Chapter 22
Chapter 22
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: The Great Cleanup
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It's time for a big cleanup!!!
Two weeks have passed since our trip to the zoo.
Nothing particularly special happened after that.
The same old foolishly ordinary days continued. Even now, in this very moment.
After lunch, all the children gathered in front of the small TV to watch.
Normally, they would have gone outside to play or amused themselves with toys and dolls, but today was different. A live-action hero show was airing on TV right now.
It was a typical heroes-versus-monsters story, with people in ridiculous, color-coded costumes fighting off creatures.
It seemed to be a popular show among the kids; all of their eyes were sparkling with excitement.
“Aaaah! No way! Is the main character going to lose like that?!”
“That despicable villain! How could he do something so vile?”
“My heart's pounding….”
Seeing them enjoy something like this really shows they're just kids.
Unlike the excited children, I was unfazed.
I'm past the age where I get any thrill from watching this kind of stuff.
As an adult, I'd rather watch the news and see what's happening in the world. A mature person like me should be watching educational programming, not some kids' show.
Of course, I knew there'd be an uproar if I changed the channel, so I left it alone.
‘No! Why is he acting like that? Ugh... this hero is so frustrating. Please! Just! Listen to the person next to you!’
Right. I'm definitely not watching this because it's entertaining.
I'm just curious to see how the protagonist will overcome the challenges they face.
I'm a dignified adult, so I don't get excited like the children. I'm only staying here to blend in with them.
I was trembling.
I clenched my fists out of anger. Definitely not out of suspense.
And when the climax arrived, and the scene showed the heroes escaping the trap to defeat the villain…
"""Waaaaah!"""
“That's our hero! He won again!”
“Hooray...!”
The children jumped to their feet and cheered.
They were as thrilled as if their favorite team had just won a major game.
‘Yes! That's how it's done!’
I, too, clenched my fist tightly, gripping my other arm in excitement.
Bada glanced at me, and feeling awkward, I subtly relaxed my pose.
Only after the ending song finished did I take control of the remote and change the channel.
Commercials, variety shows, children's channels, news—the usual programming flickered by.
My finger paused on the button when a news report came on.
It was about another terrorist attack committed by the Cult of the Grim Reaper.
Come to think of it, the Cult's activities seemed to have increased significantly lately.
It wasn't just me; experts were gathered on the show, discussing this very question.
[As you already know, the Cult of the Grim Reaper is a pseudo-religious organization that worships the Grim Reaper, one of the Four Great Organizations. They are madmen who firmly believe that the Grim Reaper is the world's savior.]
[Even the Association has been unable to grasp the Grim Reaper's movements. What is his objective? What does he want? We have no idea. But one thing is certain: the Grim Reaper is extremely dangerous and incredibly powerful.]
[Originally, he appeared sporadically. But over the past few months, the Grim Reaper's appearances have noticeably decreased. No, let me correct that. He hasn't shown himself at all. That's why the followers of the Cult are growing anxious.]
[There's a saying in the Cult's doctrine: where death goes, the Grim Reaper appears. Perhaps by killing people, they hope the Grim Reaper will reappear amidst the piles of corpses and blood.]
[But please, do not worry. The Association is working day and night to eradicate the Cult of the Grim Reaper.]
The world just can't seem to catch a break.
Thinking back, I had completely stopped my activities as the Grim Reaper since staying at the orphanage.
I let out a sigh.
Did the Cult of the Grim Reaper know?
That the god they worshiped was now living a carefree life in an orphanage.
Blood and corpses, of all things. Who do they take me for, a monster?
Because of them, the Grim Reaper's name is going to be dragged even further through the mud.
‘I'll have to deal with them at some point to shut them up... but they're a cell-based organization, which is a real pain. Since they said the Fixers are on the move, maybe I'll just watch for now....’
While I was pondering this…
“This is boring.”
“Let's watch something else.”
“Give me the remote.”
The children grumbled, clearly uninterested in world affairs.
I suppose it couldn't be helped; current events shows are boring for kids.
I handed the remote to the children.
They started flipping through the channels.
They stopped on a channel where an idol was singing on stage.
Lena had snatched the remote from their hands.
She was serious about music, if nothing else, and everyone knew what would happen if you disturbed Lena when she was lost in a song.
The other children looked crestfallen.
Lena's eyes sparkled.
She hummed along with the idol's song.
Just as it was reaching the chorus, the TV turned off.
“Ah….”
Lena's eyes widened as she turned her head.
She scowled, but it had no effect on the person who had turned off the TV.
“Alright, that's enough TV time. The weather is beautiful today, so we're going to have a big cleanup.”
It was Red.
Naturally, the mention of cleaning filled the children's faces with discontent.
"""Awww—"""
“Do we have to do it today? Can't we do it later?”
Even as the children whined, Red didn't yield.
“We're doing it today. You can watch TV after we're done cleaning. If you don't help, I'll eat all of today's snacks myself.”
In the end, with their snacks held hostage, the children had no choice but to clean.
