IBDEML 15

Chapter 15

I had hoped that Medina would not go near Lopez.

If Lopez was willing to make that happen, there was no reason to refuse.

But why…

Why was I feeling irritated?

The two boys rubbed their furrowed brows and walked away from the infirmary, looking tired.

* * *

Bill went to find Lopez while holding the snacks he received today.

The infirmary door slid open, and Gale naturally pointed toward Lopez’s side.

“She’s awake.”

“Yes!”

Bill walked energetically toward Lopez’s bed.

He pulled aside the carefully drawn curtain and saw Lopez wearing a mask because her cold had not fully healed.

“Cough, cough….”

In front of Lopez, Bill proudly took out a cookie.

“Big sister can’t eat this.”

“Yeah! Just watch me eat.”

Crunch!

Lopez raised her hand.

“Teacher, please throw Bill out.”

Bill giggled.

Gale quietly chased Bill outside.

Bill left the infirmary without lingering, as if he had already teased her enough.

Then, like passing a baton, Sally and Lisa approached Gale.

“Teacher, can we go inside?”

“Last time you said no and we just went back… do we have to go back again today?”

Lisa looked up at Gale sadly.

He smiled slightly and opened the door.

“You might catch the cold, so just say hello and go.”

Lisa and Sally’s faces brightened.

After entering, Lisa worriedly asked Lopez:

“Seriously, what happened? I heard you saved Chester because of the fire… Are you really okay?”

Lopez tried to speak, but Sally spoke first.

“Did you stick your nose into something useless again?”

Lisa glared at her.

“I wasn’t asking you. I was asking Lopez.”

“She has a sore throat. Do you think she can talk?”

“Hey! Do you want to keep being sarcastic?”

“What? I’m just telling the truth!”

Lisa and Sally climbed onto the bed and started fighting, accidentally pressing Lopez down.

Lopez raised her hand.

“Teacher, please throw out these two children who are not taking care of the patient.”

That was her second request.

In the end, Gale chased out Sally and Lisa, who were shouting loudly, and closed the door.

It felt like a storm had passed in an instant.

‘Taking care of children is not easy.’

He shook his head and sat down.

The brief silence did not last long.

The infirmary door opened again quietly.

Thinking it was another child visiting, Gale was startled when he saw an unexpected person and stood up quickly.

“M-Megan teacher!”

The expression on Megan’s face brightened immediately.

Megan closed the door and greeted Gale.

“Hello, teacher. Nothing happened, right?”

“Of course!”

Gale offered a chair, telling her to sit.

Megan looked awkwardly and whispered softly.

“It’s not that I don’t trust your medical skills… it’s just that Lopez isn’t getting better.”

Lopez, who had jumped into the fire after being splashed with water, had suffered from body aches for more than a week.

Megan was worried about that.

Especially because the orphanage director didn’t spend money on sick children.

Medical expenses were considered too expensive.

This time too, the director said harsh words:

If Lopez showed no sign of recovery, she should be secretly abandoned in the mountain.

Megan couldn’t forgive the director who treated children like objects.

She wanted to report him, but there was no evidence.

‘The inspection officer in this region is already bribed, so reporting is useless…’

There were honest people, but meeting them without evidence would put Megan at a disadvantage.

‘But I can’t just take the children out of the orphanage either.’

If she did, the director’s side would surely sue her.

So Megan could only secretly take care of them.

“I went out and bought medicine good for colds. I have an acquaintance at the temple, so I bought it cheaply…”

Megan said while watching Gale’s reaction.

She was worried it might seem like she didn’t trust his treatment.

If he had a bad personality, he might consider it very rude.

But Gale instead looked delighted.

“Teacher Megan, thank you! Please tell me the amount and I will pay you back.”

Seeing Gale genuinely happy, Megan felt relieved.

“Thank you more, Teacher Gale.”

“Not at all. I know how much you care about the children. I, I, really, really think it is good.”

