After running around wildly in the water fight for a long time, we finally collapsed onto the ground, completely exhausted.
Everyone was drenched, with water dripping from their clothes, but our faces were filled with satisfied smiles.
“Haah… That was really fun.”
I said with a laugh.
Sua raised her hand high and shouted.
“Teacher, that was amazing! But I did a little better, right?”
“No, I won.”
“What? Harp, no way! I kept shooting my water gun for longer!”
“But I landed more hits.”
The two of them started bickering again, and I let out a sigh, shaking my head.
Alex shook off his wet clothes and chuckled.
“Hey, everyone had fun, right? That’s the real charm of a water fight!”
“Yeah! It was really fun!”
Sua agreed enthusiastically.
Harp quietly nodded.
“Well… it wasn’t bad.”
I looked at both of them and let out a small laugh.
“But anyway… Teacher, you should go change your clothes.”
“…Oh, right.”
I looked down at myself.
Thanks to the intense water fight, my soaked white shirt clung to my skin, making everything underneath clearly visible.
“…Uh, um.”
“Teacher, that was a great view.”
Somehow, Sua had already started having a massive nosebleed while giving me a thumbs-up.
SMACK!
“OW!”
“Teacher, cover yourself with this.”
“Thanks.”
Of course, Sua’s smug grin didn’t last long, thanks to Harp’s swift punishment.
Alex, who had been shaking off his wet clothes, glanced at my state before suddenly turning his head away, acting way too casual.
“Hmm. Ah. I just remembered something I have to do. I’ll head inside for a bit, so you all take care and rest well.”
“Huh? All of a sudden?”
“Yeah, yeah. Make sure to take care of yourselves… especially you, Eve. Stay warm, alright? Alright then, I’m off!”
Without even waiting for my response, Alex hurriedly rushed inside the house.
He was definitely avoiding eye contact.
I had a strong feeling it had something to do with my, well… current state.
“Teacher, are you okay?”
Harp approached me with a concerned expression.
I awkwardly held onto my soaked shirt and gave a sheepish smile.
“Yeah… I’m fine. Just a bit cold.”
Maybe I was finally getting used to this body.
Instead of feeling embarrassed about my wet clothes, my first thought was how cold I was.
Harp looked me over, sighed quietly, and said,
“Teacher, you’ll catch a cold. Let me help you. Let’s head to the bath.”
She naturally took hold of my arm and helped me up.
I was a little flustered but too damp and freezing to refuse her help.
“Sua, stay here and dry off. Don’t follow us.”
Harp spoke firmly.
I expected Sua to protest, but surprisingly, she just nodded in agreement.
“…That’s unexpected.”
“I’ve already filled up my daily Teacher Power quota.”
“What does that even—oh, never mind…”
I let out a small laugh at Sua’s response.
“Sua, you take care too. You’ll catch a cold if you’re not careful.”
“Huh…? Ah, of course, Teacher!”
Leaving Sua’s voice behind, I walked with Harp, who was supporting me, toward the bathroom.
Thanks to Alex, the bathroom was now completely fixed and spotless.
“Sit here. I’ll turn on the warm water for you.”
Harp guided me to a small stool and spoke with care.
I felt a bit awkward at her attentiveness, but at the same time, I was grateful.
“Thanks, Harp. You’re really dependable.”
“It’s nothing. This is part of my role.”
“…But I’m the head of the orphanage. Is it really okay for me to accept this kind of help?”
“What are you talking about? You work hard every day, Teacher. If we can’t even do this much for you, we wouldn’t be proper orphans, would we?”
Harp gave a small smile as she turned on the water.
Trickle, trickle.
The soothing sound of warm water filled the bathroom.
I felt my body gradually relax.
Harp watched me carefully and said softly,
“Teacher, don’t stay in too long. The warm water might make you dizzy.”
I smiled at her concern and nodded.
“Got it. Thanks, Harp. But… this isn’t like the bathhouse, huh? No slime water?”
“That’s right. So you can’t bathe with your clothes on here.”
“Right.”
Harp’s face turned slightly red as she mumbled in a small voice,
“…Um, maybe, I could… join—”
“Huh?”
“…It’s nothing.”
She quickly brushed it off, checked the water temperature one last time, and walked toward the door.
