Hunter Kindergarten, Dolphin Class! - Chapter 63

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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 063

 

As soon as Baek Cheonji came out of the restroom, he immediately felt regret.

 

‘I troubled Teacher…’

 

When he suddenly woke up needing to use the restroom, he had done his best not to wake Teacher.

 

He tried shaking his friends sleeping soundly beside him and even tickling them, but unfortunately, they showed no signs of waking up.

 

However, he also lacked the courage to go to the restroom alone in this dark night.

 

…In the end, when he felt he couldn’t hold it any longer, he had no choice but to call Teacher.

 

Watching his water-stained hands being cleanly wiped by the soft handkerchief, Baek Cheonji let out a small sigh.

 

“Hah…”

 

Did I really perform well as a ‘mediator’ today?

 

…I don’t know.

 

‘In the end, I troubled Teacher.’

 

If he went back to sleep like this, he felt it would be quite unsettling…

 

Huh?

 

Suddenly, the handkerchief that had been neatly folded in his hands fell to the floor, and he saw Teacher abruptly stand up from his seat.

 

“…Teacher?”

 

What’s wrong? Did I do something wrong?

 

Should I have wiped my hands myself after all?

 

Baek Cheonji picked up the handkerchief and stood on his tiptoes to see Teacher’s face.

 

‘It’s too dark to see!’

 

How… Should he go back to the bright restroom? While he was pondering this.

 

His right hand was suddenly grabbed, and at the same time, the surroundings became bright.

 

Reflexively, his gaze turned forward. Then he saw countless doors packed tightly together on both sides of the hallway.

 

‘What is this?’

 

He was frightened by the suddenly changed scenery, but since the adult beside him was so calm, he instead thought:

 

‘Was the hallway always like this?’

 

Moreover, his brain, not yet fully awake, blurred the boundary between reality and dreams.

 

A reality more dreamlike than dreams.

 

Even as drowsiness washed over him again, Baek Cheonji clenched his free hand into a tight fist.

 

‘…I, I need to show a mature side this time!’

 

Only when the surroundings became bright did he realize that Teacher’s expression wasn’t good.

 

Certainly, it was warm and gentle as usual, but he seemed to have something on his mind.

 

‘Hyung often makes that face too, so I know.’

 

That expression with drooping eyes and slightly protruding lips!

 

And for some reason he didn’t understand, adults often sighed through their nose instead of their mouth.

 

‘Teacher is in a difficult situation.’

 

Having often accompanied his parents to crowded places, Baek Cheonji had become skilled at reading adults’ true expressions.

 

‘Since I already troubled Teacher once, I need to pull myself together.’

 

“Shall we go?”

 

A gentle voice asked him. Baek Cheonji nodded his head quickly.

 

‘I don’t know where we’re going, but…’

 

“Hmm… I think I read about how to escape this strange phenomenon. It said you can escape by opening all the doors…”

 

He didn’t understand what it meant, but he nodded his head earnestly anyway.

 

“Ah. No. Was it to find a glowing door?”

 

Nod nod.

 

“Ah… Right. No, that’s not it. It said to find the door that leads to reality.”

 

Nod nod nod.

 

“…”

 

Teacher seemed to look down at him briefly and fall silent, but Baek Cheonji nodded his head even faster.

 

‘I’ll quietly follow along well!’

 

I’ll be helpful! I’ll act maturely!

 

However, the worry on Teacher’s face only deepened. He looked down at me and muttered quietly.

 

“…I need to put him to sleep quickly.”

 

No!

 

“I’m not sleepy.”

 

“You will be sleepy.”

 

Right… I am sleepy.

 

Actually, Teacher looks like two people right now. But, but…!

 

Baek Cheonji widened both eyes and said firmly.

 

“No, I’m really not sleepy.”

 

 

***

 

Not sleepy my foot…

 

His eyes are almost half-closed.

 

Cheonji, wearing red-striped children’s pajamas, struggled to keep his drooping eyes open.

 

‘Oh dear.’

 

I felt a bit anxious from pity.

 

‘Right, I should handle this quickly and put him to sleep soon.’

 

I turned the door handle of the nearest door without hesitation.

 

‘Since they said it was safe, there’s no reason to hesitate.’

 

But if there was one thing that bothered me, it was that I had read that escape method too carelessly.

 

‘I don’t remember the details clearly.’

 

…Still, it should be fine. I remember the words about being certain of safety, and I definitely remember the escape method.

 

-Creeak.

 

A hinged door, not the sliding door in the kindergarten building, opens with an unpleasant sound.

 

I briefly turned off the light of the Light Saber in my hand and handed it to Cheonji. The hallway was plunged into darkness again.

 

I stood facing the door directly with the child hidden behind me.

 

‘Still, I don’t know what’s inside.’

 

“…”

 

A strange scene appears through the open door.

 

A luxurious Western-style house.

 

Inside, I could see several men in old-fashioned suits enjoying drinks.

