How was the last chapter? Sorry if my grammar is bad because English isn't my mother tongue lol. Gonna be a little confusing at the end lol. Sorry if it's short, please leave a review! (BTW, where can I check the review lol?) Okay, enjoy!

Chapter 2: Claire

Jack was cutting more weeds when he heard the door creaked open. He turned to see Claire walking out, still in his oversized sweater. "Um… is there anything I can do to help?" She asked. "No. Just stay put and rest." He said. She looked so weak and pale that her arm looked almost transparent in the sunlight when she raised her arm.

"But I want to help." She protested. Jack sighed, "You're helping me by resting. I don't want you to get sick again." He said. With a pouty face, she went back in.

Jack thought for a moment, and went to the chicken coop. he tidied everything up so that the chicken will be happy when it comes. Suddenly he heard a loud metallic clang. He hurried out and saw Claire sitting in the fields, the big metal watering can beside her, the water spilling out.

It looked like she had fallen while trying to water the crops. Jack hurried over to her side and when he saw what happened to her hands, he exploded, "Claire! I told you to rest inside! Now your hands are bleeding! Ah! A splinter!" Jack immediately carried her to the house.

He pulled out the first aid kit and began cleaning the wound whatsoever. Soon, Claire's hand was already bandaged. Her sobs was turning calmer. Jack sat on a chair opposite of her, annoyed. "S-sorry." Claire choked out. Jack stayed silent.

Claire's sobbing began to get louder again, "I'm sorry. I just want to help." She sobbed. "You want to help?" Jack asked. Claire nodded.

"Well, I'm just going to go to the Poultry Farm and get my chicken. Do you want to accompany me?" Jack asked. Claire's eyes sparkled and her sobbing almost immediately stop. "Yes!" She scrambled out of bed and into Jack's arms. "I'd love to!"

"I'm sorry! I completely forgot!" Rick apologized as Popuri gave one healthy chicken to Jack. Popuri and Lilia glared at Rick who pouted and looked away. "That aside, who is that girl with you, Jack?" Lilia asked, her smile returning. "Oh… she's…" Jack stopped. What should he say? A cousin? A friend? Sister? A girl he found on the street?

"Hello ma'am! I'm Claire. I am currently being Jack's apprentice." Claire smiled. Popuri and Lilia immediately giggled while Rick stared in shock. "Apprentice?" Popuri asked. "Yes. I want to run a farm too, so I'm learning the basics." Claire said. Hmph, Jack never thought of 'apprentice'.

"But he's a newbie himself!" Rick said. Popuri and Lilia immediately glared at him again. "Ah, yeah, about that, I can always help him out on the farm while I learn." Claire said. Rick pouted again while Popuri giggled, "Do you have a crush on Claire, Rick?"

Rick's face immediately reddened while all the others chuckled. "I don't!" Rick exclaimed and stormed inside the house.

Walking back to the farm, Claire looked really excited, holding Pocky. "You like chickens?" Jack asked, one hand over her shoulder. "Yes. It's so cute." Claire replied, stroking Pocky's soft white feathers. Pocky agreed by clucking once, opening an eye to glance at them, and closing it again, going back to sleep.

They continued to rest of the journey home in comfortable silence.

"Good afternoon Jack!" Doug greeted him lightly. "Good afternoon."Jack nodded. "So, you up for a good lunch?" Doug winked. Jack shook hi shead and leaned forward on the counter. "I want to rent a room."

Doug knitted his eyebrows together, "A room? Don't your farm have a house?"

"Yeah, about that, this room ain't for me. This is for Claire."

"Claire? You mean that blond girl you brought here before?"

"Yes, that's the one. She's currently looking for a house to live in. But yeah, she'll help me at the farm, so she will still pay you."

Doug considered this for a moment, before agreeing, "I don't have an empty room right now, because Cliff is currently staying in one of them. But he'll move out of town next week."

"Right. She'll move in next week then. Thanks Doug." Jack smiled politely and left.

Claire hummed as she swept the floor. Lolly – she named the puppy herself – the puppy bounced up to her, and barked excitedly. She chuckled, crouched down, and tickled its tummy. "Go and play, Lolly, I still have work to do." Claire sent him off, wincing a little as her hand stung. Picking up the broom, she continued from where she left off.

Jack came back soon after, and immediately went to pick up the hammer and hoe, "I'm going mining." He said. Claire smiled and waved goodbye at him. Near the chicken coop, Jack stopped and turned, "You better rest." Jack said, along with an I'm-watching-you gesture. Claire laughed and she continued to wave him goodbye.

After she'd done the sweeping, she went up to the mountains and collected some herbs. She put them into the shipping box, and at the exact same time, Zack came. "Looking good there, Claire!" Zack exclaimed. Claire laughed at his remark. The colors were coming back to her cheeks, and she looked healthier. "I brought you some herbs!" Claire exclaimed excitedly, thrusting her herbs out to Zack.

"Nice. Lemme put this all in first…" He began scooping this out of the shipping box and into his bag. "Oh! But I want this money separately!" Claire said. "Huh? Oh… a surprise, I see. Very well, here you go." Zack gave her an amount of money equivalent to the price of the herbs. After that, he left an amount of money equivalent to everything else in the shipping box, in the box.

"I'm going to buy Jack a surprise dinner!" Claire thought happily, clutching her money tight as she skipped to the inn.

After what felt like hours, Jack finally came back, all muddy. In his hands were the money Zack left in the shipping box. "I'm hungry." He stated, before going to the bathroom, consisting only of an old sink, an old toilet, and an almost broken shower. "Of course you are." Claire giggled as she put out the dinner she bought.

Jack came out with a towel on his wet head. "Wow. Nice." Jack grinned, a dimple showing on his left cheek.

Claire felt her heartbeat increasing tenfold when Jack grinned. They sat down for dinner together and began to chat happily. Halfway through the dinner, Jack was getting quieter. "What's wrong?" Claire asked, a bit concerned. "Nothing. Don't worry about it." Jack smiled and Claire left it.

"Claire?" Jack called from below the bed. He couldn't see her form below, so he didn't see if she's asleep or not. After a moment, Claire replied, "Yeah?"

"Claire, where did you come from?"

Claire fell silent. Where did she come from? She'd been asking that herself. Where did she come from? She wasn't sure herself. Where did she come from? She just ran and ran, and ended up here. Where did she come from? She didn't remember. Where did she come from? She suddenly hated Jack for asking that, for she also didn't know.

"Claire?"

Jack's voice jolted her back to reality, and she just realized that she had tears slowly streaming down her cheeks. She hoped her voice wouldn't crack, "I… don't know Jack."

Her voice cracked a little at the end.

"Claire?"

Claire turned to face the wall and pulled the blanket up to her chin, "I'm sleepy." She said, before tuning out the world.