AHEIAID Chapter 28: The Little Crocodile Song
| Previous | Table of Contents | Next |
The Next Day.
District 13 Signal Tower.
With dark circles under his eyes from pulling an all-nighter, Amon cast a resentful glance at his boss. He didn’t dare question him directly, so he mumbled, “Boss, why didn’t you attend Mr. Edes’ charity gala last night?”
“There was an accident.”
“What kind of accident could you possibly have? That’s obviously just an excuse…”
“It wasn’t.”
“…Alright then… But you absolutely must attend tonight’s banquet. At least make an appearance.”
“I know.”
“……”
Facing his quiet and work-obsessed superior who didn’t even bother to look up, Amon sighed helplessly.
He knew their boss was cold and indifferent, a member of the Neutral faction who rarely appeared in public unless necessary—but this time was different.
District 13 had just endured an attack. To ease public anxiety and quell rumors, Lord Heine, as the district’s ruler, had to make a public appearance.
[District 13 still stands strong]
[That man is unscathed]
—This kind of message could only be conveyed through social appearances, which was their goal.
But because their boss stood them up last night, the internet was ablaze with wild theories—claims that Garius Heine was seriously injured and couldn’t attend, that District 13 was crumbling from within… Absolute nonsense!
As his assistant, Amon was stressed to the max.
He had to order PR to delete unfavorable posts sneakily planted by opposing factions, and stay up all night drafting public statements.
Of course, the ideal solution would be to parade their boss in front of everyone—one look at that face and all the rumors would vanish.
Afraid his boss might ditch the banquet again, Amon tried to finalize things quickly. “I’ve arranged for a special escort unit tonight. Saxis and his team are back from their mission and resting in District 13. With them around, security should be fine. Do you want to bring anyone else? Like, maybe Jo—”
At that moment, Amon’s eyes instinctively searched the room and paused.
“Eh? Where’s little Joey?”
Ever since their boss got obsessed with pet-keeping, the tiny human had practically grown attached to his arms and become District 13’s unofficial mascot—he should definitely be here.
“Did he call in sick today?” Amon murmured.
“He’s here.”
The pen suddenly stopped.
Mentioning his human made Garius drop his aloofness. He looked up, lips slightly curved. “He’s in the corner.”
Amon: “The corner? But there’s no one there, just a big…” crocodile…
Before he could finish the word, the oversized green crocodile plushie sitting in the corner with its back to them suddenly turned around. Its lifeless, dead-fish eyes poking out of the gaping mouth looked particularly aggrieved…
Joey: Did someone call me?
“Holy crap!!!”
Amon jolted, nearly leaping out of his skin.
Wearing a crocodile costume, Joey rolled his eyes and muttered, “Something or nah?”
Amon blankly shook his head. “…No.”
Okay.
With that, the crocodile—no, Joey—turned back around, curling up in the corner muttering while drawing imaginary circles, his oversized figure radiating pure despair.
Pfft—
Amon, now recovered, looked at his slumped back and quickly went from shocked to stifling laughter. “Boss, where did you buy Joey that outfit? It’s so—”
Ridiculous! Hahahaha!
Garius’ eyes glinted with amusement. “Lucian bought it. Said it was cute.”
Amon nodded furiously, holding back laughter: “Y-Yeah, it’s adorable. Hahaha.”
“Boss, why not have Joey wear this to tonight’s banquet? I swear he’d steal the spotlight!”
Scheming behind Joey’s back, Amon snickered as he pitched the idea to Garius.
And being the devoted pet owner he was, Lord Heine thought his little one was perfect no matter what—he nodded in approval: “That’s fine.”
Amon bit his lip, barely holding it in.
Unaware he had just been betrayed by his beloved father figure, Joey ranted furiously to his system about the stupid crocodile costume, convinced that he had offended Lucien, the household’s powerful butler, by eating too much.
Joey (melodramatic): “Alas, living under someone else’s roof… even eating a little extra is a sin~ Wuu~ sniff sniff~”
System (mocking): “Butler~ Hungry~ Food~”
Joey blushed. “Still, this outfit is so ugly! Don’t I deserve some dignity?!”
The system sneered: “If I had a pet that ate four meals a day and raided the fridge at midnight, I’d tie a leash around his neck and make him guard the door. Real pets are cute. You’re just… hungry.”
Joey choked. “…Actually, I think I’m two months pregnant.”
System: “Oh? You mean with that poop baby?”
Joey: …
Exposed, Joey exploded in embarrassment and rage, throwing himself to the ground dramatically and rolling around.
I eat what I want! Boohoohoo! Wahhh~
System: “…Absolute moron.”
Eventually, when no one responded to his meltdown, Joey got up, dragging his fat tail along and waddled over to Garius. Climbing onto his lap, he snuggled and whined:
Joey: “Garius~ Garius~ When do we eat~?”
“Hungry?”
