Karuizawa Kei

In the living room, two bowls of tonkotsu ramen steamed on the square, natural-wood-colored dining table, garnished with eggs, nori, bamboo shoots, and a sprinkle of chopped green onions.

Kushida Kikyo sat across from Hoshida No.

She had changed into a casual cherry-pink shirt with the sleeves loosely rolled up to her forearms, paired with a simple pleated skirt.

With her fingertips pinching her bamboo chopsticks, she pressed her palms together in front of her chest and said softly, "Itadakimasu."

As soon as she finished speaking, she turned her wrists slightly, picked up a bundle of noodles with her chopsticks, dipped them gently into the hot broth, and slowly brought them to her mouth, her eyelashes fluttering slightly as she chewed.

Hoshida No watched silently, then mimicked her gesture, pressing his palms together and whispering, "Itadakimasu."

He had never really understood the meaning of this gesture, but he vaguely felt it was a basic expression of gratitude toward the person who prepared the food.

"Hoshida-kun, is the ramen to your liking?" Kushida Kikyo picked up a piece of bamboo shoot soaked in broth, her eyes filled with anticipation and a smile playing on her lips. "I personally like adding bamboo shoots, though I'm not sure if it matches your preferences."

Hoshida No took a bite and gave an honest assessment: "Yes, it's good."

"That's good," Kushida Kikyo said, resting her chin on her stacked hands.

During the meal, Kushida tried to find lighthearted topics, while Hoshida No mostly responded with brief replies.

Whenever the conversation touched upon personal territory, he always brushed it off with ambiguous answers, careful not to appear too cold.

After the meal, Hoshida No took his leave. As he departed, he was still wearing that ill-fitting shirt and trousers.

Kushida saw him to the door and waved her hand. "Just return the clothes next time you come by. My father has plenty of spares, so it's no trouble at all."

He crossed the alleyway once more, returning to the bustling streets. Pedestrians hurried by, and various shops were neatly lined up on both sides of the road.

Hoshida No stood by the roadside, observing this unfamiliar world.

For someone penniless, the most pressing issues were none other than food, shelter, and a place to stay.

He did not hesitate for long before walking straight toward a tidy-looking clothing store.

Behind the cash register, a young female clerk was looking down, focused on her phone.

"Excuse me," Hoshida No said, his voice steady. "Are you currently hiring?"

The clerk looked up at the sound, her gaze sweeping over Hoshida No's face with a flicker of surprise, but it was quickly replaced by a scripted response: "Sorry, we don't hire minors. Try asking somewhere else."

"Understood, sorry to bother you." Hoshida No showed no sign of disappointment; he nodded and turned to leave the shop.

Behind him, the clerk's gaze lingered on his back for two seconds before she looked back down, returning to the world of her phone screen.

Throughout the afternoon, Hoshida No's footsteps took him to almost every type of shop in the commercial district.

The responses were much the same: either a polite but distant "Sorry, we aren't hiring," or an impatient wave of dismissal: "Where did this kid come from? Go away, go away!"

As the sun dipped low, just as Hoshida No was about to give up and find a quiet corner to spend the night like the previous one, a voice called out to him.

"Young man, please wait a moment."

Hoshida No stopped and turned around.

The man who had called him was middle-aged, wearing a plain shirt and thin-rimmed glasses, his demeanor exuding a scholarly air.

This man was Karuizawa Kenichi, who had actually been observing Hoshida No for a while: from the moment he emerged from the residential area in clothes that clearly didn't fit, to the way he entered shop after shop, only to leave calmly each time he was rejected.

Kenichi had even quietly asked the owners of a few shops after the boy left, piecing together fragments of information about an orphan looking for work.

At first, it was just sympathy, but seeing the boy's stubborn back as he tried again and again—never showing frustration or begging despite the constant rejections—touched a chord of compassion in Kenichi's heart.

Coupled with the boy's refined features and a stillness in his eyes that transcended his age, it inexplicably reminded him of his own daughter back in Chiba Prefecture.

"I've been watching you for a while," Kenichi said, walking up to Hoshida No with a gentle tone. "It looks like you're in some trouble. If you don't mind... how about staying at my place for a while? My home is in Chiba Prefecture, and I happen to be heading back today."

Hoshida No looked at the man quietly. He could clearly perceive the kindness in the man's gaze. He remained silent for a few seconds, then nodded.

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it, just call me Uncle Kenichi," the man smiled and patted his shoulder. "Let's go."

On the way to the station and during the subsequent train ride, Uncle Kenichi tried his best to find topics of conversation, attempting to keep the atmosphere from becoming too stifling.

Hoshida No mostly listened quietly, occasionally offering brief responses, yet the silence did not feel awkward.

