Hunter Kindergarten, Dolphin Class! - Chapter 77

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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 077

Nam Tae-jae could feel his heart beating incredibly fast from the moment he saw the man lying on the floor in agony.

“….”

‘I have to heal him!’

He can’t bleed like this. When you get hurt, it’s painful.

The large wound he was seeing for the first time in his life looked so painful.

Nam Tae-jae placed his small hands on the man’s wound as if entranced. Then he used his ability.

The large wound on his stomach began to heal little by little.

Along with that, the face of the lying mister gradually became more comfortable too.

‘Are there more injured people?’

Moving his small feet and hands, Nam Tae-jae moved frantically.

The more he did so, the rougher his breathing became, and his vision swayed aimlessly. He endured the churning in his stomach and continued using his ability.

“I have to heal them!”

He pulled down the clothes of the woman with a head injury and placed his hands on her head.

I’m scared.

I don’t want to do this.

But he endured it.

In an instant, he perfectly healed three people.

During this time, the adults just watched Nam Tae-jae’s actions as if they were seeing a ghost.

A 7-year-old child, tears streaming down his face, desperately trying to heal injured adults…

It was a sight that went beyond sympathy and pity, enough to make one feel guilt and some kind of strong shock.

Nam Tae-jae healed the woman with the head injury, then approached the middle-aged man with a broken arm next.

And he used his ability just as he had done before.

However.

…Huh?

Why?

“My ability… won’t come out?”

The wound wasn’t healing. The warm sensation of the ability that had spread to his fingertips and toes had disappeared at some point.

It felt like something was blocked near his heart, stopped somewhere in his body.

His body began to tremble violently.

He tried using his ability again. But nothing changed.

I’m scared.

The blood flowing out with a gush is scary, and this adult making a pained expression is scary too.

But he had nowhere to retreat.

Because I’m not an ordinary person.

Because they said I could easily save people if I just put my mind to it.

Because I have to live my whole life for people who are sick and injured.

But…

But… what if my power disappears?

‘Am I not allowed to live?’

Or could I receive love from Mom and Dad again?

His stomach churned. It felt the same as when he had indigestion.

Nam Tae-jae gasped for breath from his continuous tears and covered both eyes with his palms.

Then he saw pitch-black darkness where nothing could be seen.

In that space, he could see small fluorescent dots swaying.

Being like this, he felt like a lone astronaut in the vast universe.

‘I miss Noah and Gudal.’

Kim Noah would sometimes cover both eyes with his hands like this.

Nam Tae-jae couldn’t understand what Kim Noah was saying.

Because he absolutely never wanted to become an astronaut drifting alone in space.

‘Even in my own space, I’m still lonely and scared.’

Kim Noah is a liar.

The tears wouldn’t stop. His ability still wouldn’t activate, and his body felt heavy like just before falling asleep.

-Tap.

I’m scared. I want to run away.

-Tap.

Injured people are disgusting and I hate them.

-Tap.

“…?”

When he raised his tear-stained head, he saw a familiar face. Teacher was gently patting his back.

“…Teacher.”

“Tae-jae, do you not want to do this?”

“…I, *sniff* I’m not sure.”

“If Tae-jae doesn’t want to do it, you don’t have to. Even if Tae-jae stops healing here, no one will say anything about it.”

“Even though it’s my job?”

It’s something I have to do for life.

Using healing abilities for injured and sick people.

“This isn’t your job. If Tae-jae wants to do it, that’s fine, but this is originally something the adults here should do. Children only need to do what children should do. Eating well, playing well, sleeping well – things like that.”

Teacher’s voice was quiet, but firm.

Nam Tae-jae thought blankly for a moment, then slowly nodded his head.

A doubt he had never had before was planted in his mind by Teacher’s resolute statement.

‘Treating injured and sick people isn’t my job?’

He didn’t know how old Dad’s “lifetime” meant, but Nam Tae-jae had been living thinking he would probably live alone for his entire “lifetime.”

‘Because the people I love aren’t sick.’

But if what he said is true… can I keep being friends with healthy Noah?

Maybe for life?

…However, more important than such thoughts, there was something urgent for Nam Tae-jae right now.

