Vol 4 - 1

Kyle's POV

Today is an extremely unlucky day.

In just twelve days in Italy, I was pickpocketed twice. No one bathes in the same river, but I was robbed at the same station two days in a row.

I'm not that useless, I just like to make friends to the point that people around me exclaim "I've never seen anyone like a person like you." never mind.

I always treat everyone with the thought that they are all friends. But that doesn't mean I will get to know everyone around me. And it doesn't mean that I will be friendly with everyone who approaches me, especially those who approach me with a thick pile of newspapers and a beautiful bouquet as if on purpose. Stealthily put one hand into my pocket, but then I caught him and politely pushed his hand away. The group of people, including adults and children, looked like a real family and were able to sneak away before being captured.

But sometimes I will be caught off guard. Especially in front of a young man with a bright and clean face but filled with anxiety as he approached me and asked for directions. When I sent that person away in a happy mood after showing him the road that I didn't even know clearly on the paper map, I realized that I had just sent my wallet along with him.

Amid bad luck, similarly, the next day I was robbed again near the station. Until then, I stretched my vigilance to take the business trip seriously and determined to be wary of strangers, even though it was heartbreaking because it meant I wouldn't be able to i can't show my sincerity anymore and I might miss out on some interesting friends.

After twelve days of going back and forth between the two cities and not having much work in Italy, I was satisfied with the satisfactory results and boarded the train to leave this country.

I could have flown, but when I finished my uncertain business trip, I decided to treat myself to a week's vacation. There's a music festival going on in Salzburg. I planned to leisurely visit Austria, and stay for a few days before slowly returning to the country.

The train departed just before 11 pm, expected to arrive in Salzburg around 4 am the next morning. I boarded the night train after the busy schedule of the last day with a relaxed soul but as if my body was no longer mine. However, even though I was exhausted, I still stayed up all night talking to his companion when he was approached in a friendly way because I was an extremely sociable person. But after talking for half an hour, I gave in to my drowsiness and fell asleep. I hadn't even booked a hotel yet, but because my eyes were already heavy, I decided to find a place to stay when I got there later.

And I comfortably fell asleep on an unstable train with rampant pickpockets.

In less than a split second, I fell into a deep sleep until someone shook me awake. I tried to open my tired eyes. My eyelids were so heavy that I could only see the person in front of me clearly after blinking a few times. As the conductor, it looks like I'm already crossing the border.

The conductor asked me to show my passport, so I nodded at him with my eyes still almost closed, heavy as if there were weights above them blocking my efforts to open them, then reached out to grope. fumbled with my bag.

Suddenly, my eyes lit up, and my sleepiness immediately disappeared. The wallet was no longer where it needed to be.

The conductor looked at me with a puzzled expression. I turned my empty bag over and over, but other than dust, I couldn't find anything else. I turned to search for the other bags in vain, even though I didn't remember what I had put in them, but there was no way they would appear with something that had never been put in.

It should be here, it should be in this bag. And I just fell asleep a little bit. Maybe I was sleepwalking?

The ticket checker looked at me with pitiful eyes, as if he had roughly guessed my situation from looking at that stupid face. Then suddenly the conductor muttered, "Oh." and picked up the thing that had fallen on the floor as if there were more things hidden under the bed. It's a passport.

"I just need this."

The conductor examined the passport and politely returned it to me again. I could only receive my passport back with a stunned expression and mutter "thank you" out of habit. I then bent down under the bed to see if anything else had fallen out, but only a few specks of dust greeted me.

Maybe the person sitting next to me before might know something, so I turned my head to the seat next to me, but that place was also empty.

The conductor spoke to me with an unpredictable expression.

"Putting sleeping pills in drinks or even being drugged while sleeping is also very common these days. If you want to report a theft complaint, we will help you. Is the lost item important?"

I shook my head bewilderedly, it was nothing too important. My passport was the only thing I didn't want to lose, but luckily the thief seemed to have left it behind while taking everything else. I sighed, remembering that the bastard had offered me juice before I was overcome by sleepiness.

If anyone heard this story, they would probably laugh until they fainted. Stolen three times in just ten days. I have never been betrayed or deceived by anyone in the marketplace because I can see through everyone. Yet sometimes I get tricked by petty thieves in such a stupid way. Whenever this happened, my friends would laugh at me and quip, "How could someone with peerless eyes like you not be able to recognize those basic tricks?"

