TCOTRB: The Case of The Red Bubble

🔵 Chapter I: Circa III

Chapter I: Circa III

The day went on until they were dismissed early. They aren't expected to have regular classes until tomorrow. Milo was relieved to be able to return home.
Along the hallways, he saw Kaira and her three other companions following him.

"Hey, wait up!" she insisted. The three behind her exchanged befuddled looks.

"Seriously, we're inviting the new kid, too?" one of them whined.

Milo wasn't looking forward to hanging out with anyone. He prefers to walk alone.

"Wanna join us at the Sanban Restaurant? It isn't far from where I live and my parents are cool with us eating lunch there!" Kaira threw her arm over his shoulder, winking at him.

He was surprised to hear this. The restaurant is just across the street from his house. The place serves authentic Japanese and Korean cuisines. We're just gonna have lunch and that's it, he thought.
There was a sense of warmth building up within. He never felt like this before. At the restaurant, he was surrounded by a few kind people who enjoyed his company.
He sent their group photo to his parents, hoping they would be proud that their son is finally making friends.
The guy with glasses and messy black hair, Jin Inoue, hovered his phone over the virtual payment reader on the corner of the table. The person seated at his left, Leo Juegos, quickly got up and picked up his bag. Jin grabbed him by the leg and asked where he was headed off to.

"I just remembered that I have to pick up my little sister from school," Leo was frantic.

"Good luck getting there," the snarky brunette, Irene Ferrari, smirked as she watched the burly guy hop on his bike outside the restaurant.

"I ain't foolin' around, Irene!" Leo shouted.

After lunch, Kaira was willing to accompany Milo, knowing he isn't used to the rundown streets. The other three had gone on their way right now.
There have been instances where these hoodlums would rally up unsuspecting people and steal their stuff.
She told him about the time she and her family first moved in here following her graduation from sixth grade. The middle-class locals in Circa 2 showed no kindness to low-class foreigners like the Faez family.
It didn't help that her older brother, Malik, got into a terrible fight with their neighbor's son.
Her father was able to save up enough money after working at the coffee shop until they were able to live elsewhere.

"I grew up with four older brothers. They're quite a handful," she said.

"Really?"

"I'm the one who takes care of them, as well as household chores."

They walked past the grocery store and stopped in front of the ten-storey pink apartment building.
The strips of daylight began to fade as the dome started closing. It's a sign that the plants have received enough UV rays at this hour and the temperatures are expected to go up.

"Alright, we're now at my place. See 'ya tomorrow, Milo!" Kaira sprinted up the escalator to the upper floor.

Many buildings in the area have undergone a huge upgrade. The Faez family lived on the second floor (Door 204).
Before crossing the street, someone quickly grabbed Milo from behind. A single anti-gravity motorcycle sped across the road.

"Watch where you're going, kid!" a husky male voice was heard.

His body stiffened in fear, preventing him from even scuttling away. He slowly looked up to see who it was.

It was Malik.