✯ Chapter 6 ✯
The next morning, the children were unusually noisy.
It was still early, so Hannah hadn’t even had time to fix her messy hair before running into the common room.
She was a little surprised.
This time, it wasn’t Masha and Jeremy arguing.
“Ah! Cut it out already!”
“You’re spraying spit everywhere. Close your mouth.”
Jeremy was shouting angrily, while Ian sat sideways with an irritated expression.
“W-What’s going on…?”
Hannah quietly walked over to Masha, who was sitting in the corner playing with a doll.
“Ian keeps picking fights over everything Jeremy does.”
“Over what?”
“He says Jeremy leaves his toys lying around… that he’s dirty because he doesn’t wash as soon as he wakes up… and he even complains that Jeremy spits while talking.”
“Hm…”
Well…
Children couldn’t possibly stay as clean as adults all the time.
…No.
Even adults would have trouble meeting Ian’s standards.
Ian hated anyone touching him.
He couldn’t stand dirty surroundings.
He always carried gloves and a handkerchief with him.
Was someone really born like this?
“Ian, has he always been this neat?”
“He’s always been like that.”
“He’s never been messy?”
“He used to be a little better…”
“But he’s getting worse every day.”
Masha answered while brushing his doll’s hair.
He didn’t seem very interested in the argument.
“I see…”
Being clean was a good thing.
But if someone became obsessed with it…
Life would become exhausting.
“I can’t just ignore this.”
I have to help Ian overcome his germophobia!
“Ian, shall we go play in the dirt?”
That afternoon, Hannah walked over carrying a shovel and a small bucket.
“…Play in the dirt?”
Ian’s tightly furrowed eyebrows clearly showed his disgust.
“I have to read.”
He held up the book he was reading.
It was a clear refusal.
“…Hmm.”
“Then could you help me with something?”
Time to change my approach.
Ian would refuse to play.
But he wasn’t the type to refuse someone asking for help.
“…What is it?”
“I need to dig up some potatoes in the vegetable garden…”
“But my arms hurt too much to use the shovel.”
Hannah lightly patted her perfectly healthy arm.
Ian’s eyes wavered.
“Potatoes… Dirt…”
His voice trembled slightly.
“Could you… help me?”
As the finishing move…
Hannah used the sparkling puppy eyes she had learned from the children.
Ian hesitated.
Then he closed his book, sighed, and stood up.
“Let’s go.”
Yes!
I knew that would work.
Hannah happily led Ian to the garden.
If he slowly gets used to dirt…
Maybe he won’t be so sensitive about cleanliness anymore.
She placed the shovel on the ground and knelt beside the potato patch.
Ian crouched across from her.
“The shovel goes here… and the basket here…”
“Hm?”
“What are you doing, Ian?”
When she looked up…
Ian was putting on gloves.
One layer.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five…
Wait.
How many pairs of gloves is he wearing?!
His hands had become so bulky that he could barely bend his fingers.
“Can you even pick up potatoes like that?”
“Yes.”
“Your hands are fatter than the potatoes.”
Ian quietly wiggled his thickly wrapped hands.
“I’ll try.”
It obviously wasn’t going to work.
Still…
Hannah decided to wait until he realized it himself.
Ian tried to pick up the shovel.
It slipped away.
Again.
And again.
After watching several failed attempts…
Hannah finally picked up the shovel herself and placed the handle between his thumb and index finger.
“How is it?”
“Can you move it?”
“Yes.”
Ian stubbornly began digging.
His awkward grip made it difficult to move the dirt.
Even so…
He kept digging patiently until they finally found potatoes.
He’s unbelievably stubborn.
Is that stubborn personality one of the reasons he becomes a tyrant?
The thought crossed Hannah’s mind.
She quickly shook her head.
No prejudice!
I’m forgetting my own rule again.
“Oh!”
“A potato!”
A beautiful white potato appeared from beneath the soil.
Ian’s tense expression relaxed slightly.
“You have to brush off the dirt gently.”
“Don’t damage it.”
With his oversized hands…
Ian awkwardly lifted the potato roots and brushed off the dirt.
The sight was so funny…
Hannah had to bite her lip to stop herself from laughing.
“See?”
“Delicious potatoes come from the dirt.”
“The dirt isn’t so scary, is it?”
“…We wash them before eating.”
“Oh.”
“To be honest… I wash them pretty carelessly.”
“You’ve probably been eating a little dirt all this time.”
As Ian brushed the potatoes clean…
Hannah placed them into the basket one by one.
“…Why…”
“Don’t you wash them properly?”
“Hm?”
Something about Ian’s voice sounded strange.
When Hannah looked up…
She found Ian staring at her.
His eyes were filled with betrayal.
…Wait.
Why do you look so heartbroken?
“I-Ian?”
“I’m sorry.”
“I’ll go back first.”
Ian stood up.
