Hunter Kindergarten, Dolphin Class! - Chapter 81
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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 081
“We’re back.”
And so we returned safely to the kindergarten in a completely exhausted state. Tae-jae had fallen asleep in my arms during that time.
As I opened the door, I could see the teachers running out in their stocking feet.
“Gasp… Wow.”
“Are… Are you okay?!”
It’s not strange that they’re reacting like this.
Looking at my current state, anyone would think the same.
There wasn’t a spot from head to toe that wasn’t covered in dirt, and I probably looked like I’d aged ten years.
“You know this is practically a talent, right? How is it that problems always arise whenever you go in?… Don’t tell me you orchestrated this hostage situation too?”
Hostage situation?
…Ah, it seems Ellumis trapping people in the dungeon spread to the outside as a hostage situation.
But Teacher Jin-chae, what exactly do you think of me?
“Do you… need a lawyer?”
I don’t need one, Sa-gwa.
I shook my head back and forth and laughed helplessly.
“Haha… Just think of it as me barely making it back alive.”
I wonder if everyone will just let it slide even after I say this…
“…Yeah, well. I’m sure you handled it well.”
“As long as you didn’t get hurt!. Really… what a relief.”
“Didn’t I tell you? Given Teacher Hwiyeon’s character, the probability of things going wrong is low.”
“Older Brother, stop reading comics.”
They’re letting this slide.
Though I explained it simply, the process of getting out wasn’t entirely smooth either.
Lee Ju-shin and the shaggy-haired researcher explained the situation and completely made people understand.
Plus, after finishing the survivor and casualty reports and getting confirmation from the field team people that there were no particular problems…
‘I was barely able to get out.’
It’s a bit disappointing that I didn’t see Team Leader Lee Gyeon when leaving, but she seemed busy with field cleanup, so it couldn’t be helped.
Anyway, it’s true that I made it back alive through difficulty and hardship.
“So now we just need to send Tae-jae home and we’re done?”
“Yes, then today is over.”
And a little while later.
The final task of the day that I had been hoping and hoping for arrived.
Tae-jae’s departure, that is.
***
Tae-jae energetically packed his bag and stood up. After looking at Grandmother standing in front of the shoe rack, he bowed toward me.
“Goodbye.”
“Take care~ Tae-jae. You did so well today and worked hard.”
As we were having our usual warm farewell hug, I heard a whisper.
“Teacher.”
“Yeah?”
“You know about my friend Gudal, right Teacher?”
A small, whispering voice as if telling a secret story.
“Of course, Tae-jae told Teacher about him specially.”
The imaginary friend who pretends to be hurt in order to stay with Tae-jae forever.
The visual of him with a bandage wrapped around his left eye, smiling brightly while bearing large and small wounds, came to mind.
Despite the fierce visual, he was a big help this time.
‘Thank you, Gudal.’
I was thinking that when…
“Actually today, I saw a whole lot of Gudals. But I know. The Gudal I saw today wasn’t my real friend Gudal.”
An unexpected answer came back.
I remained in a dazed state, still holding Tae-jae. The child’s calm voice continued.
“I’m only telling Teacher this. Because Teacher is the first person who ever asked me.”
I could tell that was referring to when I had asked him ‘Don’t you want to heal?’
“…”
“I still don’t know if I like healing people. I just… right now I want to play with my friends and Gudal. Would that be okay for me?”
Of course it’s okay, of course it is.
However, contrary to my thoughts, my voice didn’t come out right away. As if the words were stuck in my throat, clinging thickly.
A tender heart and surging wordless emotions reddened my eyes.
I patted the back of the child I was holding tightly.
Pat pat.
As if comforting the child’s heart that I couldn’t even dare to imagine.
And I spoke as if scraping the words out.
“Of course it’s okay. If Tae-jae wants to do that, how could it not be okay?”
Pat pat.
A moment later.
The child who had slipped out of my arms brushed back his disheveled hair and grinned broadly.
A relieved and hearty smile that didn’t suit a 7-year-old child.
However, it was the face of someone who had grown more than ever before.
I also smiled back at him.
“Goodbye.”
