Hunter Kindergarten, Dolphin Class! - Chapter 13

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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 013

 

 

 

 

 

“…!”

 

Next to Lee Seo-hyeok’s head as our eyes meet, the number 63% flickers with a red light.

 

What the hell is this.

 

From the moment I learned about the Status Window’s existence, there was something I had desperately tried to ignore.

 

That was… an ability I couldn’t even dare to use, even in urgent situations.

 

 

…!

 

Without even a moment to panic, a black line is instantly drawn across the text. Then the screen begins to crack like a screen filled with noise.

 

-Bzzt.

 

-Bzzt… click.

 

And finally, a normal screen appears again.

 

Noticeably changed.

 

 

***

 

At the time when Na Hwi-yeon and the twins were having their tearful reunion at the emergency center.

 

Meanwhile, Seal Class homeroom teacher Kwon Hae-seong was frozen solid with bewilderment.

 

“Today’s snack is sweet potato? I don’t like sweet potatoes~”

 

“Noah, sweet potatoes are really grateful crops. They’re delicious fried, delicious baked. And they’re delicious boiled too.”

 

“Really? Then, Nam Tae-jae, you eat lots of them!”

 

“Noah, sit up straight and eat. You’re spilling all your milk.”

 

…Surprisingly, it wasn’t him but his classmate Nam Tae-jae who was soothing Noah, who was complaining about not wanting to eat snacks.

 

“Ahhh~ Seal Teacher~ Tae-jae keeps nagging me!”

 

“You’re spilling everything. Wipe it with tissue.”

 

…Actually, Kwon Hae-seong found the Dolphin Class children difficult.

 

Won-gang and Da-yeong from his own class were gentle and calm.

 

If left alone, they would play by themselves, never complained about side dishes once, and were quiet and reserved.

 

In contrast, the Dolphin Class children… to put it nicely, they overflowed with personality, and to put it differently, they weren’t easy to care for.

 

‘Difficult.’

 

Kwon Hae-seong looked at Noah, who had flopped down next to the snack tray, and spoke with difficulty.

 

“No, Noah… You need to sit up and eat. And if you don’t want to eat sweet potato, you don’t have to eat more.”

 

“Huh? Then you should have told me earlier! I almost finished eating it all?”

 

“….”

 

Difficult. Too difficult.

 

“Teacher, don’t be too sad. Noah is rude to everyone.”

 

Tae-jae, who had somehow cleaned his tray completely, patted his back.

 

Somehow I feel like I’m being pitied…

 

“But Teacher, aren’t you eating your sweet potato? Then, can I eat it?”

 

“…Sure.”

 

Kwon Hae-seong looked bitterly at his sweet potato in Tae-jae’s hands.

 

‘Isn’t that his fifth one? He’s going to get a stomachache.’

 

Suddenly he missed Na Hwi-yeon. If it were that person, he wouldn’t have been floundering like this.

 

Though it was a short time, from what he observed, Na Hwi-yeon was so skilled at caring for children that it was hard to believe he was a newcomer.

 

Rather than something learned, it seemed like composure that came from experience.

 

‘Did he do related work before?’

 

Just in case, he had tried to bring it up in conversation, but the timing was off so he couldn’t ask.

 

Kwon Hae-seong looked at the Yellow Notebook clutched in his hand and let out a sigh.

 

-Knock knock.

 

“Teacher Hae-seong, are you busy?”

 

“…?”

 

Sa-gwa?

 

Kang Sa-gwa was standing in front of Seal Class holding coffee.

 

He confirmed that Won-gang and Da-yeong were still eating their snacks and got up from his seat.

 

“No… I was just giving the kids their snacks.”

 

“Oh, really? I bought coffee… What about Teacher Na Hwi-yeon? Weren’t you two together?”

 

As she handed him the coffee and looked for Hwiyeon, he couldn’t help but let out a small sigh.

 

‘That’s right…’

 

After comforting the twins who were on the verge of tears, he had suddenly run toward the main building.

 

He thought he would just briefly comfort them and come back.

 

Kwon Hae-seong briefly explained to Kang Sa-gwa what had happened earlier.

 

Just about the medical call broadcast from the field team that happened occasionally, and that this time it happened to be the team that the twins’ brother Lee Seo-hyeok belonged to.

 

“So that’s why the twins aren’t here either?”

 

“Yeah. I think they probably went to the emergency center…”

 

When he carefully thought back on the situation, he couldn’t help but have many thoughts.

 

‘Would it really be easy to immediately check on someone just because a child is worried?’

 

No, it would be bothersome. Tiring and troublesome.

 

And what if an action done with good intentions caused an unexpected reaction?

