The moment Daniel stepped in with those oversized grocery bags, the room exploded like always.
"Daniel's here!!" "Mr. Daniel!!" "Daniel-nii!!"
Small bodies clung to him from every direction, tugging his sleeves, climbing up his arm like he was a living jungle gym. Daniel laughed, half-stumbling, half-playing along.
"Hey— hey! One at a time! You guys are worse than zombies— cute zombies, but still zombies!"
The kids cackled.
But Daniel's cheerful eyes drifted past them.
There— In the corner, away from the noise.
The same boy he'd noticed these past few months. The quiet one. The mute kid who always has that boring look in his eyes. The kid never talked nor communicated with the other kids.
He was present there but he is really not that noticeable. It's almost like he camouflages himself with the crowd.
The mute kid was staring at Daniel with an expression so blank it almost looked like boredom.
Like he was watching a cartoon character he'd already seen a hundred times.
Daniel gently set the grocery bags down and clapped his hands.
"Alright, troops! Retreat! Give me two minutes, yeah?"
"Awwww!" "Why?" "Just two minutes??"
They backed off reluctantly, forming a loose circle as Daniel approached the boy.
He kneeled in front of him.
"Hey," Daniel said softly. "You doing okay?"
The boy didn't blink. Didn't nod. Didn't move.
Just stared.
Expressionless. Emotionless. Unimpressed.
The kid thought to himself - This man again? Can he not leave me alone?
Daniel chuckled awkwardly. "I feel like I'm talking to a stone statue."
No reaction.
He sighed, stood up, and ruffled the boy's hair gently anyway before returning to the others.
He handed the groceries to the caretakers, slipped them an envelope of money, and his smile shifted—just slightly.
Not cheerful.
Serious. This was the first time they had seen this man like this.
"Use this only for the kids. Not for your pockets. Not for outings. And definitely not for nonsense. Emergency only. Understood?"
The caretakers stiffened and nodded.
Daniel smiled again, bright as ever, and waved before leaving the orphanage.
A Week Later Daniel visited the Orphanage again. But this visit wasn't announced because he wanted to surprise the kids.
No greetings. No kids running to the door. Just playtime noises echoing from the yard.
Perfect for a surprise.
Daniel walked in wearing a plastic bag over his head, holes cut out messily for eyes.
"Time for the Great Grocery Ghost Prank," he whispered to himself.
He tiptoed into the facility and somehow slickly avoided the security.
All the kids were playing out in the field. Looks like it was their playtime. They were so busy playing that they hadn't noticed a weirdo with a plastic grocery bag on his face.
He stopped.
The scene in front of him wiped the smile off his face.
Four… maybe five kids stood in a loose circle. Pushing one boy. Shoving him. Taking his things.
The mute kid again.
Same blank face. Same silence. Same dull eyes that showed nothing.
Daniel quietly approached behind the bullies.
And—
"BOO!"
"AAAHHH!" "RUN— RUN!!" "IT'S A GHOST!!"
They scattered so fast one tripped over his own legs.
"Mph!"
Daniel smirks and whispered cheekily
"Beware of the Grocery ghost."
Daniel snorted and crouched next to the boy.
"Hey, kid. You okay?"
As usual
No nod. No flinch. No shift.
Just that empty stare.
Daniel rubbed his neck. "Man… tough crowd."
He tried lifting the plastic bag, putting it over his head dramatically.
"TA-DAH! Surprised?"
Nothing.
Not even a twitch.
Daniel dropped his shoulders. "Alright… Plan B."
He placed both palms on the ground, kicked up into a perfect handstand—steady, straight, almost military. Then he bent down slowly, upside down, until his face was hanging right in front of the boy's lowered gaze.
"Hellooooo— anyone home down there?"
Daniel's upside-down grin stretched from ear to ear.
And then…
A flicker.
A tiny spark inside the mute kid's eyes.
Hope. Curiosity. Something alive.
It lasted only a moment, but Daniel saw it. He felt it.
He lowered himself, flipped into a normal standing position, and gently placed a hand on the boy's head.
"You're… interesting," he whispered with a smile so soft it almost didn't belong to his cheerful persona.
The boy didn't react.
But Daniel already knew.
Something had begun.
Something even the boy didn't know about himself.