Hunter Kindergarten, Dolphin Class! - Chapter 142

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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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Chapter 142

 

The afternoon of the day the company sports festival ended.

 

“The payment is guaranteed, right?”

 

“Oh my, hyung’s worrying is also fate. I’ve confirmed it several times. They said they’ll handle all the aftermath themselves, so just handle the job properly. Of course, they said they’ll pay us properly too.”

 

“Right… If we really get caught doing this—”

 

“Um… Mister, when will we arrive at my home?”

 

Listening to the two adults’ conversation, Baek Cheonji, who had been sitting properly in the back seat, raised one hand and asked.

 

‘My real home should come up if we go just a little further?’

 

This was a question he had asked after quite a long time of thinking and holding back.

 

At Baek Cheonji’s surprise question, the heads of the two people in the front seats turned around in unison.

 

And they looked the child up and down as if looking at a burden.

 

“We’ll be there soon.”

 

“Young master, we’ll arrive if you wait just a little longer~”

 

“…”

 

It felt strangely unpleasant, but Baek Cheonji kept his mouth tightly shut.

 

The scenery visible outside the window was already not the appearance of the city he knew.

 

‘There are many trees, but no buildings.’

 

Baek Cheonji quietly stared at the man in the passenger seat.

 

A man with glasses wearing light blue gym clothes.

 

‘He said he’d take me home… but it doesn’t seem like it.’

 

Originally, after the sports festival ended, he should have returned home with his hyung, but the plan went awry.

 

The reason was… well, his hyung suddenly said something came up and disappeared first without saying anything.

 

Just like always.

 

‘Hyung has never kept a promise he made with me.’

 

Baek Cheonji hated his hyung these days.

 

So unlike before, he didn’t talk to him, and even when he did, he wasn’t very affectionate.

 

—”…Rice.”

 

—”I ate.”

 

If asked to clearly point out the reason he came to hate his hyung, it would be hard to say.

 

However, he vaguely knew what point was the beginning of that emotion.

 

Ever since that time when he ran through the company hallway with his friends.

 

And ever since he talked back to his hyung for the first time.

 

—”Why, why?! Why are you getting angry at Teacher?! Teacher fought to protect us earlier and that’s why he’s having a hard time now!”

 

—”Where do you get off talking back to me.”

 

—”But hyung, you’re talking back right now too…”

 

‘But that was hyung’s fault.’

 

When his hyung tried to scold the teacher who had protected his friends and himself from a suspicious person (specifically an industrial spy), Baek Cheonji got angry.

 

It felt like strange emotions were swirling in his chest.

 

It was like having cool waves and boiling lava together.

 

After experiencing the small act of rebellion of ‘running through the hallway with friends’ that day, Baek Cheonji experienced emotions he had never felt before.

 

A sense of liberation from the rules and manners that had been suffocating him unknowingly, along with a rebellious spirit that rose up…

 

And that emotion wasn’t temporary, but continued for quite a while.

 

Perhaps even until now.

 

It was the first rebellious phase to come to Baek Cheonji, who used to listen to everything his parents and hyung said without question.

 

‘Hyung rarely comes home!’

 

‘He just says he’s busy every day!’

 

‘When I, when I say I want to play, he pretends not to hear and leaves!’

 

And also…

 

—”…You.”

 

—”I’ll get it right next time.”

 

‘He must have been disappointed…’

 

Suddenly, the memory came back.

 

The last course of the obstacle race.

 

As if it were natural, his hyung said he would get the problem right, but Baek Cheonji ended up getting it wrong.

 

When he recalled his hyung’s disappointed face at that moment, sadness rushed over him like a tide.

 

‘Hyung must have been disappointed in me… Maybe now he dislikes me because I seem stupid.’

 

It was a natural flow befitting a 7-year-old child.

 

Crying after getting angry.

 

However, when the child who had been well-behaved until just now suddenly burst into tears, the adults in the front seats were flustered.

 

“Huh, huh? What’s this about? Why is this kid suddenly crying?”

