I've already said this isn't a life simulator!

And so you took care of the children in place of Father Henry until the priest and nun delivered their verdict.

When Father Enrique brought the news that the priest had been sentenced to death, the "bad kids" cheered excitedly... They probably didn't understand what "death penalty" meant, but they knew that the priest would never come back, and they would never see him again.

And so were you. Although you didn't cheer, you were genuinely happy. The whole day after you heard the news, you had a heartfelt smile on your face, and even the tune you hummed that day was unusually cheerful, giving the illusion that you were about to dance.

You don't know why you're so happy. The priest didn't do anything to you; he even gave you food, clothes, and shelter... and you weren't even that familiar with him. Logically, you shouldn't have reacted so strongly to this.

However, when you learn this news, you can't help but feel a surge of joy—

[May you die a good death!!!]

Chapter Four: Surrounded by Kindness (4274)

After the case was taken over by the special task force, Father Enrique finally had some free time and began to focus on managing the church that had been tainted by sin, and on caring for you children who had been hurt and deceived.

Thanks to the numerous donations of supplies and funds from kind-hearted people, the church was quickly renovated. With the addition of church funding, your lives soon returned to normal. Father Enrique also began to use his connections to help some older children find schools and send them to study.

Meanwhile, many people came from afar to visit you poor children and to pay their respects to Father Henry. Before long, the church began to bustle with activity.

To prevent Father Enrique from overworking himself, you also started helping him with some chores, such as receiving visitors and those who came to pray. Occasionally, people would come specifically to see the children, and you would introduce each child to them—you have a very good memory and can remember every child's name as well as everyone who has visited.

[Thanks to this, many people have developed a liking for you, and some people who happened to hear you humming a tune have become your "fans," saying that you might be very suitable to be a singer in the future.]

You gladly accepted everyone's blessings and returned the favor with a smile and a cheerful melody.

[Furthermore, you often accompany Father Enrique on outings to help the community with everyday tasks, and you quickly became friends with the people in the surrounding neighborhood... Although you're still young and can't offer much help, everyone is happy to see your hard work... No one dislikes a kind and hardworking child, right?]

[And while you were helping out, you didn't forget to hum some light tunes, which brought smiles to many people's faces... Seeing how happy you were and hearing such cheerful tunes, many people felt their mood improve, and it was as if their physical fatigue was relieved a little.]

You take in everyone's expressions, cherish their blessings, and respond with a joyful smile in return, while your actions become increasingly proactive.

The problem is... sometimes you're too proactive and too kind; you're practically running around all day without stopping.

At first, everyone was happy about it, after all, you weren't naughty, and your childlike liveliness was used to "help others," so you could say you were a really good kid.

However, after discovering that you were trying to do things that children shouldn't do, such as lifting heavy objects, people started to get worried...

[While we know you mean well, you're being a bit too kind. You're spending all the time other children spend playing helping them, to the point that they worry this might hinder your growth and rob you of the joy of being a child.]

More importantly, many people who have heard you hum the tunes feel that you are very talented in music, so they don't want you to waste your time on them, but rather to focus on learning and practicing, and find opportunities to develop your talent.

[Someone suggested that we should just refuse your help, since you're just a child and can't help much anyway. It would be better to let you rest, play with the other children, and practice singing. That would suit everyone's wishes.]

[But this suggestion was quickly rejected... Such a cute and well-behaved child is offering to help you, and you're going to refuse? What if you hurt their feelings? What if you make them sad? How can you be so heartless? Children's hearts are very fragile!]

The crowd began pointing fingers and gossiping about the person who made the suggestion.

Finally, someone suggested, "Let's just let you have your way. If it's something easy overall, then it's perfectly fine for you to help. But if it involves something... well... that might hurt you, then we'll just tell you not to help. You can rest and sing on the sidelines. After all, you're very well-behaved, and if we explain it to you in advance, you'll listen."

As for the reason... it's very simple. Just say that your singing can give them strength and a "motivation buff," making them more energetic in their work. Giving them this "buff" through your singing is the greatest help. This way, you can free up time to practice without dampening your good intentions to help others.

This proposal received everyone's support and was quickly implemented... Simply put, everyone started telling you a "white lie," showing you that your singing and your music have "power."

Father Enrique, upon learning of this, was delighted and even expressed his support, joining in as well.

What they didn't expect was... that you would take this "white lie" seriously.

You truly believe that "music has power," and you spend your free time exploring techniques to try and give others a stronger "buff," or to discover what different "buffs" different melodies will bring.

[Thanks to this, your talent began to blossom, and you gradually improved in rhythm and melody. This further convinced everyone that your talent shouldn't be wasted here; you will definitely become a famous singer... or even a musician in the future!]

Therefore, the people in the community started to cooperate with each other to give you as much time as possible to practice music... It's just a pity that there are no musicians here, not even any instruments, otherwise they would have made sure you tried them out.

