IBDEML 17

Chapter 17

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“Ah, right! I remember your name! It’s Lionroston!”

A completely strange name came out, and the boy looked speechless.

“W-What are you saying! My name is Rodney!”

“Oh, right. I got confused.”

“How can you mix up a name that badly?”

Rodney looked dumbfounded, and I grinned before looking at the child beside him.

“You are…….”

“M-Miles!”

This time, Miles quickly spoke, probably guessing I would call him by a strange name again.

“Now that you know, sit down.”

Following Miles’ grumbling words, I looked around the classroom to find a seat.

The twins were sitting together, and one child was sitting alone.

I walked toward the child sitting alone.

The skinny child with messy hair covering his face was the same child I saw near the incinerator a while ago.

Somehow, he looked thinner than before.

We are given the same meals, so why is he so thin?

“Hello. We met before, right?”

“…….”

After greeting him and sitting beside him, he spoke kindly.

“If you cross over here, I will cut off your hand…….”

“I’ll be careful.”

Why are the kids here so fierce?

To show that I wasn’t scared of just one child, I played with my pencil.

Then the messy-haired boy drew a line.

Afraid my hand might get cut off, I quickly protected my pencil.

“…….”

“I will let it slide once…….”

Thanks to the merciful messy-haired boy, my hand was safe.

In the awkward silence, just as I was about to ask my seatmate’s name, Rodney walked straight up in front of me.

“Hey, you, stand up!”

“Why?”

I blinked while looking at Rodney, and his face instantly turned red.

Lopez’s face was quite pretty.

Rodney, who had been looking at me with a slightly dazed gaze, suddenly leaned closer and sniffed around my body like he was enchanted.

It seemed like he was unconsciously smelling the good scent from my body.

‘Like a puppy.’

I smiled slightly, and Rodney finally came to his senses, still with a red face.

“J-Just stop talking and stand up!”

Since standing up was not difficult, I obediently stood up.

Rodney flinched, as if he didn’t expect me to follow orders so easily.

But he quickly hid it awkwardly, put his hands on his waist, and lifted his chin.

“Class 3 has its own rules, you know?”

“Oh, I see.”

“There is a initiation ritual!”

“Oh, really!”

When I responded enthusiastically, Rodney’s shoulders slowly rose.

“If you pass the initiation, we’ll recognize you as a member of Class 3.”

“What if I don’t?”

“Then you are not Class 3!”

“But the teacher said I am Class 3 from now on.”

So I am Class 3.

Acting shamelessly, Rodney clearly became flustered.

Thinking I was being pushed back, Miles stepped in.

Miles looked gentler than Rodney.

“It means we can’t recognize you as one of us!”

“Right, that’s it!”

Rodney quietly gave Miles a thumbs-up.

I can see it, kid.

Miles proudly lifted his chin.

Then he pointed at the child sitting next to me.

“Otherwise, you have to sit and play with this idiot every day!”

“Right!”

Rodney agreed loudly.

“So hurry and do the initiation…….”

I’m sorry for interrupting his excited talk, but I pretended to be strict and scolded the twins.

“You shouldn’t call your friend an idiot.”

Rodney and Miles opened their mouths and blinked.

They clearly did not expect me to say something like this.

Then Rodney looked at Miles sharply.

He was throwing the answer to Miles.

Panicking, Miles asked back in confusion.

“W-What then! W-What should we call him!”

Surely they couldn’t not know their classmate’s name.

But contrary to expectations, disappointment appeared on both children’s faces.

I pretended not to notice to avoid embarrassing them.

“Like I asked you, I should ask this child too. What is your name?”

The messy-haired boy hesitated and answered in a very small voice.

“Don’t talk to me…….”

“Oh, that’s a unique name. ‘Don’t talk to me’.”

You heard that, right?

Rodney and Miles looked at me with a slightly pitiful expression, then returned to their seats.

Kids, what kind of look is that?

The child sitting next to me also looked unusual.

He stared at me as if he found it absurd.

Such a look won’t kill me.

Ignoring it, I asked to break the awkward atmosphere.

“Doesn’t snack time come here?”

The child called “Don’t talk to me” asked back with a serious face.

