Chapter 408

“Ah-yah-yah, teacher, just a moment! Time out!”

“Are you not in too much pain, Nameya? You’re still young, and if you already have so much Aura built up, what will you do? Oh my, your whole body feels like a rock!”

Every time Headmaster Ku Weonyu spanked me, the mana wave that ensued melted away the residual Aura waste that had clung to every corner of my body.

The intention from the start wasn’t punishment; it was a form of Aura therapy.

However, the very first hit genuinely brought tears to my eyes; it hurt that much.

How can I even describe this pain?

It’s the very feeling of muscles loosening when you get a solid massage on your shoulders.

“Eighteen.”

*Slap!*

“Ugh…!”

The lightning jolted through my entire head, and I let out a quiet moan.

The groan was almost reflexive; it couldn’t be suppressed no matter how much I tried.

My body felt like a limp rag, as if I had just sweated everything out in a sauna.

“Um, why do we need to resolve waste that will naturally accumulate again as I live my life? It doesn’t really affect my life.”

“What are you talking about? When you’re young, you may seem healthy, but if this continues to accumulate, you’ll end up sick when you reach my age!”

“Yes…”

I wouldn’t know unless I lived until the age of fifty-seven.

In both of my lives, I’ve lived at the most beautiful time of my life.

I couldn’t refute the information I didn’t know, so I just lowered my head.

“Nineteen.”

*Swoosh!*

“Ugh!”

This time, strength surged through my arms and legs.

I felt even more ashamed that I couldn’t endure this level of pain quietly.

I hadn’t even let out a sound when stabbed in the abdomen.

‘Why can’t I withstand this?!’

My frozen body was slowly warming up, and I felt so drowsy that I could almost fall asleep.

“Okay, now the last one: Twenty for two hundred counts.”

*Crack!*

“Ugh…!”

“Hmm?”

“No, this is… Ugh, I just want to die…”

It felt as if I could declare the cause of my third life’s death to be shame.

“Are you sure you don’t like this too much? You can say if you want more right now.”

“Oh, no, that’s enough. Please, let me go now.”

I gently patted my half-exposed backside with my hand and pulled my pants back up to my waist.

Headmaster Ku Weonyu set me on her lap.

I turned my head sharply and shot her a resentful glance.

“It really hurt.”

“Well, if it’s punishment, then it obviously hurts. I’d like you to think of it as a loving whack. Plus, it’s good for your health.”

“Where did you learn such a strange thing? I mean, my body feels relaxed, but is this really effective medically?”

“This is what my mom did for me when I was young, you little brat. If you believe what an adult says, wouldn’t that be fine? Oh, this cute child, have you hurt a lot?”

Headmaster Ku Weonyu gently pinched my cheek.

I felt frustrated again suddenly.

I was scared that she was actually going to hit me two hundred times.

I covered my trembling lips with my hand.

During the ordeal, the ice on the ceiling gradually melted, activating the room’s mana sprinkler.

The icicles that had been frozen solid disappeared, turning to dust, and the living room returned to its original state.

Instead, a few miscellaneous items that hadn’t been treated with room mana made creaking noises as they melted.

Professor Cheon walked out of the room and calmly approached me.

“Oh my, she’s about to cry again. Father, please come and comfort her. Now, Nameya, let’s go to your dad and hug.”

“I’m not crying this much, you know.”

I replied sullenly.

Professor Cheon looked at me with sorrowful eyes.

Headmaster Ku Weonyu’s physical punishment disguised as Aura therapy must have been consented to by Professor Cheon beforehand.

I can’t help feeling betrayed, but as a big person, I have no choice but to forgive.

I extended my arms in a silent gesture for a hug.

Professor Cheon lifted me with one hand.

I leaned my head against his shoulder for support.

“Hmmmm.”

With a single sigh, I managed to shake off all my frustrations and calm my heart.

Holding me in his arms, Professor Cheon slowly sat down in an armchair.

Headmaster Ku Weonyu, once again submerged in worry, tapped on her desk, visibly distressed.

“So, what should we do about this precious child…”

I didn’t know what the ‘precious child’ that Ku Weonyu mentioned meant, but contextually, it was undoubtedly referring to me.

I buried my face deep in Professor Cheon’s chest.

He kindly stroked my head with his opposite hand.

Strangely, I didn’t feel any fear from his touch.

“Did you suffer a lot, Nameya?”

“Yes…”

“Hey, don’t go too far, Headmaster.”

“Hey! Are you going to dump all the bad roles on me while pretending to be the good one? Ridiculous! I could comfort Name too… Don’t be fooled, Noname, that guy is an accomplice!”

Headmaster Ku Weonyu yelled, veins popping on her forehead.

Professor Cheon pressed his fingers against his ears to block out the noise.

At moments like these, both of them truly seemed like immature kids, only older.

And, as someone who lived two years longer, I thought this to myself, keeping it inside.

After splashing cold water on her face, Headmaster Ku Weonyu pressed her temples firmly.

“Ugh, I really don’t want to go to school tomorrow. But what can I do? As the Headmaster, I can’t just not go…! Ugh, my head.”

“If you had managed Name properly at the Academy, you could’ve prevented this well enough. You aren’t completely guilt-free for not supervising. Of course, I’m in the same boat.”

“Sure, every single thing is my fault.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, Nameya, I’m not trying to get mad at you. I’m sorry if I startled you.”

“My homeroom teacher said not to go, but I insisted on going, so please don’t scold me too much.”

