2 Chapter 2

"Hey Ban, you want a job?"

It has been one day after Ban get out of prison. He was looking for food until a couple stops him and try to give him a job.

"Oh, the swine hag from the bar, what job?" Ban asked.

"Swine hag?" the woman feel offended by Ban's remark.

"Come on, he doesn't mean any ill will. The job is simple. You'll get money if you get inside this barrel." Explain the man.

Just as Ban gets inside the barrel the couple close the lid and the woman sit on top of it.

"You think we'll get money?" The woman asked the man while ignoring Ban who tries to push open the lid from under her.

"Yeah he has connection outside. Child trafficking gave a lot of money you know." The man answered.

Hearing he was about to be sold to a trafficker he pushed the lid even harder.

Suddenly he heard a commotion outside. Seems like there is a thief about to rob them. Ban tried to punch the lid open and he did it. He saw the couple tied up and Zhivago who just succeeded robbing them.

""Huh?"" Both of them confused with what happened.

Zhivago took Ban to his hideout after hearing he was about to be sold off.

"Hahahaha! So you were almost sold to a trafficker!" Zhivago laughed as he see Ban keep munching on his food.

"Zhivago... You fucking bastard." Ban said his gratitude for the food.

"Don't you mean 'Thank you'?" Zhivago correcting Ban's wording.

"Th... Thank you...?"

"That's right! Oh well. That was stolen too, anyway."

"Zhivago, teach me how to steal." Ban calmly asked Zhivago.

"Ban... do you understand what you're asking? Once you've become a thief, you'll never be part of normal human society." Zhivago explains.

"My quirk is for stealing after all. And... Why are you... stea...stealing." Ban asked sleepily.

"Are you getting sleepy because you're full? If you're sleepy, then go to sleep. Otherwise you won't grow."

"If I sleep, pops will kick my gut." Ban answered while shaking his head trying to stay awake.

"...I see. Then I'll keep a lookout for you." Zhivago put Ban's head on his lap.

"...okay." Ban answered and he quickly fall asleep.

When Ban woke up, it's still bright outside. Zhivago took him to another place where no one know about Ban and his quirk. He teaches Ban everything he know and Ban absorb everything he was taught. Ban actually a genius but he doesn't know about it because he never had a chance to learn. Zhivago also taught Ban about common sense and manner so he can speak properly instead of cursing everyone unintentionally. He also taught Ban to write and read. It took only a few days until Ban able to read and write.

Zhivago let Ban stays in his hideout. He always go back home to his son only at night. When Ban was left alone in the hideout he always read books he stole and keep in the hideout. Ban shows interest in studying and he already started to learn many things from books.

When it was about stealing, Ban already capable of doing it better even without using his quirk thanks to Zhivago. His quirk also shown a great improvement and he was able to snatch things from further distance. He tries to improve his quirk whenever he had a break from stealing and studying.

"What's your son like?"

One night Ban asked Zhivago a question.

"His name's Therion. He's a shy, kind boy."

"Okay... tch." Ban pouts hearing Zhivago's praise toward his son.

"And the other son's name is Ban, he's got a bad mouth, angry eyes, and wild, messy hair." Zhivago continued talking.

Hearing that Ban shocked then drop his head low happily to hide his blush.

"How come you only go back home at night?" Ban asked another question.

"I have a lot of enemies. If I keep going back and forth, the knights will figure out where we live." Zhivago answered honestly.

"Does Therion knows about your stealing?"

"Yeah... he and I both understand and accept our fates." He answered with a sad expression.

"Ban. Don't trust humans, alright?" Zhivago said.

"I'll trust you, Zhivago." Ban answered innocently which makes Zhivago unable to hide expression so he pulled Ban into a hug and pat his head.

"Go to sleep. Tomorrow's job is gonna be early." Zhivago said while turning back so Ban doesn't see him wiping his tears while Ban is smiling and touching the part of his head where Zhivago pat it.

The next day Ban woke up early. He went to check the place he was about to steal from while Zhivago is still sleeping. It was a place that was used as a base for a small gang. Ban keeps waiting Zhivago for a while but suddenly he had an idea.

"Oh, I know! I'll steal it on my own before Zhivago even gets here. Zhivago's gonna be so shocked. I wonder if he'll praise me." Ban jumped over the fence and tries to sneak in the place he was about to steal.

"Intruder! You fool of a bandit, trying to steal here!" Suddenly he heard the guard of the base found him. Ban gets caught and beaten up by the guards.

'Zhivago... I'm sorry Zhivago. I was so stupid. I'm sorry.' Ban regretted his action.

Ban keeps getting beaten up but he is still waiting. He's waiting for Zhivago to rescue him. After a while he was about to lose his consciousness. He was beaten up to near death and then he was thrown to the back alley. Ban somehow woke up and he walked to his hideout hoping to see Zhivago but Zhivago wasn't there.

Ban collapsed in his hideout and when he woke up he realize Zhivago won't come back.