 

These kinds of things happened more often than expected.

 

…Kwon Hae-seong wanted to forget but couldn’t quite forget the past as he mulled it over, then shook his head.

 

‘Don’t think about it. That’s why I came out here.’

 

“Do you think the twins’ guardian will be okay?”

 

Kang Sa-gwa looked toward the company building with a worried expression.

 

Actually, as long as they didn’t die instantly in the field, most would recover without major injuries.

 

It was safe to say that all the famous healing Awakeners and recovery Awakeners in Korea belonged to BOND.

 

This was the result of Baek Cheonhyeong aggressively recruiting them while taking all kinds of abuse.

 

‘…So Lee Seo-hyeok will be fine with 99% probability.’

 

“He’ll be fine…”

 

“I hope so.”

 

But Kang Sa-gwa, who had no way of knowing this fact, seemed to think that Kwon Hae-seong was also expressing worry.

 

“This is kind of random, but don’t you think they’re similar?”

 

“What is?”

 

“Sister Jin-chae and Teacher Hwiyeon. Don’t you think they have a similar feeling?”

 

…Suddenly? Despite the random opening, Kwon Hae-seong thought about Kang Sa-gwa’s question.

 

Yu Jin-chae and Na Hwi-yeon.

 

Come to think of it… they did seem somewhat similar.

 

He couldn’t explain it clearly, but he couldn’t deny that both seemed to have bulldozer-like temperaments.

 

Honestly, to talk about it now, when Na Hwi-yeon jumped out of that fire pit alone and grabbed people one by one to ask questions…

 

 

He thought he was crazy.

 

And seeing him listen to the Principal’s nagging with a perfectly fine expression even though blood was seeping from his hands left him completely speechless.

 

…As it turned out, he had bruised ribs and first-degree burns on both arms.

 

Looking at it now, that amazingly calm demeanor and the bright smile that contrasted with it resembled someone else to an overlapping degree.

 

“I think so too…”

 

“Right? I can’t pinpoint exactly what it is, but they’re mysteriously similar.”

 

“Their smiles seem similar too.”

 

“Ah, ah that’s right. Their smiles are similar too.”

 

A neat, kind-looking smile.

 

While Yu Jin-chae’s learned responses might seem mechanical to a perceptive observer, Na Hwi-yeon was different.

 

…That smile that seemed benevolent and even enlightened at first glance.

 

‘When you look at it, words just won’t come out.’

 

It meant that whatever you were about to say would just get stuck in your throat.

 

Kwon Hae-seong could easily picture Na Hwi-yeon’s smiling face.

 

‘Should I practice smiling too?’

 

No matter how he thought about it, one of the virtues of a kindergarten teacher seemed to be benevolent charisma.

 

There seemed to be a lot to learn.

 

“Still, after seeing today, I’m certain. We absolutely have to keep Teacher Hwiyeon.”

 

Kang Sa-gwa extended her fist determinedly with the hand that wasn’t holding coffee.

 

…Even as he awkwardly bumped fists with her, Kwon Hae-seong had no intention of disagreeing with her opinion.

 

He might not know about other things, but he completely agreed with this statement.

 

‘People like that aren’t easy to find.’

 

Kang Sa-gwa and Kwon Hae-seong let down their guard about Na Hwi-yeon at a frighteningly fast pace.

 

And for good reason – after dealing with so many terrible people until now, meeting Na Hwi-yeon made him seem like an angel.

 

Getting things done efficiently, a newcomer who seemed more professional than themselves. Plus that hands-on mentality.

 

Wasn’t he truly a blessing that had rolled in on his own feet?

 

This kind of thing becomes obvious after just one day of observation.

 

But then…

 

“How do we keep him…?”

 

There was no method.

 

All the teachers who had quit Dolphin Class so far couldn’t be retained no matter what they tried.

 

Salary increases, flexible work arrangements, additional benefits, extra vacation and annual leave.

 

…None of this had been effective.

 

Moreover, Na Hwi-yeon had experienced a major incident on his very first day…!

 

“Don’t tell me he already said he’s quitting?”

 

“No, no…”

 

“Really?”

 

“…Actually, I don’t really know. He hasn’t said anything like that. Just seeing him continue to come to work, maybe he doesn’t have thoughts of quitting…?”

 

There were no signs. Nothing suggesting he looked tired or wanted to run away.

 

Rather, he was often – no, every time he saw him, he was smiling…

 

Kwon Hae-seong had never once seen Na Hwi-yeon with a serious expression.

 

Even then, he had only seen him looking tired or slightly annoyed. Other than that, Na Hwi-yeon’s default setting was… a smile.

