Chapter 26
Chapter 26
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Shopping for New Clothes
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The children at the orphanage wore rather shabby clothes. On most of their outfits, you could easily find traces of needlework.
It wouldn't have been strange for them to whine about wanting at least one new set of clothes, but the children didn't complain.
There was no sign of discomfort from them at all. They seemed to think what they had was perfectly fine.
Why am I bringing this up?
"Kids, let's go shopping for clothes."
Because today, we all went out to buy clothes.
It seemed hard to find a decent clothing store nearby, so we took Red's car to a place a little farther away. Naturally, the children were thrilled about the outing.
We arrived at a clothing store that looked quite nice from the outside, and when the children went in, they gasped in awe at the displayed clothes.
The children's eyes sparkled.
Unlike what they had worn until now, these clothes were clean and came in all sorts of styles.
"Welcome."
An Arachne clerk, a member of the spider race, greeted us with a friendly face.
The children weren't particularly surprised by her spider torso and legs.
With innocent faces, the children bowed their heads in greeting.
Red led the children toward the kids' section.
Red started looking at the clothes. Her brow furrowed slightly, as if she wasn't sure what to choose.
Red stroked her chin, deep in thought.
The children, on the other hand, were pointing at different outfits and chatting happily.
"This one is pretty..."
"Don't you think this would look good on me?"
"No. Not at all."
"What did you say!?"
"If I wear that, I might become popular too."
"Dream on. That's not happening."
"Hey!"
I chuckled and started to look at the clothes myself.
Come to think of it, it's been a really long time since I've been to a store like this.
I never really went to clothing stores, so before coming to the orphanage, I just wore whatever shabby clothes I had.
"Little miss, the girls' clothes are over there."
the clerk kindly informed me as I was looking at the boys' clothes.
*Gah.*
It's not like I particularly care about my gender at this point. After all, I've been in this body for over ten years. I'm long past that phase.
It's just that boys' clothes are more comfortable.
Skirts and dresses feel a bit drafty and uncomfortable.
With no other choice, I trudged over to the girls' section.
"I think this would suit you, Lily."
"No... this one would look better..."
"I want this one!"
The girls were chatting happily, but I couldn't bring myself to join in.
Sorry. I'm a complete amateur when it comes to this stuff.
"Ma'am, is there anything specific you're looking for?"
The Arachne clerk approached Red, who was still pondering.
Red hesitated for a moment before speaking. It seemed she'd decided it was better to get the clerk's help.
"I'm trying to pick out clothes for the kids, but I have no idea what would be good. My younger sister usually handles this sort of thing."
"Oh, is that so? I'd be happy to help."
The Arachne clerk clapped her hands with a bright smile.
Like a fish back in water, the clerk grew excited and started picking out clothes that would suit each child.
She seemed to have an excellent eye, recommending outfits that brought out the children's style and personality.
Every time a child changed and emerged from the fitting room, the others gasped in amazement.
"Is that really you, Bada...? You look like a completely different person."
"So cute!"
"Wow..."
The saying "clothes make the man" was true; the children were completely transformed.
Some kids' jaws dropped.
Some had sparkling eyes,
and some even blushed.
A satisfied smile appeared on Red's face as well.
After going through them one by one, it was finally my turn.
*...?*
But the clerk's quick hands suddenly stopped, and a hint of confusion appeared in her eyes.
Her expression showed she was wondering what to do.
I quickly realized why.
"...That's a nice mask. But would you mind taking it off while we pick out your clothes?"
"Ah, she has her reasons for not taking off the mask. Is it not possible to do it with the mask on?"
"...It's fine. No problem."
Though she looked like she'd hit a wall, the clerk straightened her posture. She placed a fist on her chest, showing her confidence.
The clerk scanned me from head to toe with a serious gaze, then nodded as if she'd made up her mind.
She recommended a few outfits, and I took them to the fitting room to change.
*...So it's true what they say about clothes making the man.*
In the new clothes, I was completely transformed. Like a cut gemstone, my true value was revealed.
I couldn't take my eyes off my reflection in the mirror.
I gulped.
This is dangerous. One wrong move and the world might be destroyed.
I made sure my mask was on securely, checked it one more time before leaving, and then stepped out of the fitting room.
Naturally, the reaction was positive.
The clerk also lifted her head with a triumphant smile, proud of her own judgment.
"So cute! So pretty!"
*Clap, clap...*
If I took off my mask here, I might get an even better reaction.
But I can't do that.
For my sake, and for the sake of the world.
I changed into a few more outfits like that. Like a doll.
Each time elicited a great reaction.
"If you took off your mask, I feel like I could pick even better clothes..."
the clerk muttered quietly, looking disappointed.
Sorry, but that's a no-go.
But it seemed everyone else felt the same way, as the conversation shifted to my mask.
"Can't you just take off your mask once?"
"I think so too."
"Are you too ugly to take it off?"
"We don't care what you look like..."
