Chapter 9: A flash back-kun & Silly house moment's.
One month after Noah's reincarnation.
Flash back to a fateful but unexpected encounter~.
---
In the slums.
The stench of rotting garbage and human waste permeated the narrow alleyways of the slums, creating a nauseating cocktail that would make most nobles retch.
Noah had grown accustomed to the smell over the past month, though it still occasionally reminded him of just how far he'd fallen from grace of comforts. Or risen, depending on perspective.
'That bloody humorous goddess must love my suffering. Ehmm that's if I ever suffered~'
Perched on a crumbling stone ledge overlooking the maze of ramshackle hovels, Noah, who had been waiting there, observed the daily theater of survival play out below him like some almighty being. His crimson eyes tracked movement through the shadows with laziness lingering, cataloging curiosities, and interesting things.
And one of those said 'curiosities' or 'interesting thing' was this little child that had caught his attention a couple of days ago.
She, yes it was a small girl, couldn't be more than five years old, with matted blonde hair that hung like sunshine around a face that might have been pretty if not for her hair covering it.
Her clothes were little more than tattered rags similar to his, that barely covered her skeleton frame.
Though, what struck Noah most wasn't her pitiful appearance, not at all, the slums were full of pitiful children just like her, take rio, and them for example—nah, it was the way she moved in these death stench allys that caught his attention.
Despite everything, there was a quiet dignity in her posture. She never begged, never cried loud enough for others to hear, never lashed out at the world that had dealt her such a cruel hand.
All she did was simply endure, like a statue weathering in a storm.
"Fascinating little thing," Noah murmured to himself, taking another bite of the surprisingly decent bread he'd "acquired" from a merchant's cart earlier.
Oh, and don't worry, the other kids also get to taste that bliss of bread. Just a little more blissful since he cooked something to mix it with said 'bread'.
He thanked his Supreme cooking skill for that.
The girl emerged from what he'd determined was her shelter, her humble home—a partially collapsed building where she apparently lived with her adoptive parents.
Though, like all moral mortals, the term "parents" also sat bitter on his tongue and thought's.
From his observations, they were nothing more than drunken piss drinkers who'd likely taken her in for whatever money assistance that came with housing an orphan.
Today felt different, though. The air carried a tension that made Noah's instincts prickle with anticipation.
The girl—he still didn't know the name of—shuffled toward the communal well with a cracked clay pot clutched against her chest. Her movements were slower than usual, they were more careful, as if every step caused pain.
As the lovely breeze sweeped threw these shitty slums, it blizts threw her, shwoing the fresh bruises decorated her arms like grotesque jewelry.
(IMPORTANT NOTE~NO LOLI LOVERS HERE YOU FUCKEN WEIRDOS. FUCK OFF!! This will be explained in the near future. )
His sight was better then most so he could see the bruises pretty clearly, but that did dent his calm expression, though it was rather little. He'd seen enough abuse in his one mouth of living(he did more questionable things sooo), to recognize the signs, and something about this particular victim stirred emotions he'd didn't know he could feel.
A commotion from the decrepit building drew his lovely ttention.
Though his eyes felt disgusting just looking at it.
Too figures stumbled out—a cuck and a full bodied whore, both swaying with the particular rhythm of people who'd started drinking before noon. Even from his elevated position, Noah could hear their slurred arguments echoing off the narrow walls.
"Where's that little bitch?" the man bellowed, spit flying from his lips as each word left his filthy mouth. "She better not have taken any of our coin!! Beerp~!!!, urgh!"
The woman cackled with the harsh sound of someone whose throat had seen more dick then water. "Tskk!, she's probably hiding it somewhere as we speak, the sneaky little rat. Hmph, she must think she's better than us just 'cause she's got a pretty face and can sing!"
Noah's eyebrows rose slightly. Then, he laughed internally. 'Pfft, so basically she's jealous of a child? Damn, What a bitch haha~'
The couple stumbled toward the well that child walked too, from there movement, that sermed where they probably find the little girl most of the time, their movements become more aggressive as they slowly spotted their target through their hazy gaze.
The girl heard the stompy steps and froze in her mid-step, her small body was trembling like a puppy seeing the world.
"There you are!" The man's voice cracked like a whip. "Get over here, you worthless piece of shit before i beat you!"
But, the little one couldn't even move her little body even a mere inch, she was to afraid to even look them in their eyes and say she couldn't move a inch.
The man's harsh voice boomed again, this time, more loud and hinting promised violent. "Huh??? Bahaha, so your disobeying my orders you fucken shit bag!! You better come here..." Hearing nothing, his face screeched into disgust, and said more loudly, "bloody brat! I said, move it, NOW!!!"
Of course, she didn't, her body trembled even more violently at the loudness of his voice.
