LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 12
What do kids think I look like?
A small frame, like a little child.
They might see me as a kid or even a dwarf, but the problem is that right now I’m all scruffy, wearing a hood and a mask hiding my face.
I must be giving off a really shady vibe, so it’s no wonder the kids might mistake me for a suspicious person.
Naturally, when faced with someone shady, people feel uneasy or ominous, and such feelings can subtly invoke fear in them.
Of course, the hoodlums on the street don’t flinch at times like this. Quite the opposite, they see me as an easy target, a potential mark to shake down, or in other words, a weakling.
Like a beast on the hunt for a tasty snack, they probably see me that way.
But kids are different.
Kids are fragile beings, after all. Well, with exceptions, of course.
Anyway, they obviously become wary when they see a suspicious person. Sometimes they get scared. But again, there are exceptions.
“At least those kids aren’t exceptions. But still, aren’t they being a bit too cautious? Oh right, didn’t I hear something bad happened recently? I guess that attitude is understandable.”
At least I knew Lena, the girl who was singing earlier. But unlike then, I’m currently hiding my face.
In the heavy silence, I need to convey that I’m harmless.
But how?
I can’t speak.
“Should I try to indicate through my actions that I’m not suspicious?”
As I pondered this and approached the kids, they cautiously stepped back.
I took a step forward.
The kids took a step back.
“Man, their eyes are something else. Are they all thinking about whether to pounce on me or how to escape?”
A simple solution would be to just take off the hood and mask to show my face. But I don’t want to do that.
I thought of a good method to avoid exposing my face and took another step forward.
“Stop!”
Zing!
…What was that?
For a brief moment, Lena’s shout froze me in place.
It was as if my body was forced to obey her words, against my will. She seemed completely oblivious to the effect she’d just had.
“Who are you?”
With Lena starting it off, other kids began to ask, “What’s your identity?” “Where did you come from?”
This is bad.
“…”
As expected, my silence only heightened their suspicions.
I’m in trouble.
Then, a good idea flashed into my mind.
I don’t know if it’ll work, but I can’t not try, right?
I pulled out a notebook I had and quickly jotted down a note with a pen.
[Orphanage. Me. You. Friends. Not scary. No misunderstandings.]
I tore the paper out and presented what I’d written.
This approach might be much better than approaching the frightened kids directly.
The brave boy in front approached cautiously and snatched the paper. Then he began to read it with the other kids.
The kids tilted their heads.
They didn’t understand at all. It felt like the situation was getting worse.
Inside, I was screaming for a miracle when a timid blue girl, clutching her book, quietly spoke to me.
“M-maybe… are you… the new family brought by the big sister…?”
Big sister? What kind of nonsense is that?
I initially didn’t understand what she meant, but soon realized she was pointing at Red.
I came alone, but for now, it’s more important to ease the kids’ suspicions, so I nodded.
The kids’ gazes shifted slightly. But it was still not enough.
“How can we trust you?”
“That’s right, that’s right.”
I need something to prove that my words are true.
At that moment, a girl’s eyes widened, and she pointed at my pen.
“Oh, that! It’s the teacher’s pen!”
This? I borrowed it from Rene. So, is she referring to the teacher as Rene?
I held the pen forward.
One kid quickly snatched it, and they all started to examine it closely.
A moment later, all their suspicions had completely vanished. The taut tension that had been pervasive just moments ago dissipated entirely.
The kids’ eyes sparkled with curiosity. Some were even shining bright.
Suddenly, a chill ran down my spine.
“Why are they acting like this? They were scared of me just a moment ago.”
The kids rushed toward me. It seemed their curiosity had kicked in, and they crowded around, bombarding me with questions.
“What’s your name?”
“Why are you hiding your face?”
“Why don’t you talk?”
Don’t touch the hood! Don’t take off the mask! Stop it, kids!
Ahh, help me—!
As I was being surrounded, slowly suffocated by the kids, I heard a strange sound.
Beep, beep, like some sort of alarm.
But at the sound of the alarm, the kids froze for a moment.
Bright smiles beamed on their faces, and they all dashed toward the entrance I came through.
I thought I heard something about snack time.
Phew.
“I’m alive….”
I lay sprawled out on the floor, blankly staring at the ceiling.
Just as I was catching my breath, a shadow loomed over me.
“Hey, are you okay?”
It was Lena, reaching out her hand.
I grabbed her hand and struggled to get up.
“Maybe I should’ve just waited inside.”
As I brushed off the dust on my clothes, that thought crossed my mind.
But it was all water under the bridge now.
*
After returning to the orphanage.
In the room I followed Lena into, the kids were gathered around a round table.
The sound of giggling and chatter filled the room. They all seemed excited about having snacks.
“I totally get that feeling.”
Eating something delicious makes you happy.
I think it’s one of the few happy moments in this world.
Suddenly, I got curious about what snacks the orphanage would serve.
Considering the budget for food at the orphanage, I doubted they’d have the kinds of desserts I normally eat. The snacks I buy usually cost a fortune.
