Translator: AlfredoPoutineSoup Editor: DesTheSloth
“Marina, pack your things quickly, we are about to leave!”
“Ok!”
On the other side of the door, the little girl was busy packing her school bag because her mother was about to send her back to school immediately. But at this moment, the little girl stopped.
Because someone was tapping the window of her house at this time. The girl tilted her head, opened the window and saw a familiar face.
“Antonio, how are you here?” Marina asked curiously.
“Marina, I’ve ran away from home!” Antonio said with a trace of pride, looking at Marina, “Will you come with me?”
Marina was puzzled, “Why should I run away from home with you? Antonio, running away from home is wrong. You will make Mr. Oleg sad. You should go back and apologize to him.”
Antonio said, “Marina, I like you, that’s why I came to find you.”
Marina shook her head, “But I don’t like you, Antonio! I like older guys who are more mature… my mother is calling me. Bye, Antonio, hopefully I can see you at school.”
“Marina! Marina!”
Ignoring Antonio’s calling, the little girl Marina closed the window quickly and pulled the curtain.
Antonio lowered his head in disappointment while Marina left the house from the front door and explained something to her mother.
“What? Ran away from home?”
Marina’s mother gave a start and quickly bypassed to the back of the house but she could only see the Antonio’s back climbing over the fence.
The lady called him, but it was too late. She frowned, “Marina, go get the mailing list. I think I need to contact Mr. Oleg now.”
“OK~”
…
Although Antonio failed in his courting but he didn’t seem to be as sad as he had imagined— his mood recovered very quickly.
Because he was walking in the lively street at this time.
Usually at this time, he probably had to sit well at school and wait for the teacher.
So everything Antonio met at this time seemed fancy to him. Antonio made a pleasant laughter. Both of his hands opened and he hopped along the street imagining he was flying.
He had brought all his possessions out of the house—more than 8,000 rubles—his schoolmates always talked about their own ‘property’ but they mostly used the ‘property’ to buy useless toys or snacks.
‘Those students are too naïve! They don’t even know how to make good use of their own ‘wealth’!’
“A cup of coffee and a sandwich, please.”
Sitting on the chair of the café— this was where Antonio had successfully climbed up with effort—because the chairs were of the size for adults.
Antonio felt that he was equal to the adults around him, so he also ordered some food.
“Boy, is this what your parents asked you to buy?”
“No, it’s for myself.” Antonio said in an old voice.
Who knew ‘the old voice’ in his mind gave a totally adverse feeling to the shop assistant—The shop assistant frowned, “Boy, trust me, coffee is not suitable for you. A glass of milk is much more than a cup of coffee. Moreover, are you coming alone? Where are your parents?”
He watched the kid walking in and climbing onto the bar stool, so he had to keep an eye and pay more attention to him.
“Just give me a cup of coffee and a sandwich!” Antonio grabbed some coins and placed them on the bar counter.
The clerk thought for a while, then nodded. But he made a phone call quietly, “Hello, police officer, here is No.12 of XX Street. A child just came to my shop, no parents seem to have accompany him… OK, OK, I will keep an eye on him, please come quickly.”
…
Antonio’s action of running away from home had failed completely after just three hours.
A sheriff was on the phone, another sheriff was looking at Antonio at this moment and saying, “We are informing your father, and he will pick you up right away.”
Antonio lean against the door of the police car alone, clamming up.
The sheriff squatted patiently and asked, “Why did you want to run away from home? Did your father hit you?”
While Antonio suddenly said, “Officer, I want to go to the washroom, I have a stomachache.”
The sheriff grabbed Antonio’s palm after a while of consideration, returning to the cafe and taking him to the washroom while urging him, “Remember to wash your hands.”
Antonio nodded, showing a well-behaved look.
Soon after, Oleg hurriedly came in with a bad-looking face and quickly asked, “Sheriff, where’s my son?”
“He’s inside.” The sheriff tapped the toilet door, “Boy, come out, your father has arrived.”
