Alfred shouldn’t be here. According to the kids’ records, the ‘Investigation of Big Brother Al’s Part-ti Schedule,’ shouldn’t he be working at Cheddar’s ranch right now? His shift’s from 8 o’clock in the morning to 7 o’clock at night. In other words, he shouldn’t be ho until nightti!
As I think this, words of a similar nature also tumble out of my mouth. “A-Al… Eh!? A-Alfred, w-why are you here… Didn’t you go to wor—”
“…Aah. I did go, but only for a while. I ca ho since they closed in the afternoon.”
“Ehh!? W-Why!?!”
“Er, that’s because… Cheddar-san received a letter from a relative in a neighboring village. I don’t really get it but it seems urgent, so tomorrow he has to leave no matter what. Then he hurriedly moved up his wife’s birthday party that had been planned for tomorrow to today, and closed shop for the afternoon to prepare for the feast and gifts.”
“W-What did you say!?”
W-Wait a minute, Cheddar-saaaaaannnnnn!!? What a devoted husbaaaaannnddd!!!
“…How about you? Were you at the church since morning?”
“Ehh!? Eh, ah, well…”
Ahh, h-how should I explain this? If I tell him I was here since morning, then how should I answer if he asks why?
I have to co up with a good reason so that he won’t suspect . My private research and developnt room in the church should be kept as a secret too.
Since the room doesn’t exist in the original plot, I can’t let Alfred know about it. I can’t let him know about the future events, or else it will greatly influence the developnt of the story. Everything I’ve done until now will then be rendered useless.
As I’m wracking my head to form an explanation, Alfred lets out a small laugh.
“What the, you don’t have to panic that much. It’s not like I’m reproaching you. If you want to co here, then hop by as often as you want, and if you’re tired then… you can use this room.”
“This room…?”
“Aah, yes. This room is mine.”
“Huh!?”
So this is your room!?
I an, this place is so plain. No matter how I look at it, this doesn’t look like a child’s room. There’s nothing here! It’s so empty I almost thought it’s a guest room.
I can’t help but say, “…What an empty room…”
“Aah. Since I spend most of my ti outside, I rarely stay in this room. I mostly just co here to sleep.”
“I-Is that so…?”
Since you spend the majority of your ti working part-ti, huh? Whatever ti you have left you use it to look after the children, or help out at the church.
What a hardworking student… This older brother’s tears are about to spill out. The gang of three brats and the rich spoiled kids from around here should learn from you.
“When I first arrived at the church, I also did not have much. It’s better that I only have a few belongings from the beginning, since it’s also lighter this way. Plus… I can’t stay at the church forever. One day, I will move outーI will leave this place.”
That forced smile, those calm words. It’s really unlike a child’s expression. Painful for to even watch.
However, it’s true that the church is not a place where one can stay forever. This is a temporary place for children without any place to go, where they can be taken care of until they are capable of living alone.
Even so, although it’s technically not a real family, the familial bonds ford between the children and caretaker cannot be faked. Real or not, this is a family in all intents and purposes. A place where the children can feel safe and loved.
But this place where one can belong is only temporary.
For that reason, a kid as smart as Alfred would naturally understand he’ll have to leave this place once he’s beco independent.
…For the sake of the next batch of orphans.
Studying my expression, Alfred once again breaks into laughter.
“Why are you making a face as if you’re about to cry?”
“…Am not.”
Did I really make that kind of face? My goodness. I don’t even know myself. This is bad. I have to focus.
“Is that so?” says Alfred. Then he doesn’t speak anymore.
For a mont, silence. The atmosphere between us grows relaxed. Comfortable. It makes , a guy who hasn’t slept for a thousand years, start to doze off.
Sothing flashes across his face, and Alfred lets out a laugh again, shoulders shaking.
“Now that I rember it… The kids love you, don’t they?”
“…Eh?”
“When I ca ho, those guys broke into a clamor and looked so flustered. They surrounded the sleeping you, desperately trying to hide you from , saying things like ‘don’t look! Don’t co!’ They even tried to shove away when I tried to get closer. That was really overwhelming.”
