It was the same place that he had set up his mini stall for the last three days. A wooden crate. A small brush. Two old cloths. And a heart full of hope that today, maybe, someone would give them enough coins for a warm meal.
Aero had faded his last piece of bread to Lina earlier that morning.
She had looked up at him with big tired eyes.
"Aero… what about you?" she asked.
He had smiled, brushing her hair away from her face. "Big brothers don't get hungry," he said.
He is very strong brother .
he had lied to her cute littel sister that yesterday someone had given him a packet of biscuit and he is not hungry at all
But his stomach is twisting painfully,
he wrapped his arms around his knees as he sat cross-legged on the cold ground. He placed Lina between his legs, inside the small circle his body made as he hugged his shins.
She curled up there, warm and safe, resting her cheek on his knee.
"Will someone come today?" she whispered.
"They will," Aero replied, his voice soft but confident. "I promise."
Time passed. Horses trotted by. Boots splashed in puddles. People hurried along, too busy to look at two small children sitting beside a shoeshine box.
Aero fought against the tiredness in his eyes. He couldn't sleep. Not now. He had to earn something… anything.
Then he noticed something strange.
A man in a long black coat rushed around the corner—dark hat, white gloves, dark shoes. His breath came out in sharp clouds. because of the winter.
And some guards are searching the street like hunters. to find someone.
The man in the coat looked around quickly… then suddenly broke into a calm walk and start walking straight toward Aero.
He bent down just enough for his voice to reach the boy.
He said "Shoeshine?"
Aero nodded quickly and moved Lina carefully from his legs to his side.
and said "Yes, sir. Please sit."
The man sat on the wooden stool as if it were a throne, back straight, jaw tight.
Aero felt the weight of fear coming off him—heavy and cold. But the man's face stayed calm.
Aero began polishing. His hands trembled, but he tried to hide it. He focused on wiping the dirt away, brushing carefully, shining with all the strength he had left.
Lina watched the man curiously. "Your shoes are very pretty," she whispered.
A small, surprised smile tugged at the man's lips. "Thank you, little one."
Aero worked faster. He sensed the men who were chasing this stranger drawing closer. He didn't know why they were after him, but he could feel danger in the air.
Still, he didn't look up. If someone needed help—no matter who they were—he couldn't turn away. His mother had taught him that before she passed. .
When he finished, the man stood. Instead of handing Aero 0.20 miros , he placed a single heavy coin in the boy's small palm.
A *coin of 1 miros*.
Aero's mouth fell open. 1 miros was worth more than anything he had ever earned in his life.
"S-sir," Aero stuttered, "I… I don't have change. I can't take this much. I—"
"Keep it," the man said quickly. "You earned it."
"But—"
"Listen." His voice softened. "Sometimes a child's courage is worth more than a grown man's fear."
He turned to leave.
Aero suddenly stood up and grabbed his sleeve gently. "Sir!"
The man paused.
Aero bowed his head slightly. "I'll never forget what someone does for me. Never. Not ever. I promise."
The man froze.
For the first time, he truly see a kid like Aero— he looked into his eyes. In those eyes, he saw hunger, cold, pain… and yet, somehow, unbroken courage.
Courage stronger than his own.
The man's stiff expression melted into something warm. Something grateful.
"You remind me of someone," he said quietly.
Then, from inside his coat, he pulled out a small coin-like pendant. It shined faintly, engraved with a symbol Aero didn't recognize—half a moon, half a sun, crossing each other.
"Take this," the man said, placing it around Aero's neck. "Keep it hidden. And no matter what happen .
And be a strong men in the future and protect your sister.
Aero nodded, confused but serious. "I will."
The man stepped back, adjusting his coat. He looked at the boy and girl one last time, then smiled—a tired, gentle smile.
"Thank you, Aero," he said.
Aero blinked. "How… how do you know my name?"
But the man was already walking away. Calmly. Slowly. As if nothing had happened.
The guards who had been chasing him ran past the children, following the wrong direction entirely. They never even glanced at Aero and Lina.
When they disappeared down the street, Lina tugged on her brother's sleeve.
"Aero… who was he?"
Aero looked down at the pendant in his hands. It was warm, almost like it had a heartbeat of its own.
lina asked aero who was that uncle .
Aero replied "I don't know," he said honestly, "but… he look's someone important."
"Will he come back?" she asked.
Aero wrapped lina arm around her shoulders. And said "Maybe. Maybe not. But he was kind to us. And people who are kind… they always come back someday."
Lina leaned against him, her little fingers playing with the pendant. "Aero… we can buy bread now?"
Aero smiled and nodded. "Bread. Soup. Maybe even a blanket."
Lina's eyes sparkled.
Aero lifted the pendant again, staring at its strange glowing symbol. Something inside his chest felt different. Stronger. Braver.
He didn't know what the future held. He didn't know who the man in black really was. But he knew one thing for sure:
They weren't alone anymore.
And if a man being chased through the streets stopped to help two starving orphans…
Then maybe, just maybe, the world still had a place for them.
Aero picked up his shoeshine box, lifted Lina onto his back again, and began walking toward the bakery.
The pendant tapped softly against his chest, as if whispering that their story had only just begun.
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