Also known as "The First Encounter He Doesn't Remember"
Preface: Related to the main text, contains important plot.
-1-
It was also Christmas day.
-2-
M never paid attention to these festivals in the human world, nor did he ever like any of them.
She knew it was Christmas Day because she woke up next to a dingy garbage can deep in the alley and heard a drunk man bust open the back door of a bar, mumbling "Jingle Bells" while banging on a bottle wrapped in a brown paper bag.
M wiped his sleepy eyes, moved his nose, and smelled the scent of eggnog on the drunkard.
…Eggnog.
It seemed like she hadn't tasted it for a long time. The last time was when she was on a mission and stole half a portion of eggnog from a paper box in the kitchen of a restaurant. The restaurant was so full of corpses that when she was halfway through drinking, the remains squeezed out of the pizza oven ruined her good mood.
M licked his lips, sat up a little, and took off the rainproof cloth he was using as a blanket.
She wanted some eggnog.
But she had no money to buy it.
Otherwise, I wouldn't sleep here and use a torn raincoat as a blanket.
The drunk, smelling of eggnog, came mumbling closer, his drooping belt buckle swaying in time with the chorus of "Jingle Bells" in his mouth.
-3-
M looked at him for a moment and noticed that his wallet was only half-stuck in his trouser pocket.
Unsuspecting humans. Stealing a wallet should be easy.
...But M stared at him carefully for a while, and the more she looked, the more disgusted she felt - if she wanted to steal his wallet, she would have to touch his trouser pocket, but the trousers of that drunk and smelly man were so dirty that M didn't want to touch them with even a finger.
Oh, forget it.
-4-
The drunk muttered "Jingle Bells" as he walked past her. After walking a few steps away, he seemed to react, spun around with his shoes clicking, and grinned at her rudely.
"Hey, pretty! Have you been staring at my crotch?"
M didn't mind the crude teasing at that time.
Later, she thought about how she didn't mind at all at that time, and felt that she must have had too much fun rolling around in the soft snow after the first snow fell in that world the night before, and fell asleep deep in the alley without any reaction - it was really a rare Christmas miracle.
What did she do then - oh, yes, she answered the drunk man quite seriously.
"Yeah. I've been eyeing your wallet in your crotch. Any spare some?"
-5-
The drunk laughed out loud.
"Okay, here you go—Merry Christmas!"
He took out his wallet and poured all the money inside onto her rainproof sheet, then shook it all over and, with a slow "vomit", fell into the black garbage bag tied up on the other side.
M blinked and looked at the money floating in front of him with a little surprise.
She knew that people could do all sorts of weird things when they were drunk, but she had never encountered anyone giving away money for free while drunk.
Is it because of the so-called "Christmas"? It is true that humans' self-control declines more during holidays.
-6-
In fact, the drunk man didn't pour out much money, just a few wrinkled small bills.
But it was just enough to buy a few glasses of eggnog.
-7-
So M stood up, threw the raincoat on his body to the stranger who had fainted in his vomit on the other side, took the money, pushed the door, and walked into the bar where the drunk man came out.
-8-
She walked into the bar with a simple idea: buy a glass of eggnog, and then see if she could run into another drunk human and get all the money in their pants pocket so that she could drink more glasses of eggnog.
But the moment she put her boots on and stepped into the bar—
She noticed a boy.
-9-
Because he was singing under the spotlight, the silver earrings under his blond hair sparkled, brighter than the silver-plated five-pointed star on the top of the two-meter-tall Christmas tree in the bar.
M noticed him immediately.
It wasn't because of the spotlight that could turn anything into a dazzling spotlight, nor was it because of his clear and classic blue eyes, because she immediately recognized the song he sang -
It's not a deliberately sad heartbreak, nor is it a passionate confession.
It was a hymn to the banshee.
-10-
...She hadn't heard the hymn to the Banshee for a long time.
The hymns she—the Banshee—dedicated to them should have been left in an era when humans still believed in gods, in a world where life did not avoid death.
M never thought he would hear it here.
And... she sings so... beautifully.
-11-
It sounds really nice.