(Note~I do suggest you skip this part. Cause it's not for faint hearted people, I didn't really wanna do this scene but it's for future reasons i guess.)
Noah watched as the little kid stood frozen in place, her body disobeying her will to move, he also watched as the man expression shift into pure anger as he got even closer.
Step!
Step!!
Step!!!
"Tsk. And who gives you the right to disobey my orders huh?!!" The unknown man yelled violently as he now stood over the small child.
Noah continued to watch as the man fury bloomed more. The man swiftly grabbed the little girls hair, a scream echoing loudly at the action.
"Y'know what happens when dogs disobey right?! The fuckers get punished!!" The man yelled once more at the child, his wife watched coldly through her blurry gaze, she clearly had no intention of stopping or stepping in what so ever.
Danger.
With no help?
At that, from people who's meant to treasure you.
Now that was a scary and heart breaking sight.
Especially for a kid.
The little girl finally was able to find her voice, she yelled, or screamed at the man. And to Noah's mildly surprise, her voice really was like an angel. "N-no! Let me go! Let me go! You're hurting meee!! Nooo!!—!!!"
"SHUT IT!!!"
Swoooosh!
(Punching sound😅)
Cough!!
Slaaat!!
"Cough! Cough!! Waaait!! P-please, don't hurt m—!!!!"
Swoooooosh!!
"URGH!! STOOP!!"
Coughh!!
Slaaaaat!!!
"Shut up!! SHUT THE FUCK UP!! And take the punishment you little brat!!"
Noah, and the man's wife watched as the man punched, kicked, kneed, and punched some more, even started stomping the poor little child out.
Disturbing, huh? Whenever the kid layed on the ground to guard herself, the man would just grab her hair and break her guard barrier like a twig by lefting her up, then slamming her hard on the ground.
The worst part though, was the absolute disgusting smile on his face as he did all of it.
Like this child meant nothing but a stress reliever, a sack of potatoes, a nail.
Noah listened to the guy's slurs and the kids wimping and screams with a calmness to disgusting for someone watching something abnormal.
He watched the scene with no emotion emanating from his gaze, like this was show, like this wasn't real but a act.
You may call him a jerk, may even once again call him a monster. But you gotta understand, Noah's no saint, nor is some glorious hero or knight, what he felt towards this child was a feeling, and curiosity, and interesting human, that's all.
He could step in and kill them, he had the powers to. But even as he continued to watch, he didn't even move a inch to even try.
Heh, he was probably worser then the parents right now.
Or his reaction was normal? Who knew.
One minute passed, and the scene was still in full play.
Two...
Three...
Four...
The little kids face was now bruised all over, swelling, bleeding, fat, teary. And as her blood rolled down her face or flew off as the man kept beating her, she now felt numb to the beating.
Another minute passed, though for the kid it felt like forever.
Finally the man came to a stop as he felt a hand on his shoulder, "love, that's enough. Y'know we can't kill her or else we won't get the money the kingdom provides us for this rat in child skin~, so please calm down..."
The man's chest went up and down in a rhythm that could plainly be called 'Exhaustion' as he listened.
The man didn't even reply, all he did was glare at the half dead girl and turned around, as he started walking back towards their house with tired steps, his wife, followed along behind him without a second glance towards the little beaten up girl.
---
POV change~ The unlucky girl.
'Why do I have to be hurt for? Why do I have to live like this???'The little girl thought to herself, unable to speak because she couldn't even move her mouth properly.
Her small body trembled against the cold stone beneath her, bruises painting her pale skin in ugly purples and yellows. Each breath sent sharp pain through her ribs and body, and her left eye was swollen shut from the beating she'd received just moments ago.
'Why... why can't I just have my old life back?'
Drip.
Drip.
'Why...why...why hurt me? I did nothing...I...I mean nothing....'
The memories came flooding back despite her efforts to push them away. She remembered when she was just four – when her Mama was still alive and kicking dust.
Their small house had always smelled like fresh bread and sunflowers because her Mama loved to bake and pluck beautiful flows. It also, always felt warm cause of her angel singing she always did. She missed being lifted high into the air by her mother, spun around, laughing at her dizziness, then span her around once again until she giggled uncontrollably. They weren't rich, but no amount of money could make them feel 'happy'.
But, all happy things come to an end sooner or later. And for most it come in many forms, and the form it came in for her mother was a sickness that was uncurable.
Though her mama, like other mama's was strong for their baby's, who tried so hard to take care of her even as the illness consumed her. Yui had watched helplessly as the one person who meant everything to her withered away more and more from her, her smiles and singing grew weaker each day until they stopped altogether.
After that, she'd been alone. A five-year-old with nowhere to go.
But hope found her again.
The first family that took her in seemed nice enough – until their real son came back from his travels. Suddenly, there wasn't enough food for an extra mouth. There wasn't enough love and care for a child who wasn't truly theirs.
