Chapter 66: Once Upon a Time

The only worst thing that could happen to you was when you get sick. Since the orphanage is almost always short of workers and volunteers and mostly rely on donations as their funds, it's difficult to ask for attentive care.

Other kids would even help, but their aid is limited because they mostly have weak immune systems, so the adults would restrict them on how much they could help. The sick will have to receive basic medical aid, medicine, and limited care.

If a doctor is needed, it's worse, because they'd have to look for someone who works for a government, which requires tedious appointment procedures.

Sometimes, a volunteer or a funded program. In other words, it's highly troublesome and painstakingly difficult.

As for their entertainment, there are donated toys that are dusty or almost broken.

Some kids find ways to mend this or make use of it despite its condition.

Haru, on the other hand, prefers books. Most of them were children's books that had pictures and large texts. With this, he became familiar with most stories told to children.

When a nun noticed how much he adores these books, she asked if he wanted her to read a book as a bedtime story. Haru, for once, was quite thrilled then.

He remembered being told the story of Cinderella until he was able to sleep soundly.

When he woke up, he could still remember having a dream about that story, so it stuck to his mind quite well.

With the young and innocent mind he had back then, he genuinely hoped that someday, he'd meet a fairy godmother for himself that would magically grant his wish.

But at the moment, what he's facing, wasn't a fairy godmother, but a black magic witch.

"Well, fairy godmothers are just for the convenience of the damsels in distress that ought to turn into princesses," Shiho said. "I'm more powerful than a fairy godmother, you know. If family is all you wished for, then why don't you ask for it from me?"

Haru sighed and moved his piece on the board. They're playing checkers this time. "I want to see my memories when it's complete first. I've only ever looked at my childhood. At the very least, I'm glad that I… didn't suffer too much."

The old woman chuckled. "So you're rooting for yourself, eh? That's kind of endearing of you!"

"Just shut up. It's your turn."

"Alright, alright."

They continued playing in silence for a few more minutes. But this silence was soon broken with the old woman's taunting once again. "Do you wanna take a look at that world?"

"Huh? What world?"

"That world you were staying in when you were an orphan, of course!"

Haru was skeptical of her. "You sure have a lot to offer to me. Are these services really free, like you're saying?"

"Why? You're afraid?"

Haru sighed, "Of course I'm scared. Who knows what all these costs? I don't even have a memory, which means I almost have nothing! What can I give if I have nothing?"

"Well, to be fair, since I'm kind of an immortal being, I have lived some thousands of years with only empty and dull moments. This is one of the most entertaining moments I've ever had! I'm having fun, so I'm getting some benefit here too."

Haru was still in disbelief.

On the contrary to his own argument earlier, he thought that he doesn't have much to lose anyway, so he finally decided after moving his piece.

"Fine, let me see the world."

And what Shiho showed him of the world was shocking to him. It was definitely not what he expected.