"By the way, sir, do you have a ticket for the next station?"

The ticket checker asked while i was still immersed in my own world. i looked at him blankly, then awkwardly searched through the bags i had just rummaged through, but could only shake my head again.

Not long after, the train stopped at the next station. A man jumped down from the exit and walked helplessly to the police station inside the station.

Today is an extremely unlucky day.

I went to the police station and filled out a theft report and then slept in a corner chair until dawn.

It was morning, i walked out of the police station, the summer sun was bright. Even before the restaurant had opened, the sun was already shining on my unlucky fate.

However, because my passport is still there I can still travel freely.

But looking at me favorably seemed to make God uncomfortable, so another even bigger problem arose, which was money.

Even if I'm not bound by anything related to citizenship thanks to my passport, I still need money to get somewhere. I originally intended to go to the bank, confirm my identity and withdraw money there, but this place was like a small village near the border where it only took less than 15 minutes to walk from the station to the city center. .

It says it's the city center, but it's just like any other shopping area in any other locality. Although there are a few banks, most are local banks. Even though I searched all over the streets, I couldn't find a bank that allowed me to withdraw money. So I went into a nearby bank and tried asking, but the extremely friendly employee called somewhere, and then quickly reported that the place where I could make the transaction was 6 stop stations.

6 stations, it's not too far but for a penniless person like me, it's like a star in the sky.

I would rather open a bank account here and make a free call to the company to ask the employee to transfer money to that account. But thinking about it, sending and receiving money abroad could take a few days so I would have to stay in this town for a few days until the money arrived.

But if i had to wait like that, i would probably have to scrape the ground and really eat it.

The better option would be to ask James to come here, but i suddenly remembered that he had an appointment with Tyler's manager today.

I thought seriously and began to move aimlessly like i always did when i had something to think about.

This village is indeed very small. It is typical of a cozy and peaceful countryside. The train across the border only runs occasionally a few times a day and life here seems very gentle and comfortable without being crowded.

Looking back, my parents were also living in a similar suburb.

I quickly put my troubles out into the chicken coop and walked calmly and slowly, while quietly observing what was going on around me.

In pretty little houses, flowers bloom on the small walls. Even though it looks old, the road is still extremely clean and the air is fresh and pleasant. Somewhere far away, in the middle of quiet residential areas, there is a small shop with only one customer sitting quietly. Occasionally, the chirping of birds can be heard mixed in with the sound of the wind carrying it around every corner.

There is also a cake shop, a vegetable store, and a clothing shop.

Even though the business situation seems quite bleak, small shops are always full of goods, not just short-term trading, adding a bit of color to the small streets here.

And then a store caught my eyes. It's an old bookstore. Its entrance was so small that at first i didn't even realize it was a bookstore. When i walked to the front door, i thought that after that long hallway there were only about 3 or 4 bookshelves. But I didn't expect that all the bookshelves were packed so full that it looked cramped. The spaces between the two bookshelves are so narrow that it is very difficult for a person to walk through them. There were also books stacked like mountains next to the shelves, and it seemed like they could collapse at any time if i accidentally touched or pulled out even one wrong book.

Behind the rows of books, an uncle with gray hair who seemed to be the owner of the shop was sitting basking in the sunlight shining through the window. But sometimes the uncle's head bobbed up and down, perhaps falling into a comfortable sleep.

A bookstore seemed like there were only flies and mosquitoes visiting it all day, but unexpectedly there was a customer standing inside. It was a young man wearing a hood that covered half of his face and carrying a sports bag. As if he had found an interesting book, he stood in front of the bookshelf and flipped through the pages, page by page. Unexpectedly, at this time there is still a store like this open for business purposes, and it seems that the owner is still very happy for no reason at all.

I am a book addict. And I was once like the owner of this place. I always wanted to go everywhere to collect old books, and the joy of owning an ancient book seems to be something that cannot be expressed in words. So I once founded a company specializing in trading and exchanging rare and hard-to-find used books, but as expected, the company quickly went bankrupt. Indeed, you can't run a company with just love and passion without making a profit.

I eventually inherited my father's fortune and ran a hugely profitable company, but I still collected and sold antique books on a personal level.

That's why I really like used bookstores like this one, and if that bookstore's business is having difficulty, I'll sincerely pray that it can do better.

