Momo volunteers at an orphanage.

Wordcount: 4344

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A/N: Sorry this came a week late. My exams actually ended just this thursday so I've been typing a little bit by bit every day >< Hope this last part is worth the wait for you all! Enjoy! :)

 

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Things were a little different now that they had gotten closer.

Momo, as usual, went to the place that she was now so familiar with already. Since her school had not started yet, she was free to go as and when she wanted, as long as she did not have any other plans.

Opening the door, she was greeted by all the children who paused their activities upon realising that she was here again. Though there were many other volunteers who were there for a longer time, none of them were as dedicated as Momo, and none of them clicked as well with them as Momo. That is, other than Jihyo, of course.

Another person who was delighted about Momo's visit was none other than Mina. After Momo left that day, Mina had sent a text expressing her utmost gratefulness to Momo, because the former felt that no matter how many times she said it, it was never enough. Subsequently, the two had been messaging quite often, so they got to know a lot more about each other, and they were now closer than ever. (Mina was also thankful to whoever who invented smartphones and created the social messaging applications. She used to feel that it was pointless when Jihyo's parents had kindly bought a simple model for her, but now it became really handy.)

Now that the barrier between them was broken down, Mina no longer held back her actions of affection. She was a very affectionate person after all, just scared of meeting new people and facing the pain of watching them leave again. Yes, she was glad that her friends were adopted, but let's be honest, the harsh reality in the real world is that not many would be like Jihyo, still remembering Mina who was left there, and even volunteering just to accompany her.

So when Momo came in, instead of just looking up and smiling, Mina stood up as well, moving forward a little as a form to greet Momo. When Momo turned to look at her after greeting all the children, Mina shyly opened her arms. Seeing that, Momo quickly walked over and accepted the hug. It felt nice being welcomed like that.

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

Even though they had gotten closer, Momo kept to the same routine - hanging out with Mina only after hanging out with the children. It was something they agreed upon, since Momo's purpose of volunteering here was not just for Mina.

But something else that changed was that when Momo sat with Mina, the latter no longer pretended to be reading her book. She placed it aside and listened attentively as Momo talked. Occasionally, she would reply using the notepad, making it an effective two-way conversation. Momo felt glad about this change, it made it seem like Mina was truly starting to accept Momo into her life.

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

Unfortunately, now that school started for Momo, her schedule was so packed that it was hard for her to find time to visit the orphanage. Though she asked Jihyo about it from time to time, and messaged Mina everyday (it became a routine since the day they started messaging), she still missed everyone there.

Unsurprisingly, a particular girl by the name of Mina missed her as much, if not even more. It had been a few weeks since Momo last visited, and the messages paled in comparison to having her physically around. So on the day that Mina knew Momo was finally going to come, she went to the gate and waited from as early as one hour before the usual time Momo arrived.

It rained the night before so it was still cold out there. Mina took her jacket knowing it would be cold, but did not bother changing her shorts to pants or anything longer. So there she stood in her jacket and shorts, her legs exposed to the relatively low temperature. Mina did not mind, however. She had barely even noticed that she was cold, her mind too fixated on the warmth that was arriving soon.

When Momo arrived, she was surprised to see Mina standing outside. She was also not expecting the girl to run excitedly towards her the moment she stepped out of the car - a little different from the Mina she knew. Nonetheless, she opened her arms wide, and Mina ran straight into her arms, just the way little kids usually did.

Momo held Mina tightly and firmly, treasuring the hug that she missed for the past few weeks.

"What are you doing outside, Mina?"

By now, Momo had already gotten a lot better at reading Mina's actions and expressions, so when Mina looked up and gave her a look, she understood immediately.

"You were waiting for me? You shouldn't have, Mina, I really appreciate it, but it's so cold out here and look at you, you're only in shorts. You'll catch a cold. Let's go in now before you really become down with one."

Mina just nodded. As long as Momo was here with her, she would listen to everything Momo said.

