NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 23
Isaac visited the orphanage.
He was holding a large gift bundle in his hands.
“Wowwwww!”
The effect of the gift was amazing.
The children had faces filled with excitement. Their eyes sparkled like jewels. They couldn’t take their eyes off the gift bundle.
“Ahem!”
As Isaac cleared his throat, the children, who were captivated by the gifts, suddenly snapped back to reality.
Isaac looked a bit sulky.
The kids, feeling awkward for being so focused on the presents, exchanged glances and belatedly welcomed Isaac with bright smiles.
I couldn’t help but chuckle at their attitude. I wonder if it’s Isaac they like or just the gifts.
In the midst of the cheerful atmosphere, I sneaked a glance at the person standing behind me.
Red was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, looking somewhat displeased.
The kids probably didn’t notice, as she wore her usual expression, but upon closer inspection, one could see the subtle difference.
She had a visibly uncomfortable look.
I knew why.
It was because of the unwanted guest’s visit.
I didn’t know what had transpired between the two, but it seemed Red was uncomfortable around Isaac.
On the other hand, Isaac appeared completely unconcerned by Red’s attitude.
Anyway, it wasn’t polite to keep a guest standing at the entrance.
Reluctantly, Red brought him inside, and we, along with the children, began to unwrap the gift bundle.
The children gasped in awe, and I couldn’t help but widen my eyes in surprise too.
Toys, dolls, picture books, snacks—everything was new and recently released. And they were all pretty expensive items.
Just one of those toys could feed you for a week. The rest of the items were similarly priced.
He was quite a generous man.
Buying such expensive gifts for the children. Or perhaps he cherished them so much that he didn’t feel the pinch of spending that much money?
“I like this one.”
“I’ll choose this!”
“Hehehe…”
Everyone was excitedly picking what they wanted.
The children wore beaming, happy smiles.
As I browsed through the items, I noticed two people were missing.
I briefly stepped out, claiming I was going to the restroom.
While walking down the hallway, I heard voices coming from the office.
“Thanks for the invitation.”
“Yeah, it was a long trip. So what are you going to do now?”
“I prepared a surprise performance that the kids will love.”
“A surprise performance…? Just make sure it doesn’t get too chaotic, and come back quickly. You’re busy anyway and don’t have time to mess around here.”
“Tell the person who just arrived to come back quickly… that’s too much.”
“….”
“You don’t need to worry about me. I purposely avoided busy hours to come here, so I have plenty of time.”
What a friendly conversation.
Poor Isaac, though.
It was clear he was interested in Red. Perhaps this visit was an attempt to get closer to her.
The problem was that Red disliked Isaac. She didn’t even try to hide it.
She openly acted like “I don’t like you,” yet Isaac just kept smiling.
If it were up to me, I’d want to tell him to stop obsessing over a love that couldn’t come to fruition and just give up.
‘That’s a lost cause.’
As I was comforting Isaac in my mind while turning back, I heard another voice and paused.
“Um, Red. The representative didn’t come with bad intentions; he came to see the kids. I think that attitude is rather rude.”
Was that the woman standing behind Isaac? I probably thought she was a Solver too.
She spoke candidly, not pleased with Red’s attitude.
The atmosphere was becoming unease.
“My attitude? This is how I am. You know my personality well.”
“I still don’t understand. What exactly did he do to you for you to treat him like this? Why not just tell me the reason straight?”
“Don’t worry about me; I’m fine, so don’t get worked up.”
“The representative is being so humble, and that’s why Red is acting like this.”
“The kids will hear you. Lower your voice.”
This isn’t a place I should be.
I could easily guess the mood beyond the door.
I quietly slipped away.
When I returned to the room with the children, it felt like a breath of fresh air.
Seeing my unusual expression, Lena looked at me with a puzzled face.
“Lily, what’s wrong? Did you see a bug in the restroom?”
I nodded.
Lena’s face paled slightly.
The adults’ issues shouldn’t concern the kids.
Let them figure it out on their own.
*
We stepped outside.
We were there to watch the performance Isaac had prepared. The kids were comfortably sitting on the grass under the blanket, eagerly waiting for the show to begin.
The children whispered excitedly to each other.
“I can’t wait.”
“It’s been a long time since I saw a performance, so I’m thrilled.”
