119: Something Awakened Within

[At age 5: With no relatives willing to care for you, you entered an orphanage.] 

[The caregivers arranged for you to sleep in a room with three other children of similar age.] 

[They, too, had no family, and they often looked after you. Your sorrow and helplessness from losing your loved ones were somewhat alleviated by these new friends.]

[You gradually got used to life in the orphanage and began to manage tasks like dressing, making your bed, and washing up on your own.]

Chisato sighed with relief.

Thank goodness nothing strange happened this year.

[At age 6: Perhaps it was the tremendous impact of losing your relatives over the years that led you to develop traits different from the other children.] 

[While they gathered to play games and watch cartoons, you preferred to crouch in a corner observing ants.] 

[When a caregiver came over to ask, you told her you were studying the ants ecology and behaviors.] 

[She praised your curiosity and said you could definitely become a great scientist one day, even lauding you in front of the other children.]

[But in reality, you lied. You weren't studying the ants; instead, you were dropping bits of food like rice grains or bread crumbs near their nests.] 

[Once an ant discovered the food and went back to mark the scent, you would retrieve the food again.]

[You watched as the ant that found the food led a trail of fellow ants to the spot, and when they became confused, wandering around looking for the food, you felt an overwhelming sense of excitement and joy.]

[You imagined that the ant, having misreported the "discovery," would be scolded and isolated by its companions, losing its credibility. That image was just too amusing.]

"…"

Chisato felt a swirl of complex emotions as he read the lengthy passage before him, unsure of what to say.

[At age 7: You stopped bothering the ants and found new sources of entertainment.] 

[In front of the orphanage, there were two guard dogs, a male and a female, that different children took turns walking each day.] 

[Whenever it was your turn, you would eagerly take the leashes and say you would tie them up again when you returned.]

[You had often seen the two dogs, one lying on the ground while the other was on top of it, continuously moving.] 

[When you asked a caregiver about this, she simply told you they were having fun, as she thought you were too young to understand.]

[You didn't quite grasp why that behavior was considered fun, but it didn't matter much.]

[Driven by a desire to bother and toy with them rather than make them happy, every time you tied them up at the front gate, you calculated the length of the leash to intentionally shorten it.] 

[This allowed the two dogs to touch each other but prevented them from making that movement where one lay atop the other.]

[At night, while waiting for the lights to go out and fall asleep, you would lean by the window, watching the two dogs anxiously pacing in the yard, and you couldn't help but smile genuinely.]

This behavior, you really were like a dog!

Even if the person simulating this in a life simulation game represented a different version of himself, Chisato couldn't help but make this sarcastic remark.

[At age 8: A fire broke out in the orphanage. Fortunately, the fire started in the director's room on the second floor, and the escape route remained unaffected at the time. Everyone made it out safely.]

[Standing in a safe place, you watched as the only home you had known for three years was engulfed in flames, surprisingly feeling no emotion.]

[What caught your attention instead were the director and the caregivers standing aside.]

[The director was only wearing a pair of short pants, and the dark hair on his calves stood out starkly, while his chest and stomach were shiny, smeared with some substance.]

[As for the caregiver, she held a long rope and was wrapped in a large bath towel.]

[You approached, catching a whiff of sweet honey emanating from the director.] 

[You opened your mouth to ask him why he had smeared honey on himself, but the caregiver interrupted, instructing you and the other children to stay together and not to wander off.]

[You obediently complied, though your curiosity remained piqued.] 

[When you saw the caregiver toss the item she was holding into the bushes, you secretly retrieved it, waving it around in your hand.] 

[You accidentally hit a girl your age with it, causing her to emit a muffled cry of pain, and you quickly apologized.]

[But as your eyes met hers, you were taken aback by her trembling, rosy lips and her tear-filled, large eyes.]

[Your face flushed, and your breathing quickened.] 

[The long rope in your hand fell to the ground, replaced by an unprecedented, intense feeling of satisfaction and excitement filling your chest.]

[It was a more powerful sensation than making an ant lose its credibility or preventing thedogs from being close to each other!]

[In that instant, some innate trait within you was nurtured by a catalyst, breaking through the soil, skipping the seedling stage, and blossoming into form.]

"…"

[Due to the old orphanage being burned down, you and the other children were transferred to a new one.]

[This new orphanage had a higher standard of care and better facilities, so various compassionate individuals from society often came here to adopt children.]

[You had never been picky with food, and with a diet, you were among the tallest of your peers.]

[Coupled with your naturally handsome face, it didn't take long for three couples to show interest in you.]

[One day, the director of the orphanage came to you with three adoption intention forms.] 

[He spent over ten minutes explaining the situations of the couple and asked you which one you would prefer to live with.]

[At the age of eight, having developed some capacity for independent thought, you decided to choose…]

[1. An agricultural couple living in the countryside of Tokyo, relying on vegetable farming for their livelihood.]

[2. A couple in their early twenties who had been married for just over a month and worked in the fashion industry.]

[3. A couple who ran a ramen shop together on a busy street.]

The first option appeared.

Chisato pondered for a moment. He quickly reached a conclusion.

The agricultural couple was first; living in the countryside felt like it would complicate things and make it hard to connect with the heroine of this story.

The newlywed couple, being in their early twenties, gave off an unreliable vibe that left him with only the last option.

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