Chapter 162: Company Daycare (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 162: Company Daycare (2)
“I…”
I couldn't bring myself to say anything.
I didn't want to treat my sister—the person who had put my life back on track—as if she didn't exist just to avoid a penalty. But I still had a long way to go, and if I mentioned her and ended up with another nosebleed, I might actually have to go get an MRI this time.
Besides, even if I tried to say I had a sister, the words wouldn't come out. It seemed to be the System's way of enforcing the non-disclosure agreement.
As I stood there, mouth agape like a goldfish, the two of them studied my expression. Sensing they had touched upon a sensitive subject, they quickly changed the topic. It was a relief they were so quick on the uptake.
‘My sister… she was one of the good ones.’
She and I had grown up without ever getting into a real scrap. Part of it was because we both had easygoing personalities, but I also remembered her looking out for me a lot since there was a significant age gap between us.
Then again, even with a large age gap, some families ended up like Choi Je-ho’s.
My sister tried her best for our family, too. She tried to fulfill her human duties even toward those people. She used to nag me constantly not to get involved with the adults, yet she was the one who kept checking in on them.
‘Can’t you just live without caring? They don’t care about us anyway.’
‘It’s not that easy for the eldest.’
I could still vividly see her face as she gave that self-deprecating smile.
Jeong Seong-bin pulled me back to reality.
“Hyung, should I peel the cheese in advance?”
“Let’s just tear the packaging slightly. They say using their hands is good for developing fine motor skills.”
“Teachers, is the prep work almost done?”
Kang Gi-yeon, who had been chatting away about Follow-bots in the distance, called out. His face was positively glowing. It was rare to see him look so lively; he really must like his cartoon friends.
“Yes, coming right up!”
In that moment, I accidentally replied in the exact tone I used back when I worked part-time as a server. I couldn't believe I had adapted this much when not even half a day had passed.
Objectively speaking, the members of Spark had excellent stamina.
Choi Je-ho and Kang Gi-yeon, who danced every day, were Another Class, and excluding Park Ju-woo, Jeong Seong-bin and Lee Cheong-hyeon also had decent physical strength thanks to hours of practice and weight training.
‘If it weren't for my injury, I would’ve consistently been number one.’
Though I had temporarily fallen behind in the rankings, I believed I could reclaim my spot soon. I had even turned off the Cumulative Fatigue function and dedicated myself to working out, thinking I’d be back to peak condition in no time.
However, there was a new species of human that easily surpassed these young men who sang, danced, and exercised daily.
The owners of infinite, tireless energy: children.
“Teacher, I can’t do this~.”
“Why do I have to put cucumbers in? I hate cucumbers!”
“Teacher, I dropped it on the floor!”
“My clothes are wet~. I want to wear something else~.”
The children’s stamina was bottomless. Everyone was hell-bent on stacking their sandwiches eight layers high. Breadcrumbs scattered like snowflakes.
Some kids even tried to cut their bread into tiny pieces with child-safe knives, claiming they were making star-shaped sandwiches. Consequently, Park Ju-woo, acting as the kitchen assistant(?), had to do his best to cut cheese and ham into star shapes.
“Kim I-wol, pass me the bananas over there.”
“I’ll give them to you, but what’s that jam on your face?”
“...? When did that get there?”
One of the children took a dishcloth and scrubbed Choi Je-ho’s face vigorously. His cleanliness stat went up slightly.
I busied myself supplying ingredients for the members, who were each surrounded by a swarm of children. I was on my third bowl of egg mayo when someone approached me.
It was a child in a gray shirt who rarely spoke to the other teachers or kids.
“...Teacher, where is your bread?”
“Mine?”
Looking around, I saw that everyone was now munching on a sandwich. The Spark members were also sharing handmade sandwiches with the kids. Choi Je-ho was even eating with one in each hand.
Since feeding the kids was the priority, they barely seemed to get a few bites in, but they each had their own portion. It looked like they had even made some for the camera directors nearby.
I double-checked to make sure no one was empty-handed before answering.
“I’m about to make mine now!”
At that, the child with the name tag ‘Jae-yun’ fell into deep thought. Soon, he firmly grabbed a slice of bread in each hand.
Jae-yun made a sandwich all by himself. While it contained zero vegetables, it was a thick sandwich with two slices each of ham and cheese. He had put in so much egg mayo and strawberry jam that his plastic gloves were stained yellow and red.
Jae-yun held out the sandwich, which was bursting at the seams from an excess of affection.
“Here.”
“Is this for me?”
“Yes.”
I took the bread, feeling a bit dazed. Only after watching me take a few bites did Jae-yun start eating his own sandwich.
Due to Spark’s appearance, there were some changes to the daycare schedule. Instead of the regular English storybook reading—though Lee Cheong-hyeon probably could have handled that—they were given free play time.
Now legally allowed to play, the children ran wild as if they had been unbridled.
“Teacher! Lift me up to the slide, too!”
“You can climb up yourself.”
