Hunter Kindergarten, Dolphin Class! - Chapter 164

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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 164

 

Hunter Kindergarten Dolphin Class! Chapter 164

 

Just a few hours before the [ Children’s Counseling Center ] was to be held.

 

BOND Research Department Product Development Team Section Chief Gwak Cheol-man was… No, happy unemployed man Gwak Cheol-man didn’t want to believe the reality before his eyes.

 

He had simply woken up from the afternoon nap he’d been taking as part of his daily routine lately.

 

But then.

 

“Patient, are you conscious?”

 

When he opened his eyes, there was no sign of the small room in the manor where comfortable, warm sunlight streamed through the windows.

 

Instead, a faint medicinal smell stung his nostrils, and he could only clearly sense that the structure and atmosphere of this place resembled the BOND inpatient room he had once visited to see a patient.

 

“Mr. Gwak Cheol-man, you’re from BOND’s research department, right?”

 

“….”

 

[ BOND Healer/ Lee Min-ha ]

 

That was the name tag attached to the lab coat worn by the person who had been talking to him continuously for a while now.

 

“Thank goodness. Your physical condition is good considering you were missing for an extended period… No, actually, compared to your previous health checkup, it seems to have improved.”

 

“….”

 

“Your stress levels have… dropped quite significantly as well.”

 

The healer seemed to be expressing doubt while looking at the chart, but that wasn’t important to him.

 

‘I’m… back?’

 

His hands began to tremble.

 

‘Why, why, so suddenly?’

 

It was confusing.

 

How could he suddenly teleport from inside a restraining item to a BOND Emergency Center inpatient room?

 

‘Could it be that while I was sleeping…?’

 

Had the Administrator finally given permission? In the meantime, had they conducted counseling with Hwiyeon? So they were completely won over? Well, that might be the case for Hwiyeon.

 

‘But then… why me?’

 

Cold sweat trickled down his chin.

 

The moment he had wanted to deny arriving without any preparation brought greater fear than he had expected.

 

His breathing became rapid, and his consciousness grew hazy.

 

Then… he suddenly remembered.

 

-“Yes… I think you’re right, Teacher. I can’t stay here forever.”

 

The sentence he had spoken like making a promise to himself.

 

It was what he said after pouring out all the thoughts he had kept inside to a kindergarten teacher he had never met before.

 

Of course, regardless of it being something he had always thought about… it was closer to words spoken out of guilt toward him for listening to all these complaints.

 

And honestly…

 

‘I thought I wouldn’t be able to leave for a while.’

 

That was also why he had given the note he found in the manor’s storage room to Na Hwi-yeon without hiding it.

 

Gwak Cheol-man had also experienced searching for the emergency exit of the restraining item written on the note, as a walk and pastime.

 

Naturally, he hadn’t even found the entrance to the emergency exit.

 

That’s right.

 

He had promised to leave, but he didn’t actually want to leave.

 

He didn’t want to return to that hellish place ever again.

 

Not yet.

 

He just wanted a little more time to prepare mentally…

 

“Oh, here’s the patient’s mobile phone. The company was keeping it as lost property, and an employee asked me to give it to you.”

 

The healer took out a mobile phone from the lab coat pocket and handed it over.

 

As if someone had remembered to charge it, the battery was at 100%.

 

“….”

 

However, ridiculously, there were no missed calls or messages on the phone screen.

 

Oh, wait.

 

There were advertising messages and a KakaoTalk from a colleague in the same department.

 

-Delivery Citizen: Nurungji Fried Chicken 2,000 won discount event!

 

-Park Do-gyu: Section Chief, please check the documents for the hallucination-related item one more time.

 

His heart turned ice cold.

 

Emptiness, no, was it wretchedness?

 

‘If the world could go on without me…’

 

“There’s no particular reason I need to come back here.”

 

While emotions he couldn’t quite digest were churning within him.

 

The healer spoke.

 

“Soon, an employee from the HR team will visit here.”

 

“…Why.”

 

“They’re probably coming to offer you reinstatement? You would have been temporarily processed as resigned due to your disappearance.”

 

The moment he heard those words, his body had already sprung up from the bed.

 

“P-Patient-!”

 

Gwak Cheol-man rushed out of the hospital room before the healer could even grab him. He had no destination, but his goal was clear.

 

‘Let’s get out.’

 

Let’s leave this damn company.

