TRAPPED IN THE NOVEL WORLD
220

All the children who had finished playing, looked hungry and thirsty. All the children ran towards the stall on the sidelines. They each spend a dime and buy food and drinks according to the money they have. Rows of food and drinks are neatly lined up inside the storefront. Everything looks tempting. Zero could only gulp because he did not have the penny to buy the food.

"Why are you just standing here? Don't you have money to buy food?" ask a boy to Zero.

Zero just shook his head slowly. When everyone had gotten snacks in hand, they sat back together, including Zero. Among them, only Zero held neither food nor drink. The little boy sat in the middle of those who were busy chewing snacks.

"If you want, just eat my food" said a child offering his food to Zero.

"Well, you can take mine too" said the other friend.

Zero nodded back. From the beginning, he always refused when there were other people who gave food for free. If he finally received food, that too he would work in return. Like he works at the house of the man who takes care of him.

"No Thank you. I'm sorry I have to go home" Zero said farewell. Zero doesn't want to trouble anyone else, he better go and go home to Miwa's.

The location of the field and Miwa's house was very close, even Miwa could see Zero from a distance while she was spinning the thread. Miwa secretly notices Zero while gathering with her friends. He felt pity when he saw Zero just stupefiedly sitting in the middle of the children eating.

"Brazed, Han doesn't feel sorry for the boy. His body was as thin as a nutritional deficiency. Even the bones also stand out indicating that the child is eating less. Han was too selfish just thinking about gambling. If he's supposed to leave the boy, give him food and money." Miwa looks furious with her brother's behavior.

A few minutes later, Zero walked towards him. The boy looked happy while playing. But this time when he returned, Zero again looked glum.

"Sorry, Auntie. I was staying to play with them" Zero said pointing to his friends, "does Auntie need help? I can help aunt work now."

Zero offered services because he wanted to earn a wage to buy food.

Miwa smiles. "This job is not for a child. Why is your face moody? You seem hungry?" ask Miwa.

Zero bowed lethargicly, then nodded slowly. From the look on his face, Miwa understood that the child was holding back the hunger in his stomach.

"Han is kind to children. He left this child without giving him provisions" said Miwa, "little boy, can you make noodles yourself? I'm busy, if you want to do it yourself in the back. I have one instant noodle to prop up your hungry stomach" Miwa told Zero.

"Thank you, Auntie. I promise after this will help you work. Look, my hand is strong enough to carry some of that stack of yarn inside. I can also wash clothes and dishes," Zero said with a very sweet smile.

Miwa is speechless. He was greatly amazed by Zero's good intentions. Just this time he saw such a small child volunteering to help him. Although Zero's intention to get a wage for the sake of getting noodles.

"I sincerely gave you one instant noodle. Don't think about anything else first. Han said you can cook by yourself. Eat fast, I'm afraid you're sick" Miwa said.

"Thank you, Auntie."

Zero's face was suddenly fresh, although Miwa only offered instant noodles, at least the food could make him not starve anymore. Zero promises after she eats later, she will help Miwa's work.

Zero receives the noodles and takes them to the back and looks for firewood. Zero is more independent than a child his age, all he does alone does not want to trouble Miwa.

Ten minutes passed, Zero had already brought a bowl of noodles to the front where Miwa was spinning the thread. He even brought two bowls, split the noodles in half, for himself one and the other for Miwa.

"You're really smart. I'm not hungry. The noodles are for all of you," said Miwa while putting more noodles for her to Zero's bowl, "sorry, I can only give this noodle. I don't have any more money to buy rice" he continued.

Zero smiled sweetly. "No problem, Auntie. A bowl of noodles can already block my stomach so as not to be hungry again. After all, even if I only ate noodles, look at my hands and feet are very strong," Zero said, revealing her thin arms.

"Instant Mi is not good for health. Contains preservatives and other harmful chemicals. My mother said, if we eat instant noodles often will cause indigestion." Suddenly a girl's voice came from behind Zero. The girl is Sindi.

Sindi walked closer to Zero. "I have a lot of healthy food in my house. Mmm ... As my apology, I would like to invite you to eat at home."

Zero did not care about Sindi's words. Whether the girl is guilty or not. Clearly Zero would reject his offer. Zero is not a child who is easily persuaded, even though he is lured by a lot of money. Even though he was a child, Zero's principles were very simple. He doesn't want to trouble anyone else.

"Hi Sindi, what dream did aunt see you coming here alone? Sweet boy have you asked your parents for permission to come out?" tanya Miwa squatted commensurate with the little girl with 100 centimeters height. He knew Sindi was the son of the richest man in the village, he never even went out on his own like now.

"Auntie, I came here just to apologize to Zero. My family invited him to eat, why didn't he just shut up and answer?" ask Sindi with an innocent.

"Zero, why don't you answer Sindi's call? Wouldn't you eat a lot of delicious food in his house? This is a good opportunity, this time Sindi invited a friend to eat at her house directly," Miwa said persuading Zero.

Zero stopped eating noodles. He looked towards Sindi then exhaled slowly. "You're innocent, so there's no need to take me home to eat. After all, I'm already quite full of this noodle," Zero replied.

Hearing that answer, Sindi was convinced she had already been rejected. Miwa immediately gave understanding to the girl so as not to force Zero into his house again because according to Miwa Zero will soon be picked up by Han.

"All right, Auntie." Sindi lowered her head in salute to the woman.

"Thank you Zero you've forgiven me" Sindi said before she left. In his heart he was very disappointed because he had been told that Zero only briefly stayed at his house. Sindi hopes Zero will stay in the house, and she wants to be Zero's friend.

