Chapter 20: Taking It Off Is Common Sense⋯⋯.

“Huff, huff…”

“Teacher, are you okay?”

“Mm-hmm, I’m fine. Let’s head inside.”

Catching my breath, I carefully stepped into the bathhouse.

The interior was exactly what one might expect from a typical bathhouse.

In the center was a counter, flanked by the entrances to the men’s and women’s baths on either side—a familiar and straightforward layout.

At the central counter, a warm-looking middle-aged woman was chatting with a customer.

Wait a second. Why does that woman look so familiar?

“Oh, Eve! What brings you here at this hour?”

“Mrs. Gordon?”

“Oh my, I never thought you’d remember my name! I’m touched!”

Ah, that’s why her face seemed familiar.

It was that Mrs. Gordon, the one who had sold me a basket of fresh fruits at a discount before.

“I didn’t expect to see you here… Do you run this bathhouse too?”

“That’s right! I ended up doing all the things I wanted to, and now here I am. It’s a bit unusual, isn’t it? A fruit vendor doubling as a bathhouse owner.”

“No way! I think it’s amazing to achieve your dreams.”

“Thank you, dear. You really are kind, Eve. Oh, by the way, how about coming to live with this old lady? You know, let me adopt you?”

“A-adopt me…?!”

“That’s right!”

Adoption.

For orphans, it’s a dreamlike word.

After all, it’s the only way they can have parents they never had before.

“Adoption…”

“What do you say? I’d cherish you as if you were my own child.”

“Ugh… Wouldn’t this just be a burden on you…?”

“What are you saying? If anything, I should be begging you to come live with me. A burden? Absolutely not.”

“Really?”

“Of course! You could go outside right now and ask anyone—they’d all nod in agreement.”

“I see…”

Logically, accepting this adoption offer was the right thing to do.

No matter how much I might think like an adult, my current body was that of a child.

I was weak, slow-witted, and prone to mistakes—a fragile and needy little thing.

If I let Mrs. Gordon adopt me now, I could live comfortably every day.

No more chopping firewood, no more being afraid of making mistakes, no more having to take care of anyone else.

I could travel to different countries and fully enjoy this fantasy world.

I could embark on a culinary journey, savoring all kinds of foods, laughing and crying along the way.

It would be the definition of an easy and enviable life.

A carefree existence, without a single worry.

“…What do you think?”

“I…”

But…

“Teacher…”

“Harp…”

I turned to look at Harp, trembling behind me, clutching at my back as though afraid of strangers.

Despite being much taller than me, she somehow appeared small and fragile in that moment.

Before I knew it, my hand was resting on Harp’s head.

“…T-Teacher?!”

“It’s okay.”

“Teacher…”

“I’m not going anywhere. No, I can’t go anywhere. I need to protect the orphanage.”

The day I first arrived in this world, I might have thought differently.

“Oh my, how touching.”

“Teacher…!”

But now, I had someone precious to protect.

I had accepted my responsibility—this was a duty I had taken on myself.

‘Besides…’

As the head of the orphanage, I couldn’t let myself be adopted before any of the children.

“Mrs. Gordon, we have a ‘rule,’ so unfortunately, I can’t accept your offer.”

“A rule? What kind of rule?”

“Our orphanage has a few rules.”

“Oh my, I didn’t know that.”

“And the very first rule is…”

I smiled warmly at Mrs. Gordon.

At some point, I realized I was holding Harp’s hand tightly. Feeling her small, trembling grip in mine, I gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

Then, after taking a deep breath, I declared boldly.

“The head of the orphanage is not available for adoption!”

It was a phrase I would surely repeat countless times in the future.

“If you ever change your mind, feel free to come back anytime! I’ll be waiting!”

“Yes!”

After firmly rejecting Mrs. Gordon’s offer of adoption, we made our way to the locker room to prepare for a bath.

“Te-Teacher? That’s the men’s bath…”

“Huh? Ahhh!”

Of course, I almost absentmindedly walked in the direction I always used to go.

Thankfully, Harp stopped me in time, saving me from a major disaster.

No wonder the people near the entrance were giving me such strange looks.

I’d thought they were just fascinated by the sight of a child walking in, but apparently, their expressions were more like, “Why is she heading in there?”

“Teacher.”

“Yeah?”

“Just now… You were really… so cool.”

“Of course! It’s me we’re talking about!”

“Yes! That’s exactly what I’d expect from you, Teacher!”

Feeling buoyed by Harp’s kind compliment, I casually flung off my clothes.

“Uh… T-Teacher?”

“Hm?”

“Teaacheeerr?! What are you doing all of a sudden?! Put your clothes back on!!”

