Chapter 90: Let’s All Watch Over Hansol Orphanage! (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 90: Let’s All Watch Over Hansol Orphanage! (1)
Volunteer work.
In its truest sense, it refers to an act performed without expecting anything in return. Logically, there was nothing wrong with the boy’s words.
In fact, many hero candidates possessed kind hearts, and the Director had heard stories of cadets volunteering at dilapidated facilities for free several times before.
Nevertheless, the Director could not easily bring himself to trust these boys who claimed to have come for volunteer work.
He had been hounded for nearly half a year.
People had tried every method imaginable to seize control of this orphanage.
It wasn’t unreasonable for his first instinct to be suspicion—that they might have recruited cadets to win favor from the inside.
He had been backed into a corner for too long to believe that anyone would come to this shabby orphanage, located in a remote area with state support almost entirely cut off, out of pure goodwill.
However, it was also true that he had no justification to drive them away blindly.
The moment they show their true colors, I’ll cut them off instantly.
The Director’s stern expression only began to soften after he saw them playing with the children.
* * *
“Wow! So you’re a hero, Hyung?! Have you ever caught a villain?!”
“Of course. Naturally.”
Well, strictly speaking, I don’t actually have a hero license yet, but how much fun would it be to explain the difference between a hero and a cadet to kids?
To be honest, I’m not exactly a silver-tongued orator, but when talking to kids, grabbing their interest is far more important than eloquence.
“Hmph, you don’t look that strong though?”
Right, there’s always one kid like that.
I’ve decided on today’s test subject. You little rascal.
“Ho, really? Then do you want to test me out?”
“Huh? How?”
I scooped up the questioning child into my arms and funneled a tiny sliver of the Innate True Qi from my body into my legs.
My talent, which emits a brilliant radiance, is quite flashy to look at, making it very convenient for showing kids what a superhuman is.
Concentrating my leg strength into my reinforced limbs, I leaped into the air.
Phang!
As we soared toward the sky with a sharp burst of sound, the child screamed at first. However, the moment the surrounding landscape came into full view, his eyes began to sparkle.
Yes, yes. I knew a little troublemaker like you would love high places.
I landed without much difficulty. Except for Ha-ni, who looked quite surprised, and the Director, who looked like he was about to faint, all the children’s eyes were shining.
“That was sick…! You really are a hero, Hyung…! You flew!”
Well, having a high jump doesn’t necessarily make one a hero, but in the eyes of children, isn’t it the most definitive proof?
“I’m jealous! Me too! Do it for me too!”
“Me too!”
“Me! Me! I want to fly!”
Oh, I’m a hit.
It reminds me of the old days. Should I provide a little more service?
“I’ll give everyone a turn, so line up!”
Well, it’s a good chance to raise the kids’ affection levels while I’m at it, right?
* * *
At first, Kang Ha-ni just stood there, watching the scene.
The idle thought of ‘He really does like children’ was beginning to shift into a somewhat embarrassing thought—‘I wouldn’t have to worry even if we got married and had kids later’—when she shook her head to clear her mind and headed for the kitchen.
She had memories of looking after her younger siblings at the dojo, and while she didn’t dislike children, she felt it would be better to win them over in a different way rather than just playing with them.
Fortunately, they had bought plenty of ingredients, and although the equipment was a bit old, it was all functional.
“Hmm, since they’re kids, should I go with Western-style?”
As she prepared the Hamburg steaks, she made the seasoning a bit sweeter than usual. Since many kids can’t handle pepper, she only added a little, and she minced the onions as finely as possible so they wouldn’t be noticed.
“What are you…?”
“Ah, we bought the ingredients ourselves. My friend is good at playing with the kids, so I thought I’d get lunch ready.”
The Director, watching her skillfully prep the ingredients, asked with a look of confusion.
“…You came to volunteer for free and even bought the ingredients?”
“Pardon? Oh, they aren’t strange ingredients or anything. I bought them all at the mart on the way here since the kids will be eating them.”
“Wasn’t it expensive?”
