Tale of the Antonym of Friendship

V#1 Chapter 1-Building of the Battlefield(Part 3)(+extra)

Part 3

"Actions depend on the situation they are taken in, while emotions depend on the entity they are directed at."

-Shiroyama Seniichi, The AoF storyteller

[7th of December, 1997; 7:34 hrs]

[Private Orphanage "Children's Hope", Taketomi, Okinawa Prefecture]

"Sis! Hey, where are you? Sis ~ ........Oi...", a teenager's voice echoes from the far end of the corridor. It belongs to my little brother, Shishio.

"I am here, in the backyard......."

Our orphanage, named "Children's Hope", is a private organization located in the heart of the village of Taketomi. Still serving as a non-profit NGO, it takes in orphans who have nowhere to go. Of course, we, the staff here, which includes me, my brother Shishio and our maid, Marika-san, serve as the guardians of all these kids- currently eight in number, four boys and girls each. We make sure they get proper exposure to their childhood so that they face their adulthood with pride. We take care of their education, housing, nutrition and overall personality development. Out of the eight kids, six are from Taketomi, one from Hokkaido and one from Nara. I found the last two kids at a government funded child community center, where I adopted them formally, as well as informally. Other six kids were born here in the village, and due to unfortunate accidents, lost their parents, after which, the village authorities, upon the request of my mother, Kogasaki Tamako, handed over the responsibilities of the kids to the orphanage. Unfortunate enough, my mother passed away almost two years back due to pancreatic cancer, an incurable and deadly condition. It was just an year after my father rode to the heavens, owing to an accident.

From that day, I, Kogasaki Shiori, left my college and devoted myself as the warden and in-charge of the orphanage. Ah, it is not like I was forced into leaving my studies by our condition. I did it on my own accord. Don't they say- "Any information which leads to the common benefit of all, is called education. If the information leads to your benefit solely, it is just knowledge. " So it is fine. My actions were important for these kids, as well as my family, so I think that skipping college midway was fine. Moreover, let me tell you this – I am a fan of my parents. The ones who set up this beautiful place. The ones who set up the lives of abandoned and left-out children. Today, when the adults, who were once children belonging to this place, come and greet us, it feels as if I go and shout out to the angels in heaven – "Hey! Can you see this person, God in heaven?! Will you take a look at them?! They are the kids that my mom and dad created. Look how magnificent their souls are! Look at their actions, praise their understanding and bless their virtues! For they have become fine creatures, getting finer and finer, as the clock ticks."

Pfft...... just kidding. But I also want to walk on the same steps and create humans out of these kids, the same way as them. And then, wait for that blessed day when their adult forms come to see me. Wouldn't that be the best feeling ever? Though I would be an old person by then. Probably.

"Sis! Again? Aren't you always sitting in the backyard?"

My brother, came from the corridor, standing behind me, as I was staring at the bonsai collection maintained by Marika-san. It is her hobby, or you can say, a pleasure. I remember her being so engrossed in those bonsai trees that once she guarded them whole night in the winter when there was a threat of cats coming inside the garden in search of a place to sleep. Seriously, I get they look cute, but I do not find them interesting enough to spend sleepless nights with just them on my mind.

Anyway, as I turned back to answer Shishio, I find that he has already taken a bath. Water is dripping from his hair, a few drops wetting his sweatshirt. Whoa! Black coloured sweatshirt and a white trouser. Seriously, my brother loves contrast on an extreme level. His lower half attire is the exact opposite of his upper half one. Shishio is in his second year of high school, in a private school in Taketomi itself. Though he is a high school student, this brat cannot even wake up by himself in the morning on school days. Though he always wakes up early on leave days. Is it that band practice again? I think piano would have suited his personality much better, compared to those huge guitars.