 

“Y-Young master! We’ll arrive soon, so why are you suddenly like this? Are you crying because you miss your mom?”

 

“…”

 

He kept thinking about his hyung who hadn’t paid any attention to him throughout the sports festival.

 

He seemed busy and only talked with other adults, and only Secretary hyung was by Baek Cheonji’s side.

 

‘Other friends were playing with their families… Only I.’

 

Normally, he would have hidden his emotions and waited for such a hyung maturely, but Baek Cheonji didn’t want to do that today.

 

Words slipped out without him knowing.

 

He ended up acting on his own without realizing it.

 

So, in the end…

 

When the sports festival ended and crowds rushed to the entrance all at once.

 

His hyung disappeared somewhere again, and only Secretary hyung remained to stay by his side.

 

But then.

 

—Young master, could you sit here and wait for a moment? The driver is coming here now, but it seems there’s some problem with the car. I’ll go check quickly and come back.

 

He didn’t like waiting, but he said okay this time too.

 

However, to the words of a stranger who suddenly approached…

 

—”Young master? Ah, the secretary said he has a car waiting outside right now. Please come with me.”

 

—”Secretary hyung?”

 

—”Yes, hurry.”

 

‘I said okay.’

 

Hyung had said to never follow adults he didn’t know.

 

He broke that rule.

 

This was closer to not being able to refuse the pushy adult’s words rather than rebelliousness…

 

Moreover, the adult who suddenly approached seemed to be telling the truth about being a BOND employee, as he was properly dressed.

 

Even to 7-year-old eyes, he looked no different from the adults around.

 

So he followed without suspicion…

 

Anyway, it was definitely true that this happened because he disobeyed his hyung’s words.

 

‘It’s my fault.’

 

Quick-witted Baek Cheonji realized immediately.

 

That the situation he was in wasn’t good.

 

Strange adults.

 

Strange scenery.

 

Strange conversation.

 

“Still, he won’t go crazy just because his half-brother died.”

 

“This kid is 7 years old… It’s only been 7 years. How attached could he be? Still, they’re family in name, so if he finds out we touched him, he probably won’t see a good end. We absolutely can’t get caught.”

 

“Right, that side would be too busy to take care of his remarried father’s son. He’s an S-rank CEO after all.”

 

“Yes yes, well, and we won’t directly kill… handle it ourselves.”

 

The car headed deeper and deeper.

 

The more it did, the more trees grew thick outside the window and the sky became darker.

 

Baek Cheonji, who realized the seriousness of the situation, quietly swallowed his tears instead of crying and making a fuss.

 

‘Hyung said to be quiet when with adults I don’t know.’

 

After traveling like that for a long time, when he finally got out of the car.

 

He found himself standing in front of a beautiful circular light deep in the mountains.

 

“Put him in.”

 

“Farewell, young master.”

 

And then, he was thrown into that circular light.

 

***

 

“Cheonji has gone missing.”

 

Baek Cheonhyeong saying those words looked strangely calm.

 

However, there was a subtle tremor felt in his tone.

 

‘This is no ordinary matter.’

 

I immediately let him inside.

 

Inside the kindergarten where everyone had left after work.

 

‘It was good that I decided to lock up and leave today, just in case.’

 

I brought Baek Cheonhyeong to the First Floor Faculty Lounge and poured cold water into a cup for him.

 

He mechanically drank the cold water he received, then quietly set down the empty cup… and finally opened his mouth.

 

‘He seems to have gathered himself a bit.’

 

He looked noticeably calmer and more composed than before.

 

“Cheonji has gone missing. Since yesterday, after the company sports festival ended.”

 

“…Ah.”

 

This is the worst.

 

Regret wets my toes.

 

The moment when what I hoped wouldn’t happen became reality.

 

I felt my heart dropping to the floor and gritted my teeth.

 

‘I should have looked more carefully.’

 

‘I should have gotten out and checked.’

 

However, I couldn’t voice these words.

