Hunter Kindergarten, Dolphin Class! - Chapter 15

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

Episode 015

 

The characteristic hustle and bustle of morning filled the classroom.

 

Since it was the day of the field trip, the children’s excited energy seemed particularly intense, making me feel like I was floating too.

 

However, unlike the children who could simply enjoy themselves, there was the difference that I was frantically busy.

 

‘There’s a lot to prepare.’

 

I had come to work early in the morning to check the supplies I had prepared in advance from the Storage Room and organize the detailed schedule again.

 

It was only after thoroughly reading even the precautions written in the Notice Book that I finally had a moment to catch my breath.

 

As I was straightening my bent back and stretching my legs, the kindergarten door opened at that moment.

 

“Hello.”

 

The door opened wide, and with confident steps, a child who reminded me of someone appeared.

 

Baek Cheonhyeong?

 

“Cheonji!!”

 

“Baek Cheonji.”

 

“Cheonji, was your trip fun?”

 

“Yep! Cheonji! Baekji! Baekmanji!”

 

There was no welcome like this welcome. The children who surrounded Cheonji while jumping around were busy chattering.

 

It reminded me of the scene of welcoming a father coming home with chicken after work.

 

‘It’s Cheonji!’

 

Having belatedly realized the child’s identity, I missed the timing to join in, unlike usual.

 

So instead of rushing over and breaking the mood, I decided to watch that heartwarming scene for a moment.

 

“Cheonji! What did you do and play in Switzerland?”

 

“Hey, Baek Cheonji! You know we’re going on a field trip today, right?”

 

Cheonji was so busy answering what Seo-ra and Noah were saying that he couldn’t even put down his bag. Instead, Seo-ro took off Cheonji’s bag and coat, and Tae-jae took them and carefully put them in the drawer.

 

“Was it fun?”

 

“Yes! I even saw an incredibly huge mountain called Grindelwald!”

 

“Gretelwald? Wow, even the mountain name is really unique!”

 

“Noah, it’s not Gretelwald, it’s Grindelwald.”

 

“Right, Nam Tae-jae! You’re smart!”

 

Their personalities really show.

 

“I have something to show you.”

 

Then, as the Swiss Animal Dolls that Cheonji had brought became a new topic of conversation, the atmosphere that was about to cool down blazed up again.

 

‘Oh, it looks expensive at first glance.’

 

The doll in Cheonji’s hand was in the shape of an animal with fluffy fur.

 

Was that doll that filled his small hand completely 100% handmade?

 

The fine, gently swaying fur and the eyes that were perfectly embedded maximized the doll’s characteristic loveliness.

 

“Mom bought it for me at a Handmade Doll Workshop. She even attached a hook so I can hang it on my bag.”

 

I felt a strange sense of showing off in Cheonji’s gentle tone and subtle smile.

 

I stroked my chin and offered a brief impression.

 

‘The brothers really look alike.’

 

The doll in Cheonji’s hand began to pass through each of the children’s hands one by one. Each time, sincere admiration burst out.

 

“Wow, it’s pretty!”

 

“It’s cute.”

 

“So cute!”

 

“I also have a ‘Good Night Green Onion Doll’ at home, should I show it to you later?”

 

Since the reaction was good, Cheonji, who was introducing it, also looked excited.

 

When Cheonji said excitedly that he had more to show, Tae-jae, who had been watching that scene intently, clapped his hands and ran off somewhere.

 

Tae-jae brought the yellow bag he had just put in the drawer and handed it to Cheonji.

 

“Here, you found your bag, right?”

 

“Thank you, Tae-jae.”

 

I quietly admired the child’s sense that couldn’t be seen among peers.

 

Inferring what someone needs from just the situation and conversation and bringing it to them is an area of consideration that even adults sometimes miss.

 

…That’s quite surprising.

 

He seems to have more sense than that big guy from the class next door.

 

“Here, these are for you guys! I bought them at the workshop along with mine.”

 

Dolls came pouring out one after another from the bag Tae-jae handed over. Each doll had a round wire loop attached to its head.

 

And each loop had Name Tags written by hand, showing the care that went into making them.

 

However, there was an unexpectedly funny point here…

 

It was how the children found their own dolls like ghosts.

