Chapter 30: The Orphanage

Chapter 30: The Orphanage

It seemed Morita Chinatsu’s side was very efficient. On Sunday, news came that they had detained the man named Yamamoto Takashi on suspicion of attempted murder.

The news broadcast was even faster, appearing on television on Saturday night.

However, Kazama Sakura and Yatsuno Gen’s personal information had been erased. They also did not accept interviews, so naturally, there was no footage of them.

Kazama Sakura refused interviews because she was worried her family would recognize her and cause trouble for no reason. As for Yatsuno Gen, he simply disliked being on camera. Becoming known by the entire nation and leaving an impression before the public would have some effect on him.

This was also why, despite having such a handsome and beautiful face, as well as a tall, well-proportioned body, he did not become a model or internet celebrity.

The weather on Sunday was somewhat gloomy. It seemed the lack of much starlight last night had already proven all of this.

However, Yatsuno Gen’s route still did not change much. He went for his morning run, then arrived at that rainbow-like bridge, and leaped down from the camera’s blind spot.

Like a fish returning to the sea, he crawled up wet from the shore, then relied on his inner breath to evaporate all the water cleanly.

This time, it was not an illusion. After meditating cross-legged last night, the spiritual energy he absorbed seemed to have become dense again, much like what happened after Yamazaki Jihei’s accident last time.

Yatsuno Gen did not know the exact reason, but his perception would not be wrong. If there was a common point between the two times when the spiritual energy he absorbed became more abundant, it was that on both days, some kind of accident had occurred.

Placed in real life, this might seem somewhat abstract and vague, but if converted into a game, it could be called a plot event.

Whether major events or minor events, would they all cause the spiritual energy he needed to become abundant?

In other words, although he disliked trouble, he actually had to encounter trouble and solve trouble?

This point still could not be fully confirmed, but no matter what, the closer he was to the third level, the better.

This cultivation method was good in every way, except that its cultivation progress was truly too slow. However, the results after perfect completion were correspondingly exceptionally tempting, as if they were a temptation no one could resist.

Having greed did not seem like a good thing.

“What are you doing?”

When Yatsuno Gen knocked open the door next door, Kiyono Mitsuki appeared somewhat flustered.

This cold and beautiful girl shook her head.

“Nothing. I was just busy.”

“Busy?”

Yatsuno Gen, who had brought lunch in, glanced at the table. The laptop had not yet been closed and was giving off light.

He was not in a hurry to peek. Instead, he smiled and said, “Were you writing something just now?”

Since the young girl knew he had guessed it, she simply did not hide anything and openly raised her head.

“Mm.”

“What were you writing?”

“...I’m not letting you see.”

Only then did Kiyono Mitsuki close the laptop. Yatsuno Gen thought for a moment.

“Is it because you don’t mind letting people online read what you write, because they don’t know you in real life and won’t have any contact with you? But if people around you read it, because they know you and know what kind of person you are, you’d feel somewhat embarrassed?”

Kiyono Mitsuki looked at this handsome boy somewhat unexpectedly.

“How do you know?”

“I can tell from your expression. Besides, this isn’t some very rare emotion. It’s very normal.”

“Is that so... You sound experienced. Have you written something before?”

“I thought about it, but in the end, I didn’t write.”

Yatsuno Gen took the food boxes in his hand to the simple kitchen, then took out bowls, rinsed them, and put the food inside.

Kiyono Mitsuki watched the boy’s busy back. Although the weather was somewhat gloomy today and seemed as though rain could fall at any moment, no matter what kind of light it was, when it fell on him, it seemed to become a meaningful filter.

What the naked eye saw also had a cinematic quality.

“Why didn’t you write?”

“Maybe because I didn’t have the patience, or maybe because I felt what I wrote wasn’t very good and that I didn’t have the talent for it. The biggest reason is probably that I like fishing for three days and drying the nets for two, and I can’t persist in doing things.”

Kiyono Mitsuki frowned.

“Why are you saying that about yourself? You’re not that kind of person.”

“Oh? Usually you like mocking me, but now you’re comforting me.”

“Who’s comforting you? I’m just relatively honest and don’t like lying.”

Her cheeks were a little hot, but now that her threshold had risen, she would not get shy that easily.

Kiyono Mitsuki gave a soft snort.

Yatsuno Gen brought the plated food to the table, then sat in his seat and looked at the girl across from him.

“You didn’t lie, but I also might not have lied. Is it possible that you don’t understand me as well as you imagine?”

Kiyono Mitsuki looked into his eyes. They were very gentle, but at this moment, they seemed so hateful.

Mainly because of that sentence, which made her somewhat unhappy.

Her eyes lowered, and her mouth was dismissive.

“Who cares about understanding you?”

“Then I’m truly pitiful. I’ve lived for more than ten years and no one understands me. Sigh.”

“Stop pretending to be pitiful.”

Kiyono Mitsuki would not fall for that.

Among the dishes Yatsuno Gen had prepared was a roast chicken. She did not know where he had bought it, but after thinking for a moment, she first picked off a drumstick, then placed it into Yatsuno Gen’s bowl.