Just before stepping out, she paused for a moment and added,
“Teacher, please relax and rest well.”
Then, she quietly closed the door behind her.
The bathroom, now empty except for me, was filled with the gentle sound of running water and soft steam.
I carefully dipped my fingers into the water, relieved to find it was at a comfortably warm temperature.
Slowly, I sank into the bath.
“Haa…”
As my body relaxed into the water, a deep sense of fatigue washed over me.
The water fight earlier had been incredibly fun, but the exhaustion that followed was inevitable.
Scooping up some water, I splashed my face and murmured to myself.
“Still, I’m grateful for moments like this.”
The warmth of the water wrapped around me, loosening the tension in my body.
Leaning my head back, I let myself enjoy the soothing sensation, slowly closing my eyes.
A strange feeling crept up my body.
Something felt… off.
My upper body felt uncomfortable, almost prickly.
“…?”
I couldn’t quite place the sensation, but I brushed it off as nothing and remained still.
Lifting my gaze slightly, I noticed a small mirror reflecting my figure.
That wasn’t there before.
Alex must have installed it while fixing the bathroom.
Anyway, my small body was visible in the reflection.
My bare, soft frame, completely free of clothing.
Has it really been that long…?
Since I was thrown into this strange world, so much had happened.
I had gotten used to recognizing this body as my own.
Somewhere along the way, I had stopped tripping over my own feet and had fully adapted to this small, childlike frame.
And now, I had reached the point where even looking at my bare self didn’t feel particularly strange anymore.
“Mmm…”
Lost in thought, I was suddenly hit with a wave of dizziness and sat up in the tub.
I must have been lying down for too long.
Harp had warned me not to stay in for too long, so it was probably about time to get out.
“Phew…”
The exhaustion that had weighed on my body had long since melted away.
Stretching lightly after finishing my bath, I made a quiet promise to myself—to do everything I could to protect this orphanage and create a better life for the children here.
With that thought in mind, I shook off the excess water, grabbed a towel, and opened the bathroom door.
As I stepped out of the bathroom, the quiet surroundings greeted me.
“I wonder if everyone’s resting well…”
Muttering to myself, I headed toward the basket where my clothes were supposed to be.
But then, I noticed something unusual inside.
“…Huh? What is this…?”
It was a person.
Someone was curled up inside the basket.
A small figure with familiar hair.
I knew instinctively.
“Sua?!”
Startled, I called out to her.
From inside the basket, Sua peeked her head out.
She looked momentarily flustered before forcing an awkward smile.
“Uh… Oh? Teacher? Ah, um, I was just… nothing! Nothing at all!”
I gave her a suspicious look and asked,
“…What are you doing in the basket?”
Sua’s eyes darted around nervously as she hurried to explain.
“Oh, that! Well… I thought I dropped something in here! So I, uh… climbed in to check! Yeah, that’s right!”
There’s no way that’s true.
Arms crossed, I let out a deep sigh.
“Sua, tell me the truth. What exactly were you trying to do?”
At my firm tone, Sua hesitated for a moment before suddenly leaping out of the basket.
“A-ah! It was nothing! Really! I’ll be going now! Rest well, Teacher!”
And with that, she bolted.
Like a criminal fleeing the scene of the crime.
“Seriously…”
Shaking my head in disbelief, I glanced inside the basket.
Thankfully, there was nothing strange inside.
But I still couldn’t understand Sua’s behavior.
What was she trying to do inside the basket?
It was a mystery.
After changing into dry clothes and returning to my room, I found Sua lying under a blanket, staring at the ceiling.
She looked perfectly calm, as if nothing had happened.
But there was something off—a forced nonchalance, like she was trying too hard not to look suspicious.
Harp glanced at her briefly before walking over to me and whispering.
“Teacher, did Sua cause trouble again?”
“…Yeah, you could say that.”
I chuckled softly as I answered.
Hearing this, Sua mumbled from under the blanket,
“I-I didn’t cause any trouble!”
Harp scoffed and simply picked up her book again.
Seriously, there’s never a quiet day here.
Holding back a laugh, I quietly sat down, preparing to wind down for the night.
“…So, why were you inside that basket earlier?”
“…No real reason, really. I just wanted to, um… take in the scent a little…”
“…What?”
“Ah—! G-good night!”
“Wait, what?! Excuse me?!”