Yeah, even then the beatings started small, just a slap here and there when she was "clumsy" or "ungrateful." But they slowly grew worser.
'I tried so hard to be a good girl. To be respectful, grateful, helpful...'she thought once again, as tears slipped out of her eyes even more from her one good eye. 'I cleaned up after myself, I stayed quiet, i had manners... but it was never enough....'
Sniff!
Drip.
Drip.
'I.... I wasn't enough. Haha, I guess i should of went with mama huh?...'
When she'd finally run away, she thought the streets would be better. At least there, no one would hurt her for existing.
Yeah, she laughed at that dumb thought.
She'd been utterly wrong about that too. Bigger kids took the food she tried so hard to get. Adults kicked her out of warm spots SHE found.
All so they could cozy and feel warm in said spots.
And when she was caught stealing food because her stomach hurt so much...
The merchants had beaten her just as much as her adoptive family ever had.
Sniff.
Drip.
Drip.
'I just wanted something to eat... I just wanted to not hurt anymore... i just wanted to live...to feel loved again...'
She then closed her eye, trying to make the world disappear entirely. Maybe if she stayed very still, very quiet, the pain would miraculously stop thinking she was dead. Maybe she could just... fade away like her mama had.
But I guess lady fate didn't want her to fade away just yet. Cause her ears picked up on footsteps.
Her entire body tensed, every muscle screaming in fear and protest. Those footsteps were too light to be an adult, and too steady to be one of the street kids who might rob her for what she haf. They were calm just like water.
'Please... please just leave me alone... I don't wanna be hurt anymore...'she pleaded silently, not even daring to open her eye for even a second.
The footsteps then came to a stop.
Against her better judgment, she cracked open her good eye, peeking through her matted blonde hair to see who had found her this time.
'Huh...? Who... who's this beautiful person...?' She thought to herself.
A boy stood there, maybe a few years older than her. She took in his appearance through her hair. White hair that caught the dim light filtering on the wide area. His clothes were like hers but...clean – cleaner than anything she'd worn in a year. But what made her breath catch wasn't his appearance.
It was his eyes.
They were so incredibly calm, but there was something else there. Something that made her instinctively shrink back against the floor even as a part of her wanted to keep looking. He wasn't looking at her with pity like some people did, or with disgust like others did. He was just... looking at her.
'He's... pretty,' she thought once again despite herself, confused by her own reaction. Boys weren't supposed to be this pretty, were they? But this one was, in a way that made her think of the pictures in the storybooks her mama used to read to her.
The boy took a step even closer, and she pressed herself harder against the floor (well tried), as her heart hammered in her chest. Was he going to hurt her too? Take what little she had left? Was he also going to beat her for just looking at him? That's what pretty people did, right?
But instead of raising his hand or demanding something or even cussing her out, he simply spoke to her with a tone that had nothing present to it.
"Do you wanna warm life, little one?"
The question was so unexpected, so unpredictable, so gentle, that she could only stare at him in shock. Her mouth tried to open slightly, but failed miserable. What kind of question was that? What did he mean? Is he okay? That was what the little girl thought.
He crouched down slowly, bringing himself just above her, to the point she could see his face more clearly now.
There was something in his young features, something that didn't quite match his apparent age. But his voice remained soft, and patient.
"Hmm~, or a better offer. Do you wanna live with me and my family?"
'Live with him?? Family??? Huhh??' The words hit her like strong waves that hurt much to her little displeasure.
She'd given up on that word, on what the very meaning of it meant. Family meant pain to her now. Family meant being unwanted, being a burden, and being hurt by the people who were supposed to protect you.
She wanted to say no, to tell him to go away and leave her to her misery.
But she couldn't speak, couldn't move, couldn't even do anything but stare at him with her kinda one good eye that was wet with tears.
He seemed to understand her hesitation, her fear. A small smile crossed his lips – not the cruel smile she'd learned to fear, but something warm and genuine that made her chest tight in a way that had nothing to do with her injuries.
"Hmph~, ill ask again," he said, his voice now carrying a strange power that seemed to ease the pain in her body, if only for a moment. "Do you want to come home with me? To feel loved, protected, and wanted?"
'Loved? Protected? Wanted? Home?' Those were other words she longed left behind, she'd tried to forget those words. Other words that brought nothing but hurt to her.
But somehow, when he said it, it sounded different. It sounded possible, meaningful, right.
She wanted to believe him. Oh, how desperately she wanted to believe that somewhere, somehow, there could be a place for her once again. A place where she wouldn't have to hurt anymore, where she wouldn't have to be afraid all the time.
But belief was dangerous. And hope was even more dangerous. She learned that it makes the falls hurt so much worse.
Still, as she looked into those strange, calm eyes, she found herself nodding just slightly – barely a movement at all, but enough for her little injured body could muster.
