A World Without You

Smile for the Camera!

"Oto-nii! Take a picture of me first!"

"No, no! Look over here, Oto-nii!"

"Oto-nii . . . Can you please take a picture of me?"

A young man with red hair looked down at all of the demanding children swarming his legs, a large grin on his face. "How about I take a picture of all of you at the same time?"

"No way . . . Does Oto-nii have magic?!" a child tugging on his hand gasped.

The young red-head chuckled and let the wave of loud children climb onto his body. "We all have magic as long as we turn our frowns upside down~," he said with a lop-sided smile. "So! Stand back, everyone, and let big brother Otoya do his super awesome magic!"

The children cheered and scurried away, standing a small distance away from Otoya as he quickly rubbed his hands together. "Ready?" he asked, raising a camera up to his left eye. He swiftly took a few steps back, kneeled, and let out a large smile for the children. "Say, 'Oto-nii!'"

"Oto-nii~!" The children choursed, large smiles appearing on all of their faces from looking at Otoya's own happy smile.

"Coo-lick! Great job, all of you!" Otoya cheered as he let the camera drop and hang from his neck. "Go on ahead back inside and eat some lunch! Oto-nii has to say goodbye for now!"

A small giggle left his lips as he watched the group whine and drag themselves through the open doorway behind them. Once they were out of his sight, he stood up and let out a sigh as he stared at the scene before him, his smile dropping as he stuffed his cold hands into the pocket of his dark blue hoodie.

Closing his eyes, Otoya let out a small hum. Memories from the time he lived in this very place took over his head as he walked away, leaving his footprints in the thin sheet of snow.

"Wait, Otoya!"

He stopped and turned, a bright smile on his face from seeing an old woman walk up to him. "Ms. Hayami! What are you doing out in this cold?"

Ms. Hayami chuckled, her wrinkled hand on Otoya's shoulder. "I wanted to thank you for all that you've done for the children, Otoya-kun," she said with a fond smile. "Come back tomorrow again, okay?"

"Aw, you know that I'm gonna already!" Otoya laughed while scratching the back of his head. His eyebrow playfully tilted downwards as held the elderly woman's shoulders, a small grin on his face. "But you have to go back inside now! It's too cold! Brr!"

Ms. Hayami swatted him away and gave him an amused hum. "Be safe on the way home, Otoya-kun. And make sure to drink some hot chocolate."

"For sure!" He saluted while walking away, his footsteps left behind in the snow. "Bye-bye, Ms. Hayami!"

Otoya watched her wave goodbye for a few seconds before turning away to walk back inside the building. A relieved sigh escaped his lips to see she wasn't staying out in the snow for too long, his own body shivering before he started his trek back to his apartment.

Walking at a brisk pace, the red-head felt a song coming to his head as the snow began to slowly fall around him. His hands in his pockets, he let the words flow out of his mouth.

"This melody created by two, let's carry it throughout our lives. Hoping that the future overlaps with today~," he sang quietly in the empty sidewalk. "Firm and without any change, I hold in my heart this single phrase . . ."

Otoya stopped, looking through the photos he took of the orphanage as he ended the song with a hum. "Uwa, I still have to work on that last part," he muttered. He held his camera up to the sky, staring at a picture of three children playing with each other on a slide with fondness in his eyes.