Hunter Kindergarten, Dolphin Class! - Chapter 1

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 001

Failed again.

Damn it.

I read halfway through the rigid text before eventually hanging my head.

No curses, no sighs came out anymore—I was too tired of it all.

I glanced sideways at the message displayed on my phone screen with bleary eyes.

As expected, the content never changes.

I could tell what the lengthy, carefully written message was trying to say without reading it all.

That’s because I’d received the same message countless times before.

‘How many times is this now?’

After completing my military service, it’s been over two years since I graduated from university.

I’m twenty-nine this year—too old to be called young anymore.

The job hunting I believed would go smoothly has made no progress for over two years.

…Ah, wait. Maybe I should be grateful that this kindergarten at least let me have an interview.

‘Until now, I’ve been rejected at light speed from the document screening stage, never even getting a chance for interviews.’

But even the face-to-face interview I obtained with such difficulty ended up with the same result. Judging by the rejection notice I received again today.

Rejection. Rejection.

I roughly tousled my disheveled hair with both hands.

‘What am I supposed to do?’

It feels like I’ve applied to every kindergarten in all eight provinces of the country.

At least I’ve applied to every childcare facility and kindergarten within a 30km radius of home.

‘Am I lacking in qualifications? Lacking in experience?’

I thought my boringly monotonous college life and job-hunting period would become rich fertilizer. But it all just turned to shit.

My near-perfect grades and practicum evaluations from going back and forth between part-time jobs and school have been reduced to mere scraps of paper.

“Aaaaargh!”

I threw away the composure I’d maintained in any situation. My insides felt disgustingly frustrated.

-Slam!

“What, what, what’s wrong? Don’t tell me you passed? Did you finally make it?”

When I screamed out of frustration, my brother burst through the door.

Seeing the pink hair rollers neatly wound in his hair, I couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.

“…What? You failed?”

His eyes glanced down at the phone on the desk and instantly figured out the result.

I didn’t even have the energy to deny it.

“Yeah, I failed again.”

“…That can happen. Hey, just take it easy.”

Even as my brother comforted me by gently patting the back of my head in my dejected state, I just kept rubbing my face dry.

“There’s a limit to taking it easy. Being unemployed for two years is getting old.”

And I’m getting self-conscious too.

“Is it because of that thing again this time?”

Following my brother’s chin gesture, my gaze naturally turned. On the computer monitor, a small window showed a title reading along with an irregular wave graph.

“…”

It was during my senior year of college when I collapsed from body aches and was taken to the hospital. But there, instead of diagnosing me with a simple cold, the doctor hit me with some bizarre diagnosis called “awakener manifestation”—that was the beginning of all these problems.

‘I suspected he might be a quack.’

But when he shoved various test records and incomprehensible terms at me while explaining, I could only nod along roughly.

…Awakener, schmawakener—back then I was too busy with graduation to let it sink in.

I just wanted to quickly finish my boring college life and hurry up and get a job.

So even after becoming an awakener—something others desperately wanted to be but couldn’t—I felt no excitement whatsoever.

Moreover, the manifested ability and grade were rather pathetic…

D-rank Tamer (Beast Trainer).

I just laughed it off.

…I shouldn’t have laughed back then.

“Who would have known this damn useless ability would become such an obstacle.”

Not even high-grade, and nothing particularly special about being a D-rank Tamer.

On top of that, for some reason my ability usage is unstable, so I can’t even use it with confidence.

All I’m capable of is mediating fights between squirrels and chipmunks living on the neighborhood Back Mountain, and getting extorted into revealing locations where there are lots of acorns – that pretty much sums it all up.

But this ability, which is no different from a driver’s license shoved away in a wardrobe, is firmly blocking my path forward.

‘As if anyone wanted to become one.’

Unlike my peers who get accepted easily even without special qualifications, I’m still stuck in place – that’s the proof.

So, what exactly is the reason for this?

What do you think is the reason I’m rambling on like this?

The reason was simple.

‘It’s just because I’m an Awakened.’

Awakened.

Who are they?

The world calls them ‘the chosen ones.’

The Awakened, who suddenly gained powers that couldn’t be explained by science one day, became objects of admiration and awe, but also fear at the same time.

In other words, they’re like a double-edged sword.

Regardless of their grade and abilities, they are rare and powerful, and because they’re different from others, they’re dangerous – that’s the perception underlying society today.

And sadly, this perception is somewhat correct.

‘Even if they cause the same kind of trouble, the scale is different from ordinary people.’

Perhaps because of this, places other than Hunter Companies still hesitate to employ Awakened.