However, there was no response came from the inside after several tappings. Oleg narrowed his eyebrows, twisting the door lock— it was easily opened by this strong man.
That police officer had no time to be impressed by the force of his wrist, he just looked at the…empty toilet room.
“Where is he…” the police officer was surprised.
Oleg sighed and pointed at the small window, “He climbed out.”
…
“Boy, you can’t enter this place. Here is the place for the adults. You can’t go in even if you have money. And, what’s the phone number of your parents? Boy, hey, boy…”
…
“Boy, don’t your parents tell you that juveniles are not allowed to buy cigarettes? Boy, boy, boy…”
…
“Boy, why are you wandering around alone in the street? Where are our parents? Are you lost? Boy, boy…”
…
…
Antonio suddenly felt that there was almost no place for him to go— why, why did people in every place always ask about his parents?
He could obviously protect himself.
Antonio didn’t know where he had arrived at. He just knew that he didn’t have to run away quickly when someone came to him curiously.
Otherwise, the scene in the café this morning would probably happen again. And Antonio felt that he wouldn’t be as lucky as last time to be able to climb out from the washroom.
But whenever he thought of the thing happened in the morning, Antonio regretted that he should take away what he had bought in the cafe.
“What place is this?”
Antonio couldn’t only see the restaurant or any convenience store— he was starving and it was so hard to endure.
‘Must I go back like this?’
‘I’ve grown up!’
‘Remember, when you have a need, you’ll find me…’
Suddenly, this sentence rang in Antonio’s mind. He recalled of those two who came to his house last night— the two who disappeared magically.
Antonio looked around, he kept turning his sight— This place seemed to be a factory area.
Nobody knew how he came to this place.
But it didn’t matter, Antonio was only concerned about whether the words that big brother had said last night was true.
“Where are you?”
“Where are you?”
Antonio put both of his hands at his mouth like a trumpet, crying loudly, “Come out! Where are you! Come out!”
“Would you like to have some chocolate?”
Just at the moment when Antonio wanted to give up, yesterday’s voice was heard from behind. Of course, they were the same words!
Antonio turned back furiously. Exactly the same as yesterday, the mysterious guy passed a piece of chocolate towards him— Perhaps because he was too hungry, Antonio grabbed the chocolate and tore the wrapping paper without hesitation, putting it into his mouth.
“What can I do for you?”
Antonio looked up at this time with melted chocolate all over his mouth, “Big brother, can you really sell anything?”
“Yes.”
“Well…well…” Antonio hesitated for a long while, counting something by moving his fingers, “I want to use my lifespan… No, I use, I use, well…”
Suddenly, Andrea said, “Marina doesn’t like me! Then I’ll exchange that using my love! Can you turn me into an adult?”
“An adult?”
Antonio nodded, “Yes, an adult, I want to grow up, as tall as my father! No, I want to be bigger, taller and stronger than him.”
It seemed that this big brother didn’t have any reaction, Antonio said with uneasiness, “Is that enough? If not, what do I have to pay?”
“No … that’s enough.”
…
It was like a gust of wind blew over.
Everything in his sight had changed.
When the weird goat-skin scroll unfolded in front of him, Antonio felt as if his whole body was cold like being buried in winter snow, which made him can’t help shuddering.
The man said that the contract had been signed—Then, he disappeared again from his sight.
However, Antonio already felt the difference in him!
He stretched his palms out and looked at them. They had grown much bigger— his arms had become thicker than his thighs from the past and the strong muscles were bulging without clenching his fists!
His legs turned even longer than his height from the past!
Antonio touched his cheek subconsciously, there were a hint of a moustache! And, his sight had changed too! Now his sight was like what he saw after standing on a stool!
Besides that, the clothes were torn by the bulging body, which could only be hung on his body slice by slice. His backpack straps were broken!
Antonio felt it incredible. He pinched his face hard and felt the pain, a burning pain.
But he laughed.
“I’ve grown up! I’ve really grown up! I’m an adult now!”
