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After Kyoko left, the kid next to me said, "humph! Spoiled brat. You shouldn't have let her do it from the start."

I didn't say anything as I knew the kid was right. A little blunt, but right, nonetheless. I should have had more perspective. The kids here definitely didn't have a normal lifestyle. I knew that from day one but chose to ignore it as I was occupied with the thoughts running in my head. So, while working, I promised that I wouldn't let Kyoko, or any other kid, work my part again. I'd find some way to make it up to her… Actually, I need to find a way to have all these kids live in a better environment. I don't enjoy watching kids get abused or do manual labor… I also wanted to live in a better environment myself.

—

I pulled the shirt that was in the bucket and started scrubbing the fabric with soap, copying the other kids' movements. It was quiet. The only sounds heard in the room were the splashes of water and the friction of clothes. Work was repetitive, and soon I fell into a rhythm. It felt familiar, as if I had done it my whole life… which is true in a certain way.

As I was working, I went through Sayori's memories. She didn't have a very eventful life. She lived for four years... but they seemed less. Especially, as she has always been cooped up inside the orphanage, rarely leaving. She had lived as a prisoner since the day she was carried through the building's gates.

Her memories showed me what her personality was like, her hobbies, and the relationships she had. More importantly, I learned about the routine of the orphanage, its rules, and its structure.

Sayori enjoyed different types of art. Her favorite hobby was drawing, so she spent most of her time sketching in her notebook. She always went to the library to check if there were any discarded notebooks or pencils to save for later. Children sometimes received them as rewards if they were 'good', but those who didn't enjoy drawing left them in the library for whoever wanted to use them.

Even though the other kids weren't on friendly terms with Sayori, they didn't mind her taking the notebooks and pencils. She was creative, and passionate about her art, spending most of her time creating it.

There wasn't much else to do in the orphanage, so she stuck to drawing or making collages from her old drawings and items she found.

Her second hobby grew while she was completing her chores. By sitting on the sidelines, listening to or watching others interact, she learned many things about the people living with her under the same roof. The adults were terrible to be around, so she mostly ignored them, but the children were a different story. They behaved in a blunt, sharp, and unapologetic manner. Some might mistake their way of acting as malicious, but they usually bore good intentions. And as time passed by, 'studying' the behavior of her fellow orphans became a hobby of hers.

If someone hadn't observed-*ahem* studied, the orphans as much as Sayori did, they would have classified them as rude, mischievous, and unruly children. But thanks to the memories I have, I knew not to get offended. They were different from most, having a rougher edge to them, but who could blame them? It was the only way they knew to express themselves. There certainly weren't any adults around them that they could learn from.

But underneath those edges, they were supportive and helpful towards each other. Therefore, Sayori did not hate her fellow orphans. She hated the living conditions, the food, and all the adults in the orphanage. But she didn't hate the kids, never had; even when they jabbed at her sometimes, she understood that they meant well. She liked them but preferred being in the background. She often hid in the backyard, between some trees. It felt like her little sanctuary, away from all the people and noise.

Sayori preferred being alone. It was a fact that the other orphans knew but didn't understand. They knew that they didn't have much, and that the only people they could rely on were one another. Therefore, as she isolated herself and refused to befriend anyone, they understood that she was truly alone. They pitied her; she didn't have anyone caring for her or watching her back. She was stubborn. She didn't want to lose her quiet lifestyle, so she didn't try to approach the other children. In response, they mostly ignored her, rarely seeking her out.

But then came Kyoko. The shining star of the orphanage, the one who was loved most. Surprisingly, even the adults in the orphanage tolerated her. She somehow made them treat her better.

Unlike most children who have grown up at the orphanage since they were infants, Kyoko came when she was older. She was mentally stronger and didn't always follow the rules, bending them to her will. The charming, clever, and charismatic almost six-year-old stood out from the crowd as a natural leader. Her caring nature pushed her to help other kids; she took many kids under her wing, one of which was Sayori.

Sayori was uncomfortable with Kyoko's presence at first, but that didn't stop Kyoko from trying to befriend her. She couldn't ignore Sayori; she couldn't leave her isolated and alone. So, she stuck with her, checking on her on a daily basis, coaxing her to accept a friendship between them. And Sayori somehow accepted Kyoko's presence and eventually grew to love her as a friend. I theorized three main reasons as to why Sayori accepted Kyoko:

1. Kyoko understood Sayori's need to be alone; thus, she only spent a short time with her every day. They spent time talking, drawing, or helping each other out. But Kyoko also spent time next to her, enjoying the peace and quiet.

2. Sayori, who spent a lot of time watching people, knew when someone was lying or acting friendly. Therefore, she was surprised by how genuine Kyoko's care for her was. This realization helped Sayori accept her.

3. They also looked similar. They both had black hair and black eyes. Furthermore, they also had similar facial structures and eye shapes. Hence, Kyoko considered her a sister to protect when she was in trouble. This made Sayori cherish her back and consider her family. She was pulled towards Kyoko, as many were, and became one of her many friends.