 

Again, to a place where no one can find me-

 

-“Section Chief, settling for reality won’t make this happiness last forever. Rather, why don’t you go outside, formally process your resignation, and look for other happiness? You’re certainly capable of doing it.”

 

‘…I can’t.’

 

Hadn’t he made a promise?

 

Even if it was just an empty promise.

 

Gwak Cheol-man exhaled and hurriedly turned his steps around.

 

He needed to find somewhere else.

 

Somewhere not too far.

 

Somewhere with people he knew.

 

He needed a very small space where he could calm his weak mind and body.

 

‘I wonder if such a place exists.’

 

“…!”

 

Then, Ocean Kindergarten behind the company building caught his eye. At the same time, someone’s brief introduction came to mind.

 

-“My name is Na Hwi-yeon… I’m a teacher at Ocean Kindergarten under BOND.”

 

Gwak Cheol-man walked toward Ocean Kindergarten as if entranced.

 

‘I need to resign.’

 

But he absolutely couldn’t muster the courage.

 

Neither the courage to say he would resign.

 

Nor the courage to leave again in search of happiness.

 

Inside the kindergarten he entered like that, he was crying his eyes out when he unexpectedly encountered someone.

 

His university classmate and friend, Ocean Kindergarten Principal Kang Beom-seok.

 

Gwak Cheol-man had disappeared before Kang Beom-seok became the Ocean Kindergarten principal.

 

However, his mental state was so broken that he couldn’t even think of obvious questions like ‘Why is he here?’

 

He ended up sobbing and clinging to his long-lost friend’s apron. Even if someone said he was acting childish, he had nothing to say in response.

 

He felt like he had to vent like a madman to survive.

 

But then.

 

[ Children’s Counseling Center ]

 

[ The advice might be a bit harsh, but it’s free anyway ]

 

When he came to his senses, a counseling center had been set up for him!

 

And children with fluffy down on their faces were going to counsel him…

 

Gwak Cheol-man looked around at the teddy bear-shaped cookies and milk placed in front of him… and the six children.

 

Now his mind was confused in a different way.

 

Would this actually help…?

 

“Now, Section Chief, please feel comfortable and share the worries you’re currently having.”

 

However, under Na Hwi-yeon’s continued gentle pressure, he eventually did open up.

 

And as a result.

 

“If you don’t have money, you have to go to work!”

 

“That’s right! My hyung also comes to kindergarten every day because of money!”

 

Gwak Cheol-man clenched both his hands tightly.

 

“That’s… right. I should go to work. But I hate the company so much, and I hate my boss too… There’s so much work.”

 

“If you hate it, don’t do it!”

 

“But… for retirement, no, for the future, I have to do it.”

 

“Huh? Choose just one! Why are you trying to have both? You’re so greedy!”

 

“Mister, are you Nolbu?”

 

He had become Nolbu.

 

Gwak Cheol-man forgot his dignity as an adult (though he never had any to begin with) and began to shed tears.

 

He was just a person who would be happy watching Netflix and munching on snacks!

 

This company! This work! That clueless bastard of a boss!

 

They made me like this.

 

At this age, they made me sit here being called Nolbu by children.

 

However, he couldn’t just sit there crying quietly. The relentless whip of the child counselors continued without rest.

 

“So are you going to go to the company or not, mister?”

 

“Choose! Choose!”

 

“Woo, if you pick both, you’re totally Nolbu!”

 

“Kids, calm down… But I also think trying to have both is too greedy.”

 

It was heartbreaking.

 

Gwak Cheol-man reluctantly spat out his answer while crying.

 

“I should quit. I won’t go anymore…”

 

“It’s good that you finally said it!”

 

The mischievous-looking Baseball Cap Boy said as he roughly set down his milk bottle.

 

“Noah, adults originally have a lot to think about, so everything takes them a long time.”

 

“Ooh? Really? Come to think of it, my mom is like that too! Mister, I’m sorry!”

 

Whoosh whoosh. It was quite difficult to keep up with the children’s rapidly progressing conversation.

 

Thanks to that, his depressed feelings also seemed to gradually fade away…

 

“Then, what will you do if you don’t go to the company, mister?”

 

There wasn’t anything in particular, but if he had to say…

 

“…Just loafing around and eating.”

 

“Wow, that’s really lame!”

 

Ahhh…

 

“When I grow up, I won’t become an adult like that.”