 

Apart from the fact that such words were useless, they weren’t appropriate to say in front of a guardian.

 

‘I need to stay calm at least.’

 

I steeled my mind like that.

 

Here, regardless of Baek Cheonhyeong, I absolutely cannot lose my pace.

 

I deliberately continued speaking as if nothing was wrong.

 

“I see. Did you report it to the police?”

 

“…No, not yet. And I have no intention of reporting to the police.”

 

“Is there a particular reason?”

 

“Well, because he’d become prey.”

 

“…”

 

“If word gets to the police that my younger brother has gone missing, then… yes, a search would begin. But all sorts of unnecessary attention would be drawn too.”

 

…That’s true.

 

Baek Cheonhyeong isn’t the only heir to BOND.

 

Baek Cheonji.

 

Though he’s pushed far back in that hierarchy due to his young age of 7, the fact remains that he’s the closest heir after Baek Cheonhyeong.

 

And, the thing is.

 

Actually, Baek Cheonhyeong had thoughts of passing the CEO position to Baek Cheonji.

 

No, he was quite inclined to do so.

 

‘I said something about that during counseling.’

 

-“Cheonji is a child who will have to inherit BOND when he becomes an adult. In advance, learning how to live each day with a sense of purpose…”

 

-“Oh? Did Cheonji say he wants to inherit the company?”

 

Anyway, another heir to the Republic of Korea’s top hunter company going missing likely wouldn’t end with just a typical child disappearance case.

 

Probably, if a full investigation began, media exposure would have limits no matter how much they tried to prevent it.

 

“The moment there’s media exposure, the chances of finding the child actually decrease. All sorts of scumbags would swarm in.”

 

“…”

 

Baek Cheonhyeong seemed to want to block such risks at the source.

 

‘And he probably feels he doesn’t particularly need police help either.’

 

He’s probably confident he can find him without any help from the police.

 

He’s someone with the actual capability to do so.

 

But seeing that he came to me… clearly, even after using every method, things aren’t proceeding as he wants…

 

I roughly anticipated the situation and opened my mouth.

 

“I took a taxi right after the company sports festival ended. The time was roughly around 5:40… Since I checked while in the taxi I’m not certain, but it was a man wearing light blue sportswear with an employee ID hanging around his neck. Oh, he was also wearing glasses.”

 

“…”

 

“The man who took Cheonji, I mean.”

 

Now I drank the cold water.

 

My insides are burning.

 

‘He probably came here to ask about this anyway.’

 

He would have naturally checked all the CCTV, and would have already finished questioning employees who were nearby when Cheonji disappeared.

 

‘The reason he couldn’t question all employees… he’s probably holding off worried that word might leak out.’

 

After hearing my words, Baek Cheonhyeong sat in his chair and roughly ran both hands through his hair.

 

I kept my gaze on him and continued speaking.

 

“The car was the same as the vehicle Cheonji used for going to and from kindergarten. The license plate… I couldn’t check it. I’m sorry. That’s my oversight.”

 

And I bowed my waist.

 

‘Damn it.’

 

Just because the vehicle was the same didn’t mean suspicions were cleared.

 

A situation where it wouldn’t be strange for Baek Cheonhyeong to curse at me.

 

However, the voice that quietly rang above my head was concise.

 

“It’s fine, that’s the most helpful thing I’ve heard so far.”

 

I raised my head.

 

He had a face lost in thought, as if studying the information he barely managed to grasp despite his confused eyes.

 

But then, he slowly sank down again.

 

‘This level of information would have already been caught on CCTV anyway.’

 

It was probably just confirming the time information verbally.

 

Tap.

 

Tap tap.

 

Baek Cheonhyeong’s index finger tapping the table gets faster and faster.

 

I watched it quietly, then just before his index finger hit the table again.

 

I said to him.

 

“Do you have time right now?”

 

“…”

 

“If you do, let’s go somewhere with me right now.”

 

Actually, I had a place in mind where Cheonji might have disappeared to.

 

Tap.

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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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