They were back into the flow of the fair, leaving the fortune telling booth after hearing what the cards had in store for Olga. She was glowing out of all ends of her body, clearly ecstatic at what the fortune teller told her. He felt happy for her, he really did. But it was not a fortune he particularly wished to hear for his friend. He saw her grab his arm with both hands and excitedly look up at him, melting his hard heart with her optimistic smile.

"Hey, what do you think that fortune teller meant, huh?" she asked her friend, holding onto him as they trekked across the fairgrounds. "You really think there's romance in my future?"

She watched his face fall a bit and his eyes concentrate ahead before he answered.

"Who knows."

His light shrug and short answer were clear indications that he didn't want to talk about it. But why? Her eyes tried to meet his as they walked but he avoided them more and more, until she stopped walking and forced him to as well. She would be damned if she would let him keep something from her.

"Okay, what's going on?"

"What're you talking about?"

She crossed her arms, letting go of him so he could face her.

"Ever since I got my fortune told, you've been acting really sulky," she took his hand in hers, concerned, but he flushed and twitched as if to take his hand away. Instead, he gripped her delicate fingers in his palm and took a deep breath, feeling pulled in by those amber eyes that anxiously awaited his answer. She wouldn't stop looking at him, and for once he wished she would. This girl was his best friend in the whole world, practically an extension of him. If he confessed any feelings, it could break everything, and push her away. Besides, it wasn't like she was going anywhere soon. He had time. But for now, he had to think up an excuse for his actions. He gently led her by the hand to the side of the walkway, so as not to block traffic. So as not to be interrupted.

"Alright look," he had her attention, he might as well tell her what was on his mind. Well, not all of it. "I just think that, maybe…"

He struggled to phrase his concerns in a more simple way, still unsure himself of the why or the how. A group of boys hollering near them should've distracted her, but her focus was unchanged. He scoffed at their rowdiness and looked over his shoulder to get a good view of them. Rowdy assholes. They couldn't keep their mouths shut for a god damn second. He felt her gently shake his arm to get his attention back to her, and he complied.

"'Think maybe' what?" she prompted.

"Well, the fortune said you would find love in a new place, right?" He struggled just to think those words, let alone say them. "I mean… does it have to be 'new', y'know? Maybe… Maybe it's someone you already know."

Really? That's what he was so worried about? She chuckled at his concern. "Well I mean the fortune's just a gimmick, it's not gonna be accurate-"

Again, they were interrupted by the jeering of a group of boys, and Olga could hear them say something about her dress, along with some unpleasant words. She sort of hung her head and looked at her clothing, shutting herself in. Kevin couldn't bear to watch her curl up back into herself like that; he'd seen that too many times. Going to the fair and wearing a traditional dress was Olga's favorite thing to do, and he would be damned if a group of local assholes tried to take that away from her. He turned to their direction, and recognized them. A group of teenage boys, slightly younger than he and Olga, who only came to fairs for the beer, and the laughs they got when they sat back and ridiculed those who genuinely enjoyed the experience. She felt his hand tense up in hers and looked up to see an all-too-familiar angry look. Before she could put a gentle hand to his chest to stop him, he let go of her hand and walked over to the boys. She grabbed for his arm again but missed, and hesitantly caught up with him, slightly behind him.

"Hey man, what do you want," one jested at him, garnering laughs from the others. She saw that Kevin didn't take the greeting well, and put a hand on his shoulder and spoke softly.

"Come on, Kev, let's go."

Apparently, the bullies found her comment funny, and chuckled to their hearts content, before the leader put a hand up to stop them.

"Sounds like the lady's got you whipped," he smiled at Kevin, and the others focused their attention to the girl behind him. Some of the boys began jeering at her and whistling, and the one nearest to her reached out to grab her arm, but she quickly dodged him and stepped fully behind Kevin now, keeping extra close to him. Her level of comfort in this situation was basically zero; all she wanted to do was enjoy the brewery with her best friend. When he saw the boy reach out for Olga, Kevin made a swift move as if to attack the boy, causing the boy to flinch and pull away from the girl. He then turned to face the leader.

"I'll give you to the count of three to take back that stuff you said about her."

His teeth were gritted, and he had an almost sadistic smile on his face, something Olga remembered seeing before, when Kevin tried to break an opponent's arm during a football match. The boys tried again to grab Olga's arm, but Kevin pushed her back to keep her out of their reach. He then grabbed one of those boys by the collar and lifted him of the ground, before he heard her call out to him.

"Kevin, stop!"

The crowds of people just kept shuffling by, ignoring the squabble happening in its own little corner of the path. Their noise was all Olga heard, as well as all the scenarios running through her head, different ways in which this situation could go. Kevin could start a brawl; he'd either scare the kids away, or get him and Olga kicked out of the fair for sure. The boys could make the first move; but what could she do then? Even if she helped him, they'd be outnumbered. If they walked away, the boys would feel like they had a victory, and even Olga disliked that idea. But the idea of him getting hurt, it was too painful for her to consider, and so she decided to take matters into her own hands and pull him out of the situation. She quite forcefully took him by the shoulder and pulled him back, then stepped around him so that she was now clearly visible to the boys, standing directly in front of her best friend. They shared a collective 'oooh' as they watched her do this. She took a deep breath and spoke calmly.

"Look, I know you think this Renaissance thing is stupid," she indicated the fair behind her, "but if you think it's so lame, why even waste your time coming here?"

When she finished speaking, she turned around and took Kevin's hand, leading him away from the boys and back into the flow of traffic. She slowed her pace and he caught up beside her, still holding her hand. She wasn't ready yet to talk to Kevin about his temper, so they walked along quietly, her staring ahead while he kept glancing at her, feeling ashamed for boiling over the top back there. They made it to the brewery, which had opened but five minutes prior, and packed in along with the other patrons to sample different brews recreated from old recipes, some dating back centuries. They both wondered how they would continue their discussion of her fortune, after that little ordeal.