*
Dishcloths, brooms, feather dusters, and more.
Each child took up a cleaning tool according to their assigned role. Red, too, had changed into a full cleaning outfit.
It was strange, but the orphanage didn't use cleaning robots.
With Red's wealth, buying a few wouldn't have been an issue at all.
I'd asked the kids about it before, and they said it was because Red didn't want them.
It would be so much easier, so why make things harder for themselves?
“Alright, everyone, let's do our best! No slacking off, let's work hard.”
"""Yeah!!!"""
When Red raised her hand and let out a cheer, the other children followed suit.
With the windows thrown wide open, they began cleaning in earnest.
“Let's race to see who's faster.”
“I'm faster.”
Some raced each other, wiping the dirty floor with damp cloths.
“Carefully... carefully....”
Others used feather dusters to brush away dust from hard-to-reach places.
“It stinks!”
“Ugh!”
And some held their noses with their small hands as they threw out the trash.
“A duel to see who's stronger.”
“Today, I'll show you that I'm the strongest.”
A few even had a sword fight with their brooms.
Honestly, that's hard to resist.
I watched them get caught by Red and receive matching bonks on the head, then chuckled and moved on.
‘Hehe. Snacks, wait for me. I'm coming for you.’
I slipped away from Red and the other children and headed for the kitchen.
The scent of freshly baked snacks wafted out from the kitchen, tickling my nose.
Hehe. What a delicious smell.
I peeked just my head around the corner, carefully surveying the situation inside.
“Hmm-hmm~”
Rene was humming, engrossed in making the snacks.
I'd located the snacks; all I had to do was wait for an opportunity.
I was already used to hiding my presence, so sneaking one or two snacks was a piece of cake for me.
I knew I didn't have to do this.
But things always taste best when you sneak them.
‘Now's my chance!’
The moment of opportunity arrived, and just as I was about to move quickly, someone tugged on my clothes.
Startled, I froze and quickly turned my head.
It was the blue-haired girl, Bada.
“You shouldn't do that….”
The blue-haired girl wagged her index finger at me, her sharp gaze piercing through me.
It felt a little strange being scolded by a younger kid.
I must have been too focused on the snacks to notice Bada was there.
“Let's go back….”
I took her raised finger and shook my head.
I wasn't one to give up so easily.
Before Bada could say anything else, I let go of her finger and moved toward the snacks.
“Ah...!”
I quickly reached my target and snatched some of the finished snacks.
I even grabbed one to use as hush money and was about to head back.
“It's not snack time yet. What are you doing here?”
A voice from behind me made me freeze.
My mind went completely blank. Like a machine, my head creaked as I turned it.
Just moments ago, she was over there, but now Rene was standing right behind me.
Oh, no….
“What's in your hand...?”
Hearing the ominous tone in her voice, I had no choice but to put the snacks back.
As if nothing had happened, I bowed my head and tried to slip away.
“I doubt that's all of it.”
She noticed that, too?
Sniffling inwardly, I took out the snacks I had hidden behind my back.
What was going to happen to me?
I thought about asking Bada for help and glanced toward the door.
There stood Red, smiling sweetly.
Ah. I'm doomed.
*
Caught in the act, I was ultimately given a fitting punishment.
I was kneeling with both hands raised high in the air. To top it off, a board was hung around my neck.
On the board, written in thick letters, were the words:
[I committed the crime of trying to sneak and steal snacks.]
“Ahahaha!”
“Pfft!”
The boys who had been playing with the brooms were laughing at my ridiculous state.
Being laughed at by children.
I couldn't stand it.
My pride as an adult wouldn't allow it.
If I just endured this, my shattered pride would never recover.
I took off the board around my neck and went into the room.
Then I came back out with a squeaky hammer and immediately swung it at the nearest boy.
*Squeak!*
Then I beckoned to the others with a flick of my finger.
“You wanna go?”
“There are more of us.”
“We'll make you regret this.”
The boys, taking my bait, rushed at me. But I dodged them with ease, swinging the squeaky hammer again and again.
*Squeak. Squeak. Squeak. Squeak. Squeak.*
At the end of the fight, the boys ran out of energy first, and all of them knelt before me.
That's right. This is the difference in our levels.
Hehe.
I placed my hands on my hips and looked down at the boys with a triumphant expression.
Just as I was savoring the joy of victory, a voice laced with anger came from behind me.
“Who told you to put your hands down?”
Ah….
*
Lily, with both hands raised high once more.
To her left and right were the boys who had teased her.
A dejected sound came from behind the mask, but Red's heart did not soften.
Red watched Lily, deep in thought.
It was because of the movements Lily had shown while fighting the boys.
The way she swung the squeaky hammer, her footwork—it all somehow overlapped with the Grim Reaper.
They had only clashed once, but the encounter had been so intense that it was hard to forget.
‘...It must be my imagination.’
Red dismissed it as a simple delusion.
Even she had to admit it was too absurd to be true.
“Your posture is sloppy. Hold them up straight!”