Moreover, kindergartens and childcare facilities that I’m trying to enter are even worse, not any different.

Whether you’re Awakened or not is a mandatory item on resumes, so there’s no way to hide it.

I pressed my furrowed brow with my thumb and tried hard to pull myself together.

…So in the end, it seems like it’s time to give up.

‘Kindergarten teacher, my ass.’

I’m already struggling just to take care of myself.

‘How long am I going to hold onto some old dream?’

And at that moment, I heard my brother’s voice again.

“How about that place?”

His long index finger suddenly passed in front of me, pointing to a small window displayed on the monitor.

I turned my eyes to check where my brother was pointing.

The job search site homepage.

And one job posting floating at the very top.

“…Are you serious?”

I looked up at my brother’s innocent face and swallowed a sigh. Then I moved the mouse and clicked on that job posting.

Then, concise and unsettling sentences appeared with a rattle.

[BOND Affiliated Ocean Kindergarten Teacher Open Recruitment]

-Hourly wage: Negotiable

-Assignment: 7-year-old class

-Qualifications: D-rank or higher Awakened, preference given to those with experience handling children 3 years or older.

-Special Benefits: BOND Potion B~C rank 30% discount/ C-rank Hunter Emergency Service 1-time voucher/ Free Request Voucher once per year

-Other Requirements: Physically strong person/ Persistent person/ Quick judgment needed/ Determination required

I had seen this posting several times before.

20 minutes on foot from home, suspiciously good benefits for a kindergarten teacher position, and no special experience required….

A very suspicious job posting.

‘The conditions are too good to be true.’

Besides, it’s way too obviously suspicious. Why would a kindergarten need D-rank or higher Awakened?

Above all, the fact that this job posting has been put up several times at a kindergarten that was just established barely over a year ago—doesn’t that make the implications quite clear?

Something about it is fucked up. Whether it’s work-life balance or the environment.

“My respected internet senior once said this.”

My brother, who had been quietly looking at the job posting, said while removing the hair rollers from his head one by one.

“Pay too good? Avoid it. Conditions too good? Avoid it. Family-like atmosphere? Avoid it. It’s probably some prettily packaged garbage place.”

He continued speaking while smoothing down his frizzy hair with his hands.

“But this place is at least honest. It’s written right there that it’ll be damn hard work.”

“….”

“Strong physical fitness required, perseverance, quick judgment, and mental preparation needed. This is like… you should expect to die. Anyone would think they’re hiring bodyguards.”

“…That’s exactly why I’m hesitant about it.”

“But listen, little brother. This is my advice. Can someone who doesn’t even have a spoon be picky about cold rice or warm rice?”

I couldn’t give any response to my brother’s words. I could only quietly let out the sigh I’d been holding back.

So, to summarize, this is how it is.

It’s definitely a damn hard place to work, but it’s reasonably honest.

And I’m not in a position to be picky about this dirty but honest place.

…Damn, he’s completely right.

***

A few days after being recommended Ocean Kindergarten under BOND, I eventually came for an interview.

Normally I would have been rejected at the document screening stage, but interview approval came through at the terrifying speed of just two days.

‘I don’t know why they’re conducting the interview at the headquarters building though.’

People wearing work clothes that hinted at their respective occupations were entering the building whose top floor I couldn’t even see.

I hoped to naturally blend in among them, alone in my neat casual clothes.

9:30 AM on a weekday.

Thinking it was early for an interview, I entered the lobby and was guided by a waiting staff member to an interview room on the right side of the lobby where I could wait.

As I sat quietly in the chair waiting, I could see two figures approaching at a frightening speed from afar.

And as one of those two people, a man with sharp eyes, sat across from me, questions began immediately.

“You’re a D-rank ‘Tamer’?”

“…Yes!”

“No record of Hunter activity, graduated from Daehan University’s Early Childhood Education department, good grades and practicum evaluations too.”

Yes, I ground my soul for four years to achieve that.

“Unmarried, no experience, a new graduate?”

Is marital status important? I momentarily wondered, but quickly nodded and answered.

“Yes.”

Unlike other places, the interview that started without any particular self-introduction or greetings proceeded like a rapid-fire Q&A challenge I’d seen before.

I answered the questions without much difficulty while observing the interviewer in front of me.

The man dressed sharply in a black suit had a sophisticated atmosphere that matched well with the elegant headquarters building.

Geez, he’s handsome—must be from some well-off family.

“Twenty-nine? You’re young.”

“…Haha.”

I don’t really think so myself though. Calling someone who’s about to turn thirty young—he must be older than me.

