"So, Aria was being stubborn again."
Sen Getsusa carefully checked the old woman's arm, fearing that because of what just happened, this stubborn old lady might have bumped into something.
Ten minutes ago, Sen Getsusa picked up Fujimoto Matsu, threw him into a trash can labeled "Non-recyclable," and then angrily led Aria and the children into the house.
What she was angry about was that from beginning to end, the children and Aria had hidden this matter from her.
"There are usually many passers-by, so they didn't dare to be so obvious..."
As if she had done something wrong, Aria cautiously peeked at Sen Getsusa's face: "I wanted to get more money before leaving, the children's expenses are getting bigger and bigger."
"I didn't expect it to be like this today..."
The girl lowered her eyelashes, her movements very gentle.
Her large eyes were like the fierce Sun in winter, possessing a warm power.
This girl, who came to the orphanage when she was a few years old, was now blooming as brilliantly as a cherry blossom, unhesitatingly expressing her unique charm to this World.
Aria gently stroked her black-pearl wavy hair: "This time it was my mistake. Forget it, let's move out as soon as possible and find a place to make do."
After this incident, Aria couldn't help but feel scared. If something really happened to her, what would happen to the children?
Leave them to Sengetsu-sha? She's also a Child... "Find a place to make do?" Sen Getsusa laughed in anger: "The money Grandpa Kiryu left behind hasn't been used up yet, right? Not to mention my own money. It's definitely enough for those little brats until they reach adulthood."
Sen Getsusa patted Oishi's head. The little guy was still muttering 'protect sister, protect Aria'.
"But, this is our own place! Forced sale? This is a legitimate orphanage, and they have the nerve to bring in these Yakuza to bully people!"
Sen Getsusa cursed, but was silenced by Aria covering her mouth.
"No swearing."
Regarding this matter, Aria had her own considerations:
Sen Getsusa was the oldest Child in the orphanage and was approaching her entrance exams. Given this crazy girl's personality, once she knew, she would definitely cause trouble.
Just like today.
What good could come of a girl facing off against men in society?
Aria thought it over and felt she couldn't tell her—she would handle it herself, but every time, the negotiations fell through.
The 'relocation fee' offered by the other party was too low, and they wouldn't give any time to find a new location or handle various chores.
In fact, according to the regular demolition process and asset appraisal in Sakura Country,
even a cherry blossom tree in the yard would have its value carefully calculated based on minute details like the thickness of its trunk and its age.
Vases and furniture should all be counted, not to mention the dozens of 'cat guests' who frequently visit the yard.
Aria was over sixty years old and had experienced too much; she knew very well that the money allocated from above was definitely enough. Unfortunately, the people handling it wouldn't release the full amount to those facing demolition and relocation from their old homes.
"I have many houses," Mori Toda said, eyes lowered. "When we move in two days, I'll set aside one building for you. Please move there with the children."
"No, no, no! This place was left by Mr. Kiryu. Even if it's torn down and replaced, we should use that bastard Kiryu's money. Sengetsu-sha, I can't let you spend your money."
Aria shook her head as she spoke, then reached out a bony, age-spotted hand to lightly pinch Sen Getsusa's arm. "Promise me, Tsukisa, don't go looking for those thugs again."
Sen Getsusa nodded perfunctorily.
Unfortunately, the old woman had watched the girl grow up; what this little maniac was thinking couldn't be hidden from her.
She pulled a long face and spoke seriously, "Just moving away is enough. Tsukisa, if you go looking for them and get hurt, the children and I will be very sad. You're only sixteen; do you want to end up in the police station and become a delinquent? It's best to keep those guys at a distance; those who get involved with them never come to a good end."
Sen Getsusa responded gently, but in her heart, she was wondering how to beat those flies to death without leaving a trace!
ヽ(＃`Д')ノ
"No way! Sister Yuesha is amazing!"
Oishi chimed in from the side, ignoring the old woman's murderous glare. "Sister Yuesha, those moves you did today, like 'Heh!' That punch! What style was that? Martial arts? Or Karate?"
Sen Getsusa's eyes curved into crescents as she gently flicked Oishi's forehead. "It's the 'Turtle Hermit Style'."
"Turtle Hermit Style?" The Boy scratched his head. A move from a manga?
Oishi couldn't have missed the currently popular manga. But... he sized up the gentle and frail-looking sister before him.
Unfortunately, is she also a chuunibyou?
The girl rested her chin on her hand, ignoring Oishi's strange look. Her legs swung back and forth on the chair. "Anyway, let's move first. Is your own money still enough?"
The old woman nodded without hesitation.
Sen Getsusa exposed her helplessly. "The money Old Man Kiryu left was all exchanged by you for daily necessities for the children. You haven't had a salary for years; did you think I didn't know?"
