Chapter 4: 4

 The next thing to do is to make Bell breathe a little more comfortably. Let’s reach for the shirt buttons. In the meantime, Bell resisted me.

 

“…! Why, why take it off…”

 

“If you don’t want to leave a scar, hold on for a second.”

 

I opened his shirt, and as expected. Bell’s skin was reddish here and there. There were also red spots.

 

“It’s really an allergy.”

 

Just then, the assistant teacher held out a wet towel. I gently wiped the red spots. It won’t sink right away, but it’s to prevent him scratching his skin.

 

“Jackson, come and support him on the back.”

 

“Why me! Allarugy? Isn’t that contagious?”

 

“If you move, I’ll marry you.”

 

“…I, I don’t need it!”

 

In any case, Jackson came right up and raised Bell’s upper body. His rough breathing slowly subsided.

 

“Ugh… ”

 

“Bell, can you breathe?”

 

Bell nodded his head with a weary face. I’m glad it didn’t seem too serious.

 

“You know that, don’t you? Eating melon makes you sick.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Then I have nothing more to say. Don’t overdo yourself for a while. Jackson, make sure Bell is breathing well for a while.”

 

Jackson nodded his head involuntarily.

 

Meanwhile, the adults who should be responsible for this situation were slowly avoiding their seats. Where are you?

 

“Tea-ch-er?”

 

“Uh, uh? Why?”

 

“Do you have anything to say?”

 

The Director’s eyes narrowed in an instant.

 

“You want to receive a thankful greet? What’s so great you only helped a friend!”

 

“Oh my, so you’re not thankful?”

 

“What? What are you talking about! You’re the one who should thank me for the rest of your life! If you keep doing that, I’ll throw you back to the place where you were picked up, though?”

 

“It’s puck. I know for sure that you get a subsidy according to the number of children.”

 

“What…?”

 

“If I die, you will be in trouble. Doesn’t the Priest come every week to check the number of children, check the health, and pay the money? Isn’t it?”

 

The whitewashed face of the assistant teacher replaced the answer. That’s the answer. Well, it’s not difficult

 

Do you think I didn’t hear you say, “If the child dies, the subsidy is reduced”?

 

Besides, the reason the children were washed with cold water only on the days when the Priest came was to make their cheeks turn red, right? They want the children to look good.

 

I knew this because the head of the nursery school once told me, “The old, evil orphanages use this kind of trick when they are being audited.”

 

I stepped forward more confidently. As long as I caught the eyes of the Director. Even now, I need to instill the awareness that ‘she’s child shouldn’t be treated unfairly’.

 

“If you don’t thank me, I can pick up pieces of melon from the dining room now and feed them back to Bell.”

 

“You…!”

 

“You don’t think I can do it?”

 

Of course I wouldn’t. This kind of trash tends to think that others have the same conscience as theirs.

 

“This devil bastard…!”

 

“Today, the children will be witnesses. As soon as the Priest arrives, I might shout, ‘They forced a child to eat what he couldn’t eat’.”

 

“…”

 

“Maybe you’re close enough with the Priest for him to cover your faults, but I don’t know if the noble would do the same, though?”

 

“A-Alright! Thank you for today!”

 

Eventually, the Director gave up. After shouting with a blushing face, he grabbed the assistant teacher’s collar and left over the hallway as if he didn’t want to see me.

 

It felt good to hear that husky voice go away, but… Haa, it worked.

 

I scratched my head.

 

At first glance, it looks like I gave the Director a shot. It was because the Director was perplexed by the sudden situation. How do I know if I need to save my life because I’m wrong?

 

“Damn it.”

 

Well, I did it already, what am I going to do?

 

I went back to my room. Lying on the bed, Bell, whose complexion was better than before, recognized me.

 

“Sol… Are you okay? Maybe the Director…”

 

“I just tried a little. That’s it.”

 

“For sure… He’ll bother you in the future.”

 

“It’s like that.”

 

“He’s going to give you some food on purpose, and he’s going to beat you up often.”

 

“Is he just that kind of person?”

 

He’s a common villain. People who annoy people simply but effectively.

 

Bell’s face darkened.

 

“You know that, why did you help me?”

 

“I did it because I could. I used to be in another nursery… orphanage and something like this happened.”

 

Foods without allergen labels were sometimes donated to nursery schools.

 

The Head kept the food in the storage until the allergen was identified. But sometimes the children who secretly touched it went berserk. It was up to the older kids to deal with that.

 

But Bell didn’t seem to be asking that.

 

“Before you take care of me… You hung on to the Director so that he didn’t force to feed me.”

 

“…”

 

“Besides, did you chase after the Director earlier?”

 

“Ey, it’s nothing.”

 

“You’re the only one who did that ‘nothing’ thing here.”

 

“…”

 

“No. In all my life, you’re the only one whom I thought of when it comes to that.”

 

Did you look back over ten years of your life?

 

I almost burst into laughter, but soon the laughter disappeared as Bell’s serious gaze on me.

 

This child has very pretty eyes. It’s like a lake in a limestone cave on TV. He will be quite popular with girls later.

 

I stroked the guy’s head. Bell’s face frowned.

 

“Don’t treat me like a child.”

 

“You’re a kid.”

 

“I’m older than you.”

 

“I have a higher mental age.”

 

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“Ugh…”

 

Bell didn’t respond. And I decided to bring up a story appropriate for my mental age. An adult’s ‘at that time’ is a story of remembrance.

 

“I mean, I told you I used to be in a facility.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“There was an older brother who helped me a lot. His name is Brother Eugene.”

