Chapter 157: Chapter 156 - The Volunteer Center
Next Saturday came sooner than expected by Kuro.
He stood in front of the familiar wooden signboard.
Kizuna Community Counseling Center.
Unlike last time when he was just a visitor, now he came as a volunteer.
He looked down at the badge that was pinned to his uniform.
Volunteer staff
Feeling strange weight inside his heart.
Not because he really felt heavy on his shoulder.
But because he felt responsible.
The door opened.
Haruka came out with her usual warm smile.
"Good morning."
"Good morning."
"Nervous?"
"...Yes."
"Good."
"..."
"..."
Kuro blinked.
"Why good?"
"Once you don’t have nervousness about other’s life anymore..."
"It’s the moment when you should be worried."
Kuro nodded silently.
"I get it."
---
The counseling center was full of liveliness.
The receptionist greeted every single visitor with her warm smile.
Soft piano music was playing from invisible speakers.
The pleasant aroma of fresh coffee filled the air.
Nothing seemed urgent.
Everything felt welcoming.
Haruka handed him the folded schedule.
"Your assignment for today."
Kuro opened it.
9:00 - Arrange library shelves
10:30 - Prepare the counseling room
12:00 - Have your lunch break
1:00 - Assistance in the reception area
3:00 - Observation
Kuro looked at her.
"No counseling session?"
"Not today."
"Then..."
"You think volunteering means immediately helping clients?"
Kuro shook his head.
"So, then...?"
"Today is different."
---
Kuro remembered the library from last time, but this time it looked bigger.
Shelves stacked books from floor to ceiling.
Psychology.
Developmental science.
Trauma therapy.
Education.
Family.
Even fiction books lined several shelves.
Kuro noticed Haruka’s observation.
"Not all of the clients come here for counseling."
"Some of them came here for information."
"Understanding the problem is sometimes the first step."
For the next hour, Kuro organized the books.
While doing his job, he noticed small handmade notes stuck between the pages.
Left by previous reader.
"This book made me realize why my daughter is behaving like this."
"I finally felt understood."
"Thank you."
Kuro smiled.
Books can heal people as well.
---
During lunch time, Haruka showed him how to prepare counseling room.
Fresh water.
Tissues.
Comfortable seating.
Adjustable curtains to let natural light into the room.
Kuro looked around.
"How amazing."
"Awhat amazing?"
"All details of this place are carefully arranged."
Haruka nodded.
"Once people feels comfortable physically..."
"...They find it easy to feel emotionally comfortable."
---
After lunch break, Kuro took a seat at the reception desk.
The job sounded so easy.
Welcoming guests.
Offering them tea.
Guiding to the waiting area.
That was all.
But somehow...
Kuro found himself observing every client coming.
Some were anxious.
Others were obviously exhausted.
Most of them were polite and tried to hide the pain behind their smiles.
---
First one to come in was elderly woman.
"I’m here for the reading club."
Kuro smiled.
"Sure."
After she thanked him and left, next was a college student.
He grasped a notebook with such force that his knuckles turned white.
All that Kuro did was offered him some water.
The student seemed surprised.
"...Thank you."
With relieved smile, he took the cup.
Observing quietly from the side, Haruka remained silent.
---
Around three o’clock, the entrance door opened again.
An elderly lady with a little boy beside her.
He looked no older than eight years old.
He held tightly to her sleeve with wide scared eyes staring at the floor.
The receptionist greeted them gently.
"Welcome back."
"Thank you," the lady replied with tired face.
Haruka leaned close to Kuro.
"They’ve been coming here twice weekly."
"The boy hasn’t spoken anything during all these meetings."
Instinctively, Kuro looked at the child.
The little boy sensed it.
And for a split second their gaze met.
However, the child quickly looked down again.
Not saying anything to each other.
Several minutes later when mother left the counseling room and her son started waiting for her, Haruka led the boy to the children’s reading area.
Full of colorful picture books and toys.
Yet, he did nothing.
Just sat there quietly.
Continuing organizing books, Kuro watched the little boy without disturbing him.
---
Minutes passed.
Not even a single word.
Finally, Kuro noticed a small children’s book on the floor.
On its cover was small fox carrying huge backpack.
Kuro smiled.
"...That backpack looks heavier than the fox."
Kuro was talking to nobody.
It seemed that his thoughts were aloud.
To his surprise, however...
"...It’s because he carries everything others are unable to carry."
Slowly turning to the child, Kuro looked at him.
Staring at the book, he didn’t look at Kuro.
He just answered to Kuro’s question.
Kuro didn’t approach to him closer.
Didn’t cheer loudly.
Didn’t call for Haruka.
He just took a seat opposite to the rug.
"...It must be hard to do."
Little nodding.
Tightening his grip of his sweater’s sleeve.
They fell silent again.
But this time...
This silence didn’t seem empty anymore.
And yet the silence grew.
Kuro felt no need to break it.
Having learned his lessons from last week’s discussion, he resisted the temptation to inquire further.
With a slight frown, Kuro took the children’s picture book from the table.
A poor fox had a backpack bigger than himself on the cover.
Opening it, Kuro started to read from the first page.
"Does it bother you if I read it?"
With a tiny gesture, the boy gave a silent consent.
