How to ruin the original - Chapter 3

Episode 3

“Take care, sir.”

Nigel took Sally’s cheery farewell and left the top floor of the Evans Trading Company. The sun was already beginning to set, casting long shadows across the town. A sharp breeze brushed Nigel’s face, cool but not unpleasant, lifting a weight from his heart. The most pressing matters were now taken care of, and it was starting to feel real. For Nigel, the orphanage was like home, a place of comfort and familiarity. The thought of leaving filled him with a mix of exhilaration and an uncomfortable feeling that was neither wistful, sad, nor longing.

Nigel quickened his pace, remembering the mountain of work that still lay ahead.

***

The moment of parting was fast approaching.

“Nigel, Nigel…!!”

“…hulp.”

“Don’t go… ouch!”

“By all means…”

Nigel barely swallowed his words. If anyone heard, they might think someone was dying. He knew that cracking a joke would only make the children’s faces screw up even more.

“You can write to… Nigel Asse, Siena Academy. I thought you learned how to write letters at school a while back.”

Nigel wiped Jack’s tears with his handkerchief, choosing his words carefully. Jack’s sobs grew louder, whether he heard or not.

“There’s a word for that.”

“I’ve got a real carriage ride to catch. Are we really going to say goodbye with tears in our eyes?”

Nigel’s words stopped everyone from crying. It was customary to send a departing traveler off crying, to take away his good luck, and to send him off smiling, to give him good luck. It was quite a sight to see him cry for a long time and then force a smile.

Just then, Jack, his eyes puffy, tugged at Nigel’s sleeve.

“Why, Jack? You still got something to say?”

Jack hesitantly took a step closer and pulled something out from behind his hand. It was none other than a shawl. Upon closer inspection, Nigel realized that his name was embroidered on one end of the scarf. The stitches were unevenly spaced and crooked, hand-embroidered by the children.

Nigel was overwhelmed by the warmth in his chest and couldn’t find the right words for a moment before he finally spoke.

“Thank you… you all worked so hard.”

“Sis, I picked out the thread colors!”

“Me, I wrote the embroidery design!”

One by one, each child showed off their work. Nigel met each of their eyes and thanked them individually.

“Nigel.”

Just then, Benny, who had been quiet, approached. Nigel blinked and bent to his knees, and Benny clumsily tied the scarf around his neck.

“I tied a scarf around Nigel’s neck, hehe.”

Benny laughed bashfully. It looked sloppy, but it was the warmest scarf Nigel had ever worn.

“…Nigel.”

“Let me give you a hug.”

It was a voice Nigel had heard every day for the past seventeen years. Ron and Handel took turns hugging Nigel.

“My baby girl…”

Nigel’s eyes widened at the words Ron whispered as they hugged.

“I’ll write to you often, and I’ll be back for vacation.”

“Yeah, do whatever you want. This is always your home.”

Just as the tears were about to fall, the children lunged at him, clinging to him fiercely. Nigel hugged each of them gently, whispered something to them, and soon drove away in his carriage. His arrival at the orphanage had been abrupt, and his departure was just as abrupt. Ron and Handel entered the orphanage to soothe the crying children as soon as the carriage carrying Nigel had disappeared, before they had a chance to savor the moment.

After putting the children to bed, Ron and Handel were greeted at tea time with two letters from different senders and a check for child support written in a familiar handwriting.

***

The carriage arrived at the train station after a long day’s ride. Nigel stretched a few times to loosen up and entered the train station. Unlike Tilin, where everything was slow, here everything was fast, from the pace at which people walked to the talking pitches to the ever-changing signage. When he asked the station staff where he needed to go to get to platform 9, they all just waved their hands expressionlessly.

“Where the hell is platform 9?” he thought to himself. He felt like he had walked around the train station at least five times.

“Hey… looks like you’re in trouble, can I help you, lady?”

Suddenly, a young man with a funny face approached Nigel, who reflexively shook his head and quickly dismissed him. Nine times out of ten, these guys were crooks, and nine times out of ten, they were the ones who addressed you as “lady,” and they were the ones who smiled.