 

It would be fine for me to say his name.

 

Then Bell suddenly raised his head.

 

“Is he older than me? How old is he?”

 

Why did he ask that?

 

He was two years older than me, but if I said that, I think Bell would deliberately raise his age. Because of this, I roughly estimated his age.

 

“A lot more than you.”

 

“…Tch.”

 

“Anyway. He always took care of me and bought me snacks, even on difficult days. I even asked him why he acted like a fool, though?”

 

“What did he say?”

  

 

“He said he really wanted to be a great person.”

 

“…What?”

 

“There are many people who help others when they are free. So he said he wanted to be someone who helped others even when it was difficult. That way he’ll be remembered as a great person. I want to learn that too.”

 

Bell grunted. “It’s a strange story.”

 

“You got help from me who was helped by that weird brother, so you’re weird too.”

 

“…It’s really weird.”

 

“Aww, is it? Sleep some more.”

 

I stroked Bell’s head.

 

He muttered, “You… I feel like you have a 20-year-old adult in your stomach…” yet his sleepy eyes twitched. I think he will fall asleep soon.

 

In fact, I had a story I hadn’t told yet. The real reason why Brother helped me even when he was having a hard time.

 

The day I walked back 15 km crying after being scammed by the people from the factory. At that time, Brother borrowed a bicycle and came to meet me. I found out later that Brother quitted his part-time job.

 

[Brother. Why are you helping me so hard?]

 

[I have to get into the habit of helping someone even when I’m having a hard time.]

 

[Why?]

 

[So that’s when you’re in your most difficult moment. I will be able to run to you without weighing anything.]

 

[…]

 

[I’m cool, right? Ah. You’re not my taste, so don’t fall for me.]

 

[Ah, disgusting!]

 

We laughed and walked along the national highway.

 

Beyond that smile. I felt like I was about to cry, and I understood what he was saying. In the most difficult moments, someone who helps without weighing anything.

 

Brother seemed to have wanted to be a ‘family’ to someone.

 

… Even though I lost contact with Brother because I was sued by the convenience store manager. It’s alright. I shouldn’t dream more in vain.

 

As I was stroking Bell’s hair, I was reminded of the memory of stroking Brother’s hair.

 

“Brother… ”

 

From some point on, even my small body was leaning.

 

Beyond the dreamy sight. The blue-eyed boy muttered as if calling out a precious name.

 

“‘Brother’…”

 

***

 

I had a dream last night

 

I can’t remember anything other than being happy.

 

Did I win the lottery? Dreaming of being hit and run by a fourth generation rich man and asked for a settlement of 1 billion won? Getting hit by a truck and woke up as a youngest daughter who’s loved by the Emperor?

 

“…”

 

But when I opened my eyes. All around me were children crumpled up and sleeping like ball bugs.

 

I got up. A blizzard whistles like a beast through the window that was made small to block the cold wind. Sleeping children spit out small coughs like a spinning song.

 

I walked among the children and tucked them back in. Under the thin blanket, the outlines of the children’s skinny bodies were revealed.

 

Of course, it was the same with the body I possessed. Even this sharp-looking impression without being cute would get better if I gained weight.

 

However, the oat porridge and dried bread offered here aren’t enough. It seems that the Director and assistant teacher eat better than that.

 

…Shall I rob the storage, I wonder.

 

I slowly moved to the separate room where the Director was living.

 

But I failed before even starting. Because they got up early for some reason and were busy moving around.

 

“The Count is coming today? Why did you say that now!”

 

“I’m sorry! The letter was laid under the melon box… Ha, but there’s nothing to prepare! Kids are better off when they’re dirty!”

 

“They have to be ready to welcome the guests! Ugh, why did he say he’d come earlier than usual?”

 

“I know, right. Does he suddenly have a place to use a child… Cough.”

 

The Director stabbed the assistant teacher’s side, without sparing a glance. I ran back to my room without looking any further.

 

I hate being adopted by a suspicious noble. If I’m adopted only if I’m dirty, I’ll have to wash myself quickly!

 

And I’m not the only one who needs to wash. I forcibly woke Bell and dragged him into the bathroom. Bell, who woke up from his sleep, struggled.

 

“W-Why are you doing this all of a sudden!”

 

“The Count is coming today. You said you didn’t want to go for adoption, didn’t you? Wash yourself quickly.”

 

“Hm…? That’s true, but I never said thatㅡ”

 

“You said the nobles were all trash.”

 

“…Ah.”

 

When I said, “Don’t trust the nobles, they might give us as a meal to the monsters” in front of children who were expecting adoption. Bell had agreed, saying, “The nobles are all trash”. Just like someone who has experienced nobles once.

 

Bell rolled up his sleeves without further questioning. Unlike other children, he has good skin. It didn’t even dry out.

 

In fact, it wasn’t the only feeling of discomfort that made it difficult for me to see him as an orphanage child.

 

At first glance, even the messy hair has traces of being cared for until recently. There’s even a strange elegant look.

 

Possibly, Bell was adopted by a noble family and then abandoned?

 

…Recalling the faces of my abandoned friends, I bit my lower lip.

 

I don’t know what I misunderstood when I saw that expression. Bell asked in a slightly softened voice.

 

“Sol. Are you not going to be adopted by anyone who comes?”

 

“Eh?”

 

“If it’s you… I-I’m sure you’ll get a good family.”

 

For some reason, that boy looked at me and added a strange word.

 

“And there’s also a great older brother!”

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