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

As soon as Momo was done with her routine, she went to find Mina again. Right at the moment that she sat down, Mina put her book aside and scooted closer to Momo, wrapping her arms around the latter.

Momo laughed and joked, "Someone's clingy today~"

Still leaning onto Momo, Mina used one hand to open her notepad, flipping to a page that she wanted to show Momo.

I missed you.

"Wow, when did you write that?" Momo continued teasing. She was aware that Mina must have written it after knowing that Momo was finally coming, just so that she could show Momo. 

Mina looked away, embarrassed of her confession of how much she missed the other girl. Momo chuckled, Mina was being particularly adorable that day. "Do you really miss me so much?"

Mina nodded.

"But we message everyday." Momo pushed it a little further. She knew what Mina wanted to hear, but she enjoyed seeing Mina like that.

Momo watched as Mina unwrapped her arms and a frown appeared on her face. The girl was visibly upset as she scribbed something on her notepad.

Do you not miss me too?

Momo could not help but laugh at how much Mina was being affected by this. She cupped Mina's cheek with one hand, and as their eyes met, Momo took the chance to say what she felt - and what Mina wanted to hear as well.

"Of course I did. I missed you so much every day. I'm sorry I wasn't able to drop by for the past few weeks."

Mina smiled and went into the position she was in before - leaning onto Momo and her arms around the older girl. Momo knew exactly what that meant.

Me too.

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

For some time they sat in silence, Momo did not say anything and both of them just enjoyed each other's presence. They did so until Momo decided to break the silence.

"Mina?"

With a slight movement from the other, Momo continued. "It's a public holiday next Wednesday so I was wondering if you want to spend some time with me then? I end relatively early the day before too, so I was thinking we can have a sleepover before going out together on Wednesday. I've asked Jihyo already, she said it could be arranged as long as you're okay with it."

Mina did not respond, she just sat there pondering over the offer. This made Momo think that maybe Mina did not want that.

"It's okay if you don't want to, I understand if you're uncomfortable with the idea of staying over at my house. I just thought perhaps you'd like to experience a sleepover, but no obligations, it's really up to you." Momo was a little panicky. She did not want Mina to think that she was trying to step over the line.

Mina looked at Momo after hearing her flustered comments, and just smiled and nodded. She reached out for her notepad again.

I'm not uncomfortable, I know you won't do anything to me. I just... haven't really been out there before.

The only times Mina stepped out of the orphanage was during the occasional field trips they had in the past, but those were really different from how it truly like out there. In fact, ever since all her friends were adopted, she had always refused to go on those trips too.

"Then shall we go and experience it this time? I'll take care of you, I promise."

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

Two hours before their arranged time, Mina was already sitting at the usual corner, with a backpack next to her. She was both nervous and excited, it was the first time she was going to experience the world out there. For years she had been leaving in this protected shelter, she wondered how it was like out there.

Mina's thoughts were interrupted when the door opened, and entering through it was Hirai Momo, the person she was waiting for. Mina quickly got up and ran to the girl, greeting her with a hug. Momo smiled and hugged back, it was still a little unusual for her to see Mina behaving like that but she could get used to it.

"Ready to go?

With a nod from Mina, Momo walked over to pick her backpack up, before walking back to take Mina's hands in hers. "Let's go."

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

The bus ride home was only about fifteen minutes or so, but not long after they boarded the bus, Mina had fallen asleep already. She was very tired since she barely got any sleep the previous night, her nerves and excitement keeping her awake the entire night.

Mina was leaning against the window, the expression she had was a peaceful one. Momo smiled at the sight, before gently pulling Mina to lean on her shoulder instead, not wanting the vibrations of the window to disrupt the younger girl's sleep. She also made the effort to sit up straight, so that Mina's neck would not be strained.

As they approached the stop they were supposed to alight at, Momo gently patted Mina to wake her up. The latter stirred a little and she was still half awake when Momo held her hand and alighted from the bus.