The journey was short, and they arrived in Chiba Prefecture in less than thirty minutes. By the time they stepped off the train, the sky had turned completely dark.

"Hungry? Let's go get something to eat first." Uncle Kenichi familiarly led Hoshida No toward a small restaurant near the station that was still open.

Coincidentally, they had ramen again.

In the interval while waiting for the food to be served, Hoshida No's hand unconsciously reached into his pocket, his fingertips brushing against a piece of soft fabric.

He pulled it out; it was the pink handkerchief embroidered with sunflowers, still bearing faint traces of dust that hadn't been fully washed away.

After a simple dinner and a few more transfers, when the wheels finally came to a halt, the night had long since blanketed the horizon.

Hoshida No followed Uncle Kenichi off the train and looked up.

The house before him glowed with warm light—not the noisy neon of the city, but a glow wrapped in the scent of domestic life, standing out distinctly in the deep night.

"We're here," Uncle Kenichi said, walking ahead with a steady gait, the hem of his plain shirt fluttering in the cool night breeze.

He looked back at the boy following quietly behind him, his tone gentle: "Don't be nervous, just treat this place like your own home."

Hoshida No nodded, his gaze fixed on the glowing door ahead.

Just as he stepped into the entryway, a gentle female voice drifted over: "Welcome home, you must be tired."

Before the words had even faded, a woman wearing loungewear emerged from the living room, her eyes crinkling with a smile.

"Oh my, is this the child you were talking about?" The woman hurried forward, naturally reaching out to ruffle Hoshida No's hair. "He's such a handsome boy. You must be exhausted from the trip, right?"

Hoshida No studied the woman before him. She looked to be under forty, with a slightly plump figure that didn't appear bloated, radiating a sense of warmth and domesticity. Her medium-length golden hair was loosely tied back, and her skin was a healthy, creamy white, devoid of any deliberate adornment.

"Hello, ma'am," he said, tilting his head slightly.

"Hello, hello!" The woman's smile widened, and she took Hoshida No's hand with effortless familiarity. "Come in, come in, don't just stand there in the doorway."

With that, she led him into the house, completely forgetting her husband who was still taking off his shoes in the entryway.

Inside, warm yellow light spilled across the natural wood flooring as the woman held Hoshida No's hand, as if she were leading her own child home after a late night out.

She lifted her chin slightly, looking toward the staircase leading to the second floor, and raised her voice with a cheerful lilt: "Kei, come on out! Come and see, our little guest is here!"

After a brief silence.

"Click."

A door at the end of the second-floor hallway was slowly pushed open just a crack.

First, a small head peeked out, peering downward.

When her eyes met Hoshida No's calm gaze from below, that little head "whooshed" back inside.

The door remained silent for a few seconds before being opened fully.

A young girl stepped out. She wore two golden braids hanging over her chest, and her bangs were thick, nearly obscuring her eyebrows and stopping just above her eyes.

She was dressed in a plain set of pajamas, with yellow slippers on her feet.

Her hands were clasped together in a flustered manner as she walked down the stairs, her footsteps so light they were almost silent.

Hoshida No's first impression was: this girl is extremely shy, and... she seems somewhat timid.

It wasn't until the girl was standing firmly beside her mother that she lowered her lashes, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks, and whispered in a voice as thin as a mosquito's hum: "Mom."

Only after speaking did she dare to steal a glance, her eyes darting quickly to Hoshida No before hurriedly looking away. A moment later, she gathered her courage and used those clear, almond-shaped eyes to study him.

As her gaze swept from his slightly messy hair to his fair cheeks, her eyes were filled with curiosity, yet tinged with obvious discomfort. She didn't dare hold Hoshida No's gaze for long; every time their eyes met, it seemed to take all the courage she had.

The woman seemed long accustomed to her daughter's behavior. Her daughter had once been lively and cheerful; she didn't know why she had become like this.

Hoshida No keenly sensed the subtle tension in the air and took the initiative to break the silence.

He slowly extended his hand, his fingers slightly curled, his voice steady and devoid of waves: "Hello, my name is Hoshida No. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Despite saying it was a pleasure, there was no obvious expression on his face, his eyes as calm as a deep pool.

The girl's gaze fell upon the hand extended toward her. The fingers were well-defined and clean, without a single unnecessary line.

Her heart was instantly in a state of chaos: Should I reach out? But... I've never been this close to a strange boy before. Is this the child who is going to be staying at my house? His face is so good-looking, his eyes are so intimidating. Will he bully me?

She shook her head to clear away the extraneous thoughts before cautiously raising her hand to touch Hoshida No's palm.

It was only a light touch before she pulled back quickly: "H-hello... my name is Karuizawa Kei."