Even if Chester seemed fine right now, there was still a chance that symptoms might appear later.
It would be better to keep an eye on him for at least a day.
Gail nodded in agreement.
“Then Chester should rest in the bed next to him.”
“I...”
As if he'd been waiting for his chance, Klein immediately opened his mouth.
But Gail firmly shook his head.
“Klein and Medina should head back now.”
Objectively speaking, Gail was right.
They should return to their rooms and get some rest.
But instinctively, Klein felt that he needed to stay here.
He didn't want to leave Lopez's side while he was lying there sick and groaning.
Biting his lip, he desperately searched for a way to remain.
Then, without thinking things through at all, he suddenly bit down hard on his own hand.
Blood immediately dripped onto the floor.
Gail shot to his feet.
“Klein! What on earth are you doing—?!”
He was so shocked that he couldn't even finish his sentence.
Medina, standing nearby, covered her mouth in horror.
“W-What are you doing, Klein?!”
She grabbed his injured hand.
At that moment, Klein calmly held the bleeding hand out toward Gail.
“I'm hurt too.”
“...”
For a moment, Gail was speechless.
Though he spent most of his time in the infirmary, even he knew Klein rarely involved himself in anything unless it concerned Medina.
And yet this kid bit his own hand just so he could stay here...?
Gail felt genuinely confused.
Meanwhile, Klein looked shamelessly unconcerned.
“Teacher, I'm still bleeding.”
As he waved the injured hand insistently, Gail finally gave up and stood.
“Medina, you should return to class first.”
“But...”
As Medina hesitated, Chester and Klein stepped forward.
“M-Medina,” Chester said awkwardly. “Don't worry about us.”
Klein scratched his head.
“I owe him one, okay? If I help him this time, we'll be even.”
Then maybe this uncomfortable feeling would finally disappear.
If he took care of Lopez long enough.
That was all Klein had intended to say.
Yet for some reason, the rest of those thoughts refused to leave his mouth.
Chester added his own excuse.
“He helped me too. And... I feel bad.”
For a moment, Gail considered letting Medina stay as well.
Then he shook his head.
If he allowed one child to remain, Sally and Lisa would undoubtedly show up next.
Those two had already visited Lopez more than anyone else while he'd been bedridden with his fever.
“Medina, run along now. I'll send Klein back once his treatment is finished.”
After another moment of hesitation, Medina finally gave in and left the infirmary.
Lisa, Sally, and Bill stood together outside the infirmary.
Sally eyed Bill—the unwanted addition—with obvious dissatisfaction and whispered to Lisa.
“What's this little brat doing here? I told him not to hang around Class One kids.”
“Calm down, Sally. He's that kid who's always following Lopez around.”
“Lopez clearly hates him.”
“That's right!”
Bill cheerfully agreed despite hearing himself being insulted.
Sally quietly closed her mouth.
Then she whispered to Lisa with complete sincerity,
“Is there something wrong with his head?”
“Don't you know who he is? He's from the Devil's House.”
“Oh...”
Only then did understanding dawn on Sally's face.
The Devil's House was a place where devil worshippers had once lived together.
And Bill was its only survivor.
Afraid she might accidentally hurt his feelings, Sally consciously avoided looking directly at him afterward.
“And besides,” Lisa continued, “he's smarter than both of us. Do you know who's ranked first in Class One?”
Bill immediately interrupted.
“It's a tie! With Big Brother Klein and Big Brother Chester!”
Which was basically another way of admitting he was at the top as well.
Klein and Chester woke before dawn and headed straight for the infirmary.
Without even bothering to knock, they threw open the door.
Gail, who had been in the middle of a yawn, awkwardly shut his mouth.
After yesterday's incident, he'd realized that telling them to leave was completely pointless.
So he simply pointed toward Lopez's bed.
“...Lopez is inside eating porridge.”
Meaning he was awake.
Klein and Chester immediately yanked the curtain aside.
Lopez had just opened his mouth wide for another spoonful.
The moment he locked eyes with the two boys, he froze.
“...”
The boys simply stared.