And that was enough to change everything.
His smile widened when he saw her nod, and something warm spread through her chest just upon seeing it. But before she could question the feeling, he placed his index finger gently on her forehead.
"Let me fix this pain then~" he muttered to her softly.
Suddenly, warmth flooded through her entire body. The sharp pain in her ribs vanished instantly. The throbbing in her swollen eye disappearing slowly. The ache in her bruised limbs melting away like snow in sunlight.
She watched in amazement as the purple and yellow marks on her arms faded to nothing, leaving smooth, unblemished skin behind.
'What the?? haha wow, was that... was that magic~' she thought in bewilderment, as she stared at her healed body in wonder.
He helped her to her feet with a gentle hand, and for the first time in a year and a couple of months, standing up didn't hurt. She felt... anew. She could even say complete. Like she remembered the feelings when her Mama was still alive.
"Wait here for a minute or two," he told her, his voice still carrying that same gentle tone. "I'll be right back~, okay?"
She nodded mutely, watching as he turned and walked away, heading in the direction of the house where her now former adoptive parents lived. The house where she'd endured so much pain.
Though, even through all that pain, she was still kinda naive to somethings.
'Where is he going?' she wondered, but something in his eyes before he left made her not want to ask.
---
Back to normal POV.
Noah walked toward the house with steps that made him seem kind, his hands tucked casually in his pockets as if he was going on some mere evening stroll.
The gentle smile he'd worn for Yui remained on his face, but something was changing behind his eyes.
'I guess I'm a saint then~, hahahahaha.' he thought mockingly. His footsteps grew dangerously quiet as he added, 'Though, that sounds pretty yuck I can't lie~'
As he moved further from Yui, further from the need to maintain his gentle facade, he then changed. His smile began to shift. The warmth bled out of it, replaced by something cold. The corners of his mouth stretched wider, but there was no warmth in it now.
His eyes that had comforted Yui, now gleamed with something that could shake the foundations of hell itself.
The killing intent that radiated from his small frame was so potent, so absolutely murderous, that even demons would have cowered before it(low ranking ones. Maybe high ones too).
It was the gaze of someone who found genuine pleasure in the art of ending lives.
(A/n: Don't worry soldier. I'm cringing aswell.)
'Hehehe~ time a cause some ruckus~~' he thought lovingly, as his psychopathic grin now fully formed.
You could only wonder what this guy went through in his past life to have such killing intent and wicked ways.
The house came into his view—a shitty but modest building that had harbored such cruelty behind its ordinary walls that you wouldn't even think it. Noah could hear voices inside, most differently the "parents", who, were completely unaware that their judgment had arrived. In the form of a boy at that.
Without hesitation, he crouched low and launched himself skyward, his body moving with inhuman grace and power. The wind whistled around him as he soared high above the rooftop, his shadow falling across the house like a dark omen.
As he reached the peak of his jump, suspended in the air like an avenging angel, his laughter began.
It started as a low chuckle, but quickly grew into something wild and unrestrained as he basically floated in the air. The sound echoed through the streets, bouncing off buildings and carrying on the wind—a sound of pure, unfiltered madness. It was the laugh of someone who had found their new favorite toy, someone who was about to indulge in their greatest pleasure.
Even from the area where she waited, Yui could hear that laughter. It made her small body shiver uncontrollably, not from cold or fear, but from some primal recognition of what that sound meant.
'Why... Why's he laughing so loudly??' She couldn't help but think as her eyes widened when she stared in the direction he'd gone. "Is he okay?"
Nope, not even a little dear yui~~.
The laughter cut off abruptly as Noah came crashing down through the roof of the house, his descent controlled and precise.
---
Inside the house, the man and woman who had called themselves Yui's parents looked up in shock as debris rained down from their ceiling. Before they could even process what was happening, Noah landed gracefully in their living room, his feet touching the floor without a sound despite his dramatic entrance.
"What the—" the man was about to say, but his words died in his throat as he saw Noah's face.
His horrendous smile still their. The killing intent radiating from the small boy was so overwhelming that both adults instinctively took a step back like cowards do.
Noah didn't even wanna speak. Nor did he wanna explain. Nether did he wanna give them a chance to beg, or make excuses for what they'd done.
He simply just walked forward.
'Limy, active: Sound canceling~'
Without a millisecond of hesitation, limy responded.
[DING~ Skill activated~...]
[DING~Have fun, Master~~]
"Always will, limy~"
Swooosh!
Clink! Shinnng!
In one fluid motion, he summoned some wickedly sharp daggers that gleamed with malevolent light (his trusted buddys). His Phantom Step then activated on its own, and much to their horror, he disappeared without any after images, appearing behind the man before either adult could blink.
Sliccee!!×2
Splatter!!
Thud!!!