When M was born, she had heard other lives singing this hymn. She had only heard fear, reverence, and enthusiasm... She had never heard anything so heartfelt...
【praise】.
It's as if the banshee is an angel in a white dress descending from the sky.
The boy sang very seriously. He didn't shake his head or make any cool poses. He even closed his eyes slightly halfway through the song.
-12-
That was a hymn that no human being today could possibly master, and it was impossible for it to appear casually in a bar like this - but M just had an inexplicable feeling that the boy on the stage knew what he was singing and what he was praising.
So she stopped and listened carefully to him singing the whole song.
It was a hymn dedicated to her, and it was sung so beautifully, so of course she had to listen carefully.
-13-
Until she heard a woman in the audience giggle.
Several fashionably dressed women sat at a table, huddled together and whispering.
"That's hilarious! Turns out the new guy was telling the truth!" one woman said. "He said he couldn't drink much and never drank anything too high—but he got drunk the minute he drank!"
Another woman's earrings dangled with laughter. "I was just secretly changing a drink at the bar. Pfft, he got drunk so quickly. He's acting out of character and wants to go on stage and sing..."
"I thought he was joking. How could a boy get drunk just by mixing a shot of vodka in juice... He even fell for such a little prank... He's too innocent. Where did he graduate from?"
"When he got drunk, his first reaction was to sing. Haha, the song he sang was really weird. What kind of tune was that? I've never heard of it before..."
"Shhh—maybe that's an original love song the newbie wrote for you!"
"Ha ha ha ha……"
-14-
They were all laughing together.
The blond boy had finished singing. He left the spotlight and walked back to their table, touching his earrings uncomfortably.
The boy was obviously not the type to be used to being in the spotlight. After he walked out of the spotlight, he fumbled around for a while, took some effort to sit back in his seat, and after sitting down, he touched his eyes a little uncomfortably.
"Seniors." He spoke slowly even when he was normal, and it was obvious that he was not in a clear state. "Can I have a glass of hot milk?... It's so stuffy in this bar, I feel a little dizzy..."
The women, who were clearly much older than him, began to giggle again. The laughter was harsh.
The boy frowned as if his ears were irritated, but soon, he unfolded them meekly again.
"I'm sorry..." He was obviously drunk as he spoke, "I've never been to a bar like this... If there's anything wrong..."
"That's what you have to go through when you work, brother."
A woman sat closer to him in an ambiguous manner, and the boy shook his head a little late and stepped aside.
"Senior," he asked meekly, "Is the Christmas party over? Can I have a glass of milk... I seem to have drunk too much..."
The other woman winked at the bartender.
"Don't worry, the hot milk is coming soon. If you're so impatient, you'll suffer at work."
"I'm sorry... I understand..."
-15-
But M saw the woman take the hot milk from the bartender, unscrew the small glass bottle of vodka, and pour a lot of it into it.
She slowly narrowed her eyes.
-16-
It's already obvious.
These guys secretly forced alcohol into the mouths of young people who had been told several times not to drink, and they thought it was fun... Good-tempered and innocent newcomers in the workplace are always targets of bullying.
-17-
Although those women were not ugly or old, the boy had retreated so far that he almost fell off the bar stool. His rejection was almost like opening their hands directly.
Greasy for both men and women.
M watched the scene coldly until the woman who was mixing the milk with the wine reached out and pinched the boy's cheek, as if trying to coax him to open his mouth and drink the whole glass of drink.
The boy who had been backing away suddenly opened her hand.
…The force was a bit too strong, and the back of the woman’s hand turned red.
She was stunned for a moment, as if she didn't expect him to make a move, and immediately frowned: "You dare to hit a woman? Believe it or not, I will say a few words to your boss-"
The boy muttered as he stepped back, almost falling off the bar stool: "...I'm sorry..."
"Is an apology any use? Just be obedient and open your mouth—"
That's it.
-18-
It was a rare child who sang her hymns very well, and she hadn't even applauded or praised him.
M walked over and put her arms around his neck.
"Have you been waiting for a long time? It's too late to get off work. Hehe, I'm here to take you home."