Momo took the bag and hung it in front instead, before squatting down in front of Mina. After a while of no response, she looked back, only to see Mina giving her a confused look.

"We still have to walk from here and you look tired, come on I'll piggyback you."

Mina shook her head.

"Come on, if not I'll carry you."

Mina pointed to herself and used her fingers to do a walking gesture. I can walk on my own.

"Come on." Without waiting for Mina to reply, Momo forcefully piggybacked Mina, making the girl lose balance and have no choice but to hold onto her. Momo smiled victoriously. "That wasn't so hard, was it? Let's go."

Mina relaxed and finally willingly let Momo carry her. She smiled as she inhaled Momo's scent as they walked. She really liked being with Momo, because the girl always made her feel safe and protected from everything, at times even from her own thoughts.

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

Momo finally put Mina down when they arrived outside her house. Pulling Mina with her, she walked in the gate and shouted, "Mum, I'm home!"

The main door soon opened and as a lady - Momo's mother - appeared, Mina tensed up. Was Momo's family going to be as accepting as Momo herself? Or do they dislike the fact that Momo was hanging out with a mute?

Momo looked over when she felt Mina tighten the grip on her hand. She squeezed Mina's hand a little to catch her attention, before mouthing "It'll be fine." In fact, ever since Momo volunteered at the orphanage and met Mina, she had been telling her mother a lot about Mina. Like her, Mrs Hirai was also not one who cared about physical disabilties, or family background for that matter. So Momo was certain that she would take a liking towards Mina too.

Walking forward, Momo greeted her mother with a hug, before introducing Mina. The younger girl bowed, hoping not to give a bad impression. She kept her vision towards the ground, too nervous to look up, so she was surprised when she was taken into an embrace by Momo's mother. "Welcome to our home! Momo has been talking a lot about you, it's nice to finally meet you."

Though short and unexpected, Mina felt disappointed when Momo's mother let go. The hug felt warm, and even though they just met, Mrs Hirai gave off such a motherly feeling - something she missed, and something that was lacking in her life for years.

"Let's go in!" 

 

 

 

 

****

 

 

 

Surprisingly, it took only one dinner for Mina to become comfortable with Mrs Hirai. She wondered if that would still be the case if Mr Hirai was here, but that was probably something she would never know since Mr Hirai was on a business trip.

Now, the two of them had just finished watching a movie, and as the credits rolled, she felt Mina snuggle up to her.

"Why?"

Momo felt Mina shake her head.

"Are you sure?"

Mina did not reply, and Momo decided to just enjoy being in the position they were in. In the short amount of time that they had met each other, especially after Mina started opening up to her, the younger girl had become a very important person in Momo's life.

Her eyes were closed, enjoying the moment, when she felt Mina shift a little. She opened her eyes to see Mina writing with an unreadable expression.

Then it was showed to her. Momo, you will never leave me right?

Momo looked over to Mina, and she saw that the girl's eyes were watery, probably tearing up at the thought of it happening. She quickly put her palms on Mina's cheeks, successfully capturing the first tears that fell with her thumb. She gently wiped them away before leaning in to place a kiss on Mina's forehead, hoping to calm the girl down.

"No, I will never do so. I promise."

At that moment, Mina was almost fully convinced that Momo would never leave. After all, Momo had never broken her promises. However, a little part of her remains worried that maybe, just maybe, that this would be the first promise Momo broke.

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

Morning came, and Mina was the one who woke up first. As she opened her eyes, she noticed that Momo's arms were still around her waist, just like how hers was around Momo. She smiled, remembering how they ended up in this position.

 

FLASHBACK

 

"Mina, I think we should sleep now, tomorrow might be a long day," Momo said, moving to get out of the bed. "I'll sleep on the mattress, you can sleep here."

Without a second thought, Mina reached out to Momo and held her wrist tightly, making the girl turn around, confused. She tugged at it a little, showing Momo what she wanted.

"You sure? You're not uncomfortable with it?"

Mina nodded and tugged Momo's wrist again.

