Daniel saw a spark of hope.
Small. Faint. Barely alive. But real.
The kind of hope he thought he would never find but instead found it in the eyes of an eight-year old child.
The eyes of that mute boy seemed dead to everyone but Daniel was the only one who was able to see it.
Something he thought he'd never find in anyone—yet he found it in the eyes of an eight-year-old boy who didn't speak, didn't react, didn't show anything to the world.
So that's how it is, huh…?
His smile faded. For the first time since he arrived today, Daniel went quiet, thinking deeply.
I guess I gotta stop wandering around…
He stood up slowly, leaving the mute boy behind. The child tilted his head slightly, confused. He didn't understand what Daniel saw. He didn't understand why that cheerful man suddenly went silent.
He only watched as Daniel walked toward one of the caretakers.
…The mean one. The boy recognized him immediately.
That man again… What's he going to do now?
Daniel approached with a calm but serious expression. Outside, snow had begun to fall, his breath fogging in the cold air.
The caretaker rubbed his palms together, shivering.
"Huh—when did you come here?! Sir, you can't just walk around uninformed!"
Daniel gave a brief apologetic nod. "Sorry for sneaking in. But I need to ask you something important."
The caretaker raised an eyebrow.
Daniel pointed toward the mute boy standing alone. "...I want to adopt him."
"What." The caretaker blinked, then laughed out loud. "Him? You want to adopt that kid?"
"Why not?" Daniel asked calmly.
The caretaker shrugged casually. "Sir, listen. You're a big shot in the fighting world. But this is an orphanage, not an adoption center."
Daniel's shoulders dropped slightly. A clear disappointment.
But the caretaker wasn't done.
"Even if you could adopt someone… why him? He's mute. And look at him—weak, silent, weird. He'd be a burden to someone like you."
Daniel's eyes sharpened instantly.
The temperature didn't drop—his glare did.
"Look here," Daniel said quietly. "This is not a request anymore."
The caretaker froze. Daniel wasn't raising his voice, yet the air felt heavier.
"S-sir, we can't," the caretaker stammered. "We're not open for adoptions—"
"What's the problem? Money? Paperwork?"
Daniel reached into his small bag and pulled out a massive stack of cash.
"This fixes it, right?"
The caretaker's jaw lowered.
Daniel tilted his head. "Or should I add another hundred thousand?"
"N-no, no, no, sir— I'll. I'll speak with the higher-ups immediately!"
Daniel nodded once, turned around, and walked away, leaving the caretaker trembling.
The mute boy watched him disappear behind the hallway.
No excitement. No fear. No relief.
Just the same blank stare.
But inside, a tiny question flickered:
Why… me?
Three days have passed since that incident.
The ground was white, cold and slippery.
It snowed heavily for the past three days and It was still going on.
The mute boy is sitting in a room with other orphan kids and a teacher.
The teacher was teaching about the significance of snow.
Calmness. That's what snow is affiliated with in that country.
They were speaking Russian.
All the other kids were filled with calmness and peace except for the mute kid.
He constantly stared at a wall, thinking something within his mind.
It's been three days and that weird man hasn't come back.
The mute kid couldn't remain doubtless about his new Father.
Why me? Is it because I'm easy to control? Is he just like the others?
A series of questions rushes in the mind of that boy.
The Teacher notices the boy zoning out and not listening to the class.
"Hey boy, what is your name? I have rarely seen you around here."
She asks him in Russian.
The kid looks at the teacher and just stands up.
He doesn't speak of course but he doesn't react at all.
The teacher frowns.
She comes a little bit closer and raises her voice in a rude manner.
"Are you deaf? What is your name?"
She asks him once again.
The other kids laugh and whisper with each other.
One boy from the crowd speaks up.
"Teacher he won't talk! We tried talking to him but he just doesn't respond!"
The teacher grits her teeth and asks
"Are you mute or something?"
For which the boy nods slightly.
The teacher takes a step back.
Her jaw drops and wrinkles form on her forehead.
Her mind is crashing out with various doubts.
I thought he was being rude…
Is he lying?
"W-well I'm sorry if that's true…"
Her apology surprises the boy.
The boy's eyes opened wider than before.
Searching for any signs of deception.
He found none.
She really is polite.
Then why did she behave so rudely earlier?
She's the second person who was polite with me after that weird man.
He wonders and his expression is still blank as usual waiting to filled in.