"Even a Child like Oishi knows to earn rewards through labor. Besides, when you bought clothes for Miko last time, you used your own savings, didn't you?"
Wrinkles appeared at the corners of Aria's smiling eyes. "What does it matter? They are all my children."
Sen Getsusa sighed.
The old woman had no children of her own; the children of the orphanage were her children... "Sister Sha!"
In the yard, like Little Bees gathering nectar, a group of little ones buzzed around Sen Getsusa.
After finishing her chat with Aria, Sen Getsusa strolled into the yard to talk with the children.
At the base of the yard wall, clumps of mint leaves grew lushly; Sen Getsusa had planted them several years ago. Now, they had become a natural 'Pub' for the cat guests who frequented the place to gather and play.
Looking around, lumps of cat fur were squeezed together, squirming, licking each other's fur and biting ears. If a lick turned into a nip, they'd just keep squirming and licking... On midsummer days, during quiet afternoons with the chirping of cicadas, Sen Getsusa would often sit here writing and drawing, while those cat guests would sprawl out in the mint patches, lost in a drunken stupor.
Some with higher tolerance would enter a tipsy state first, spinning around for a few minutes before diving headfirst into the pile of cats.
Sen Getsusa walked along the wall, and several tabby guests greeted her enthusiastically—in late winter and early spring, the weather wasn't very warm, and most cold-fearing guests had hidden inside the house early on.
Basically, aside from storing slippers, the entrance hall served as a peaceful winter haven for the guests.
The more favored ones might even be found under the kotatsu.
"About how many are there now?"
After eating, Sen Getsusa held her brown rice tea and sat properly on the cushion, shifting uncomfortably from time to time.
She would never wear this kimono again. Sen Getsusa thought of that short-haired girl who never went without a kimono... Chitose Murase, you really are a ruthless person.
After the meal, several children not yet of school age began to fight over the TV. The rest could only watch their younger siblings play with longing, muttering resentfully, 'Your day will come sooner or later,' before painfully opening their textbooks.
"Right now? There are probably forty or fifty of them."
Aria looked out into the yard. "Since you left, a few more families have come, bringing many kittens that looked newborn. They're big now."
Sen Getsusa smiled and smoothed her hair, untangling two coils of curly hair near her cheeks. She beckoned to the Boy nearby who was absentmindedly memorizing English. "Oishi, when you're free these days, remember to rally the little ones to help Aria pack. We're moving! It's a big—a very big house!"
The Boy named Oishi pumped his fist and answered loudly.
Sen Getsusa turned her head and smiled. "For the next few days, I will accompany the little ones to and from school. You can rest easy."
Aria sighed.
"I don't want to trouble you anymore. Speaking of which, the entrance exams are this year, right?"
"I'm first in everything, so Aria doesn't need to worry." Sen Getsusa smiled gently.
Children from orphanages always had an extra measure of hard work and persistence compared to ordinary people, and Sen Getsusa even more so.
Aria vaguely remembered a snowy night many years ago when Kiryu stood at the gate holding her. The girl had no shoes on her feet, which were frozen red, and her short hair made her look like a Boy.
Even so, her face wore a smile that the winter cold couldn't freeze.
A Boy?
Aria thought of something and suddenly laughed.
"I remember when you were little, because your hair was so thin you looked like a Boy, your gender was recorded as male on the household register, wasn't it?" Aria laughed uncontrollably. "Now you're a beautiful girl."
"Kiryu even muttered to me that this Boy was quite pretty."
"It was corrected last year. Honestly... I was laughed at for a long time," Sen Getsusa said with a smile while gently massaging Aria's stiff shoulders. "I changed it back after the accident with my father and mother. Every time I handle something important, the looks I get are very strange."
"Sigh, Sengetsu-sha... your adoptive parents were kind people."
Aria pursed her lips, her aged face showing a clarity that had seen through the World. "You inherited Mori Toda's decisiveness and Keiko's gentleness."
"Don't forget them."
Sen Getsusa shook her head, her eyes full of warmth and kindness. "They are my 'parents'. They have been since that day. I love them very much and will never forget them."
"You can come back to see your younger brothers and sisters when you're free. When they grow up, they will repay you."
"No need for repayment. It's enough if these guys don't cause me trouble."
Several younger brothers doing their homework rolled their eyes secretly—having been 'disciplined' by their sister since childhood, they had developed an excellent survival skill.
The younger sisters, however, seemed completely unaware; this 'danger' was always a'smile' to them.
Sen Getsusa's state of being constantly clung to by her sisters was envied by all the Boys in the orphanage, and her care was also more biased toward the girls.
Brothers: Unfair.
Sen Getsusa: Enjoy it, kids! This is the closest you'll ever be to these little lolis and big sisters.
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