“A-Are you stupid……?”

“No, I’m not.”

But the three boys didn’t seem to believe me.

It had already been one week since I was demoted to Class 3. Living with the children, I learned two things.

First, Class 3 children did not separate boys and girls; they all used the storage room together.

‘So I am also living in the storage room with the three children.’

Second, other teachers besides Teacher Megan did not come to Class 3.

‘So this is a completely abandoned class?’

This was information I didn’t know because Class 3 wasn’t described in detail in The Doomsday Romance.

This was the space of extras not mentioned in the novel.

It was the abandoned Class 3.

Even the snacks that were normally given in Class 1 were not provided here.

Unlike the noisy Class 1, there were few people, so it felt quiet.

‘That’s why the classroom feels gloomy.’

More than anything, the smell was too strong.

The children were so used to the bad odor that they didn’t even blink.

I couldn’t let my nose rot like this.

Unable to endure it, I opened the window wide.

Then I spoke brightly like a youth novel protagonist.

“Let’s clean up.”

“I don’t want to.”

Rodney put his hands behind his head and stuck his tongue out.

I didn’t expect them to agree.

I was going to do it alone anyway.

“‘Don’t talk to me’! Do you want to do it together?”

“…….”

He shook his head silently.

Well, no choice.

I left the class first to get cleaning tools.

“Medina, give me the broom. I’ll carry it.”

“No. I’m fine with this.”

“Forget it! Don’t clean. Your hand will get hurt.”

“You’re teasing me again!”

Medina blushed and glanced at Klein, who smiled beautifully.

That sweet, sunlight-like smile belonged only to Medina.

“By the way, where did Chester go?”

“Don’t worry about that guy.”

“Oh dear. Get along with each other!”

Medina puffed her cheeks and shook her head helplessly.

“Both of you are my favorite friends.”

“…….”

Klein stayed silent.

If it was to make Medina happy, he could do anything, but he didn’t want to become close with Chester.

Since they were rivals in love, getting friendly was impossible.

Especially since Medina sometimes blushed while looking at Chester, and every time that happened, Klein felt his stomach twist.

Crash!

At that moment, a heavy object falling made a loud noise in the hallway.

Klein unconsciously turned his head toward the sound.

There was Lopez lying on the floor with scattered cleaning tools.

For a moment, Klein’s body twitched. He almost ran out without realizing it.

“Watch where you’re walking!”

Jerry brushed her skirt in irritation.

Lopez mumbled while lying down.

“I couldn’t see well.”

“I know! That’s why you bumped into it!”

“Right!”

Despite the sharp scolding, Lopez nodded her head energetically, saying it was correct.

Jerry, who was picking a fight, let out a laugh in disbelief.

“What… what are you doing?”

“I was trying to clean…….”

“No, I wasn’t asking that…….”

Then, as if she thought communication wouldn’t work, Jerry changed her tone.

“Oh, you got demoted to Class 3, right? Heh. Are you planning to frame someone again there?”

She sneered openly.

“Be careful, Jerry! Or you might be accused of being a thief too!”

The children laughed as they passed by Lopez.

Klein’s eyebrows slowly furrowed.

“Why are you talking nonsense when the person involved is quiet.”

Even a harsh curse slipped out.

Medina stopped him nervously.

“W-Wouldn’t helping her be a nuisance? She might think we are acting close?”

“Medina, she can handle it herself. She is already in Class 3, so don’t pay too much attention.”

“But…….”

“Enough. What if she does something bad to you again? Let’s go.”

Even while saying that, Klein’s face was stained with guilt.

He didn’t know why his words became so harsh whenever Lopez was involved.

Klein bit the inside of his mouth.

Meanwhile, Lopez stood up slowly and dusted her skirt.

A faint trace of blood spread over the thin skirt.

Medina turned pale and jumped in panic.

“Oh no……! To the infirmary……!”

“Forget it! Let’s just go!”

Klein deliberately stomped loudly as he walked past Lopez’s side.

As if he wanted her to know he was there.

But no voice came from Lopez.

‘Did she not notice I was here?’

Curious, Klein glanced back—and soon regretted that action.