Chapter 175: Tsundere and Dense
Just like that, a few more years passed.
Ariel and the others had reached the age where they could live outside on their own.
Cruelly, her physical growth had stopped years ago, making her look much younger than her actual age.
One day.
She saw a familiar figure on the television.
The male idol on screen was originally a chimera who had gone out into the world from this very orphanage.
His appearance was indistinguishable from ordinary humans, and he was even more beautiful than most, which was why he had stepped into the entertainment industry.
Beside Ariel, a dragon-kin girl glared fiercely at the screen.
Because the boy wanted to become an idol, the girl had quarreled with him, and they parted ways.
Feeling that the boy had turned his back on the orphanage, the girl simply couldn't forgive him.
At that time, more and more children were leaving, but except for the boy who became an idol, they would all return from time to time.
Ariel, unable to grow, still lived her life in a wheelchair.
The children who left shared a common thought—they couldn't rely on the orphanage forever—and gradually began to become independent.
Those left behind were children like Ariel or the dragon-kin girl, who had nowhere else to go.
Ariel shifted her gaze from the television to the work in her hands.
She was currently embroidering a handkerchief.
Although she couldn't go outside, she still wanted to do something.
Sometimes, selling the stuffed dolls she made brought in a bit of extra pocket money, even if it was pitifully scarce.
Everyone was becoming independent, leaving her all alone, which felt rather lonely.
Just then, a young man wearing an eyestrap returned. Hearing the voice on the television, he lamented how hard the idol youth was working.
But the dragon-kin girl didn't think so, even mentioning rumors that he was selling his looks.
The eyestrap youth expressed that the boy wasn't that kind of person.
Ariel also felt the girl was being a bit too harsh.
The girl refused to back down. "Ariel-chan, you're actually taking his side too?"
"He's doing all of this for the sake of everyone."
The idol youth sent the vast majority of the money he earned back to the orphanage, mainly for the sake of companions like Ariel who couldn't go out to work.
More precisely, it was for the sake of the dragon-kin girl who was complaining about him.
Because no matter how one looked at it, the two were mutually in love.
The girl muttered, "Hmph, I don't need that guy to do this for me at all."
"You should have a proper talk with him."
"No way. Not unless he contacts me first, though that guy doesn't even come back anymore."
In the end, the two never managed to reconcile.
Ariel continued to weave the handkerchief in her hands.
It wasn't meant to be sold, but rather to be given as a gift.
The eyestrap youth had returned again, and she happened to be embroidering a handkerchief for him.
The one with the eyestrap was blind, so Ariel deliberately embroidered the texture with more pronounced ridges. Not just for him, she planned to make handkerchiefs for everyone in the orphanage, to be distributed once they were all completed.
She wanted to use them as proof, so that everyone would remember she had once lived.
The handkerchiefs would be her mementos.
Ariel's health had never taken a turn for the better, and feeling that her time was short, she hoped everyone would remember her.
Ariel didn't tell anyone why she was making the handkerchiefs.
However, the eyestrap youth, who acted like the leader of the orphanage, had long since guessed her thoughts.
Even though Ariel was worried she might suddenly kick the bucket one day and was in a hurry to finish the handkerchiefs early.
She still didn't want to cut corners because of it, carefully working stitch by stitch, with every single stitch harboring her thoughts for that person.
Ever since everyone became independent, she felt as though she had been left behind by everyone.
Yet, the one who would ultimately leave everyone behind first was bound to be herself.
However, in the very end, the one left behind turned out to be herself.
...
One day.
Gulie came to the orphanage to look for Sariel.
The originally arrogant Gulie, after grasping human common sense, had gradually begun to interact more with Sariel.
As time went on, through their casual daily interactions, Gulie had slowly been won over.
Ariel told Gulie, "Goddess Sariel has gone out."
"Is that so."
Looking somewhat disappointed, he handed the snacks he had brought to Ariel.
Perhaps taking her physical condition into consideration, the snacks Gulie brought every time were easily digestible things like fruit jelly.
Ariel silently complained, "If only you could pour even a fraction of this consideration onto Goddess Sariel."
"If you want to see her that badly, why don't you honestly express your happiness when you meet?"
Gulie's old face flushed red as he defended himself, "It's not like that at all, don't read too much into it."
"You're always like this. Goddess Sariel is already dense to a thoroughly despairing degree in this regard, and yet you still..."
"I already said, it's really not like that."
Faced with Gulie's tsundere behavior, Ariel gave a massive sigh, "Sigh, whatever, as long as you're happy."
Gulie hurriedly changed the subject, "Are you embroidering a handkerchief?"
"Mm, I'll make one for you too."
Ariel couldn't go outside, so Gulie, who frequently visited this place, naturally became the closest presence besides their own family.
"You should still make one for Sariel first."
"I made hers long ago. The very first one I made was for Goddess Sariel."
Gulie gave a couple of light chuckles, gently patting her head. "When you have time, make one for me then. Don't push yourself too hard."
"Sigh, why can't you direct this bit of tenderness toward Sa—"
"I already said, it's not like that." Right at that moment, Sariel happened to return, giving Gulie quite a fright.
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