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Even from outside the orphanage, the noisy chatter of children could be heard. It was probably because they were all excited to go see the festival that day.
Ivela entered with a cheerful smile, pushing the door open. As expected, the reception room was already in chaos. Some children, who hadn’t finished their meals in the dining room, were crying in fear of being left behind. Others were fighting over what clothes to wear. A few were running wildly indoors, shrieking like birds, and bumping their heads against things.
“I’m here, Sister.”
“Welcome, Bel. It’s hectic trying to get all the kids changed.”
Sister Maria, already looking exhausted as she helped a six-year-old put on socks, greeted Ivela. The orphanage housed children from newborns up to nine years old, but only those six and older were going to the festival. Even though the children had already come down dressed, several had already lost hats, socks, and other items. They were supposed to take a commemorative photo for the building’s completion before leaving, so Sister Maria was even busier than usual.
“I’ll help. Should I bring everyone here?”
“That would be a big help. Thankfully, Tei came early and is looking after the older ones. I’m so grateful.”
“Tei?”
Ivela blinked at Sister Maria. She thought she’d misheard—she hadn’t made any plans with him, and Tei was not the type to approach the children on his own.
“Oh? I thought you two arranged this?”
“Well, actually—”
“Beeeellll!”
Just as Ivela was fumbling for an answer, a familiar voice called to her from afar. There was only one child who could stretch her name into such a cute, high-pitched sound—Siena.
As she turned toward the voice, Ivela froze at the unexpected sight. Tei, the one who had supposedly arrived early, was standing there holding Siena in his arms. His tall figure and broad shoulders made Siena look like a tiny doll.
Though it was Siena who had called her, Ivela’s eyes were drawn, almost unconsciously, to Tei.
That day, he wore trousers, a shirt, and a light coat—simpler than usual. Yet despite the simplicity, he looked neat and effortlessly stylish. With every slight movement, the fabric of his shirt revealed the lines of his chest and the taper of his waist leading to his long legs. Looking at him, she was reminded of a statue carved by a famous sculptor.
“Hi, Bel.”
Tei greeted her with a gentle smile. His dark eyes softened through his loose hair, his sharp gaze tilting delicately, and the corners of his lips lifting slightly. He didn’t smile often, but when he did, it was a beautiful sight.
Something inside her tensed and then began to pound. It was just an ordinary meeting, yet she felt strangely elated, more so than usual. Moments ago she had been dreading the busy day ahead, but suddenly she was looking forward to it.
Caught off guard by her own change of mood, she forced a calm smile.
“What’s going on, Tei? Siena, come here.”
She held out her arms to take Siena, partly to steady her racing heart—but Siena turned her head sharply away.
“No. Siena likes Tei.”
What a shocking betrayal. They’d only met once, but clearly Siena found Tei very charming.
“I woke up a bit late today, so I came straight here. I figured they could use some extra hands.”
“You should’ve said something first. You startled me.”
She tried to stifle the grin spreading across her face and shot him a mock-annoyed look. Still, Tei’s presence was a blessing for the orphanage. Only four nuns were available to take the children to the festival, and the head nun had suddenly been called away to the main convent. The last time she’d mentioned this to Tei, he hadn’t seemed very interested—but apparently he had remembered. Maybe he was more thoughtful than he liked to appear.
“Tei’s coming to the festival too, right?”
“Yes. I’m coming, Siena.”
He replied naturally, even with a small smile, though not in an overly affectionate way. It was still a big improvement from his usual distant demeanor.
“I’m going to marry Tei!”
Out of nowhere, Siena began repeating the stubborn declaration she’d made the day before.
“Are you stupid? Tei told you yesterday—adults marry adults,” said Gordon, who had appeared, neatly dressed, looking at his little sister in disbelief. Everyone tensed, expecting Siena to burst into tears, but her reaction was unexpected.
