With all his desire to escape beyond Pelican Town, Sebastian's heart belonged to this place. The mountainous area near which his house stood; picturesque nature, which he could spend long hours contemplating; secluded places that only a few people knew about.

Even the locals, despite Byrne's aloofness, were able to win him over to some extent. Not like his best friend Sam, of course, but the fact that he nodded in response to their greeting already meant something.

Scratching his cheek thoughtfully, leaving a black dust trail on his pale skin, Seb exhaled noisily: the damn motorcycle engine had failed him again. There was no money for repairs, let alone buying a new one. The idea of helping his mother in the workshop for a fee no longer seemed so bad to him...

Hearing the sound of approaching footsteps, the young man automatically raised his head.

A farmer who had recently arrived in the city was heading towards his house, holding something in her hands, Sam was walking on her right hand, smiling broadly. Byrne wanted to frown, but did not dare, as soon as his gazes crossed with the farmer's. She smiled habitually, and he raised an eyebrow slightly.

He behaved like an arrogant asshole, inwardly burning with the desire to talk to her. Not to throw some shameful crooked phrase about frogs, not to shower her with an icy haughty look. Just talk.

She was too sweet for him: she ran around the city like a hardworking bee, plowed on her farm for ten, even treated him to a fresh harvest a couple of times, in return receiving nothing but dry gratitude. She was so kind, friendly, and open to meeting new people. His exact opposite. Seb felt like a complete jerk around her. A nerd who sticks out in his room in proud solitude. Oh, wait a minute, that's how it was, damn it!

"Are you on business or just like that?" Releasing a gray smoke, he asked without much enthusiasm, gazing into the distance, ignoring the increased heartbeat with the appearance of the farmer in his field of vision.