"What books are there...-"

I glanced at the bookshelves mounted on the wall outside the store and clicked my tongue when I saw the books being left to dry in direct sunlight. I looked through those books and gently shook off the dust on them. Usually, used bookstores in a rural village will be full of miscellaneous books. Even if we classified them by topic and then grouped them by author, it wouldn't be any better, but still, it's better than putting novels next to music books like this.

I sighed.

I didn't expect anything when I saw the books exposed to the sun, but I was also heartbroken to see them rotting like that. Surely after another hundred years or so, these books will become very valuable.

I patted the spine of the book with a feeling of sadness as if I had just witnessed a child being subjected to domestic violence. If it was a child, I could have reported it to the police, but I can't report it just because someone was "book violent".

At that moment, my hand suddenly stopped on a tattered old book.

My eyes were wide open as if there were springs inside that could pop out at any moment. My mouth automatically opened but could not be closed like a robot whose battery had run out.

"730 Days of Solitude - Holt Rumpels."

I pulled out the book with trembling hands and carefully turned the back page of the worn book to examine it. Edition 1944. Hattenhardt Publishing House.

Unbelievable!!!!!!

The German edition of this book by Rumpels was banned and destroyed in 1944. Meanwhile, only a few editions still exist and a few foreign language editions are published in extremely small numbers in neighboring countries another neighbor a few years later. It is no longer reprinted and it is very difficult to own an edition even from other countries.

But this is the 1944 version. Also a German version!

My hands were shaking, how could i find a treasure like this in a rustic old bookstore in a small town in a remote village like this?!

Right now, I sincerely thank the pickpocket with all my heart and soul. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have gone to this station and wouldn't have been able to have such an extremely heart-touching meeting like this.

I want it, I got it! I want it, no. I must have it.

I caressed the leather cover of the book over and over again. What should I do? All the excitement passes to reveal the original layer of problems. I don't have money.

Even if the book was so torn and could be sold cheaply, i would still have to pay about 5,000 euros.If i hadn't lost my wallet, i would have been willing to pay a few thousand dollars to own it. But now i don't even have 1 euro, let alone 5,000 euros.

If i can't buy it now and have to wait until i have money to buy it again, what will happen if someone else wants to buy it before me? This is a treasure so it wouldn't be strange if someone bought it right now.

I held the book tightly and moved my feet on the ground, even wanting to jump up and down immediately.

"What..."

Once again the spring in my eyes came into play.

[Ensemble - Henry March]

"Uh.....uh"

My breathing seemed congested.

Henry March's Clothes - dominated the literature of the second half of the 19th century. It was written based on literature that philosophers praised and I also searched for it.

I quickly pulled out the book. My heart felt like it wanted to beat bum bum. I don't think it would be strange if I collapsed from a heart attack right now.

Thinking of that, my eyes widened again. Regardless of whether my wallet was empty or anything else, I decided to search for this ruined treasure first.

Vol 4 - 2

Kyle's POV

First, I browsed the bookshelves set up on the roadside outside the bookstore. Even though I couldn't find a book as valuable as the first two, I still found a book that would be very valuable if auctioned. But anyway, I already owned such a book, so I decided to skip that one.

Back inside the store, the thought of having to walk around in this cramped and messy place made me helpless for a moment but it quickly passed because I was willing to endure any pain with this treasure before me.

The inside of the bookstore is just as messy as the outside. I had no choice but to look through each of the randomly arranged books.

Start with the bookshelf closest to the door until I get inside. One book at a time. I found a few other rare books, but among them, there was only one that I wanted to pull out immediately and hug in my arms. However, if other book addicts saw those books, they would probably be so moved that they would hug them all.

Today is an extremely lucky day.

As if falling into a lifelong trance, I bent down and ran back and forth, not missing a single bookshelf, and then suddenly woke up in the middle of my drunken stupor when I felt something bump into my butt.

I turned my head, it was the guy with the hat covering half of his face from before. A young man reads books early in the morning in a used bookstore. Is he still reading?

I turned around and said briefly,

"I'm sorry." then immediately returned to my passion. Now, no matter

how much I like someone, I don't have time to stare at someone I don't even

know. I like people, but I like these treasures even more, it's simply incomparable.

While frantically sweeping the pile of books, I felt the young man's calm eyes focusing on me, but I didn't have time to care, after all, I had already said sorry. .. ....