As time goes by, your exploration of music has broadened. Although you have to rely on your own intuition to explore without a teacher's guidance, you have still vaguely grasped some tricks. Of course, more importantly... you've discovered even more "buffs"!

Upbeat melodies can uplift your mood, fast-paced and exciting melodies can unconsciously quicken your movements and make you tense, while gentle melodies can soothe your heart and bring you peace... You've roughly figured out the "buffs" that different melodies provide.

However, the melody will also change with your own emotions... Well, it's probably because your own emotions are conveyed through the music. Your thoughts will unconsciously be incorporated into the music, thus affecting others. Therefore... the tunes you often hum are light and cheerful.

[After all, you're in a good mood, and you're happy to be able to help others. This joy will be passed on to others through your singing, allowing them to share in your happiness. When you see them smile because of your melody, you're even happier, and then you pass it on to others through your singing... This cycle continues endlessly, and then—]

[A perpetual motion machine has been created! .jpg]

Okay, just kidding, but it really does create a warm, relaxed, and pleasant atmosphere for everyone, which is definitely something to be happy about, isn't it? This could be considered the greatest help you can give to those around you.

However, compared to the light and cheerful melodies you bring to everyone, you actually prefer... gentler and warmer tunes.

Like a winding mountain stream, or the silent dripping of rain, you especially love that gentle, flowing melody… Perhaps it's because you love water?

But none of that matters right now, after all... it's time for you to go to school.

With Father Enrique's help, the church sent people and made arrangements for schools so that children of the appropriate age, including you, could attend. Of course, the church staff would also take the opportunity to see if any of the children had any special talents. If so, they would make extra arrangements so that the talented children could develop their abilities.

[And you are naturally among them... Everyone around you knows about your musical talent, so much so that when church people come to church, they hear people talking about it all the way there.]

[For example, "There's a good boy named Xiwang in the church. He sings very well and will definitely become a famous singer in the future."]

[Or, "Xi Wang is our hope here. He'll definitely become a musician. Could your church take him to a good music school?"]

[...basically that kind of talk. The church members heard it the whole way, which made them both laugh and cry. If they didn't know better, they would think you were their child, that they cared about you so much.]

[Even if they didn't say it, the church people would do it anyway. Their purpose in coming here is to see if there are any gifted children. If they do have a certain talent... then the church would be happy to provide assistance.]

[Then, unsurprisingly, you were chosen. The church will arrange a school for you separately, as you are talented in the arts and deserve extra attention.]

The church then conducted several simple tests, selecting a few talented children to attend better schools... One of them was your "little fan"—Wright, who was also favored by the church and given the opportunity to go to a better school.

Unfortunately, because of your talent, you won't be in the same school as anyone else. Father Enrique has to stay at the church to take care of the other children. In addition, I heard from the church that they are arranging for you to be enrolled in a full-time boarding school with teachers and courses specializing in music, so...

You may have to go to a strange place alone.

Although you're facing an unfamiliar environment all by yourself, you're understandably a little nervous... but you're not panicking because you believe you can make friends at school.

Furthermore, Father Enrique has said he would find an opportunity to see you, which has calmed your nerves and given you enough confidence to greet your new life in your best light.

Before parting ways, you said goodbye to your former friends one by one. Many of the children shared their wishes and talked about what kind of people they wanted to become after studying hard.

[For example, Wright said he wanted to become a "senator" so that more people would pay attention to children like you, so that children who were once like him could live the same happy life he has now, and so that people like that guy (the priest who is now dead) would never appear again.]

[Towards the end, he even became a little shy and embarrassed, because after becoming a senator, he hoped to share your songs with others so that more people could hear them... It seems that this "little fan" of yours has become completely enamored with you (referring to your voice)]

Although it's a bit strange, it's a good wish. You offer your blessings and sincerely hope that he will succeed.

[But when Wright asked you, when the other children asked you, what your wish was, what you hoped to become... you were stunned.]

Because you haven't thought about this question yet, and you don't know how to answer it.

Therefore, you could only pretend to think, and then... resorted to a little trickery.

"As for me... I want to become hope from now on, just like my name suggests," you said half-jokingly, "that way, everyone will be happy when they see me."

Your answer surprised everyone present. The children didn't understand what you meant, while the adults thought you were joking and trying to make them laugh.

Only Father Henry, upon hearing your answer, paused for a moment, then smiled knowingly and offered you his heartfelt blessing.

The other children didn't quite understand at first, and even Wright looked a little confused, but they quickly stopped thinking about it and offered their blessings for your wish as well.

Then, it was time to part... As a parting gift, you softly hummed an unknown, cheerful tune as a farewell.

Next, you will all go your separate ways to experience different things.

Unlike the other children who were slightly apprehensive, you, surrounded by the friendliness of Father Enrique and the surrounding community, believed that even in the unfamiliar environments ahead, you would meet the same people, and you believed that interactions between people would always be pleasant.

