April Fools' Day Extra
At that time, they were still in the United States. Noel, who had earned his first royalties from comics, was a little confused when he saw the numbers in his bank card for the first time.
This amount of money was not considered much in his eyes. Whether it was the casual transfers from the organization or the easy earnings from his good computer skills, the amount was much more than this.
But the money earned from painting, the money that belonged to Xiachuan Kong, made these numbers have a magical charm that made him unable to help but keep looking at them, and his heart was itching.
He held the bank card in his hand and chose to ask the nearest person.
"Xiao Guang, how do you think I should spend it?"
Morobushi Jingguang, who was sitting on the sofa reading Noel's latest comic, naturally knew what the other party was thinking. The money was transferred in the morning, and the other party kept circling the card. It was beyond his expectation that he only came to ask after lunch.
"What do you want to do most now?" Morobushi Jingguang chose to give his children enough space to think for themselves, instead of blindly guiding them to use their time on things that are meaningful or in line with correct values.
Noel thought about it and gave an expected answer. He wanted to go out and play with Xiaoguang.
Noel did not have any mission today, so Morobushi Jingguang also put aside the affairs of the White Alliance which was already taking off. The two of them did not make any plans and left the house in the afternoon.
They are in New York, USA. Tomorrow is April Fools' Day. Today is already very lively. The streets are full of festive atmosphere with people preparing for activities. It is easy to immerse yourself in it and can't help but look forward to it.
When it comes to New York, the first thing that comes to many people's mind is the Statue of Liberty. Noel was no exception. So he took Xiaoguang to buy tickets to the island and rushed over excitedly.
Taking photos and checking in, they were like foreign travelers that can be seen everywhere. Their fluent language made them very harmonious with the people around them. Even Noel, who was usually reluctant to communicate with ordinary people, was encouraged by several tourists to take a few photos. Of course, the sudden request for photo fees from the exaggeratedly dressed person who appeared in the photo did not break the happy atmosphere. Noel dismissed the person with a few words, which seemed to be some jargon. The other person's frightened expression did not escape Morofu Jingguang's eyes.
They caught the ferry at sunset and studied the next stop while enjoying the sea breeze. Noel, who was packed with things for the trip, obviously didn't calculate the distance well. Fortunately, the Metropolitan Museum closed later today, so they had a hurried visit, but it was still a luxurious visual feast.
Central Park was obviously preparing for April Fools' Day tomorrow and various activities for Easter. Various props were placed on the streets, making it too lively. However, the two did not stay there for long. Noel was so hungry that he hurried to the next stop, Times Square, and walked into a restaurant at random.
———
The money disappeared faster than expected. Noel looked at the balance in the card, then looked at Zhu Fu Jingguang who had obviously expected it, and said with resentment:
"I seem to be harder to take care of than I thought..."
Zhu Fu Jingguang finally couldn't help laughing. He looked at Noel, who was full of self-doubt, and said after half a laugh: "It's really difficult to order food without looking at the price."
"But for you, the taste of a $400 hazelnut cake shouldn't be much different from that of four pieces."
Noel carefully recalled the difference in taste and nodded heavily. He finally realized the cruel fact that the piece of cake he had just eaten was worth a hundred pieces of similar cakes, which meant he missed out on ninety-nine pieces of cake.
"Then I shouldn't be that difficult to raise?" Noel looked expectantly at the young-looking Morobushi Jingguang beside him, and the latter nodded in anticipation.
"That's great," Noel finally breathed a sigh of relief, then fell into sadness again. His money was gone, but the day was not over yet.
As if he suddenly thought of something, Noel suddenly picked up Morobushi Jingguang beside him, ran in one direction, until he entered an elevator, and then pressed the button hard for the top floor.
"What's wrong?"
Zhu Fu Jingguang finally had time to ask, but seeing that the other party was hesitant and unwilling to answer, he smiled and did not ask any more questions.
The two of them came to the rooftop. Looking down, they saw the hustle and bustle of traffic, and looking up, they saw the colorful neon lights on higher floors. They seemed to be in a dazzling kaleidoscope. The whole world exuded a sense of confusion shrouded in hazy lights, unreal and distorted.
"Today is happier than I thought," Noel trotted forward two steps, leaned on the railing and looked at the scenery below, his tone somewhat excited.
Morofushi Jingguang looked at the other party's happy figure and chose to listen quietly.
"There are no messy tasks. We are just wandering around to see the scenery, not for..." The words he said were swallowed by the wind, and then the sound came again intermittently. Zhufu Jingguang took a few steps forward to hear clearly.
"This is the first time I've been out so late for fun, not for an organization's mission."
"Ah, it doesn't seem so. I was outside at this time when I was a kid."
"Not really. I used to sleep outside often, but only recently..."
"That's not bad."
"If now..., will no one be able to see it?"
The intermittent words seemed to have more than just the syllables swallowed by the wind. Morobushi Kagemitsu had already walked in front of Noel, but was suddenly picked up by the other party.
The man who had no sense of security at all held the boy who didn't think there was anything wrong, and they leaned against the railing and looked at the lights flashing downstairs.
"Everyone is so small, so small that it seems like nothing we do has any meaning," Morofushi Jingguang heard Noel say, "Is this how the world looks like in the eyes of fate?"
"They are so small. If one or two of them escape, do you think anyone would notice them?"
Noel's expression was obviously a bit confusing, and the sudden jump in the topic made it difficult for people to follow his train of thought. Before Morobushi Jingguang could figure out what the other party meant, he heard Noel say again:
"Do you want to take a chance on your fate?"
As soon as these words came out, Morofushi Jingguang felt himself being lifted up, with half of his body sticking out of the railing, and the person behind him looked like he was about to perform a high-altitude murder show.
"So I want to say, Xiaoguang, should we run away together, should we jump down together?"
Feeling the increasingly excited tone of the person behind him, Zhu Fu Jingguang said helplessly: "Stop messing around, Noel."
The hands that were holding him up were so strong that it hurt him. He seemed to be afraid of accidentally letting go of the force, so he couldn't believe that the other party would throw him down.
"Hahahaha, I thought this joke could scare you, Xiaoguang." Noel could only put the person down and laughed very happily, as if visiting so many famous attractions today were not as good as the two of them laughing foolishly on the rooftop in the cold wind at this moment, although it seemed that Noel was the only one who was laughing.
He took out his cell phone, turned his back to the railing and showed the time "12:00" on the screen to Morobu Jingguang, and said with a grin, "Happy April Fool's Day, so don't be angry."
As he finished speaking, fireworks exploded in the air behind him. The bright colors were more dreamy than any lights. They connected into pieces of dreamlike colors in the air, gorgeous and brilliant.
"It seems the intelligence was correct. Someone really set off fireworks tonight."
Noel nodded with satisfaction and looked at the boy beside him seeking praise. The boy could only compliment him helplessly and then quickly pulled him downstairs. Being on the rooftop in the middle of the night in the cold wind was romantic but also very suicidal.
But today is indeed a good day, Morobushi Kagemitsu thought.