Oh my god, this book is also extremely difficult to find, how could a treasure like this lie rotting here without any wind reporting it. No, I couldn't believe there was a place that could collect books like these treasures. Maybe that strange-looking uncle sleeping over there is a legendary book collector..... Immediately after that, the young man's eyes left me, and the sound of flipping books continued to sound. A moment later, I held five books in my hand after looking through every corner of this bookstore, holding them tightly like treasures.

And there wasn't a single one of them that I could get out of here with dignity.

The young man was standing in front of the last bookshelf that I had not yet reached.

"I'm sorry but can you step aside for a bit?"

I politely started a conversation with the young man who was still reading a book in the same place. The hat covered half of his face so I couldn't see clearly, but his jawline and features were probably Asian.

The young man just looked at me calmly after hearing those words as if he didn't understand what I just said.

I read the book and thought for a moment about what language I should say so he could understand.

I looked at the book he was holding. It's an English document. So I repeated those words in English again and then the young man also gently turned away.

I quickly took his place and began to sweep the last remaining bookshelf in this treasure trove again, starting from the top row. The books just piled up next to me after a long time passed until I could see through the entire shelf. The whole body is bathed in sweat.

I wiped the sweat from my forehead after finding another precious book on the last shelf.

It must have been 10 years before I felt such complete satisfaction in my heart. I looked around the bookstore again with undisguised pride. I will have to come here often in the future.

But that was also the moment that brought me back to the cruel reality.Calmly, I fell into contemplation.

Stop it. I don't have money. How should these treasures be counted?

I pondered while groaning and then suddenly turned my eyes towards the young man standing next to me, he was still standing there reading a book. So focused that he didn't realize how much attention was directed toward him.

People who read books without buying them are the type of customers that bookstore owners hate the most...

I suddenly thought and tilted my head to check out the interesting book he was reading, my eyes glancing at the cover of the book. The book looks quite old and is bound with a red leather cover. The book's title, which seemed to be

golden in color, was obscured by the young man's fingers, making it difficult

to see. But I don't pay too much attention to him anymore because my money

problem is the top priority right now.

At the same time, the young man closed the book as if he had read enough and then walked to the cashier where the uncle was sitting dozing as if to buy the book.

This is the moment.

The title of the book flashed before my eyes.

"Wait!"

I quickly grabbed the young man's

wrist. He looked at me with surprised eyes, his raised lips hidden under his

hat.

Unbelievable!!!!

Millow Cabli.

This book is so rare that almost

no one has actually seen it and has only heard rumors about how great it is.

For more than 20 years, I have been searching for this book at any cost but

still in vain. This was the book that I couldn't find even a single clue about.

I opened my eyes wide to see the

old and yellowed book which was in poor condition, there was even a bit of mold

on its back cover. But this book is still a treasure. It was a treasure that I

wanted to possess so much that I could trade it with my life. Even if I brought

out all 6 books I found today, there was no way to compare it.

"Are you going to buy this

book?"

I asked the young man in a

faltering, worried voice. He suddenly looked surprised and looked at me as if

the two of them were about to fight.

Finally, he slowly said

something. At that moment, I could only tense up and stare at his mouth.

Would he buy this precious

book.....!

"I don't understand what

you're saying. If you can speak English, please speak in English."

"...."

I immediately fell silent.

Stunned thinking about what he said and then realizing my mistake, I was so

desperate that I forgot for a moment that he didn't know German.

"... ...Sorry. Are you going

to buy this book?"

I politely apologized and

repeated my words in English. The young man nodded slightly. "ah."

"Yes I will."

"....! You've never read it

before, right? You haven't read the whole book, right?"

I spoke in an urgent voice. He

hesitated for a moment as if startled by my somewhat fierce appearance and then

whispered.

"I found it a bit

interesting after reading it... So I want to buy it and read it carefully

later."

I want to faint.

The treasure seemed to turn into

sand and gradually disappeared right before my eyes. A book that you happen to

pick up that looks interesting, of course you should read it, right? Is that

what he means?

"ah...., actually, that

book. It's a book that I've wanted to read for a long time but couldn't find

it. Now that I can see it in front of my eyes,... I want to read it." It's

too much, can you, please leave it to me?"

I didn't lie, I just told him

part of the truth. The young man thought for a moment and looked at the book

again as if regretfully, then gently nodded and handed the book to me.

"Okay, take it. Here."

"Ah. Thank you."