Ahhhhhh.
Thank you… Thank you, everyone… You guys all worked hard keeping your promise to … Sorry… This is my fault… I let my guard down back then…
“…Maybe they thought I’d get angry. I did tell them not to play with the kids outside the church too much.”
Did you really say that?
As soon as I look up, Alfred averts his eyes to gaze outside the window.
“It’s because I don’t know what will happen if they do. Even though Granny takes in all the kids that have nowhere to go, from the streets or other churches, kids like , it doesn’t an everyone is as nice and sympathetic. A lot of people in the village just don’t like people like us.”
…Ahh.
So that’s how it is.
There’s definitely a lot of kids who can’t accept the orphans. Who make Lian and his friends the target of their scorn.
It’s sad, but most of the villagers won’t willingly accept them.
Not to ntion, there are so who believe that the re presence of the orphans will court calamity. That the orphans will cause trouble. So despicable people even complain that the donations needed to keep the orphanage running keep increasing.
It’s those types of people that are likely to hurt the children.
To hurt them when they are still very young and innocent… Certainly, once these kids grow up, things will be better, since their hearts will be able to endure more pain.
“Accepting soone with a questionable origin… is hard.”
The mont I hear him calmly say those words, I look up without realizing it. “That kind of…”
I stop myself before I can say all that I am thinking. That kind of thing. Alfred’s words surprise .
“I an, it’s true, right?” Alfred says, turning his head to stare at . His eyes a calm blue, unreadable.
No.
They’re different from usual. Darker.
The depths of his eyes are gradually corroded with an unknown substance. His eyes are unfocused, seeming to swallow everything reflected upon them whole.
I know those eyes.
I rember Alfred holding before with those sa eyes.
Although an outsider will always be an outsider, that doesn’t an Alfred’s heart will willingly accept it.
Yet, no matter what, humans will always be alone in the end. They will never be able to avoid it, even though they try to compromise with others to keep them in their lives. They’d feel resigned and succumb to despair.
These are things I’m aware of. Still, I want to erase those feelings no matter what. So I start to speak.
“…I-I like being here…There’s always soone here… Everyti I co to the church, people will welco . Accept . It feels like I’ve been here for a long ti… Like all of us are family.”
Even if this family and this feeling of belonging are temporary…
I can’t deny that they’ve existed.
Warmth and love.
These are all real.
“…I see.”
The shadows within Alfred’s eyes fade little by little. Seeing that, I feel relieved.
His hand, which has grown larger than mine, strokes my head shyly.
It’s like he’s asking whether it’s okay to touch or not.
I return his stare, not moving from where I am. Alfred smiles in relief.
Taking in his gentle smiles, I decide it won’t be good if this goes on. He shouldn’t be looking at in such a warm way.
Perhaps I should correct the course of the story.
Alfred and I should not be getting along.
We shouldn’t be friends that forgive each other. Or else, the plot will derail. Because he won’t have a rival anymore.
There needs to be a hateful rival whose entire existence motivates Alfred to be stronger. So that he can completely defeat that eyesore. In other words, my role.
That’s why, I need to hurry up and tell him to stop touching .
I should say sothing like ‘can you please stop touching with your dirty hands’, ‘go away’, ‘don’t co closer’, or ‘I hate soone like you so much’.
Abuse him. I should give him a look of contempt as I say those hurtful things.
Just like how the original Lian would.
But I can’t. Even though I want to say these words to the extent that my throat is quivering, those words won’t co out.
Alfred slowly leans on .
He wraps his outstretched arms around my back, resting his head on the dip of my shoulder, the tips of his golden hair brushing against my nape.
That Alfred hugs tightly, like back then, illustrates that he relies on , if only a little.
I’m aware that if I shake him off now, he will definitely be hurt. So I won’t push him away even if that’s the right thing to do. No matter what.
Alfred’s body feels very warm… When he starts to cling to , I can’t seem to find my strength.
“…Hey.”
“…What?”
A mont later, Alfred raises his head until he’s staring at once more.
His eyes, so close and so blue, tremble.
As I study them, the strength of his hug increases.