“I don’t usually encounter Tamers around me, so I’m curious—can you handle predatory animals too?”

“…What kind of predatory animals are you referring to?”

“Wild dogs, perhaps?”

At this suddenly difficult question, I paused and thought for a moment.

As expected, is this a strange place?

They say it’s the number one Hunter company, but I wonder if they’re making their low-level employees do weird things behind the scenes.

I tried to connect kindergarten teaching with wild dogs but gave up and shook my head.

“…No. I can only handle small animals like squirrels.”

Actually, I’d never even tried with wild dogs, but there’s no way it would work.

I’m D-rank, after all.

“A squirrel…”

“Yes.”

“I like that it’s insignificant.”

What, you bastard?

He muttered and nodded his head as if satisfied.

“Does studying early childhood education mean you can professionally care for children?”

…Finally, a proper interview question came out.

I completely hid the slight displeasure that had risen earlier and flashed a bright, mechanical smile.

“Yes, for children preparing to enter elementary school, the role of a kindergarten teacher is to provide basic Korean language education, etiquette education, and adaptation training to help them adjust to school, as well as to support their growth in various aspects such as emotional care and creativity development.”

There was some exaggeration, but it wasn’t wrong.

Having studied this material intensively for four years, I could answer at a level where it would pop out if you just poked me.

“Oh… that’s impressive.”

“Indeed.”

When the person who seemed to be an attendant and had been quietly keeping his position expressed admiration, the man also smiled in agreement.

I didn’t miss this slightly relaxed atmosphere. I seized the opportunity to ask what I had been curious about.

“Um, I have something I’m curious about.”

“Please ask anything.”

Once permission was safely granted, I deliberately hesitated for a moment and then chose the thing I was most curious about.

“How should I address you, interviewer?”

I need to know who my interview partner is so that when I get rejected, I can go home and curse or swear at them.

‘Who exactly are you? You look too young to be a director.’

At my question, the man looked at the attendant as if just remembering, then looked back at me.

“I’m sorry. My introduction was late. I’m Baek Cheonhyeong, CEO of BOND.”

Excuse me?

I paused in confusion for a moment, then barely squeezed out my voice to ask again.

“…Does the CEO also conduct kindergarten interviews?”

A company CEO conducts interviews not for employees but for kindergarten teachers under his subsidiary?

“No, people who apply after seeing the regular teacher recruitment notice go through internal screening and then have a simple interview with the director.”

The answer to my question came not from Baek Cheonhyeong but from the attendant beside him.

Come to think of it, wait, then this person is something like Baek Cheonhyeong’s executive secretary.

My head was spinning from this meeting with more important figures than I had expected.

“However, since the CEO’s younger brother, young master Baek Cheonji, is in the 7-year-old Dolphin Class that Ms. Hwiyeon applied for, we proceeded this way.”

“Ah.”

I put my half-raised bottom back down on the chair and straightened my posture.

…Now I understand a bit.

So the current situation isn’t about approaching with hidden sinister intentions, nor is it a situation that arose to give special treatment…

…It’s simply the appearance of an older brother concerned about his blood relative’s welfare?

“Well, that’s enough now. You’re hired. Please come to work starting tomorrow.”

While I was briefly lost in thought, Baek Cheonhyeong announced my acceptance. The resume with my plain face that he put down with a thud quickly snapped me out of my daze.

“What? Hired? Just like that, so suddenly?”

“Yes, hired. Just like that, in one go.”

“Why, why?”

…Not rejected? That word that made my mind dizzy caused my speech to falter.

“Obviously because I like the conditions.”

“Uh…”

Good, this is too good.

“Do you dislike it?”

No, no. There’s no way. But it’s too strange.

“No. I don’t dislike it. However, we haven’t discussed salary yet, and I have some questions…”

I tried to calm my excited heart from receiving my first acceptance and pulled myself together.

I need to get my head straight. After the interviewer’s identity, what I was most curious about was definitely the money.

‘Can’t forget about the money.’

The average monthly salary for new kindergarten teachers was between 1.5 to 2.3 million won.

Considering that Ocean Kindergarten was under a private company, they’d probably pay around 2 million won per month.

Honestly, even that wasn’t bad for a newcomer, but it wasn’t enough to endure black company-level work intensity.

‘There must be a reason why the job posting was so brutal.’

“First, the monthly salary is set at five hundred. It will be paid differentially based on the class composition and number of students, which will be written on your monthly pay stub. Any other questions?”

Right, five hundred sounds about right…

…Wait, what?

Five hundred?

Not three hundred or four hundred.

“Five hundred??”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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