Chapter 12
Chapter 12
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: An Investigation (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I started to organize my thoughts.
Why did I come to the orphanage?
First, it felt rude to ignore the terminal they’d gone to the trouble of preparing for me. Second, whether it was genuine or not, I felt it wasn’t right to disregard the concern of someone who was worried about me.
And the third reason, the one that weighed the most, was my own personal curiosity.
Is it truly a place that cares for children out of pure goodwill? Or is it just another superficial facility, built for self-satisfaction and profit?
I wanted to see it with my own two eyes.
‘You can't help but be curious about something rare.’
As I walked down the hallway, the lights overhead were dim and occasionally flickered. The heating must have been off, as a chill lingered on the floor, making my ankles cold.
The wallpaper was old and faded, with fine cracks visible here and there, and the floorboards sometimes let out an ominous creak.
There were several rooms in the hallway, so I went in to check them one by one.
The first room I checked was cluttered with dolls and toys that children would probably love.
A closer look revealed they were all older models.
They must not have the money for newer ones.
Just then, an open sketchbook caught my eye.
It was a drawing of people holding hands, smiling happily.
I flipped the page and saw another drawing. I continued turning the pages, looking at the pictures one by one.
The drawings weren't good. They were, quite literally, on a child's level.
Yet, the reason they captured my attention was…
‘They're smiling…’
The atmosphere of the drawings was incredibly warm and cheerful.
A person's psyche is reflected in their drawings.
The child who drew this must be happy with their life here.
I closed the sketchbook, tidied up a little since I was already there, and moved on to the next room.
I went through all the rooms on the first floor in this manner, then went up the stairs to the second.
The rooms on the second floor were the same. I could clearly feel the presence of children.
Just then, I glanced out the window and noticed a small flowerbed blooming with colorful flowers.
I wonder if the children planted them.
Curious, I went back down to the first floor, headed outside, and walked over to the flowerbed.
Up close, it was a very small garden. Still, I could see traces of careful tending.
Since I was outside, I took a short walk around the yard. A ball was rolling around, and I could also see a swing set and a seesaw.
My impression after looking around the whole place was…
‘It's… ordinary.’
Yes. Ordinary.
And in this city, ordinary is a rarity.
It was a world away from the orphanage where I used to live.
That’s why I find it so strange.
The fact that an orphanage that genuinely cares for its children actually exists.
From what I’ve seen so far, it seems like a perfectly normal orphanage.
‘What is this feeling of being watched I've had for a while now?’
While I was walking around alone, I kept feeling eyes on me.
But when I turned around or looked about, no one was there.
At first, I thought it might be the children hiding and watching me. But that thought was wrong. Because there was no one lingering around me.
To feel a gaze when there’s no sign of anyone nearby…
‘It's like being inside the belly of a beast. An unsettling sensation.’
Come to think of it, I’d been feeling this ever since I got near the orphanage.
‘It just feels like I’m being constantly watched. There’s no sense of threat. What could it be?’
Now that I think about it, I haven’t seen a single child.
They’re not inside the facility. I can’t see any sign of them in the yard, nor can I hear them playing. Are they out playing somewhere?
Rene said she was making snacks for the children. That means it’ll soon be snack time, their favorite time of day.
The children will come back on their own, even if I do nothing. If I go looking for them, we might miss each other, so maybe I should just wait inside.
Or should I go back to Rene and ask where the children are?
‘Huh… what’s that?’
Just then, I noticed a metal plate propped unnaturally against the fence wall. When I moved it, I found a small hole.
I bent my knees and peered inside the hole. It was a tunnel.
Too narrow for an adult to enter, but just the right size for a child.
I squeezed into the hole and crawled forward.
The tunnel wasn't long.
When I emerged, I found myself in a strange place.
It looked just like an abandoned building.
No. It *is* an abandoned building.
Then, a faint, strange sound reached my ears.
I strained to identify it. It definitely wasn't the boisterous sound of children playing.
I walked in the direction of the sound.
‘A song…?’
A slow melody drifted into my ears. It was quite different from the music of the city.
The city’s music is excessively loud, but this song was calm and peaceful.
A mysterious song that warms the heart.
But something felt odd.
The song wasn't unfamiliar.
‘Have I heard this song somewhere before? But I can't quite remember…’
I searched my memory for a similar song, but nothing came to mind, and I frowned.
‘Well, whatever. If I can't remember it right away, it probably wasn't that important to me.’
What does the song matter? Right now, who’s singing it is more important.
They must have been closer than I thought, as I arrived quickly.
‘Huh…?’
It was only then that I remembered what the song was.
It was the song a certain lost child had sung before.
That lost child had asked if she could sing a song. I’d allowed it, and that’s when I heard this tune.
Was her name Lena?