Feeling awkward under their gaze, Lopez slowly lowered his spoon.
Then he politely addressed them.
“This is a little uncomfortable. How about coming back later?”
His face was still flushed from the fever.
His voice had become rough and hoarse.
Even speaking was difficult.
Neither Klein nor Chester paid him the slightest attention.
Instead, they sat down on either side of his bed.
Watching the stubborn pair, Lopez muttered quietly,
“...I see. So your goal is to make me feel uncomfortable forever.”
He looked pleadingly toward Gail.
Understanding the message instantly, Gail cautiously suggested,
“Perhaps we should step outside for a moment so Lopez can eat in peace?”
Crossing his arms stubbornly, Klein stared at Lopez.
“Hey. It's not like you physically can't eat because we're here.”
“The food won't go down.”
Chester nodded thoughtfully.
“That makes sense. You're sick.”
“...”
Realizing they had absolutely no intention of leaving, Lopez silently resumed eating.
Weakly stirring the porridge, he suddenly spotted something.
His eyes sparkled.
A chunk of meat!
“Your throat's swollen. Eat soft food.”
Before he could grab it, Chester swiftly scooped the prized ingredient out of the bowl.
His treasure stolen, Lopez gloomily stirred the porridge again.
“Look, I appreciate the thought, but could you please go now?”
They were children.
Apparently saving them once had become a much bigger deal in their minds than it really was.
Thank goodness Medina exists.
Otherwise I'd have planted a romance flag by accident.
Lopez breathed a sigh of relief.
“I treated Medina badly before.”
The two boys remained silent, listening carefully.
This is new.
Lopez was suddenly struck by how strange it felt.
Klein, who normally picked fights with him daily, was actually sitting quietly.
Still, he continued speaking.
“I only saved you because Medina cares about both of you. There wasn't any special reason.”
Finally, the boys opened their mouths.
“What is it?”
“Go ahead.”
Lopez hesitated before carefully continuing.
“If you're really grateful... then could you just keep your distance from me?”
“...What?”
“It's okay if you hate me. Just treat me like you used to. Like I don't exist.”
The unexpected request left both boys speechless.
Their mouths opened.
Then closed again.
“Someone would've saved you even if I hadn't shown up. I was just lucky enough to get there first. Nothing more, nothing less.”
He tried to explain as gently as possible.
This wasn't some special event.
There was no deeper meaning.
Yet judging by their expressions, neither boy liked that answer.
Lopez didn't bother worrying about their feelings.
“If you understand, I'd appreciate it if you'd leave now. Medina's probably worried about both of you. Tell her I'm fine. And thanks for taking care of me yesterday.”
He even finished with a smile.
Still, neither of them moved.
They simply sat there staring at him.
“Can you not hear me?”
“...”
“...”
Neither answered.
“I wasn't hoping for this kind of being treated like I don't exist...”
Why is communicating with children so difficult?
Muttering to himself, Lopez finally gave up.
He picked up the bowl and drank the remaining porridge in one huge gulp like it was soup.
It tasted terrible.
Outside the infirmary, Klein stomped furiously on the innocent floor.
“What is wrong with him?”
Chester found himself agreeing completely.
Seriously, what is he?
Before they could even properly thank him, Lopez had already dismissed everything.
He acted as though he understood the situation perfectly.
As though saving them wasn't a big deal.
As though it meant nothing.
But stepping in to save someone in a situation like that wasn't easy.
Not at all.
Clenching his fist, Chester muttered his protest too late.
“No one else would've saved us that easily.”
Klein immediately latched onto the statement.
“Exactly! Why does that idiot make it sound so simple?”
The image of Lopez lying weakly in bed flashed through his mind.
Whenever they had desperately needed help before, nobody had come.
Especially not someone they didn't even get along with.
That was why Lopez's words made even less sense.
“Treat him like he doesn't exist...”
As Chester quietly repeated the words, something swelled inside Klein's chest.
Unable to hold it back, he shouted loud enough for the entire infirmary to hear.
“Fine! That's what I wanted anyway!”
Beside him, Chester nodded in vigorous agreement.
