I brought the children back to the orphanage, still with Toga's words and outburst echoing in my head.
I can't do much for her right now, other than, of course, being there, by her side, as someone who understands her and can listen.
I don't have Naomasa's or Nemuri's contact information, much less a cellphone to call them. The most internet access I have is the orphanage's computer, which the caretakers let me use from time to time.
The only thing I do have is the contact card of the lawyer who is Naomasa's friend. Maybe if Toga manages to gather some proof, she could get emancipated as well.
I already had a conversation earlier with the director about my emancipation. She said she can give permission, but only when I turn 13. Previously she had said 15, but I managed to negotiate with her.
She explained a lot to me about emancipation. In fact, it's much less bureaucratic than I thought, because children with Quirks that directly or indirectly increase intelligence and maturity are significantly common.
Because of that, these kinds of processes are more streamlined.
With the director's help, I also took a look at the amount of money I have saved from the hospital compensation.
It's an okay amount, enough to support two people for about 2 or 3 years, including rent, groceries, and bills like water and electricity.
That is, if some kind of crisis doesn't happen that changes the numbers I saw on the computer while doing the comparisons and calculations.
It would be good to get a part-time job or find another way to earn more money just to be safe, you never know when something might go wrong.
I'll keep the bank money as an emergency fund or for getting through high school, in case what I manage to save on my own isn't enough.
I just don't know if Toga would agree to be emancipated. She doesn't seem very happy living with her parents, and I doubt things can improve for her while she's still in that house… it must be suffocating to live like that.
I'll leave that question for the future, it's important that she understands what this decision really means.
For now, I should earn some money by helping the orphanage caretakers, at least enough to buy something useful for myself. I don't think I'll be able to get a part-time job anytime soon, since I'm very young, and employers probably won't hire someone who hasn't even started middle school.
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After dinner, I sit in a chair watching the children run around the orphanage. Extremely bored, playing with the kids isn't a good idea, most of them are still afraid of me, except for Willow and the others who were at the park.
Most of the available books are either children's books or textbooks. I even read a few children's books, but the textbooks are terribly boring, still, I forced myself to read some of them too.
The orphanage TV doesn't show many cartoons. Most of the time, it's being used by the caretakers to watch the news while they gossip in the common room…
I need a hobby, or I'll end up dying of boredom in this place. I can't just sit around watching time pass when I have nothing to do.
My eyes wander across the murals painted with vibrant colors and drawings and scribbles of superheroes, then to the ceramic vases that the older children molded for a school project.
Some of the paintings, including several of them, are drawings of the director and the other caretakers that the children like the most, serving as pillars for the women who take care of the little ones.
I continue letting my eyes wander until they fix on a specific object: a knitted rug with the orphanage's façade drawn in vibrant colors, hung on the wall like an unframed painting. It was donated by a kind old lady a year ago.
According to the director, it was too beautiful to be stepped on.
'Hm… knitting? My mother used to knit…' Pleasant memories of my mother knitting many beautiful pieces in her free time surface in my mind.
I remember the relaxing sound of the needles clicking together, my mother humming softly when she was focused. These memories warm my chest.
Then I decide, I'll start practicing knitting.
I go over to the director, who is finishing scolding two boys who fought over a candy, which had fallen on the floor, by the way.
I wait patiently for the scolding to end, which still takes a good few minutes.
When the two boys leave, defeated, to their respective punishments, I approach the director and ask her for a book on how to knit, and some materials.
She's surprised by my request, since I hardly ever ask for anything besides using the computer from time to time and other things related to documents or my bank account.
I had never asked for something like this before, and it seems to make her happy to see me being a normal child and taking interest in something more common.
A few days pass, and she manages to get the book and the materials for me. I give it a good read before starting. It seems more complicated than I imagined, but I feel like I can manage it with time.
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At school, during break.
"..." I look at my first attempt at a piece, which I made the day before… it looks more like a tangled mess of yarn, pure chaos.
"Sigh… I'm going to need a lot more practice." I keep staring at the atrocity with my usual neutral face, but feeling a bit depressed inside.
"Kaneki-kun… what is this?" Toga asks curiously, looking over my shoulder at the mess of red yarn.
"I'm learning how to knit… this was my first attempt…" Her eyes seem to sparkle with interest and curiosity when I say that.
"That's so cool!… what was it supposed to be?" she asks.
"A bracelet…" I feel her gaze scan my face.
"You can do it, Kaneki-kun! You don't need to be sad!" Smiling, she makes a cute gesture with her fists.
I touch my face, looking for some change in my expression that would indicate sadness, but I don't feel anything different.
"Thank you, Toga-chan…" This time, I can feel a slight smile forming on my lips.
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'How did she notice?' That thought stays in my head all day long, even after I'm back in my little room at the orphanage.
"I'll try to fix this…" I undo the failed attempt at a bracelet.
"Hmm…" I glance at the book, following the guide as best as I can.
I get excited as I see the bracelet starting to take shape on the knitting needles, but I don't rush and keep following the book carefully, afraid of making the same mistake as before.
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The next day.
"So, Kaneki-kun, did you manage to make the bracelet?" Toga asks as we walk together after classes end.
"Yes, your support helped me try again." I show her the simple red bracelet, and she observes it carefully.
"Ohh! It's so cute, Kaneki-ku… oh?" Toga looks confused when I extend the bracelet toward her.
"It's for you, Toga. It's simple, but I want to give it to you." Honestly, I would have just thrown it away if it weren't for her support yesterday.
"Really?? Thank you!! I loved it!!"
She hugs me and quickly puts the red bracelet on her wrist. I see her eyes start to water a little; she quickly wipes them with the back of her hand while still smiling.
All of this makes my chest tighten, how long has it been since she last received a gift?
Maybe it would be nice to keep making pieces… the children and the caretakers would probably like receiving something too.
I feel a smile form on my face once again as I see Himiko looking at the bracelet with enthusiasm and joy… I think this hobby will mean more to me than just a simple pastime.
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[A/N]:
Hi, so here are the initial chapters of the fanfic. What did you think of the book so far?
If possible, rate the book and leave me a comment. Don't forget the power stones!
Thanks.