“My legs don’t reach!”
“I’ll support you, so give it a try.”
Choi Je-ho had essentially changed jobs to become an amusement park safety guard.
“Mini-pang is stronger, right, Teacher? No one can beat him if he uses Majesty Power, right?”
“If Tabot undergoes a 15-stage evolution, Mini-pang loses in one hit. A 15-stage evolution means combining fifteen Tabots, you know?”
“Hmm... I think this requires some serious deliberation.”
Kang Gi-yeon had become a Supreme Court justice, ruling on whether Mini-pang or Tabot was stronger.
“Teacher, obviously a berserk Bitter Pang is the strongest, right?”
“Well, I’m not really sure…”
“Teacher, look here. I’ll put a sticker on you.”
And Park Ju-woo had become… something like the ultimate Mini Mini Pang Pang of the Mini-pang Kingdom. The numerous hairpins in his hair, the flimsy shawl draped over his shoulders, and the magic wand in his hand were testaments to the children's power over him. Still, he desperately resisted having stickers put on his face.
Fortunately, Jeong Seong-bin’s characteristic gentleness succeeded in winning the children over. He acted as a bridge, perfectly identifying the pitches of the nursery rhymes the children sang and relaying them to Lee Cheong-hyeon. Thanks to that, the sound of piano accompaniment finally flowed through the Kkot-nim Class.
And still, I was the only one left alone.
“This is the first time I’ve been so rejected by humanity.”
The writers stifled their laughter at my muttering. While it would have been better for the footage if I actively approached the kids, I didn't want to make them uncomfortable just for the sake of 'quality' filming.
Instead of joining the group, I changed course toward the scattered toys. I began tidying up the blocks strewn across the floor one by one.
As I was filling a basket with blocks, someone started adding blocks from the other side. Jae-yun was helping me with his tiny, fern-like hands.
“Jae-yun?”
Despite my surprised call, Jae-yun calmly continued tidying the toys. What a sweet kid. But children should just enjoy playing. While I felt proud and impressed, I couldn't help but feel a bit tugged at the heartstrings.
Jae-yun stayed with me until the very end, helping me organize the blocks. Cleaning up wasn't lonely at all.
“Now, everyone, let’s get ready for a nap!”
“No!”
“Yes, it’s nap time now!”
The children protested loudly, but the teacher was firm. We hid cowardly behind the teacher and silently cheered. Dark circles were beginning to drape over Spark’s handsome faces like curtains.
“Let’s split into threes. Three of us will clear the floor, and three will lay out the blankets.”
“Okay…”
Park Ju-woo nodded. The jewel ear cuffs hanging from his ears dangled along with the movement.
“I don’t want to sleep.”
“Really? I’m going to sleep because I want to grow taller.”
“Do you grow taller if you sleep?”
“Of course. Look at those teachers.”
Choi Je-ho, who was talking to a complaining child, pointed toward us. Looking at the five lanky men, the child obediently crawled under the covers and lay down.
“How much do I have to sleep to be tall like you?”
“You have to sleep when your mom tells you to.”
“Then can I grow as tall as the ceiling?”
“Yeah. But if you stay awake to play games in secret, the skin under your eyes will turn dark like that teacher over there.”
Choi Je-ho pointed at me this time. The child placed both hands over their eyes. You’re making fun of me for looking like a panda right now, aren't you?
Even before the blankets were laid out, Kang Gi-yeon received all sorts of requests. Everyone dragged their blankets to be next to him. It seemed his exciting stories about the adventures of Mini-pang and Tabot had been quite a hit.
Once Jeong Seong-bin and I lowered the blinds and turned off the lights, the room fell silent in an instant.
“What should we do now?”
“You can just watch them sleep!”
The teacher quietly informed us of the daycare’s next schedule. She explained that someone needed to keep watch because anything could happen even while they slept, and that we needed to prepare the afternoon snacks.
Watching the kids sleeping in two neat rows made me chuckle. And I didn't have to look far to see an 'adult' nodding off right next to me.
“Ju-woo, are you sleepy? Want to go sleep for a bit?”
“No, I’m fine…”
“Go sleep on the slide or something. Je-ho’s already out, anyway.”
Choi Je-ho was already fast asleep at the end of the line, looking perfectly content. I have no idea why he’s sleeping like that.
After settling Park Ju-woo on the slide and tucking Jeong Seong-bin and Kang Gi-yeon into the ball pit, I finally found a moment to breathe.
“Cheong-hyeon, don’t you need to sleep?”
“I have to memorize the manual.”
The nursery rhyme sheet music the teacher had given him trembled slightly in his fingertips. It seemed his pride was a bit wounded that there were songs he didn't know.
‘Now, what should I do…’
As I walked around on tiptoe, I saw a few kids who had kicked off their blankets. I’d heard kids have high body temperatures; maybe they were hot.
I carefully crouched down at their feet. After lightly brushing their foreheads to check for sweat, I tucked them back in properly. It was a peaceful afternoon.