When a year passed, Paolo and the old man worked so hard to reach the dream of having a platinum coin, Paolo worked more than the old man because of his weak body. Paolo was cutting the grass using the big sickle. But Paolo's body is also improved and buildup.

"This is hard before... *grunt*... But now.... *grunt* this is fun... ... Huh?"

While Paolo was working, he saw a girl with red hair. Paolo finished his work and head to the house where the old man was taking a rest.

"Sir, I'm finished."

"Good work boy! Well, take a break or assist the selling?"

"I'll assist the selling, but I have a question first."

"What is it?"

"Who's that girl?"

"Oh, she? She's just new here. She said that she wants to work, and because of my aching body I accepted her to do some, besides, she like it, I won't force someone to work for me. Sorry boy, but I guess I can't work that much  anymore. Oh! I forgot to tell you her name, her name was Kelen and same age as yours. Maybe you can get close to her."

"Hm?!"

"Why? Just  "maybe"."

"Alright, I'll go back to work."

"Okay careful kid."

Paolo goes to the trees of fruits to harvest. Paolo didn't get any news from Jay since the last moths, he was wondering if Jay was being prisoned from the house. Paolo was busy of working while thinking and didn't saw the girl was going to hit each other.

"Ooof!"

"Erg!"

Paolo's basket fall to his head while the girl's hat slide down making then unable to see. Paolo removed the basket out of his face and saw the mouth of the girl very close and it was pink as fresh peach, Paolo turned on the opposite direction where the girl is before the girl remove her hat.

"I'm sorry I didn't saw you."

"No, I'm sorry because I was not aware while picking fruits... But are you new here?"

"Oh yes, name is Kelen, but my friend call me Keina."

"Well, nice to meet you ugh... Keina. I'm looking forward of working with you."

"*chuckles* We are already working together."

"Oh, right!..."

Paolo scratched his head and said "Hey Keina, why did you choose to work here? You know, there are other works that is much better rather than this you know?"

Keina looked at him seriously and said "There is someone who's always visiting me at the house, a one cocky man who's lust is me. Forcing me to marry him, but I'm not ready yet, I'm too young for such marriage. I want to be happy who I am."

Paolo was not looking at her when the time he heard the word "marriage" and reminds him about the guy who will marry Julian when they turn 20.

"Paolo, are you listening?"

Paolo holds her hands and said "I'll never forgive who ever forced someone to do something he or she doesn't like. Tell me his name."

"His name was Crist... No... Don't tell me you're going to fight him! He will just kill you instantly with his massive sword!"

"My parents are gone, and only thing I can only protect now are my friends. Keina, when the time he showed up in the farm to threat you too, just shout my name, and if he is at your house, do the same."

Keina looked at Paolo's eyes that are filled with anger and hatred.

"I'll do my best to saved everyone even if it causes me my life! Don't even think of not doing it, or I'll save non. Just hold on Keina I'll do my best not to risk lives."

Keina cried, the old man saw them but just let them be.

Paolo looked at Keina and said "It is just your first day on work, but you're already crying. Don't cry like that, the more tears you drop, the more you get exhausted. We're friends after all, and friends help each other right?"

Keina nod at Paolo.

"Then let us work to reach our dream."

They work as fast and good as they can before sun set. The was almost down and they are already done.

"Well that's for the day, what do say if I take you home Ke-... Keina?"

Paolo saw Keina was just standing from the apple tree and facing where the entrance of the farm is.

Paolo walk toward Keina, he tapped Keina's shoulders and asked "Keina what's wrong."

"He's here. The guy who wants me."

Paolo looked at where was Keina looking, he saw that there's a buffed guy with brown hair and wielding a massive broadsword. The guy walks toward the farm, the guy stepped the first pumpkin. Paolo faced the guy before he stepped the other one.

Paolo looked eye to eye at the guy that she called as "Crist" and said "You're inside of a private territory so give respect or I'll never forgive you."

