IBDEML 04

Chapter 4

‘Sending a child for adoption without even checking the parents…’

I clicked my tongue, thinking the director was truly ruthless, and walked to find my seat.

While walking, I noticed the children glancing at me again and again.

Every face looking at me was unfamiliar.

And none of them carried even a little goodwill.

‘Guys… it would be nice if you stopped staring.’

They were much younger than me, so their gazes didn’t intimidate me.

But it was still awkward.

Their eyes were way too intense.

Looking at them again made me realize something clearly.

‘I really did transmigrate.’

‘Until I find a way to return, I’ll have to live here.’

Together with these children who kept staring at me.

‘…Actually, this makes me want to return to my original world even faster.’

Right.

Maybe the original Lopez was wandering somewhere after losing her body.

Or perhaps our bodies had switched.

If that was the case, I should return this body to her as cleanly as possible.

Which meant I should also deal with any dangers that would threaten Lopez.

After deciding my goal, I sat down.

The green-haired child next to me started crying again because he didn’t want to sit beside me.

But Anna didn’t change the seats.

Meanwhile, Klein approached me while Medina and Chester were talking.

He looked down at me coldly and whispered.

“You’re pretending to lose your memory just to get my attention, aren’t you?”

“….”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Okay.”

If he didn’t believe me, what could I do?

I answered simply.

But maybe he thought I was mocking him, because his face instantly turned cold.

“You…!”

“Klein, stop!”

Medina quickly pulled Klein away while glancing at me nervously.

Then she whispered to him.

“Lopez said she lost her memory.”

“But she should at least apologize.”

Chester, another male lead from the original story, said that with an oddly serious tone for a child.

I eventually stood up from my seat.

Medina visibly flinched.

Considering how badly Lopez used to bully her, it made sense.

I bowed to her at a perfect right angle.

“I’m sorry. I don’t remember it, but I sincerely apologize for being mean to you.”

Medina seemed startled, as if she never expected that reaction.

She stepped back awkwardly before smiling.

“…I-it’s okay, Lopez.”

After hearing her answer, I quietly thanked her and returned to my seat.

If this had been the original Lopez, she would have shouted angrily instead of apologizing.

So my calm apology seemed to shock everyone.

The confused expressions on Chester and Klein’s faces were honestly a little funny.

I shrugged and turned to comfort the green-haired child who was still miserable about being my desk partner.

“Will you stop crying?”

“Waaaah!”

…Guess that didn’t work.

On the surface, Sunflower Orphanage looked perfectly normal.

But in reality, it was a cruel place that secretly sold children illegally under the director’s orders.

However, the children who were sold were limited to Class 3.

The reason they had never been caught during inspections was because Class 1 and Class 2 covered up the dark side.

Apparently, the classes weren’t divided by grades.

Instead, they considered health, intelligence, elegance, charm, and personality.

Class 1 contained the top children.

Class 2 contained the upper-middle ones.

Class 3 gathered the lower-ranked children.

‘In other words… Class 3 is the group meant to be discarded.’

The adoptive parents who took children from Class 1 and Class 2 were usually very satisfied.

That good reputation helped hide the dark truth behind Class 3.

The children in Class 3 were pushed out of public attention.

They were usually sold for money to people who were not allowed to adopt children.

That money filled the director’s pockets.

‘Even if this is a fictional setting, it’s really cruel toward children.’

Shaking my head, I looked around the classroom.

Despite being young, the children were focusing seriously on the lesson.

‘Maybe that’s because this is Class 1.’

Even Lopez herself was placed in Class 1.

Although she feared adults, her academic ability was excellent.

The teachers probably thought they could simply suppress her fear of adults.

Just like Klein.

His personality was terrible, but his other abilities were high enough to keep him in Class 1.

‘And later, because of a future incident, I get demoted to Class 3.’

At that time, an adoptive family would come to the orphanage.

And I was supposed to be sold to them.

But I planned to escape before that happened.

If I wanted to find a way back to my original world, I couldn’t stay in an orphanage where I might be sold anytime.

‘Even getting adopted by a good family while staying in Class 1 would be a problem.’

That would only restrict my freedom to leave.

More importantly—

I had to avoid being used by the male leads.

Honestly, I didn’t mind being sent to Class 3.

In fact, Class 3 was the perfect place to escape from the orphanage.

Teachers paid much less attention there.

‘So when the right time comes, I’ll drop down to Class 3, prepare everything, and escape quickly.’

But for now it was impossible.

I still needed to learn the layout of the orphanage.

And I needed money.

In this world, I was basically just a child who knew nothing.

While I was making plans in my head, Klein suddenly threw an eraser at my head.

“What are you looking at?”

“You threw an eraser at me, so naturally my eyes turned toward you.”

My perfectly logical response made Klein’s face stiffen.

“Look away.”

I quietly turned my gaze elsewhere.

It wasn’t because I was scared.

I simply felt generous toward him after knowing that these male leads would die young anyway.

“So, Lopez—what did I say was the most important thing in life?”

The teacher’s question pulled me out of my thoughts.

I stood up confidently and answered.

“Love.”

Of course, the real answer was money.

But since this was a children’s class, I assumed they wanted an emotional answer.

The teacher stared at me seriously.

“Go stand outside.”

…Maybe that answer was too emotional.

Something was strange about Lopez.

Not only did she stare blankly during class, she also gave a strange answer to the teacher’s question.

“Love.”

Love?

Did she really just say love?

Of all people, she said that?

Klein was dumbfounded.

The teacher had clearly said that the most important thing in life was money.

It was such a basic question that even without listening to the lesson, anyone could answer it.

‘She must have really lost her memory.’

Even a fool like Lopez wouldn’t miss such an easy question.

Standing outside as punishment, Lopez was…

“Teacher! Lopez is falling asleep while standing!”

“….”

Seriously… what’s wrong with her?

Klein clicked his tongue and looked away.

The dormitory was quite cozy.

My bed was in a corner.

As soon as I climbed onto it, two children approached me.

Standing with their arms crossed, they warned me.

“You’d better behave properly.”

“And stop bullying Medina!”

“Just because you lost your memory doesn’t erase how you treated us!”

They glared at me with hostility.

They clearly had many complaints about Lopez.

When I didn’t answer, they seemed to think I was ignoring them.

Their tone became harsher.

“Or maybe you’re just acting.”

“Just like when you framed Medina.”

“Even though it failed and you got sent to the discipline room.”

They openly mocked me.

I simply stared at them silently.

The two kids exchanged glances and stepped back half a step.

‘This is when you apologize.’

I stood up and sincerely spoke to them.

“I will. I’ll be careful. I’ll avoid eye contact, keep my head down, and if I even bump shoulders with someone, I’ll kneel and apologize. So don’t worry. And I’m really sorry to you too. From now on, I’ll greet people with apologies.”

One child became flustered.

“W-what? N-no… I didn’t mean that much…”

Just then Medina entered the dorm.

She quickly separated us and apologized.

“Lopez, I’m sorry. You must be angry because of me. Guys, let’s stop and go.”

As they left, I heard them whispering.

“Why did she answer like that?”

“Lopez is weird! Maybe she really lost her memory.”

“But we’re still classmates. Let’s not be like that.”

Medina awkwardly comforted them.

Kids usually liked exaggerating things, didn’t they?

Feeling puzzled, I lay down on my bed.