Chapter 62

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Episode 13 - Community Service [2]

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After a while, the speech and farewell from the orphanage director came to an end.

Then, the children approached Rinna, asking whatever came to their minds.

Meanwhile, I honestly didn’t know what to do about it.

I simply stayed silent and half-frozen.

You could say I don’t know how to interact with children.

How should I put it...? Maybe it’s because I’ve never really been kind, affectionate, or funny; honestly, I don’t know.

But I didn’t know what to do with an innocent child, so I just kept my fake smile like an idiot.

〖Hey, disciple, aren’t you a bit tense right now〗

’I don’t know what you’re talking about, Master.’

I flatly denied my Master’s words.

〖Oh, do you have some kind of weakness for children? I mean, maybe because of your past or for some other reason〗

’No, I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

〖Do you really think I’m an idiot?〗

’Maybe... no, I mean, no.’

〖I’d give you a beating if I had a body right now, but I’m not in the mood, so just forget it〗

I let out a long sigh at my Master’s critical words.

Then, while I was lost in my thoughts, some children around 5 to 7 years old approached Verónica and me, who was standing by my side.

They surrounded both of us, but when they saw me, they seemed to have ignored Verónica.

"..."

One of them asked, pointing at the bandages over my eyes.

"Hey, hey, why do you have that on your eyes?"

"Yeah, if you have that there, you can’t see."

"Yes, yes, you’re right, so why?"

At their words, I froze, not knowing what to say.

Was this really... a weakness of mine?

’What am I, some kind of pedophile? No way.’

That’s definitely not it. It’s just that I’ve never, and I mean truly never, interacted with children, or at least I think so, since I have no memories.

Anyway, I sighed and finally said:

"Well... I’m blind, that answers your questions."

At my words, the children seemed to widen their eyes.

"A blind person? I’ve never seen a blind person."

"Eh, what’s a blind person?"

"Hey, older brother, how do you see or walk without seeing anything?"

"Yes, yes."

My expression of disbelief was clearly evident.

’What is this, an interrogation?’

Smiling faintly, I said:

"Well, I can see, but not in the usual sense. I simply see in black and white, as if everything were a drawing without paint, just the canvas and the lines that form the image."

To give them an example, I took a sheet of paper and a pen out of my Inventory and started drawing.

I have to say, I’m very good at drawing, even if I can’t see things in the conventional way.

It’s not for nothing that I was the one who designed the characters and some of the landscapes in the game.

Soon, I drew Rinna. Of course, I couldn’t see the drawing, as if it had no surface or as if it were carved into stone.

But I was sure I had drawn it perfectly.

Then I showed it to the children, and their eyes widened.

"Wow, it’s a very beautiful drawing."

"Yes, yes, it’s Sister Rinna."

"It looks exactly the same, but with a unique style."

"Older brother, is that how you see?"

I nodded at the last words of a little girl.

"Yes, that’s how I see. Without colors or anything else, I only see as if everything were a drawing."

The children took the drawing from my hands and went off to show it to others.

Watching them leave, I sighed and finally sat down in a chair.

’This is exhausting.’

It was brief, but truly exhausting.

’Well, I can more or less understand why some parents abandon their children, but even so, it’s no reason to leave them alone, no.’

Shaking my head as I came out of my thoughts, Verónica said:

"Older brother, you have a trait that draws children to have fun with you."

I turned my head sharply and snapped:

"No, probably if it weren’t because I’m blind, they wouldn’t say anything to me."

"Do you think so, older brother? I’d say you have a certain charm with children. Look at them... uh, I mean, they’re simply having fun with a drawing. Isn’t that a kind of charm, making others happy with something so simple?"

Shrugging, I didn’t refute her words, but I suppose she’s right.

’Was I perhaps the director of an orphanage in one of my past lives?’

Well, I wasn’t sure. Anyway, at that moment the orphanage director said:

"Children, wouldn’t you like to spend the day with some of our guests?"

The children nodded, and the director finally added:

"Then choose who you want to spend time with."

She smiled calmly and then left shortly after.

Aside from the three of us, there were actually more cadets from the Academy.

