Chapter 13

Main story

0

“Ichiro, stay alive.” With that, my survival is confirmed.

1:1

Please stop me from committing suicide.

2:1

Ready, set, go!

3:1

I

4:1

Tsu

5:1

Chi

6:1

Sei

7:1

Ki

8:1

Ro

9:1

Hey

10:1

Why?

11:1

React, please.

12:1

Someone

13:1

…

14:1

I am the king of light born from darkness, the one who judges evil with the aurora.

15:Anonymous

Suicide is not okay!!!

16:Anonymous

Buzz off.

◆

In conclusion, he had taken the wrong path.

He found himself in a place where the hands of loved ones couldn’t reach him.

Thus, it seemed to be too late.

Kevin Knight.

With black hair and a small stature, his face still retained a childlike, somewhat gender-neutral appearance.

At this moment, his expression wavered slightly with anxiety, considering the pride that even a child like him might possess.

And the reason for this was simple.

…His beloved family, who should have always been by his side.

His mother, Fleur, was no longer there.

Because of that, he had lost his way, strayed from the path, and now he didn’t even know where to go.

He couldn’t move forward at all, only standing still.

He knew he had to move forward.

But still…

Would his mother forgive him for coming this far down the wrong path?

Even so, oh…

The feeling that he might burst into tears.

He endured it, gritted his teeth.

Finally, he reached “that place” with great difficulty.

And what would eventually overflow seemed to tear his own body apart.

Yet, for him, it was almost like a blessing…

[Mrs. Fleur. Your son, Kevin, is waiting at the lost children’s center.]

”….”

On a holiday, Kevin came to the shopping mall with his mother.

Being dragged along by his mother to buy clothes and daily necessities was very painful for him.

However, if he could endure that, what awaited him afterward would be bonus time.

He could go to the toy shop.

With that thought as his only support, he accompanied his mother’s window shopping, but boredom gnawed at his heart, his feet trembled from fatigue, and in that state, he saw it.

The pick-and-mix candy section.

Gummies, candies, and various colorful sweets lined up like a mountain.

Drawn in by the allure, he headed to that place and looked up at the shelves.

And before he knew it, he had lost sight of his mother.

So, it has come to this.

According to the staff, “they’ll come to pick you up soon.” However, there’s no guarantee they won’t leave before that happens.

“Being lost at your age, you’re just like a child~”

And then, there she was.

“Well, compared to clueless me, most kids end up acting ‘childish,’ you know!”

The child stood up from the sofa and reclined. Despite the troublesome vibe, Kevin couldn’t help but get involved.

“…Wait, aren’t you lost too?”

“It’s my mom who’s lost!”

By the way, she was the girl named “Clare,” who arrived after Kevin. Overflowing with confidence, she seemed completely unfazed by being alone—a trait Kevin found slightly enviable. Well, being this self-assured could also be annoying.

Honestly, he didn’t want to get involved. But Clare didn’t seem boring, and talking to her didn’t trigger any anxiety. So, Kevin reluctantly engaged.

“Hey, ‘Keiou-chan,’ say something too!”

And Clare waved around one of the toys in the lost children’s center, a dog-shaped robot (they called it Keiou, but it actually had “KO-m2” written on its head, a serial number they mistook for its name).

“Of course! We’re already besties!” Clare declared.

“Uh, we just met,” Kevin retorted.

“What’s wrong? Don’t you want to be my quirky friend?” Clare shot back.

“Dealing with someone like you would be exhausting,” Kevin sighed.

“What did you say?!”

And unexpectedly, Kevin felt the impact.

“Ugh, sniffle.”

She’s crying!

“Uh, well…”

“Ugh.”

“Because we’re friends! So, um, stop crying!” Kevin tried to console her.

“Yeah, right.”

And, as expected, it was fake tears.

“This girl…!”

“Well, if you put it that way, I might as well make you my ‘Dorei’!” Clare retorted.

“…”

“Ouch! You don’t have to hit me on the head!”

Clare continued to fuss and yell.

…In the end, when the two mothers arrived to mediate, Kevin and Clare were pulling each other’s hair and exchanging blows. Somehow, Kevin ended up taking most of the damage.

“You have to be nice to girls, you know?”

And Kevin felt unfairly scolded by his mother.