What I Want To Be

"So how's middle school?" Master asked me as we walked down the road to his house which is where I currently stayed in. "Nobody bullied you or something?"

I smirked. "Master, the only one who bullies me is you," I jokingly said.

The night was late for a student and teacher to have just gotten out of school. It was past 11 PM and the moon was high up in the dark night sky. Master was held up by a faculty meeting and some other teacher stuff. His expression was quite gruff and irritated once they finished. I had to wait for him since I was still really bad with directions even though it's already been five years since I started living with him and going to school.

"I did make a new friend though, probably my first friend," I thoughtfully said. "She was pretty and pretty talkative but she's nice, nonetheless."

"Wait, I thought you already had friends," he said with disbelief. He scratched the back of his head, his expression one with confusion. "I mean, what about that Lukas kid? You're friends with him, aren't you?"

I rolled my eyes at that. "No, more like enemies or rivals. And no, I've never had friends," I replied sullenly. "Thanks to you and your oh-so-popular reputation."

He shrugged. "Well, don't expect me to apologize," he said.

I chuckled at that. "I didn't expect you to, Master. It's not your style." I gave him a sideways smirk and he simply smirked back.

"Besides, I'm fine even without friends. I've got all I need... and that's also thanks to you," I continued on, embarrassed. "Ehem, anyway, it still makes me happy to have a friend."

But Master just snorted. "To think you're still twelve. I thought you were a complete dunce," he said and I repressed the urge to hit him then and there. "But I guess you're not entirely one."

I stopped in my tracks. "Master... was that... a compliment?!" I yelled ecstatically.

He turned to me with a blank look. He didn't say anything and just shrugged before facing front again.

I felt a big smile form on my lips. It WAS a compliment! And the first one at that.

I skipped to catch up to him, a big smile plastered on my childish face. I stared at him until he was annoyed enough to look back at me.

"Annoying brat, stop smiling like that," he deadpanned. "It's creepier than Sir Nicholas' warts and perverted looks."

I laughed. "Thanks for the compliment, Master," I said before returning to normal.

He scoffed at my remark but said nothing of it. It was only after a few minutes of comfortable silence that he spoke again.

"Hey, brat, I know it's a little bit too late for this but," he began in an oddly sullen tone. "If it weren't for the Volairians destroying your home or you meeting either Vita or me - without all those things happening - what would you have wanted to become when you grew up?"

I pondered on his question a bit. Truth be told I was quite surprised by it. I didn't expect him to actually ask such a personal question like this. I mean, after all, he never asked me any personal questions before.

What did I want to become before I met him? Or Vita? Before the Volairians destroyed my home and killed my family?

When I thought about it, I was really too young when everything happened. I didn't have much ambitions at such a young and carefree age. I didn't have a care for the world then. So I wasn't really sure what to answer.

And then I realized something.

"Master, I never really wanted anything since I was just a normal seven-year-old. I didn't even want to have anything to do with my family's business," I slowly and thoughtfully answered. "So I can't answer your question."

He nodded and was about to say something when I suddenly continued.

"But it was only after meeting you that I, for the first time, wanted something for the future and myself," I said with a slight smile.

Then I turned to him. He was carefully watching me with a sideways glance, his eyes observant and patient.

"I wanted to become a magician, Master," I said. "I still do and it's all 'cause of you."

I grinned widely and childishly after saying that.

And if it wasn't for the darkness of the night or how the moon barely gave us light, I would have sworn at that moment that Master's cheeks turned pink with embarrassment.

Later that night, he allowed me to eat my meal for twenty minutes.

I could tell he was in a good mood.