After Surviving the Apocalypse, I Built a City in Another World - Chapter 950

Chapter 950: Families Formed and Reunions (Part 1)

After a few more hours, dismissal time finally came.

Some parents came to fetch their kids, while most children were let be since Alterra was safe anyway. More importantly, it was a good way to encourage independence.

This was no longer Terra where the children’s problem would be finding a school or getting extracurricular points. This was Xeno where the biggest problem was avoiding deaths by mobs or wars.

Those could affect an adult or a child. The earlier they foster independence, the better it would be for the child.

Of course, there were also parents and guardians who fetched the kids just because they were too excited to hear more about this school—something so unreachable to them before that they wouldn’t even consider even getting near its gates.

One of them was Shinho, who had enrolled his sibling with mixed expectations. This was her first day here, and he wanted to see how it was for her—he wanted to see what this ‘academy for all’ was like.

He was also already making a lot of plans on what to do so they could afford his family’s residencies so his sister would gain access to more classes.

As he waited though, his peripheral vision caught a flash of a dark-skinned woman passing by, making him blink.

“Ferra?” He voiced out, a bit confused. He was sure she was applying for a job in various restaurants in another district. Shinho was applying for a guard position, but the exams would be held on different dates.

Anyway, she shouldn’t be roaming around in this area at this time. “Ferra!” he yelled. “What are you—”

His voice died when she turned to him, realizing that the woman had very very similar features to Ferra, but it wasn’t her.

Unexpectedly though, the woman practically ran into him, eyes wide with excitement. “You know my sister?”

…

On the other hand, many of the ‘free’ kids played for another hour or so before finally going home. Some were heading West, some east, while some were heading straight to the orphanage where they lived.

Two of these kids were the adorable Mauin villagers Pongo and Gururu.

Pongo and Gururu didn’t have parents. Their parents had long gone, even before their former territory, Mauin Village, fell.

For the most part, their parents became slaves during wars except for Gururu’s father, who died directly during a fight. Becoming slaves for that Tome territory was a death sentence, so everyone was certain their parents were gone.

They were too young to remember to feel too sad though. The two kids just lived off their own hard work for as far as they could remember.

Now that they were supported by the territory until they became adults, they finally had the time to be like true children, and the smiles on their faces had never been brighter.

They were particularly bouncy as they went home this time though. They came earlier than usual too, as they usually played with the other kids until dusk.

So why did they happily go home earlier today?

Because…, today was the fifth day of the week and it meant shopping day!

Shopping Day was when the orphanage replenished its pantry! The kids were excited because this was the time they got to choose their menu—at least to some degree.

“No, we won’t have cotton candy for dinner tomorrow.”

Well, there were obviously limitations.

However, today’s trip was special. As a treat for doing well in school (the school sent reports every week to the guardians), the headmistress—a middle-aged woman named Helen—decided to be a little more lenient.

“We can have gouji fruit pie for dessert, but on the weekend.”

“Okay, we can do Roast Gugu Bird…”

“Okay, we can bake the tart together.”

And so on…

They were also allowed to choose one simple snack for themselves on top of the usual groceries!

“Yay!!” They cheered, making several rounds and choosing the treats they had been wanting to buy. Some chose a pack of candies, some chose sugary snacks, and the like.

They were so happy they started singing a nursery rhyme taught at school.

“Yohohoho~ Yohohohooo~”

“Yohohoho~! Yohohohoooooo~”

Anyway, it was very cute and put smiles on the other shoppers’ faces.

Eventually, the trip was finished with most of the orphanage lining up together even if they shared carts. They just wanted the ‘experience’. Apparently, queuing up in the grocery store made them feel a little like an adult.

By the time they got to the cashier, the kids got even noisier. “Oh, it’s sister Samantha!”

“Sister Samanthaaa~”

The pretty young girl behind the counter chuckled at them. She was in her tweens, but she looked quite professional.

She was one of the teenagers being supported by the orphanage.

“Hello, kids.”

“Wow, I didn’t know this is where you worked,” another kid said. “So COOL!”

“Wow, I wanna work here too!”

“How’d you get such a nice job?”

“My brother’s friends,” was all she said, packing up the groceries for them.

“Wow… cool brother!” another child said, but then remembered something. “I’m sorry for your loss.” This was proper manners taught to them at school, when they thought someone had passed.

Samantha gave a wry smile. “He’s alive.”

“EH? Then… why are you in the orphanage?”

The question was completely innocent, but it made Samantha pause.

Helen was busy with a few kids that she noticed the interaction a bit too late.

“Sorry, Samantha,” she said as she arrived next to them. She rubbed Pongo’s curly hair. “Say sorry.”

Pongo bit his lips, realizing he said something wrong. His eyes glazed. “Sorry Sister Samantha…”

The girl shook her head and waved her hand. “It doesn’t matter,” she said.

She wondered about the same question many times.

Helen sighed, and just ushered the kids out. “Let’s go kids. Don’t you want to start cooking dinner early?”

Everyone of the kids had to do chores at Home. Many of them particularly liked making dinner with the headmistress, and it was one of the things they looked forward to.

“YESSS!” they yelled, their steps going out faster than ever.

Helen smiled, shaking her head, before she turned to look at Samantha. “Are you eating dinner at home?” she asked. The girl thought for a while, looking at Pongo who was anxiously waiting for her answer.

She wasn’t planning to go back, but she nodded in the end.

The little boy would’ve blamed himself if she didn’t eat at home, even when she often did this before.

“Okay, we’ll make save you a few servings,” Helen said, before they finally left.

Samantha kept her smile as she welcomed her next customer. “Welcome!” She said, checking in the items they were purchasing. Her heart was clenching, but she tried her best not to show her turmoil.

“Eh? Young lady? Why are you crying?”

“I…”

She rubbed her eyes, but the tears weren’t stopping. She looked to the side for help. Fortunately, one of the staff saw an anomaly and called in the manager.

He wanted to nag her but saw how pitiful she was. In the end, he just asked her to take the rest of the day off as he took over the counter.

The young girl dropped down to the floor as soon as she entered the locker room. She squatted down, burying her face in her arms.

“Why are you in the orphanage?”

Yes, why was she?

Because her brother left her alone!

Samantha… was Gian’s sister.

When she found out by accident that her brother was alive, she was so happy—only to be met with disappointing news, instead!

“Useless brother,” she mumbled, tears continuously flowing out of her eyes.

She was still a minor. How could he leave her like that?

Brother, you jerk!