RPLT 07

Chapter 7

Where did the kind, almost pushover-like male lead go?

Selena, having come out of the storage room, couldn’t compose herself for a while.

She wasn’t angry because someone had called him ugly. She simply needed time to process whether the child in front of her was really the male lead.

Suddenly, Selena thought:

Maybe the original Riotis didn’t distrust others like this when he was a child?

Children, being more delicate and sensitive than adults, are easily influenced by their environment. The reason the children at the orphanage particularly bullied Riotis was because the headmaster actively discriminated against him.

Given such an environment, it was natural for him to be wary of others’ touches.

The fact that he hadn’t shown any of this behavior toward the female lead was…

“Is this some kind of heroine buff?”

Selena decided to approach Riotis more carefully.

Yes, Riotis is still a child. I, as an adult, will adjust myself. If I keep approaching him, he’ll open his heart eventually.

After that incident, she thought Selena would never be the one to speak first again.

However,

“Good morning, Riotis.”

Selena greeted him as if nothing had happened.

“Selena. Are you close with Riotis?”
“Ehehe~ Selena and Riotis are dating~”

The children seized this opportunity to tease Selena.

“Selena, are you dating Riotis? Did you two even kiss?”

Among them, Rimon was particularly persistent.

“Do people start dating just because they say hello?”

Selena, however, wasn’t intimidated by the boys’ teasing and shot back boldly:

“Rimon, Jack, Anton, hello everyone! So I guess that means you’re all dating me too, right?”

Selena’s confident attitude left the teasing boys flustered. They couldn’t argue and eventually left, saying it wasn’t fun anymore.

“Kids will be kids, huh.”

Riotis, quietly observing, finally spoke up:

“Don’t talk to me.”

In truth, Riotis had been secretly happy that Selena had spoken to him. He had thought he would never have another conversation with anyone, and he was grateful that Selena approached him casually.

But despite his feelings, he only reacted with irritation.

“I’m talking to you because I want to.”

Selena, like when dealing with the boys, didn’t back down.

“You might get labeled by the other kids, you know.”
“Riotis, are you worried about me?”

Her voice, tinged with a smile, came a step closer. Feeling her presence so near, Riotis instinctively took a small step back.

“That’s not it!”

His heart thumped. His face heated up.

It was all because of Selena.

He was angry because she kept pretending to be nice on her own terms. With that thought, Riotis quickly turned his head.

“Don’t worry. I’m not like those kids.”
“……”
“No matter what anyone says, I’m on your side, Riotis.”

“Not like those kids? Well… she really is strange.”

“Do whatever you want.”

Riotis said this, slightly softened. Since she wouldn’t listen anyway, he figured she might as well do as she pleased.

Selena chuckled softly. It wasn’t the usual mocking laugh she was used to hearing. Her heart felt warm, as if wrapped in a blanket. For the first time, Riotis found someone’s laughter genuinely pleasant to hear.

I hope she keeps laughing like this.

Watching him like this reminds me of Cheese back when I was in school.

Cheese was a stray cat Selena had adored in her previous life.

The first time they met, Cheese hissed and ran away. But after receiving food every time they met, the cat soon became affectionate and approached first.

Although, he looks more like a dog than a cat.

Selena quietly observed Riotis and took his hand.

“Wh-what are you doing!”

Riotis tried to pull his hand away in shock. But small and frail compared to children his age, he couldn’t resist Selena’s strength.

“Just come quietly.”

Riotis, realizing he couldn’t fight it, calmed down.

Selena led him to the shower room.

No matter how bothersome, he hasn’t bathed in days.

Riotis couldn’t wash himself alone, so he needed someone’s help to shower.

Since the headmaster, who should have cared for Riotis, hadn’t, he had become dirty and unkempt.

Coming out of a dusty, filthy storage room, his hair and skin were covered in black dust. His once-white hair had turned ashy.

Selena decided to wash Riotis herself, taking the headmaster’s place.

