"shoo!" she yelps as she took an apple out from her basket to throw it on the growling dog in front of her. "dad.." she gulps as her hands trembled.

the dog was a small brown mangy mass. it snarled as it crept closer. she yelled as she threw one of her precious apples (the ones her grandma told her to buy from the market) at the dog. it did not land on the head. it landed near the paws of it. it bent to sniff at the object, momentarily bringing her relief.

the dog bared its teeth. (she doesn't think dogs like apples anyway, she is not stupid)

the dog lunged. she got scared and closed her eyes, forgetting the basket, she used her hands to cover her eyes. the basket fell to the ground, and the apples inside spilled everywhere.

thud

(that was not the sound of a bite. or even her screaming)

"ow.." it was a voice of a boy. she slowly opened her eyes and looked from the gaps of her fingers. "it bit me!" he huffed as the dog ran off in the alleyway near.

"but it's fine! i'm rubber so it's fine." he grinned as he looked at her. "what?" she muttered, confused and shaking.

"rubber!" he repeated in full confidence, and loudly. (he thought she didn't hear him) but that did not solve her confusion nor he decided to elaborate. she let it go.

"thanks.." she mutters as she bends down on her knees, collecting her apples in her basket.

one apple in the basket;

"are you new here?" he picked up the apple she first threw at the dog.

"no i'm visiting my grandma.." she bites the inside of her cheeks.

second apple in the basket;

she glances at him from the side. he looks like he wants to say something. he does not. she looks down at the basket and sighs picking up the third apple.

third apple in the basket;

"where's your grandma?"

"home."

"where?"

"here."

"is it close?"

"uh.. yeah.."

fourth apple in the basket;

"uhm thank you.. what's your name?" she looks at the boy in his eyes.

"luffy." he replies too quickly.

she bites the inside of her lips and tells him her own name. (she thinks his name sounds like a dog's name)

fifth apple in the basket;

"so—"

"urmm..."

they talk at the same time.

sixth apple in his hand;

"here." he shoves his hand to her, giving her the apple. she takes it and instead of putting it back to her basket she dusts it off with her sleeve. she gives it back to him.

"you can keep it. as a thank you." she smiles at him.

———––————––——–———–——–——–––––

luffy chomps on the apple given to him.

apples are nice. even if they were licked by a dog or thrown to dirt just before.

apples are good and they are red. just like his favorite color.

out of all the apples in his village, he likes this apple more.