Chapter 16
As expected, the first day is all about self-introductions, a light orientation, and an early dismissal.
The self-introductions are done.
Since explaining the curriculum to first graders is pointless, the orientation was skipped.
Then, they pushed the desks aside and started a game to get to know each other.
“…It was time to go home already.”
Kids will naturally become friends on their own, do we really need to go this far?
Now I have no choice but to participate…
“Alright, everyone, walk around freely, and when you meet a friend, shake hands, high-five, or give a hug!”
“Yes!”
As Choi Ye-na started playing a cheerful song and began spinning around, the kids followed her, running around everywhere.
I went to the very back corner, pretending to participate, but the kids started flocking towards me.
These little brats…
Don’t they know the school rule is to leave the quiet person in the corner alone?
The first to arrive in front of me was Lee Ha-yoon.
She charged at me boldly…
“Gyeoul!”
And immediately started with the insults.
Though she was rude, she spread her arms asking for a hug, so I reluctantly accepted.
It’s definitely not because she’s cute or pretty.
Really…
After that, the kids kept running towards me.
The girls mostly asked for handshakes or hugs.
The boys went for high-fives.
My palms were stinging.
It was like they were showing off their strength, slapping my hand hard, giggling, running away, and then sneaking back.
This is why I don’t like it.
They get all excited, and if something goes even slightly wrong, they start crying.
And the highlight was…
“I want a hug!”
It was Choi Jeong-min.
‘This snot-nosed kid…’
This isn’t a metaphor. He’s literally coming with snot running down his nose.
“No. Can’t. Go away.”
“Why can Ha-yoon do it and not me!”
“You have snot. It’s gross.”
“…”
It’s not about gender discrimination.
I could give anyone a hug, no big deal.
But… I can’t stand the thought of that snot getting on my clothes.
Oops. Choi Ye-na.
If all the kids are running towards me… what about Choi Ye-na?
I glanced at her just in case…
Sure enough, she was standing pitifully in the center of the classroom.
Now I have to take care of the homeroom teacher’s mental health too.
She probably expected the kids to greet each other nicely, shake hands, and hug the teacher.
But things didn’t go as planned, and all the kids are flocking to me.
“Don’t do it to me, go do it to the teacher. Didn’t she say she doesn’t like kids during the self-introduction?”
“Pretty people get everything!”
“Yeah! Don’t show off! You’re shorter than me!”
“Guys, don’t be mean to Gyeoul!”
Lee Ha-yoon defended me with a face that looked like she was about to cry.
It’s touching, but I don’t need that, so you go over there too.
“And what about you! Ugly!”
“…Am I ugly?”
“Eeeh~ Ha-yoon is~ ugly~ ugly~”
“Stop it!”
“Stob id!”
“Stop it, I said!”
“Stob id, I said!”
“Waaaaah!”
…I want to go home.
Hearing the crying, Choi Ye-na rushed over and finally managed to calm the situation.
“Gyeoul, can you come here?”
“…Yes.”
Choi Ye-na, who had calmed the situation, called me, so I reluctantly went forward.
“The kids seem really interested in Gyeoul, so to avoid any accidents, let’s have you answer some questions up front. How about that?”
“Why me… Alright.”
I accidentally saw Choi Ye-na’s teary face.
Without realizing it, I agreed.
Alright… let’s just do this once.
I’ll answer quickly and get out of here.
“What car does your family have?”
“…What?”
“My family has a German car! It’s expensive, aren’t you jealous?”
Starting with bragging about their family car…
“How much is your family’s salary? My mom said not to play with kids from low-income families.”
“You’re not from a public housing complex, are you?”
“Gyeoul, if you’re on welfare, tell us now.”
“Divorced families are a no-go…”
“Do you have both your mom and dad?”
Even asking about my parents…
…Choi Ye-na. Instead of holding onto me, shouldn’t you be having a talk with their parents?
Is this really what first graders should be saying?
After that, questions that made me wonder what I was even listening to kept pouring out.
The elementary schoolers I thought were simple turned out to be tougher than I expected.
As I hesitated to answer, the kids’ expressions started to harden.
“What… why aren’t you answering?”
“Are you poor? A beggar?”
…I was taken aback, but thinking about it, maybe it’s not so bad.
If I get bullied and whine about not wanting to go to school, maybe Jeong Ha-yul will understand.
Just as I was about to answer, Choi Jeong-min stepped up again.
“If you don’t want to be bullied, marry me!”
What the hell.
“My dad is an A-Class Awakened One!”
So what.
“I’ll let you live without ever lifting a finger!”
…Are you saying you’ll make me your slave?
“No.”
“What? No? Take this!”
He swung his arm as if to hit me, so I reflexively dodged and tripped him.
Thud-
“Ugh… ugh… waaaaah!”
Oh my god… I messed up.
***
Usually, the first day of elementary school ends after just one period.
Because of this, parents often wait in their cars or nearby cafes.
“Did we really have to come all the way here?”