And then, his lips crash onto mine.
“…Nngh!?”
Why?
After pulling the shirt off his back, he releases the kiss.
”Wha—wait, you—what are you—”
He’s pulled away, but he’s close enough where our breaths intermingle. “… Can I give you so of my magic power?” says Alfred. “I feel like I might… rampage again.”
Magic power.
So magic power is the cause of it again, huh…?
I observe Alfred’s face.
His skin color is normal. He’s not even sweating. He also doesn’t seem to be in pain.
…In fact, he looks completely normal. Is his magic power really on the verge of rampaging? Seriously?
As I’m trying to diagnose Alfred’s current condition, he suddenly flashes a wry smile. Then he kisses again.
“Ngh!”
Pressing his lips hard against my own, he inserts his tongue into the gap.
Upon finding my tongue, he gives it a lick, then moves it as if bent on entwining our tongues. A mysterious shiver runs down my back.
My body writhes out of reflex. He presses down on with his larger, heavier body. Pins down.
His hands grab on to my flustered shoulder, then my taut hands.
I can’t escape.
He bites my lips like he’s trying to eat them, his hot tongue caressing the cavern of my mouth. I shiver from the sensation.
“…Nngh, …uu…!?”
W-What is this?
Wait a minute. Is this really …?
Like how I rembered it in the past, this ti I also feel sothing akin to hot liquor pouring into .
This is Alfred’s magic power.
Not caring about what I want, his magic power enters my body. Even if its nature is different from mine, it mixes and lts inside my body by its own accord, so much that I’m growing accustod to it.
Even though it is my body, I can’t stop Alfred’s magic power from entering .
However, the hot sensation circulating through my body feels very pleasurable, and my body grows weak on its own.
Inside my mouth, Alfred’s tongue moves around as it pleases, mixing our saliva. I can’t tell my tongue from Alfred’s apart anymore.
The saliva accumulates in my mouth, and after I swallow it by accident, my whole body feels numb. The sa warmth from drinking hot liquor.
Sowhere within my thoughts I know that it shouldn’t taste sweet.
Yet it does…
Without thinking, my tongue also responds, and I’m drawn into the sensation while feeling confused.
The way Alfred suddenly shakes indicates he’s laughing.
Everyti our lips and tongue move, I hear wet smacking.
Even though I thought I didn’t want it, it feels sweet, hot, and sowhat pleasurable—
The bed creaks.
I suddenly break out of my trance, eyes flying open.
Oi oi oi what the hell am I doing?!!!
This isn’t the ti or place to feel good, alright!? Why am I getting carried away!?
Co back to your senses! I have to keep my composure. Why did I think it feels pleasurable? Get a hold of yourself, Lian!
Wait, wait, wait…!
This, isn’t this a little bit…?!!
Scolding my body that surrenders without my permission, I summon as much strength as I can to move away. Then I kick Alfred’s heel several tis.
He finally moves his body away, albeit reluctantly. And our lips separate.
“Hah… A-Alfred, stop… already! T-This is a little…”
This feels… dangerous in a lot of ways! In a lot of ways!!
But Alfred only responds, “Just a little bit more…”
Dundundun…! Alfred finally did sothing! Will Lian still think of himself as Alfred’s father? But father and son don’t kiss each other right? ٩(๑•̀o•́๑)و
…Well, they might be… in so *cough* manga and doujinshi *cough*
On the side note, I will be posting another ko-fi bonus update next Morning or Tuesday, so that all of you won’t kill for this cliffhanger. ε≡≡ﾍ( ´Д`)ﾉ
I got a cold since two days ago, now my nose is super uncomfortable and I have a sore throat too… Everyone should bring umbrella everywhere, okay! Don’t run ho in the middle of rain like ! Health is super important, so please take care of yourself too^^
So for the reader who is still not sleeping even if it’s 2A.M., I ask you to sleep now! (・_・)
Also, special thanks for Tonbo-san for the ko-fi! I’ll try to check my ko-fi more often…
And thank you for everyone support…! I love you lots, muah muah~ (○´3｀)ﾉ⌒♡*:･。
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