The children had been curious about the face behind my mask for a while.
But usually, their curiosity would quickly fade.
This time was different.
Perhaps because I had shown them a new side of myself, their curiosity kept soaring, and they looked at me with pleading eyes.
Just once.
This is really awkward.
In response to their wish, I gripped my mask tightly with both hands to keep it from falling off and shook my head repeatedly.
"Alright, everyone, stop. You're making Lily uncomfortable."
Fortunately, Red stepped in to stop them.
With Red's intervention, the children had no choice but to give up.
The children hung their heads low.
Seeing their disappointment, Red said,
"Even if it's not now, maybe a day will come when Lily takes off her mask on her own. So let's be patient until then. Okay?"
"""Yes."""
*Phew.*
It's a relief they listened.
As I made a gesture of wiping my brow with my arm in relief, my eyes met Red's.
Her red eyes held a faint trace of sadness.
It seemed that she, too, secretly wished I would take off my mask.
As she said, a day might come when I take off the mask myself. But that day is not today.
I intend to keep it on for as long as I can.
I'm going to indulge in Red's kindness for a little while longer.
***
In the dead of night.
Beneath the quiet night sky, a single car sped down a road lined with dark, unlit buildings.
The driver was a young woman.
A Fixer named Nina.
A junior of Isaac's, she was a reliable Fixer who had worked under him for a long time. Right now, she was heading to the orphanage Isaac used to run.
*...Why would she say something like that?*
Red had made a strange suggestion to Nina: that they go to the orphanage together to investigate.
Red's words implied that Isaac was involved in something suspicious.
If that were really the case, then all of Red's actions up to this point would make sense.
But Nina trusted Isaac.
What kind of person, what kind of Fixer, was Isaac?
A man who grieved for his fallen comrades, who was swayed by his attachments. A good person who possessed a rare goodwill in this world and tried to practice justice.
Wasn't it because of his good nature that he had established an orphanage and taken in orphans to care for them?
*The boss would never do something like that.*
The person Nina respected and admired.
Charmed by Isaac's character, she had joined his office, and they had been through thick and thin together for a long time.
In all their time together, she had never sensed anything suspicious about him.
It absolutely couldn't be true.
However.
*She's not the type to make jokes like that.*
She couldn't completely dismiss Red's words.
After all, Nina knew Red's skills and personality well.
In other words, there was only one conclusion.
*She must have heard some strange information somewhere and is misunderstanding something.*
The few streetlights that had been on the road had now disappeared, and only the car's headlights illuminated the dark path.
After driving for a while, the car reached its destination.
A place completely devoid of human presence.
Nina got out of the car.
She looked at the abandoned building.
*I can't believe I'm back here...*
The building had been neglected ever since the children went missing.
She hadn't been here once since then.
Nina took her phone out of her pocket, then put it back.
She was supposed to have arranged to come with Red, but she had come alone.
It wasn't to destroy evidence or anything like that. She just wanted to look around by herself.
Nina made her way inside the building.
Due to being abandoned for so long, the floors and walls were all rotten or covered in mold.
She waved her hand at the musty smell.
The moonlight filtering through the broken windows wasn't enough to light up the darkness.
Nina turned on the flashlight she'd brought and began to slowly look around.
The more she looked, the more the memories she had made here came flooding back.
The memories seemed to overlap with the present.
But the scenes from her memories soon scattered, leaving nothing in their place.
*Sigh, why did something like that have to happen...*
All the children who lived here had such promising futures.
To think that such a disaster would befall them.
Nina felt her chest tighten.
It was a truly tragic event.
Nina moved on.
Even after checking every room and searching through the belongings and furniture, she found nothing suspicious.
*Nothing seems out of the ordinary.*
Just as she was thinking that her worries were unfounded and it was time to leave, her gaze shifted.
Her eyes stopped on the fireplace in the room.
Nina's eyes narrowed.
Near the fireplace, she could see signs of human activity.
This was an abandoned building that hadn't seen people in a long time. Why?
Nina cautiously approached the fireplace. Frowning at the musty smell, she touched the floor, then leaned inside.
She looked around carefully.
There was nothing suspicious.
*What's this?* Just as she was about to pull out, puzzled, a distinctly different brick caught her eye.
*Why is only this one a different color?*
She touched the brick, and when she pressed it firmly, it pushed inward. Then, with a grinding sound, the fireplace moved, sending dust showering down.
Nina quickly pulled herself out and looked again.
The fireplace was gone, and in its place was a passage leading inward.
The passage seemed to stretch on for a long way.
"What is this..."
Her wide eyes trembled in shock. Her mind was in turmoil.
She never knew such a device existed here.
Why would an orphanage have something like this?
Nina swallowed dryly.
A sense of unease seeped into her heart.
Nina clutched her forehead and let out a long sigh. By the time she lowered her hand, she had regained some of her composure.
Steeling her resolve, Nina stepped inside, a part of her hoping that her fears were wrong.