Hunter Kindergarten, Dolphin Class! - Chapter 30

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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 030

 

The day of the final battle has finally arrived.

 

Today is the day we go to Neverland.

 

I looked down at Nabi, who was excited and elated. More precisely, at the puppy doll shaking frantically left and right.

 

“….”

 

I won’t do anything mood-breaking like sighing here.

 

‘If I decided to do this, I should do it properly.’

 

That’s the only way I can think about what comes after.

 

And who knows?

 

‘Maybe she’ll go easier on me thinking I’m making an effort.’

 

 

I’m sure I made this promise.

 

But no matter how generously I look at it, this isn’t ‘often.’ It feels like she’s attached to me all day except when I’m sleeping.

 

Let me properly satisfy her this time and try bringing up the topic at least once.

 

“…Hmm.”

 

I steeled my resolve and carefully packed the necessary items into the yellow kindergarten bag.

 

The adorably small bag quickly filled up with just a few items.

 

Anyone who knows my usual commuting routine might wonder about this.

 

Where did my usual work bag go, and why am I suddenly trying to carry a kindergarten bag?

 

I don’t know either. It’s just….

 

…Nabi says she wants to copy everything her friends do.

 

She saw the bags of the kids in our class going home and pointed it out specifically.

 

Suddenly I became a crazy guy who said, ‘My current bag is too big. The kids’ bags are just the right size and would be good for commuting,’ and took a kindergarten bag from the leftover stock in the storage room.

 

…But then, those colleague teachers nodded as if they understood.

 

They’re truly strange people.

 

Anyway, because of that, I ended up having to carry this bag to the amusement park too.

 

‘She was quite stubborn about it.’

 

 

I cleanly gave up on persuasion. Given the location, everyone will probably just see me as an uncle carrying his niece’s bag.

 

‘At worst, they’ll think I’m the kid’s dad.’

 

I finished rationalizing to myself and changed clothes. Considering mobility, I chose a neat hoodie and jeans.

 

There were quite a few other things to prepare, so I moved busily. I checked the pre-booked amusement park tickets, made bus reservations, and went through the schedule I wrote last night to make sure I didn’t miss anything.

 

So for that brief moment, I couldn’t pay attention to Nabi.

 

And this little one made very good use of that brief moment.

 

‘I had no idea she put something like that in the bag.’

 

***

 

-Dreamland Neverland!

 

-Scattering fairy dust

 

-On the clock hands striking midnight

 

-We will dance~

 

Neverland’s dreamy theme song flows from speakers here and there.

 

I looked at the bustling crowds filling the amusement park.

 

Weekend morning.

 

‘I expected there would be a lot of people, but.’

 

I’m already tired. I immediately took out the energy drink I had put in the front pocket of my bag and stuck it in my mouth without hesitation.

 

‘I need to drink this to get through today.’

 

[ What’s that? ]

 

Look at this. She’s already so excited and making a fuss trying to run off on her own.

 

I turned the bag to the front and walked toward where Nabi wanted to go.

 

‘I wonder if I’ll be able to run into Noah in such a wide place.’

 

The day before at the kindergarten, Noah’s birthday party was hastily held. Being hastily prepared, there were some rough parts, but….

 

Thankfully, he was happy with it.

 

Even with just cake and gifts from friends, the child looked so happy.

 

Of course, I knew that beneath that excitement and joy lay anticipation for the upcoming amusement park trip with his mom.

 

‘It might be a bit embarrassing, but it would be better to congratulate him on his actual birthday.’

 

Just in case I might meet Noah, I also added stopping by the gift shop in the middle of the schedule.

 

‘There should be something Noah would like there.’

 

While thinking such thoughts and walking diligently, I had arrived in front of the first ride before I knew it.

 

I looked up at the ride in front of me with a troubled expression.

 

“As expected….”

 

It would look really strange for an adult man to ride this alone, wouldn’t it?

 

[ It would. A horse! ]

 

Of all things to choose, why did I pick the carousel?

 

I quickly scanned the surroundings, but I was the only adult man who came alone.

 

…However, there was no way to back down. It’s not like I didn’t expect this.

 

‘Pride? There’s no such thing for today.’

