Chapter 68: The Pinky Promise
Leo sat on the edge of the bed , his eyes fixed on nothing at all. Only when the heavy pounding in his chest slowed did he let out a long, weary sigh.
He stood up, grabbed a towel from the rack, and filled a bucket with purified water from the extractor before stepping into the small bathroom.
A few minutes later, the door slid open. Droplets of water ran down his damp black hair and traced the side of his neck.
A blue towel hung loose across his shoulders as he casually dried his hair. He pulled on a dark, long-sleeved T-shirt and changed into a pair of charcoal-gray cargo pants.
The fabric was well-worn from years of hard use, outfitted with deep utility pockets along the thighs and reinforced cloth over the knees.
After stepping into his comfortable black combat boots, Leo rolled his shoulders, trying to work out the stubborn tightness in his muscles. The nightmare still cast a dark shadow over his mind.
He unlatched the truck door and stepped outside. Venturing out of the truck, the sun had dropped completely below the horizon.
A cool night breeze brushed against his damp hair, bringing with it the familiar scent of dust and smoke.
Turning toward Danny’s tent, he saw the young couple busy tending to dinner over the crackling campfire.
Nearby, Lily sat quietly on a crate, completely lost in a picture book while squeezing her stuffed bunny doll.
Seated beside the family were two uninvited guests . Rex and Nina.
Leo walked over to the fire. At the sound of his footsteps, the group turned to look. The moment Danny caught sight of Leo, he scrambled to his feet, darted into the tent, and came back out carrying a wooden stool. He set it down right by the fire.
"Sir."
Leo gave a quiet nod and sat down. The instant he settled onto the stool, a tiny pair of hands wrapped tightly around his leg.
"Bratha..."
"Hewo..."
Leo looked down. Seeing Lily’s innocent, bright smile, the dark fog in his chest lifted just a little. Then he noticed the little girl’s eyes darting toward the pockets of his cargo pants, clearly searching for something inside it .
Leo caught on right away. A helpless smile broke through his grim expression. With one hand, he gently pinched her cheek; with the other, he reached into his deep pocket, pulled out a protein bar, and slid it into her hands.
Lily’s eyes lit up. The moment she secured the snack, she spun around and sprinted back to her mother, proudly waving her prize in the air.
Linda offered Leo an apologetic smile, clearly embarrassed by her daughter’s lack of manners. Leo simply shook his head to show it was fine.
Right then, a voice drifted over from the side.
"Damn... you’re living pretty comfortably."
"Do you actually have a bathroom inside that truck?"
It was Rex. Leo wasn’t in the mood for small talk, so he chose to ignore him. Unfortunately, Rex wasn’t the type to take a hint.
"And where are you getting so much water?"
"Are you using contaminated water?"
"Even if the chances of mutation are low, there’s still a risk."
"You really should avoid it."
Leo kept his mouth shut, staring into the flames. He seemed entirely lost in his own thoughts.
Realizing the silence wasn’t going to break, Rex finally gave up and went quiet.
Just then, Grandpa Jiro walked up to the fire. Without waiting for an invite, the old man settled onto a log beside them.
"Hey, kids."
"So this is the new hangout spot now, huh?"
Both Rex and Nina rolled their eyes in unison.
Grandpa Jiro shifted his gaze to Leo. His weathered, experienced eyes instantly caught the heavy gloom hanging over the young man. Without a word, he reached inside his thick coat and pulled out his prized bottle of alcohol. He held it out to Leo.
"Here, kid."
"There isn’t much left."
"Take a sip."
"Just leave some for me."
Leo stared at the outstretched bottle for a beat before taking it.
He twisted off the cap and took a short sip. The sharp, burning heat sliding down his throat cut through the fog in his mind. He handed the bottle back.
"Thanks."
Grandpa Jiro took it and gave Leo a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
"It’s just a bad dream."
"Don’t let it consume you."
"It’ll get better with time."
Leo looked at the old man, caught off guard. Grandpa Jiro had somehow seen right through him.
Before Leo could ponder those words, Nina turned her attention to Linda.
"Big Sister..."
"What’s for dinner today?"
"When will it be ready?"
She rubbed her stomach with a dramatic groan.
"I’m starving."
Leo turned his head to look at her, a strange expression on his face. Noticing his stare, Nina’s cheeks flushed a bright red.
Memories of her shameless behavior from the day before came rushing back. But her embarrassment quickly turned into irritation.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Hmph!"
"I won’t eat your food for free."
"If there’s anything you need done, just tell me."
"I’ll do it."
Leo answered flatly, "I don’t need anything."
Nina choked on her words, left completely speechless. "...Fine."
"Then just consider this meal a loan."
Leo kept watching her with that same unreadable look. That only stoked her annoyance further. She jumped to her feet and planted both hands firmly on her hips.
"Aah!"
"You don’t believe me, do you?"
"I’m a genius at mechanics!"
"And I’m working really hard too!"
Then, she puffed out her chest with a smug, confident grin.
"Just wait and see."
"I’m going to become rich in this apocalyptic world!"
She thrust a finger straight at Leo’s face.
"When that happens..."
"You won’t even have to work anymore."
"I’ll pay for every meal you eat!"
The moment those words hung in the air, Leo’s heart skipped a beat.
The conversation from his nightmare flooded back into his mind, clear as day. He could only stare blankly at her.
Seeing his frozen reaction, Nina puffed out her cheeks in frustration.
"Aah..."
"You still don’t believe me, do you?"
"You think I’m lying, right?"
"Fine!"
"If you don’t believe me..."
"Let’s make a deal."
"We’ll sign a contract!"
Those words hit Leo like a warm ray of sunlight cutting straight through the heavy dark clouds around his heart.
For the first time since waking from the nightmare, the suffocating pressure on his chest began to ease.
It felt like a withered tree after a long drought, finally catching the very first drops of rain.
Leo slowly lifted his arm. He extended his little finger toward Nina.
"Then..."
"Let’s make a pinky promise."
"After that..."
"You can’t go back on your word."
Comments