Chapter 6: Chapter SIX

"I don't believe it... I never thought I'd see that again!" Mia raved, stopping abruptly.

"I told you it was worth the trip!" replied Shaun laughing proudly.

The teenager grabbed her hand to propel her after him as if they had known each other forever. Much to the blonde's delight, Shaun turned out to be a veritable electric battery with a dazzling smile that went up to his ears. The young human allowed herself to be led through the largest street food aisle in the Macula district. It was relatively narrow compared to the enormous boulevards of the Pupil, forcing its passers-by to elbow in front of some very popular stalls.

Mia couldn't help the exclamation of pure joy that crossed her lips the second they reached the aisle. Until then, the visit had been rather banal, at least for her human eyes accustomed to big cities. The Fovea district was the most common and familiar part of the city for her since it concentrated on simple brick buildings without the slightest artifice. Some houses were not lacking in refinement and various discreet ornaments, but the population that walked the streets was in no way like the more formal population of the Pupil. The inhabitants were ordinary, neither rich nor destitute, except that more of them seemed to crowd into the streets and boulevards of the Fovea. Shaun had told her that the neighborhood had most of the population after all.

At the border between the two areas, Mia didn't see much difference except that the buildings were deteriorating slightly, becoming duller and less maintained. Traders sold their products on the street, transforming the Macula district into a gigantic open-air market. Here, no one seemed to really pay attention to the blonde. The inhabitants were far too busy carrying out their various daily tasks and shopping or working hard. A few gangs of kids were also hanging out in the streets, spying on passers-by, children whom Mia quickly identified as petty criminals waiting for the right opportunity to pick the pockets of people who were a little too inattentive. It didn't worry her too much, again it wasn't surprising for someone who had lived in a big city. It was not the first time that she had crossed neighborhoods in which there was a little insecurity.

When the street of a thousand flavors finally took shape before their eyes, Mia's heart skipped a beat as her nostrils filled with divine scents. The alley was almost sweltering with the extra heat from the food stalls and ovens of all kinds, and she could see thick waves of smoke all over the way giving off tons of different flavors just waiting to be tasted. At a minimum, she could count at least thirty wild stalls that sold all types of food, some reminding her of dishes that existed on Earth, others offering recipes that she did not know, but that she would die to discover given how enticing the smell was. Every stall seemed worthy of the label "junk food," a type of food she had been dreaming about for weeks now.

"I'll make you taste the best shawawa in the world!" Shaun announced, still pulling her through the passers-by to direct her to the booth he was talking about.

"Shawawa?"

Tell me it's junk food, please! she begged inwardly.

The young man didn't answer her and simply shrugged, a mischievous smile covering his lips, then released Mia's hand when they finally arrived in front of the place in question. A delicious smell emanated from the small stand occupied by a person at the counter and another preparing food ten centimeters behind. There was very little room inside the shop, but they didn't seem the least bit bothered by the small space. The blonde's newly developed sense of smell made her head spin and her stomach begin to growl with impatience as she smelled what sure looked like junk food.

Unfortunately, Shaun wasn't the only one who thought the stand offered the best shawawas in the world as a line of six people waiting their turn was ahead of them. Waiting felt like torture, but they didn't really have a choice. Mia consoled herself by telling herself that the service seemed fast to her since the stands were actually serving fast food.

The young hybrid was swinging his weight from one leg to the other, rubbing his hands, visibly even more eager than her to introduce her to his favorite dish and devour it in a few bites. Suddenly, while Mia's attention was busy observing the other stalls, a young child, no older than about ten, rushed towards them, shouting like a warrior. He zigzagged nimbly between passers-by brandishing a wooden sword which he bumped from time to time into the arms of adults who gave him half-annoyed, half-moved looks. It obviously didn't dampen his determination to charge Shaun at full speed.

"I knew you were going to eat shawawas without me! You're a liar!" shouted their assailant as they reached them.

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The teenager turned to the source of all this racket and sighed falsely when he recognized the child. He had no trouble dodging his load and his wooden sword and took the opportunity to trip him a little. Mia raised her eyebrows as she saw their assailant stumble and take the fall on his palms so his face wouldn't crash into the floor. She half-expected the child to start crying, but he got up as if nothing had happened and glared at Shaun aggressively, grimacing as his guide almost laughed out loud watching the angry, childish pout of his attacker.

"Shh, I'm on a secret mission, Jodas," Shaun muttered after he regained his composure.

He bent down towards the child to whisper these words in his ear in a dramatic tone as if he were telling him the biggest secret in the universe. Still, the blonde could see that his laughing eyes hadn't given up their teasing, smiling glow. They knew each other well, she surmised. Judging by their resemblance, they were probably brothers. Jodas had the same cocoa skin color as his guide and the same wild black curls framing his childish face. His smile was missing several teeth that would definitely grow in the next few months, and he still had the round cheeks of childhood.

"But you promised!" Jodas challenged, still accusingly, though he had taken to whispering as well to follow his brother's lead.

"Grandma knows you're running down the street like a savage?" his big brother went on, abruptly changing the subject.

The child's angry pout breaking as his mind processed the question told them that their grandmother did not know of his little escapade. Shaun smiled mischievously, satisfied to have trapped his little brother.

"How do you think she'll react if I tell her you snuck out of the house again the second her back was turned? And let me guess... You haven't even finished your chores, have you?"

The teen's eyes were narrowed in an exaggerated thin line and his hand stroked his chin to make him look calculating. He had fun scaring his little brother by showing his best acting, it was obvious.

"But-"

"Jodas, go home!" ordered his guide firmly, obviously accustomed to having to call the cadet to order.

The child's face took on a defeatist pout, and after a last look at the food stall, Jodas finally consented to listen to his big brother. He headed in the same direction he had come from, this time moving with a slow gait that clearly showed his disappointment.

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