 

Thinking that, I got in line in front of the carousel.

 

Still, there were good points about coming to the amusement park.

 

‘This guy is too busy sightseeing to pay attention.’

 

Nabi was completely absorbed in Neverland’s eye-pleasing scenery, just like any child visiting an amusement park.

 

Thanks to that, I enjoyed my own leisure time spacing out while waiting. I just had to answer sincerely when he occasionally talked to me.

 

[ What’s that? Orange! Big one! ]

 

“Ah…. Gyro Drop. It’s a ride where you fall down from the top with a whoosh to enjoy the thrill.”

 

By the way, I was wearing wireless earphones so I wouldn’t look like a crazy person.

 

[ Why? Is that fun? ]

 

A giant ride that looked like a round donut threaded onto a long metal rod.

 

Imagine that giant donut slowly climbing to the top along the metal rod, then suddenly free-falling about 100 meters at approximately 100 km/h without warning.

 

How could it just be fun?

 

“Many people find it fun. Not me though.”

 

[ You? Why don’t you? You hate it? ]

 

“It’s not that…. For me, this kind of thing is just right.”

 

I glanced at the carousel. Honestly, it doesn’t look great, but there’s nothing better for me to ride.

 

Maybe if I were in my early twenties, but if I rode something like Gyro Drop now, I’d definitely get motion sickness.

 

“Please show your admission ticket~”

 

After waiting for a while, an employee let me in. I chose an appropriate horse and got on.

 

A horse with white and blue stripes began to go around with a cute melody.

 

-Princess and prince, let’s hold hands~

 

-Let’s go to the beautiful palace~

 

 

…Wow, seriously.

 

Everyone’s staring at me…?

 

A rare and unpleasant experience continued where every passerby stared at me once as if looking at some rare animal.

 

‘Please, I hope Noah doesn’t see me like this.’

 

I had no intention of giving a child who came to have fun any mental shock….

 

[ Run! Run! ]

 

Except for the urge to lose my mind in the middle, the riding experience of the carousel wasn’t bad.

 

After riding the carousel, I rode a few more rides, alternating between boring and thrilling ones.

 

[ Fun! ]

 

When I checked my watch, about an hour and a half had passed since entering Neverland.

 

‘Let me see. The next schedule is….’

 

Neverland has not only rides but also theme parks that collaborate with famous cartoons and movies, so there’s a lot to see.

 

Thinking about this, I had also included theme park exploration in my schedule.

 

“Now I can go check out the Theme Park.”

 

I’ve enjoyed the rides enough, so there shouldn’t be any problem going. Conveniently, Nabi also gave her approval.

 

[ Good! ]

 

The first Theme Park we would visit was an Indoor Theme Park adjacent to Neverland’s Western Lake.

 

It had been newly renovated recently, and the reason was probably…

 

‘It was for promoting a movie that’s about to be released, right?’

 

Moreover, they said it was a remake of a movie that had already been released once before.

 

They opened with the ambitious goal of decorating the Theme Park based on that movie’s setting and plot to captivate prospective audiences.

 

According to reviews from people who had visited, they all said the quality was absolutely amazing, so it should be worth seeing.

 

‘Good. Everything’s good, but there’s just one thing that bothers me…’

 

[ Blood? Blood! Blood! ]

 

…Right, the fact that the movie serving as this theme is a horror film filled with blood and screams.

 

I surveyed the Theme Park’s Entrance with lukewarm eyes. With the staging of red blood dripping down the door and ominous BGM, people were already letting out shallow screams.

 

From what I could see, it was a format where Theme Park visitors become characters in the movie and experience it firsthand.

 

‘I should pray that character isn’t a dangerous element.’

 

Moreover, the original movie was such a serious box office failure that most reviews said they didn’t even know the original existed.

 

‘Not knowing anything seems to stimulate the psychological horror even more.’

 

The fortunate thing here is… but somehow I had seen this movie before.

 

‘Well, back then I practically lived in the Library Video Room.’

 

At that time, I used to binge-watch 4 horror movies a day for fun, and the horror immunity I built up then still occasionally shines through even now.

