Chapter 20 - Parental Visit #2
Parental Visit #2
Translator : Elizabeth
A gentle touch wiping away tears.
The owner of the beautiful hands covered in white skin was not the somewhat(?) scary appearance I saw before.
"Di, Director...?"
"...."
A beauty showing a gentle smile without words.
Ta, Tall... But pretty.
I have to look up for a long time to see her face.
In the beauty looking down gently, unhidden benevolence and kindness were exuding lushly.
Pushed by that discrepancy and curiosity, I ended up asking again.
"Are you the Director...?"
Actually, my head knows.
That this existence who came to save me, and even that scary and powerful appearance earlier, belongs to the same existence as the one in front of me.
Slide.
The Director showed it with action again instead of answering this time too.
Taking off the flower crown she was wearing on her head, above the expression smiling gently with her eyes.
Rustle.
She put that flower crown woven with white and fine flowers directly on my head.
"...Ah."
Just with that, it felt like she was saying 'Is that an answer?', so.
"Hiiing."
I jumped straight to the Director with overwhelming emotions.
Flomp.
Fluffy and soft texture.
At the very familiar sensation touching my skin, I recalled one memory.
'Bed...!'
It smells like the bed in the Daycare...! The sensation of feeling sleepy when buried in the blanket, warm and cozy.
"...!"
Only then did conviction come.
That this person is indeed the person who put flower crowns on children directly back then.
Stroke. Stroke.
At the soft touch stroking the back of my head, I felt the tension that was pushing my body to the limit melting gently.
"Directoooor..."
Why am I doing this.
Originally I would have considered it embarrassing and never done it, but working hard in the hospital, and feeling sad emotions due to the influence of the skill.
My heart was overwhelmed by the Doctor's pitiful appearance, and the kindness of the Director who came to find me after a long time.
Rubbing my face in that embrace, I crave that benevolent and fluffy embrace even deeper.
"Hmm, hmm~"
Whether the Director also understood my heart, she calmed me down slowly, and slowly, letting me hear a humming like a lullaby.
After conveying the sorrow of the meantime for a long time like that, I carefully detached my face from the Director's embrace.
"....."
On the Director's white apron, some ugly tear marks are stamped.
I looked up at the Director carefully with a burning face.
"....?"
"Ehehe..."
At the Director's face looking down at me with a questioning expression, I had no choice but to smile foolishly for no reason.
La, Laundry will be done on its own, right...? It would be good if it dries before returning to the Daycare...!
In the midst of that, the Director's hand stroking me stopped—snap.
"Eh?"
Where did the atmosphere full of kindness go until just now, goosebumps rise shiver at the cold feeling as if time stopped.
S, Suddenly?
Looking up to where the Director's gaze was staying, I realized that the end was touching a part of my body.
When I first told the Doctor about memories of the past.
The place he grabbed my shoulder tightly unknowingly.
"...Ah."
The Director's hand carefully lifted the collar of my crumpled shoulder side slightly.
And discovered.
Traces of strong grip strength having grasped and passed, remaining very clearly.
Crack.
"Uh-oh..."
An unusual sound is heard.
My back straightened stiffly to the point of freezing tight even though I didn't do anything wrong.
"Hmm~?"
Ah, now hearing it continuously, I think I know.
In the Director's gaze looking at the Doctor sobbing without regaining senses yet in the scattering light cluster.
Discomfort rising from the bottom of emotions, and fragments of hatred.
"Director, I, I'm okay..."
"....."
There is no returning answer.
The Director, tilting her head slightly as if having made a decision already, turns her body away from me slowly.
Only in that moment, despite being a beauty, the appearance of the (Old) Director is reflected.
"Hic."
No...!
If I just let the Director go here, the Doctor whom I saved through dog-like suffering will ascend to heaven(?)!
Squeeze...!
"...?"
I grabbed the hem of the Director's skirt with desperate feelings.
"D, Don't go..."
Only then returning to a gentle attitude, the Daycare Director looks back at me.
As expected, rather than that scary-looking Doctor just faced, she shows interest first in my call with whom she built up affection as much as possible.
"I, I'm okay..."
Slide.
Are you really okay?
As if asking so, the Director looked down at me, lowering her head with a heart-fluttering height difference.
If it were the usual appearance, it's a composition to make me hiccup, but the current appearance is okay, yeah...
Rustle.
Suddenly, I checked the existence of an object rustling in my pocket.
It was a recovery item the Nurse Anomaly gave me saying I worked well when I was an intern at this hospital.
"Th, This..."
I hurriedly took it out, took off the wrapper ostentatiously, and poured it into my mouth.
Feeling the hard texture rattling against my molars, and the sweetness spreading throughout my mouth—
The throbbing pain in my shoulder stops in an instant.
Checking directly with eyes, the redness from earlier actually disappearing was seen.
"Since I'm okay now... Ung-ung, don't do it."
1 second, 5 seconds, 10 seconds.
The Director, who examined me for a long time in that state, whether she decided to grant my desperate request.
Withdrew the gesture trying to head to the Doctor any moment.
"Phew..."
I sighed a sigh of relief for no reason at that, and looked back at the rest of the situation not yet finished.
Swoosh...!
The light clusters are still shining like fireflies without completely leaving the cavity.