“H-Hey… Ian?”
Then he suddenly ran back toward the building.
“Ian…”
Hannah watched him disappear into the distance.
Completely dumbfounded.
…Did he really feel betrayed because I don’t scrub potatoes enough?
Is not washing potatoes perfectly some terrible crime in this world?
Holding a dirt-covered potato in one hand…
Hannah stood frozen for a long time.
“Ian…”
“Try some of this.”
Hannah quietly placed a bowl of potato salad made from the potatoes Ian had dug up in front of him.
As soon as Ian returned to the orphanage…
He had taken a bath and changed into clean clothes.
He was still wearing his white gloves.
The tightly buttoned shirt looked even more suffocating than usual.
“No.”
Ian answered without even looking at her.
He’s definitely sulking.
“O-Okay.”
“Eat it whenever you want.”
She turned toward the others.
“Everyone, these potatoes were dug up by Ian.”
“Give them a try.”
As Hannah handed out the potato salad…
Masha poked at it with his fork while looking at Ian, who sat there with a gloomy face.
“Teacher.”
“I want to dig up potatoes too.”
“Of course.”
“Next time, you and Jeremy can help too.”
“I wish snacks grew on trees.”
Jeremy said with his mouth covered in meat sauce.
“Then pigs like you would eat them all.”
“But seriously…”
Jeremy looked at Ian.
“How did he end up touching dirt?”
“He’d never do something like that.”
…Right.
Maybe I shouldn’t have made him do it.
“Well…”
“It was an outdoor learning activity.”
“I wanted everyone to become closer to nature.”
Jeremy snorted.
“He’s just too obsessed with being clean.”
“He’s so sensitive.”
“Not very manly.”
“Don’t use words like ‘manly’ in front of me.”
Masha frowned unhappily.
Jeremy shook his head.
“Seriously.”
“Everyone here is weird except me.”
Jeremy’s attack hit the entire table.
Good grief.
Once again… I can’t even tell whether the food is going into my mouth or my nose.
The rice suddenly tasted like sand.
“Jeremy.”
“You shouldn’t say things like that.”
Hannah forced a smile.
Jeremy puffed out his cheeks.
“Don’t waste your time worrying about him, Teacher.”
“Just play with me instead.”
“I’ll play with you a lot.”
“But don’t talk about your friends like that.”
Jeremy…
Please read the room for once!
“You’re always scolding me.”
Before long…
Jeremy started sulking too.
The entire meal turned into chaos.
“Alright!”
“Let’s paint together!”
Hannah spread large sheets of paper across the floor and brought out paint.
“Painting!”
“I want to make handprints!”
Jeremy clapped excitedly.
“Oh!”
“That’s a great idea!”
“Let’s all make handprints together!”
“I want red!”
Masha pointed at the red paint.
Hannah poured some into a tray and placed it in front of him.
“What about you, Jeremy?”
“Green!”
“Ooh!”
“Green is pretty too!”
She brushed thick green paint all over Jeremy’s hand.
It tickled.
Jeremy burst into laughter.
“Teacher!”
“Look at my handprint!”
Masha giggled as he looked at the tiny red handprint on the paper.
His little hand was unbelievably cute.
Hannah smiled warmly.
Jeremy also began pressing his green-painted hand onto the paper.
“Jeremy?”
“Yes?”
“Why aren’t you using all five fingers?”
…If you only leave one finger print…
People might misunderstand…
“I want to try all kinds of handprints!”
“O-Okay…”
“Have fun.”
He’s just a kid.
He doesn’t know any better.
Hannah gently patted Jeremy’s head.
Then she looked toward Ian, who was sitting alone in the corner with a book.
“Ian.”
“Won’t you join us?”
Ian glanced at the paper and paint…
Then immediately turned his head away.
Hmm…
Hannah remembered that Ian liked drawing.
She wasn’t giving up.
“Ian!”
“Let’s make handprints together!”
Holding a tray of beautiful yellow paint…
She walked toward him.
“Today… I’m definitely taking those gloves off!”
She was completely determined.
“Hm?”
“It’s really fun.”
As Hannah approached with the yellow paint…
Ian slowly leaned farther and farther away.
“What’s wrong, Ian?”
“Let’s have fun together.”
“It’ll be sad if your handprint is the only one missing.”
Hannah smiled as she got closer.
Ian looked up at her.
His face clearly said,
…Surely not?
“How about we take off your gloves first?”
Hannah reached toward his gloves.
Ian jumped backward.
“Oh my!”
“Teacher will help!”
The moment Hannah grabbed one glove…
Ian desperately pulled it back.
“Teacher!”
His voice was louder than usual.
Normally…
Hannah would have stopped.
But today…
Her determination had completely taken over.
Those gloves!
I’m taking them off today!
After several failed attempts…
Hannah finally managed to grab one glove.
Then…
She pulled with all her strength.