Flushed red, Gale grabbed the medicine Megan brought and rushed to Lopez’s bed.

Then he was shocked when he saw Lopez, who was half-awake.

“Ack!”

Lopez looked at him calmly.

Feeling embarrassed after screaming, Gale scratched the back of his head.

“Sorry… I shouted. Since when were you awake?”

Megan slipped inside from behind.

Lopez bowed deeply toward her.

“Teacher Megan… thank you very much for everything for me.”

“No, Lopez.”

Megan approached and gently brushed Lopez’s sweaty hair.

“…I’m sorry that I can only do this little for you.”

Looking at Megan’s blurred face, Lopez made a decision.

She would make Megan the director of the Sunflower Orphanage!

03. Awakening Phase (2): I Keep Thinking About It

“Because you acted like that, you can’t win Medina’s heart. You will be abandoned!”

At the child’s sharp voice, I suddenly opened my eyes.

Rubbing my sleepy eyes, I sat up.

“…Early in the morning, seriously.”

Unpleasant.

Maybe because I slept in the dormitory after a long time.

My dream felt ominous.

I still felt the girl’s voice from the dream ringing painfully in my ears.

That line was something Lopez said to Chester in the novel.

In the original story, Medina, hurt by Lopez’s scheming, completely relied on Klein.

‘And Chester would feel excluded there.’

Meanwhile, Lopez approached Chester to take revenge on Klein, and when rejected, she said those harsh words.

Because of that, Chester got angry…

“Really? Then let’s see who gets abandoned.”

He retaliated sharply and succeeded in using Lopez to draw Medina’s attention.

On the other hand, Lopez was demoted to the 3rd class for misconduct and training punishment.

Soon after, she was sent to cruel parents and lived a miserable life.

‘Why did I suddenly dream this… The incident should have already happened in the original story.’

I didn’t say anything to provoke Chester’s temper, so he shouldn’t use me either.

‘I even saved him, so surely that won’t happen.’

Then I wouldn’t be unfairly demoted to Class 3 by someone else.

‘But there might be some kind of story correction force, so I should find a way to return to my original world quickly.’

However, children were strictly forbidden from going outside the orphanage.

Even after quite some time, I still couldn’t find a good solution and felt anxious.

‘I need to return to my original world as soon as possible.’

If I were in a coma, I wouldn’t worry about property issues, but if it lasted too long, they might remove my oxygen ventilator.

‘I have to find a way to go out.’

If not, I’ll sneak out somehow.

While thinking hard and tidying the bedding, Medina carefully approached me.

“Lopez, are you better now?”

“I’m fine. Thanks for worrying.”

The medicine Megan brought from the temple worked very well.

I recovered cleanly in three days.

Although my hand was still bandaged, according to Gale there wouldn’t be any scars.

‘I can move without much discomfort.’

Medina clenched her fists cutely.

“If anything feels uncomfortable, tell me! I’ll help!”

“Just saying that is enough. Thank you.”

But if I accept your help, those two boys won’t leave me alone.

I smiled faintly and continued arranging the bedding.

After finishing, I headed to the cafeteria, and someone grabbed my hand from behind.

It was little Bill with green hair.

“Hi, Bill.”

“Hi, big sister!”

This kid… I can’t really figure him out.

Maybe he’s innocent because he’s still young, but he was very good at teasing people.

I won’t forget that he came while I was sick and ate cookies alone in front of me.

“How’s your hand?”

Chester approached beside me.

His voice was softer than usual.

I smiled slightly to show I was fine.

“I’m okay.”

“….”

His eyebrows twitched in dissatisfaction.

What’s wrong with me smiling?

If being a little kind makes you that unhappy, then I won’t smile again.

Feeling awkward, Chester walked ahead without even looking at me.

“It’s because big sister smiled.”

Bill hit the mark.

“Why? Is there something wrong with me smiling… ugh!”

Before I could finish speaking, I tripped over someone’s foot and fell.