PSSSssss!
"Huh...huuuh...huuuaaaaahhhhhhhhHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
"AHHHHHHAAHAAAHAAAAAA!!!!! MY ARMS!!! MY ARMS!!! MY FUCKEN ARRMMMMMSS!!! HELPPP!!!! IT HURTS!!! IT HURTSSS!!! *COUGH!!! COUGHH!!!* URRGHH!! AAAAAAHHH!!!"
The man's screams echoed through the house as both his arms fell to the floor in perfect, clean cuts. Blood sprayed across the walls as he stumbled forward with a horrified expression, staring in horror at the stumps where his limbs used to be.
The woman opened her mouth to scream, but Noah was already there, staring right into her wide open eyes as broad of sweat trickled down her face, his dagger then flashed. Her arms joining her husband's on the floor, her shriek of agony harmonizing with his.
"*sigh*, i really wish i could smell fear, cause smelling you're guys, would make me feel better—just a tini tiny bit though~, cause you're guys fear probably smalls gay as fuck~" Noah said softly in a casual tone that made the words infinitely more terrifying. "Well, who cares. Byeee~"
Neither of them could respond through their pain and shock else they'll most differently would, but Noah didn't need an answer. Or more accurately, he didn't give a fuck about one.
He'd already decided their fate the moment he aloud himself too.
Slicee!×2
Two more swift movements. Two more clean cuts. Two more trash bags for Satan's guts.
Their heads hit the floor with a soggy wet thud, their expressions still frozen in terror and disbelief.
Noah stood in the center of the bloody lounge, not a single drop of blood on his clothes. The psychopathic grin was gone now, replaced by simple satisfaction.
He turned and walked back toward the hole he'd made in the roof, leaping effortlessly back into the night air.
"Well that was rather boring~...." He shamelessly said out as he landed softly on the ground.
---
When Noah returned to the well, Yui was still standing exactly where he'd left her, her small hands clasped in front of her as she waited. She looked up at him with those large, expressive eyes, and he felt his gentle smile return naturally.
"All finished," he said simply, as if he'd just finished a chore.
She didn't ask what he'd done. Even though she'd seen cruelty, she wasn't up to knowing 'that' type of cruelty.
Though, she did feel safe now. Even protected. Like someone had finally stood up for her and dealt with her pain.
"Hmm? Oh, shit, that's right, i forgot to ask for your name, haha. " Scratching the back of his head with a sheepish grin, he added as he crouched down to her level once more. "Umm, what's your name?"
"Y-Yui," she whispered, her tone coming out a little shy. "M-my name is Yui."
"Yui," he repeated, as if testing how it sounded. "That's a really beautiful name, yui. You can call me Noah~."
"Noah," she repeated also, and somehow saying his name made everything feel more real. This wasn't a dream, she kept thinking about if it was while she waited for him.
If this was real.
Or was this a dream?
But, he confirmed it wasn't.
He stood and extended his hand to her. "Ready to go home, little Yui?"
She stared at his hand for a long moment, then slowly reached out and took it. His hand, to her, felt steady, and filled with reassuring warmth.
"Yes... Yes, i am~" she whispered gently.
Together, they walked through the dark streets toward the shack where Noah's makeshift family lived. With each step, Yui felt herself leaving her old life behind—the pain, the fear, the loneliness. All of it behind.
She was finally going home.
'Please... please be a warm home,' she thought, squeezing Noah's hand a little tighter. 'Please let this boy be my protector. And not another person who'll hurt me...'
For the first time in over a year, Yui allowed herself to hope. But she still wanted to ask, just so her hope isn't for nothing.
"Will you... will you really not hurt me?" she whispered.
Noah's gazed moved from the road to the little girl beside him, who was studying him with what he could say was hope in her eye's.
"Never, little Yui. " Noah calmly replied, and was surprised to find he meant it completely aswell. "I have friends or previously friends but now family. Their about my age and your's, so don't worry ya little head. You'll fit right in with all of them~"
Yui's eyes widened a little. "Hmm? Their children? Just like us?"
"Mhmm. There's Lina, Mira, Toma, Kenji, Rika, and Rio. " Noah listed off, a genuine smile touching his lips as he said every name. "They're all waiting back home. I think they'd like you very much~."
The girl's resolve seemed to crystallize in that moment. Her hope now finalized as she finally stopped doubting anything and let herself feel the old cozy feeling she once felt.
Flash back-kun makes his lovely exit right here....
---
Back to the present~, where chaos was happening once again.
The moment they stepped inside the mansion, all hell broke loose.
"DIBS ON THE BIGGEST ROOM!!!" Kenji screamed at the top of his lungs, immediately sprinting up the grand staircase like his life depended on it.
"That's not how dibs work, you absolute muppet!" Toma shouted back, chasing after him like his life also depended on it. "You have to actually SEE the room first! Idiot!!"
