[ He lets off a mild chuckle at her vehemence. ] I know. It's just a figure of speech. [ Pausing, he cards a hand through his hair. Tries to express his thoughts in a simple manner, the way he sometimes does for Yin. ] It's hard to explain. The world can be a cruel place. For some people, it's even crueler than for others. When you get older -- unless you've already learnt about it -- you might understand sha chi. Attacking Chi. It's supposed to be destructive energy. A threatening feeling, like you get in certain buildings? Or when people are always fighting? That sort of thing. [ His smile fades a little. ] Some people live in environments like those. And they grow up to carry that bad energy with them wherever they go. [ And there are some people who are just born evil. That, he doesn't say. ]

[ At her next question, the timid smile renews, ] Science fiction. Thrillers. Horrors. But nothing too scary. [ A pause. ] I should introduce you to Ken. He's a year or two older than you. Spends most of his time at the library. I think you'd get along.