And then Kuro proceeded to read aloud.
The fairy tale went like this:
A fox decided to help all forest animals by carrying their bags.
All his family’s.
All his friends’ bags.
And even those belonging to strangers.
The more stuff was added, the slower the fox walked.
Until one day the backpack got so heavy that the fox became too weary to move.
Gathering in front of the struggling fox, all the animals were not laughing at him but quietly taking away their bags.
The fox realized something.
To be helpful did not mean taking the weight on oneself alone.
It meant sharing a load and walking together.
Putting down the book, Kuro gently closed it.
"I liked that ending."
Boy stared at the cover.
"... Me too."
Kuro managed a smile.
"The fox looks much lighter now."
Another subtle nod.
But then, after a pause, came the quiet question:
"Do you think the fox was weak?"
Kuro looked him straight into the eyes.
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because being able to ask for help is not a sign of weakness."
"In fact..."
"It’s quite the opposite."
Shoulders of the boy quivered slightly.
"My teacher thinks that I talk too little."
"My classmates think that I am weird."
"My mommy keeps asking if something bad has happened to me."
He looked down.
"I don’t know what to say to her."
Kuro listened patiently without interrupting.
Every word was spoken with an effort.
"When people keep asking me..."
"... Why..."
"it scares me."
"And I stay silent because..."
"It is easier."
Kuro made a gentle nod.
"I understand that."
Boy raised his eyes.
"... Really?"
"Of course, I cannot understand exactly what you feel."
Kuro confessed.
"But talking is hard work."
The boy looked straight into Kuro’s eyes.
"You didn’t ask me why."
"Huh?"
"They always ask why."
"You did not."
Kuro managed a half-smile.
"That is what I thought..."
"If you wanted to talk to me..."
"... Then you would."
"And if not..."
"... It is fine too."
For the very first time since coming to Kuro, the boy cracked a smile.
It was a very tiny smile.
Difficult to detect.
But it was there.
---
A minute later, Haruka silently stepped inside and took a seat nearby.
She knew already that she had seen enough.
She certainly did not eavesdrop.
But keeping the child safe was part of her job.
Smiling at the boy and at Kuro, she asked:
"Mind if I stay?"
With a slight nod, he accepted her presence.
And Haruka joined the two.
"Well, I’ve heard someone discussing foxes," she said smiling.
"They are cool."
"Yes, they are."
Boy pointed at the book.
"They really are," Haruka said nodding.
Then turning to Kuro, she added:
"Thank you."
Kuro blinked.
"What did I do?"
"Just nothing," Haruka said with a bright smile.
"You did not rush him."
"You did not press him."
"You gave him room for choice."
Looking at the boy she said:
"And he chose."
The boy slowly picked up the book from the table.
"May I borrow this?"
"Certainly."
"I will make sure that it goes on your card at the librarian," Haruka promised.
And with the book firmly tucked under his arm, the boy felt something that had never happened before in his life.
---
Several minutes later, the session ended and his mommy entered the reading room.
At the very sight of her son holding a book, she froze in astonishment.
"Haru..."
Slowly stepping towards his mother, he managed to utter only a single word:
"... Mom."
But this small word made her cup her face in both hands with tears filling her eyes.
"Haru talked."
She whispered.
"He talked..."
With a gentle touch Haruka patted her shoulder.
"One step at a time," she encouraged.
Nodding repeatedly, the mother looked at Kuro and bowed deeply to him.
"Thank you," she said.
Kuro hastily shook his head.
"No need."
"It was you," Haruka softly said.
"He does not speak to anybody outside our family for weeks."
She looked at her son.
"But today he chose to."
Both left together.
When reaching the center’s door, Haru turned back to give him a shy wave.
Kuro responded with an equally shy wave back.
"See you."
---
Once the center was closed, Haruka and Kuro arranged the remaining books in the library.
As they silently worked, eventually Haruka spoke:
"I suppose you wonder why he chose you."
Kuro nodded in agreement.
"Yes, I do."
"He did not reveal anything special."
"Indeed, I did not say anything," Haruka confirmed smiling.
"You didn’t treat him like a problem."
"You treated him like a child."
Thinking about their talk Kuro nodded slowly.
"I think I just discussed the fairy tale."
"But this tale gave him permission to speak," she said smiling back.
Looking at him Haruka continued:
"People usually start opening to you when they do not feel examined."
Kuro nodded slowly.
"I think I am beginning to understand."
Leaning against a bookcase she added:
"Today’s talk was not really counseling."
"It was not therapy."
"It was not treatment."
"All it was..."
"... Is just one person making another person feel safe."
Haruka smiled brightly.
"And sometimes..."
"... That is enough to heal."
Locking the library for the night, Kuro looked at the reading spot.
The small chair.
The colorful rug.
Picture books nicely lined up on a shelf.
He understood something.
Today he did all of the usual work.
Sorting books, welcoming guests, transporting supplies, cleaning rooms.
Nothing outstandingly special happened.
But something was done.
He created that place where somebody could take a small step toward healing.
Returning home while the sun set, Kuro smiled slightly.
He had not changed anyone’s life today.
Neither had he healed someone’s problems.
However, he managed to give someone the courage to speak a couple of honest words.
And for now, this was enough.