She puffed up her chubby cheeks, grabbed Tei’s face with her small hands, and stared straight into his eyes. And instead of pulling away, Tei patiently let her.
“Then Tei, be my dad!”
“…What?”
He looked genuinely confused. Both Ivela and Sister Maria froze in shock. Siena had never said anything like that to any of the many donors and volunteers who’d passed through. Many were far kinder and gentler than Tei—so why him? His looks, perhaps?
Instinctively, Ivela studied Tei’s expression. He was somewhat used to children now, but this situation had to be uncomfortable for him.
“Come on, Tei, be my daaaaad!”
When no one answered, Siena began to whine.
“Quiet, Siena! Not just anyone can be our dad!” Gordon snapped. But Ivela noticed how he was watching the adults nervously—worried that Tei’s cold response might hurt Siena.
Tei said nothing, and Sister Maria came over to take Siena away.
“Teiiii!”
Siena’s wailing echoed as she was carried off.
“…That was a bit unexpected,” Tei finally said, looking at Ivela. She awkwardly patted his shoulder.
“One day, you’ll make a really good father.”
The day was clear and perfect for photos. The nuns and children lined up in front of the orphanage building. Ivela and Tei deliberately stepped aside so the commemorative photo would focus on the children. The older ones stood relatively still, but the younger ones were restless. Only the threat of being left behind made them behave.
“All right, everyone, don’t move!” the photographer shouted, ducking under the black cloth of his camera.
“One, two—”
“Wait a moment!”
Sister Maria raised her hand to stop him.
“Bel, Tei! Come join the photo quickly!”
“Oh, no, Sister, we—”
“Hurry! If the kids start moving again, it’ll be chaos!”
She gestured urgently. Ivela glanced at Tei, worried he’d hate this kind of situation.
“Hurry, Beeeel! Teiiii!”
Siena started wriggling again, and the other children followed suit. The photographer stuck his head out, frowning impatiently.
“Let’s go,” Tei sighed, stepping toward the children. Ivela laughed and followed him. They stood side by side in the back row, far right.
Finally, everyone was together in one shot.
“All right. One, two, three!”
Click. A flash of white light burst from the camera.
The city of Emerville was buzzing with festival excitement. Buildings were decorated with fabric and ribbons, horse-drawn carriages adorned with flowers trotted down the streets, and people in fine clothes flocked toward places filled with music, food, and performances.
The orphanage group was headed to Greenville Park, the largest and most crowded spot in Emerville. As they walked with the children, music could be heard from afar. The older kids were already itching to run off, while the younger ones looked around wide-eyed, overwhelmed by all the sights.
“Okay, everyone, look here!”
When they reached the fountain in the center of the park, Sister Maria clapped her hands sharply. She called out the names of the children assigned to each teacher and gave instructions. Each group had about ten children, with around three older ones who were likely to run off and play on their own.
Naturally, Ivela and Tei were paired together. They led their group toward an area where a circus performance was taking place. They seated the six children on the grass and sat behind them together.
Clowns in funny costumes bowed and performed tricks. A sharply dressed magician appeared and made objects disappear. Monkeys, parrots, and dogs performed as well.
The children were utterly fascinated, watching with wide eyes and gasps, and their delight made Ivela smile warmly.
“I’m glad you get to see the Emerville Festival,” she said, clapping and leaning slightly toward Tei.
“Yeah. I think I’ll remember this forever,” he replied, also clapping as he leaned toward her.
The show continued, and after a while, Tei spoke softly, almost to himself.
“Kids are strange.”
“What do you mean?”
“They say whatever they want without holding back. They’re so pure that it’s brutal.”
Someone else might not have understood what he meant, but Ivela did immediately. He was still thinking about Siena’s request earlier and his inability to respond.
“You were surprised when Siena asked you to be her dad, weren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“You’ve really never thought about it before?” she asked curiously. She herself had given up on marriage early in life, so she’d never imagined being a mother—but most people, she thought, imagined having children someday.
