The Cyanided Heart

"Leia, I'll pick you up at night." Gray returned to the driver's seat, "I have already agreed with the teacher in the orphanage, you have to listen to the teacher, see you at night."

"Well...see you tonight."

Gray's car left the corner.Leia lowered her raised hand, and a sudden shadow overlapped her own.Leia turned her head, and a man dressed as a staff member stood behind her.

"Son, you are Leia Logos." She smiled, "Welcome to the Foster Angle Orphanage. As for the volunteers, they just get along with the children and chat with them...don't worry, they all It’s a friend of your age. Some children are probably in class now, so you can help sweep the fallen leaves in the yard.”

Leia nodded and walked towards the yard with the broom in her arms.The orphanage is divided into two parts: the compound and the building. There are some dilapidated slides and other entertainment facilities scattered in the compound. There is a fountain with a sense of age in the center, but it seems that there is no water.

A few dirty boys were playing by the fountain, and Leia was bored sweeping the fallen leaves.Well, can you really make friends?

Just when Leia was thinking this way, a girl sitting under the maple tree suddenly appeared in her vision.The end of the long golden hair is naturally curled, and her drooping eyelashes seem to be busy looking for something, as if she is picking up maple leaves.

"You... how are you?" Leia approached her cautiously.

"Ah... hello, may I ask if you are..."

The girl with long blonde hair raised her head and asked, her brown eyes were slightly puzzled, and Leia couldn't help touching her cheek due to her delicate face.

"My name is Leia Logos." Leia smiled at her. "I'm here to volunteer. You're the first girl I meet, why don't we make friends, um... your name is What?"

"I see." The girl smiled, "Nice to meet you, my name is Yael."

"Yar?" Leia was a little puzzled, "Is there no surname...?"

"Well... I'm not sure." The girl named Yaer smiled, "That's what everyone calls me, so you can call me Yaer too."

"Okay." Leia leaned the broom aside and sat beside Yael, "Yale, I see that you have collected a lot of maple leaves. If it's just a souvenir, wouldn't it be good to collect one?"

"Ah, you're the first person to ask this question." Jarre seemed a little surprised, "Yes, I always feel that collecting a piece can't keep autumn..."

"Jal likes the look of autumn very much." Leia also picked up a maple leaf, "Let me help you collect it together!"

"Thank you, Leia." Yael seemed to hesitate to speak, but Leia didn't notice it, and still picked up the maple leaf by herself.

"... Leia, can you come over with me tomorrow?"

"what?"

...

"Did you make any friends today, Leia?" Gray asked while steering the wheel. "But the first day was a bit difficult. Back then, it took me a semester to remember the names of the students in my class...let alone Talk about making friends."

"Well... I met a very beautiful girl, about my age." Leia thought, "I should be able to be friends with her..."

"Hahaha." Gray laughed, "You bastard, why are you hiding a hint of envy... Well, the next volunteer activity is the day after tomorrow, let's go shopping tomorrow. I'm usually busy, so I specially asked for leave Accompany you."

Leia suddenly remembered the last sentence Yael said to herself.

"Leia, can you come over with me tomorrow?"

"but…"

"but what?"

"Yar, she... wants me to accompany her tomorrow."

"That's it." Gray smiled, "You decide for yourself. But it's not good to miss an appointment, if you make an agreement with your friends."

"Hmm." Leia lowered her head, "...I'll think about it."

...

Clutching the coins, Leia took a bouquet of flowers from the flower shop on the corner and ran non-stop to the Foster Angel Orphanage.After crossing an unknown number of street corners, the building of the orphanage revealed a hazy silhouette in the dusk.

Leia burst through the door regardless of her panting.When she habitually looked in the direction of the maple tree, she didn't see the blond girl.

Jarre?Leia froze for a moment.Sorry...I know I'm late, because Dr. Gray can't be with me often, so I went shopping with him first.

Leia was running in the empty corridor looking for Yael's classroom. The afterglow of the setting sun projected the shape of the casement on the opposite wall, her shadow flickering in and out of it.

A classroom with an open door came into view, and Leia carefully looked inside——

Scattered textbooks, colored pens that fell all over the floor, schoolbags with dirty shoe prints... someone sat there silently with their backs to themselves.Long golden curly hair, Leia is all too familiar.

"Yal—! What happened!"

"Leia..." Yael turned her head, her little face expressionless.After finally forcing out a smile, she said, "I'm sorry..."

"I said Yael... why do you want to apologize to me? No matter what happened, you are not wrong!" Leia was angry and anxious, regardless of the trace of the flowers in her hand, "Are you being bullied? Tell me yes Who, I'll teach them a lesson for you!"

"It's okay, Leia." The blond hair covered Yael's side face, she just picked up the dropped things silently, "I'm sorry, you're just here to do volunteer work. I don't want you to be involved ,sorry."

"No." The flower in Leia's hand fell to the ground, "Even if Yael doesn't tell me who it is, I will definitely settle accounts with them!"

"I'm very surprised that Leia remembered to come to accompany me today." Yael patted the footprint dust on the schoolbag, and gave Leia a smile, "I'm very glad to have such a trustworthy friend like you!"

"Yal..."

A bell rang from outside the open door, and it echoed in the hallway like a special lullaby.The lingering sound seemed to be urging them to leave.

"Ah, it's getting late." Yael put the schoolbag on his shoulder again, "Leia, your father should be worried about you, hurry home."

"My dad?" Leia shook her head. "Dr. Gray, you mean? No... Yael, let me explain..."

"It always feels like he loves you very much." Jarre smiled, "I guess it's that kind of feeling that a father cares about his daughter."

Leia answered absently.

"I can't delay any longer, Leia." Yael pushed open the door, "If the teacher finds out that I am late returning to the dormitory, the consequences will be very serious."

Yael's back disappeared into the twilight building jungle, leaving Leia standing there alone at a loss.