"SHOOO DELISHIOUSH!!!"

"HYUNG! ITS SO GOOD!"

"Don't talk while eating, it's bad manners."

"Yes Noona."

Ark couldn't help but let out a smile at the sight of twenty young kids eating nonstop.

"Don't forget to thank Noona. She helped with the cooking."

"THANK YOU NOONA!"

"I didn't do that much though..."

Soyeon gave Ark a resentful glare.

"How do you even cook this well? The kids never behave this way when I cook. Maybe my food just tastes bad..."

The whole room sank ten degrees as Soyeon started to mutter gloomily.

The kids sensed this and immediately reassured her, or at least, tried to.

"It's not that Nona's food is bad but it's Judith that hyung's food is too good."

Soyeon was enveloped in a dark aura.

"True, Hyung's food is like a god's blessing."

Soyeon turned around and gave Ark a blank look that gave Ark a feeling of extreme danger.

"Hyung also us with us better."

Soyeon slowly inches towards a knife that was lying on the table while still blankly staring at Ark.

Should I book it?

Ark got ready to run away, just to be safe.

"I like Hyung, but I like Noona better because she lives with us."

Instantly, the black aura that enveloped Soyeon cleared and Soyeon let out a triumphant gaze towards Ark. The knife was left alone.

Sighing in relief at the sight of the once again happy Soyeon, Ark gave the kids a thumbs up when Soyeon wasn't looking.

The kids did the same.

I love these kids.

Ark made sure to give the kids more food than usual.

After the kids were finished eating and the dishes were cleaned, the kids surrounded Ark and chanted.

"LETS PLAY LETS PLAY!"

Ark sighed before letting out another smile.

"What do you want to play?"

"DRESS UP!"

"TAG!"

"HOUSE!"

"A PLAY!"

"I'm not playing dress up. You can play that with Unni."

Soyeon glared at Ark with a face full of hate.

"Isn't Unni very pretty, she will make a very good dress up victi- person."

"Unni lets go play."

"Come on Noona."

"Ah wait, let me just-"

Soyeon was dragged away by the girls who wanted to play dress up.

Ark turned around and faced the remaining boys and a few girls.

"What do you guys want to play?"

"I WANT TO PLAY-"

"Decide and agree what to play with the group. Until then, I won't play with you guys."

After a few minutes of intense arguments from little kids, they came up with a game that they all wanted to play.

"We want to play hide and seek."

Ark lifted his eyebrows.

"Who's the seeker."

"HYUNG!"

"Are you sure?"

"YES!"

Ark let out a devilish smile.

"I'll give you five minutes to hide, only in the building, no going outside, and no using magic or your abilities."

"You can't use it either, ok Hyung?"

"Deal."

Ark closed his eyes and started to count.

"One... two... three..."

"HURRY UP AND RUN!"

"EVERYBODY HIDE FROM THE ASSASSIN HYUNG!"

I thought this was hide and seek? Why is it that I'm an assassin now?

After five minutes had passed, Ark set out to leisurely walk around the place.

"Hey Jin, I can see you behind the door. Come out."

"HOW CAN THIS BE?!"

Jin came out from behind the door and screamed.

"ARGHHH, THE ASSASSIN HAS GOT JIN RUN AWAY MY FRIENDS! Did I die first?"

"Yeah."

Laughing at the depressed boy, Ark patted his head.

"It's ok, you can help me find people now."

Noticing that Jin was still feeling down, Ark let out another smile.

"Plus, you are on the winning team now."

Jin instantly came back to life and smiled, before running around the house screaming.

—————————————————————

In a dark room, there was a kid crouching down with an evil smile.

"Hahahaha, Hyung will never find me here. I am the invisible! The great! The shadow! The one who hides in the dark-"

The boy heard footsteps and immediate froze and stopped moving. The boy was sweating bullets as the footsteps got closer and closer.

Did he hear me?

After the footsteps went away, the boy continued on with his speech.

"Hahahaha, the great shadow has stricken again."

The boy contemptuously preached in a very quiet manner, seeming to have learned his lesson from last time.

"When I wish for none to find me, none shall find me-"

"Found you~"

"HEEEEEEEEK!?"

Every minute, a squeal similar to this would sound out as one child after the other fell to the dreaded assassin...

—————————————————————

"Ok no more playing."

"But why?"

"It's bed time."

"I DON'T WANNA SLEEP!"

"Sleep."

"I DON'T WANNA-"

"Sleep."

"... yes ma'am."

Giggling, the children went to their respected beds and prepared to sleep.

"Good night."

"Good night Noona."

"Good night Unni."

"Sleep tight, and don't-"

"Let the bed bugs bite, we know Hyung."

"Hahahaha..."

"Good night OPPA."

"Good night."

After closing the door to the bedrooms, Soyeon collapsed.

"You ok Noona?"

She gave me a hateful glare.

"You try playing dress up, it's a nightmare, the kids are picky. Long hair or short? Dresses or pants? Make up or no make up?"

"Pink ribbon or red ribbon?"

Ark added with a shrug.

"NOT THE RIBBONS! DON'T MENTION RIBBONS!"

Ark glance at the pitiful Soyeon and crouched down next to her.

"Need a shoulder?"

"... Yes, thank you."

Ark helped Soyeon down the stairs and sat down together on a sofa.

After a minute of silence, Soyeon spoke.

"I really admire you Ark?"

"Huh?"

Surprised at the sudden comment, Ark raised his eyebrows.

"Why is that?"

Soyeon glanced out the window with a sad gaze.

"These kids... have no parents... no easy future... you don't get paid to yet you still come here to play with them. There are no apparent benefits yet you still help them. That's what I admire..."

Ark followed her gaze out the window.

"I think you too are worthy of admiration."

"..."

"You think that all orphanages are this well off? They are only this happy because of you. Because you are supporting them."

"I'm doing it for myself."

"It doesn't matter, you are still helping the children."

They stared at the slowly rising silvery moon in utter silence.

"Are you not going to ask why I take care of the children."

Ark stared at the moon with a slight expression of melancholy.

"What you want to keep to yourself is yours to keep."

"..."

"... it's getting late, I should go."

"Bye Ark."

"Bye Noona."

Just as Ark was about to leave, Soyeon abruptly stood up.

"Why do you care for the kids Ark?"

Ark continued towards the door and opened it before stopping to turn around. The moonlight revolves around him causing him to look like an one eyed angel that descended from the night sky.

"I just wish to give the children something I never had. I wish for these kids to grow as kids who still enjoy and laugh carefree."

Ark turned his back towards the orphanage before slowly shrinking into the darkness.

Right before he completely disappeared, Ark glanced back at Soyeon, revealing an black eye with a vortex swirl of white filled with sorrow.

"I wish for these kids to experience a life that is nothing like mine.

Soyeon stood there in front of the open doorway staring at the spot Ark just disappeared from. She sighed and glanced at the endless expanse of tiny little specks of light.

"Just... just what did you experience Ark..."