"No matter what happens, the people that I call my friend will always be by my side."
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For the first time in Azriel's life, he was not freezing and starving in mid-November. Instead, there was a weird warmth and fuzzy feeling in him that made him feel good. He realized that he was safe here, yet the fear was still in him that they would send him back to his old house. In his first week, while Ares would enjoy playing with other children, he would sit in his room talking to only Lucinda and Yeonjun. The nightmares won't go away, and he still couldn't eat much.295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUI4icVQmSc
He was disappointing Lucinda, even though she reassured him, he could see in her eyes that constant worry and despair roamed in them whenever he didn't eat much or reply to someone who talked to him. And he also noticed that now she was a lot busy for the past three days and was always tired, so he didn't want to burden her further than this. Yeonjun always tried to entertain him, keep him busy, and not let him feel lonely.295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmYFFcJtjIj
It's not that he wasn't grateful for their support and help. It's just he felt like a burden and disappointment to them. He wanted to make friends, yet he didn't have the courage to talk to anyone. He wanted to be brave and protect his brother, but he didn't have the courage to do so. He was so useless, so weak. He is an elder brother, who Ares would depend on anytime, but he wasn't like that... he was undependable.
Azriel decided that today, he was going to go and talk to other children at the orphanage. Furthermore, he wanted to make friends. Stepping out of his room, he pumped all the courage he had, and... he went back into his room.
"No, No, no... I can't do it." Azriel whispered to himself in denial. "I am not brave and no one is going to like me either, so what's the point?"295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe7qGN8YdKX
He wished that someone would enter his room and reassure him that he was loved and everyone was going to love him... but no one was going to actually enter... right?295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcx1tw3SpZA
Right at that moment, his door was busted open. The girl panted, her chest going up and down. Before Azriel can even look at her properly and comprehend the situation, she held his hand and rushed out of the room.
"W-what? W-where are you taking me?" he asked in the middle of running, stumbling, and running.295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMv1kiy5EYD
"Just to the playroom for babies! I need to show you something!" She shouted back to him. He could already guess that she was someone younger than him, probably by a year. Her fluffy brown hair was bouncy up and down as she ran through the long hallway.
She busted open the door just like she did with his and screamed that we are here. He panted as he slumped on his knee. "N-now can you-" His words were cut short as he stared at the scene in front of him.295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqtQTQ3yP0E
There it was his brother, trying to walk, towards him while calling him. His little baby brother was taking his first steps. Struggling, he still kept on walking, taking little steps. Once little Ares saw his elder brother, he giggled and beamed, trying to walk faster. Reaching out for his elder brother, Azriel also let out his hands to catch the little one. After stumbling a few more times, he fell into the arms of his older brother, who tightened his grip on him.295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJsN3IgZUSL
"My little Ares has grown so much."295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZo1YBQBfrK
"You love your brother so much, don't you?" The little girl asked him, pouting a little.295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb90R8HLed7
"Doesn't everyone love their siblings?" He answered back, a little confused.295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHCm2nWBKHP
"Of course, they love each other, but you kiss and hug Ares, big bro doesn't..." she pouted even more. According to Azriel, she looked so cute with her cheeks puffed that he wished he could pinch them.295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr8vkih3l5l
"You have a brother?" He inquired, she didn't resemble anyone he had seen before in the orphanage. "And what's your name?"295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHR2VaYN14w
"My name is Chunja and you should know who my big brother is...?" Azriel wondered if she had any other expression than pouting. "We both have Korean names, and you spend a lot of time with him."295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Bxrs8eoux
Korean names...? Who else had her features and name like her? And then it suddenly clicked. "Yeonjun? He is your brother?"295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfeVkmdfW4M
She nodded, proudly, and crossed her arms on her chest.295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoFuC4RsLmz
"How surprising..."295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRjSHlfBuDZ
"You know, you never told me your name."295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡReqoUMAMex
"I already mine at last week's breakfast."295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡatijzVO7fQ
"That was last week, people do forget names of whom they don't see often."295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡferzf2CD6Q
"I have been the talk of the orphanage and yet you don't remember..."295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqCtJJQgq3c
"Oh come one, just tell me your name already!"295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbzGKqoy9wj
He chuckled and raised his hand. "Well, Chunja, my name is Azriel. Nice to meet you."295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZcQBeUcUpe
She held his hand. "Is this how boys make friends, by shaking someone else's hand?"295Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfjafm8wEpX
"Not exactly, but I do it like this since it makes me believe that by shaking hands we are going to be friends always." He continued. "That no matter what happens, the people that I call my friend will always be by my side."
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