“Thump thump…”
The children’s faces were brimming with excitement and anticipation.
I was feeling excited too.
Now that I think about it, one of the reasons Isaac was so popular with the kids was that he always put on fun shows, as I read in a magazine.
At that moment, Lena lightly tapped my arm.
I turned my head.
Lena was smiling brightly and said in a low voice.
“It’s your first time, right? Isaac’s ice performance.”
I nodded.
“It’s really beautiful. You’ll definitely love it too, Lily.”
Hearing that made me all the more excited.
I hoped it would be a performance that wouldn’t disappoint.
Suddenly, the earlier events in the room resurfaced in my mind, and I glanced at Red and the Solver named Nina.
They stood there quietly, as if nothing had happened. It seemed they were suppressing their feelings in front of the kids.
Yeah, they shouldn’t argue in front of the children.
At that moment, music began to flow from the machine left on the grass.
As soft and sweet melodies filled the air, Isaac started to move.
Isaac lightly snapped his fingers.
Then, tiny ice particles gathered in his hand, taking shape and quickly forming into an ice bird.
The bird moved as if it was alive.
When he let the bird fly, it soared into the sky.
The bird circled above us, and delicate ice particles fell slowly like snow.
The children held their breath.
Clap!
All the kids turned their eyes toward Isaac.
As he clapped his hands, a wave of coldness emanated from beneath his feet, spreading rapidly.
It brushed past us, but surprisingly, it wasn’t that cold.
‘Amazing.’
As I marveled at it, new shapes began to appear in that brief moment.
Isaac created various designs and began weaving a story that matched the flowing music.
A tale that was sad, beautiful, yet nostalgic.
Everyone was captivated by the colorful and dream-like presentation.
‘Incredible.’
Everyone was entranced by the story he created.
Even the children’s breaths were hushed.
Perhaps the kids wished this performance wouldn’t end.
Like someone lost in dreams forever within a cold slumber.
Yet, there’s no story that doesn’t have an ending. It was time to wake up.
No matter how much one wishes, the pages must turn toward the end.
Once the last page was read, like closing a book, Isaac’s story also came to a close.
As every tale does, it ended on a happy note.
All the ice sculptures shattered at once, and ice particles floated in the air.
Sparkling.
The tiny pieces shimmered in the sunlight.
I could hear sniffles. Some kids were teary-eyed.
While the other children were lost in the afterglow of the performance, I was thinking about Isaac’s previous altercations.
Though he was an amateur in martial arts, his talent in magic was commendable.
Correction: it was in the realm of talent.
I couldn’t help but admire his divine tricks.
And deep down in my mind, it was etched that he shouldn’t be taken lightly as an opponent.
If he became an enemy, things could get a bit troublesome.
Silence fell in the yard.
Then suddenly, cheers erupted, and applause rained down.
I too clapped for him, who showcased such an amazing performance.
*
After the performance, Isaac continued to spend time with the kids.
Playing with them and showing off his magic, keeping the kids thrilled.
The sound of the children’s pure laughter resonated throughout the orphanage for some time.
However, it seemed Isaac was quite interested in me, as he repeatedly asked the kids questions about me.
“How long has Lily been here?”
“How did she end up here?”
“What kind of life did she have before coming here?”
Of course, the innocent kids answered Isaac’s questions honestly.
Naturally, the children didn’t know much, and I could see a peculiar look of disappointment on their faces each time.
Even during dinner, his curiosity didn’t wane.
“Even from the first time I saw her, that girl is wearing a mask.”
“She doesn’t want to show her face to others.”
“Is there a reason?”
“I’m not sure. But it’s probably not a good story.”
“Have you seen what’s inside that mask?”
“No.”
He also asked Red about me.
Maybe that’s why I found Isaac a bit uncomfortable.
Of course, it’s hard not to feel strange when someone persistently questions you about your life. He often glanced my way while playing with the kids.
It felt like he was too conscious of me.
In the beginning, I had no thoughts. I thought it was fine seeing him being kind to the kids. But now, it felt suspicious.
And naturally, I became very curious about why Red disliked him.
‘Could he be a lolicon…!?’
Shuddering.
If so, it all adds up, but making a rash conclusion is unwise.
Even so, I tucked the possibility into the back of my mind.
Since then, the days of Isaac visiting the orphanage increased.