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"Renji, while those two aren\'t here, tell us quickly. How did you manage to get our Eileen to look like that? And when did it all start?"

"Exactly! I never dreamt that little brat, who\'s even more fiery than us, would wear a skirt one day. And that makeup! She looks like a completely different person!"

"You might not believe it, Renji, but back in the day, \'Lena\' used to take us to clubs and enthusiastically comment on the dancers on stage. Haha, I still remember that day when Brian stormed into the club and dragged her out. We could hear Brian cursing from a distance!"

[[Lena è Eileen]]

The crowd at Sea Sand Bar was very enthusiastic with Renji, speaking all at once, expressing their astonishment at Eileen\'s current appearance.

Having nothing else to do, Renji took this time to learn more about her from the stories of others.

\'So... leading a group to the club?\'

\'Typical Eileen\'

Fortunately, some sensible people among Sea Sand group started coughing, signaling the others. Their looks seemed to say, -"Clearly, Lena is now with Renji. Speaking about her past misadventures in front of him might tarnish her image!"-

Realizing this, everyone quickly shifted the conversation.

"Speaking of which, Renji, when the church officials wanted to test you, we were scared out of our minds. We honestly thought you might be an Eclipse. But you voluntarily asked for the test, proving everyone wrong!"

"So, Renji, if you\'re not an Eclipse, how did you manage to send that monster flying with just one punch?"

"Yeah, and Lena too. I admit she was impressive before, but not to the extent of defeating an entire squad of Callewa on her own. That\'s next level!"

"I\'ve heard that the big shots and the wealthy in the [Mechanical Alliance] usually install something called \'prosthetics\' into their bodies. Given your strength, and the fact you\'re not an Eclipse, you must have some super expensive \'prosthetic\' inside you!"

"Is it true, Renji? Can you show us your prized possession? Please, just a glimpse to enlighten us!"

Just as Renji was overwhelmed by the barrage of questions about "prosthetics", the door to the room opened. It was Brian and Eileen.

\'They\'re back\'

Renji\'s eyes immediately went to Eileen, but strangely, she looked away the moment their gazes met, as if she was nervous about making eye contact.

She then went straight to the others from Sea Sand Bar and ignored him completely.

This left Renji puzzled. Had Brian said something to Eileen about him that caused her to avoid him? He believed he had been decent in front of her friends.

At that moment, a burly man with a thick beard sat next to him on the couch.

"Want one?" Brian offered a cigarette from a pack.

Seeing Renji\'s refusal, Brian lit one for himself and took a deep drag. He then looked at the lively group around Eileen and said to Renji,

"Thank you."

"Wudo got married recently. They\'re having a baby soon. Without your help and the church\'s intervention about Miasma inside him, who knows what could\'ve happened."

Renji shook his head, "You don\'t have to thank me. It\'s the church\'s doing."

"Hmph, the church? Maybe in the big cities they\'re more responsible, but here in Blackhole Plains, if they actually checked everyone after every pollution event, Eileen\'s mom wouldn\'t be waiting for surgery now."

Brian\'s words revealed that the cause of Eileen\'s mother\'s illness dated back to the time of his own father\'s outbreak.

\'This could also explain why Eileen could become an Eclipse and even reach a three-star level. Perhaps Eileen and her mother had been exposed to a lot of Miasma since then.\'

"Enough of that," Brian said, extinguishing his cigarette. He then took out two items from his pocket, placing them in front of Renji.

Renji saw... a car key.

And a black and red patterned credit card?

"I know you\'re from elsewhere, and you seem well-off, but traveling, especially from remote places like Blackhole Plains to the city, takes time. You\'d benefit from a better vehicle."

Brian pointed at the car key.

"I\'ve had this old buddy for over a decade. It might be old, but I\'ve taken good care of her. With constant upgrades, its off-road performance is one of the best in Blackhole Plains. Now..."

"It\'s yours now."

Even though the owner of Sea Sand Bar said this casually, Renji could tell he was a bit attached to what he was giving away.

Renji knew he needed a car to leave Blackhole Plains. He thought he might take one from a local group, but Brian had a surprise for him.

"Did Eileen tell you we\'re leaving? But why give it to me?"

"Heh, do you think I need that girl to tell me? Ever since Eileen\'s mom got sick, she rarely came to Sea Sand. And when she did, it was to visit her mom\'s clinic. So, when she brought you, I figured she had plans."

"I\'m guessing you told Eileen you could cure her mom? The minor surgeries in Blackhole Plains aren\'t enough. To truly heal, one must visit the city churches. I suspect that\'s the only reason Eileen would agree to leave with you. Am I right?"

Brian looked closely at Renji. Although Brian\'s theory wasn\'t exact, he was mostly on the mark.

Upon seeing Renji\'s nod, Brian visibly relaxed and lit another cigarette.

