82: [Bonus chapter]Germs

[Bonus chapter]Germs

"Basti, there!"  0

Heaven excitedly dragged Sebastian toward the colorful establishment. It was obvious she couldn't contain her excitement while the boy remained neutral. One would mistake Heaven for the kid while Sebastian was her father. 

"Wait for me here." Heaven let him go as she hurriedly went to the reception, buying tickets for the two of them.

As Heaven did so, Sebastian stood a few steps from her. He looked around the entrance of the establishment, seeing people inside. 

'It looks… tiring,'was the first thing that came into his mind, setting his eyes back to his mother. His face twitched a little, seeing that Heaven casually picked one complimentary cookie from the funhouse. 

'We just ate,' he mumbled to himself, wondering how all those desserts fit inside his mother's stomach. 'She looks happy, though.'

Sebastian had gone to a few amusement parks and funhouses in the past. His father would sometimes take him out to bond with him, but alas, they both didn't appreciate the beauty of these places. It wouldn't be an exaggeration if they say they were simply being forced. Though they never admitted it verbally for the sake of saying they bonded, but deep down, it was just plain torture.

His Uncle Axel would frequently ask him out as well. Whenever Axel would succeed, he would take Sebastian to places good for kids, but Sebastian had enough of it and refused to come with him. Especially after that last time they went out together. 

'This time is just like those times,'he thought, keeping his gaze on his mother's side profile. 'But somehow, I hope it won't disappoint.'

"Basti~" As soon as she got the tickets, Heaven hurriedly squatted in front of him. "Give me your arm. I got our tickets. Are you excited?"

"Mhm." Sebastian raised his arm, and she quickly wrapped the ticket strip around his wrist. 

"Me too, I'm excited." She grinned. "It'll be fun."

"Hopefully."

With that being said, Heaven put on her ticket before they were given entry to the establishment. There were already people inside, but it wasn't as packed because it was a weekday.

Heaven didn't waste a second as she giddily went to the big tables with a gigantic slime on the surface. 

"Basti, look!" she poked the slime, taking a handful before pulling it up. "Wow… so satisfying."

Sebastian just stood beside her, watching her marvel at the slime she was playing. He glanced at the other person (the staff in charge) around the table, and the latter offered him a warm smile. 

"Do you replace these slimes every day?" he asked monotonously, placing a finger into the material. 

"Yes." the staff maintained a smile, a little surprised at the kid's question. 

"You do?" Heaven blinked, surprised. "But why?"

"Because bacteria and molds commonly grow in them," explained Sebastian to his mother, poking the slime with just his index. "Considering different people come in here and can play with it as much as they want, it can also contain viruses. Who knows where those other people's hands came from?"

Both Heaven and the staff looked at each other, speechless. When their eyes fell on Sebastian once again, a sigh slipped past Heaven's lips while the staff smiled.

"That is why we offer alcohol before we let our guests touch anything." The staff moved her hand to the alcohol sitting right beside the table. "Though sometimes our guests can be too excited, and it'll be too late to remind them of sanitizing their hands."

"It's alright." Sebastian raised his head, keeping his plain expression. "As long as you replace them every day. I guess that is fine."

"Heh…" the staff laughed nervously, glancing at Heaven as if mentally asking her if this boy was always like this. 

"Basti, having contact with germs is not really bad." Heaven sighed once more as she waited for her son's attention to fall on her. "Did you notice that most kids who play in the street don't get sick easily compared to those who are always cleaned? That is because those kids who play in the streets are friends with germs, so the germs don't harm their friends."

???

Both Sebastian and the staff looked at Heaven with genuine confusion. What was she saying about germs and kids and friendship? Was she even aware of what she was spewing?

"My point being is, getting a bit of dirt is fine." Heaven continued as if she didn't notice the strange look from her son and the staff. "It wouldn't hurt! If you keep worrying about everything, then you're taking away the fun in life."

"But what if you get sick again?"

"Huh?" Her brain went blank for a moment before his inquiry sank into her. Again, this boy was more concerned about her health and not his. 

"Basti." Heaven sighed, squatting down to meet his eye level. "Mommy won't get sick anymore. And even if I do, then I'd just take medicine and get better as soon as I can!"

Sebastian didn't answer, staring into her eyes. "You are being reckless."

"Being way too worried will just take away the fun of life." Her lips stretched from ear to ear until her teeth were on full display. "Anyway, this is our date. At least, let's have fun, hmm?"

"I'll try."

"As long as you do, that's good enough for me." Her eyes squinted, already satisfied with his answer. "Anyway, are you into slimes? It seemed you're a bit knowledgeable about them."

"I found a little interest in them before, until it turned boring."

"Haha! My Basti is surely a genius!" Heaven praised, clapping her hand. "Mommy is always so proud of you!"

Her reaction made his brows raise slightly, glancing at the staff, who was watching them with a smile. There were other people around, but Heaven never hesitated to mention their relationship. He didn't dwell on how Heaven corrected the staff in the bakeshop, though it took him off guard. But it seemed it wasn't just for show.

"Should we try that one?" Sebastian pointed at the booth to the side, making her turn in the same direction. "I want to try it."

"A balloon popper?" Heaven watched two kids pump the levers that put air in the balloon, racing on whose balloon would pop first.

Her eyes lit up. She wanted to try that. 

"Let's go!" Excitement brimmed in her eyes, almost making him laugh. "It looks fun."

"It does." This time, Sebastian couldn't stop his lips from stretching, almost making her gasp. This was the first time she saw him smile, albeit it was a short one. "What?"

Sebastian cocked his head to the side. "Why are you looking at me as if you saw a ghost?"

"Oh, nothing." She laughed stiffly before pinching his cheeks mildly. "It's just that my baby is so cute when smiling. It makes me want to do everything to keep those lips curled up."

Those weren't just empty words. After seeing him smile for the first time, Heaven thought Sebastian looked more like a kid, not just an adult trapped in a four-year-old body. She would do everything to make him happy… just like how his presence and existence filled her heart with inexplicable satisfaction. 

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