CH 21

In a small eatery about a hundred meters from the orphanage, a silence threatened to make Zel insane as he felt stupid for asking three times in a row now. Beside him was Emilia on his left while Charles was on the other side.

"Hey! Big brother Zel!" Tina who was sitting on Emilia's lap pulled the hem of his shirt while using her other hand to give him a sign to come closer.

"Big brother said that he would buy me hot noodles if he ever got to save money for them." She whispered softly.

Zel just nodded his head while staring at the young waitress who was looking around the shop. The shop itself wasn't the best looking one in the neighborhood, but the people eating here looked like they were enjoying themselves. He raised his hand up to call the seemingly waiting waitress.

'So many kids! Is he running an orphanage or something? So handsome and yet, so kind.' The waitress who seemed to be a young woman around her 20's was getting a little too close for Zel's comfort so he lightly coughed and tried to signal the woman to back off. But it didn't seem to work because she got closer instead.

"Yes? What's your order?" Meimei looked at the man's eyes intently. She wanted to at least see if the man would get interested in her.

"Umm. Can we get 39 bowls of Wuhan Noodles, 8 family-size dumplings and 8 Peking ducks, please." But Zel who was looking at the menu didn't even bother. He could feel the little hand of Tina still holding on to his shirt and he couldn't help but feel like he was needed.

"Oh, that's a lot of food." Trying to get his attention once more, Meimei tried to do some small talk.

"Well, I got a lot of kids." Zel rubbed the back of his hand and leaned on Emilia like he was pointing at her. It was her request to take care of these kids before they are handled after all.

"Gasp." The young woman was surprised about his statement. His gentle smile made her think that he wasn't lying and now she looked towards the girl by his side with a worried gaze.

'How can a woman like that pump out so much...'

Seeing that the atmosphere was getting weird, little Tina went ahead and screamed towards her friends.

"Big brother is treating us! He said don't be shy or the food will go to waste!"

"Yehey!" The kids were still not able to accept the fact that a beautiful couple just went in to their home and beat up the two devils.

Even more unbelievable was when he took them out and asked them "What do you guys want?".

Having never really eaten any of the food here, as well as the fact that only 3 of them were able to read made them respond to him with a numbing silence. If only Zel had thought about the fact that most of the kids here were under 9 years old and none were given any worthwhile education.

The kids were now looking forward to the meal they would have, as it might just be the best thing they'll ever eat. A few children couldn't help but cry at the thought of finally getting something to eat other than soup.

A couple of them were even moving towards Zel and held out their hands to give him something.

"Big brother, this is my money."

"Yeah, this one's mine big brother!"

The pair of boys who were the start of the ruckus now brought over all the money they had. The smaller of the two brought a dollar while the one who got slapped gave five. Zel shook his head and it made them panic for a while thinking that he might hit them or worse, not give them food.

It was further made apparent that their fears were coming true when they saw that Zel's hands were now moving towards their head. The two closed their eyes while tears had already formed in the younger one's eyes.

"You guys keep it. Like Tina said, this is my treat. That means you guys can eat whatever you want, and you only need to leave happy and full. I don't need you guys to pay anything, ok?"

The outstretched hands were doing something they unexpected as a warm feeling washed over their tired bodies. The hands that petted their small heads was big enough to kill them in one strike, but instead of hurting them, they gave them comfort.

The crying boy couldn't help it anymore and hugged Zel's left leg while crying out loud. The other seemed to be unable to hold back as well and took the other one.

Emilia also held her hand out to calm down the younger of the pair who seemed to be wailing his throat sore with how much pain his cry exuded. Little Tina also held her hand out to try and pacify the other boy, copying her big sister.

"It's alright now, those people who hurt you are gone. We promise that the people who would replace them will be much better."

"What? No!" Tina's shout instantly stopped the children's crying. They had also heard the big sister talk so they didn't understand Tina's reaction. Her happy smile turned into the cutest crying face that Emilia had ever seen, and she couldn't help but think about what she said that caused such a reaction.

"You're going to leave us big sister?"

"Well, ummm..." Emilia looked towards Zel who was giving out his trademark gentle smile. He shook his head and she knew what he meant. After all, helping them out by reporting this to the authorities was already more than enough of a good deed.

Doing more would just be a burden that they don't have to carry, especially when it comes to raising children.

When Tina looked at where Emilia was looking and saw that Zel shook his head, her heart felt like it was broken into pieces. The heroes she had heard from her friends and big brother were always helping other people. She thought that she found those heroes in the beautiful couple, but reality brought her back.

'No one wants Tina after all, even mommy and daddy didn't want Tina. Why would these heroes want her?'

It was then that Tina felt a pair of arms wrapped themselves around her. Then she broke free from that line of thought.

She was never alone, it wasn't like that. She always had her big brother with her, she knew he would be with her always. But then she heard his next words.

"Big brother Zel, big sister Emilia, do you want to adopt my sister Tina?"

"Gasp." Audible gasps were heard around the otherwise silent store. Some of the kids wanted to shout 'unfair' but knowing that they had almost no contact with the beautiful couple, none of them dared.

'What if they were also going to hurt them'

They knew it was wrong. They were both jealous and scared to ask. It was hard to change their mentality with just one gesture of good will. They might be safe for today but what about tomorrow? What if the devils they were freed from turned back and shackled them again? Who would help them then?

More cries were heard but the little girl who was held in the arms of her brother didn't move. Her brain stopped for a few seconds until her face flushed red in anger.

"Smack."

"Ow! What the heck, Tina?" Charles rubbed his right shoulder that felt like it was going to swell. It was the exact place that he was hit on a while ago, he hasn't fully healed yet.

"Don't what the heck me, big brother! You said we'll be together forever! Why are you throwing Tina away? Do you not like Tina anymore?"

"There's no way that's true! Tina is the most important person for big brother ok? I just wanted you to be happier!"

"But, but, Tina is happy with big brother!" Tina hugged her brother tightly while her head was now plastered on his small chest. Her voice was muffled but the words that came out of her mouth was still heard by Charles and the couple.

"Please don't leave me too, big brother!"

Charles knew he made a mistake, he shouldn't have done that. He was so sure of his decision to ask because he knew that the pair were good people. So good that they would help strangers without expecting anything in return.

Then he felt his little sister's head look up and those blue eyes of her's were now awaiting his reply.

"I won't, big brother won't leave you. Stop crying now, ok?" Charles looked at his surroundings and saw that they were all looking at them. His face was blushing in embarrassment, so much so that he wanted to stop, but his sister came first.

"Mmm." Tina nodded her head but didn't let him go. Charles had to coax her back so that she would calm down but turns out he didn't need to.

"Dinner is served!" An old lady went out of the kitchen with a cart of food in front of her. The spicy smell and sweet fragrance mixed together and cause a rather loud symphony of stomach grumbles to sound out.

"Pfft. Haha!"

The whole store was filled with laughter, with even Charles and Tina joining in. They didn't see that Zel was now texting on his phone while Emilia was chiding him from the side. He was only smiling even with her doing so and instead just showed her what he was texting.

When she saw what he wrote, and to whom he wrote it, a smile blossomed on her face and she gave him a quick peck on the lips.

"You look so hot right now, you know that?"

"I'm always like this." Zel made a serious face as he gave Emilia a quick peck on the lips, as if having to even out the score.

"Pfft. Yes, yes. That's my tiger."

It seems that more good news awaited the orphan kids.