 

“This one’s Tae-jae’s, and this one… is Noah’s.”

 

“This one’s mine!”

 

“Then this must be mine.”

 

I also became a bit curious and peeked over the kids’ shoulders to find out.

 

“…Oh.”

 

I couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.

 

The dolls all look alike.

 

Looking at the animal dolls, each one subtly resembled the children’s appearances.

 

The twins had Black Cat Dolls.

 

Noah had a Yellow Lizard Doll.

 

Tae-jae had a White Maltese Doll.

 

Cheonji had… a Wolf Pup Doll?

 

The English names were written in elegant handwriting, so I thought they might not be able to find them.

 

‘That was an unnecessary worry.’

 

They were all staring at their dolls as if holding mirrors, and I kept chuckling at the sight.

 

“I love it so much! My mom told me that even if you receive just one bean, you should bow deeply!”

 

Then Noah immediately said ‘Thank you!’ and bowed 90 degrees.

 

“Oh! Really? Thank you too!”

 

“Thank you.”

 

“Cheonji, I’ll treasure it. Thank you.”

 

The remaining children all said a word each and folded their waists like flip phones.

 

The children’s foreheads were about to touch the floor that the recovery team had made like new.

 

Somehow… the picture looks a bit strange.

 

It’s definitely a nice situation, but…

 

With four children bowing their waists around a chuckling Cheonji… it reminds me of scenes I’ve seen a lot in noir movies.

 

“This is for Teacher.”

 

“…!”

 

I reflexively caught a doll that suddenly appeared in front of me.

 

“…Oh, thank you.”

 

To receive a gift before we’ve even properly introduced ourselves.

 

Soft. The texture of the doll in my hand felt wonderful. Holding it even gave me the illusion that my mind and body were being calmed.

 

Mine has ‘to. teacher’ written on it.

 

“My brother told me to give this to you.”

 

“Your brother?”

 

I was internally shocked at the word ‘brother’ and received what Cheonji handed me next.

 

A Yellow Note folded four times.

 

Baek Cheonhyeong gave this?

 

The fact that he gave a Yellow Note instead of an envelope or document folder made me quite uneasy.

 

I just hoped it wasn’t a repair bill for the completely burned Dolphin Class.

 

I opened the note right there to check its contents.

 

Fortunately, unlike my worries, it wasn’t a repair bill. However, it was completely unexpected content.

 

[ You seem to have had a hard time, so I’m sending a small gift. I’m sending this to other teachers as well as a bonus, so you don’t need to feel burdened. Please check your account. ]

 

-Ding!

 

“…!”

 

Goosebumps ran down my spine.

 

The notification had come from my Personal Phone, not my Work Phone.

 

And it happened right as I unfolded the note.

 

Gulp. I swallowed and accessed the banking app installed on my phone.

 

[ JN Banking ]

-Hundred : 3,140,000 won [Deposit]

 

After a few seconds of loading screen, my balance appeared along with the latest deposit record.

 

How many zeros are there…?

 

‘Thirty?’

 

No, it’s three hundred.

 

“….”

 

I forgot about trying to stop the children who were bowing in embarrassment and quietly took a seat next to them.

 

“Teacher, did you also get something from Cheonji?”

 

I met Tae-jae’s black eyes through the gap between their bent backs as they knelt.

 

He couldn’t have been more serious.

 

“Yes, Teacher received what I like most.”

 

Suddenly the world looks beautiful.

 

***

 

“I’ll announce the schedule.”

 

As a new teacher, I had to take care of all the small tasks.

 

From organizing the Storage Room to prepare necessary supplies before starting the field trip in earnest, to all sorts of miscellaneous duties.

 

And among those tasks was announcing the field trip schedule.

 

-Departure at 10 AM.

-10:30 AM, commemorative photo session.

 

“Lunch is at twelve o’clock.”

 

It was fortunate I found out the day before, because if I had learned about the field trip this morning, I would have spent an hour just wiping away tears.

 

‘Since we prepared so hastily due to the tight schedule, there’s bound to be something we missed.’

 

This is why major events like this should be planned in advance at the end or beginning of the year, with about a month’s gap for adjustments.

 

‘But there’s nothing I can do since I was brought in midway.’

