Side Story Chapter 43 – Parent-Teacher Open Class (6)
It was unexpected.
Was the omnipotent God feeling sorry for me?
Or was it just that the first runner was always the most intense?
Or maybe everyone had thoroughly prepared, contrary to appearances?
Honestly, I expected at least one problem to arise.
However, the talent show that followed went so smoothly that my worries felt utterly misplaced.
“That was great, Mingyu! How do you get your mouth to open so wide?”
“My brother is pretty big.”
“I see. You must have practiced hard.”
…Relatively speaking.
‘Starting off like a total mess… F*ck…’
[Hey, KK…]
Anyway.
Didn’t they say there were quite a few foreign kids in this kindergarten?
Proving that, a white kid came out and started his talent show.
As expected from a country where gun ownership is legal, his talent was a shooting demonstration.
He targeted the exact center of a black bullseye with impressive precision.
With a red scarf around his neck, he exuded a classic cowboy vibe.
“My talent show is done.”
“That was an amazing shooting skill! Great job, Jake!”
But hearing his fluent Korean made it undeniable that he was Korean.
Sure, there was a slight awkward accent typical of foreigners.
But aside from that, there was nothing to critique.
There’s a saying: if you speak our language and wear our clothes, you’re one of us.
“Thanks for the compliment, teacher.”
“How can you shoot so well?”
Right now, this kid named Jake could easily pass as a true Korean.
“Just having a black neighbor helps.”
“Sounds like your neighbor provides good help. That’s a good thing!”
Still, foreigners were foreigners.
‘Ah, so that’s why the black target and the red scarf…’
[Hey, KKK…]
On the other hand, there were cases where foreign kids partnered up for a talent show.
A black boy teamed up with a Korean girl.
They performed their talent show right in the middle of the classroom.
However, this show was not as grand as the previous one.
The girl explained various items that could be gathered from the sea, one by one.
Meanwhile, the black boy merely mimicked the gathering process.
Honestly, it was boring.
Maybe anticipating this feeling, the girl sported flashy angel wings.
Probably trying to grab people’s attention with that kind of decoration.
However, it still felt lacking in entertainment.
Of course, the boy’s demonstrations were quite realistic.
Be it catching fish or gathering salt, etc.
Yet, it was hard to shake off the impression that it was dull.
Especially since the boy displaying the demonstration had a blank expression devoid of any soul.
Still, I decided to let this slide.
After all, it’s only natural for kids to participate in a talent show.
Besides, the kids probably put their own thoughts and preparations into it.
Isn’t it odd to criticize them for that?
Just presenting in front of strangers must hold significant value.
The parents seemed to recognize that unspoken truth.
As soon as the explanation ended, they quickly responded with applause.
Of course, even they couldn’t help the boredom.
Their lips bore distinct bite marks, after all.
Just then, the teacher began showering praise on the children.
“That was a wonderful explanation. Especially Dshen’s demonstration felt really realistic.”
“Teacher, you should get the name right.”
At that moment, the girl sharply shot back at the teacher.
“Huh? Wasn’t it Dshen?”
“Ha! What are you even doing!”
The girl openly expressed her dissatisfaction on the teacher’s confused face.
Was simply complaining not enough?
Now she was making her partner say his name directly.
“Hey, what’s your name?”
It could be seen as rude, but I can understand to some extent.
Kids are sensitive about their names being mispronounced.
Especially since the teacher got her partner’s name wrong; she must be furious.
Was this how kids build their friendships?
“…From today, my name is Chunsik…”
“See?”
“The teacher got it wrong. I’ll be careful next time, ‘Anshin’.”
“Yes, please do.”
It wasn’t between friends, but some other connection.
[So that’s why he has a soulless face but acts realistically…]
‘Ah, so that’s why he’s an angel… F*ck…’
It seemed like some kind of vertical, unchallengable relationship.
Really, what kinds of kids were attending this kindergarten?
What on earth were they thinking not to sort those kids out?
No, maybe they came here because they accepted everyone without discrimination.
I was starting to doubt if choosing this place was the right decision.
“Now, we’ll have Suho’s parent demonstrate for the talent show.”
“Dad, Mom! Go, both of you!”
Before I could even swallow my lament, a pair of parents stepped into the middle of the classroom.
Having trained hard, both had large bodies with muscles apparent even through their clothes.
Even if they were Hunters, finding one trained to that level was rare except for Cheonma.
What in the world were they going to display in the talent show?
“What will you be showing for your talent?”
“We’re going to demonstrate wrestling.”
“Adult wrestling, that is.”
“Ah, I see. Let’s give them a round of applause.”
…Something felt off.
[Adult what…?]
‘No way, F*ck. These crazy kids.’
However, my unease was misplaced as what they showcased was regular wrestling.
Of course, given the term ‘adult’, it was very dangerous.
But it was a typical form of wrestling that could be seen on TV.
Why the hell were these bastards using such terms and being ridiculous?
Aside from that, the wrestling itself looked quite decent.
Even someone like me, who knows nothing about it, could tell their skill level was high.
Both the ones executing the moves and those receiving them were impressive.
It was so flashy I involuntarily gasped at the display.
Especially the strike sounds were so vivid that even if I knew it was acting, it felt like they were really hitting each other.
– Smack!!!
“Sweetheart, take it easy…!”
Well, it could have been real hits, but… anyway.
However, it seemed like they were too absorbed in the wrestling.
Or perhaps the emotional depth grew during the performance.
The moves they exchanged began to get increasingly wild.
I started to worry if an accident would happen.
– Crash!!!
“Ugh!”
And then my fears abruptly transitioned into reality.
