Chapter 5
Chapter 5
Chapter 5
Reincarnation (5)
Most of the children attending Hanbyeol Kindergarten are the children of parents who work at factories.
The rental apartment where I live was in the center of Pyeongtaek's factory district, and the kindergarten wasn't far away. Most of the children here are in the same situation.
However, a few children definitely had a different atmosphere about them.
Expensive clothes, and the kindergarten teachers paid special attention to them.
These were the children of factory owners or executives. Class divisions start from kindergarten.
Among them, a boy named Do-kyung had particularly unusual aspects. He properly recognized his status and acted selfishly.
He was the only son of the largest factory owner in Pyeongtaek.
A six-year-old with a large build and a chubby body.
And this guy fell for the Witch.
Actually, he wasn't the only child who liked the Witch. Objectively speaking, she was prettier than any of her peers.
"Hey, go out with me."
This crazy bastard said to the Witch during lunch time in front of the other children.
The Witch's answer?
There wasn't one.
She just kept reading her book.
"Hey! I said go out with me!"
Everyone's eyes focused on them.
Then the Witch put down her book and spoke to Do-kyung.
"I wouldn't even use someone like you as a slave."
Do-kyung, who had confessed only to be humiliated, turned red and threw a fit.
"You! I'm telling my dad!"
Right, that's the only weapon kids have.
But the Witch is different.
The Witch slowly approached Do-kyung.
'She's going to cause trouble, isn't she?'
Her expression was cold.
I had no intention of stopping her.
The Witch's height was similar to Do-kyung's. The Witch looked straight into Do-kyung's eyes and said,
"If you look at me from now on, I'll gouge out your eyeballs. If you speak to me, I'll cut out your tongue, and if you walk toward me, I'll rip off your legs."
It was a tone filled with a frost-like chill.
Do-kyung's body trembled. Then his pants began to get wet.
The children frowned at the sight.
'The Witch showed a lot of restraint. To think she'd stop at just that.'
The Witch left those words and returned to her seat to open her book.
Even the teacher couldn't say anything in the Witch's chilling atmosphere.
"Your sister is scary."
So-yeon said in a trembling voice.
"I should have done that to you too."
"If you do that, I'll cry."
This is also one of the weapons children have.
Tattling or crying.
I'm currently with these children.
"But Do-kyung did that to me before too, asking me to go out with him. My dad and Do-kyung's dad are close."
So-yeon's father is also the owner of a fairly large factory. That was the reason the teachers left her alone even though she always stuck right next to me.
"They say this is a place to learn about social life, and that's certainly true."
Even though it's kindergarten, treatment differs according to parents' economic power.
Anyway, there are only two weeks left now.
I could only think about enduring it.
The boring time passed, and finally I left the kindergarten. But somehow, my side felt empty.
'Where did she go?'
So-yeon doesn't take the bus; her mother comes to pick her up. So she sticks by my side until we get outside the kindergarten gate, and then gets in the car after the bus leaves.
But today So-yeon isn't here.
'That's good. I'll just go.'
Not missing the opportunity, I quickly got on the bus.
But the atmosphere was strange.
So-yeon's mother was standing in front of a car behind the bus, and a teacher was explaining something earnestly.
I concentrated and listened to their conversation.
"What do you mean the child is missing?"
"We're looking for her now, so she'll come out soon."
"I told her we have to go to her maternal grandparents' house today, and to come out right away when she's done."
I have a bad feeling.
"Has anyone seen So-yeon?"
The teacher got on the bus and asked. Then a child raised their hand and answered.
"I just saw her getting into a white car with some men."
A white car?
The guys I saw this morning came to mind.
I got off the bus for now.
"Uram, where are you going?"
"I need to use the bathroom."
Pretending to go back into the kindergarten, I entered a nearby building.
I ran up to the rooftop in one breath and looked around from the railing. The road wasn't visible properly because it was blocked by other buildings.
Pat!
I kicked off the ground and jumped to the next building.
It was my first time using lightness skill in a while, but my body moved as I intended.
After repeating this five times, I saw a white car moving faster than other cars.
'Should I just leave it?'
But she's a kid who likes me, so I couldn't just leave her.
I confirmed the car's location and drew up my internal energy.
'I'll run properly for the first time in a while.'
Heavenly Sky Flight.
The name of the lightness skill I used before using Heavenly Demon Divine Arts.
The internal energy consumption is severe, so I still need to control it.
I tracked the white car while jumping over buildings.
The distance rapidly closed, and soon I was running parallel with the car.
'Let's catch them.'
After jumping down to a 5-story building rooftop, I increased my speed and launched my body in one breath.
Kwang!
I jumped down precisely onto the front windshield of the white car.
Kkeeeeeek!
The running car slid with a roar.
Through the broken windshield, I could see So-yeon in the back seat. A man was covering So-yeon's mouth.
'As quickly as possible.'
The car was heading toward an electric pole.
I tore away the glass and went inside, twisting the arm of the man holding So-yeon.
Ttuduk!
I completely twisted both his arms and held So-yeon.
"Close your eyes."
Despite being shocked, So-yeon shut her eyes tight.
I immediately broke through the rear window and got out. Then I went straight into a nearby building.
Kwang!
As expected, the car crashed into the electric pole. So-yeon trembled at the sound.
"It's okay. You're safe now."