She touched his hair affectionately, then raised her eyes and said to the women at the table, "I'm his girlfriend. Do you have anything else to do?"
The women across from me froze.
-19-
M's dark eyes and his creepy, inhuman look would scare even the dead.
——So, until the black-haired girl suddenly appeared and took the person away, a woman said with her teeth chattering:
"What's going on? He said he was single..."
-20-
M didn't understand what was going on.
-twenty one-
She had originally walked into the bar intending to have a glass of eggnog, but on impulse, she dragged out a poor little kid by the neck - well, she admitted that the kid looked like a bullied puppy when surrounded by a bunch of women with delicate makeup and strong auras and forced to drink, and she was a little soft-hearted towards puppies.
Besides, he sang that hymn, so it wouldn't be a big deal to lend a hand.
But, when M dragged him out of the door and made sure they were far away from the bar, he let go.
She then realized that the other person was not a puppy or a minor.
-twenty two-
Because the blond boy was hunched over all the time, and was a little timid when singing under the spotlight. When he was put up by the neck and dragged out, he was hunched over even more, shrinking to a height that was convenient for her to drag him away - when she let go of her hand, he straightened up.
She straightened her back and relaxed her hunched shoulders, casting a rather large shadow on her, as if she were wrapped in a large down jacket.
M was wearing high-heeled boots and looked up at him expressionlessly.
...It's a big dog.
After looking at him silently for a while, she turned around expressionlessly, stepped onto the small flower bed on the side of the road, and then turned around and looked down at him again.
-twenty three-
Well, that’s great. I’m a kid again.
She doesn't care, the boy must be a puppy or a child in front of her.
-twenty four-
It must be because she has never been so close to a disgusting, dirty and smelly man. M I am a towering existence that is above everything.
-25-
Because he was standing on the edge of the flower bed by the roadside and looking down at him, M was in a bad mood and was planning to leave a message "Don't go to the bar in the future" and then turn around and jump away.
But the other person blinked, and his lukewarm and confused eyes seemed to focus for a moment.
"It's you... Long time no see, Miss M."
Huh.
He raised the corner of his mouth and smiled at her. It was a slow smile, and you could still see that he was drunk, but you could also see that it was much more genuine than those shy smiles he had just given in the bar.
"Don't you remember? I'm P...your cellmate next door."
-26-
M was a little surprised.
"Cellmate?"
The other person nodded, and the way he nodded was also very dog-like.
"Unbreakable...friends."
His smile grew even brighter. "Really...long time no see...do you still want pudding? It's my treat...since we're out here, I'll treat you to French fruit pudding...okay?"
-27-
...So M quickly put that surprise and curiosity behind him.
Anyway, they were just friends she met when she was in prison. She had thrown away so many memories, there must be a period when she was in prison and met her friends in prison.
M would never believe that "I had actually been in love in some of my discarded memories in the past", but she could definitely easily believe that "I had been in jail in some of my discarded memories in the past".
Going to jail is just an ordinary and normal thing.
She had vague memories of being in the mental hospital several times. In the human world, mental hospitals provided balanced meals with three dishes and one soup.
-28-
So it was normal that she made a friend in prison who would give her his pudding.
...Well, this friend is really nice. He treated her to French fruit pudding, took out his wallet, and told her to order whatever she wanted on the menu.
Although he was drunk and unconscious, he might not agree to M ordering everything on the menu when he was sober, but M would not consider this.
She had a real Christmas Eve dinner that day, the biggest meal she had had in a while.
-29-
Christmas Eve is definitely a time for a big meal.
…No wonder humans love Christmas so much.
-30-
After finishing the meal, M patted his stomach contentedly. He had originally planned to say goodbye to him again and slip away quietly - God knows whether this meal would result in the wallet of this former friend being emptied, and he would be detained to wash dishes. This restaurant's decoration is quite high-end, it is definitely not a cheap restaurant -
But M failed to escape again.
Because she saw the other person take out a thin card from his thin wallet, hand it to the cashier, and then shake hands with the smiling cashier.
