Lin Ze suppressed the heaviness in his heart and said:
"Ichirō, Rei, help prepare dinner. Today, let's have a proper meal together as a family."
"Right! Right! Let's eat!"
Miyamoto Ichirō came to his senses and hurriedly called Rei Uesugi and Kabuto into the kitchen to help.
Yumi and Ayumi thoughtfully ran off to help set out the bowls and chopsticks, too.
Dinner was warmer and livelier than any the Orphanage had seen in years.
Everyone crowded around the little dining table. Though the food was still simple, every face shone with a heartfelt smile.
Everyone carefully helped the old director into the seat of honor. He could not eat much and spent most of the time quietly watching and listening to the children's chatter, but a peaceful look of contentment never left his wrinkled face.
Nonō looked at everyone gathered around the table. Miyamoto Ichirō and Rei Uesugi had grown into young people capable of handling things on their own, Yumi and Ayumi were lively and adorable, and Kabuto, who had only recently joined them, was sensible, too. As for Lin Ze...
Her gaze settled on Lin Ze again.
The boy ate quietly, occasionally answering Yumi's chattering questions or placing some food in the bowl of Kabuto beside him.
He seemed to have blended into the warm atmosphere, yet an invisible film seemed to linger in those overly still eyes as he calmly observed everything.
It was a restrained yet reassuring aura of strength.
A hundred emotions mingled in Nonō's heart.
Just what had Lin Ze experienced over these seven years to have changed so astonishingly?
But she could sense that Lin Ze's words, "You won't have to leave again," were no empty promise.
Perhaps...
Could she really look forward to saying goodbye to those days of constant danger