Of course, that doesn’t apply to the shop run by the Shop Owner.
“Now that I think about it, didn’t they say they make the snacks themselves?”
Homemade snacks, huh…
That piqued my interest even more.
“Come on, you should sit over here.”
Lena gestured for me to sit next to her.
I pointed to myself with my finger.
Me? It was an expression of surprise.
Unlike before, this time Lena nodded as if she finally understood.
The other kids chimed in, urging me to join them.
“I’m fine just watching….”
I thought it wouldn’t be right to join them since I’m not part of the orphanage.
But since it felt impolite to keep rejecting them, I reluctantly sat next to Lena.
“As long as I don’t eat, it should be fine.”
At that moment, the timid blue girl looked at me and asked.
“Um… Do you… not have to take it off?”
I nodded.
Sure enough, a barrage of questions began from the kids.
I started to think of a way to sidestep their inquiries when suddenly I felt too lazy and crossed my arms in an “X” formation. It was a firm declaration that I wasn’t taking it off.
Maybe my intent got through because the kids stopped asking.
They seemed to think, “Oh, she must have some reasons.”
But their curiosity about me remained, so they continued to ask questions.
As I was struggling to figure out how to respond, the door creaked open, and Rene entered the room.
The kids gasped in awe.
Rene was carrying a large plate. The silver lid covered it, so I couldn’t see what was inside.
Rene placed the plate on the table.
I wondered what kind of snack it could be. This made me even more excited.
Just as I was thinking this, the atmosphere in the room shifted.
“What’s going on? It suddenly got quiet.”
The previously noisy room fell silent. A palpable tension enveloped the space.
The kids seemed to be engaged in some sort of standoff. Even Lena’s smile from moments ago had turned into a serious expression.
Overwhelmed by the odd atmosphere, I swallowed involuntarily.
“I’ve felt this kind of sensation somewhere before…”
Oh, I remembered.
It felt just like a summit meeting between organizations, where each side keeps an eye on the other while trying to secure some sort of advantage.
Who would’ve thought I’d feel this way during snack time?
“Now, everyone, it’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for. Today’s snack is… drumroll please….”
Rene made sound effects with her mouth as she slowly lifted the silver lid.
I found myself tensing up unnecessarily.
And then the snack was revealed.
“Oh-ho.”
It was a cute little bread shaped like various animal faces.
There were rabbits, tigers, turtles, sheep, dragons, all kinds, and there were more than enough to go around.
There were seven kids in total.
“This means we don’t have to fight….”
I realized that my mind had been too naïve, as I felt a sudden rush of motion from the kids, and they sprang forward simultaneously, starting a battle for their favored treats.
The kids’ hands were quick and accurate. Even if they managed to grab what they wanted, a moment’s carelessness would mean losing it again, and they’d fight once more to reclaim it.
“That’s the one I was gonna eat!”
“Only the quickest gets it!”
“Not the tiger! Anything but the tiger!”
“That choco is mine… not fair! Why are you snatching it?!”
Eek.
Even organized groups don’t fight like this.
I never intended to get involved, but seeing the war erupt before my eyes made me want to run away.
My instincts told me I’d die if I got too close to this chaos.
I had to survive.
I curled up tightly and crawled to a safety corner, trying to avoid being swept away.
“I should be safe here.”
Shaking, I silently prayed for this war to end quickly.
Smack.
Something flew through the air and landed accurately on my hand.
A mouse-shaped bread.
“Gah…!”
Chills enveloped my body as I trembled.
When I glanced up, the kids were fixated on me, or more precisely, on the bread resting in my palm.
They had eyes like beasts after prey.
I was in tremendous danger.
I attempted to throw the bread far away to save myself, but those beasts moved much faster.
“Help me…!”
This moment felt like a true hell.
*
“Teacher, is that friend going to be our new family from now on?”
After being caught up in the snack war and feeling exhausted, a boy pointed at me.
The boy’s question caused Rene to wear a subtle expression.
“No, she’s just here to visit.”
The kids gasped at Rene’s words.
Naturally, they all flocked around me.
“You told us she was a new family member!”
“Were the earlier statements lies?”
The kids relentlessly hammered me, realizing I had lied.
I was already worn out, and their questioning drained me even further.
I thought about how to calm them down when a good idea sparked in my mind.
[Red. I’m waiting.]
“Your big sister?”
I nodded at the girl’s question.
It wasn’t a lie, after all.
Naturally, the kids asked why, and each time, I showed them the paper I’d written.
The kids exchanged glances, and their expressions became nuanced.
When I tilted my head, puzzled at why I said that, Lena spoke up.
“Big sister takes a while to arrive. It might be a long wait.”
That could be rather troublesome.
Traveling back and forth is a hassle.
Alright. I’ve made up my mind.
What the heck, I might as well wait.
Time is all I really have.
How long could it possibly take?
A week, maybe?
However, contrary to my expectations, a month passed.