As he spoke, he stepped up to Tokito Yuichiro and pressed the money into his hand.
"Uh... This..."
For all Tokito Yuichiro's wariness and all the toughness he showed his younger brother, he was still just a boy.
With the money in his hand and Tetsu no Sosuke saying nothing but kind things, he couldn't quite bring himself to put on that look that kept everyone at arm's length.
Then Muichiro Tokito muttered, "Brother, we can't take his money."
Yuichiro snapped out of it, his face flushing bright red. "No, no. We can't accept this."
"Go on, keep it," Tetsu no Sosuke said, paying no heed to his protest. "It's too hard for two children to live out here alone. Take the money, and we can call ourselves friends. Oh, I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Tetsu..."
He opened his mouth but couldn't quite finish. Muichiro Tokito seized the chance. "Iron Pillar. Kawahara Iron Pillar."
"Thank you..." Tetsu no Sosuke thanked Muichiro Tokito through gritted teeth for the reminder.
"You're welcome." Muichiro Tokito's smile was dazzling.
He was nothing like the wooden-faced boy Tetsu no Sosuke had seen in the original story.
"Well, there you have it. I'm Kawahara Iron Pillar," Tetsu no Sosuke said. "If you two don't mind, we can be friends. I pass through this area often, actually. Next time I come by, I'll bring you something to eat and drink. That's what friends are for. We won't talk about money or anything like that then. It's too crass."
After all his time out in the world, Tetsu no Sosuke knew how to handle two young boys.
With his objections headed off at every turn, Tokito Yuichiro could only accept the money. His wariness toward Tetsu no Sosuke softened into friendliness.
He immediately said to