Sunshine Orphanage Part II

Location: Sunshine Orphanage

Professor Harrison is in the Library at the Sunshine Orphanage talking to a child there who refuses to leave the orphanage to be evicted.

"So... are you the one named Sylphia?" asked the Professor to a girl in front of him.

The girl was silent, holding a book in her hand.

'(The shy and quiet type huh?)' Thought the Professor.

"Can you hear me?" The professor patted the girl on the shoulder.

"Aaahhh!!" the girl shouted in surprise.

"What's wrong?!" The professor is confused.

"W-who are you? W-what are you doing here?" asked the terrified Sylphia.

"C-calm down, I just wanted to chat with you. My name is Harrison. You can call me Professor Harry. Windy said you don't want to leave this orphanage that will be evicted. So I want to ask the reason," replied the Professor.

"W-what?! T-this orphanage is going to be evicted?! H-how come?!" Sylphia was surprised and confused by what she heard.

'(Huh? What's with her? Did she not know this orphanage would be evicted all this time?)' Thought the Professor.

The professor also told Sylphia what happened to the orphanage. In the backyard of the orphanage, Varil is still trying to talk to Flora and Quinn.

" Help?! What can you do to help us?!" exclaimed Quinn.

"Q-Quinn... c-calm down," Flora tried to calm Quinn.

"I will try to help you if you will tell your problems," said Varil.

"What do you know from us? We have just met. Besides, you've never experienced life like us," Quinn started to shed tears.

"S-sorry, but you will not understand our lives." Flora took Quinn away from Varil.

"What do you mean it's your life living in the orphanage? Or your life that has no parents?" Varil looked seriously at Flora and Quinn from behind them.

*Slap*

Instantly Quinn turned around and slapped Varil with his hand.

"Quinn!" Flora was surprised by what Quinn did.

"Can you understand our life as parentless children?! Can you understand how sad I was when I saw my parents die?! What you can understand how terrified Flora to men because of her trauma caused by her past with her family?! How can a child who still has parents like you understand our situation?!" Quinn is getting angry with Varil's attitude.

"I… really can't understand how you felt when your parents died or when your parents did something that caused you great trauma. But... you are wrong if you think I still have parents. Since childhood, I was abandoned by them and raised by my grandmother. They may still be alive, but I never had them. Does that mean we are in the same boat?" asked Varil.

"L-lie! Mama said you came with her friend, right? They must be your parents!" answered Quinn.

"You mean Professor and Nana? They may think of me as their child. I also wish someone like them to be my parents. But unfortunately, they are the only people who I consider my own family. Just like you and Windy," said Varil.

Quinn was silent after hearing Varil's words.

"C-can I ask you something?" asked Flora.

"Of course," replied Varil.

"I-if you knew a girl who was afraid of men, what would you do?" asked Flora.

"Are you trying to ask what I would do when I found out that you are afraid of men?" Varil turned his question to Flora.

Flora was silent and nodded.

"Hmm… I honestly don't know what to do with you. I think it's all up to you whether you want to fight your fear or not, "said Varil.

"S-so you want me to fight my fear?" asked Flora to reconfirm the answer from Varil.

"Y-yes, if you can't fight your fear then you will never be able to get close or be friends with any guy. B-but... if you need help... I'm willing to help you," replied Varil with a little embarrassment.

"Y-you want to help me?" asked Flora.

" Of course. I don't know why you are afraid of men. But, you need a man as your fear that you must fight, right? I can help you by being afraid of it and proving that not all men are scary," replied Varil.

Varil approached Flora and stretched out her hand.

"Do you want me to help you fight your fear?" asked Varil.

Flora was silent, holding back her fear because Varil was standing right in front of her holding out her hand.

'(Looks like he's still too scared to hold my hand)' thought Varil.

"Too bad. Looks like you're too scary to be able to help Flora face her fear," said Quinn.

"Hmm… alright then. How about we try this?" Varil plucked a branch from a nearby bush.

"Hey! Don't just pick branches like that!" exclaimed Quinn.

" I-I..." muttered Flora.

Slowly, Flora began to raise her hand to grab the branch that Varil was holding. Without realizing it, she managed to overcome her fear and grabbed the branch in her hand. Varil and Quinn were surprised to see that.

"F-Flora! W-what are you doing?" Quinn was very surprised with Flora holding the branch that was also held by Varil.

'(She got hold of this branch. Even though it was only a twig, and she was holding it with his eyes tightly closed like that, this is a good advance for a person with androphobia I just met)' thought Varil.

"T-this... just a-a branch... right? I-I hope... you don't startle me by holding my hand suddenly," Flora looked nervous and scared while holding the branch and even closed her own eyes tightly.

"So, is this a sign that you want to accept help from me?" asked Varil.

"P-please," replied Flora who was still frightened.

"Try to open your eyes," Varil tries to calm Flora down.

Flora slowly opened her eyes until she saw that Varil was no longer holding the branch.

"Y-you are not holding this branch?" asked Flora.

"Since you held it, I've let go of my hand," replied Varil.

Flora was silent, watching the branch she was holding.

"W-will you hold this b-branch again?" asked Flora.

"Hm? You want me to hold it again?" Varil was a little surprised by Flora's request.

Flora nodded her head. Varil holds the twig too. Terrified, Flora mustered up the courage to grab the branch and opened her eyes.

"I-I just wanted to make sure you didn't let go of your grip because you knew I was scared," muttered Flora.

"Are you sure? You don't have to push yourself," said Varil.

'(I didn't think of it, Flora started to accept that man)' thought Quinn.

"Heeeey!" exclaimed Windy.

Flora and Varil were shocked and let go of their grip on the branch.

"Mama!" Flora was annoyed with surprise.

"Am I interrupting your conversation?" asked Windy.

"No, we were just shocked," replied Varil.

"Sorry, I just wanted to invite you to eat together. Nana has prepared the food for us," said Windy.

"Of course," replied Varil.

They also went to eat together.

"Courage is knowing what not to be afraid of."

- Plato -

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To Be Continued...