The memories related to the orphanage seemed quite novel. The setting was quite fictional, as were the routines, rules, and structure. They were all foreign concepts to me. I didn't have experience with this kind of lifestyle and only read about environments such as this in books. The daily work was quite harsh, as chores were given nonstop from morning till afternoon every day. And on laundry day, children were forced to work till the evening. This seemed like manual labor to me, but I wasn't really the best judge of whether it was or whether I was just a spoiled adult from the 21st century.

I previously didn't do much housework. We had a housekeeper who came twice a week to do all the chores. My mom took care of the kitchen; she usually meal-prepped our food, which made cooking take less than 15 minutes. And my dad used to take care of the backyard and any issues that happened to the house or cars. So, I barely had anything to do. I was privileged and thankful for it. Therefore, I wasn't sure if this workload was normal for kids who lived in orphanages in this society or not. I hoped it wasn't, as I didn't want to do any of the chores given. I always strive for a lazy lifestyle. Being a slacker was what I was used to, and coming here wasn't going to change that.

After two hours had passed, I stopped working and put my head on my knees, tired. My hands hurt from all the friction, and my arms were sore. So, I stopped and decided to take a short break to rest my shaking arms. I would've stopped a long time ago, but I felt bad for the other kids and didn't want to increase their workload. As I was resting, I felt drowsy from the repetitive sounds and felt myself losing consciousness. I slept even though my hands were still holding some fabric in the water.

"-up! Wake up!" I jostled, feeling someone pull me to my feet. "Sayori! This is not the time for you to sleep!"

"Wh- oh..." I looked at the person shaking me while feeling droplets of water slip from my hands. "Oh! I'm sorry... Thank you for waking me up." I said while trying (and failing) to smile. I tried to remember who the kid was. She was a head taller than me and had brown hair and eyes.

As the kid kept frowning down at me, it clicked. She was the one that talked to Kyoko and I when we first entered the laundry room. Her name was... Ran. She disliked OG Sayori for skipping work multiple times. Sayori was actually sick the times she skipped, but Ran didn't excuse her for it, and thought she was childish. It was an unsuitable trait for anyone living in the orphanage.

"Honestly, Sayori, this is too much! You skipped work five times in a row, and now you're sleeping?" She snapped while holding my collar, "sorry isn't going to cut it every time, you know. So, you better continue working now. And if I see you sleeping or relaxing for one second... you're going to wish you never woke up! Got it?" Her eyes were as cold as ice, so I nodded my head and tried to leave her clutches. Sadly, I was too weak. I wasn't able to back away until she patted the wrinkles on my clothes and pushed me onto the stool.

"How she tolerates her, I'll never understand..." Ran mumbled as she walked away.

I sighed as I started scrubbing again. 'Ha... this is torture. I am literally living one of my nightmares... Why am I doing this again?' I continued working, but I kept complaining in my head. 'Ugh, this is so much work. I'm tired!' After working for ten more minutes, I changed my posture to work more comfortably, as I was actually feeling my muscles burning. 'Omg, I have no stamina... Why do I have low stamina? Why am I weak here too?' I felt like crying and started working at a slower pace until I felt someone shove me from behind. I looked back to see some kid looking at me with disappointment.

"I'm still working!" I whispered.

"Well, work faster," he answered, unimpressed.

"Yeah, yeah." I mumbled.

'Why did I want to help these kids again?' I thought.

[Because you can't ignore them.]

'Well,' I chuckled. 'I changed my mind. I'm just going to run away. Leave this place behind and continue my slacker life away from here.'

[You're constantly contradicting yourself.]

'That's not news. I always contradict myself...' I thought, then paused for a second, 'You! You're talking to me! Why are you talking to me? Stop talking to me! I already feel crazy without you answering my thoughts…. Please stop!'

[…]

'Funny...'

That day, I worked from morning till evening cleaning, drying, and hanging clothes, bedsheets, towels, and other items that were the property of both the kids and adults. We had one lunch break, which I skipped, knowing how I was unable to stomach lunch last time (thank God breakfast is edible, or I'd probably starve to death).

By the time I returned to bed, I was shaking. Tired both mentally and physically, but I was glad that I finally learned about Sayori's life.

I was satisfied and thought the day was fulfilling. My happiness remained even though I was exhausted and just wanted to lie down and sleep. But there was one thing that kept annoying me while working that I wanted to get rid of now. So, I showered and rushed to the library, which was near my bedroom, to search for scissors.

There was rarely anyone inside the library, especially this late at night. So, I relaxed, took out a small mirror I found in my bedroom, and put it on a bookshelf, adjusting it till it was at the same eye level as me. I steadied my hands and started cutting my hair.

My hair was pissing me off the whole day. It was thick and messy; the waves were all over the place. It was clearly unhealthy and kept getting in the way. Not only that, but I couldn't find a hair tie anywhere, so it was constantly in my face while my hands were wet and full of soap.

More notably, my hair was an indicator of who I was. Which would be an issue if someone tried to kidnap me again. My hair was too different from the other kids'. It stood out among their straight, tame hair. So, I cut it till it was right below my ears. I made some adjustments and was satisfied with the result from all sides. I smiled, giddy from the change. It was the first adjustment I made here, and my first time cutting my hair this short! It wasn't perfect, but it was good enough.

Hence, with a calmer mindset, I cleaned up the floor, went to bed, and started planning what I would do next.