Chapter 19: [ Ellen Jo ] : [ 18 ] [ The Plump Shark Longing for Warmth / Colletta Belobog ]

Ras was, as usual today, spending his time training Miyabi in swordsmanship.

Having finished training, Miyabi was eating melon with Ras while listening to feedback on their latest spar,

happily eating another piece of melon.

Looking at Miyabi, Ras wondered where all that food was going, but

he just ignored it and ate the delicious melon with her.

While eating melon, Miyabi asked Ras a question.

"Teacher!! Did you also have a teacher??"

She was asking if there was someone who had taught Ras.

To Miyabi's question, Ras said he was entirely self-taught. Miyabi was curious

about what that process was like, but Ras couldn't readily speak of it.

The reason Ras's swordsmanship skill was exceptional was....

-----

"Damn, these bastards not listening to me?? Then die!"

"The Black Cloud Society bastards mocking me and my comrades?!! Then die!!"

"The Middle, you wrecked our fixer office?!! Then die!!!"

"You're the one who broke this!!! Then die!!"

"Just die!!!!!"

-----

He grew stronger through real combat, cutting people down. When he was in the city, if anything got messed with,

he would always resort to 'Then die.'

Running through life-and-death situations, he learned where people were weak and strong, how to cut them to kill easily,

and simultaneously, as his swordsmanship improved, countless experiences piled up.

That's how he became strong, and because of this, Ras didn't really have anyone you could call a swordsmanship teacher.

For this reason, Ras couldn't readily tell Miyabi about how he became strong or why his swordsmanship

was exceptional....

If Ras spoke of this, he didn't know how Miyabi would view him.

So Ras just glossed over it, saying he became strong from many experiences.

But Miyabi, pushing his buttons, said....

"Please tell me what those experiences were!!"

Hearing this, Ras broke out in a cold sweat and was thinking of a way to break free from this situation when

Miyabi's mother appeared...

"Miyabi?? You mustn't trouble the teacher, understand??"

Ras sighed inwardly with relief at the appearance of Miyabi's mother.

Miyabi, hearing her mother's words about troubling the teacher, apologized to Ras.

"Teacher.... I'm sorry....."

To Miyabi's apology, Ras said it was okay and moved on.

With the lesson over, Ras gradually left the mansion and headed home.

On his way home, Ras spotted a child standing still.

It was dangerous for a child to be on the street at this hour, so Ras approached the child

with good intentions and asked what they were doing here.

"What are you doing here??"

Hearing Ras's voice, the child looked at him, holding a doll.

The child continued to silently stare only at Ras's face......

-

-

-

The child Ras was watching and speaking to was named 'Ellen Jo.'

Ellen, today as always, had come outside and was wandering around here and there with her doll,

searching for warmth to fill her heart.

And the reason Ellen wasn't at home but wandering outside was because

her parents were very busy and often not home.

Because of this, Ellen always ate meals alone at a table with food that had gone cold,

and she hated that loneliness.

Today as well, Ellen wandered around until the sky grew dark,

and then in an alley, she met a man....

"Why are you looking at me like that??"

The moment she saw that man, Ellen felt her heart flutter. Her mouth wouldn't open,

and as she stood still, the man before her tried to move from his spot.

"Should I take you to the Security Bureau??"

But as the man moved to leave, Ellen, not wanting to lose him, grabbed his pants and

barely managed to open her mouth....

"Couldn't you... take me with you??"

Of course, Ras, hearing that, misunderstood, not understanding what she meant.

But after going to the Security Bureau, hearing the explanation, and calling her parents,

the misunderstanding was cleared up. And Ellen, held in Ras's arms, fell asleep peacefully.

Ellen's parents asked if they could leave Ellen with Ras for just a little while,

and Ras, having raised a daughter before, readily agreed.

Ellen slept in Ras's arms all the way home. Upon arriving home, Ras showed Ellen

to Arais and explained the situation. Arais said..

"Oh my, so this child is becoming part of our family?!"

She was as happy as when she had cared for Kali in the past. While preparing a meal and dinner for Ellen,

Ellen woke up.

Opening her eyes, she saw Ras drinking beer and Arais busy cooking.

-

-

-

Ellen, now awake, was grasping the current situation.

And realizing what she had said to Ras, she felt embarrassed, but soon after,

she sat at the table and had a meal with Ras and Arais. Ellen,

feeling the warmth of a family meal for the first time in a long while,

began to eat, and as her heart filled up, emotions overwhelmed her and she burst into tears.

M1VuVjVPNzJnSFJndkZPQmJsdWlUM2EzUkFrYjViSVdwRVJML0dXZ0RydStDVVpqN1FSVWlXaGtvTmFyek4rTg

Arais and Ras, now understanding the situation, wiped Ellen's tears

and spent a happy meal together. After that, Ellen stayed

at Ras and Arais's house for a while.

That night, with her heart full, Ellen lay in bed and went to sleep.

Arais, looking at Ellen like that, closed the door while praying to a god who may or may not exist

that Ellen would have good dreams, and asked the people around them to treat Ellen well if they saw her.

Then Ras and Arais also fell asleep.

The next morning, Ras woke up and went out again for Miyabi's lesson.

Arais waited for Ellen to wake up.

Soon after, Ellen woke up, greeted Arais, and

ate the meal Arais had prepared.

Then, today as before, she began to go outside and wander around.

While wandering outside, Ellen met a certain child....

The child Ellen met was Colletta Belobog, the daughter of Horus Belobog, president of Belobog Heavy Industries, which had ties to the Aras Enterprise.

Colletta, looking for someone to play with, had been looking around and, perhaps having found Ellen,

was waving her hand. Colletta approached Ellen and, perhaps having heard about Ellen from Horus,

asked to play together. After playing with Colletta for a long time, Ellen

returned to the house where Ras and Arais were, ending her day.

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

[ Ellen Jo ] : [ 18 ] [ The Plump Shark Longing for Warmth / Colletta Belobog]

{ The Reason Ras is Strong / Then Die / Ellen and Colletta }