"Okay," Momo said with a smile, moving back to the position she was in before - right next to Mina.

As they laid down, Mina shifted herself closer to the other girl and wrapped her arms around her. She smiled contently when she felt Momo's arms around her waist too.

 

END OF FLASHBACK

 

Mina snuggled her head into Momo's shoulder, closing her eyes to catch a bit more rest before Momo woke up. At that moment, saying she was happy was definitely an understatement. The sleep she just woke up from was possibly the happiest and best ever. Other than the bed that was more soft and comfortable than her own bed, what mattered more to her was the person next to her. Momo; someone who made her feel safe, someone who made her feel important, someone who made her feel more loved than ever.

 

 

The next time Mina opened her eyes was when she felt Momo shifting. The older girl had woken up, and was now looking at her.

"Good morning, beautiful."

Mina blushed at Momo's greeting. Trying to hide her embarrassment, she hit Momo lightly on the shoulder. Momo could only laugh at her cute actions.

"Let's go have breakfast and get ready to go out," Momo suggested, making Mina slightly disappointed that the warmth was gone.

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

The two were now seated in the bus once again, both in smiles because they were excited for the day. Mina suddenly patted Momo, making the latter look over.

What are we doing today?

"I was thinking of shopping the whole day, then have an early dinner before I take you back. Is that alright with you?"

Shopping for the whole day? Do we need that long to shop?

"The shopping district is quite big and you'll be spoilt for choice, so yes."

I don't have money, and I don't need new things. I'm mostly in the orphanage anyway. Mina was under a special scheme that allowed her to school, and she did so in a school that was just down the road from the orphanage. The two places were the only ones Mina went to all these while.

"Mina, you know money's not an issue, if you like it I'll buy it for you. I know you don't like me to give you so many things, and I don't want to come off as if I'm mocking you or looking down on you, I just... You're a really special person to me, Mina, and you've made me really happy all these while, possibly even happier than I've ever been.. Take it as my way of thanking you, please? And as long as you're happy, I'll do anything..."

I'm happy just spending time with you.

"I know, me too, but.. Let's just take it as retail therapy okay? Just window shopping, and we'll see if we happen to like anything."

Okay.

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

"It's quite crowded here, especially since it's a public holiday, so don't let go of my hand alright?" Momo told Mina upon alighting from the bus. The last thing she wanted was for Mina to get lost.

Embarking on their shopping journey, Momo held Mina's hand tight and walked, making sure that Mina was always close to her. As she looked at the clothings and apparels, she kept making comments, acting like she was interested. Well, she was, but that interest could wait till another day. She constantly looked at Mina's reactions, taking note of the changes in her expressions. She would pride herself to be one who was good at reading Mina's expressions, and now she was going to use it to her advantage to see if there was anything that Mina liked.

Whenever she saw the way Mina's eyes lit up when she saw something that she liked, Momo would pick it up and ask the younger girl to try it on. If she thought it looked good (which was every single piece because a beautiful girl like Mina simply made anything look good), she would throw endless compliments and buy it, despite Mina's protests.

And that was how the entire day went on, Momo observing Mina, buying whatever Mina liked, and insisting that she carried the paper bags. Mina eventually caught on with what Momo was doing and tried not to express interest even if she saw something she liked, but it was either she was really bad at hiding it, or Momo was extremely good at reading her. Mina tried to tell Momo not to get it, but the older girl would just ignore her and walk away, dragging Mina with her of course since Momo never let go of her hands except for when the girl was changing. Regardless of how Mina tried to resist, Momo always had her own way of dealing with it, so Mina eventually gave up.

Evening came and it was time for them to have an early dinner. Though Mina was glad that this meant that Momo would spending money on her, she was also sad because she knew this meant the time they had to spend together was ending.

While making their way to their dining place (which Momo had planned), they had to squeeze through the crowd. With so many people walking in the opposite direction from them, it was not possible for them to walk side by side, so Momo had no choice but to walk in front of Mina, but still not letting go of her hand. Mina was, however, not so comfortable with it so she tightened her grip on Momo's hand. Looking back, Momo saw that Mina looked a little scared. It was probably her first time experiencing something like that after all. 