 

Kwon Hae-seong seemed to think I already knew, so I couldn’t say anything about it.

 

Suppressing my complicated feelings, I read through the schedule paper to the end.

 

“…That concludes the announcement.”

 

There didn’t seem to be any particular points that required special attention.

 

Except for a few locations that made me doubt whether it was okay to take children there…. It was at a reasonable level.

 

“Now, now, since the people who helped with our field trip are here too, we should take a commemorative photo~”

 

As soon as the schedule announcement ended, the Principal appeared like a ghost and spoke warmly with a thick-skinned face.

 

‘So that’s why they scheduled the commemorative photo at the beginning?’

 

Just then, people wearing expensive business suits approached with awkward faces, naturally joining our group.

 

“Those are the Board Members.”

 

“The Director is here too~”

 

I see. The higher-ups had come to stick their faces in the photo, claiming a tiny stake in this field trip.

 

‘I think they said they spent about 150,000 won on snacks.’

 

It was absurd that ten people pooled together 150,000 won and showed up like this, but I decided to smile for now.

 

 

Using the greetings from the higher-ups as background music, I unfolded the Banner I had brought from the Storage Room.

 

[ Ocean Kindergarten under BOND, Headquarters Field Trip Visit ]

 

Even when I was taking it from the Storage Room, I could tell it was a Banner that showed signs of age.

 

‘Is this a rerun?’

 

Regardless of my thoughts, the others were happily holding the Banner and lining up in front of the Camera. Soon they were looking at the Camera with kind and bright smiles.

 

However, even though this would have been perfectly sufficient, there were always people who felt compelled to take unnecessary actions beyond what was needed.

 

Like this.

 

“Mister! You’re making me uncomfortable!”

 

The man who had pretentiously placed his hand on Noah’s shoulder was startled by the child’s outcry and coughed awkwardly in embarrassment.

 

“S-sorry. Ahem. Cough.”

 

Pathetic.

 

“Isn’t he pathetic?”

 

For the record, I wasn’t the one who said this.

 

Park I-deun whispered in my ear with a mischievous smile. I subtly agreed and used Ventriloquism.

 

“Teacher, smile. Otherwise, it’ll be obvious.”

 

“I know. I know. 150,000 won for snacks~ Cheese~”

 

This guy’s pretty funny.

 

The skill of making sarcastic remarks just loud enough for only the nearby Board of Directors to hear wasn’t something you developed overnight.

 

‘Well, if they know it’s embarrassing, they can’t really say anything about it.’

 

 

“It’s quite embarrassing to ask for favors like this every time~”

 

“Oh, please don’t say that. I make my living thanks to you, Director!”

 

After safely taking a few photos and exchanging formal pleasantries disguised as friendly conversation, the Board of Directors and Principal left.

 

They looked ready to have a company dinner in broad daylight.

 

After they disappeared having only taken some photos, only the teachers with bitter smiles and the oblivious children remained.

 

Yeah, it’s better when they’re not here.

 

 

We entered the main building as scheduled to proceed with the field study itinerary under Yu Jin-chae’s guidance.

 

“Teacher, where are we going?”

 

“We’re going to the Research Department on the 4th Floor.”

 

11 o’clock. We boarded the Elevator for our second scheduled activity: visiting the Research Department.

 

 

The mention of the Research Department brought back Kang Sa-gwa’s advice that I had forgotten, but I quickly dismissed it.

 

Maybe it would be different if I asked an expert.

 

…But honestly, I don’t have high expectations.

 

I’d tried similar approaches before, but hadn’t gained much from them.

 

‘Well, if the opportunity arises, I could try asking casually.’

 

Just as I finished that thought, the Elevator stopped at the 4th Floor.

 

Through the open doors, an utterly ordinary Office Space was revealed under the Fluorescent Light.

 

Occasionally, busy office workers would pass by, glancing at us indifferently.

 

It was a rather mundane scene for what I’d imagined a Hunter Company would be like.

 

Just as I was thinking that even the top Hunter Company wasn’t much different from any other company…

 

“…There are lots of weird people in the research team too. Be careful…”

 

Kwon Hae-seong’s ominous warning cut through.

 

First the assignment department, now the Research Department too.

 

So does that mean this company is a den of crazy people?

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