I happily accepted it and at the

same time secretly felt sorry for the young man because, in addition to the

interesting book, he had just missed a treasure that was difficult to convert

into money. Right now, at this moment, he had just let a treasure slip away

because of that ignorance.

It wasn't that I didn't feel

guilty about deceiving an innocent guy; after all, I had no intention of making

a profit from this book. Besides, wouldn't it be better if a treasure like this

was cherished by someone who understood its value?

I thought that I would never have

such a lucky day again. It feels like even if I don't eat for another year, I

won't feel hungry.

He looked back at the book again

with a calm expression and then looked at my poor face as if he didn't know

what tragic incident I had just encountered. Finally, his eyes drifted to the

books I was holding in my hand.

""Rumpels, Henry March,

Heinzra....... You found some rare books."

I suddenly became motionless at

the young man's words. I silently glanced into my eyes but he didn't seem to

have any other intentions.

But if he knows the relationship

between those names and these books, it seems that he is not simply a passerby

who happened to visit this bookstore.

The boy loved books and seemed

quite interested in these rare books, yet he was able to give up Cabli so

gracefully for me. Even though I still had some doubts in my heart, I still

spoke in a friendly manner.

"Ah, I just happened to see

them,... do you also like old books?"

After that, he shook his head as

if to say "I don't like it that much" then turned around to leave the

bookstore and said.

"No, because there were some

people around me who liked books, I just borrowed them and looked through them...

But this bookstore is a bit strange. Yesterday I was impressed with it when

buying Ayers here."

".....---!!!!"

As soon as I heard the words

"buy Ayers", I reflexively grabbed the guy's arm. He was surprised

and turned to look at me again.

"I, if it were Ayers...-."

"....It's Pablo Ayers. ....

.... Do you want to see it?"

My head nodded like a chicken

pecking rice at the young man's question.

Pablo Ayers is also the book that

I have been searching for so long. I was afraid that this was a dream. If it

was a dream, I would forever be immersed in this dream without waking up.

The only angel-like boy left on

this earth nodded happily and said that he had left it in the dorm room and did

not bring it with him now. But anyway, his room is nearby so I can come with

him and see it.

Unbelievable. He knows the value

of this book. He knew clearly how precious this treasure was but still

generously gave it to me.

Until now, there were only a few

people who shared the same interests as me, but a kind guy like this was also

among them. If Helena wasn't married, I would have introduced this guy to her

right away. It was a pity, but i quickly ran back to the cashier before he was

about to leave. There's no one ahead so there's no need to wait long, so I'll

buy this book and immediately follow him.

But at the same time, I also

realized the harsh reality. This is truly not a dream, and I also have no money.

After standing still for a long

time with a bewildered expression, he approached me with a somewhat confused

expression. And I responded with sad eyes.

"...Because I was

pickpocketed, today I had to wander without any money..."

I muttered with a sullen

expression. Everything seems to return to the starting point. I didn't have a

penny in my pocket. Even though the treasure is in my hands, there is no way to

make it my own.

If that's the case, then maybe I

should call James and ask him to rush over here immediately regardless of all

the scheduled schedules.

"If you don't mind, I can

lend you the money I have now."

He is an angel. I almost hugged

him tightly after hearing those words.

If I wasn't holding precious

books in my hands, I would have thrown them away and hugged him.

But I also regained consciousness

in a moment. These books are never cheap. No, if you calculate the total price

of all these books, you might even be able to buy a decent house in a village

somewhere.

However, the young man did not

pay attention to the worries clearly shown on my face, took out his wallet,

approached uncle who was still dozing behind the cashier, and gently woke him

up.

A young man who did not speak

German and an uncle who did not speak English began the communication process

with hand gestures. Even though the two of them looked quite professional, they

probably had never used this method of communication before. I was about to

come over to see if he needed any help, but the sale process ended quickly. The

young man pulled out a 50 euro bill from his wallet and gave it to uncle.

I was startled and intervened

between him and uncle, but the uncle calmly took the money and even returned

the change.

He smiled and greeted uncle, who

also responded with a grin.

"Shall we go?"

He gently nodded at me and walked

out first. I looked back and forth at him and uncle with a bewildered

expression and then quickly chased after him.

I don't know if I dreaming or

not. These treasures only cost about 50 euros. Impossible!

"You were unexpectedly lucky

today, weren't you?"