Crist looked at Paolo very closely and said "Oh is that so, then want to have a fight?"

"If you like a fight, then let's do it somewhere more space."

"Well, you're a tough guy..."

Crist land a fist but missed.

"Not bad kid! Then taste my sword instead!"

Crist swing his sword but Paolo also dodged it.

Paolo was looking at Crist as it swings his sword. Paolo said "You really are a crust of burned pie."

Crust asked "What do you mean by that, mouse!" as he swing his sword.

Paolo dodge the sword and said "You sure are  hard as rock, but you aren't tasty at all means your not worth it to be liked."

"Why you! Gas!"

Crist land a straight down making him to be open and defenseless, Paolo used the opening to strike at the face as Crist tried to pull the sword.

Paolo looked at Crist in the eye murderously and said "Don't even there lay a finger on her. I'll be waiting for you at the forest right there if you want a rematch, or you can wait me at the morning at the farm if you're scared of going at the forest."

"Keh! Cocky man!"

Paolo replied "You're the cocky one. Cocky enough to be left in the battle field."

Crist walked away, he was about to kick the pegged board when suddenly Paolo said "Hit something and we will finish what we started."

Paolo wasn't that strong, but his worry and emotion for his friends is making him even stronger making him invincible even if he take punches. Paolo walks back where Keina is.

"What did you do!"

"I just told you, mess with my friends and I'll mess yours and you."

"*slap* You almost got killed!"

"I'll never turn back on a promise I just make, besides, he started it, he stepped the pumpkin... Talking about the pumpkin, do you know where he live?"

"What are you doing?"

"He destroyed it, so he'll pay it. It is getting dark anyway, let me follow you until you get home safely."

When Paolo walks back the house to pick something, Keina saw that Paolo was  carrying a knife, a sickle, a sheer.

"Paolo..."

"Yes?"

"You didn't intend to kill him aren't you?"

"Why would I? He's no threat."

"Well, I'll accept your request. Come with me, I'll show you where straight

Paolo followed Keina to the village and head to Keina's home.

"Thank you for protecting me there."

"No problem, just shout my name if you ever need me."

A woman shouted "Kelen! Who's there?"

Keina said "Just a friend from work."

Paolo said "Well, I'll be going now, see you."

Paolo walked away and Keina closed the door. Paolo just make a distance between Keina's home but didn't go away like he was waiting for someone. The lights are closed means they must be sleeping already. Paolo hid himself on a dark place making him invisible.

Hours passed. A guy walks from the road and it was Crist that is holding a pack of dynamite.

Crist said "I'll kill you instead if you don't marry me."

But Paolo replied "I won't do that If I were you."

Paolo showed himself from the shadows and said "You still got a pumpkin to pay."

"I'll kill you damn cocky!"

Crist lit a stick of dynamite, but before it burns a centimeter of the rope a sheer fly straight to the rope and pulled it out from the dynamite.

"What the!"

"Pay the pumpkin that you destroyed back at the farm."

"I'll kill you with my sword!"

Crist pulled the sword from the cover and run straight to Paolo, but Paolo pulled two wood stick and dodge Crist's attack and Paolo attacked Crist at the back as a counter attack.

"Why can't damn hit you!"

"I learn Arnis and used it as my offense and defense."

Crist swing his sword but Paolo used the stick as hit the sword on the side and hit to the other side as a defense and used the other one to strike the right shoulder of Crist as a offense. Crist's right arm was not moving properly and was shaking.

"Why the fuck are dodging!"

Lien was getting serious on the fight and start dodging the attacks and then counter attack. Paolo speaks each attack.

First dodge and strike at the right shoulder "First reason to not forgive you is for your inappropriate word."

Second attack at the left shoulder "You are a bad tempered and only seeks pleasure."

Third strike at the left knee "You cocky and cunning."

