"Perplexity"

The following day was a Saturday, and it was time for them to return to D.M. Cadre. Sanno offered Lia a ride to Eulim City since the two of them had become closer. He parked his cute, blue car in Newton Grand Tower condominium and rode the e-bus with Lia.

In the e-train platform of D.M. Cadre Research Facility, Lia bid goodbye to Sanno and proceeded to the basement.

When Lia had the automatic metal door opened, she was surprised to see Aesop standing right in front of the shoe shelves!

"Oh my goodness!" Lia exclaimed; she was very surprised to see him there! "Mr. Aesop! Why are you standing there!?"

"I was waiting for you…" Aesop said. He gazed through Lia's deep blue eyes. "Did you… go to…" He hesitated to ask her what has been lingering in his mind. He was afraid to be disappointed; he was afraid to hear bad news.

"Come, let's sit first, Mr. Aesop," she quickly changed into indoor shoes and went to the sofa.

Aesop walked with her, sat down comfortably on the sofa, raising his feet, and clasping his knees together. He stared straight into Lia's eyes, waiting for her to say something.

"I went to Sambridge, and I saw your family," Lia said, smiling. "They own a cafe-restaurant in Sambridge Plaza, near the university."

The vulture mutant didn't say anything but was delighted to hear the first few good words from her.

"Your mother did the cashier job, while your father, together with two other waiters, was in charge of taking orders and serving food. You know, the cafe was so cozy-"

"How about my sister?" Aesop suddenly asked.

A bittersweet smile appeared on Lia's lips, "She's about to graduate college..." She wanted to be happy, but she kept on remembering the kind of suffering that Aesop had in exchange for his sister's surgery fees and scholarship.

Hearing that his sister's alive and well made Aesop happy. While displaying a smile, he asked, "What course did she take?"

"Zoology."

Aesop's smile disappeared, and the feeling of excitement and joy was replaced with fear.

"Mr. Aesop?" Lia noticed the change in his expression. "Are you alright?"

"I remembered her saying that she will take up either Biology or Zoology," a nostalgic feeling enveloped him.

A distant memory flashed in his mind. Fifteen-year-old Aesop was cross-sitting in the grass in their backyard in Sambridge City. Under a Narra tree, his sister Anivia was crouching behind Aesop, observing a line of ants walking up the tree.

"Hey, get back to your room, Anivia," Aesop told his 12-year-old sister. "You stayed too long outside today. It's been an hour."

"I wish I was an ant," Anivia told Aesop after resting her back on his wings.

"Why?"

"I want to have friends and a job, too," her pale lips turned to a smile while looking up the Narra tree. "Someday, I want to study either zoology or biology… To help mutants like you."

"You should get back inside if you want to be healthy enough for college. Go now, Anivia." said Aesop worriedly, slightly moving his wings.

"Such a nagger," Anivia said, and she stood up. She walked in front of Aesop, turning her head and widely smiled. "I'm going inside now! I want to live longer!" Then, she entered the house.

As Aesop remembered his precious, only sister, he suddenly felt that he wanted to be with his family. He wanted to get out of there instead of letting his sister be involved with D.M. Cadre. Now that he knew that she's about to graduate, he feared that someday, she might apply as a D.M. Cadre Assistant Scientist.

Lia saw Aesop's perplexed expression. She leaned in closer to him and whispered, "Have you ever thought of… getting out of here?"

Meanwhile, Sanno did not go to his work right away after they arrived in the facility, and instead, he sat down on the lobby's sofa.

"Happy birthday, Sanya!" some employees greeted her; her name was one of those on the birthday list, which was displayed in the lobby.

Sanya gave them a warm smile, "Thank you." And as soon as she saw Sanno, she walked briskly towards him.

He stood up, and greeted her, "Happy birthday, my favorite scientist," he then gave a box, covered with a red gift wrapper.

"What's this?" she asked as she held it.

"Open it."

With excitement, she quickly tore the wrapper and opened the box. It was a plum-colored digital watch, with straps made of true leather and its buckle and case made of black alloy.

"Oh my goodness, Sanno!" Sanya exclaimed. "This is the latest watch from Ricci! This is expensive... I think it's 85,000 digital cash. How did you..."

"Don't ask, okay?" Sanno chuckled. He was amused by her shocked expression. "Let me help you put it on." he removed her old wristwatch.

Sanya blushed as she let Sanno put her new watch onto her wrist. When he finally buckled it, she looked at the watch as if it's precious. "Thank you, Sanno." She said as he gazed into his light brown eyes.

Sanno showed her a sweet smile, and it was enough to make Sanya's heart skip a beat. It was obvious that Sanya already had growing feelings for him. Even though Sanno didn't say he loves her, the naive young scientist had been thinking that he did. She was confident in her charm and thought that her intelligence was the one that Sanno admired about her.

Behind Sanno's sweet smile was a long list of upcoming plans to expose D.M. Cadre's immorality. He's willing to use the gullible woman for him and his father's aspiration, besides, if she's truly an intelligent woman, she would understand him in the future. Sanno hoped that one day, Sanya would come to realize that she was working too hard in the wrong place.

"Always wear this at work," Sanno said. "You will always remember me and my handsome face, and it will make you motivated." He winked at her, then laughed.

Sanya's cheeks turned red because she knew that it would certainly happen. This guy had already given her a beautiful necklace and a Ricci watch, but he never told her that he liked her. "Sanno, I have a question."

"What is it?"

"You're treating me like I'm a special person, always complimenting me and giving me gifts, so I've been wondering," Sanya muttered as she fixed her round eyeglasses. "What are we?"