"I don't need to see it! Big room equals best room! And I just dibs said room hahaha!! So suck it rat bag!" Kenji called over his shoulder as he laughed, already halfway up the stairs.
Toma, absolute enraged by being called a rat, insulted back.
"Urrgh! Stuff you meathead!!"
Noah watched this unfold with the resigned expression of someone who'd just realized he was responsible for a pack of unhinged children. "We've been here for literally ten seconds... nah, scratch that, five. Can't you's sit still for even a minute?"
All he got was a loud and proud, "NOO!".
"I dibs the room with lots of windows! And pretty things!" Yui announced happily, then immediately got distracted by a crystal chandelier. "Ooh~, shiny..."
"Sigh... another soldier has fallen..." Noah muttered tiredly.
"Yui, no!" Mira said quickly, grabbing the smaller girl's hand before she could start climbing the furniture. "We don't touch the expensive sparkly things."
"But it's soooo preettty~!" Yui whined, reaching up like a cat with zoomiess.
"Exactly. It's pretty so you need to leave it Yui~."
Reluctantly she finally gave up, after only seeing noah shake his head.
"Awwee~Hmph!"
Meanwhile, Rika had found a room and was standing in the doorway with her arms crossed, glaring at anyone who dared approach. "This one's mine."
She said with absolute certainty.
"You can't just claim the first room you see!" Lina, who was closest to her, said with a matter-of-factly tone.
"I just did, Ms. Un-cool. So back off~." Rika replied coldly and cooly, then slammed the door shut.
A loud
Thud!
Echoing through the big bad mansion.
Then another loud noise echoed, this time not a thud, but a crash like something or someone had just kissed wood.
Crash!!
The muffled crash came from upstairs part of the mansion, followed by Kenji's goddamn voice: "I'M OKAY!! THE ARMOR SUIT BROKE MY FALL!! SO DON'T FEAR!"
"THAT WAS PROBABLY EXPENSIVE!" Rio called up, looking pained hearing the crash.
"Our poor pockets~." Rio whimpered quietly.
"Welp, who gives a damn!" Noah said cheerfully with a shrug, already walking toward what looked like a study. "I'm picking the room with the liquor cabinet."
"Liquor??? What the hell?! You're only nine! You can't drink alcohol!" Rio, who was just having a small sook, snapped back to reality in a instant.
"And? It's best to start young my little brother~"
^_^
^__^
"....You gotta be jok—"
"Yes, I was joking, Rio, don't worry~"
Looking relived upon hearing Noah say that, he sighed with relief. "Thank god~".
Noah, seeing the relief, couldn't help but chuckle a little.
Then.
Another crash came from upstairs, this time followed by Toma's childish laughter. "Kenji got stuck in a wardrobe! Hahahaha!"
Mira, who was chasing after yui cause the little demon was a trouble maker like her savior, couldn't help but shout as she ran past the stairs case.
"HOW DO YOU GET STUCK IN A WARDROBE?!" she shouted, her motherly concern warring with sheer disbelief. "WAIT! NO! ARE YOU OKAY, KENJI?!"
Lina, who had been quietly observing the madness unfold with the detached air of someone watching a documentary on wildlife, finally stopped beside Noah and Rio.
She looked at them.
They looked at her.
"...I guess, this is how we'll be living now, isn't it?" she said with absolute flatness. Almost sounding sarcastic.
Noah sighed, long and weary, like a man aged beyond his years. But he still smiled faintly at the question.
"Yep~."
"Hmm. Forever?" She quickly replied back.
"Heeh~ pretty much~."
Rio, who was standing right next to noah, just groaned at what he was hearing, slowly dragging a hand down his face.
From upstairs, Kenji's muffled yell of "I'M OKAY!!" echoed through the mansion, followed by the sound of wood splintering.
Noah closed his eyes, once again sighing like some old sage.
"...maaan, I need a drink~."
Rio, took about five seconds before he grew a vein across his forehead, implying that he was annoyed and angry.
"URGH! YOU'RE NINE!!"
"....I know....I was meaning water....bro are you good~?".
"...."
"...oh. s–sorry, I'm fine(^-^;)".
With no further words needed, Rio quickly escaped, leaving one confused Lina, and a thinking Noah.
————
The mansion had officially continued it's descent into madness after that funny but awkward situation.
Somewhere upstairs, a wardrobe was dying a painful, splintering death. With two boys running on two brain cells fought for a room that soon, will not be theirs.
Somewhere else, Mira was locked in intense negotiations between Yui and the laws of gravity. With gravity being a stubborn bastard, and Yui being an even more stubborn ball of vibrating sunshine.
And Rio? Rio looked about two seconds away from early retirement, the kind where one just lies on the floor and accept their fate.
