A "Home" Enough to Call Your Own

"Since it's a city, um... there should be police or something, right? I should be able to find some help. After all, I'm still a child... Achoo!"

Xi Wang pulled his slightly tattered coat tighter around himself, trying to warm his small body.

"...A very pitiful child, too."

Muttering to himself, he walked toward the alley's exit.

Patter, patter—

Faint footsteps sounded with his steps. His bare feet against the cold, dust-covered ground made him feel slightly uncomfortable.

He walked forward little by little, leaving the dim corner and heading toward the exit bathed in light.

Patter—

The moment he stepped out of the alley, everything around him seemed to change. Or perhaps... something about him had changed.

But regardless...

Welcome to a new "day."

A "Home" Enough to Shelter Him

"Flour, milk... potatoes and carrots. Hmm, plus some fresh vegetables and fruit. This should be enough, right?"

The middle-aged man, whose hair was beginning to gray, quietly muttered as he checked the list in his hand.

"The guests will arrive tomorrow. I need to make sure the little ones eat well... Ah, right, I should also prepare some snacks as rewards for them... Hmm?"

Having apparently finished preparing for the past few days, his furrowed brow gradually relaxed, and a smile appeared on his face. His gentle demeanor made him seem especially kind and approachable.

But at that moment, he stopped on his way home and looked curiously at the small figure standing at the intersection, appearing utterly lost.

The boy's slightly long dark hair looked strange for a boy, and it was a mess, clearly having gone untended for a long time. His face was haggard, as though he had not had a proper meal in ages. He was filthy, too. Aside from the coat draped over him, he wore only a thin undershirt that did not fit him. He would surely catch a cold dressed like that. Even with the coat, it was already ragged and could not block the chilly wind at all.

Still, his eyes were very clear. They were filled with confusion toward his surroundings, but... they were beautiful.

Had he been abandoned? Or... something else?

The man frowned again, thinking of unpleasant possibilities. But then his brow relaxed, and a kindly smile appeared on his face. His entire being took on an inexplicably gentle air as he walked, as usual, toward the confused child in need of help.

"You seem to need help, child."

He spoke as he always did.

"Ugh..."

The boy seemed somewhat timid. His body shrank back slightly as he looked at him warily.

"There's no need to be afraid, child. I'm the Priest of the church nearby. Helping those in need is my duty, especially children like you."

As he spoke, he appropriately stepped back a little and raised both hands in surrender, showing that he posed no threat... This usually allowed wary children to lower their guard quickly, or at least stop resisting him so strongly.

"Priest...?"

The boy rolled the term around in his mouth, seeming to ponder its meaning. Then he looked over the man's black robe and the Crucifix Pendant hanging openly from his neck. Along with the man's timely gesture and gentle disposition, these gradually relaxed the boy's body. He seemed to believe him.

"Yes, Priest. You may call me that, just like the other children do."

The Priest smiled. Nearly half his hair was white, and combined with his gentle smile, he looked extremely benevolent. Then he showed a puzzled expression and asked,

"Child, how did you get here? Did you get lost? Or... separated from someone? Your parents really are something else, letting you come out dressed like this. That's irresponsible... You'll get sick."

As he spoke, he slowly stepped forward, taking off his black robe bit by bit while watching the boy's expression.

"Parents?"

A trace of confusion flashed through the boy's dark eyes. His attention shifted to his parents, and he did not pay much attention to the Priest drawing nearer.

"Mom and Dad... I think they're gone..."

As if recalling something, the boy said this, his voice and expression becoming somewhat downcast.

"Oh... I'm sorry, child. I brought up something painful."

The Priest's expression became sorrowful as well, and his words were full of apology. Yet judging from his eyes, the answer did not seem to surprise him.

By then, he had already reached the boy.

"Then how did you get here? This isn't somewhere a child like you should casually wander near. There are many bad people around here. You should go to the Police Station or an orphanage. If nothing else, you should come to the church... Yes, the church where people like me are."

As the Priest spoke gently, he crouched down and personally draped his clothing over the pitiful child. The boy did not resist much, perhaps because the Priest's words and concern had lowered his guard.

"I... I don't know..."

The boy responded in confusion, as though the question troubled him greatly. Even when the Priest picked him up, he did not resist. He even lightly gripped the Priest's shoulder, supporting himself slightly with both hands so the Priest would not have to exert as much effort.

"What an obedient and pitiful child..."

The Priest naturally noticed the boy's actions and smiled happily.

A wandering orphan?

The Priest thought so. He seemed pleased with that answer, his lips and tone lifting slightly, though he concealed it well. It looked as if he was merely delighted by how obedient and sensible the child was.

Having reached a conclusion about the boy's origins, he began walking again, continuing toward home—or rather, toward the church.

"But there's no need to worry, child. Helping those in need is my duty, especially children like you. Come to think of it, my church also serves somewhat as an orphanage. There are many children there in situations similar to yours. You can rest there for now. This area isn't very safe. In a couple of days... no, tomorrow. Tomorrow, I'll take you to the Police Station and see if we can find your family. If we can't... you can stay at the church as well. You'll have a home."

"R-Really? Thank you, Priest!"

Perhaps because of the Priest's promise, the boy's expression recovered somewhat. His voice became lighter too, carrying the vitality unique to children.

"No need to thank me. It is my duty... Oh, right, child, I don't think I've asked your name yet. Could you tell me?"

"Of course! Priest, my name is Xi Wang!"

"Hope...?"