Not liking that expression, Momo pulled Mina closer to her and put her hand around Mina's waist. Mina instinctively wrapped her arms around the other girl's too. It was going to make it harder for them to walk, but Momo was okay with that if it meant Mina feeling safer. "Just look at my feet and follow my footsteps alright? Just a bit more, we're reaching there."

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately, all good things come to an end, and so did the day that they spent together. Time had passed so fast and before they knew it, they were already outside the orphanage.

"Here's your things."

Mina shook her head, it was her last chance to refuse it.

"I know you like these a lot, Mina. It's also not everyday that I'll be able to bring you out and get you all these, so take it please?" 

Hesitantly, Mina extended her hand to take the paper bags from Momo. She then proceeded to give Momo a look. Don't do this again.

Momo smiled when Mina finally accepted it. "Thank you! Thank you for agreeing to go out with me too, the past 24 hours was very fun, and I'm sorry for bringing you to such a crowded place.."

Mina walked forward to embrace Momo. She hoped Momo could feel how grateful she was towards her.

They were both reluctant to let go, but they eventually had to.

"So... I guess I have to get going. See you next time?"

Mina nodded.

"Message me later when you're done showering and all okay? Bye Mina."

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

Nothing changed much after that. Momo continued to message Mina every day, and she visited whenever she could. During the visits she would often see Mina putting on the items that she had bought for her, which made her really happy.

It was 24th December, one day before Christmas, when Momo decided to do something special for Mina again. She wanted to do it during Christmas Day itself instead, but she was invited to a party by her friends, so she had no choice but to do it after the mini Christmas party they had on the 24th.

"Mina," Momo called as she sat down next to the girl. "Can you go to the swing to wait for me? I've got something to give you."

Mina looked at her confused, wondering what she was up to again, but nodded and walked away.

When Momo walked over, she kept her hands behind her, hiding the present from the girl who was waiting for her. As she sat down next to Mina, the latter showed her her notepad. 

It's not something expensive again, right?

Momo grinned, wanting to tease Mina a little.

Momo, I told you I don't need anything, spending time with you is good enough. If you're going to give me something expensive again I'm not accepting it.

Mina had a serious expression as she showed that message, and Momo could not help but laugh. She knew Mina was going to react like that. 

"I promise it's nothing of that sort. But before I give it to you, I do need to ask you if you want it."

Mina looked at Momo confused. Why would she need to ask? When it comes to giving Mina things, Momo never asked and always just went her own way. 

"Close your eyes," Momo requested, to which Mina obeyed without hesitation.

It took only about half a minute for Momo to take out what she had, and also spend some time admiring Mina's beauty (without getting caught or appearing weird). "You may open your eyes now, Mina." 

As Mina opened her eyes, she saw a piece of paper in front of her. She looked at Momo who was urging her to read it, so she glanced through it. Realising what the paper was for, she looked back at Momo, her eyes filled with both excitement and disbelief.

"Mina, do you want it? If you do, I'll get it signed and arranged as soon as possible, within the next few days, I promise."

Mina was still staring at her. She slowly teared up, overwhelmed by the situation. 

Momo decided to explain herself first. "It's totally fine if you don't want it, Mina. I know it's a little quick, we've only met for a little more than a year, so you may be uncomfortable with it. I just wanted to give you something special, so I pondered over it, and I thought it'll be nice to give you a nice warm family, one that will shower you with all the love you deserved all these while. I've discussed this with my parents, they'll be the ones signing this after all, and I promise that they will love you just like their own biological daughter."

The tears that welled up in Mina's eyes fell, as she nodded and lunged forward to take Momo into a hug.

 

 

 

 

For years Mina watched people come and go.

Now, she finally had somewhere she can comfortably call 'home'.

 

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End. :)

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