"As for the card, it contains funds I raised for Eileen\'s mom\'s surgery, over fifty thousand ash coins. I couldn\'t just let her struggle for the money alone. I gathered it recently, but it seems unnecessary now."

"I know you might see it as a small amount, but once I decide to give away money, I don\'t take it back. Consider it a token of my gratitude. Thanks for helping those two."

Brian had been deceived by Renji\'s appearance.

He wasn\'t some wealthy young master.

Whether it\'s the car or the fifty thousand ash coins, both were significant resources for the currently penniless Renji.

Therefore, Renji didn\'t play coy and simply accepted the gifts after a brief thank you.

To this, Brian laughed heartily.

"Hahaha, good! I like straightforward people like you! Honestly, if I were a decade younger, I\'d invite you for drinks and insist on becoming brothers. But alas, time waits for no one, and I\'ve grown old."

"Now I somewhat understand why so many are willing to take risks to become an Eclipse."

Brian looked a bit down. The age lines on his face told a story. He still had a strong build, but if you looked closely, you\'d see he wasn\'t as fit as he used to be.

"That\'s just the limit of being a regular person. No matter how grand you were in your youth, time will eventually level all sharp edges."

Brian finished his cigarette without realizing it and stood up from the sofa.

"That card, as you probably know, is from the \'Black Gold Bank\' of the capital city. The advantage of a neutral bank in an independent city is that you can access your funds anywhere. Oh, and about the car, just ask Eileen for its location. Lastly, to answer your earlier question..."

"I could\'ve given these directly to Eileen, but with her stubborn nature, do you think she would\'ve accepted?"

"Eileen is lucky to have someone like you," Renji sincerely said.

"I may not be able to give her everything she needs, but I think you can."

"Eileen can be a bit hot-headed, speaks her mind, sometimes doesn\'t think things through, often says one thing and means another, isn\'t the typical girly-girl, tends to overthink, and can be really stubborn... Man! Why does it sound like she\'s full of quirks?"

It was evident that Brian wanted to give a balanced view, but he ended up comically venting his frustrations.

"Anyway, she\'s a good girl. And once she lets someone into her heart, she\'d do anything for them. I\'m very sure about that."

"Also, I take back what I said about her lacking femininity. It might be inappropriate, but she\'s even more beautiful than her mom was at her age. You have no idea; back in the day, her mother was the beauty of Blackhole Plains, the dream of many... Anyway!"

Brian cut himself off, not revealing more. Renji, trying to clarify, said, "I think there might be some misunderstanding. Eileen and I are just friends."

Brian laughed, turned, leaving Renji with a last thought and a reminiscent look.

"Back in the day, Eileen\'s dad told me the exact same thing, and I foolishly believed him!"

Renji was left speechless.

After everything, Brian went over to Eileen and began saying their goodbyes to everyone.

"Hey, kiddo, enough of this! It\'s time for us men now. Don\'t you have things to sort out? You should get going!"

A lot of the regulars at the Sea Sand Bar didn\'t want to see Eileen go. But when Brian gave them a sharp look, and with Renji standing right behind him, they got the message. Instead of asking Eileen to stay, they started telling her it\'s time to leave.

Eileen glanced around at the Sea Sand Bar crowd, thinking of all the people who helped her in hard times, especially her uncle Brian. The idea of not seeing them again made her feel sad. But something in Brian\'s look told her that leaving was the right move.

She exited the bar, and Renji was already waiting at the entrance.

"I thought you\'d say goodbye to each of them."

"No, there\'s no need. If Brian didn\'t tell everyone, I think it\'s better this way."

"By the way, that old man gave me a car key and this card. Said it\'s a starter pack for us."

"Oh."

"He mentioned you\'d know where his car is parked."

"It\'s at Baylane District, number 31. Turn the corner, and you\'ll see it."

"So, are we picking up the car first, or getting your mom?"

"Your call."

"How about we go check out some nightspots?"

"Sure. Why not?"

By now it was around 8 or 9 in the evening. The dim alleyways behind bars like these didn\'t have streetlights, so the only illumination came from the moon.

Suddenly, Renji halted, causing Eileen, who was engrossed in her thoughts and looking at her feet, to nearly bump into him.

"What are you...?" Eileen\'s eyes darted around nervously, her hands wringing together, as she met Renji\'s direct gaze.

After a pause, seeing her anxious expression, Renji finally spoke,

"Back in the bar, apart from giving me the car keys and money, that old man mentioned... that you have feelings for me."

Time seemed to stand still for a few moments.

Then,

"Damn it, Brian! You bloody blabbermouth! How dare you spread such nonsense about me!"

The serene moonlight was disrupted by Eileen\'s vibrant outburst.

Renji just nodded with a small smile.

\'Right\'

\'No wonder things felt off before\'

\'This feels more like the Eileen I knew!\'