Pleased by his human’s rare initiative, Garius paused his work, hugged the squirming black-haired fluff in his arms, and gently pressed his nose to Joey’s hair, his gaze warm and soft.
Lately, Joey’s appetite had been growing. Garius had made a habit of patting his belly whenever he acted clingy to check if he was hungry.
And maybe because of their rocky first meeting—where Garius accidentally broke Joey’s ribs—he now treated Joey with extreme care, like handling fine porcelain.
Joey: Look!
Joey slapped his belly hard enough to squish the costume a little.
Empty! Let’s eat!
Seeing this, Garius’ eyes twinkled with amusement. Holding his Joey-shaped crocodile, he stood up, the costume’s long tail hanging off his arm.
Joey knew that meant food was coming. Overjoyed, he kissed his dad’s sexy Adam’s apple and giggled like an idiot as Garius called Saxis and Amon to prepare the aircraft.
“Keep the entourage small. The Empire is stable for now. Saxis’ team will accompany us. I won’t stay long at the banquet,” Garius instructed.
“Understood, about ten minutes. Please wait a moment.”
District 13’s efficiency was truly world-class.
Ten minutes meant ten minutes.
Soon after, Joey found himself riding the aircraft toward a free buffet.
At first, Joey had been nervous about going to such a formal event—so many strangers, and he looked ridiculous.
But once they arrived, he realized something:
Wearing this silly costume had its perks.
The oversized head covered most of his face. When he tried to look up, the loose headpiece slipped and blocked his vision anyway. He couldn’t see others, and others couldn’t really see him.
Plus, being short among a crowd of tall Ottomans meant all he could see were legs. So many legs. Nothing but legs!
Joey: This is NOT the elegant soirée of beauty and fashion I imagined! Where’s Audrey Hepburn? Where’s DiCaprio?!
I hate this cruel, long-legged world!
Still, besides the disappointment of not seeing any hot people, Joey also felt relieved. He now appreciated Lucien’s thoughtful choice.
This costume was a godsend for the socially anxious.
Even Joey, a recluse, could shake hands with random strangers who squealed, “So cute!” and survive the crowd’s curiosity about “Is this really a human?!”
“He’s adorable!”
“I saw the livestream and couldn’t believe my eyes!”
“Me too! I hoped he’d be assigned to our district… sigh…”
“Haha, I never expected such a cold, stoic man like Lord Heine to end up as a pet owner. They’re like night and day!”
“Haha.”
Humans were considered cultural icons in Ottoman society—far more precious than even national treasures.
The guests here showed more enthusiasm for Joey than they did fear toward Garius Heine, a notoriously terrifying figure.
They took photos, shook hands, and adored him.
Of course, these were elite guests from the upper echelon. Despite how they raged when the original livestream was cut, now they kept their poise, even if inwardly dying to kidnap the human.
Joey had never felt so popular in his life. A little shy from the praise, he watched Garius handle media interviews with calm elegance.
The event, being a public charity banquet, also included speeches and press coverage. Naturally, Garius was the center of attention—especially after the recent attack on District 13.
“Lord Heine!”
A few reporters quickly finished interviewing the organizers and rushed over. But the moment the man turned around, they hesitated.
Cold, stunning, and imposing, the man stood before them. His narrowed eyes pierced into their very souls.
Golden curls framed his face, trailing down past pointed ears to his back, accentuating his neckline.
His looks, bloodline, and background—he was too perfect.
So perfect, it was frightening.
Wearing the white uniform of the District 13 Surveillance Department, it fit his tall frame like battle armor—intimidating and unyielding.
When he tapped the microphone with his fingers and said, “You may ask your question,” the domineering aura forced even the boldest reporter to straighten up and speak more cautiously.
“Hello, Lord Heine. We’re with XXX media. May we ask you a few questions…”
“Mm.”
Joey, peeking out from the costume, gazed up adoringly at his dad owning the scene with his powerful presence.
Joey: “Look! That’s a true boss!”
System: “Yeah, but he’s gonna be busy tonight. You better go grab some food—he won’t be staying long.”
“Oh right! I’d better hurry!”
Seeing that Garius was distracted, Joey dragged his tail toward the banquet table. Along the way, some girls squealed at his retreating figure, whispering excitedly about how cute he was.
Feeling unexpectedly loved and welcomed, and with food that was absolutely delicious, Joey hummed happily as he dug in. First social gathering success: unlocked!
He munched while chatting with the system.
“Wow—this cake is amazing!”
“This one too, and this one—”
The system rolled its eyes. Is there anything you don’t like?
Even the smallest appetizers at the table were tried one by one. Joey carefully avoided any unfamiliar dishes.
Just as he was stretching for one he couldn’t quite reach, a voice behind him, smooth and just a bit malicious, called out:
“Did no one notice a pet is sneaking food from the table?”
“How are guests supposed to eat after it’s been dirtied?”
T/N: Please give support on my ko-fi page, thank you🍊🍊🍊
Comments
Post a Comment