The polite Tae-jae bowed deeply again and ran toward Grandmother.
I watched from behind.
Tae-jae’s changed Status Window.
Tae-jae’s status abnormality had disappeared.
***
On the way home from work.
I stopped by the convenience store near BOND Company. The part-timer now seemed familiar with me, slightly bowing his head in greeting.
“Hello.”
[ Hello! ]
I came to fulfill my promise of ‘buying new snacks if you behave quietly all day today.’
According to Kwon Hae-seong’s careful observation, they really did behave quietly while I was away.
“But really, why didn’t you come along? It would have been fun if you came to the Underground Dungeon together.”
Of course, that’s purely based on your preferences though…
I quickly grabbed some new snacks from the display. This is a flavor Nabi likes.
[ I didn’t go because I felt bad. Looking at it, I felt like I’d go somewhere that felt bad. ]
“You don’t like Underground Dungeons?”
[ No, I hate that dungeon. ]
“How did you know which dungeon we were going to…”
Ah.
‘Come to think of it…’
The skill that Nabi had shared during Seo-ra’s Second Awakening.
‘Could it be that she used that skill?’
So she knew in advance which dungeon Tae-jae and I were entering and decided not to go in?
However, it was too early to be surprised.
The words Nabi spoke next were confusion itself.
[ But why did you come out carrying something that feels bad? ]
[ It was in Tae-jae’s bag. ]
[ It feels bad. The smell of winged bugs is vibrating everywhere. ]
“…!”
‘The smell of winged bugs?’
Goosebumps rose all the way to the top of my head.
Come to think of it…. Did we release the Ellumis that Tae-jae had caught?
I couldn’t remember. It was natural. I had been too busy taking care of the child and following the field team’s guidance.
‘I don’t think I heard Ellumis speaking.’
I hurriedly paid for the snacks and rushed outside. My steps toward home quickened.
“Anything else? Didn’t you sense anything else?”
[ I don’t know. It just smelled and felt bad. ]
No way…. It can’t be.
‘There’s no way that could be.’
No, no!
I desperately pushed the anticipated speculation to the far end.
‘Nabi must have been mistaken.’
I quickly picked up my mobile phone and called Tae-jae’s grandmother. Not long after, the ringing stopped and the other party answered.
-Click.
***
Monday morning after the weekend had passed.
I went to work with depleted stamina and a face that was no different from a walking corpse.
“Good morning.”
“…Are you sick somewhere?”
Was my condition so terrible that Park I-deun would offer those words as a morning greeting?
“I think it’s because I barely slept over the weekend.”
“Did something happen?”
“No…. It’s not that.”
It’s because I’m worried that something might happen soon.
I recalled the phone conversation I had with Tae-jae’s grandmother on my way home from work last Friday.
Fortunately, Tae-jae’s grandmother gladly checked the bag for me. But still.
Only the answer that there was nothing came back.
‘But why do I feel uneasy….’
Even after that, I switched to talk with Tae-jae on the phone and subtly probed, but there was no particularly guilty reaction.
“I think it’s because I’ve been having a lot of unnecessary worries lately.”
Maybe because I’ve experienced all sorts of things, now my body seems to automatically react whenever something feels even slightly off.
Thanks to that, I lost sleep over the weekend thinking about ‘that damn what-if.’
But…. it’s okay.
Today is a weekday. I couldn’t check immediately because it was the weekend, but today is different.
This might be the first time in my life I’ve looked forward to going to work this much since my 2-year job hunting period.
‘As soon as Tae-jae comes to school, I need to check his bag first.’
And when time passed and Tae-jae came to school, I lifted his bag like I was fishing.
[ It’s still there! ]
-작-! 또 나를 이 — 냄새나는 곳에 –겠다?!
And I grabbed the zipper of the bag and opened it.
-Die! Little human! Send me back to my sanctuary! Go play with Gudol or Gudeok or whatever! You mentally ill bastard human!
there.
The anxious imagination that had been eating away at my mind all weekend had finally… become reality.
Ellumis, wearing a Pearl Crown, was screaming with contempt.
Oh, please.
…Our kid has caused trouble again.
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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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