 

So, I think I should be able to handle the experience without much trouble…

 

[ Blood dripping! ]

 

[ I like the song. ]

 

[ They’re screaming so much! What’s so scary? Should I send them to Rest too? ]

 

‘I wonder if this is further corrupting the child’s emotions.’

 

That ominous nickname ‘aka. Only death brings eternal Rest!’ was already bothering me.

 

[ It’s ringing inside me. ]

 

[ Telling me to give Rest to those humans. ]

 

These were the words Nabi uttered while looking at a Group of Teenagers near the Entrance who couldn’t enter because they were scared.

 

…Her mental age is at a child’s level, but could she be going through eighth-grader syndrome?

 

Swish. I block the Doll’s vision by covering it with my Palm Entity.

 

[ ? ]

 

Yeah, that Rest thing isn’t it.

 

Come to think of it, the squirrels who helped when the Kindergarten caught Fire also had the nickname ‘Dongaksan Fighter.’

 

‘It doesn’t seem like a completely baseless speculation.’

 

[ Let’s go! Let’s go quickly! ]

 

Anyway, since she likes it this much, I can’t not go in.

 

I leisurely passed through the people hesitating to enter at the Entrance and entered the Theme Park.

 

The Indoor Area is quieter than I thought?

 

“Come to think of it, what was that movie about?”

 

I tried to recall my memories while surveying the Indoor Area structure I had entered.

 

The large dome-shaped ceiling had a cloudy, overcast sky displayed as a Hologram.

 

Lowering my gaze from there, a Brick Road spread out along the floor from the Entrance. Damp alleys opened up between the central path, with orange Street Lamps casting light between them.

 

…I could see old, quaint shops, and employees playing NPC roles occasionally passed by.

 

They’re really serious about the concept.

 

I was momentarily surprised by the better-than-expected quality, but then familiar things began to catch my eye and memories surfaced.

 

 

“Ah.”

 

Brick buildings, people’s clothing reminiscent of a specific era, dark background, eerie streets, and…

 

-Kyaaaaaahhh!!!

 

-He appeared! He appeared!

 

Screams.

 

“That fog, that person.”

 

Along with the movie title, the hazy details came flooding back to me.

 

…This wasn’t a horror movie with ghosts.

 

It wasn’t ghosts, but a movie about a crazy psychopathic serial killer.

 

Moreover, it was adapted from actual events that occurred in a specific area of London in the late 19th century!

 

‘Don’t tell me this is going to turn into some kind of cat-and-mouse chase with a serial killer.’

 

[ Find the culprit! ]

 

Near the entrance, I received a whistle from an employee.

 

The employee looked at me with a seemingly serious but cheerful tone characteristic of Neverland and shouted energetically.

 

“If you spot the culprit, just blow this whistle loudly!”

 

“Ah, okay.”

 

“If you catch all the culprits, we’ll give you this prize! By the way, so far, only one person has won the prize~”

 

“…Oh.”

 

I see.

 

The prize the employee was showing was a huge green onion shaped doll.

 

“It’s a doll from a series that’s incredibly popular with kids these days! ‘Good Night, Green Onion’! Oh, maybe you don’t know it…?”

 

No, I know it.

 

I know it very well, actually.

 

Prior research is essential for conversations that match children’s tastes.

 

‘Good Night Green Onion Doll is something our Tae-jae likes.’

 

After the employee’s brief explanation ended, I received an additional indoor map and set out for a proper look around.

 

[ How do we find the culprit? ]

 

Well, if you’re happy just pretending to look, we don’t necessarily have to find them.

 

…I probably shouldn’t say that honestly.

 

“If you go to the shops marked on this map they gave us, you can find clues. Or you can ask those people over there wearing unusual clothes.”

 

[ Oh. ]

 

“They said you can get hints, deduce who the culprit is and catch them directly, or blow the whistle to ask for help from the police on patrol.”

 

[ Sounds fun! ]

 

“It would be nice if we found the culprit. Right?”

 

Well, since we’re doing this anyway, should we try to find them?

 

I smiled comfortably and walked at a leisurely pace.

 

What could possibly happen?

 

This is all just a place made for light fun.

 

Exactly about 30 minutes later.

 

I was running with all my might, my eyebrows flying.

 

With the theme park’s murderer chasing behind me!

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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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