Chapter 4 — Silence Beneath the Sun

The sun rose over Sunshine Orphanage, but the usual laughter never came.

The kitchen was too quiet. The chairs were still warm from where he used to sit.

Yukiro was gone.

Mekisa stared at the envelope he’d left on the table — a thick stack of bills neatly tied with a note.

“For the kids. — Y”

Her chest tightened.

She clenched the envelope in her fist and whispered,

 “I don’t want your money, idiot.”

She placed it back on the counter and turned away before her tears could fall.

 Earlier — The Night Before

The memory still replayed like a song stuck on repeat.

Mekisa had stood in the doorway, trembling.

 “Yukiro… how you are connected to Lady Shizuka?”

He didn’t look at her for a long time. When he finally did, his expression was unreadable.

 “This isn’t the right time, Mekisa.”

 “Then when—?”

“When it’s safe for you to know.”

And before she could speak again, he’d left — quietly, like a shadow dissolving at dawn.

Now, the echo of the door closing still haunted her.

 Morning — The Orphanage

The air felt heavier that day. Even the kids sensed it.

Little Yua tiptoed into the kitchen.

 “Mekisa-nee… where’s Yukiro-nii?”

 “He went away for a while,” Mekisa said softly. “He’ll be back when he’s ready.”

But her voice lacked conviction.

Two younger kids began bickering over who got the bigger piece of toast.

Normally, Yukiro would’ve defused it with a joke or a tickle fight.

Today, Mekisa’s patience cracked.

“Enough! Eat quietly, both of you!”

The words came sharper than she meant.

Silence followed. Even she flinched at her tone.

Then Kei stepped forward — tall for fourteen, calm eyes steady.

“Come on, guys,” he said gently, ushering the little ones away.

“Let’s clean the riverside. We’ll surprise Mekisa-nee and show her we can handle things.”

The kids nodded, their small shoulders straightening.

Mekisa watched from the doorway — a quiet ache in her chest.

Kei reminded her of Yukiro… not in looks, but in heart.

 Afternoon — Stillness

The house was finally empty.

Mekisa sat at her desk, fingers tracing the edge of the silver pendant around her neck.

“Maybe… I shouldn’t have asked,” she murmured.

“Maybe if I just trusted him—”

But the thought stopped halfway.

No. She couldn’t depend on anyone else.

“I’ll protect this place on my own,” she whispered.

“I’ll fight alone if I have to.”

Her laptop screen dimmed — the same one that once showed the word Princess.

Now, it reflected her eyes — tired but fierce.

Elsewhere — Yukiro

He sat alone in a small café miles from the orphanage, phone clutched in his hand.

The screen was blank. No messages. No missed calls.

He sighed, thumb brushing over the photo of the orphanage kids laughing by the river.

 “Guess she’s mad,” he muttered.

Then his phone buzzed.

A new message.

From: Lady Shizuka

 “Landing soon. Don’t do anything foolish before I arrive.”

His jaw tightened.

He typed a reply, then deleted it halfway.

“Too late for that,” he whispered.

 Evening — The Call

Rain clouds gathered above the hills.

Mekisa stood by the window, holding a cup of cold tea. The children’s laughter echoed faintly from the riverbanks where Kei supervised them.

For the first time, she allowed herself to smile.

 “He’s really growing up,” she murmured. “Just like Yukiro…”

Then her phone buzzed sharply.

Incoming call — Unknown Number

She hesitated, then answered.

 “Hello?”

A panicked voice burst through the line.

“Is this Miss Mekisa from Sunshine Orphanage?”

“Yes—who is this?”

“This is Hill Station General Hospital. There’s been an accident—”

The world seemed to tilt.

 “Accident? What—who—?”

 “A boy from your orphanage… the one named Kei—”

The phone slipped from her hand and hit the floor, screen cracking.

Outside, the laughter by the river had stopped.

End of Chapter 4