 

Let me die.

 

“Lee Seo-ra likes eating too, but she’s not happy all the time!”

 

I’m going to die.

 

The children’s successive mockery and contempt stabbed daggers into his heart. His spirit was crushed beyond recovery, almost to the point of crumbling into dust and disappearing.

 

And then.

 

“Mister, please have this.”

 

A boy with nearly blonde hair personally placed a bear-shaped cookie in his hand.

 

“You said eating makes you happy. Eat this and become happy.”

 

Then he patted his back.

 

Beside him, the child who was busy devouring snacks also spoke.

 

“I really like snacks too! Let’s be friends!”

 

Gwak Cheol-man couldn’t bring himself to nod at that suggestion, and just bit into the bear cookie.

 

Along with the crispy texture, a nutty and sweet taste swirled around the tip of his tongue.

 

“Mister, how long have you worked at the company?”

 

“More than 15 years…”

 

“Wow, amazing! You’ve worked longer than my dad! Mister, you were a really incredible person!”

 

“Mister, is that why you changed to look like a grandfather?”

That’s right… I’ve been working at the company for 15 years.

As the sugar kicked in, his thoughts seemed to become clear again.

To the point where he regretted crying like a madman earlier.

“Mister, you made a good choice! It gets boring if you always go to the same place!”

Did I really make the right choice?

“Leave your old happiness there, and now go find your next happiness!”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“I don’t know either! I heard it on Hello T-Bot! But isn’t it cool?”

…Old happiness.

Certainly, when I first started working at the company, I think I was happy.

The sense of achievement from completing work and research one by one, and the position that kept rising accordingly.

It was satisfying and happy.

However, the repetitive work became boring at some point, and everything became a burden.

The boss asking to have meals together, the piled-up work, the employees below me.

‘I was definitely happy in the old days.’

“Happiness always changes. My grandmother says eating rice is happiness, Jesus is happiness, and money is happiness too.”

Is that so?

Does happiness always change?

Am I just trying to leave to find different happiness?

“That’s right! Always look for it! It’s not difficult!”

It’s not difficult.

It’s nothing special.

Happiness too.

“You can earn money, and you can change companies.”

Companies too.

The children’s advice was unrestrained.

However, their unrefined yet refreshingly clear advice was so lucid it made his head feel momentarily blank.

Thus, creating clean sentences without detours or pretense.

I want to quit.

Then, just do it.

Happiness is just something you look for every day. That’s how it originally is.

It doesn’t need to be grand.

Like the grandmother of the blonde-haired child who said eating rice was happiness.

Of course, I know well that it’s not easy.

Because change always brings fear along with excitement.

But still.

“If you hate staying still, you have to move.”

I hate staying still even more.

Gwak Cheol-man silently clenched both fists.

“Mister, you can do it!”

 

“Eat more snacks. You have to eat lots for good fortune to come in.”

 

“Fighting!”

He slowly got up from his seat and left the kindergarten without saying a word.

Then, he returned to the empty inpatient room and stood before the flustered HR employee.

“Ah, Section Chief Kwak Cheol-man? I wanted to ask about your return to work-”

 

“I’m going to quit.”

His voice cracked at the end from nervousness.

“What??”

 

But he didn’t avoid it.

 

“I’m going to quit.”

 

“Ah, yes… Then, that’s fine.”

 

Because staying still would be even worse.

 

After that, he retraced his steps and returned to the kindergarten.

 

As soon as he entered the familiar classroom, the tension suddenly released and he collapsed onto the floor.

 

‘I don’t even know what I just did…’

 

Then, gentle and warm hands immediately patted his back.

 

“You told them you’re not going to the company?”

 

“Yeah…”

 

“Mister, you did well.”

 

Really, it was nothing special.

 

His eyes grew hot again, but this time he smiled.

 

Praise poured out.

 

“You did really well!”

 

“Good job! Good job! But what did he do well?”

 

“Mister said he’s not going to the company.”

 

“Then he won’t be able to buy snacks anymore!”

 

Gwak Cheol-man was now ready to leave in search of other happiness.

 

Thanks to the cold and merciless child counselors.

 

“Mister, my grandmother says if you do stocks, you can survive even without making money. Make sure to go negative. You can buy snacks with that too.”

 

They still don’t seem to understand economics very well…

 

“Hahaha”

—————
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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