Roar!
I fiddled with the roaring dinosaur in my hand. It always looked cool, no matter how many times I saw it. Earlier, at the burger joint, I couldn’t help but marvel at the display of dinosaur collections.
But thinking about it, I might not be able to go back to that burger place. It’s a shame, but I guess I’ll have to be satisfied with this one dinosaur.
While playing with the dinosaur, I suddenly found myself in front of Starlight Elementary School. If only I hadn’t stopped by the burger place, it wouldn’t have taken so long…
Before entering the school, I parked in the parking lot first. Since outsiders’ cars aren’t allowed inside the school, I had to park nearby and walk in.
Well, it’s an elementary school, so they have to take all sorts of measures to protect the kids. Having outsider cars driving around inside could be dangerous.
I’m not one, but most elementary school kids are more vulnerable to crime. So, the school’s precautions made sense. By the way, since I’m just visiting the school, do I really need to wear a uniform?
It’s school vacation, so there aren’t many kids around, but among the kids visiting the school, none seemed to be wearing uniforms. Most were dressed casually, as there was no reason to come in the cumbersome uniform.
I glared at Bora, one of the reasons I had to wear the uniform. But Bora didn’t seem to care. She just grabbed my hand and excitedly headed toward the school entrance. I had to be generous again.
We arrived at the entrance, which, though not as strict as a research institute, was heavily guarded. Since I’m a student here, all I needed was a simple ID check and to fill out a form.
The guards didn’t seem to pay much attention to me, probably because I was clearly wearing the school uniform. Bora must have had a plan when she made me wear it.
As I picked up a pen to fill out the entry form, I got stuck at an unexpected part.
[Relationship with the accompanying person?]
Hmm… what should I write? I thought I’d take a cue from Bora next to me, but I couldn’t see well. My brain froze for a moment, and after some thought, I scribbled:
[Mom]
I actually wanted to write “subordinate,” but since Bora had told me before to think of her as a mom when we’re out, what I wrote wasn’t a big deal. However, the guard’s expression subtly changed when he saw my form.
“Did you really fill this out correctly?”
The guard checked Bora’s face and asked me again. Well, Bora looks like she’s in her early 20s, so it’s understandable. But since Bora had said that before, I just nodded.
“Must’ve had an accident at a young age…”
The guard muttered quietly, but I heard it clearly. What accident? It seemed like Bora had gotten into some trouble without me knowing. Guess even Bora has her clumsy moments.
Bora and I received pink entry passes and headed into Starlight Elementary School. The school was huge. Since it’s a place where hunters and regular people study together, the buildings were divided like a university.
Since I’m a regular person, I’d go that way, right? But contrary to my expectations, Bora grabbed my hand and dragged me in the opposite direction. That’s where the hunters study…
I’m just a regular person with no abilities, so why was she taking me there?
“I’ve always wanted to visit Starlight Elementary School. Thanks to Hana, I get to see something rare and it’s really nice.”
“Yeah…?”
I just wanted to finish the tour quickly and go home to play games. I’m more of a homebody. This kind of extroverted activity didn’t suit me. Plus, it was freezing cold. Every breath felt like my lungs were freezing.
We entered a building that sparkled as if it were coated in gold. Just looking at it, you could tell why the Starlight Guild was so rich. They didn’t even try to hide the fact that they splurged on it.
Even during vacation, some classrooms had lights on, probably because students were studying. Of course, only one classroom was lit. The rest were empty.
I walked down the hallway, trying to see the kids studying. But I was too short to see properly.
“Bora! Carry me!”
“Suddenly?”
“Yeah!”
Bora, as if used to it, picked me up and walked around. Only then could I see inside the classrooms. I saw a teacher skillfully teaching the kids. It was hard to believe that in a few months, I’d be studying like that.
I didn’t regress, but I never imagined I’d go to elementary school twice. Starting as a third grader in elementary school… unbelievable.
Wow, the level of studying here is just mind-blowing.
For subjects like math and English, which aren’t just about memorization, you could easily score 100% with basic skills. Adding three-digit numbers, which is supposed to be the hardest math problem for third graders, was a piece of cake—I could solve it just by glancing at it.
Of course, Korean was a bit tougher, so I had to hit the books hard. While I was keeping an eye on the classroom, I thought I made eye contact with the teacher. I quickly buried my face in Bora’s arms. No way I’m meeting that teacher, right?
Bora and I spent hours exploring the school. It was so big that no matter how much we walked, we couldn’t see the end of it.
——————————————-
The teachers at Starlight Elementary School were all brimming with pride. Working at the best private school in the country was enough to make even an ordinary person feel like they’d hit the jackpot.
The appearance of Hunters changed the social structure, but people’s obsession with college entrance exams didn’t waver. If anything, it burned even hotter.
Kids with Hunter talents automatically got admitted to this school. Not only were Hunters rare, but this school was also known as the best in Seoul. Sure, there were Hunter schools in the provinces, but they couldn’t hold a candle to this place in terms of reputation.
Kim Sera, who landed a job here at a young age, was overflowing with pride. She even threw a neighborhood party the moment she got the job offer.
Her family background wasn’t great, so getting a job at such a prestigious place was enough to completely turn her life around.
But since she was just starting out in the workforce, she was getting a taste of the bitter side of life, drowning in work. Of course, the school compensated her well, but still.
‘Huh?’
While walking down the hallway, she noticed a familiar scene. It was common for parents to tour the school with their kids during vacation.
There was a lot to see here. In spring, you could enjoy the beautiful cherry blossoms, and in autumn, the tree-lined paths were stunning with falling leaves.
Winter, though, was a bit dull unless it snowed, but there were still some hidden gems if you looked hard enough.
Curious about the class, both of them were peeking into the classroom through the window. They moved so in sync, they could’ve passed as mother and daughter. But judging by their youthful looks, they might’ve been sisters…
However, the moment she saw the pink visitor pass, she couldn’t help but be startled. Each pass color roughly categorized the visitors, and pink meant parent and child. So those two were definitely mother and daughter.
But the mom looked like she could pass for a college student. How on earth did she maintain such a youthful appearance while having a kid?
And judging by the kid’s age, she looked like an elementary school student. If that’s the case, how early did she have a child? It’s hard to imagine—she’d have to have had the kid at least by middle school to be this young.
In her time working here, she’d met plenty of young-looking parents, but by the time their kids entered elementary school, they were usually at least 30. Given that this school had the most expensive tuition, only those with some financial flexibility could afford it.
And those people tended to marry later. Even if they married early, it was usually in their mid-20s. So by the time their kids entered elementary school, they were generally over 30.
‘By the way, she’s pretty…’
The mom was pretty, but the kid’s looks were even more dazzling. She could easily pass as a child actor on TV. Even as a little kid, she was already that stunning—it was hard to imagine how beautiful she’d become as she grew up.
Leaving behind such a pleasant impression, the two of them disappeared somewhere. For some reason, I had a feeling I’d see them again.
