No matter how decent one’s appearance is, people can intentionally or unintentionally lower their perceived level of attractiveness through things like glasses, hairstyles, and outfits.
However, if one sheds all unnecessary tools that hide their looks and properly fixes themselves up, their hidden worth is bound to be revealed.
The gazes of those who usually wouldn’t even glance in my direction now gather with focus.
The reason I’m bringing this up is that ever since I took off my mask, there have been more and more signs of people lingering around me, and I feel their stares more intensely.
Even during meals, when I’m just taking a light break, when watering the flower bed, or especially after getting out of the bath.
Even now, I can feel eyes boring into my back.
The presence doesn’t seem to fade away. When I move, they follow me.
Letting out a small sigh, I glanced toward the source of the gaze, and the boys jumped in surprise, hiding their bodies.
They shake their heads in a fluster.
The mischievous little boys who had been teasing me before I removed my mask.
The moment they saw my bare face, they turned into boys smitten by love at first sight.
Surely, just moments ago, they used to approach easily, but now they busily evade me when I come closer.
‘Oh dear…’
I somewhat expected this.
But I didn’t think their attitude would change so drastically.
I slightly regretted taking off my mask.
“Lily~ Come play with us over there.”
Lena approached me, smiling.
I nodded and allowed her to guide me with her small hand.
At least, my distance with the girls hasn’t changed.
Of course, the number of times they glance at my face or stare at me has increased exponentially. When I look back at them, they often blush.
But at least they are not as awkward as the boys.
As usual.
Lena sings and claps her hands.
Bada plays house with a funny script.
And so forth.
I join in on the games typical of children.
The kids are laughing.
Even though we’re just playing in a normal way, joy fills the children’s faces.
Honestly, I cannot enjoy playing as they do.
No matter how much my body has adapted, and how the mind follows the flesh.
Intelligence and mentality do not revert to that of a child.
Even if the level of play is boring, seeing the children’s beaming smiles fills my heart with joy, causing me to smile unconsciously.
Yes. That’s enough.
“Ah, Lily smiled!”
At Lena’s cry, I quickly covered my mouth with my hand.
The fact that I covered my mouth seems to have made the girls look at me with displeasure.
“Eh~ Why are you covering?”
“Don’t cover with your hands.”
“Show us….”
No matter how much the kids begged, my heart remained unmoved.
Puffing my cheeks was of no use.
While playing with the girls, I felt a strong gaze poking at my back from a distance.
A quick glance revealed that the boys were looking at me with envious eyes.
Oh dear.
How pitiful.
I once asked Red and Rene for help.
About the suddenly changed attitude of the boys.
Of course, I knew the reason, but I feigned ignorance while asking, unsure if I would get useful solutions from them.
I clearly remember their awkward expressions.
Even though they knew the answer, they were at a loss as to how to explain it to a child.
After thinking for a while, they acted like adults and consoled me by saying that it wasn’t because they disliked me, so I shouldn’t be disheartened.
I knew that.
In the end, I didn’t hear anything useful.
I don’t feel discouraged.
The truth is that I can solve it without their help.
There are many ways to revert the distance I had with the boys back to what it was before.
In other words, it could be a simple matter if I acted wisely as an adult.
‘Should I say it feels trivial to just solve it like that…?’
Sometimes I feel that way.
For instance, sometimes the children are so adorable.
I feel like biting their cheeks, tickling them, or throwing paper airplanes, etc.
I feel an urge to play mischievous pranks.
The devil of playful imagination, which had been lurking in my heart, whispers in my ear.
Play some pranks.
Naturally, the angel realized by my conscience persuades me not to.
Following the angel’s words as an adult is the right thing to do, but frankly, when else would I have the chance to play pranks like this again?
A small piece of my inner child raised its hand in favor of the devil.
The angel collapsed in shock.
As the devil approached the despondent angel and whispered chattily, the angel quickly stood up again.
My conscience also fell to such corruption.
I chuckled to myself with a very wicked smile.
Both the devil and angel followed me, laughing with mischievous faces.
Hee hee hee.
Everyone is playing in the yard.
I quietly observe from a distance.
They were playing a game with a ball, and the boys were participating with much more enthusiasm than usual.
“Isn’t that cheating?”
“It’s not cheating. It’s skill.”
“Ugh, that’s nonsense! Just a week ago, you were worse than me! Suddenly being good doesn’t make sense.”
“What doesn’t make sense is you! This is my real skill now.”
The boys’ skills have certainly improved as a whole.
Whenever they score high, they flaunt it, and the girls seem annoyed by such attitudes.
It’s not exactly a team competition.
But just like in most games, competition is unavoidable, and naturally, they have divided into male and female teams.
“Believe me, this isn’t all I can do.”
Interestingly, the boys often show off tricks with the ball during the game.