And for Rika, and Lina, well their episode was just about to start where they left off.
"I FOUND A BALCONY ROOM!! HAAH I FOUND MY ROOM!"
Lina's voice rang out from the second floor, bright with triumph, and loud with smugness.
Noah, who was still downstairs leaning against the wall with all the energy of a particularly lazy cat, raised an eyebrow.
"Wait... wasn't she just down here a second ago?"
A whole minute passed without a reply, so Noah jus went back to thinking with laziness.
Before anyone couldPpp finally answer, sprinting noises replied first, before another voice cut through the air, cold, sharp, and utterly uncompromising.
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
Swooosh!!
"Tch! Not anymore."
SLAM!
The sound echoed through the mansion like a death knell.
Lina's footsteps came thundering down the hallway a moment later, as she went to explore somewhere else, stopping abruptly at what was presumably the balcony room's door.
"EXCUSE ME?!" Lina's voice cracked with indignation.
From inside the room, Rika opened the door slightly, and replied, calm and unbothered: "You heard me, Ms. Cool-and-Clueless."
There was a beat of stunned silence.
Then.
SLAM!
The door shut again, this time with even more finality.
Lina stood in the hallway, staring at the closed door like it had personally spat in her face and called her uncool and basically dumb.
"...She did it again," Lina muttered, her voice flat with disbelief.
From downstairs, Mira's gentle but firm voice drifted up: "Rika, dear, you can't just—"
"Mira...I can't hear you through a door~" came Rika's sing-song reply, dripping with smug satisfaction.
If anyone had been looking at Mira in that moment, they would've seen the faintest dusting of red creep across her cheeks—half embarrassment, half exasperation.
Rio, standing nearby, buried his face in his hand and muttered into his palms like a man praying for salvation. "We're going to need some serious...i don't even know. Discipline?"
Noah, still leaning lazily against the wall, let a slow smirk spread across his face. "Naaah~. We just need to survive till dinner, that's all~."
A small tug on his sleeve pulled his attention downward.
"Hmm?"
Yui stood there, eyes wide and sparkling like twin stars, her face split into the biggest, brightest smile imaginable.
"Can I pick my room noow~?" she asked, practically vibrating with excitement.
Noah looked down at her, then shrugged. "Sure~. Just don't pick one that comes with ancient ghosts or cursed paintings~."
Yui gasped, her eyes somehow growing even wider than humanly possible. "Ooooh~! What if there's a super shiny ghost~??"
Noah paused, considering this with all the seriousness of a philosopher pondering the meaning of existence.
Then, he snapped his pupils downwards, back to Yui's brimming excitement.
"....Then you call me."
"Hmmm~, Okaaaay~!!"
And with that, Yui took off like a cat, her little feet pattering against the polished floors as she disappeared down the hall on her grand adventure.
Noah watched her go, chuckling, and shaking his head slightly.
'At least she's easy to please~'
---
By the time the dust finally settled, metaphorically and, in Kenji's case, literally, everyone had staked their claims.
Mira had picked the room closest to the stairs ("For easy rescue operations," she'd said with a small, knowing smile).
Rio had ended up next to Kenji and Toma's room ("Unwillingly," he'd grumbled, already resigned to a lifetime of noise).
Lina had begrudgingly settled for the room beside Rika's ("For surveillance reasons," she'd insisted, though everyone knew it was just spite).
And Yui? Yui had found her room right next door to Mira's, which, unbeknownst to the little ball of sunshine, had been exactly where Noah and Mira had planned for her to go all along.
For her safety of course.
Noah finally strolled up the staircase last, hands tucked lazily behind his head, eyes half-closed, his entire posture screaming "I have all the time in the world."
He wandered down the hall, passing everyone's room, with casual confidence, lazy aura that could possibly make one sleepy.
Then he came to a stop.
Right in front of a massive double-door suite the boys had been tearing each other apart over earlier.
The giant doors made him quite curious.
So he peeked inside.
And inside the room was rather beautiful. King-sized bed, floor-to-ceiling windows, a sitting area with plush chairs, and, most importantly, it was blessedly quiet.
Outside the windows was the gate to their estate, and the now lights of the district they lived in. Showing it's beauty to it's fullest.
Noah's lazy expression grew a smirk, that widened into a full blown grin.
"Well," he said aloud, stepping inside like a king reclaiming his throne, "since neither of you lived to claim it... I guess it's mine now~!"
He turned, grabbing both door handles, and just before pushing them shut, he leaned back into the hallway and shouted at the top of his lungs:
"NOW UNPACK~!"
SLAM!
"OKAAAY~!!!" Came the voices of seven kid's.
The double doors shut with a satisfying thud.
And for the first time that day.
As laughter, footsteps, and distant crashes echoed through the halls.
Noah actually felt something rare.
Peace.
