Phase 4.1: Started

On a bright day while I was reading a book as usual, I saw a masked person in neat clothing whom I didn't recognize, talking to the orphanage head in front of the door. They seemed very suspicious, and I felt very worried. "Who is that person? What if they are a bad person? What should I do? Should I just hide?" Those were my thoughts.

"Attention, children! Can you all please gather in front of the entrance?" called the orphanage head.

We quickly gathered in front of the entrance. Upon reaching the entrance, the other children were curious about the masked stranger. They all immediately crowded around to ask the masked stranger various questions. Some asked for their name, why they were wearing a mask, and even if they were from an evil organization.

"Attention, can you please give a little space to that person?" asked the orphanage head.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Thank you. First of all, can you all please introduce yourselves?"

"Yes, ma'am."

We immediately introduced ourselves one by one. Many children had already introduced themselves. When it was my turn to introduce myself, I felt nervous and ended up misspeaking. As a result, the other children laughed at me, and I felt very embarrassed. However, the stranger gently patted my head and told me that there was nothing to worry about. Hearing those words calmed my heart.

"All right, children, has everyone introduced themselves?" asked the orphanage head.

"Yes, ma'am."

"In that case, can you please show this person around the orphanage?"

"We will do it," they answered loudly while saluting.

After that, we invited the person to take a tour around the orphanage. It turned out that what they had said was true. Whenever I was with them, my heart felt calm and peaceful. It was so comfortable to be near them, as if all my worries and concerns vanished. When the other children invited the person to play together, I went to sit on a bench nearby to watch them play while reading a book alone. They were extremely skilled in any game they played. The other children never won against them, perhaps because they were playing against an adult. But their faces looked so happy. When they took a break, the person suddenly approached me, who was sitting and reading.

"Don't you want to join them in playing?" the person asked.

"Well, actually, I also want to join them. But I'm afraid I might just be a bother to them," I replied.

When the other children returned to invite the person to play again after their rest, the person simply sat next to me and said, "I still want to rest a little longer. Instead, they will take my place and play." I was instantly surprised to hear that. But the person told me not to worry. The other children seemed fine with it too. So, I mustered the courage to accept the offer.

"Hey, do you have any specific hobbies? Do you like playing this? Or how about this?" asked an enthusiastic girl.

"Well, I'll do my best, so please help me," I answered.

Then he suddenly held my hand and smiled, pulling me here and there. Together with all of them, we played various games, thanks to which I gained many valuable lessons. "Fun. It turns out playing with friends is very enjoyable." That's how I felt. While we were drawing together, a sudden question crossed my mind. I tried asking it to my friends.

"Why do you want to play with me, even though I've never interacted with you before?"

"I don't know, maybe because you look sad."

"Yes, poor thing, always alone."

"He probably doesn't have any friends."

Upon hearing those words, my heart instantly felt sad, and I almost cried. "I knew they saw me like that, well, it's understandable, and it's my fault for never interacting with them." That's what I thought.

"Sorry, sorry, we went too far, we were just joking, so please don't cry."

"Oh, yeah, earlier you asked why we wanted to play with you, right?"

"The reason is simple, because playing with friends is more enjoyable than playing alone. That's what that person said," pointing towards that person.

After hearing those words, I grew even fonder of him. Suddenly, a bell rang, indicating that evening was approaching. We quickly went inside and headed for the shower. After showering, we continued the unfinished drawing inside the orphanage. Suddenly, a delicious aroma wafted from the kitchen. We all immediately tidied up all the toys and went to approach the source of the tantalizing scent. As we approached the source of the delicious aroma, we saw that person cooking something that looked incredibly delicious. That person told us to wash our hands and set the dining table while waiting for the food to cook. We quickly went to wash our hands and set the table. After finishing setting the table, the cooked food was ready as well. Its delicious aroma filled the entire room. We sat down and said a prayer, then enjoyed the meal that was prepared.

"Delicious."

"What is this food? It tastes so good."

"I've never had such a delicious meal before."

"Same here, I've never had such a tasty meal." Those were our opinions on the taste of the food.

"Just eat slowly, no need to rush. There's still plenty of food, so you can have as much as you want." That person said. The dining room was filled with cheerful noise and liveliness. Laughter, conversations, and joyful jokes accompanied the clattering of spoons and forks meeting the plates. The children raced to finish the delicious food. Despite that, the dining room felt warm and filled with love.

"Um, if I may know, what's the name of this delicious food?" I asked that person.

"It's called special complete meatball soup." That person answered.

"Oh, so this is what they call meatball soup. I've never tasted such delicious meatballs soup before."

"If you want, I can teach you how to make it, you know."

"Really? Thank you so much."

After finishing the meal, we all gathered in the playroom because one of my friends said that person would tell an interesting story there. When everyone had gathered, that person began to tell a story titled "The Dreamer."

"One day, there lived a simple child in the city. This child was cheerful and innocent. He said that someday he would make all his dreams come true. However, the reality was not as easy as he thought. Realizing this, the child began to give up on his dreams..."

"Then, what happened to the child?" one of the children asked.

"To find out the continuation of the story, you have to find out for yourselves. You are the ones who determine the continuation of the

story. How do you think the story will continue?" That person replied.

"According to me, the child will rise again and successfully fulfill his dreams," I answered.

"According to me, after that, the child will become stronger and overcome all the obstacles that stand in his way, achieving his dreams," one of the children answered.

"According to me, maybe the child will become even more desperate and spend the rest of his life locked up in his room," one of the children answered.

"The last one seems a bit extreme. But whatever it is, you are the ones who determine the continuation of the story," that person said.

Now it's late at night, which means it's time for us to sleep, or in other words, it's time for that person to leave. We all know that sooner or later, that person will leave. But at least we had a great time together all day long. That person said goodbye to everyone. We accompanied that person to the front door.

"Thank you all for accepting my presence during my stay at the orphanage," that person said.

"No, we should be the ones thanking you for spending time playing with these children, right, children?" the head of the orphanage said.

In the silent night, that person's figure was graceful and beautiful, bathed in the moonlight. All the children shed tears at their departure, afraid of losing them. For us, that person was considered as our own parent. Many children held onto that person's leg and asked them to stay here so that they could have fun all day long. But no matter what, that person had their own life as well. Before leaving, we gave that person a souvenir gift consisting of a bouquet of origami flowers and the drawings we made together earlier.

"Thank you for all the gifts. I will treasure them," that person said.

"Will you come and visit again?" I asked.

"I already consider you all as my own children, so of course, I will come again," that person replied.

"At least, can you tell me your name?" I asked.

"My name... is a secret. But don't worry, I'm sure one day you will find out on your own. Well then, I'll go now," they answered while patting my head.

Seeing that, the other children felt envious and started crowding around that person to have their heads patted. And those were the last words before that person left. We were then told to go inside the orphanage and go to sleep. "A delightful day. Today, I spent a lot of time with my new friends and learned many new things. All thanks to that person. I should go to sleep now so I can play together again tomorrow." That's what I thought.

--------------------The Next Day--------------------

Suddenly, there were many black cars, usually used to escort important people, gathering around the orphanage. What is really happening here? Who are they all? What are they going to do? And who is that person really?

To be continued...

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