That Doctor over there also seems to be immersed in a lingering feeling similar to what I experienced exactly the same with the Daycare Director.
After expressing thanks to the Director who withdrew her action, getting up from the seat—
I approached the Doctor still sobbing carefully.
From here on, it's an extension of information I don't know either.
Because in the Daycare, I just lost consciousness around here, and when I opened my eyes again, everything was stabilized.
Ding!
「Rewards acquired.」
Then, a very familiar clear sound was heard in my ears.
「▶ You have succeeded in taking one step closer to the secret of 'Sungjin Mental Hospital'. The entity here has come to wander no more.」
「Reward
▶ Title: Head Nurse of Sungjin Mental Hospital」
"...Ah."
I obtained a title.
Right, back then I also obtained a title like this before losing consciousness.
So when I regained consciousness again, the Daycare that was a ruin turned into something super clean and like a mansion..
Swoosh...
Part of the light clusters circling around the Doctor approaches me stealthily as if riding the wind.
"....?"
Like that, one two.
Starting to permeate onto the skin, soon a sensation felt for the first time tickled inside.
"Ah."
Like that, with my stepping feet as the center, golden waves spread widely—more widely as if life was pulsating.
"...You are."
And the Doctor watching that scene turned his eyes to me only then.
The appearance of the lower face consisting of bone is the same, but madness trying to harm others no longer dwelt in the eyes.
"Doctor, are you okay...?"
"....."
"Does it still hurt...?"
"No longer... it does not hurt."
The gait of the Doctor standing up from the seat was precarious, but refreshingness was also buried.
"Seems I am ready only now."
"Yes?"
"Ready to accept the price of my sins, and go to hell, not by everyone's side."
...Eh?
As I stayed dumbfounded, the Doctor, unable to hold back a pfft laugh seeing that appearance, stroked my head.
"Hmm?"
Although I felt signs of the Director finding that appearance uncomfortable, caring about the existence approaching in front of my eyes was the priority for now.
"You are, as expected, a talent not fitting our hospital. Are you worrying about me even at this moment."
"Uh-uh..."
"It is okay. Even if my existence completely disappears, I will not resent you. Thank you. For awakening precious memories in me again."
"Umm..."
As I couldn't be restless even until then, only then did the Doctor tilt his head.
"Why are you..."
"I don't know how to do such things though...?"
"Yes?"
"?"
What is this person saying right now.
There's no way I can, like, uh? Ascend a super strong person like you to heaven or something...!
Like that, for a long time, we two could only look at each other blankly.
"Haha, so that's how it was."
"Ah, yup..."
"This truly... I ended up showing a shameful appearance alone."
"No..."
I lowered my head burning for no reason and avoided gaze.
We were in a state of being super sad showing all sorts of sights to each other, but suddenly it became awkward...!
I returned to the Director with a heart requesting rescue and received healing through stroking.
"Uh... Then, this."
Thanks to that, the Doctor who suddenly became suspended was lost in worry touching his index finger under the jawbone for a long time as if organizing thoughts even after that.
"Ha, indeed. Seems it doesn't matter even if I worry like this."
Eventually organizing his thoughts, the Doctor looked back at us smiling with his eyes.
"Anyway, the hospital and I owe you a great debt. In the future, external wounds or pain will not torment our little nurse."
"Uh, really?"
"Of course. Because I am a doctor."
"Wow...!"
Following a warm home, did I even gain a reassuring hospital facility?
This, somehow current life is becoming abundant to the point where I don't remember the times of poverty in human days.
Have a phone too! Have a gallery too! Hot rice comes out and water comes out in the bathtub too!
This is totally a god-life, no, Anomaly-life...!
While my heart beat thump thump at the happy days that will unfold in the future, I also thought—if I have nothing to do, shall I look around the hospital for a moment like in the Daycare.
Probably as expected, there won't be things like Anomalies threatening others' lives remaining in this big hospital now.
'Did that person leave too...?'
Probably left. Since it's obvious an opportunity of this magnitude won't come again.
In other words, inside the hospital, there are me, the Director, and the Doctor, end.
This is totally my world.
"Director!"
"Hmm?"
"Let's go play!"
Going back to the Daycare is going back, but I can't resist exploring the newly changed hospital!
Holding the hand of the Director standing up slowly from the seat, I intended to go out from Basement 3rd Floor.
"Wait, there is a guest still remaining."
"Nen?" (Yes?)
"Since earlier, she has been alone."
However, at the additionally heard words, I had no choice but to stop my steps.
No, there was a person holding out without leaving still?
"Something is strange. It is questionable if she is even human."
Click. Click.
And in the quiet space, ripples arose.
"Ah, found you."
Someone was there.
A woman with red hair existing like an Administration Bureau agent while wearing a black suit.
"Little kid-nim, it's you, right? Daycare last time too, and this time too you made it like this."
The woman saying so with a ditzy voice spoke swaying her head.
"Shall we go play fun with this unnie?"
"....."
Among the things experienced earlier, a keyword remaining strongly reveals its presence repeatedly.
People wearing black suits.
「▶ The entity in question is showing interest in you.」
And even the status window's wedge.
I was convinced.
That that existence is 'something' pretending to be an Administration Bureau agent.