“Huh…? Why…?”

Harp’s reaction was strange.

The moment I tossed my clothes aside, her face turned as red as a beet, and she hurriedly picked up my discarded clothes from the floor and thrust them back at me.

Why is she acting like this? Isn’t taking off your clothes the normal thing to do in a bathhouse?

“What’s wrong…?”

“Teacher, please… Put your clothes back on…!”

For a moment, I tilted my head, puzzled by Harp’s unexpected behavior.

But as I turned to place my clothes in a locker, something odd caught my eye.

‘Wait, were lockers always this small?’

The lockers were tiny—too small.

So small, in fact, that they looked even smaller than an office desk drawer.

At this size, I couldn’t possibly fit my clothes inside.

It looked like the lockers were only meant for wallets or small belongings.

Wait…

“Teacher…”

“Why is she taking her top off?”

“Oh my, isn’t that Eve? The talk of the village lately!”

“How cute!”

The moment I realized something was off, my mind snapped to attention.

Finally, I started noticing my surroundings.

Even though people were stepping into the baths, everyone still had their clothes on for some reason.

There wasn’t a single towel to be found in the lobby.

The lockers were all ridiculously small.

And then…

Rules for Bath Use?

There was a small list of rules posted next to the mirror.

Maru Bathhouse Rules.

Avoid excessive movement in the bath. Due to the slime content, it may cause dizziness.

No diving. There is a risk of bouncing out.

No eating.

After bathing, ensure any bathwater remaining on your body is dried thoroughly in the dryer located in the corner. (Lingering bathwater can be harmful to your skin!)

‘…Oh.’

I didn’t know much about this world’s bathhouses, but one thing became very clear.

“Ah.”

You’re supposed to wear clothes in the bath here.

“Please, Teacher, put your clothes back on. Quickly.”

“O-okay…”

Still, isn’t it normal to bathe without clothes…?

It turns out that the “baths” here weren’t filled with regular water but rather a jelly-like substance mixed with a bit of slime.

Since it wasn’t actually water, it didn’t make you wet or leave much residue on your body.

Apparently, slime baths were used because they were far more effective at cleaning than plain water.

Now I understood why people were required to wear clothes—it all made sense given how the system worked.

But honestly, someone could’ve explained that sooner!

“Ugh…”

“Teacher, are you okay?”

“Uh… Yeah.”

No matter how much I think about it, I just don’t get it.

If we’re supposed to bathe with clothes on, why bother separating the men’s and women’s baths?

It’s weird…

Really weird…

“Well… Uh, this is my first time at a bathhouse, but it’s not bad at all!”

“…N-not bad…”

“Ah…”

“Well, it’s warm, so it feels nice.”

Still, the sensation is completely different from the baths I’m used to.

Instead of regular water, it’s soft and slightly sticky, wrapping around me in an oddly pleasant way.

It’s like lying on one of those old waterbeds while getting a warm sand massage—a strange but relaxing feeling.

“T-that scene from earlier… I’ll forget about it.”

“It’s too late for that, so don’t worry.”

“But still…”

“Don’t.”

“Y-yes…”

Please don’t bring it up. It’s embarrassing…

The memory of me foolishly stripping down flashes through my mind.

“Ugh…”

Seriously, what was I even thinking?

What kind of idiot just strips off their clothes like they’re under some kind of hypnosis…?

At the very least, I could have noticed that everyone else was still wearing their clothes and asked about it…

“Harp.”

“…Yes?”

I quietly called Harp’s name.

Maybe it was because the slime bath was so warm, but my mind felt hazy.

“Shall we get out now?”

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just a little hot.”

“Then… maybe we could stop by the cold bath for a bit…”

“A cold bath? That sounds perfect.”

Nothing clears a foggy mind like a cold bath.

Holding Harp’s hand, I took slow, deliberate steps toward the cold bath.

Maybe it was because we’d just been soaking in the warm bath, but both Harp and I had faces as red as ripe tomatoes.

“Teacher.”

“Yeah?”

“Um… I couldn’t say this earlier because of the situation, but…”

“Hm? What is it?”

“Thank you.”

“…For what?”

“For… everything. You’ve had a hard life, too, and yet… you turned down an offer to be adopted.”

“I already told you. No matter what, the head of the orphanage doesn’t leave the orphanage.”

“Yes, you really mean that, don’t you?”

For some reason, even though we’d moved to the cold bath, the inexplicable warmth lingering between us refused to fade.

“Really… Thank you.”

“If anything, I should be thanking you.”

But that lingering heat between us didn’t seem to cool at all.