Chapter 15: Home

In the far outskirts of the city, Kain gradually approached a rundown building—New Beginnings Orphanage. It was surrounded by many fruit trees, and even from a distance he could see the garden full of almost fully grown vegetables.

Crack

Kain approached the last group of fruit trees and bushes before the orphanage.

Crack

 "Shhhh! You idiot"

Kain proceeded forward ignoring the hushed angry whispers. Rounding the final tree until the orphanage…

"Arrrggghhhhh!!!!!!"

Kain stopped in place with a bored expression. "Cherry. Key. Did you two really expect that to work?"

"Aww man! This is completely your fault!" The blonde pigtailed Cherry yelled while hitting the red-headed freckled boy slightly shorter than her.

After her short tantrum, the two looked up at Kain in nervous anticipation.

"So, big brother?" said Cherry "How did the ceremony go?"

Kain looked down at the two juvenile faces that couldn't be older than 10 and realized that Bridge couldn't have spilled the beans.

"I don't want to repeat it multiple times. Bridge and I will say our results once everyone is gathered"

Sigh

"What, Cherry?" Whispered Key.

"Learn to read between the lines Key. Big brother Bridge came home and ran straight upstairs without saying his results. Now brother Kain wants to avoid having to say his results more than once. Likely because it hurts too much. Both of them clearly didn't awaken an affinity," Cherry whispered back.

'Should I tell Cherry that her whisper voice is louder than most people's normal speaking voice?'

Deciding against it, Kain pretended not to hear their 'whispering' and headed inside the orphanage.

"Is everyone including the director back already?" Kain asked.

"Yup" The two children nodded in unison.

"Perfect. Can you two call everyone to the living room for a moment please so Bridge and I could get this over with? I will go get Bridge."

The two nodded again as Kain turned to head to the room he shared with Bridge.

"See I told you they both didn't awaken. Now his ego is probably wounded. That poor prideful fool," Cherry whispered to Key before the two scampered off.

Kain's eyebrow twitched in annoyance, but he decided against correcting her assumptions and headed upstairs instead.

Entering the room he shared with Bridge, Kain saw Bridge with his new contract on their bed.

"Hey Kain! I'd like for you to officially meet Lady." Bridge proudly announced before holding his contract up to Kain's face.

"Lady?"

"Yes! Because she is so well-mannered and beautiful like a noble lady from an old legacy family. Aren't you, my fair Lady?" Bridge replied, while turning her around and showering her face in kisses.

Face scrunching up at the public display of affection, Kain quickly interrupted the baby-talking Bridge. "Why didn't you tell everyone the results already? Cherry and Key didn't seem to know?"

"I figured you'd want to be there when I broke the surprise. Not to mention, I didn't think they'd believe me when I said you'd received a S-rating. So I restrained myself from spoiling the surprise and immediately returned to our room to give you the honours" Bridge grandly announced.

'You just wanted to immediately release Lady and not be bothered by the others.' Kain thought, not buying Bridge's seemingly noble excuse.

"Thanks… Let's head down and announce the results together. I still haven't told anyone and I'm sure they're anxiously waiting."