So-yeon still trembled as she opened her eyes.
The shocked child couldn't say anything.
I held out my pinky finger to So-yeon.
"What you saw just now is a secret. You can keep it, right?"
"Y-yes."
"Promise."
So-yeon hooked her pinky finger.
"And what you see from now on is also a secret. Got it?"
"Yes, secret."
I went to the rooftop with So-yeon. Then I quickly returned to the kindergarten using lightness skill.
'It took three minutes.'
After casually coming out of the kindergarten's backyard with So-yeon, I got on the bus.
Only then did So-yeon smile and wave her hand. She looked the same as yesterday.
'The Heavenly Demon is rescuing little kids.'
It was a day that made me hate kindergarten even more.
That evening.
The house was turned upside down.
Because of visitors who came in the evening.
At first, I thought it was because I rescued So-yeon and tried hard to think of excuses. But it was completely different.
"What did you just say?"
Father asked in a trembling voice.
The visitors were two foreigners and a Korean interpreter.
"Your daughter has solved the Millennium Problems."
"What are the Millennium Problems..."
"Our mathematics research institute selected seven unsolved mathematical problems. Only two problems have been solved so far, but your daughter solved three problems two years ago. We've spent the past two years confirming this, and yesterday it was officially recognized that the problems were solved."
The two years the Witch told me to wait.
This was the result.
"There was one million dollars on the line per problem. All three problems were recognized, so you will receive three million dollars."
"Three million dollars means..."
"At the current exchange rate, it's 3.6 billion won."
My parents were too shocked to speak. The Witch sat on the sofa reading a book as if she wasn't interested.
"But where is your daughter?"
That was the reason they came in person.
"The solution we received only had your personal information, sir. Along with the statement that she was the daughter of Na Seong-cheol. We really want to meet the genius mathematician."
"Well, if it's my daughter..."
Father pointed to the Witch sitting on the sofa.
Only then did the Witch get up from the sofa.
"I solved it. If you've confirmed it, leave the money and go back."
The visitors just blinked at the Witch.
The Witch sat in front of them as if she had no choice. Then she opened a children's sketchbook.
"I'll only say this once, so listen carefully."
"Uh, excuse me, may we record this?"
"Sure."
The Witch began writing something in the sketchbook while rattling off incomprehensible words.
Strange formulas were listed, but there was nothing I could understand.
All I could recognize was the foreigners' surprised expressions.
They repeatedly exclaimed in admiration, and in the end, they stood up and applauded.
'Why are they so happy about that?'
Their expressions were genuine.
The interpreter excitedly translated the foreigners' words.
"A six-year-old genius mathematician, at this level she's certain to win the Fields Medal as the youngest recipient. This will shock the entire world."
I don't know what the Fields Medal is. But seeing their expressions, I could guess it was a very big award.
While my parents still didn't know what to do, the Witch finished explaining and held out the sketchbook to the foreigners.
"Take it. It's a gift. Please deposit the money as quickly as possible, and it's dinner time, so go back now."
The Witch shooed away the visitors as if they were bothersome.
After all the visitors left, the Witch spoke to our parents as if it was nothing.
"Let's move to a bigger house."
That was the reality of the two years the Witch mentioned.
The Witch left those words and went back to the sofa to pick up her book.
That evening's dinner had a strange atmosphere.
My parents didn't say much. This kind of atmosphere was a first.
No one spoke and just ate rice.
I felt pressure to say something, but I couldn't find a topic.
As the long silence continued, eventually the Witch was the first to speak.
"Mom and Dad already knew, right, that we're not ordinary."
In fact, they couldn't not know.
The Witch and I were different from other children in every way.
We spoke for the first time early, and we walked early too.
Most of all, we hardly acted like young children.
There's no way our parents wouldn't know.
"I'm sorry."
Father suddenly started with an apology.
Why does Father always apologize to us?
I hated Father's weak appearance.
"I didn't know what to do. You two have never grown up as expected even once. I searched a lot in my own way, but there were no cases like yours. I'm sorry that there's nothing I can do as a parent."
"Mom is sorry too. I should help our son and daughter develop their talents, but we're lacking so much..."
My parents only said they were sorry.
I couldn't listen anymore. Anyway, this was something that needed to be sorted out once.
"Father, Mother. Just giving birth to us is a grace I can never repay in my lifetime. If you just leave it to me, I won't disappoint you."
"Mom, Dad. We're not children that anyone can teach. We've already decided everything about what to do ourselves, so just love us like you do now. Then there's no problem at all."
My parents looked at each other and then nodded slightly.
It seemed they had already talked a lot about this part.
"Then, is it okay to continue as we've been doing until now? Dad thinks you're pretty and precious no matter what talents you have or what problems there are."
"Still, Mom and Dad are always on your side, so if you have worries, definitely tell us, and don't hide even small things if there's anything we can help with. Okay?"
"Yes!"
"I understand."
The serious atmosphere ended there.
It even felt refreshing, as if we had shared our inner thoughts with each other.
I took advantage of the harmonious atmosphere and suddenly asked Mother.
"Mother, then I can stop going to kindergarten, right?"
Mother found my appearance cute and just laughed.
"Alright. From now on, do what you want to do. Mom will just help."
"Thank you!"
As I began eating cheerfully, the dining table atmosphere became lively like before.
As if nothing had happened.