“If you get caught at a nearby cafe… the Jeong family at school will go crazy, right?”
“…Can’t we just say we came to hang out?”
“Would that work? Especially with the rumors about you having a daughter lately?”
We were planning to kill time at a quiet cafe a bit away and then leave…
But the homeroom teacher, Choi Ye-na, called.
Jeong Ha-yul put the call on speaker so Eun-chae and Kang-woo could hear too.
“Hello?”
“Is this Gyeoul’s older sister? I’m calling because Gyeoul and a friend named Jeong-min got into a fight…”
“What? Gyeoul? That can’t be… is she badly hurt?”
“Gyeoul is fine, thankfully…”
“No, not Gyeoul… the other kid, Jeong-min.”
“Huh?”
No one here thought Gyeoul would be the one getting hurt.
‘If she hit someone… she wouldn’t be the one getting hurt.’
‘She’s been going through puberty lately… she probably didn’t hit him too hard.’
Even though most of her magic power is sealed, Jeong Gyeoul is a telekinesis Awakened One.
We started worrying more about the other kid.
“We’ll get there as soon as possible. We’re a bit far, so it’ll take about thirty minutes.”
“Alright, you can come straight to the principal’s office. See you soon.”
We decided to head to the school quickly without prolonging the call.
“This reminds me of when Ha-yul was 15.”
“Right, Ha-yul also completely wrecked a kid right after entering the academy…”
“…Just be quiet and let’s hurry.”
The group chatted about Jeong Ha-yul’s past incidents as they headed to the school.
Since it was a parent-teacher meeting, Kang-woo and Eun-chae decided to wait in the car.
Jeong Ha-yul went to the principal’s office alone.
“Why are you so late? Do you think we have nothing better to do?”
“Jeong-min’s mom… please calm down, they’ll be here soon…”
“Do I look calm to you? Can’t you see the injury on Jeong-min’s face?”
“Enough, sit down.”
“…”
The other kid’s parents had already arrived.
Next to them, Choi Jeong-min was comfortably sitting on the sofa eating snacks.
Jeong Gyeoul was sitting stiffly on a hard chair with her hand raised.
Jeong Ha-yul had been practicing how to greet them on the way, but seeing Gyeoul sweating nervously, she forgot all her prepared words.
“…What’s going on here?”
“And who are you!”
“I’m Gyeoul’s guardian.”
“Ah~ So you’re the mom of that little brat? No wonder the kid’s like that, seeing how you’re all dressed up. Are you some kind of celebrity?”
“Enough, sit down.”
The woman who sneered at Ha-yul stopped when her husband muttered something.
“Why is Gyeoul the only one with her hand up?”
From what I heard, it was a fight between the two.
If it’s about scolding them for fighting with a friend, both should have their hands up.
Not knowing the exact situation, Jeong Ha-yul decided to listen first instead of getting angry.
The homeroom teacher, Choi Ye-na, started explaining.
“There was a fight, and Jeong-min fell after Gyeoul tripped him… she hurt a friend…”
Frustrated by the teacher’s hesitation, the principal stepped in.
“She hurt a friend and showed no remorse, so I told her to raise her hand.”
“…I heard there was a fight, but was it entirely Gyeoul’s fault?”
“Well, Jeong-min is the only one hurt, right?”
“I was asking Teacher Choi Ye-na. And Jeong Gyeoul. Lower your hand.”
“Yes.”
The principal’s words about Gyeoul being unrepentant.
The following remarks were biased.
Because of that, Jeong Ha-yul actually thought Gyeoul wasn’t at fault.
And most importantly, Gyeoul’s expression.
She believed that expression that said she did nothing wrong.
‘If she’s guilty of something, she can’t look me in the eye.’
As Gyeoul lowered her hand, the principal, unable to hide his displeasure, gestured for Choi Ye-na to speak quickly.
“Jeong-min proposed to Gyeoul…”
“What? Why would our Jeong-min do that! He wouldn’t do that to someone like her!”
“What do you mean by ‘someone like her’?”
Jeong Ha-yul, baffled, asked, and the woman stepped forward as if she’d been waiting for this.
“It’s a bit hard for me to say this, but… my husband is an A-Class Awakened One.”
“I’ve heard. We’re always grateful for his contributions to society.”
Before Jeong Ha-yul could respond, the principal stepped in.
Only then did Jeong Ha-yul understand why the principal was biased.
‘Are they really judging people by their rank now?’
A laugh escaped her at the treatment she’d never experienced before.
“Pfft… Oh, sorry.”
“What’s so funny? You must not know how the world works.”
“Sorry. I couldn’t help but laugh.”
“By the way, are you from the Association? Your voice sounds familiar. If so, we might be able to settle this easily.”
Choi Jeong-min’s father, who had been sitting quietly.
The A-Class Awakened One started to speak.
“Oh… you shouldn’t settle it easily.”
“What?”
“Make it difficult. As big and complicated as possible.”