Wait… where should I take him if we’re going in together?

Standing before the red and blue doors, Selena hesitated.

No matter what, I can’t go into the boys’ shower room.

The shower time was over anyway, so they wouldn’t meet the other kids. The girls’ shower room had partitions, so if necessary, she could hide herself.

Selena led Riotis into the girls’ shower room.

Splash!

Stepping onto still-wet floors, Riotis flinched.

“Your socks got all wet. That’s okay. Let’s change into some clean ones.”
“……”
“Riotis?”

At this point, Selena expected him to protest, asking where she was taking him…

But surprisingly, he remained quiet. Not just quiet—he was trembling slightly.

“Riotis, what’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

Riotis shivered as if terrified. His tightly pressed lips left bite marks.

Wait… now that I think about it…

She recalled a scene from the original novel she had read online: the male lead, afraid of water due to childhood abuse, bravely jumps into a frozen lake to save the heroine. That scene had left a strong impression.

Why am I only remembering something so important now!

Riotis was afraid of water because the headmaster would pour cold water on him without warning. For a child, such sudden water was terrifying.

Taking him silently to the shower room now… she could only imagine how scared he must be.

I need to get him out quickly.

Selena tried to take him out again but stopped.

Even if he feared water, he couldn’t go without bathing forever. Eventually, the headmaster would force him to shower, leaving him with more bad memories.

I can’t leave Riotis in the hands of that demon headmaster.

“Riotis, I’m sorry for bringing you to the shower on my own. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Selena hugged the trembling boy tightly and gently patted his back.

“It’s okay. I’m not trying to hurt you.”

She whispered in a soft, low voice, like a lullaby. Waiting patiently, she continued patting him until his trembling gradually stopped.

“Let go.”

Riotis’s voice was still slightly strained, and his cheeks were flushed.

“Are you okay? Riotis, your face is red…”
“I said I’m fine, so let go.”

He jumped and pushed Selena away.

Looks like he really is okay.

“All right. Then shall we start washing?”

At the mention of washing, Riotis’s face darkened again.

“You don’t want to wash?”

He nodded.

Her heart ached at how obediently he answered.

“But you can’t stay unwashed forever. Would you rather the headmaster wash you?”

Riotis shook his head without speaking. It seemed he truly disliked it, having resisted three times already.

“Then let’s wash together, okay?”
“……”
“Being clean keeps you from getting sick.”
“……”
“If you don’t wash properly, your beautiful hair gets messy.”

Selena fiddled with Riotis’s ashy, dirty hair. The usually silent boy slowly spoke:

“All right.”

Good boy, our male lead.

Selena turned on the shower gently, mindful not to startle him with the water. The temperature was perfect—neither hot nor cold.

“All right, tilt your head.”

While she could wash his hair fully, it would be too embarrassing for a boy his age. She decided to just wet his hair and wash his face.

Riotis hesitantly tilted his head, and Selena carefully wet it with her hands.

“How’s the water? Okay?”
“Yes.”

What a cute kid. Now he answers well too.

She carefully washed his hair, making sure he was comfortable.

This is harder than I thought.

Washing a child’s hair properly takes effort, especially for someone so small. She lathered the soap, scrubbed diligently, and rinsed carefully.

“Phew, done! Now just the face…”

-…Me!

Huh? Was that the headmaster’s voice?

• Selena!

Gasp!

It wasn’t her imagination.

The harsh voice of the headmaster boomed from outside the shower room.

What do I do? He hasn’t washed his face yet…

“I can wash myself. Even shower.”

Riotis said bluntly, as if reading her mind.

“But it’s hard to go back alone.”
“I can manage.”

Selena hesitated, but Riotis added:

“Don’t bring me to the girls’ shower again.”

Her shock made her words come out without thinking.

She had thought Riotis wouldn’t know.

With a casual expression, he nodded toward the shower exit.

“Sorry. See you later.”

He ran out so quickly that Selena didn’t catch his last words.

“Okay, Selena.”