I’m not the only one who accompanies Rinna on weekends.

’And they’re from other classes.’

There were at least ten cadets in total.

Shortly after, the children gathered with each cadet. In general, Rinna took almost all the children for a walk around the orphanage.

The rest, as if they already knew the other cadets, grouped together.

And Verónica... well, only about three children approached her, nothing more.

Then me... well, none.

’And who was talking about that so-called charm?’

I briefly turned my head in Verónica’s direction; she hurried away.

"..."

I sighed, shaking my head. Honestly, she always gets on my nerves, no matter what kind of relationship we had.

’Anyway, I suppose I’ll help the cleaning staff. After all, we came to do community service.’

Although, of course, those two idiots don’t seem to have come for that.

Finally, I stood up from my seat and headed for the exit of the room.

As I walked, I suddenly felt a presence on the other side of the door.

I stopped for a second before continuing. Then, I carefully opened the door, and the presence on the other side seemed startled.

I glanced quickly... and it was a little girl.

Her eyes looked at me nervously, yet at the same time with distrust.

I stood still in front of the girl. She didn’t say anything, and I didn’t say anything.

We both stared at each other while there was no one around us.

"..."

"..."

Somehow, seeing the girl’s emotions, something clicked in my mind. Then I opened my mouth and said:

"You’re alone."

She didn’t move her head or speak.

I used my senses to scan the surroundings and noticed that there was no one else.

Moreover, she hadn’t been inside when the orphanage director was saying goodbye to the children for their trip.

Anyway, I kept talking.

"You didn’t want to say goodbye to the director."

She said nothing.

"Because you’re here alone. You don’t want to go play with the other children."

However, she remained motionless, as if she didn’t hear my words.

I pressed my lips together, but said nothing more. I didn’t know what to say.

But, seeing the girl’s emotions, I honestly didn’t know what to say.

’Mostly, the disappointment and despair are quite strong. Did something happen to her? Seeing that she doesn’t talk to anyone, she probably doesn’t have friends, and even less does she talk to any adult.’

I sighed as I focused on the girl. She remained still, silently watching me.

And just when I was about to say something more, the girl turned around and left.

"Hey, wait..."

However, I stopped, and instead a voice came from behind me.

"So you’ve already met her."

The one who spoke was the director of the orphanage.

I turned and focused my attention on her.

She wasn’t looking at me, but at the girl walking away in the distance.

Then she said:

"Do you know why that girl is always alone?"

"..."

"Well, that was a silly question. Still, you can get an idea."

My thoughts focused on her words, and then I said:

"She doesn’t trust anyone."

Just by seeing her emotions, I guessed that the girl didn’t trust people, or at least, that’s how it seemed.

But she was too young to distrust anyone so easily.

Then the director continued:

"I don’t know if you’re aware, but she has lived here her entire life. Normally, some of the children here are picked up from the streets; very few arrive as babies."

I pressed my lips together, but said nothing.

"So, what happens if a child who is never adopted receives a visit from someone, grows attached, but then that person never comes back?"

At her words, I replied as if I already knew:

"She becomes sad and thinks she was abandoned. That’s why, when new people come, she will unconsciously think they will abandon her as well."

The director nodded calmly.

"Exactly. That’s what happened to this girl. She grew attached to a cadet about three years ago, but that cadet was in her final year and, due to her graduation, she never returned to the orphanage. Then more cadets came... and they didn’t come back either. You know what I mean, don’t you?"

I nodded at her words. I turned briefly, and the girl had already disappeared long ago.

Even so, I fixed my attention on the corner where she had gone.

"She distrusts the new cadets who come here because, in the end, they don’t return. That’s why she distanced herself from visits to the orphanage. She doesn’t feel the same toward the other children compared to that cadet who came some time ago."

I listened in silence to the orphanage director’s words. Certain thoughts came to my mind.

She might have no one in this world and be almost completely alone.

At least, I have my master to talk to. If it weren’t for her, I don’t know if I would still spend most of my time alone.

Without speaking to anyone and being by myself.

’A life like that feels empty.’

And by seeing the girl’s emotions, I knew instantly that she felt completely alone and empty.