Just like music, when you sing it to others, it can make them happy and you can also feel joy. You believe that interactions between people must be relaxed and pleasant.

But... reality is often not like that. To be precise, you haven't met enough people.

Interpersonal relationships aren't always easy and pleasant. Some people naturally develop negative emotions like dislike or jealousy towards each other, and some even become hostile towards each other over inexplicable reasons, often stemming from... something "different".

[Especially when dealing with children whose sense of good and evil is not yet fully formed, this inexplicable emotion is amplified... It's really inexplicable because innocent and naive children don't know what this emotion is; they simply express it innocently and then act accordingly.]

They were unaware of the consequences of their actions, nor the impact they would have on others... They simply wanted to express and vent their confused and unaware emotions.

As for what would happen after expressing these emotions and acting in accordance with them... they didn't know, and hadn't thought about it.

They were just innocent and naive children, simply wanting to express their feelings, nothing more.

Chapter 5 Protected by Love (6180)

With the church's help, you've come to a full-time boarding school, which is a great place for a child like you, at least for you.

Because this school is far from your "home," which is the church where Father Henry the Priest works, you simply cannot accept the "commuting" lifestyle. Even going home for holidays becomes difficult, and you can only wait for Father Henry to come and visit you. Your life basically has to be spent at school—after all, although the church sponsors your tuition and accommodation fees, that's about it.

However, you didn't mind, because it was already a rare opportunity to learn. Before entering the school, you solemnly thanked the people at the church and expressed your determination to study hard.

The church members just smiled, indicating that they believed you would succeed.

And indeed, that's true. In your daily studies, you demonstrate exceptional intelligence, ranking among the top students of your age. In your special classes, or rather, in the music courses specifically chosen for you, you fully showcase your talent. Coupled with your well-behaved and polite demeanor, many teachers adore you.

[Especially your music teacher, he saw your talent almost immediately, and after a few lessons he said you would definitely become a great musician in the future—at least better than him.]

[Thanks to this, the teacher would occasionally show some "favoritism" towards you, sometimes even giving you extra private lessons during his free time, which you enjoyed, absorbing the knowledge about music theory as quickly as a sponge.]

[You are very popular among the students. Because you have cared for other children in church, you are very good at dealing with other children after you come to school. You even help the dormitory supervisor comfort children who feel lonely and scared because of living on campus and end up crying. You are even more skilled than the dormitory supervisor.]

In addition, during your free time, you always find time to help out, running around the school with the cheerful steps of a child. Sometimes you help one child clean their dormitory and make their bed, sometimes you help another teacher move things... Your presence is felt everywhere in the school, and the cheerful tunes you hum are heard everywhere in the school.

[Your liveliness and energy are almost entirely devoted to helping others, which makes others like you even more, especially your teachers. They particularly adore this well-behaved and adorable child... After all, you're not troublesome, not playful, and even try your best to help others. You also do well in your studies. What teacher wouldn't like such an easy-going and effortless child?]

[Without realizing it, you've become a little "heartthrob" in this school, well... even though this school doesn't have 10,000 students yet~]

However, change often happens unexpectedly...

As mentioned before, this is a full-time boarding school, but if a student's family can afford it, they can also commute. After all, the school can't completely confine students to the school; that would be tantamount to "house arrest," and they'd be condemned to death.

[Furthermore, this is a school with a special curriculum and a fairly good reputation, so in other words... the students' families here are actually quite well-off. About 30% of the students are day students, 60% can go home on weekends, and of the remaining 10%, most of them can be picked up by their families during holidays.]

As for the few remaining children, they were unable to go home for various reasons... and some simply didn't want to go home and just wanted to stay at school.

[And you happen to belong to the last category—you don't have spare money to buy a ticket home, so you can only spend the holidays at school, and with the help of the teachers who stay behind, you can have video communications with Father Enrique and others.]

[It's really nothing. After all, everyone has their own troubles, and the children don't really care about each other. The children who stay at school and can't go home won't show any emotion towards the children who commute every day. Although they might be envious sometimes, it's nothing, isn't it?]

[And you, being so kind to everyone, are even more so. Every time a day student leaves, or when parents come to pick up their children on the weekend, you cheerfully offer a farewell tune as a gift, and then show your joy at seeing them again on Monday.]

There's nothing wrong with that, is there?

But then one day... a child casually, innocently asked you, "Xiwang, aren't your family coming to pick you up?"

[He was genuinely just curious, or perhaps simply wanted to express his doubts, or maybe he was just concerned about you... but for some reason, this statement still made me feel a little uncomfortable.]

[But you didn't care, and simply answered truthfully that your "home" and family were too far away, and traveling back and forth would be too troublesome, and you might miss your classes, so you chose to stay at school.]

"Then why don't your parents come to visit you?"—He still expressed his innocent doubt.