6

(Chapter 6)

'BURDEN'

Eren and I had breakfast together at the table. I smiled secretly watching him eat. Unlike the first time he saw a pandesal, he was still curious about it. Now he dipped straight into the coffee before eating it completely.

"What's funny?"he asked eagerly. I didn't realize I was smiling.

"No." I shook my head.

"Are you thinking about that man again?" he laughed. "Why, what were you talking about earlier that you still can't forget?"

My mouth protruded a bit. I frowned when I looked at him because of that.

"What are you talking about?" I grimaced. "Is that the effect of eating pandesal dipped in coffee?"

I grinned at the end before pounding the table. I couldn't stop laughing.

"You're funny." I added while laughing. now he looks at me badly. threatening But instead of stopping, I laughed even harder.

"Sorry... sorry... not anymore." I bit my bottom lip to stop myself from laughing harder. I can feel the reddening of my cheeks and the wetness of my eyes from laughing.

"Tsk." he mumbledshut up."

"Shut down." I teased before laughing again. I saw a trace of annoyance on his handsome face. His ears turned red and it was obvious that he was just holding himself back from being annoyed.

"Stop it, Mari. Youre not funny." she said.

"Sorry... not really." I tried to keep my mouth shut. I simply turned to the side to laugh.

When we finished eating, I immediately got ready for selling in town. I changed into more comfortable clothes. When I left the room, I found Eren sitting on the couch while talking on the phone.

He looked up at me for a moment but I quickly looked away and distracted myself with other things.

I walked to the kitchen to drink water. I peeked at him in the living room one more time before continuing.

"Are you going to sell now?"I was shocked to hear the depth of his voice.

"Hmm..."

I washed the used glass before putting it back in the bag. Then I faced him again.

I was stunned to see that he was so close to me. I pulled back slightly to calm my brooding self. He kept staring at me.

"W-why?" I stammered. He kept staring at his chest.

"Can I come?" he suddenly asked. More gently than before. I automatically looked up at him. His gaze is now on the sidelines. "I'm just going to get bored here."

"M-You'll get even more bored there." I cleared my throat. I walked away from him a little. "Then one more? What are you going to do there? The vendors there must be confused."

It's good that in the end Eren won't insist on going with me anymore. I'm sure he was just as confused because of his appearance and clothes.

"When Auntie Laudine comes by. Tell her I'm in town." let me know before leaving.

"I'll wait for you."

"Alright." I nodded."When I get home. We have a dish."

I smiled when I saw the edge of his lips lift slightly.

I rode a tricycle to town. I already have a place there because one of my acquaintances who works in the market let me in.

"Come on! There are a lot of shoppers now." I yelled when I went to the store. Even though I hadn't been able to enter completely, the shoppers immediately came to me.

My demeanor was polished all day. I'll be home later for lunch. Poor king... he might starve himself to death.

We watched the small vegetable shop for several hours. Various smells cling to my clothes.

The smell of salty fish, meat, entrails and different kinds of vegetables. I can almost smell it being fried.

"PUT IT OVER THE SIDE!"

"JUST ON THE SIDE! HURRY UP!"

"OH SISTER, BUY IT IT'S CHEAP. ORGANIC. FRESH FROM THE FARM."

Mixed voices can be heard in the small and noisy market. The shops are also close together.

"Come." I looked at the direction my name came from. I immediately saw Macoy with a small plastic bag of vegetables on his shoulder. I stopped fanning the vegetables and immediately walked to attend him.

"Macoy, put it here on the side." I said a little loudly because of the noise. He followed what I said before torturing me with a smile.

He's sweating hard yet looks so sizzling hot. Haha. Macoy looks like... for sure he will be even more handsome when he is dressed nicely.

He was wearing only a black shirt paired with ripped jeans and simple slippers.

"Have you been?" he asked while now wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"Just this morning. There's a lot of shopping, huh." I answered before bowing to the vegetables he was carrying. "It's good that the rain didn't catch you?"

Together, we looked at his colleagues, one of whom came with a bag of plastic.

"Next door brother." I said here.

"Not really... but it's getting dark outside."Macoy said huskily. He breathlessly helped the other companions."What time will you go home?"

"This afternoon... Eren was left at home."

"What is he doing there?" he wondered.

"Watching..." I returned to the place I was in earlier. I saw his eyebrows meet.

"Watching?"he clarified."Then you are the one working? Shouldn't he be the one working?"

"He's not good at work."

I answered simply before shrugging my shoulders."Oh, suki! Be quick."

I heard him sigh but didn't speak again. After a while, he walked back to his colleagues with his shoulders slumped.

We continued to work. At noon, the number of shoppers also decreased. I turned to the adjacent shops. A few salesmen around my age gathered and seemed to be talking about something.

"BEAUTIFUL, EH. LIKE FROM THE CITY."

"I KNOW SHE HAS A HUSBAND FROM HERE. THEY ARE PROBABLY JUST ON VACATION."

That's how fast the news spread. it seems like just the other day that the gossipy vendors were gathering it in the market. Until now it has not subsided.

When my relay came back, I started to leave. I said goodbye here that I will go home for lunch.

I bought meat first for what we will cook later. Then I walked out of the market. I rode a tricycle to the house.

The potholed road is still muddy. It's getting cloudy and it's going to rain later. I need to get home right away.

I got off the tricycle and paid. carrying the bag of meat, I looked up at the cloudy sky.

I'm worried that if the rain gets stronger today, we might lose electricity again. As often happened to us before.

I walked across the muddy field towards us. my feet sink slightly every time my slippers hit the soft ground. So when I got to us, I immediately brushed the mud that had stuck to my slippers.

"I made it home!" I shouted from outside the house. when I entered, I immediately went straight to the kitchen to translate the selected meat.

My eyes caught Eren who had just left the room while wiping his wet hair. The water was still slightly dripping from his head causing his t-shirt to get wet as well.

was it just a bath earlier?

We looked at each other but I immediately looked away.

"You still?" his voice hoarse.

"Just arrived." I answered without even looking at him. I felt him walk closer but I didn't bother to look.

"I talked to Mang Marion. he will accompany me to get wood."

He is referring to Macoy's father who is gathering firewood.

"W-what? W-why?"

"I'll get rot here while waiting for you." he replied. "I don't want to be a burden."

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