The boy looked strangely at her action.

“What is this?”

Kiyono Mitsuki lifted her head proudly, like a white swan with a disabled body but an unyielding will.

“Compared to ordinary chicken, you definitely prefer drumsticks, right?”

Yatsuno Gen could not help laughing as he said, “This counts as understanding me?”

“Is there any law saying it doesn’t count?”

“Hahahahaha.”

“What are you laughing for? Hurry up and eat.”

Kiyono Mitsuki lowered her head, her cheeks red, but she could not suppress the smile at the corners of her mouth no matter what.

After eating at Kiyono Mitsuki’s place, he took away the trash as usual.

It was an idle afternoon with nothing to do. Yatsuno Gen did not go play Japanese mahjong to earn some extra cash. Instead, after wrapping an envelope at home, he took the subway to a small town in a rather remote part of Shoujitsu.

The gloomy sky, amid the dark clouds, seemed to hold the sound of thunder, as if warning the people of the world that gods were watching from three feet above their heads.

It looked like weather that could drop a torrential downpour at any moment. The handsome boy simply dressed in a short-sleeved shirt and jeans had no intention of buying an umbrella, stepping over a path that was not especially even, but seemed to be under repair.

Finally, at the end, he saw a building.

It was rather old. The walls were mottled, but there were many childish drawings on them.

There were drawings of the sun, flowers, and all kinds of human figures. They were somewhat familiar scenes, but now there was scaffolding beside them.

It seemed some kind of renovation work was underway, only there were no workers on site at this time.

Looking toward that familiar signboard location, the words Cradle Orphanage had already been removed.

Yatsuno Gen frowned. He thought for a moment, walked to the entrance, and knocked.

The gatekeeper was still that old man in his sixties.

As always, he had a pair of narrowed little eyes that made him seem as though he were always smiling.

His white beard was thick, and he still looked quite energetic.

He glanced at Yatsuno Gen, then revealed a surprised expression.

“Oh, isn’t this Yatsuno? Kid, why did you come back?”

Yatsuno Gen smiled and looked at him.

“You still remember me.”

The gatekeeping old man opened the door while smiling.

“Of course I remember. Among you children, you were the best-looking and most sensible. It’s hard not to remember you. Come in quickly. Are you doing well now?”

“I’m doing all right. I’m in high school. Usually nothing much happens, and since it’s the weekend today, I thought I’d come take a look. How have you been?”

“Pretty good, pretty good. As long as you children are doing well, that’s enough. Look at you, grown so tall and become so handsome. There must be many girls chasing you outside, right?”

“Nothing like that. My eyes only have studying in them. Besides, with my conditions, who would date me?”

Yatsuno Gen laughed self-mockingly.

The old man, however, shook his head seriously.

“How can you say that? What condition of yours is bad? Growing up in an orphanage isn’t your fault. It’s just that your biological parents had no taste. You children are not inferior to anyone.”

“Hahahahaha, thank you. By the way, is the director here? I have something to discuss with her.”

“She is, she is. She’s on the second floor. She probably isn’t taking an afternoon nap now, so you can go straight to her.”

“Thank you.”

Yatsuno Gen thanked him repeatedly.

Although he was a transmigrator and had a fair amount of life experience, Yatsuno Gen felt that saying thank you a few more times was not something shameful.

On the contrary, arrogance was not something worthy of pride.

Respect was something to be given to those who deserved it, and naturally, those who did not deserve it were unworthy of having it.

And this old man was worthy of respect. At least, in Yatsuno Gen’s memory, there had once been a drunken vagrant who tried to break into the orphanage. It was this old man who had grabbed a broom and stood at the entrance, confronting the man for more than half an hour without retreating even a single step.

Although it did not seem like some great matter, at the very least, he had once protected this small patch of heaven and earth.

In his memory, the square patch of sky was still narrow now.

As Yatsuno Gen walked through the orphanage courtyard, he saw some children who had already woken up looking at him curiously.

On the swings in the courtyard, a boy and a girl were laughing as they swung back and forth.

In an empty patch of sand, a familiar little fortress had been built.

Some children were throwing sandbags, while others were chasing and playing, radiating their abundant energy.

Yatsuno Gen passed through them with a smile, entered the hallway, and went upstairs.

Knock, knock, knock.

He knocked on the door.

“Please come in.”

An aged voice came from inside, but it still sounded gentle and amiable.

Yatsuno Gen pushed open the door.

Then he saw an old woman handling some documents at the desk.

She wore reading glasses and a simple floral cloth shirt, looking nothing like the director of an orphanage, but more like an old lady buying groceries at a market.

But this was exactly this lady’s style. She ate and lived together with the children of the orphanage, as though aside from this orphanage, she had no other world.

Only when she heard Yatsuno Gen’s footsteps did the other party slowly raise her head.

She froze for a moment.

It seemed she did not dare confirm it. After a long while, she immediately removed her glasses, stood briskly, and quickly came before Yatsuno Gen.

Before Yatsuno Gen could say a single word, she gently hugged him.

“Did you run into difficulties? If you’re sad, tell me about it.”