“Huh…? Well, I didn’t know exactly how many kids there were, so I bought a generous amount. If there’s any leftover meat mixture, you can freeze it and eat it later.”
Ha-ni stopped her cooking for a moment, feeling that their conversation was strangely out of sync, but soon a familiar voice rang out.
“Alright, kids. You’ve played hard, so now it’s time to wash your hands and faces!”
“Ugh, I don’t want to.”
“Oh, you don’t? What should I do then? It looks like we’re making Hamburg steaks, but I’m not giving any to kids who haven’t washed up.”
“I love washing up, Hyung-nim!”
It was So-hyun and a group of kids with disheveled hair.
A moment later, while the kids were washing, we were having a minor disagreement.
“I’m telling you, let’s just make them ourselves.”
“Hey, kids love kneading dough and stuff like this instead of sensory play.”
“They might throw it at each other and start a fight.”
“That’s how they grow up. We just have to guide them well, right? Besides, the kids are in a great mood, so let’s let them try. It’s not dangerous as long as we’re the ones doing the frying.”
“Well, that goes without saying.”
The disagreement was simple.
The preparation of ingredients that required knives was already done, so all that was left was to shape and fry them.
I wanted to fry them in advance so the kids could eat as soon as they finished washing, while So-hyun argued that we should let the kids shape the patties themselves since they would enjoy it.
He’s surprisingly soft on kids; it’s a problem.
I feel like he’d spoil his children too much later on.
…No, I told myself I shouldn’t think like that.
* * *
“See? The kids love it.”
“…I guess so.”
Watching them giggle while kneading the dough, I wondered if it was really that fun.
Ha-ni watched the scene with a bit of worry, but there was a high probability that no accidents would occur.
Even though they were giggling and getting a bit of dough on each other, they wouldn’t throw it because I had told them before we started, “The more you mess around, the less Hamburg steak you get.”
“Taste is important, but for kids, the shape and the process before the meal are important too. You have to pique their interest so they eat well.”
…Or, like me, you eat well when you’re so damn starving you feel like you’re going to die, but there’s no need to instill those kinds of memories in them from childhood. Right.
“I made a rabbit!”
“Oh, you made it well.”
To be honest, it looked more like a lump of clay with two long things sticking out than a rabbit, but you’re supposed to tell them they did a good job in these situations.
“Hey, how is that a rabbit?!”
Oh, but another child right next to her started picking a fight.
“…This is what you call a rabbit…!”
Ah, never mind. He just wanted to show off. Yes, yours is a bit better made, but you’re going to make her pout, you little brat.
“I’ll give this to you!”
“…Huh? Me?”
“Me too! I made a lion!”
“I made a rocket!”
Oh, the kids all started explaining what they had made and saying they would give them to me.
Kids, you realize this is your lunch, right?
“Alright, alright. I’ll fry them for you, so take off your gloves and wait patiently.”
“Yes…!”
Fortunately, I was able to fry the Hamburg steaks without any issues.
“It’s delicious!”
“It’s even better because I made it myself!”
Well, Ha-ni did the seasoning and prepped the ingredients, which is why it’s good, but I suppose that’s how the kids feel.
As we were enjoying the meal, a little girl sitting next to Ha-ni tilted her head and tugged on Ha-ni’s clothes.
“Hmm? What is it?”
“Hey. Are you an Oppa or an Unnie?”
“Huh?”
“At first I thought you were an Oppa, but seeing you in an apron, you look like an Unnie.”
Shit. Kids are sharper than I thought. No one at the Academy even suspects it, yet she’s being questioned like this…?
Ha-ni, the one being questioned, answered as if it were nothing.
“I’m an Oppa.”
“Really? Hmm, I guess that’s why you don’t have a chest.”
“Haha, that’s right.”
I had a small doubt: if Ha-ni were actually a character with a small chest, would she have been able to laugh it off like that?
“Oh, then is this Oppa over here an Unnie?”
“Me? Do I look like an Unnie to you…?”
I have a fairly handsome face, but I don’t think I look like a woman.
“Hmm, barely…? It’s a bit risky, but if you look at it a certain way…?”
What do you mean, “barely”?
