"I want that chocolate bar!"
A little girl shyly pointed, and after receiving a nod from Ian, she carefully took one, her face lighting up with a satisfied and happy smile.
"Can I have this bag of chips?"
A little boy immediately asked, his eyes sparkling with curiosity and excitement. After getting a positive response, he gently picked up a bag of chips as though it were the most precious treasure in the world.
"Take whatever you want!"
Ian helplessly told his little friends.
Thus.
After a brief moment of hesitation, the little ones reached out their tender hands, each child taking only their favorite snack, and each only took one. Their small hands lightly touched the packaging, eyes filled with a deep appreciation and gratitude for Ian's gift.
When all the children found their "treasures," Ian noticed that quite a few snacks were still left on the table, lying there quietly without anyone reaching for more.
"Take more!"
Ian helplessly picked up the snacks and stuffed them into the hands of the children around him.
"You need to eat too, what will you eat during the holidays if we finish them all?" asked Catherine, munching on a gummy with innocent eyes looking at the big brother who had returned home.
"Yeah, yeah, this is enough for us."
The other kids agreed with Catherine. They had learned to cherish, share, and be grateful, as the adults who silently contributed to the orphanage taught these kiddos to be very kind.
"Pfft, I've had enough already. Do you even know what a noble school is?" Ian used a little trick, pretending to be disdainful as he distributed all the snacks into the hands of his little friends.
"Long live Ian!"
"So many! I can hardly hold them all!"
"Ian! You're the real god!"
"When I grow up, I want to go study like you! I'll bring back delicious treats for everyone too!"
...
The little ones' minds are just that simple.
The unexpected bounty brought immense joy to everyone. Their laughter was crisp and pleasant, piercing through the tranquility of the evening, adding a touch of vitality to this somewhat dull space.
Ian's gaze swept over those innocent faces; some kids he could already name, while others were as unfamiliar as first meetings.
This is the orphanage. Some come, some stay; old or new, Ian feels once they come through this door, they're family.
"Of course, Tom's an exception."
Ian mumbled under his breath.
"Huh? What's wrong with me?"
"Are you talking about me?"
"Ian, are you calling my name?"
...
Children's ears are sharp.
Ian's muttering.
Soon drew several Toms to glance over in confusion.
"..."
Ian chuckled, shaking his head.
"I was talking about a classmate at school, uh, a classmate I'm not familiar with." Ian said as he led his younger siblings into the house and first returned to his bedroom.
Everything remained as it was, simple but tidy.
His bed was meticulously made, as if silently welcoming him home.
"I clean it every day for you, you know. I even cleaned it three times this morning," Catherine popped out from the crowd, proudly claiming credit from Ian.
She was one of the kids most excited for Ian to return to the orphanage.
"Alright, alright, you're the best, I'll tell you a story tomorrow," Ian winked at Catherine, the only child in the orphanage who knew he went to study magic.
"I want to hear a story too!"
"Yeah! Catherine gets to hear stories! We want to hear stories too!"
"Ian! Don't you remember you promised me that when I grow up, you'd tell me the story of 'Orphan's Grudge'? Look, my head is already really big."
...
The chatter was truly noisy, and Ian found himself overwhelmed, agreeing to everything, "You all behave for dinner tonight, and I'll tell you stories tomorrow."
As soon as he said it.
A swarm of kids rushed to wash their hands. Only Catherine remained standing there, and Ian thought she might want to ask about Hogwarts.
"Sneak into my room tonight?"
After Ian said this, he felt a bit like an evil villain, but he genuinely thought that matters concerning Hogwarts should be discussed behind the others' backs, with this special little girl only.
"Sure, sure."
Catherine jumped up in delight but quickly returned her focus to the snacks in hand, her innocent little face looking quite conflicted.
"What's wrong?"
Ian lovingly approached her.
"I'm thinking about which snacks to share with Lady Yelena and that strange uncle Lady Yelena brought back," Catherine candidly revealed her worries.
"Don't worry, I also prepared gifts for them; you don't need to share this stuff… Junk food isn't good for them at their age anyway."
Ian first reassured Catherine, then, with curiosity, asked, "What's this about Lady Yelena bringing back a strange uncle?"
He became a little wary.
This is the United Kingdom.
There's no shortage of men and women trying to sneak into the orphanage to do evil things. A detailed study of history would show you the copper craze originated on this very island.