By the time Nigel had literally circled the train station ten times, someone put their face on Nigel’s shoulder.

“Hmmm… you’re on the same train as me, you can come with me to the train!”

Nigel turned around, startled, and a mild-mannered young man with light brown hair smiled at him.

“Hi, I’m Allen, and you?”

“…Nigel.”

Nigel’s casual demeanor made him take Allen’s outstretched hand.

“Nice to meet you, Nigel. Nice name.”

Allen shook his hand.

“Now that you’ve introduced yourself, we’re friends, right? Let’s go to platform 9 together. Let’s go!”

“Wait…!”

Allen threw an arm around Nigel’s shoulders and dragged him along. A moment later, platform 9 did indeed appear. Nigel was surprised to find himself in such close proximity to a man who had kept his identity a secret.

On the platform, a red-bodied, black-haired train was rumbling by, belching steam and making miraculous noises. Nigel was about to enter the train but stopped when he saw Allen, his jaw clenched in a serious expression. At least he was safe, thanks to Allen, and he could afford to listen.

“Hmmm… Nigel, I was thinking about following you into second class, but… I think second class would be too uncomfortable!”

… This asshole?

The silver train ticket in Nigel’s coat pocket crumpled without mercy. Allen was too busy talking to notice.

“Well… but if it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be, so why don’t you come to my seat? I want to get to know you better!”

Now he was dressed like he hadn’t even bothered to clean his clothes, and his hands were manicured as if he hadn’t worked a day in his life.

“No.”

“Uh, what?”

“No.”

Allen’s face didn’t change at this firm refusal, and he clung to Nigel again.

“Oh, come on, Nigel, don’t do that!”

And with that, Nigel was caught and held by Allen for a long time. It was like talking to a wall, no matter how many times he said no, no, no, and finally, fuck off. A wall with expensive wallpaper.

They didn’t come to a conclusion until it was almost time for the train to leave. That’s when Allen made the first move.

“How about this one?”

“Well.”

Nigel shot back, his voice blunt.

“First, I’ll walk you to your seat, and I’ll carry your luggage!”

Allen made a ruler with his arm and slapped his flat, unbendable arm.

“I’ll bet you’ve never done any hard labor before.”

Nigel snorted.

“And in fairness, let’s take a look at my seat and decide where to sit, shall we?”

It wasn’t such a bad idea after all. One trip to Allen’s seat and back would end this tiresome bickering, and it would be a nice little extra business.

“…Yes.”

It was the first affirmative sentence out of Nigel’s mouth since he’d spoken to Allen.

“I’ll do it.”

Allen’s face widened in surprise.

“Yeah, great idea!”

Allen grabbed Nigel’s hand and shook it vigorously up and down. Nigel wasn’t offended by his light grip, which was similar to that of the orphanage children.

“Here, let me help you with your luggage.”

Nigel handed the handles of his square suitcase over to Allen’s skinny hands.

“Ouch! You’re carrying this heavy thing, you. What’s in there?”

Within a second, Allen was bent over at the waist.

“If it’s heavy, give it back.”

“Uh, no. I’m a man of my word.”

“Okay, then.”

Nigel stepped onto the train, leaving a squirming Allen behind.

“Can’t you ask… one more time?”

Allen said in a pleading voice.

“You only get one chance.”

“Be tough, Nigel.”

“Life is a battlefield, and I don’t give a shit about anyone.”

“Ha-am.”

That’s when Allen opened his mouth and yawned.

“Oh, sorry. What did you just say?”

“I said…”

“Aww, come on, tell me, okay?”

“No, it wasn’t that important.”

For a rich guy like you.

“Hmm… I wonder.”

Allen’s mouth dropped open.

“I’ll tell you when I find out, but we can go our separate ways from here. Not a bad offer, huh?”

“Nigel, where did I tell you your seat was?”

Allen pushed past Nigel and, with all the strength he could muster, hauled his luggage onto the train. Nigel smirked and boarded the train after Allen.

It was then.

“Hey…”

Someone called out to Nigel.