Adrian furrowed his brow, realizing his question was a bit off. He pouted slightly, saying, âAlright then.
Let me rephrase that. Excuse me, big bro, where did you get your Mechanical Hero Kite?â
Tristan found something endearing about the boyâs earnestness and decided to indulge him with an answer. âI got it at the Mechanical Hero Toy Store in M State.â
Adrian silently noted this down, planning to tell his mom later. He then asked, âAnd did you get that Mechanical Hero mask youâre wearing from the same place?â
Tristan nodded. âYep, same place.
Adrian pondered for a moment, realizing that even if his mom sent someone to M State to get him the toys, it would take a while. An idea popped into his head. âCould you sell me your kite and mask now, and then buy yourself new ones when you go back to M State?â
Tristan furrowed his brows, slightly taken aback by the boyâs forwardness.
He decided to ignore him and walk away, but Adrian tugged at his shirt. âItâs okay if you donât want to sell them to me, but can I try on your mask? Just for a moment. I really love Mechanical Hero.â
Somehow, hearing the boy call him âbig broâ made Tristan reluctant to refuse.
He mulled it over briefly before nodding. âAlright! You can wear it briefly, but give it right back.â
Adrian, with a serious little face, said, âOkay. Thank you!â
Tristan put down his kite, took off his Mechanical Hero mask, and handed it over.
Adrian immediately put it on as his face lit up with pure joy.
He was so thrilled that he didnât even notice what the boy looked like.
âAdrian!â
At the sound of his mom calling him, Adrian froze and turned to look.
Through the eye holes in the mask, he saw his mom rushing over, looking worried. He felt a pang of guilt, expecting a scolding.
âHave you wandered off again? You deserve a spanking!â
Ellinor picked up her son with a stern face and started spanking him. âHow many times have I told you not to run off like that? What if you ran into a stranger? Donât you know how scared I was?â
Tristan was left in a daze, confused as to why he was being punished by a stranger.
He stared at the beautiful woman who was holding him, not feeling angry about being spanked.
She was very pretty, smelled nice, and felt warm.
Meanwhile, Adrian watched in confusion as his mom walked away, still lecturing him.
Strange. Why did Mom take that other boy with her?
Did she mistake him for that boy?
Did he look like that boy?
âTristan! Itâs taking you too long to get the kite. Come on, we need to go home.â
Suddenly, a strange woman appeared in front of him, speaking to him in an irritated tone.
Adrian instinctively became wary, intending to sidestep the stranger and run after his mom.
Sophia quickly grabbed him. âWhere are you running off to now? Your dad is waiting for us over there.â