Glenn and his company of Yumiko and Ryou approached his apartment. The multistory, modern building was in a central area and the entrance to the courtyard was barricaded on all sides. Nevertheless, they made it in a short time.

Glenn, who was walking in front of the others, glanced vaguely toward the front door and stopped. Yumiko looked out through him and noticed a child sitting silently in the corner. For Yumiko, the boy's appearance was sad, rather because of Yoshiro's lifeless face, waiting for the iron door to open.

A young man resumed his stride, and coming close to the door, looked back at the child again.

"Come in."

Yoshiro slowly stood up and entered the entryway after Glenn opened the door, followed by the others.

Yumiko declared to herself that boy knows exactly Glenn-kun's address.

Soon, they entered his apartment.

After taking off his small boots, Yoshiro walked off toward the couch and sat down on it, unafraid of the lights turned off throughout the apartment. Glenn turned on the hall light and turned around at the two peers. It was a sign of trust. Yumiko gently walked over to the child's side and sat down with her knees on the laid-down floor. Making sure the boy looked into her eyes, Yumiko gave him a velvet, warm smile, and Yoshiro instantly trusted that look.

In that moment, the maiden found herself wanting to help the boy. This desire was sincere, with no selfish purpose. All because Yumiko did not want Yoshiro to start experiencing the same feelings she had in the past.

No child should have to go through family conflicts. Children won't put up with it, and parents will reject it. Yumiko had this opinion with her.

"You just don't turn away," Yumiko said gently and stroked the boy's head. "Fight! You are a strong boy, after all."

The distraught boy began to cry bitterly when he heard her words. He hugged the girl tightly, grasping her shoulders. Yumiko felt Yoshiro's shaking body.

"I understand what you're going through. Things will get better, so please be stronger!"

"I have no choice now..."

"Does it matter that you're out of the house? No one will mock you."

"I don't want to see them!"

"Don't say that. Let's talk about the good stuff instead. How about we talk about toys?"

Yoshiro turned away from Yumiko and wiped away his tears. His state of mind could easily be recognized by the chagrined look that was not typical of a happy child.

"O-okay..."

"So, Yoshiro. What can make you happy?" the maiden asked, straightening her back and sitting up straight.

With their backs to the bar in the corner, the two tall boys watched the scene silently. Glenn seemed noticeably happier than before. The unbridled smile that he didn't have in front of Yoshiro returned to his face.

"Yumiko-san has a way with children."

"Are you a close acquaintance of hers?"

"We've crossed paths before, I remember last year of school. I'm in "B" class. And you're a friend of Yumiko's, I suppose?"

"I'm her classmate."

"So you don't consider yourself her friend?"

Ryou wondered about the meaning of friendship. For him, a friend was someone with whom one had a bond of friendship. Whether he was a friend to her, the young man did not know.

"Stop calling me by ''san'' already," Ryou added, walking away from the answer.

"I beg your pardon. I've had this way of speaking since I was a child. My upbringing is to blame."

Ryou didn't like Glenn. There was a strange aftertaste when he spoke to him, and he felt out of place when he was around him. His smile alone reeked of both cunning and mercenary.

"This boy's family used to be so much happier. How else could it be, when he was showered with the grace of his family every day. Eventually, something went wrong in the family, and the parents, not sharing their common happiness, began a feud. His father spent the last six months fighting and laying hands on his mother. The child could not stand the abrupt change in the home and chose the decision to run away."

"Domestic abuse..." said Ryou, rolling his eyes dejectedly.

"I don't like hearing those details myself."

"But how do you know so much about him?"

Crossing his arms, Glenn glanced busily at the couch where Yoshiro and Yumiko were chatting peacefully.

"Long story."

"You just can't tell?"

"Depends on whether the information is important to you."

"I suppose Sato-chan has no idea either. I want to find out."

Glenn sighed wearily, rolling his eyes, and decided to reveal the secret he had been hiding from outsiders. Whether it was Ryou's influence, or whether he had some kind of agenda in mind, the young man begged not to know the exact answer.

"It's about my work. I help people."

"You're about a social service job?"

"Exactly. The questionnaire system, applying for help, commissions, and so on. It's a whole separate iceberg."

"Is that the kind of work you get paid for? This work epitomizes volunteerism, and many organizations do it for free."

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

"We have a broader list of help and waves of people asking for help from all walks of life."

"I see. I've heard of such organizations in Japan somewhere."

Glenn was more interested in watching Yumiko and the baby talk than in explaining the tasks of his job.

"Ryou-san, do you know why we asked you to help us? Your task lies on an entirely different thing. After all, I can't make sure Yoshiro doesn't run away from home and Yumiko-san can't handle it. Do you see where I'm going with this?"

"To be a support for Yumiko...?" suggested Ryou uncertainly, lowering his eyes when he saw his and Glenn's gazes cross.

"Ryou-san," Glenn called softly, "why are you averting your eyes? Are you unaccustomed to interacting with a person...?"

"I-it's none of your business," the young man declared as he headed for the exit. "It's dark outside. I have to go home."

"Leaving already?" asked Yumiko confusedly, turning to face the young man.

Ryou's sad gaze was directed at Yoshiro, who was sitting behind the maiden. The young man could not shake off the weight of accepting the fact of the unfortunate situation that had occurred in the child's life.

Ryo took on this burden as well.

"Yes," Ryou replied with a bitter smile, "I will be worried about me if I don't come home."

