Agent's Dog System

14.Is This the First Time?

Aiden’s shouts echoed through the house, startled by the intensity of Adia’s gaze. She glanced at the kitchen clock; it was three in the afternoon. “We don’t have much time to buy a suit, but at least we can fix your hair,” she said. Without giving him time to react, she grabbed the boy, lifted him as if he were a feather, and rushed upstairs with him. Podbe followed alongside, wagging his tail curiously. They entered Adia’s room, which was as spacious as Aiden’s but painted a light green that gave it a fresh and cozy feel. She sat him down in front of the mirror and observed his hair, messy and unkempt. Noticing something strange near the back of his head, close to his neck, she gently pulled on a tube that blended with his skin. To her surprise, the object turned out to be a sort of artificial hair extension.

Adia looked at him curiously. “Why were you hiding the rest of your hair? It’s clever, but unnecessary.” Aiden lowered his gaze and replied shyly, “At the orphanage, they wouldn’t let me have long hair, so I came up with this because I like how it makes me feel. It makes me feel important, like a character from a TV show I used to watch.” Adia nodded, understanding his creativity. She removed the tube, revealing a thick, silvery mane, though tangled and poorly cared for. It looked like the hair of a character from a horror comedy, except instead of brown, it was silver. “This needs attention,” she murmured as she led him to the washroom.

With warm water, shampoo, and other products, she cleaned and detangled Aiden’s hair, transforming it from rough and dull to silky and shiny. Once dry, his long hair fell a few inches past his shoulders. “You look better with short hair, but I respect your decision. We just need to make a few adjustments,” Adia said as she took out a case with hairstyling tools. She trimmed some ends and sides, dried his hair again, and handed him a new hair tie since the old one was worn out. Finally, she styled it and applied a bit of gel. When Aiden looked at himself in the bathroom mirror, he was astonished. His hair now looked sleek and well-groomed. Adia smiled. “You don’t need to hide your hair; it looks good like that.”

Once the transformation was complete, Aiden, still processing the change, said, “Thank you, but it’s not a date. I just met her today, and she invited me for a walk. She’s the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen, and she’s going to show me around the city center.” Adia looked at him with a mischievous smile. “That sounds like a date to me, but don’t get your hopes up too high, kid. Now you need to make a good impression on your first date. Here’s some money; oh, and keep the change from whatever she gives you.” The boy was speechless. No one had ever given him money or been so kind to him in all the foster homes or at the orphanage. His modesty made him hesitate, but Adia insisted, spraying a bit of perfume on him.

Podbe’s stomach began to growl, and the three of them decided to go downstairs for lunch. After the meal, Adia handed Aiden a capsule. “Take this pill; it will help you understand and speak other languages. It’s one of my recipes.” Aiden, recalling what Elena had said about the strange house, hesitated for a moment but finally took it. Suddenly, he hugged Adia with gratitude. She returned the gesture with a warm smile. With his new look and accompanied by Podbe, who hadn’t left his side since they met, Aiden headed toward the pet store. “Be careful and come back early,” Adia called out as she closed the door. For a moment, she thought about suggesting he bring flowers but decided it would be too much.

At five o’clock, Aiden arrived at the pet store. The owner was closing up while Elena counted the money in the cash register. “Alright, we’re done. You can go now, girl,” the man said. Elena went into the shop’s bathroom, took off her apron and uniform, and changed into more comfortable clothes: black jeans, a blue blouse with yellow flowers, a dark green jacket, and black boots. She fixed her hair a bit and stepped outside to wait for Aiden.

When Aiden arrived, he looked for Elena but saw that the store was already closed. Suddenly, a familiar voice greeted him: “Hi, it’s me, Elena. You look different; I like the change you made.” Aiden froze, blushing once again. He stammered a response: “You too.” Elena smiled. “I didn’t know you had so much hair, but it looks good on you. I see you’ve brought your dog.” She greeted Podbe and added, “Well, let’s go. I’ll show you around the city center.”

Elena placed her hand on his shoulder, which made Aiden turn as red as a tomato. She blushed a little too, then took his hand, and they began to walk. Reia, observing the scene, commented, “Here we go again with this kid.” Podbe responded, “Well, what can we do? Just follow him. Woof! Woof!”

As they walked, Elena asked Aiden what he wanted to see first: the shops, historical sites, museums (though they were probably already closed), restaurants, or just take a stroll. Aiden could only nod nervously.

Upon arriving in the city center, Aiden went from being flushed to feeling excited, as did Podbe. It was the first time either of them had seen a city. Both had practically been confined to their own worlds: one in an orphanage and the other on the streets, always in the same alley. They marveled at the lights, the crowd, cars and motorcycles of various shapes and sizes, scooters, bicycles, a bridge, the canals where a river flowed between streets, and restaurants serving food outdoors. There were also street musicians playing, creating a picturesque atmosphere that left them in awe.

Elena asked if it was his first time seeing a city. After marveling at everything around him, Aiden finally snapped out of his trance and began speaking more calmly. He confessed that yes, he had never seen a city before. Then Elena had the idea of taking him to explore several places. They wandered through shops and alleys and visited some tourist spots as the sun began to set.

By nightfall, the kids felt hungry, but some restaurants seemed too expensive. They found one with affordable prices, and Aiden, remembering the money Adia had given him, insisted on paying. The place seemed decent, so they sat at a table outside. The waiter brought them the menu, and after looking it over, they decided to order a large pizza with bacon, lots of cheese, ham, and salami. They called the waiter and ordered option number four, which included drinks. The server looked at them skeptically, thinking they couldn’t afford it. However, Aiden showed him the money, and the waiter headed to the kitchen, not without first warning them that it would take ten to fifteen minutes.

While they waited, they began to talk. Feeling calmer, Aiden listened and responded to Elena’s questions. She told him that she lived with her father because her mother had abandoned them when she was five years old. Sometimes, money was tight, so she had to work. She also confessed that she wanted to become a veterinarian when she grew up. Aiden, for his part, told her that he came from an orphanage and had actually run away. Along the way, he found Podbe and met Adia, which was why they were there. “On a quest,” he joked, making sure not to sound too strange. Then he asked her if the red bicycle was hers, since he had never owned one and didn’t know how to ride one. Elena replied that no, it belonged to the owner, but if he wanted, she could teach him the next day to use the bike they had at her house. In this way, they silently sealed a promise.

As they continued talking, one of the restaurant’s televisions displayed news of a spaceship crash, and another showed a derailed train. The atmosphere grew a bit somber, but they continued enjoying their moment.

Finally, the waiter arrived with their food. They began to eat and shared a few pieces with Podbe, who was under the table. Fortunately, the place was pet-friendly and allowed animals inside.

Reia said to Podbe, “The system informs me that we’ve reached the city center. We earned twenty experience points, reached level four, and have ten points left for the next level.”