Chéri puffed “I am twenty-three” it was, in their mind, more true than, say, thirteen “And if I am as childish as you said, maybe I was too shy to ask for one, maybe I didn’t know how to do that in English, maybe I was just walking by and decided to spontaneously collect seashells or simply, maybe I had nothing better than an apron. I might be some sort of apprentice, like a butcher’s apprentice and my master might have needed the only bucket we have or maybe I decided on a whim to make a beautiful necklace for the woman I love and I wanted to be swift to beat my rival, but I lost myself in the choice.” Chéri had a really thoughtful expression as they said that, contemplating all these possible ideas that they treated with equal realism. Chéri nodded a few times “And don’t you think that here, in the middle of nowhere, I would see the bad people arriving? Wouldn’t it be better for you to look into dark alleys or places where criminals could conveniently hide?” Chéri continued.

Chéri shrugged “In town. I’ll find it again once I walk back, I’m sure, the place doesn’t seem big at all.”