grins
Only 4 years older than Flos. Another question, "How did you end up in the slum?"
"I was born there, I think," Scale doesn't know for sure either, "As far I could remember, the people around me always called me slum kid. I remember there was a time, I was looking through the trash and found something good, and then the children's group came and wanted to snatch that thing from me. I resisted, of course. They all swarmed at me but I still manage to survive, even when they all had fallen from fatigue. The boss said I was good and took me in as a part of the group, taking my thing as my admission fee to join the group, the boss said," Scale ended up laughing after telling the story, "Don't you think I was quite a gullible kid back then?"
Flos thinks Scale must be very young to be tricked so innocently like that. Such a young child living and surviving alone... "Do you hate them?"
"No special personal feelings," Scale replies with a shrug, "We all were just trying to survive, without a goal or something, just surviving," thinking about it, Scale smiles at Flos, "Aren't we still just trying to survive even now?"
A reason to live. A role to fulfil. A sense of existing in this world.
Flos wants to add those sentences to her little notebook, so Flos tells Scale of the notebook's existence and asks him to write down the paragraph. Scale readily agrees.
"You have quite an interesting hobby," Scale laughs joyfully after knowing Flos has an interest in philosophy
"What's your hobby?" Flos doesn't think Scale is making fun of her with his laugh, so she lets it slide this time
"Hm, my hobby, you ask?" Scale is stumped on this 1, "I have been busy with study and work that I only think of having a day off to rest," smiling at Flos, Scale then suggests, "Why don't I tell you once I find something I'm interested in?"
Flos nods, accepting Scale's suggestion whilst also telling him her thoughts, "I briefly wondered whether you would say your hobby is to observe me,"
Scale laughs out loud, "If I say that, won't you think I'm creepy?"
"Not really, since you don't mean that," Flos knows that much from their interactions so far
Although they haven't met and known each other for long, Flos thinks Scale is an interesting person that is not overly playful or too clamorous. He is a man who likes to smile and...
Honestly speaking, Flos finds his smiles endearing.
As for whether she will tell him that, it depends on the circumstances.