"Be careful Sindi. Remember if you want to go, first let your parents know" Miwa said with a smile. While Zero continues to eat noodles in his bowl.

"Auntie, after this I'll help aunt clean the house."

***

At night, Miwa gives Zero her former child's bed to rest. His son is an adult and has lived each household so he only lives alone.

"Just sleep here, until Han picks you up," Miwa said, closing Zero's door.

Miwa really likes Zero because the child is very deft, this afternoon Zero helped her do her homework.

"Why hasn't Han arrived yet? Surely he was drunk again until he forgot about this child" Miwa said.

"Now it's been more than 12pm, it seems like Han did not come" Miwa said as she closed the front door.

The next day, Zero wakes up and helps Miwa pack some yarn for her to sell to the bullies. Miwa initially had no heart to leave Zero. But when Zero says he's used to being left behind, Miwa finally says goodbye to leave.

"It's okay, Auntie. If aunty has a need, Auntie just finish it first. Look, I'm very strong and can do anything myself. So don't worry about me" Zero said showing her a row of milk teeth.

Miwa stroked Zero's head, saying she had bought kerosene to make it easier for Zero to make fire. Miwa also said she had bought some instant noodles if she was hungry.

"Auntie promises that if you go home later, auntie will buy you rice with beef. The sales result is very good. Just wait at home, sweet boy," Miwa said before she actually left.

A few hours after Miwa's departure, Zero saw from inside the house, the children yesterday were walking towards the field. Zero's face lit up. To reduce his boredom, Zero decides to go out and play again with them. He ran out and approached the children.

"Hi, Zero. I thought you had been picked up by your parents" said one of them.

"No, Aunt Miwa is now my parents. Can I play with you guys again?" ask Zero.

"Ha, ha, how many parents are you? Can parents change?" ask them again. The children laughed at Zero's strange words.

Zero shrugged his shoulders not understanding too much. According to Zero, whoever the person is, if he has nurtured and allowed him to stay is his current foster parents. He thought, Han already sold it to Miwa again. And now that woman is his parents.

They finally got back to playing ball together. A few hours have passed. In the distance, Sindi sees their game from the gate of her house. Sindi is very happy when she sees Zero still in her village. So happy, Sindi immediately pulled the housekeeper to come out with her.

"Servant, please take me out" Sindi ordered. Before going out he also asked the waiter to bring him various foods that he put in the cardboard.

"Miss, what is this food for?" ask the waiter.

"I want to hand it out to my friends outside," Sindi replied pointing at the children on the field.

The waiter directly complied and drove Sindi to walk side by side towards the middle of the field.

"Friends, can I play?" ask Sindi.

Sindi's arrival makes the children stop the game. All the children looked over including Ryu. Confidently, Sindi and her servant walked into the middle with a smile. "If you guys take me to play, I'll give you this food?" sindi.

All the children's eyes sparkled, except for Zero. The children immediately replied. Sindi is the son of the richest family in the village. His family is also very respected. Seeing the food to be given was very tempting they immediately received Sindi playing together.

"We're playing ball. But if you come to play, we change to play hide-and-seek" said one child.

"Alright, just so long as you guys let me play together," Sindi said as she glanced at Zero, hoping that the boy would invite her to play.

Zero remained silent, as all the children received the food, she flatly rejected it instead.

"Zero if you don't receive this food, you can't play with us anymore" said one of the boys.

Zero went back to silence, he did not care about any bribes. Still he won't take the food.

"I'm sorry, I can't play with girls" Zero said.

Without even looking at Sindi, Zero immediately ran towards Miwa's house. Doesn't care about his friends or Sindi.

Rejected for the umpteenth time, making Sindi very sad, she believes that Zero is still angry because at that time he did not help her. Sindi was very sorry and felt guilty, to the point that the incident carried over to her dream. Sindi knew that if she was guilty, if Zero had not driven her dog with wood, she would have died by then.

"You better eat this food. I'm not playing" said Sindi, holding a clear liquid that had pooled in her round eyelids.

I will not give up, later in the afternoon I will come to Aunt Miwa's house and deliver a lot of food. Hope you can forgive me later, Zero. Batin Sindi's.

***

In the afternoon at Miwa's house. This whole day Zero didn't come out and spent herself washing clothes and cleaning the house. It did not feel like it was late in the afternoon, and his stomach was hungry again. This morning Miwa had given him breakfast, but for lunch Miwa back to provide instant noodles for him.

"There's kerosene here. It seems like it will be easier to light a fire," Zero said to himself.

Working all day made him very hungry. Zero was shaking from his hunger. Zero starts styling the firewood, dousing the kerosene over it so the fire can ignite quickly.

"Ah' turned out to be very easy to start a fire with kerosene," Zero said excitedly. Usually Zero will use a simple way to make a fire with the help of dry leaves or stacked plastic waste. With the presence of kerosene makes it easier to make a fire to quickly evenly and large.

"I have to take the pot and fill it with water." The fire had already been successfully ignited, Zero took the pot to boil the noodles.

Zero on tiptoes was about to reach for the pot hanging above the wall right above the fireplace. The pot holder hung very high, so he had to climb up the chair to grab it.

"I have to find a seat to grab it" Zero said.

The seat was already in the can, due to the weight, Zero was forced to push it by hand. Zero did not realize that suddenly the chair accidentally nudged the bottle containing kerosene earlier.

Brak! Zero was shocked and immediately pushed the chair. The kerosene was seen splattering on the floor and inviting flames to devour it. There were not five minutes, the fire had spread around the room.

"Fire! Toloongg!" shouted Zero.