A Side Character's Mission ↠ Solo Leveling

Chapter 15: Job Quest

After the two males left, Se-Yoon entered his little brother's bedroom and saw two swords piled up on the circular table. From the look of it, Seung-Eun forgot to bring his weapon.

On the study table, there was a yellowish picture of a group of people. Twenty children and teen stood lining up behind the three adults that were sitting on the chairs, the dean and two women. The tallest teen had black hair, black eyes and a gentle smile as he faced the camera. Beside him was a short and skinny child with black hair and golden eyes. The later had an emotionless look and his eyes were devoid of life. The teen was Se-Yoon while the child was Seung-Eun when they were still living in the orphanage.

Most of the children and teen were handicapped, only the two of them look fine since couples usually adopted the healthy and youngest children. Se-Yoon was personally adopted by the dean after his family died in a car crash while Seung-Eun constantly switched between adoptive parents when he always threw tantrum in each house and demanded to get sent back to the orphanage. After the nth time, the dean gave up and personally adopt him since he was close to his child.

It had been a while since he saw this picture, but as far as he knew, Seung-Eun didn't like recalling the memories related to the orphanage. Perhaps, he felt nostalgic?

Se-Yoon recalled back the first time he met him. Seung-Eun was sitting under the shed of tree on the backyard, staring at the sky and lost in his own world. Since he was the eldest, he tried to talk to him, thinking that he was only shy and still unused to the new environment around him. But after a month of failure, Se-Yoon began to think that he was mute and ask his father. The reply was a dejected look and a sigh.

Every children there were bright and lively without needing to worry about any problems. The caretakers and volunteers were also kind towards them. Life in the orphanage was good, they ate three meals a day, went to public school and played in their free time.

It wasn't until three months later that Se-Yoon finally figured out the reason. One of those calm days, the quiet child was punished by the caretaker after hurting the other children that annoyed him purposely. The adults were talking to each other with low voices, oblivious that he was eavesdropping.

"God... What is wrong with him? He refused to talk and avoid everyone, and now he suddenly mess with the other kids. I really can't understand this child. Was he always like this?"

"You don't know? Right, you are still new so you never heard of it. His biological parents constantly fought and abused him and I heard from the policeman that his mother murdered her husband before she committed suicide. They found him in front of their dead bodies after the neighbors reported that they smelled something horrible from their house."

"Oh my god... why are they fighting instead of getting a divorce? Didn't the neighbors know and check the child?"

"I thought about that as well but when the policeman investigated them, they played dumb. You know, people nowadays just don't want to get involved in others business."

"Still..."

"It doesn't matter anymore. Just treat him nice and hope that he can grows up normally."

"Okay."

The gentle breeze carried the dried, brown leaves and his black hair fluttered gently. Under the afternoon sun, his glistening golden eyes lost its light, no longer bright, shining and lively but replaced with misery, confusion and loneliness. Se-Yoon finally understood, and with a new determination, he approached the child and promised himself that from now on, he'll always take care of him.

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When they arrived at the destination, a group of people were also there.