 

“Besides, every time I see him, he’s walking around with a smile…”

 

But since he couldn’t be certain, Kwon Hae-seong lacked confidence.

 

“Oppa, those kinds of people are the scariest! Rather than someone who gets angry every day, it’s the person who quietly walks around smiling who suddenly submits their resignation and disappears completely one day??”

 

“R-really?”

 

Then, that can’t happen.

 

A person who quietly walks around smiling – that’s totally Na Hwi-yeon.

 

Then, the reason Teacher Na Hwi-yeon had been walking around smiling like an enlightened monk was perhaps…!

 

“Sa-gwa, what do we do. It looks like Teacher Hwiyeon is going to quit…!”

 

“What? Really? What are we going to do?”

 

***

 

 

Don’t you dare laugh, you bastard.

 

Did you think I wouldn’t know? That Status Window thing I arbitrarily call – it specifically adds that grinning emoticon to the end of its messages whenever I’m feeling unpleasant.

 

😀

 

I was angry enough to go crazy, but conversely, I felt like death. Cold sweat was flowing and I felt dizzy.

 

“…”

 

I didn’t even touch the earring side.

 

In case that bizarre inactive Status Window might try to find some ‘target’ that meets those ‘conditions’ on its own!

 

And normally…

 

 

…a three-stage format message like this should have appeared consecutively for it to be normal.

 

And I should have just kept shouting ‘No.’ like I always did.

 

But the thing is.

 

 

 

 

…Oh my god.

 

“Are you alright?”

 

I could see Lee Seo-hyeok fidgeting restlessly as he observed my pale complexion.

 

I raised my head and fixed my gaze on the number 63 floating next to Lee Seo-hyeok’s innocent face.

 

…Now that I know that’s a favorability rating, honestly, it makes my stomach churn even more.

 

Having a favorability rating attached to some guy, it instinctively makes me feel repulsed…

 

Just then, another notification rang out that snapped me back to my senses.

 

-Ding!

 

 

No, this won’t do. Let’s fight.

 

I glared at the Status Window spouting nonsense and clenched both my fists tightly.

 

I couldn’t let my thick ethical standards be destroyed by this paper-thin hologram.

 

“Where do you feel unwell?”

 

Seeing me suddenly breathing heavily, the flustered Lee Seo-hyeok waved his hand lightly as I struggled to pull up the corners of my mouth.

 

“I’m fine.”

 

I’m so pissed off I can’t even breathe properly.

 

“Should we go to the emergency center? You look really unwell.”

 

Stress-induced illness isn’t something the emergency center can fix.

 

-Ding!

 

 

…Fuck, seriously.

 

Give back Lee Seo-hyeok’s human rights. And compensate me for my mental damage too.

 

But the Status Window doesn’t even pretend to listen.

 

 

 

 

“…!”

 

I almost bit my tongue.

 

Has it really gone crazy.

 

I didn’t expect it to excavate the dark history I was planning to take to my grave.

 

All kinds of curses erupted from within me.

 

If only Lee Seo-hyeok wasn’t here, I would have thrown punches at the Status Window.

 

Kang Ji-hyeok.

 

The person who became the reason I started avoiding that insane Status Window.

 

It was only about a month after I received my Awakener assessment.

 

I ended up having a light drinking session with Ji-hyeok, a high school classmate. And at that gathering, Ji-hyeok, like a senior Awakener, carefully taught me how to use abilities.

 

 

The problem was…

 

Contrary to our resolution, we didn’t drink lightly. And because of that, we were in a state of complete intoxication where normal thinking was impossible.

 

…Moreover, I had no idea my ability could delete someone’s human rights like this.

 

‘It’s supposed to be Tamer!!’

 

That day was no different from a scene of human rights deletion.

 

 

Yeah, you crazy bastard.

 

When I sobered up and remembered this insane behavior the next day, I wanted to die from guilt.

 

‘How fortunate that Ji-hyeok doesn’t remember what happened that day.’

 

I would have had nothing to say if he sued me for human rights violations.

 

And from that day on, I decided to seal away this ability myself.

 

After that, I tried to live normally as a D-rank Tamer should…

 

‘It was quiet for several years, wasn’t it?’

 

“Teacher? Do you feel like you might collapse?”

 

Lee Seo-hyeok asks, ready to drag me into the emergency center.

 

I quickly shook my head as the returning nightmare and the nauseating thought of Seo-hyeok’s human rights deletion show came to mind.

 

“No. I was just… feeling a bit dizzy. I’m fine now.”

 

I staggered for a moment like someone with anemia, then grabbed the Wall and barely managed to stand up.

 

…Whatever the case, let’s get out of here quickly.

—————
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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