As a woman held the man by the neck and lifted him upside down, slamming him hard onto the ground.
That was probably the superplex, one of those extremely dangerous moves.
However, it seemed the man didn’t expect the woman would execute such a move.
He lost his balance and bounced towards the kindergarteners gathered nearby.
And just slightly, he hit the left arm of a kid named Eunseo, who’d previously befriended Yumi.
– Slap.
“……”
“……”
Eunseo and the man locked gazes in a heavy silence that settled in the classroom.
The man made a bizarre expression and suddenly loosened Eunseo’s shoelaces.
Warming up the atmosphere, he presented it as some sort of performance.
For something improvised, it was quite a professional response.
“Hehehe! Scared, huh? I just loosened your shoelaces!”
“……”
However, Eunseo remained silent and still.
She stared blankly at the loosened shoelaces.
The man, wearing an annoying expression, began to tease her.
His attitude was that of a pro trying to hide his embarrassment.
“Am I too scary that you can’t tie your shoelaces? Hehehe!”
“……”
At that moment, Yeonwoo cautiously approached the silent Eunseo.
“Eunseo, I’ll tie it for you. You’ve got trouble with your arm since you were born.”
“……Thank you…”
“Ehm…?”
The atmosphere suddenly took a weird turn.
Previously, Eunseo seemed to have perfectly fine arms.
It looked like she didn’t want to lose on even the smallest details.
And timing couldn’t have been better with clever Yeonwoo coming to help her.
Thanks to that, the man who had suddenly turned into trash yelled in panic.
“Ah, no! I didn’t mean to do it!”
It was slightly pathetic to see him forget the concept and shout.
But the glares directed at him remained sharp.
And gradually, those glares sharpened even more.
“Eunseo, are you okay?”
“Waaaaah!!!”
Eunseo burst into tears all of a sudden.
Honestly, even I could see she hadn’t been hit that hard.
But to Eunseo, just that was too painful, and she wailed terribly.
She was holding her right arm, despite being hit on the left.
“It hurts!!!”
“Didn’t you say you couldn’t use that arm? You got hit on the other arm, right?!”
As expected, both Yeonwoo and Eunseo were children of Hunters.
Hadn’t they just turned that man into trash in one fell swoop?
Both were adapting to a world where the weak couldn’t survive.
Yet, the truly troublesome part was how awkward the mood had become.
What had started as a talent show with good intentions had turned into this.
While pondering if I should use regression to revert it, suddenly Yumi spoke to Yeonwoo.
“Yeonwoo, take Eunseo to the nurse’s office.”
“Yumi, aren’t you coming with us?”
Though it seemed she was speaking softly, her voice was clear enough for everyone to hear.
Thanks to that, all eyes turned to Yumi in that moment.
Suddenly, Yumi answered Yeonwoo’s question but with a pledge instead.
With a determined expression and a serious tone.
“And no matter what happens, don’t ever come back.”
Hearing that, Eunseo immediately stopped crying.
Yeonwoo left the classroom with the real Eunseo alongside him.
After simply nodding, they rushed out.
And right behind Yeonwoo, everyone began to flee the classroom, screaming.
Kids and adults alike were all running away, panic-stricken.
Perhaps Yumi had led them to half-confirm that something horrific was about to unfold.
In the end, the only ones remaining in the classroom were Yumi, the teacher, and the piece.
It was surprising that the teacher didn’t leave the classroom.
Was it due to some sense of duty that kindergarten teachers have?
A model kindergarten teacher holding onto their sanity even in extreme situations.
[The floor is wet.]
‘Ah, my legs gave out…’
I couldn’t hold onto anything else, but… anyway.
At that moment, the teacher cautiously spoke to Yumi.
Keeping a safe distance to prepare for any unforeseen events.
It seemed the teacher had no idea what was happening either.
“Yumi, dear…?”
However, despite the teacher’s trembling question, Yumi didn’t answer.
To be precise, it was appropriate to say she didn’t feel the need to respond.
And rightly so.
“”Hidden camera success!!!””
“……”
Suddenly, Yeonwoo and Yumi had returned to the classroom, high-fiving each other.
Seeing the two, the teacher looked at them with a dazed expression.
Then she approached them, wearing a relaxed smile.
Meanwhile, she did her best to cover her lower half, stained with darker colors from the apron.
“Did we scare you, teacher?”
“Were you having fun?”
“……Hidden cameras are great, but next time, please tell us beforehand?”
Of course, Yumi and Yeonwoo maintained their confident demeanor.
“If you tell us, it wouldn’t be a hidden camera.”
“As Yumi said, if the teacher knows, it’s staged.”
“Oh, right.”
Ultimately, it wrapped up neatly.
Without anyone getting hurt, it ended cleanly.
And it would be etched deep in everyone’s memories as an unforgettable experience.
Especially since our kids made the final splash—what could be better than that?
At the same time, I could reaffirm my admiration for the teacher’s caliber.
No matter what the other kids did, she never got angry.
With a smile, she guided the children in the right direction, a truly excellent teacher.
“Teacher, did you get freaked out?”
“Yeonwoo, bring some salt.”
“…….”
Even now, the teacher maintained her smile despite Yeonwoo and Yumi’s remarks.
Just a moment ago, I’d slightly doubted sending them to kindergarten.
But seeing Yumi and Yeonwoo now, I felt I made the right choice.
They were undoubtedly learning how to adapt to the world here.
“Are you Yumi and Yeonwoo’s mom?”
[Indeed.]
Everything truly felt like a blessing.
“Let’s have a serious talk about the kids’ education.”
[Ah, F*ck.]
Of course, that wasn’t directed at the piece.
