Volume 10 Chapter 6 Orphanage
Senior Rikka's house was an orphanage.
I said I'd share the food, but I was taken aback by the unexpected number of kids.
There were probably around several dozen.
"My meat!"
"Hey, boy! Don't cut in line!"
"Uh, let's form a line..."
The skinny kids gathered in front of the pot, their eyes gleaming like a pack of hungry wolves as they tried to get their hands on the food first.
The amount of food wasn't a problem, but it was tough to distribute it among this many kids.
"This is the best I've ever had!"
"Thanks, boyfriend!"
"Uh, thanks..."
The kids devoured my cooking.
I didn't know if they were enjoying it, but it was great to hear them say it was delicious.
However, even after finished distributing the food, the kids started fighting and it was a real hassle.
Senior Rikka desperately tried to mediate, but it didn't seem like it would settle down.
The kids were crying, laughing, and fighting... the orphanage was in chaos.
"Hey, hey"
I also let Juju dangle and comforted the crying kids.
"Weird doll! Kyaa kyaa!"
They stopped crying instantly.
"That's amazing, Juju"
'I'm not sure what to say, but... did I get my share of the food?'
"No"
'You're a demon!'
Juju looked like she'd lost all her energy.
"Noa, I'm sorry... you're taking care of the kids too."
Senior Rikka bowed her head.
"That's okay, but... you're really popular."
"Uh, yeah."
There were a lot of kids clinging to Senior Rikka. She was really loved.
Senior Rikka was also taking care of the young kids with ease.
"That's amazing. Does Senior Rikka do this every day?"
"No... it's not that amazing."
She seemed a bit uncomfortable.
Maybe she felt uneasy about her private life being seen by her colleagues.
"I really want to make this orphanage a better place, but... I'm not capable enough on my own..."
"There's no need to be so humble."
But, this bright and cheerful orphanage is one of a kind.
I also spent time in an orphanage when I was younger, but everyone had gloomy faces.
We were abandoned by our parents, and we didn't know if we'd be alive tomorrow. Friends we played with yesterday would suddenly turn cold the next morning. We could only choose dirty jobs, and our future looked bleak. It was a desperate world.
We couldn't hold onto hope. But in this orphanage, there are many smiling faces.
"...I, I respected my senior for the first time."
"You never did that before?"
Well, there was no reason to respect her.
"This is a great orphanage, isn't it?"
"Yeah, I guess..."
"That's right."
Even though there are many skinny kids, the atmosphere is peaceful and full of smiles.
It feels like they have hope for their future.
For some reason, I feel nostalgic.
――Let's play together, little ×××!
――Ugh... give me back my equipment...
――Don't bully little ××× anymore!
"Noa?"
"......"
"Hey, Noa!"
"Huh?"
When I turned around, Senior Rikka was peering at me with a worried face.
"What's wrong? You look pale..."
"No, I just had a daydream..."
"A sudden daydream...? That's unusual, isn't it?"
"I'm surprised too."
The mysterious girl's voice that had been echoing in my mind.
I thought I saw her figure for a moment.
But I couldn't remember what she looked like.
...I don't want to forget. I mustn't forget.
Only that anxiety remained, and the dream disappeared into the depths of my memory.
"You must be tired, right? Today's work was tough too..."
"That might be true..."
I should head back and rest soon. If I'm late, Cirrul will worry too.
"Well, I'm going home then."
"Ah, okay..."
"...?"
Senior Rikka had a relieved expression for some reason, but... oh well.
I finished getting ready to leave and headed towards the entrance.
Then, I opened the door.
"――It's a good night."
For a moment, I thought there was a black wall right in front of the door.
However, I soon realized it was different.
A robust middle-aged man was standing there, looking up at me.
He was an ominous man who reeked of death.
Wrapped in a black priest's robe like mourning attire, he had a wooden cross hanging from his neck.
He was ringing a small bell with his hand wrapped in a white glove, going "ting-ting-ting"...
"...Don't you think so, too?"
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