Chapter 75: Pakura's First Day at Work 4
"Oh? You're the new kid, aren't you?" Okabe turned slowly with a relaxed smile, his tone calm yet full of enthusiasm.
He tilted his head slightly, looking Pakura up and down, not with a judging gaze, but more like a parent curious about a new toy.
"Ah! You haven't introduced yourself yet, have you? Before we move on to another place, I'll introduce you to the others. It would be rude to work together without knowing each other's names, right?"
The light from the torch hanging from the ceiling softly reflected on Pakura's face, casting a faint shadow under her chin.
Pakura smiled slightly, graceful yet with a hint of nervousness at the corners of her lips.
"Ah... thank you very much for your attention," Pakura said in a formal tone. Her voice sounded a bit stiff, but it was filled with genuine respect. "Indeed, my name is Pakura. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Pakura bowed politely, displaying graceful yet cautious etiquette. Her skin was porcelain white, contrasting with her distinctive brown eyes—without pupils, giving her gaze a mysterious yet calm appearance.
Pakura's green hair was neatly tied in a high bun, secured with long hairpins that crossed like traditional ornaments. Two strands of hair—one short, one long—were left to frame her face, each ending in a striking yet elegant soft orange.
For a moment, Pakura's eyes dropped, staring at the floor as if searching for solid ground in the unfamiliar atmosphere enveloping this meeting.
"My name is Okabe." The man nodded slowly, then squinted his eyes with his characteristic smile—warm yet slightly mischievous, like someone who always has a joke on the tip of their tongue.
Okabe's gaze then flicked to the fabric bag tightly held in Souta's hand. He raised his left eyebrow slightly, as if just realizing the presence of the object.
"Oh? Did you bring your own dinner this time, Souta?" Okabe said in a tone that was half surprised, half teasing.
Souta lifted his bag slightly, about to respond, but before he could speak, Okabe's eyes had already shifted to the bag Pakura was holding.
"Oh! Did you both bring the same meal?" Okabe's tone changed quickly—full of curiosity, with a grin as if he had just discovered an intriguing puzzle.
"Yes," Souta replied with a small smile, his shoulders slightly slumping from fatigue after cleaning the room for nearly two hours. "Before coming here, I bought a pack of fried rice. Pakura knew there would be a dinner break... so she bought some too."
Souta said it casually, but he glanced briefly at Pakura, who only nodded slowly with a shy expression. The fried rice bag in Pakura's hand looked ordinary, wrapped in banana leaves that were slightly warm and emitted a simple yet appetizing aroma.
"Hmm... I thought one of you made lunch for the other," Okabe said with a soft laugh. "Hehe, turns out not, huh?"
Okabe's tone was light, but Souta felt a slight sting in his chest. He let out a short sigh and scratched the back of his head. That small movement reflected the discomfort he wanted to hide.
"Uh... we can't do that," Souta finally said, his eyes downcast. "We... are both orphans. So our finances are quite tight. Making lunch for someone else is not just impossible... even for ourselves, it sometimes feels like a luxury."
For a moment, the conversation paused. The room felt quieter, as if all sound had been swallowed by the sand in the walls. Only the faint crackling of the torch could be heard in the distance.
Okabe's expression changed drastically. The playful smile vanished, replaced by a gentle gaze that held understanding.
...
Chapter 76: Pakura's First Day at Work 5
Where Okabe did not answer directly, only gazing at both Souta and Pakura with deep eyes—eyes of someone who understands what it feels like to live on the edge.
"You're right... I'm sorry," Okabe said softly. "I didn't know... it was that hard for you. Hmm..."
Then Okabe reached behind his back for something—a wrapped sandwich, covered in a clean cloth. He then lifted it slightly.
"Well then... how about it? Want to share a meal with me?"
Souta looked at Okabe for a moment, then his lips curled into a smile. A thin smile, but sincere. Souta nodded slowly. "Really...? Thank you."
Pakura also nodded, a thin smile spreading across her face. Her cheeks flushed slightly from emotion, but she tried to hide it.
They sat in a corner of the room, right under a lantern hanging low. The aroma of fried rice mixed with the scent of the sandwich and the dry air typical of Sunagakure's sandy buildings. They ate slowly, chewing in silence, but the atmosphere felt comfortable.
Small talk occasionally arose—about work, about the strange wooden puppets, even about the loud snoring of one worker who had fallen asleep during the day.
Dinner time passed unnoticed. Afterward, they returned to work, lifting tools, sweeping up wood scraps, arranging the small table used by the puppeteers. When everything was finished, they gathered again in the center of the room.
Neatly wrapped piles of trash stood in line, like exhausted troops ready to be discarded to the final battlefield.
Then the old man who had been watching closely stepped forward. His body was thin, draped in a loose gray robe. The wrinkles on his face were deep, yet his eyes still shone sharply; he seemed like someone who had once been a leader of a ninja squad or something similar.
"Good job, everyone," the old man said in a hoarse but clear voice. "We will move now. The Puppet Show Room is clean and will be used by the puppeteers for practice and testing their puppets. But before that—there's a new member. Please step forward."
Where the old man looked at Pakura.
Pakura reflexively turned to Souta. Souta nodded slowly, signaling her to be quiet. Pakura then turned to Okabe, and Okabe responded with a deeper nod, as if injecting confidence into Pakura.
Pakura took a deep breath. Then she stepped forward.
Pakura's steps were not quick, but steady. She stood in front of everyone, bowing deeply.
"Hello everyone. My name is Pakura. From now on, I will work with you all. I hope for your assistance." Pakura's voice was not loud, but clear and sincere. Some people smiled, others just nodded. But there was not a single face that rejected Pakura's presence. That alone was enough.
"Alright, let's move," said the old man.
They left the room. A narrow staircase made of hard sand led them up to the main corridor.
The walls of the corridor looked rough, but felt cold to the touch—characteristic of ancient buildings constructed with Sunagakure's secret techniques.
A large hall welcomed them. The old man turned right.
Souta furrowed his brow. This was the first time Souta had passed through that corridor. For him, this was an untouched part of the building. And like the left corridor he had seen before, this one was also narrow and long, illuminated by small sand lanterns that flickered as if they were about to go out.
Their footsteps echoed softly in the silence of the walls. There was no other sound except for the rustling of fine sand beneath their feet.
Finally, they stopped in front of a large door. Made of solid sand compacted with a special seal. Its carvings were rough, but had a repeating pattern—circles and lines resembling the movement patterns of puppets.
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