He was neither detained for washing dishes nor chased out by the boss to be beaten.
-31-
…And, to be honest, since M was a severe psychopath, this was the first time she had seen someone use a credit card to treat her to a meal, and after paying the bill, they continued to smile and walk over, saying—
"Okay. Do you want to go somewhere else?"
M: “…”
M: "You really drank too much."
He spent so much money on me without even blinking an eye.
…Did any of her past friends have such a valuable meal ticket?! Did they?! Why would she pack up and forget about this friend who could so happily treat her to a meal?! Is she stupid?!
-32-
The other person didn't know what she was shocked about. He walked forward slowly with a smile on his face. His footprints were zigzagging on the snow. It was obvious that he was still drunk.
...A few small glasses of vodka made him dizzy now. This guy is really dangerous.
He must never touch strong liquor or go into a bar again.
M looked at his back as he walked around the corner and couldn't help but sigh.
-33-
Forget it, today is Christmas, and she not only listened to a beautiful hymn from this familiar stranger, but also had a Christmas dinner.
Just think of it as a Christmas miracle, she took care of the children to the end.
Moreover, the other person was very clean and had not drunk much. There was no smell of alcohol on his body and he still smelled fragrant - although it really left her speechless that such a small amount of alcohol could make him dizzy.
M realized as she reached out to take him away that she didn't mind touching the boy.
Maybe it was because he was exceptionally clean and fair, or maybe it was because they used to be friends who could talk to each other.
M naturally moved closer to him, and when she hugged his neck she couldn't help but touch his golden hair.
"It's dangerous for you to wander around like this... Where is your home... I'll take you back."
Miss M walked over and found that he had just turned a corner and arrived at a small park.
She reached out and touched the drunkard's shoulder, and the latter made a half-beat "hmm" sound, then fell "thump" into the snow pile beside him.
M: “…”
M: "Don't drink alcohol in the future, kid."
It's too easy to get into danger.
-34-
The latter fell into the snow pile without saying a word. M hesitated for a moment and secretly swore in his heart that if he heard a muffled "vomit", he would turn around and leave.
But no, after a long while, the golden-haired head in the snow pile moved slightly.
He seemed to be trying to lift his face, but failed. He only lifted it a little, and his eyes and mouth were still buried in the snow.
A muffled murmur came from the snow-covered bushes: "I want to stand up... Ugh... I can't stand up..."
M thought expressionlessly: No wonder you are surrounded by those women and forced to drink.
...Society is dangerous! Ordinary adult society is really dangerous to you, kid!
And this unconscious and spoiled look buried in the snow is really a big dog! You will either be bullied or kidnapped and raised by others!
-35-
...M suppressed his surging emotions, squatted down, and poked his shoulder again.
"Hey. Get up. There's no point in being a spoiled brat with Xue."
From this angle, she noticed that the silver earring on his ear, which was exposed to the snow, turned out to be a small tulip.
...Damn it! It's a spoiled big dog whose earrings are so cute!
"I'm warning you to get up quickly. I'm a bad guy. If you continue like this, I'll do something bad."
The boy slowly raised his face.
He blinked—and M held his breath.
-36-
Those were a pair of very, very, very beautiful red eyes.
It was a maple leaf in the autumn wind, floating gently to her feet, reflecting her own shadow with the light.
White new snow, shimmering golden eyelashes, and that brilliant lingering color of early autumn.
-37-
That was the most beautiful maple red color M had ever seen.
She obviously hated blood and the color red, but as she stared into those beautiful eyes, she couldn't help but breathe more lightly.
-38-
“…Ah, sorry.”
As if he saw himself clearly in her eyes, the boy reached out drunkenly and covered his own eyes.
He said a little aggrievedly: "I feel dizzy... My disguise has been blown away..."
"Don't look, M. It's ugly. It's the red you hate the most. ... I have blue eyes... I don't have red eyes."
-39-
M looked at the big dog expressionlessly as it whimpered and covered its eyes.
-40-
I should have warned you that I'm a bad person.
The kind of bad guy who does bad things without blinking an eye.
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