Fourth strike at the right knee "You like very younger girls, Ey?"

Fifth strike at the left elbow "You don't deserved to be loved."

Sixth strike at the left chest "You're strong but only seeks fame and money."

Seventh strike on the right elbow "You left your friend from a battle and let them die."

Eighteenth strike at the right chest "You're a cold blooded person, going to kill a innocent."

Crist kneel from the ground and said "Why you son of a-"

But Paolo continued to strike, but now he used swings using the two sticks like a baton.

First swing on the left upper arm "You don't know the true meaning of love!"

Second swing on the right upper arm "You didn't feel the love of your parents!"

He starts to feel angry and emotional, the next swing was twice, he swing both of his baton to the right and left lower arm and said madly "You don't  know what's the meaning of trust."

A sound of clanging metals are getting close at their location. Armored soldiers appeared from the roads and surround then.

Crist shouted "It's him, this thief hurt me!"

But the soldiers didn't make a move.

"Guys, what're you doing!? Arrest him!"

One of the soldier took off his helemet and said "Crist, leader, how did you done this!"

Crist asked "What do you mean?"

Paolo replied "I've asked a spy to watch us, but before that, I've asked my owner to call the guards for help. They are already here, the moment you arrived, they didn't make a move and wait till I gave the signal."

"A signal?"

"I talked as I attack, I said to them that the next after the tenth talk was the time to do the show. I trust them and they trust me, that's what I mean of "You don't know what's the meaning of trust!"

The guard arrested Crist, they keep the noises at minimum as far as they can. A day after, Paolo heard the news that Crist was arrest because of a crime and attempted murder, Keina heard the news too.

Keina walks forward to Paolo at the farm and said "Paolo?"

Paolo said "Yes?" as he harvest some fruits.

"I... I want to thank you for your help."

"No need, it's just normal for a friend to help, but most important is that you're safe."

"But risking your life like that is far from the line."

"But I never said that I'll risk my life."

"But...."

"Don't mind that much, making yourself worried cause a short span of life you know."

"Okay."

Paolo scratched his head and said "So the threat was finally over, so your work here is done."

But Keina said "Nope, I think that I like the type of you, maybe I'll work here with you, after all, all I want is to reach, my, dream."

Paolo blushed and said "Well, if that's what you want. My dream here is to have a platinum coin. How about you?"

Keina walks closer at Paolo as she close he face to Paolo's face and said "I got far more dream than a platinum coin."

Paolo asked "And what is it?"

But Keina answered "It's a secret."

"Fine with me, at least, we can work together."

"Right."

Paolo and Keina starts working, but Paolo was sweating and blushing as he worked.

"Why do I feel uncomfortable?"

Lien asked himself but didn't think of an answer. The night comes, Keina sets off to go home while Paolo head to the wall, he heard that Jay was waiting on the other side.

"Jay, what's the news?"

Paolo heard coughing. 

"*cough cough* The guy visited."

"So he's here."

Jay told the whole story. He was just at the house when he heard a deer's footsteps coming, it was the guy who's name was Loredo.

Loredo turn his head around the house and said "So this is the house, this rotten woods. Where is my future wife?"

Jay said "She's not here, she's off for an adventure with her mother, only me an father is here."

Loredo walk towards Jay and looked at his eyes and said "Is that so, guess I'll wait till she arrived."

"She'll he er come back here for the next 5 years for now. And she will certainly and definitely not gonna like you."

Loredo used his power to bend a vine around Jay'sneck and said "Is that so? Then I'll gonna make her like me."

"Like she'll let you."

Loredo said "Hmm, I have enough, I don't want to get poisoned by this rotten place."

Loredo loosen the grip of the vine of Jay's neck and left leaving Jay coughing from being chocked.

Jay said "I can see that he's not a good person."

For some reason, Paolo felt the same feeling from Crist, will this Loredo will succeed from his dark secrets?

[-keeps the light...]