The Priest looked over the child in his arms. After hearing his words, the pitiful boy had regained some of his vigor, and a smile appeared on his face. That bright smile flowed from his clear eyes, seemingly capable of infecting others without them realizing it.

"What a lovely name."

The Priest smiled and sighed. Perhaps infected by Xi Wang's mood, the smile in his eyes deepened. He seemed very fond of this child.

You met a kind Priest. He seemed deeply concerned for you, a pitiful child, and did his best to treat you gently.

Very quickly, you let down your guard. Perhaps it was because of his concern, or perhaps because he promised to take you to the Police Station tomorrow... In any case, you allowed him to bring you back to the church.

Just as the Priest had said, there were many children here in circumstances similar to yours. They were all cared for by the Priest and several nuns.

The children welcomed your arrival and were very enthusiastic toward you, their new companion... except for a few children. They seemed shy and did not dare approach. They merely sat obediently in their places, glancing at you from time to time.

Here, you enjoyed a warm dinner with the other children and played with them. Amid laughter, the Priest chased you off to wash, after which you lay together on slightly hard bedboards beneath warm blankets.

The children sharing your room were very excited. Even after the nuns turned out the lights, they did not obediently go to sleep. Instead, they kept asking you all kinds of questions.

You answered them simply. When you mentioned how you had met the Priest, they seemed to grow somewhat excited. From their words, you could sense their gratitude toward him.

Everything here was wonderful. It made you believe that the Priest truly was a good person—even though you still did not know his name.

The next day, several people came to the church to discuss something with the Priest. Judging from their gazes and actions, the main subject of their discussion was the children, including you.

The other children said they were teachers from a school. Every so often, that school would send people to take some suitable children away to study. Life there would be better than here. They had heard there would even be a chance to attend university, and the school could help them find jobs afterward.

It sounded like a welfare school specifically prepared for children like you.

Although the children did not know what "university" or "work" meant, they knew that if the teachers took them to the school, they would live better lives.

"Could something that good really exist?" Doubt instinctively arose in your heart, but soon, the Priest and those teachers came over to speak with you about a few things.

Their words all revealed concern for you, a pitiful child.

"Perhaps such a place really does exist." Faced with their kindness, you temporarily set aside your doubts.

That afternoon, the teachers left. They seemed to have finished their assessment and needed to return to the school to submit a report. As promised, the Priest also took you to the Police Station.

The police officer who received you seemed to know the Priest. He appeared to know that the Priest occasionally found orphans and came to him to look for their relatives while registering them.

Very quickly, the officer gave you the news—they had found no records of you. You seemed to have been trafficked from another country, and since you said your parents were already gone, finding other relatives... frankly, would be difficult.

Simply put, it would take time. During that time, it seemed you could only stay temporarily at the Priest's church.

The Priest comforted you skillfully, and your low spirits improved somewhat.

Over the next few days, you got along well with the children at the church. You suddenly felt that living here was not so bad.

About a week later, the Priest received a phone call. At first, you saw a puzzled expression on his face, and he even seemed to ask the person on the other end a couple more questions. Once he received their answer, a bright smile returned to his face.

That evening, the Priest told you with slight sadness that the police had not found your relatives. It seemed you could only remain here.

Though you were somewhat disappointed, you were not too sad, because you had already found a "home."

After a few more days, the teachers from that school came again. They drove a rather strange school bus and prepared to pick up several children.

The church appropriately held a farewell party, which also served as a welcome party for you.

After happiness came parting, but no one was sad. They were merely cheerful and expectant. The children saw them off, blessed them, and looked forward to the day when they, too, could go to that school where they could "live better."

You mingled among the children, seeing off those fortunate companions. Yet you also noticed that the shy children still stood farthest away. They neither smiled nor cheered, merely watching quietly.

You found it somewhat strange and asked the others. All you received was the response, "Those guys are bad children. Don't talk to them." Whether you asked other children or the nuns, the answer was always the same.

You felt confused and wanted to approach those "bad children," but before you could speak, they would sneer and leave. Or they would shrink away in fear, or simply run off.

You asked the Priest about it. He seemed happy about your actions and did not oppose you interacting with those "bad children."

"You only want to be their friend. That's a good heart to have. Don't worry about anything. Go ahead, child." That was what the Priest said.

Encouraged by the Priest, you believed you were doing the right thing and began approaching those "bad children" more actively.

Perhaps because of your enthusiasm, those "bad children" slowly began accepting you. A few with better temperaments even became your friends... Though you felt there was still some inexplicable barrier between you, that was enough to excite you, especially when you discovered that these so-called "bad children" were not bad at all.

However, just as you wanted to introduce your "bad child" friends to the other children, you discovered that everyone had already classified you as a "bad child," including your former close friends, the nuns, and even... the Priest.

Although the Priest's attitude had not changed much and he had even become more welcoming, the nuns and other children began deliberately or unconsciously refusing to speak with you.

Besides that, you noticed that the church's meals had worsened considerably. Thinking carefully, it seemed the meals had gradually begun declining after the school's teachers took away the children. However, the reductions had been small each time, and the reasons given by the nuns and Priest had been convincing, so you had not paid attention.

Of course, what truly puzzled you was the other children's attitude toward the worsening meals. They seemed accustomed to it, as though "the daily meals are terrible" was simply a matter of course.

You suddenly understood why the children all hoped so desperately to be taken away by the school's teachers. You also understood why they had all been so happy during that period, cheering with all their hearts. It was because only during that brief time could they eat well and eat their fill.

You realized this place was not as wonderful as you had seen—or imagined it to be.