‘I can't believe I'm seeing her again in a place like this. It's a small world.’
Beneath an open ceiling.
A yellow-haired girl was singing, bathed in the pouring sunlight.
Six children sat in front of her, listening quietly to the song.
They were all so focused on the music that they didn't seem to have noticed my presence.
A moment later, the song ended.
The air was filled with the sound of the children’s applause.
Rene scratched the back of her head, looking shy, and was about to sing the next song when…
Her eyes widened as she spotted me standing at the entrance.
Seeing Rene’s surprised expression, the other children all turned their heads.
Silence fell.
***
As Red and Stal rested on a bench, the area around them grew noisy.
“Isn’t that Isaac, the Ice Prince?”
“That guy wasn’t on the list of participants for this request. What’s he doing here?”
“Whoa~ So that’s what he looks like in person.”
The two turned their gazes toward the commotion.
The eyes of many Fixers were all fixed in the same direction.
It was a man.
A handsome man with black hair tied in a ponytail that suited him quite well.
The man looked around before his eyes stopped on the two resting on the bench.
With a smile like a child who had found a treasure, the man approached them.
He came to a halt in front of Red.
“I heard the news and came, but it looks like you're already finished.”
The man, Isaac, gave Stal a brief nod, then turned to Red and continued.
“Amazing. As far as I know, this was a request that even a group of A-rank Fixers would struggle with, yet it was solved so easily just by you participating. That's Red for you. Your strength never ceases to amaze me.”
“Oh, right. Thanks for the compliment.”
Red responded to Isaac’s praise with indifference.
Even so, Isaac looked pleased just to have gotten a reply.
Then, as if remembering something, his expression turned concerned.
“I heard you went up against the Grim Reaper. Are you all right?”
“If I weren't, I wouldn't be standing here, would I?”
“It’s truly incredible that you fought the Grim Reaper and came back unscathed. Several of my acquaintances lost their lives fighting him.”
Even if she disliked the person, Red wasn't so callous as to respond curtly to news of someone’s death.
She scratched the back of her head with a slightly apologetic look, about to offer some words of comfort, but…
“It's fine. You don't have to say anything.”
Isaac stopped her.
“Things like that happen all the time in our line of work. You and I both know that well. There’s no need to take it to heart.”
His nonchalant attitude made Red frown, a past memory surfacing.
And in an annoyed voice, she asked.
“So, what's a busy guy like you doing here? This isn't even your territory. Don't tell me it's for some stupid reason like you wanted to see me.”
“Haha, you're so cold. Well, I don't dislike that about you.”
Red's scowl deepened.
“I was passing through the area for a request when I heard you were undertaking one here. So I thought I'd stop by and say hello.”
“Really?”
“Well, it’s because you ignore my calls and texts.”
“You should be grateful I haven't blocked you.”
“Anyway, greetings aside, there's something I wanted to ask of you.”
“…A favor?”
“It's something only you can do.”
Red met Isaac’s gaze.
The smiling Isaac was about to speak.
“Sir. We’re out of time.”
A female Fixer standing behind Isaac called out.
Isaac made a displeased face.
“Ah, right, I know.”
Isaac sighed.
“Sorry. I have to go right away because of an urgent request. I’ll tell you the details later. So please, don't ignore my call next time.”
Isaac turned to leave. He started to walk away, then suddenly stopped.
And then.
“Catch.”
He tossed something to Red.
Red caught it easily and looked at what was in her hand.
It was a can of coffee.
And it was incredibly cold, as if it had just been taken out of a refrigerator.
When Red looked at Isaac, he was beaming. He turned, waved, and left.
Red passed the can of coffee to Stal as if she were getting rid of trash.
Stal popped the tab and took a sip.
“He never changes. Still, thanks to him, at least you…”
“Shut your mouth.”
Red cut him off sharply.
“Why? I haven't said anything yet.”
“I know what you're going to say, so shut it.”
Stal shrugged and took another sip.
“You two used to get along so well.”
Red and Isaac.
Red, with her bold nature, provided decisive action.
The erudite Isaac offered timely advice, as if he could see the future.
The two, like fire and ice, were a surprisingly good match.
But just as fire and ice cannot coexist, at some point, the two drifted apart.
“It was probably after the kids at the orphanage Isaac ran died. What's the deal with that, anyway?”
Red was lost in the memory of that day.
The day of the children’s funeral.
A day when the rain poured down in sheets.
Red had seen something.
And after that, she had become disappointed in Isaac.
Red shook her head, returning from her memories to the present.
“There's a reason. It's none of your business, so don't worry about it.”
As if to forget that day, Red turned her attention to the document she was holding.
It was a list compiled by the Cult of the Grim Reaper, detailing individuals they were watching.
And on that list was the mute child she had met before, the one who kept their face hidden with a hood and mask.