Chapter 620 Mutual Praise
It was already four in the afternoon when we landed. Colin took us to a restaurant. He seemed to know his way
around here. I had no appetite, so I only took a few bites and waited for them outside. Colin and Ezekiel came out a
moment later. "So where are we going?" I asked.
"What's the rush? We'll take the tram. K's grandmother lives in a remote village. It's really far from where we are,
but first, we have to buy some traditional attire. It's the annual Fireworks Festival today so the temple is open to the
public."
I couldn't believe Colin knew so much about this place, and I held my annoyance in. "This is why we came here?"
Colin gave me a sideways glance. "Hey, we might be on a search, but that doesn't mean it has to be boring.
Besides, it's not like we can see this every day. Don't get mad. Remember I told you that K can be anachronistic? It's
because of his family. His grandma works for the temple, and she's a very traditional woman. She hates outsiders,
that means anyone not local. Wearing a traditional attire can win some points with her."
Impatiently, I said, "Yeah, right. You're obviously an outsider. You're not fooling anyone just because you're wearing
traditional attire."
"I know, but it's not like I'm the one seeing her. I just want to blend in and enjoy the festival. I might even get to
know some cute girls. I can pick the clothes for you again if you don't like them. Give me a minute."
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtColin slipped away right after he said that. I took a deep breath and told the silent Ezekiel, "I've been tolerating
him."
"I can see that."
Ezekiel looked at the bustling street. "But that's how Colin works. He's a frivolous man, but he wasn't lying. K's
grandmother is indeed very traditional, and he really wants to join the event."
"I'd have thought he was bullsh*tting me if you hadn't told me that."
"I told you he's a lover of all things culture, and it just so happens that today is the Fireworks Festival. You don't want
to deny him this, or he might take us in circles. Yet, if he remembers this detail so vividly, then he must be a regular
here, along with K."
Happy, I asked, "So K might be in the village?"
"It's just a guess. Colin said he's a family guy. He loves his grandmother, so to speak. He might hide somewhere
further just so he wouldn't cause her any trouble. If he's not at home, he might be in the farthest country from
Japan. Just a guess, though. We need to see his grandmother to get a conclusion."
I gave Ezekiel a look of approval. "Nice analysis. Logical too."
Ezekiel smiled. "Is that all it takes for a praise?"
I nodded. "I wouldn't have been able to come up with an analysis like yours."
"It's just a guess. I need more clues. Maybe we can get that from K's grandmother, but even if we don't find out
anything, it's alright. Waylen knows who K is working for, and he's sent a group to hunt them down."
"Waylen found them?" I was annoyed that Waylen called Ezekiel first.
Seeing through me, Ezekiel said, "He called me when we first landed. He knows we're together, so he asked me to
tell you. I couldn't do it just now because Colin was around."
Ezekiel was a good psychologist. One minor expression was enough for him to figure out what I was thinking. I used
to be wary of that, but I didn't care anymore. Not like I could hide anyway. Puzzled, I said, "Colin told me he's not
related to this. He only came because K took the job, and he told K to spare Shawn. I have no idea what he's
thinking. Seems like he's being honest and dishonest at the same time."
I don't think Colin's that much of a prankster, and he asked K to spare Shawn. Which is odd. Shawn beat him up and
imprisoned him for a year. There's no reason for him to repay that in kindness. So, what's Colin up to? Is he just
trying to trip us up?
A few days ago, I told Anthony that Colin wasn't an evil man. He had no big grudges against Shawn, though he was
a prankster who would trip us up. That was what I wanted to tell myself. In fact, I wasn't too sure about that either,
so I told Ezekiel. He could give me a good answer.
"Nobody trusts what he says, but he's actually genuine. He's part of Group W. Yes, it's not much of an organization
now, but his loyalty lies with it. He would never betray it just to join K's group." Before I could say anything, Ezekiel
explained further. "He only followed K to make sure he's safe. And he never liked Shawn, so he wanted to see him
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmin an embarrassing position. He's not a big threat."
I was in awe. "You're amazing. You actually came up with an answer to the question that's been troubling me for a
long time. And you can see through Colin too."
A resigned smile curled Ezekiel's lip. "It's not hard to do that."
"Actually, I chose to trust him, but nobody can ever know if that was the right choice. Thanks for coming, Ezekiel. I'll
be sure to thank you once this is over."
Calmly, Ezekiel said, "It's alright, Ms. Felix. You're a smart woman. Your guess is close to the truth. All you want is a
straight answer."
I laughed. "Well, aren't we being formal?"
Ezekiel smiled and said nothing more. We waited for Colin, and he came back half an hour later, lugging two black
suitcases.
I smacked my forehead. "What are you doing?"
Like a child who just got a hundred on a test, Colin gushed, "I got three quality traditional attire at the mall. Super
good fabric and super expensive too. Cost me about forty thousand. You're covering that."
Impatiently, I said, "Let's just go."
"Wow, so unceremonious."
My face fell. "So, where's the tram?"
"Five-minute walk from here."