“But I’m also an Oppa, not an Unnie.”
“Oh, that’s weird. Then are you Oppas dating each other?”
Oh, Ha-ni, who hadn’t even flinched at the chest comment, jumped in surprise and dropped her plate.
For the record, in places with many children like this, they use plastic plates, so it didn’t break.
Only after a long silence, as the plate settled on the floor with a cute thump-thump sound, did Ha-ni manage to squeeze out a denial.
“W-we aren’t dating?”
Come on, Ha-ni. Why are you getting so worked up over a kid saying something like that?
“That’s strange. A-ram Unnie said that if people bicker but still smile, and one person gives in like they can’t help it, then they’re dating.”
She must have seen us arguing earlier about whether to make the Hamburg steaks with the kids or by ourselves.
I suppose to a child’s eyes, it could look like a lovers’ spat.
Kids this age always tease people about dating over the slightest thing.
* * *
After playing for a long time, Ha-ni went in to put the kids down for their nap.
In the meantime, I sought out the Director’s office to fulfill my original purpose. He was waiting for me with a calm demeanor, as if he knew I would come.
“First, I should say thank you. Thank you for everything today. Those kids don’t usually open up to people so easily.”
“Well, that’s how kids are. Especially kids in orphanages; they tend to be closed off no matter how hard you try.”
“…You speak as if you know orphanages well. Do you go volunteering often?”
“Yes, something like that.”
I couldn’t exactly talk about the transmigration, so I had to go with that.
“Right. Let’s leave the gratitude there and get to the main point. I’ve realized you two are kind, and I’m sure you were sincere with the children. But you—or at least you—have an objective, don’t you?”
Sharp.
It was almost a waste to think of him as a character who only appeared in a sentence or two in the original work.
“Yes, I have an objective.”
“…Whew, well, I expected as much, so I won’t say I’m disappointed. But first, would you listen to what I have to say?”
“Sure. That’s not difficult.”
“An orphanage is like a final rampart. Children who lose their parents at a young age, for whatever reason, grow up twisted in some way. Those who are unlucky enough to drift from place to place eventually decide in their hearts that no one wants them.”
Indeed. I know that all too well.
Because it’s something I experienced myself.
Without a shred of exaggeration, to a child, a parent is a god.
They are the being who protects them, the being who created them, and at the same time, the being who gave them everything.
That’s why the sense of loss a child feels when their parents disappear before their sense of self is fully established is no joke.
— Wait, just wait a little bit, okay?
— Where are you going?
— Just to buy something real quick. Use this to buy some ice cream and wait here. Don’t go anywhere…? Promise.
— Okay, you’ll be back soon, right?
— A little… yeah. It might take a little while. But you have to wait here, okay?
Ah, damn it.
It’s been years, and I still can’t forget it.
“The children who end up here have already had enough painful experiences… So, I can’t let their last sanctuary be taken away…”
…Moments like this really made me realize that this world was inside a novel.
For an orphanage director to be so kind-hearted and good—it’s something that rarely happens in reality.
They were very nice words, but I didn’t need to hear any more.
“Um, you’ve been saying some strange things for a while now.”
“Yes, I know. You also want something, of course…”
“No, when did I ever say I was going to tear down the orphanage? I just wanted to offer some support from my family.”
“…Huh?”
“Why do you look so surprised?”
Of course, that was a lie.
At this point, there are probably three villain factions targeting this place.
One of them has their eyes on the value of the land, and the other two are targeting it because they think there might be an undiscovered dungeon hidden beneath this mountain. But what sleeps in this mountain isn’t an undiscovered dungeon.
“Ah, of course, it would be even better if the kids who grow up here later become wonderful employees working for our company.”
“That kind of…”
“If you think there’s no such thing as a free lunch, shall we sign a contract? A promise not to cause any harm to the orphanage.”
And naturally, as a transmigrator, I know how to obtain the treasure hidden in this mountain without mindlessly overturning the earth like those fools.
When I held out the business card of the Yuseong Group representative that I had received from my father, the Director’s eyes wavered.
“So, do you feel like listening to what I have to say now?”