"Hook, Julian..." Alina spoke, sounding a little forlorn.
Stelle stared blankly at the children, who had suddenly grown dejected. "I wasn't expecting this reaction."
After a brief silence, Julian actually started shedding tears.
"Wah... wah..."
Tears welled in Hook's eyes too, but she still put on a brave face. "...O-okay! No crying, Julian! You're the second-in-command of the Moles. You can't let the grown-ups laugh at you!"
Then the little girl stamped her foot and stared seriously at March 7th and the other two. "Hmph, you three, remember this! From today on, you're the Moles' biggest rivals!"
March 7th froze in bewilderment. "Rivals...? What? Where did that come from? I don't understand what you're saying at all!"
Alina explained to March 7th, "...Hook and Julian have always dreamed of one day defeating the bad guys up above and taking everyone in the Underworld back to reclaim their homes.
"Now you big brothers and sisters have stolen all their thunder, so..."
Hook choked out, "Wah... w-we won't admit defeat that easily! One day, the Moles will become the great heroes of the Underworld, and everyone will see us in a new... new..."
She had built up her momentum nicely, but Hook's vocabulary did a fine job of ruining it.
"New pair of glasses?" Stelle started clowning around.
"...It's 'a new light,' isn't it?!" March 7th mercilessly pointed out.
"Ah, right-a new light! I-I could've remembered it myself! I didn't need you to remind me!"
Hook was still refusing to back down.
Dan Heng watched the scene with half-lidded eyes, showing absolutely no intention of stepping forward to say anything.
He merely thought to himself, Heh, we're already adults who destroy children's dreams...
The moment that thought surfaced, Dan Heng paused, his eyes widening slightly.
Is that how my mind works?
He