ACT II
Going Back
Jiro was back in the forest. The part which belonged to the Underworlders. No, he did not get lost. It was also not to see that strange boy again.
He walked down the now familiar trail, eyes scanning the forest, alert of the lurking dangers. Soon, he reached the oak tree from before. His heart was pounding, his hands were clammy, for he knew he was entering the enemy territory. Maybe this was not such a good idea. He should go back.
“I didn’t know you were this stupid city boy,” said a voice from somewhere above and Jiro, startled, looked up. It was Yen, perched on a branch.
“Don’t call me that. My name is Jiro. And I wanted to check the security.”
“Liar!” Yen announced and jumped down. Jiro thought he would fall on his ass. Pity he didn’t.
“Not afraid to die now, are you,” Yen sat down cross-legged at the base of the tree and patted the space beside him. Jiro scoffed at the invitation to sit. As if.
“Why did you come here?” Yen asked in all seriousness. But when he saw Jiro’s face has scrunched up in irritation, he smiled. And before he could fire off a biting reply, Yen cut him off, “No, I wanna know. I told you last time it was not safe.”
Jiro let out a breath, not knowing how to reply. Why was he here? He did not know. Slowly, he approached the base of the tree, pointedly taking space away from Yen, and sat down.
“Even though the Underworlders avoid the areas close to the border, it does not mean they will not come here. And if they find you, they won’t hesitate to hurt you. Or worse.” Yen picked up a stone and threw it away.
“All Underworlders are not like you.” It was not a question or a biting remark. Rather, Jiro was curious. He had met no one on the other side.
“Not every underworlder is handsome like me, yes!” Yen laughed.
“If you will make fun of me, I may as well go.” Jiro huffed, trying to get up.
“Hey!” Yen quickly scrambled and caught Jiro by his hand to pull him down. Jiro yelped as he flopped down again, and Yen scooted closer to him.
“Stay!” He asked in a soft voice, and Jiro sighed.
“Answer me then.”
“Any Underworlder would kill you on sight, as any city person would kill me. Ever since the rich claimed Pangon for themselves and left us to die…” Jiro gave an outrageous look but Yen ignored him and continued, “on the outskirts of whatever land was left to survive on, we have been scavenging. Sometimes your army would invade, hunt us down and kill.”
“That’s not true.” Jiro couldn’t remain quiet anymore. “Our people worked hard for Pangon. It was you…” he paused when Yen raised his eyebrows, “the Underworlders are renegades, terrorists, and they destroyed everything. They had to be kept out.” Yen shook his head, which agitated Jiro even more. “It’s in the history books,” his voice raised as he faced Yen directly, “it’s recorded, we have proof.”
“And who wrote those history books?”
Jiro huffed, “well people did, historians.”
“Your people,” Yen corrected, but soon he saw that there was no use fighting with Jiro, so he continued in a somewhat placating voice, “But let’s not fight about this, shall we.”
Jiro looked away. He was in turmoil. But what was he expecting? He knew from the talks in his school and around the city that Pangon’s military crusade was cruel. And though he tried to justify that they were trying to get rid of the threat, not all the Underworlders could be bad. He sneaked a look at Yen and, finding his boyish face looking back at him, he looked away.
Meanwhile, Yen smiled, looking at the troubled expressions on Jiro’s face. He finally understood why Jiro had come back. Curiosity killed the cat, after all.
“How is life there?” Jiro broke the silence.
“You want to know.”
Jiro nodded eagerly. So Yen smiled again and started telling him about his life. While Jiro sat beside him, horrified. The city people never painted the picture of Underworlders as humans. They were animals, always imprudent. But no one told Jiro the tales of prevailing poverty in the slums. Of children dying of malnourishment and violence.
A selfish part of him felt lucky not to be born there.
But even if it was so, Jiro thought as he looked at Yen with his amiable smiles, he would not have minded it as much if it meant he would have known Yen.
Act 2 is here!!!
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