…
Some time passed.
"Why are you still here?"
Kalpas asked.
Aponia had her hands folded gently over her abdomen, and she replied mildly, "Why should I leave?"
"Didn't I tell you to get lost?"
"Mhm. And so?"
Her expression still hadn't changed in the slightest.
"..."
Kalpas didn't want to talk.
His fists were clenched so tight they creaked, but in the end, he just turned his head away. He felt this woman had some inexplicable power to restrain him, making him deeply uncomfortable.
Silence spread through the room.
Aponia waited, unhurried and unruffled, while Vya blinked curiously, her gaze shifting back and forth between the two.
"Did you come from a very cold place?"
Aponia finally broke the silence.
"Just had a fight with someone very cold," Kalpas answered impatiently.
"Do you have any other family or friends?"
"Forgot."
"Anywhere to go?"
"Don't know."
Vya rested her chin in her hands, watching this Q&A session with great interest.
She was very curious.
"Kalpas, if you truly have nowhere to go, you may stay here," Aponia suggested.
"Why?"
"This is a sanatorium. Naturally, we help those in need," Aponia explained. "Of course, if you do not wish to remain, you are free to leave."
"Big Brother Kalpas can stay! Everyone here is really nice," Vya said with a smile, her little face full of expectation.
"..."
Kalpas looked at Vya, then at Aponia.
After careful consideration...
"Fine."
Kalpas decided to stay.
After all, he had nowhere else to go.
That previous place… there probably weren't any survivors left.
…
"Big Brother Kalpas, when someone helps you, you should say thank you!"
Vya put her hands on her hips, like a strict little teacher.
"..."
Kalpas's face twitched behind his mask.
But seeing Vya looking so expectant...
Even though it was terribly awkward, Kalpas said it anyway.
He turned to Aponia and stiffly uttered two words: "...Thank you."
"Welcome, Kalpas," Aponia said softly, a flicker of amusement in her eyes.
'This gentleman also has a gentle heart,' she silently observed.
…
And so, Kalpas settled into the sanatorium, taking on the side job of a mover.
Kalpas's strength was astonishing, making it easy work for him.
Though he usually didn't say much, he would occasionally show irritation.
But most of the time, it was because he found Aponia too noisy.
And, with Vya's introductions, the children at the sanatorium quickly grew fond of their new white-haired big brother.
Because Kalpas was interesting. It all started one afternoon when Kalpas was sitting in the backyard whittling wood and was discovered by Luer.
"Big Brother Kalpas, what are you making?"
Luer squatted beside him, curiously eyeing the block of wood in his hands.
"....."
Kalpas wanted to shoo her away, but remembering Vya's admonitions, he answered briefly, "Wood."
"I know it's wood!" Luer giggled. "But what's it going to be?"
Kalpas didn't answer, but his hands kept moving.
Before long, a rough but lifelike carving of a little bird lay in his palm.
"Wow!"
Luer's gasp attracted the other children. Soon, Kalpas was surrounded by a crowd of chattering little ones, every pair of eyes sparkling with anticipation.
"Big Brother Kalpas, can you carve a bunny for me?"
"I want a flower!"
"Can you make a big tiger?"
Kalpas thought it was too noisy, but looking at all those expectant little faces, he found himself inexplicably picking up another piece of wood...
He didn't know why he was doing this.
When Aponia found them, this was the scene: Kalpas encircled by children, wood shavings piled on his lap as he carved something in his hands.
Seeing this, Aponia didn't disturb them, and merely left with a smile.
…
A few more days later, Vya was taken away by Elysia. Kalpas found himself somewhat unaccustomed to her absence.
But he thought life at the sanatorium seemed... not bad at all.
Mhm.
What truly kept his heart here...
...was naturally the feeling of belonging. Of home.
A Small Interlude.
"Aponia, where's that little white-haired runt?"
"Kalpas, that's Vya. I really think you should change this habit of not using the children's names."
"Such a bother," Kalpas remarked.
Aponia sighed. "Alright, Kalpas. I think there are some things you could try to express more. Otherwise, people might misunderstand."
"So annoying."
"Kalpas..."
Aponia decided to begin a new round of guidance.
"Answer my question. Where is the little runt?" Kalpas interrupted her.
"Vya went back with her sister," Aponia said. The children's conditions had improved a great deal.
"When is she coming back?"
"I don't know. Perhaps after some time."
"..."
Without another word, Kalpas turned to leave.
"Wait, Kalpas, we weren't finished just now..." Aponia followed after him.
…
A good while later, Kalpas finally managed to escape Aponia's lecturing.
Now, it was Master Kalpas, ready to go back and relax by doing some wood carving.
As luck would have it, a little cat was quietly scaling the wall at that very moment.
'No one saw me... heheh.'
The girl flipped over into the sanatorium grounds.
But the next second, a large hand grabbed the back of her collar, lifting her up like a kitten.
Pardo turned her head stiffly and came face-to-face with a mask...
Huh?
So scary!
'This person is definitely not to be messed with,' Pardo thought to herself.
She immediately plastered a pleading smile on her face. "No, no, no, mister, mister! Spare me! I surrender!"
"It's you?" Kalpas asked coldly.
He recognized her as the one who had been tailing them when Vya dragged him back here.
"Y-yes, yes, I'm Pardo! I… I'm not a bad person, I just came to look around… You're magnanimous, sir, could you put me down first, please?"
Pardo raised her hands high to show she had surrendered.
She felt like she'd been caught by a beast of prey.
With this kind of pressure, running wasn't an option.
Kalpas stared at her for a few seconds, then suddenly let go. Pardo landed lightly and immediately scrambled back a few steps, bowing her head repeatedly. "Sorry about that, mister. You're such a good person, good people get good karma for sure... I won't bother you, I'll just be on my way now, bye-bye!"
Without waiting for Kalpas to respond, Pardo nimbly scaled the wall and escaped outside.
"..."
Kalpas stared at the space beyond the wall for a moment.
Mhm. Time to go back and work on the carvings.
Otherwise, those little runts would start clamoring again.
Though he'd never admit it, this place really was starting to feel like... a home.
…
2 Chapters Per Day. For more chapters/fics, goto ErbiumTL on Patreon.