“My ability… won’t work.”

Even as he spoke, he felt like crying.

Treating injured people was scarier and lonelier than he thought. Looking at the sticky blood on his hands made his stomach churn and even made him dizzy.

…However, deeper in Nam Tae-jae’s heart, there was also this thought.

‘I wish people wouldn’t get hurt anymore.’

Meanwhile, Na Hwi-yeon had already anticipated Tae-jae’s current condition.

‘I thought he wouldn’t be able to use his ability.’

And this problem was something he could sufficiently solve.

Putting his hand into his bag, he took out the Scrap Metal Lump he had prepared at the entrance earlier. Then he quietly brought it behind Nam Tae-jae’s back and said:

“You’ll feel better in just a moment.”

And he pulled the trigger attached to it without mercy.

***

I didn’t stop Tae-jae as he shook off my hand and ran toward the injured people.

‘Maybe this could also be Tae-jae’s choice.’

Even if it might be compulsive behavior caused by a status abnormality.

I stood still with the other people and watched Tae-jae’s actions.

And I didn’t forget to check Tae-jae’s Status Window as well.

Another effect of the status abnormality had appeared.

‘Temporary decline in Awakening Ability.’

A sigh escaped me naturally. In this disaster situation, the one consolation was that Tae-jae’s condition was at least okay.

…The more this happens, the more I need to pull myself together.

Stopping the unconscious bad thoughts that were creeping in, I thought about the various items in the bag I had brought.

The various ‘Discarded Products’ that Section Chief Lee Won-woo had given me.

‘I’m glad I brought them all.’

I had memories of using them helpfully several times, so I brought them all just in case…

‘Plus, I don’t have Nabi either.’

Suddenly, thinking that I didn’t even have Nabi, which I could use as a last resort, made my mind snap to full alert.

And thanks to this thorough preparation, I was able to immediately solve the problem with Tae-jae’s status abnormality.

“My ability… won’t work.”

Temporary decline in Awakening Ability.

From the moment I saw the effect of this newly appeared status abnormality, I thought.

That this kind of situation could come.

And I had already racked my brains to prepare a solution in advance.

If Tae-jae’s status abnormality occurs from ‘seeing’ ‘injured people’…

Wouldn’t it be fine if he just doesn’t see them?

Even if that doesn’t work, wouldn’t it be okay to change just one of these two premises: ‘injured’ or ‘people’?

I took out one item from my bag.

A gun that has 6 plastic cherry tomatoes as bullets.

*Reason for disposal: Decided on complete disposal due to frequent cases of malicious use (I don’t know who it is, but watch carefully. Are you happy stealing and selling products? You’re dead if I catch you.)

*Usage method: Same as a regular revolver. Load the corresponding bullet and fire at the target.

*Precautions: For about 30 minutes, the target is exposed to hallucinations matching their subconscious and mental age. However, directly ingesting the bullet is not recommended. (No side effects were found when used in the recommended manner.)

*Made by extracting the Wave of A-class hallucination Awakener Moon Chae-yeong.

This Discarded Products tag is really unfriendly in that it doesn’t properly specify the usage effects.

So there was always the hassle of having to analyze the information written on the tag down to the nano level to infer the effects.

‘But I use it every time because the effects are certain even considering such inconveniences.’

I took a deep breath in and out. Then I took out the gun and fired it straight at the floor.

-Pyorong!

‘…Why does the firing sound sound like this?’

The bullet flies with a childish melody reminiscent of a toy magic wand.

The cherry tomato bullet shot at the floor with about the power of a water gun broke the plastic capsule, and red liquid flowed out.

After a moment of confusion, I quickly examined what I wanted to confirm.

‘At this level, it probably wouldn’t hurt even if hit.’

Then, now…

“It’ll be okay in just a little while.”

-Pyorong!

As soon as the flowing red liquid soaked into the surface of the child’s outer clothing… a strange light appeared in Tae-jae’s eyes.

As if his emotions had been switched out.

No, as if he was seeing a different world.

And.

“…Gu… dal? Gudal! You’ve gotten incredibly big!”

Gudal?

Tae-jae’s imaginary friend?

He suddenly started calling out the name of his imaginary friend.

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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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