After Surviving the Apocalypse, I Built a City in Another World

Alterra Home for Kids

”Goodness gracious,” Helen said with part exasperation and part amusement. ”They’ll still be in the same village and go to the same school…”

The kids didn’t seem to hear her though, and they just hugged each other— as if they wouldn’t see each other the very next day in school.

”Waaa….”

”Byeee Gururuu…”

”We’ll miss you Pongoooo…”

Seeing the kids being cute like this, Bianca couldn’t help but chuckle. She turned to Helen with a mirthful smile. ”I feel guilty but also funny at the same time. What to do?”

Helen’s eyebrows rose. ”It’s your fault, go calm them down.”

The other woman laughed and walked over to the kids, her hands patting the two boys’ heads.

”Well, as a farewell gift from my sons,” she said. ”Who wants to have some cotton candies?!”

The children brightened immediately, as if their tears went back up to their eyes.

”YESSS!”

…

While the new mother-and-sons went to the market to get some treats with their friends, Baron was elsewhere… being harassed by Thessy.

”Why don’t you listen to me! I really like you! But… it’s your family, I—” Thessy paused, looking around with teary eyes, as if afraid they’d be overheard..

Baron looked around. They were in a park, now lit with protected torches. There weren’t many people, but they certainly weren’t the only ones there.

”Your cousins, they…” she whispered. ”They told me to leave you alone! I was scared… can you forgive me?”

She was startled when Baron’s expression did not change, however.

At some point, Baron realized what his cousins were doing. They were interfering with his love life. When he realized it, he found out that his many near-successes would fail more or less due to the family’s intervention.

If it was in Terran he’d have been angry. After all, how dare they interfere with his life?! No one would appreciate it!

However… in Xeno, he had seen a lot of dirty things people did to survive.

Here, choosing the wrong partner could literally kill you.

How many lovers went against each other during this time? Some even directly pushed their partners into monsters’ mouths to escape!

Thessy was not satisfied with his reaction and she started alluding that his cousins were stopping him from getting into a relationship to keep his money.

However, Baron did not fall for it. He was a shrewd businessman in the end, even if he never managed to handle his love life well.

He had grown up with his cousins, and he knew very well they’d guard him the same way even if he was broke.

However, he still knew Thessy wouldn’t stop until she found a new target. He heard she got fired from her latest ’easy’ babysitting job with Kimmy gaining some clarity.

”Thessy, I’m sorry but I don’t love you anymore,” he said, ”Besides, I have to pay so much taxes, salaries, and others, how can I afford a woman like you?”

”But—” Thessy paled, trying to hold on his arm, but he avoided it so abruptly she almost lost her balance.

For a moment, she thought he’d catch her but he made no effort to do so, so she had to keep herself up by instinct.

”Goodbye, Thessy,” he said, thinking he looked cool and somber, slowly turning away as if he was in a movie. ”Move on.”

And he walked away, just like that.

”...”

…

After a fun market trip with a dozen kids, Bianca got back home with her two children.

”We’re home now,” she said with a smile, her hands on each boy’s shoulders as she ushered them past the gate.

The two children gaped as they looked at the nice house with beautiful clusters of plants in the front garden. Of course, the orphanage was also very nice, but it felt different to have a ’home’ like this.

Bianca let them take in the sights before leading them inside the house, where they saw a couple of people lounging in the living room, playing a board game.

”No! Guguing, is not a word!” Angelo said, taking away a few tiles from the board.

”Yes, it is!” another mumbled, placing back the precious scrabble tiles. His wrist was held in position by his opponent, of course.

”No, it’s not!”

The two cousins were definitely about to enter a brawl, and their other relatives just rolled their eyes in exasperation.

Bianca’s eyes twitched. She was hoping for the family to get a cool first impression, but alas.

She clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention. The family turned to them simultaneously, causing the two kids to flinch.

”These are your uncles and aunts,” she said. ”Greet them.”

”H-Hello, Uncles, aunties…” they said, a bit shy, and Bianca proceeded to introduce them, too.

The cousins immediately stood up and surrounded they boys. ”Ah, Bianca…er, your mother talked a lot about you!” one said with a wide grin on his face.

Angelo kneeled down and patted their heads. ”Do you remember me?”

They nodded. Angelo was one of the people who saved their group back then! The other one, Uncle Jessy, was still in the satellite Limestone Valley at this time.

The others introduced themselves and the children were a little overwhelmed, but they felt like laughing anyway.

”Now let me show you your rooms,” she said, guiding them to their place.

The team had two villas, one for the girls and one for the boys. Each one had their own rooms. This was the arrangement so that if they had significant others and didn’t want to move out, they would still have sufficient privacy.

It so happened that the girl’s villa still had a few rooms available. Of course, as kids, they’d be sharing. They were used in the orphanage anyway, and even worse in their old village, so they could get uncomfortable having a space to themselves. She’d give them their own rooms when they become teenagers.

Before heading to the Orphanage, she had already informed the family of her decision. So, while she was with Bianca and bonding with the kids, the cousins were actually preparing a room for the children.

Fortunately, their team was woodworkers and they had a furniture store, and it could really be done within a day.

The boys gaped as they looked at the room with two beds. They were comfortable custom beds with storage spaces underneath. They would go up a few steps to get to them, which made it feel like they had their own special nook.

There were also study tables, one for each of them, and each had their own storage areas for their books and school supplies!

There was even a small climbing area on one of the walls!

”This is your room,” Bianca said, leaning down a bit as she held a shoulder each. ”Do you like it?”

The two kids looked at her, eyes a little glazed. ”The room is amazing!” Gururu said.

”I like it so much!” Pongo cried.

They remembered how their friends would thank their parents when they gave them something good—something they had been so envious of.

They hugged her waist, taking one side each, and they looked up at her with eyes filled with admiration.

”Thank you mom!”