Well....sort of.
————
About an hour later, after the chaos had mellowed into something almost resembling calm, everyone naturally gravitated toward the sitting room.
Aka the lounge.
It was a large, comfortable space with soft couches, warm lighting, and enough room for all of them to sprawl out without feeling cramped. A low table sat in the center, already cluttered with snacks Mira had somehow conjured from the kitchen.
Kenji and Toma were arguing over who'd actually won the "biggest room war" (spoiler: neither of them).
Rika sat in the corner with a book she'd found, not listening to anything but occasionally eavesdropping on everyone at times.
Lina was half-asleep on one of the couches, her "cool" facade finally cracking under the weight of exhaustion.
Rio sat beside Mira, both of them watching over the group with the quiet pride of parents(even though their younger then noah), who'd somehow survived the day.
And Noah?
Noah was sprawled across an entire couch like a cat who'd claimed the best sunbeam in the house. One arm draped lazily over the armrest, the other tucked behind his head. His legs were stretched out, one ankle crossed over the other, and his eyes were half-lidded in a way that screamed *"I could fall asleep right now".
He looked, for all intents and purposes, like the world's most unbothered nine-year-old.
And the most laziest one too.
The conversations had drifted from rooms to food to plans for tomorrow, everyone chiming in with their thoughts, jokes, and idle chatter. Everyone of them felt cozy and ultimately happy.
Then, out of nowhere, Yui, who'd been sitting on the floor playing with a ribbon, suddenly perked up.
Seemingly clicking on to something she thought about.
She turned toward Noah, her big eyes curious and bright.
"Hey~, Noah?"
"Mm?" Noah didn't open his eyes, but his head tilted slightly in her direction.
"Umm~, who was your family~?"
"...."
'Uhhh. Whatta deep question~' Noah thought to himself with mildly surprise.
Obviously something he wasn't expecting. Especially from the youngest one out of them.
The room naturally went quiet.
It was a slightly awkward quiet, but also a curious one. Everyone's attention shifted toward Noah, though no one said anything yet.
Yui tilted her head, with complete innocence. "Umm~... do you have siblings~? Were you from a rich family~? Are you a noble~? Are you're parents nice~? Can i meet them~?"
Her eyes suddenly widened, as if struck by the most absurd, wonderful thought.
"Or... or are you a prince~?!"
Kenji suddenly snorted at the ridiculous claim. "A prince? Him? No way!"
Toma grinned, chiming in with almost believe facts. "I mean, he does act like royalty sometimes~, and he's strong. He also has this authority aura around him aswell~".
Noah just listened to them, still not opening his eyes, one might think he was thinking.
But in reality, he had no answer.
So he let the question linger.
Everyone was listening now. Waiting. Thinking. Coming up with their own ideas.
Even Rika had lowered her book slightly, watching him from the corner with that cool, unreadable gaze.
Noah let out a long, lazy sigh, finally cracking one eye open.
"I have no clue," he said flatly, his tone matter-of-fact. "All I know is that I woke up in the slums, met all of you there when i awakened, and never really cared."
He closed his eye again, his lips growing a smirk at the corner.
"And~ who knows, Sunshine. I might just be some prince~"
The room was once again silent, this time only for a beat.
Then, noah suddenly felt sympathy all on him.
Soft, unspoken, but there.
He didn't mind though, he let them feel whatever they wanted at this time. After all:
He was an attention seeker.
Mira's expression softened, her motherly concern filling her eye's. Rio's gaze fell, his jaw tightening from his own experience. Even Kenji and Toma, usually the loudest in the room, stayed quiet.
Yui's face scrunched up, her little hands curling into fists like she wanted to hug him but didn't know if she should.
Then.
She doubled back on his last sentence, and started giggling.
Soft at first, then louder, till her whole body started shaking with giggles.
"A prince~! Hehehehe~! So cooool~!"
Guess she felt happy and amused at the images she thought of.
Noah opened both eyes this time, his smirk widening into a full blown grin.
"....Actually, scratch that." He sat up slightly, propping himself on one elbow, eyes glinting with mischief. "I actually am a prince~. With two princesses as my wives~.Hahahahaha ~!"
Swoosh~!
THWACK!
What hit was mira's fist connecting with the top of his head.
PINCH!
With yui joining in as she grabbed his cheek and pulled.
"OWW! HEY!! That hurt~!"
Mira glared at him, her eyes eerily cold, and her expressions clearly stating: "Hmph! Be more mature, dumdum"
Well yui just pinched him cause she felt the need too.
He didn't know mean to say it like that, but he just took it on the chin and apologized in his head for saying it so arrogantly.
So noah then just laughed, even as one of them continued their assault on his cheek.
And the room filled with noise again, laughter, teasing, warmth.
The kind of sound that made a house feel like a home.
---
End