The boy turned back to look at me

and smiled. When he gently lifted the hat, the face hidden behind the hat made

me feel a bit familiar. And I immediately remembered where I had seen him

before.

But before I could speak, he leaned forward and added.

"I guess the uncle just

opened the bookstore as a hobby. He also didn't know how valuable the book was.The uncle said that a relative of his passed away a few years ago and his

books. He didn't know where to take them, so those books were brought to his

used bookstore. This town is so small, the books are so old that there are

almost no customers. The People here just see it as a library where they can sunbathe all day."

"aha...."

I nodded, thinking that the

uncle's deceased relatives must have been heartbroken to know that his precious

books were being treated like that. On the other hand, I wondered why he knew

all this. The young man waved his hand with a relaxed smile and replied that

body language could also work surprisingly well like that.

Vol 4 - 3

Kyle’s POV

His place is not far, a small dorm room just a few blocks from a used bookstore. When we went there together, I knew that this guy was traveling freely and had no specific destination. He also heard me talk about the unfortunate incident I had to go through yesterday. After all, Italy is a place famous for cross-border pickpocketing.

"I didn't know it happened

even on the train."

He comforted me when I told him.

The more I look at him, the more

I see that he is the embodiment of an angel, a living Buddha. He has a good

personality, a pleasant personality, and amazing hobbies. He doesn't know much

about ancient books, but he has heard a lot about them. People like him are

truly rare to meet.

Having the same interests is the

best way to get close to someone, and I was extremely fond of this guy.

When he arrived in front of the

dorm room, the boy went inside for quite a while. Well, if I could have my

favorite book, I would wait as long as I wanted. Finally, he held a large

sports bag in his hand and a book.

"Is this the book you were

looking for?"

I blinked a few times and picked

up the book.

"Pablo Ayers! How painfully

I searched for it!"

I exclaimed emotionally, holding

the books in one hand, the other holding his hand and shaking it vigorously.

"Thank you thank you!"

"Ahahaha what is that? Okay,

then now...."

The boy looked at the watch on

the hand he was holding tightly and withdrew his hand. I turned his attention

to the sports bag he was carrying on one hip.

"Are you planning on leaving

here?"

"Yes, although this village

is very quiet and isolated, I don't plan to stay here for long. Staying in one

place for a long time makes me nervous so now I have to go somewhere else."

He couldn't understand why he

felt nervous staying in one place for a long time, but he thought that everyone

had at least one strange personality.

I was extremely regretful when I

had to say goodbye to this guy, whom I loved even though I had just met not

long ago.

"It's a pity to say goodbye

here. If you come to Berlin in the future, please contact me. My contact

information is.....oh, oh my god. I don't have my business card with me."

..."

I fumbled with my hands to find

the empty pockets, then sadly withdrew my hands. Then, suddenly I remembered

about the 50 euros I had just borrowed from the young man.

"That's right! money. I have

to return the money I borrowed from you to buy the book, right? If you give me

your contact information, I will send it back to you later."

"What? uh... contact

information? - No, it's fine, it's okay. See you next time if it's fate."

When I asked the boy for his

contact information, he looked confused for a moment and then waved his hand.

He was about to shake his head and say that he couldn't give away his

information, but then he suddenly mumbled what was on his mind and said.

"But you live in Berlin?"

"Ah, that's right. I live

there. I'm planning to go to Salzburg. But I can't get there or go anywhere

without a penny."

I sighed when I remembered that I

had to call James - his secretary - who was a very nagging person. Then, the

boy sighed again, and after thinking for a while, he cautiously spoke.

"It's difficult to go to

Salzburg because it's the wrong way, but I'm on my way to Berlin now. If it's

okay with you, you can come with me."

"The car is also a bit

small."

He added and pointed to an old

car parked in the parking lot next to the bookstore.

My eyes wanted to pop out and

jump around.

I was extremely happy because

this guy had saved me from James's nagging. Salzburg could just not go, if I

called James to come here, James would probably blow me there too.

I carefully placed my treasured

book in the box next to me, then held his hand with both hands.

He must be an angel.

"I'd appreciate it if I

could go with you. Then if you haven't decided where to stay in Berlin, I'd appreciate

it if you could give me a chance to repay the favor by staying. Come to my

house, it's spacious and has few people so you won't feel any inconvenience."

At my polite request and my hands

holding his hand tightly - the boy looked a bit confused, but then smiled shyly

and nodded.