“What a kind and gentle child… Okay, now we should listen to what Name has to say. Did you think you couldn’t hit those children?”

*Nod, nod.*

“Why?”

“I hated the kids who ruined someone’s life. And when I thought of other students and teachers who just watched for over a year, I grew to hate everyone…”

“I see. You should’ve reported any school violence you knew of immediately.”

“Yes…”

“But you knew it was wrong and still did it anyway. We were worried about that. Since we talked about it earlier, I won’t dwell on it.”

“Nameya, take a break from the internet for a while. Let’s rest from the Academy for a few days. Your father will take care of you.”

With the conflict settled, what remained before us was reality.

Both Headmaster Ku Weonyu and Professor Cheon hadn’t openly mentioned my brutality, but they certainly showed concern for me.

How am I perceived by the public right now?

A psychopath?

A dangerous ticking time bomb ready to explode?

There are surely quite a few people cheering for my acts of revenge.

But wouldn’t they also hesitate to keep me close?

Still, I absolutely despise hiding my true self.

This is my conviction and the essence that makes me who I am.

Yet, becoming isolated again would be far too sad and painful.

A jagged stone stuck in a slope, rolling and rolling.

An egotistical stone that knows only itself fell from the second dimension.

Unfitting into the laws of nature, being buffeted by the storms of life.

Denying that I am the problem until the end, blaming only my environments, and blaming and blaming.

Fighting with people, clashing, everyone growing weary of the person that I am.

Every time my ugly essence behind a pretty and cute facade is revealed, the edges wear off, causing unbearable pain.

I’ve become too exhausted to collect beautiful stones by the river anymore to prove my worth.

“Guh… Huh. Huuu, ah…”

The suppressed sorrow I had been forcing down surged up from my throat.

Suddenly, everything felt unbearably sorrowful, and tears began to flow down my cheeks.

“Nameya…!”

“W-what? Was it that sad not to go to the Academy?”

“Ugh… no, that’s not it. Hic…”

Is my brain malfunctioning?

My emotions are overflowing.

I cried so hard that everything in front of me became blurry, rubbing my arms with the droplets spilling down.

My cheeks felt sore.

New tears formed once again in the vacant space of my eyes.

It amazed me that there could still be tears left after crying this much.

“I was wrong; I was clearly at fault a hundred times over. But I’m not such a terrible child. Please don’t hate me too much…”

I don’t want to leave this place.

I desperately clutched onto the nearby stones.

For that reason, for the first time, I took off my mask.

Not all of it, just a tiny part.

“I don’t hate you. No matter what anyone says, your father loves you the most in the world.”

“I also consider you my most precious student, priority number one. I love you a whole lot, Name. Okay?”

The sunlight that filtered through the gaps was so warm and dazzling that it felt like my eyes would nearly go blind.

* * *

[Hello, this is Noname.]

A handwritten self-reflection announcement was posted in the Twish and VTube community.

She began with an apology for her immature behavior and a statement of reflection.

[I am grateful to have received overwhelming love from many people, and I sincerely apologize for bringing great disappointment to my fans with this incident.]

Additionally, she announced that the ongoing educational and medical donation projects would proceed normally through an agent.

[You can check the detailed breakdown of the 1.8764 billion won donation for multiple sclerosis patients at the following link. Prizes are scheduled to be distributed en masse on November 1, so thank you to all the winners for your understanding.]

An unprecedented incident occurred where a perpetrator of school violence self-restrained through personal sanction.

Those who hadn’t seen the video filmed at Araby Middle School all had their questions.

In particular, many overseas subscribers came to the community, asking for the reason for her self-restraint.

[Comments]

– Why is Noname self-reflecting? Does she plan not to broadcast this week? eng plz

– It’s quite common for students to fight in Mexico.

– Why is everyone insulting her when she helped the victim?

– Wasn’t Name a Nightingale?

Those who saw the video of Name dragging four female middle school students up to the third floor found opinions split exactly in half.

“Did well, but self-restraint is necessary,” and, “Clearly wrong, so self-restraint is a must.”

The loudest voices were undoubtedly from the parents at the Academy.

Even after Headmaster Ku Weonyu announced Name’s one-month suspension, some parents strongly advocated for forced transfer.

The online scene became a chaotic mix of groups blindly shielding Name and those endlessly slandering her.

In the political sphere, discussions on juvenile delinquents were ongoing but quickly fizzled out.

Instead, due to lawmakers trying to link Name’s assault incident to video game addiction, the gaming industry was suddenly thrown into chaos.

The Korean Multiple Sclerosis Association revealed Name’s work records of working tirelessly throughout October, but in a society of five million, the voices of two thousand are far too weak.

Fortunately, there was positive news for Name as well.

Amid the numerous controversies, she was selected as the representative for the national exchange competition next year.

Though the nationwide Academies and the Korean Magicians’ Association faced criticism, they remained firm in their position that they could not reverse the decision already made.

In November, a sudden cold wave swept through South Korea.

The cool air accumulated in the Arctic broke through the loosened jet stream, covering the entire country.

“Hey, you guys go ahead. I’ll just stop by the pharmacy.”

“The pharmacy? Saetbyeoni, did you catch a cold?”

“No, my little brother is sick, so I’m just going to get some Tylenol. Aah… Ahem!”

“Are you sure you’re really okay?”

“Ugh, I think I might have caught something too! Dahyi, want to give me a French kiss? Eeeek!”

“Ahhhhh! Save me!”

“Come here, hehehe. Ach!”