 

“…?”

 

Just in case, I tried putting my finger inside the door and it passed through without any difficulty.

 

I took a short breath and immediately withdrew my hand.

 

‘This isn’t it.’

 

With that initial thought, as I reached out to close the door, I made eye contact with one of the men in the house.

 

The man was approaching us with quick steps, his eyes slightly widened.

 

“I say, who are you? This is a place only known to Choi Hae-won’s close friends…”

 

“Ah… I.”

 

I swallowed back the words that reflexively came out and my body stiffened at the sudden situation.

 

The feeling of early 1900s Joseon.

 

A man from history that I’d only seen in dramas was walking toward me.

 

Just as the man approached within reach of the threshold and was about to extend his hand.

 

A small figure suddenly jumped out in front of me.

 

“…!”

 

Before I could grasp the situation, tremendous light poured toward the face of the man inside the door.

 

Stagger.

 

“Ugh…!”

 

While the man staggered from the sudden bright light, the door closed quickly.

 

-Click.

 

“….”

 

Cheonji, who had closed the door with both hands, only turned his head to look at me. With a face that didn’t know what to do with his bewilderment.

 

“I, I was scared…. I was trying to protect Teacher…. But the button suddenly got pressed!”

 

“….”

 

I found myself spacing out without realizing it, then suddenly remembered Cheonji’s status condition and gave him a thumbs up.

 

-Excessive Role Obsession/Performance Obsession

 

“Wow….”

 

If I misspeak here, it’ll be a disaster.

 

I didn’t ask questions or argue, just fired off praise.

 

“Cheonji saved Teacher!”

 

 

***

 

We were practically no different from robbers, except we weren’t carrying knives.

 

-Creak.

 

“This isn’t it either….”

 

“Wh, who are you! Who are you! Who gave you permission to enter someone else’s house…. Aah!”

 

-Click.

 

While I opened doors and assessed the situation, Cheonji waited on standby. Then, if someone inside noticed and approached, he’d just spam that light saber as a flash-bang deterrent and the situation would be over.

 

‘I thought about stopping him because it was dangerous, but….’

 

I watched Cheonji turn off and organize the light saber again and laughed weakly.

 

Look at that face.

 

‘…I can’t stop him. How can I stop him when he’s that happy.’

 

Even if I brought that cold Baek Cheonhyeong who doesn’t seem to have an ounce of warmth, he wouldn’t be able to take it away.

 

‘There weren’t any particularly dangerous side effects, so it should be fine.’

 

*Disposal Reason: Come on, try putting your eye close to the light-emitting panel on top and pressing the button…. You’ll understand the reason, right? That’s it. (Was planned to be used as a supply item during dungeon exploration, but judged impossible for long-term use/ Decided to dispose of it under the judgment that there’s a high possibility of position exposure instead)

*Precautions: Same as disposal reason.

*Made with help from S-Grade Crafting Awakener Yeong Won-ha.

 

‘By the way…. When will I ever get through all of this.’

 

The speed wasn’t keeping up with the number of doors. That was natural since doors kept appearing endlessly in the hallway like amoebas undergoing nuclear fission.

 

Opening and closing doors was more troublesome work than expected.

 

‘If it were up to me, it would be easier to just open them all at once, then close them all again.’

 

But then it would be difficult to respond to sudden situations.

 

I eventually found a compromise.

 

Opening doors on both sides within arm’s reach, then closing them simultaneously.

 

I quickly opened doors attached to both walls simultaneously and looked inside both doors alternately.

 

‘Here’s…. a research lab? I can see people in lab coats.’

 

-Click.

 

‘This is a dog cafe.’

 

-Click.

 

While passing by all sorts of places and people, I also saw some fairly familiar places.

 

-Creak.

 

“…This place.”

 

It’s my home.

 

To be precise, the apartment I lived in together when my parents were alive.

 

I froze in place and silently stared at the interior.

 

“….”

 

Through the door connected to my room, I can see the exact same scenery from those days.

 

A new school uniform hanging on the wall and a neatly organized bed.

 

The books and game console I liked back then.

 

I silently stared at that room for a moment, then reached out and grabbed a USB that was placed on the desk.

 

“I can bring it out with me…”

 

If I went through this door to that place, could I meet my deceased parents again? Could I bring them back here with me…

 

Stop.

 

That’s enough sentimentality.

 

I hurriedly closed the door. Then I felt my rapidly beating heart gradually calm down.

 

As what had been disturbing my mind disappeared from sight, rational thinking returned.

 

‘No.’

 

Me going through that door would be an accident in itself. I couldn’t commit such an unproven act based on one ridiculous hope.

 

‘If I were alone it might be different, but I can’t because Cheonji is here too.’

 

To dilute my complicated thoughts, I quickly moved forward again and opened all the doors on both walls.

 

“…!”

 

And through one of those opened doors, I witnessed it.

 

The Principal attaching rubber tape to a sprinkler.

 

“Oh?”

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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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