And they sneak glances this way.
It’s obvious they want to show me something cool.
It’s kind of cute, like a puppy wagging its tail.
In return for their tricks, I lightly waved my hand.
Naturally, the boy’s face turned red, and he proudly rubbed his nose with his finger.
Possibly displeased by that sight, the other boys looked at him with fierce glares.
“Step aside, it’s my turn now.”
It was the turn of the red-haired boy, Leon.
Leon has the best physical abilities in the orphanage. So good, it’s hard to believe it’s a child’s physical ability.
Hmm….
It’s not just Leon.
The kids here all have their special traits.
In Lena’s case, it’s her ability to speak commands, while Bada can materialize text.
Thinking back, the kids I encountered while wandering outside also seemed to have their own unique powers.
Come to think of it, I believe I saw in some channel that unique powers in children are being discovered.
Thud!
As my thoughts deepened, Leon slipped and fell on the ground.
“Ow, ow!”
He groaned.
Now’s my chance!
I hurried over excitedly, happy that the opportunity to prank had finally come.
Leon froze in surprise when I approached.
I bent my knees to check his condition.
Since I was so close, Leon was somewhat tense.
A quick glance at his face revealed that it was red like he had a fever.
I could almost hear his heart beating.
No, it was really audible.
Leon eventually lowered his head.
Hmm.
I brought my face closer to his, peering in as if to look through his eyes.
Then—
Bam!
A look of shock and confusion blossomed on his face, and he fell flat on his back.
The heat was rising from Leon’s face.
I helped him up and brushed the dirt off his back.
In response, a significant number of jealous gazes turned towards Leon.
With a face full of joy and confusion, Leon didn’t know what to do.
Watching that scene,
I chuckled to myself with a wicked smile.
Whenever an opportunity arises, I play pranks like that.
The reactions from the kids are amusing, making it even more fun than I expected.
Originally, I intended to tease lightly.
But as they say, once it’s fun, it’s hard to stop.
Perhaps because the pranks were too excessive?
“Here, Lily. You like this, right? I saved some for you.”
“What are you talking about? Lily likes this one more.”
“Aren’t you the one mistaken?”
Oh no…
Was this too much?
Is this what they mean by you reap what you sow?
The consequences of my actions returned to me with seriousness.
The boys who had been keeping their distance from me due to embarrassment started to come closer one day.
They began to make efforts to catch my attention.
I understand well what their intentions are.
But it’s futile!
I’m sorry, but I have no intention of accepting their feelings at all.
After all, I’m a man mentally. Of course, I’ve lived in a girl’s body for almost decades, but that hasn’t changed.
Dating a boy or something more… Ugh.
Just imagining it makes my stomach churn.
Naturally, I made it clear that I didn’t want any of that.
The boys drooped their necks and shoulders, looking utterly disheartened at my rejection.
Sigh.
I felt relieved things had gone well, but the next day, they bounced back again and started to flirt with me.
“Damn.”
Just like a small spark can start a forest fire, one must be careful with pranks and jokes.
It was already too late to regret.
Maybe I should just put my mask back on.
An abandoned cathedral, long neglected and falling apart.
No longer believing in the existence of God, it naturally had no visitors.
With nothing but dilapidated buildings around, it exuded an eerie atmosphere.
A faint light shone from within the cathedral.
There was someone inside.
That person knelt before a statue, their hands clasped together in prayer.
It seemed as though they had been in that position for a long time, carrying an air of solemnity.
However, their attire was somewhat peculiar for a believer.
Dressed in black with a skull mask.
Moreover, the deity they believed in was very ominous as well.
A statue clad in dark blue armor and helmet, and wearing a skull mask.
In its hands was a foreboding massive dark blue sword.
It resembled not a benevolent deity embracing the hearts of men, but rather a malevolent god bringing forth death.
“…”
That person had forsaken the god they believed in and followed a new one, the Grim Reaper.
This place was a cathedral of the Cult of the Grim Reaper.
That person was a follower of the Cult of the Grim Reaper.
The Cult was currently caught in a storm of chaos.
Foolish individuals were harming their families without understanding the teachings of their god.
Above all, the one who had provided astonishing wisdom to guide the Cult on the right path, Isaac, had fallen.
Since the one who could be considered the compass of the lost Cult had collapsed, it was natural for the Cult to start wobbling.
However.
This is not a crisis.
As true wisdom says,
The false wisdom has fallen under the fists of the one who enforced justice.
Finally, a new beginning could be welcomed.
With a rhythmic sound echoing in the silent cathedral.
“Once again, I see you are praying here today.”
A voice spoke to the praying man.
The man, who had been praying, relaxed his posture and stood up slowly.
He turned his body around.
“Everything has gone as I said, hasn’t it?”
The true wisdom smiled brightly.