"I see..."

Hearing her brief reply, Ryou slowly turned and continued walking toward the exit. Suddenly, he heard a male voice peacefully calling his name. When he looked back, he saw the friendly smile of Glenn, idly crossing his arms.

"Good luck. Thank you for coming."

Ryou smiled insincerely back at him and silently walked out. He thought he hadn't done anything to deserve thanks.

"Uncle's being waited on at home," saddened the boy, "It must be good for him..."

"Ah, he didn't mean to hurt you. It's just that Hayashi-kun is a busy man."

"You have a family waiting for you, too," Glenn complemented, joining the conversation.

"If they were looking for me, they would have found me long ago!"

Glenn chuckled impulsively, averting his eyes.

Yumiko chuckled embarrassedly, trying to reassure the boy. The main task now lay in calming Yoshiro down so he wouldn't make trouble. The best choice for her was to be with the boy, because at the moment the child's trust was on the maiden's side.

"Yumiko-san, would you like to sleep at my house tonight? Just for you and Yoshiro-kun, there's a spare room."

The schoolgirl thought about his offer. In any case, it was the best choice for her, and the boy wouldn't let go. She looked back at the boy and saw his smiling eyes. Yoshiro with all his soul wanted her to stay with him. Pulling herself together, she could not refuse Glenn's offer and the child's plea.

She ended up spending the night in someone else's apartment, half the time talking to the child about anything they could find common ground on. Yumiko learned many things about Yoshiro's life that could help her in helping the child return home to her family.

"What's happening to me?" thought Ryou, walking out of Glenn's apartment a couple of hours ago. "Why did I run away? I could turn around..."

Pondering his actions, the young man moved with quick steps down the deserted street near the central district.

"Why do I always run away? I had a great chance to make a new relationship in a new city for me. Was I scared of Sato-chan's friend? I couldn't believe it... Was I afraid for my sister? No, she would understand, would I have called her and explained the situation to her... Was I afraid to lend a helping hand to a child who needed it so much? Rather, I was running away from responsibility, shaking my hand. Oh, come on, that's it! Isn't that what I thought?"

The young man was confused in his thoughts. Physically, he was barely resting, but he didn't dare stop, but rather wanted to tempt this tension. To feel the pain so that he could pick up his mind again and think normally about his current situation.

"I made up my own problem. I only worry about my own problems. Glenn noticed this in me and tried to clear it up, but I shook it off again. I was only running away from myself."

Remembering Yoshiro's lifeless face the first time they met, Ryou lowered his head and gritted his teeth in anger at himself.

"I couldn't do anything to help that child..."

The next early morning, Yumiko and Glenn cooked breakfast together at the bar. They had managed to get into their school uniforms in the time it took to regain consciousness. Their neatness in the way they wore their clothes, whether street or home, suggested from the outside that they were clean. Yoshiro was sleeping relaxed on the made-up bed. He seemed very tired after a long and peaceful conversation with the girl he decided to call sister, naturally because of the age difference.

After carefully cutting the fruit and seafood, the two teenagers had a softened look. Figuring it would be quicker to kill time while cooking, Glenn began melodiously humming a tune that was a popular tune among young people. A soulful chant flowed from his lips, which harmoniously flowed into the ears of Yumiko, who listened to his vocals with calm thoughts. Soon she, too, joined in with him, dancing lightly with her slim legs.

The schoolgirl was amazed at how much freedom this song felt, delving into every note of this piece of music.

The sleeping child also listened to their singing, albeit dozing. He was dreaming happy dreams.

Soon they were done singing, and an unforgiving peace reigned in the apartment once more.

"What have you learned about Yoshiro?"

"This kid doesn't know exactly what his parents started fighting about, but he's not sure he doesn't want to be friends with the family either."

Glenn listened thoughtfully to her words, not wanting to miss important details. After a brief pause, a distressed Yumiko continued her thought.

"We have an opportunity to end his father's toxic relationship with his mother. By giving them Yoshiro back, they can mend their relationship. They care about Yoshiro more than anyone else, Glenn-kun. I get that from what he says."

"Good. I'll start turning him over to his family as of today."

"Wait, Glenn-kun!" interrupted the maiden, staggering his thoughts. "I want to help this child... I want to bring what I've started to a happy end. I should talk to Yoshiro about it, so give me a chance...!"

"I see. All right, Yumiko-san, I'll trust you with this matter, and I'll handle the rest myself. I'll think of a plan."

"I understand..."

Glenn put the knife down on the counter and turned respectfully to face Yumiko. Unexpectedly for the schoolgirl, Glenn bowed his head to her.

"Yumiko-san. Thank you for everything!"

"W-what? It's okay, you don't have to bow!"

"It's a sign of respect."

"One thank you is enough for me, and better yet, you need to stop treating simple things with too much loyalty!"

"I don't know what you mean, I'm only talking to you on the same level."

"I don't smell any 'on the same level' here."

"All right then, Yumiko-chan."

"W-what...?! It's so weird..."

With this conversation, the young man saw a confused Yumiko for the first time with astonished eyes, sweetly shaking off her hands in order not to bother him about such trivia. Glenn smiled in honor of the occasion, to which the maiden took a misunderstanding.

Thus, Glenn's work finally shifted and turned in a different direction, thanks to a girl mediator who had met him by pure chance.

Or maybe it wasn't an accident, and their first meeting in a long time was destiny.