Chapter 132
Chapter 132
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 132
Chapter Title: Hwaryeon Can't Hold Back (2)
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S-rank Hero's son, K Group Chairman's son, and Kim Si-hu's boss—I Hwaryeon.
He was sprinting down the hallway to buy I Hwaryeon's cream bun.
"…Gotta buy it before break ends."
Thud thud thud—
Kim Si-hu dashed earnestly through the hallway.
He arrived at the school store and shouted to the lady behind the counter.
"Ma'am, one cream bun please."
The store lady replied curtly.
"1,000 won."
"Here's my card."
Swipe—
Kim Si-hu handed over his black card as if it were nothing.
It was one of the rare black cards in the entire world.
"Ahem…"
The store lady cleared her throat awkwardly and processed the payment with the black card.
Kim Si-hu took his card back, bowed politely, and said.
"Have a good one."
He was a well-mannered kid.
With that, Kim Si-hu hurried back down the hallway toward the classroom to deliver the cream bun.
But midway, someone suddenly blocked his path.
"You're Kim Si-hu, right?"
"Yes, that's me. Who might you be?"
"Us? Your seniors."
Seniors.
Three people blocking Kim Si-hu's way as they said it.
A stench of cigarette smoke wafted from them.
"My name's Kim Jong-pil. This guy's Park Jun-seo. And this is Lee Soo-jin. We're fifth graders."
"Yes, hello."
Bow—
Kim Si-hu gave a slight bow in greeting.
The upperclassmen group replied confidently.
"Anyway, you really lost to that redhead?"
"Yes, I lost. A total defeat."
"So the redhead's the top first-grader then?"
"Yes, since she beat me, she's naturally the strongest among the first-graders."
"Is that so…"
Suck—
The upperclassmen wore sinister expressions, like they were plotting something.
Then they glanced at the bun in Kim Si-hu's hand and asked.
"What's that cream bun for? You hungry?"
"Oh, this isn't for me."
"Then?"
"It's a cream bun for I Hwaryeon."
Smirk—
The upperclassmen's faces changed at those words.
Kim Jong-pil grinned and snatched the cream bun from Kim Si-hu's hand.
"Then this cream bun isn't yours, right?"
"What are you doing?! Give back my cream bun!"
Suck, you talking back to your seniors right now?"
"Hand it over!"
Kim Si-hu demanded firmly.
Startled a bit by his attitude, Park Jun-seo and Lee Soo-jin whispered.
"Hey, is this okay? That's an S-rank Hero's son."
"What if this blows back on us?"
Pfft—
Kim Jong-pil shook his head and said.
"Hey, we're not messing with that S-rank Hero's son. We're just taking a cream bun from that redheaded first-grader. You've been wanting to put those cocky first-graders in their place too, right?"
"…Yeah, with the PC bang stuff and all. First-graders have no manners these days."
"Right? Dyeing their hair and strutting around? They need some education."
You couldn't touch an S-rank Hero's son.
But that I Hwaryeon kid? Fair game.
Why?
Because there was nothing backing her.
"She doesn't have any real pull, right? No one'll complain if we step on her."
"Not an S-rank Hero's kid either. And since she's supposed to be top dog, even better."
Kim Jong-pil tossed the snatched cream bun high into the air and said.
"Heh heh, tell that redhead if she wants her cream bun back, come to the rooftop next break."
With that, the upperclassmen stole Hwaryeon's cream bun and vanished.
"This kind of treatment is a first…"
Kim Si-hu, always in a high position, experienced being treated like dirt for the first time in his life.
Finding it a rather novel experience, he returned empty-handed and reported what happened.
"That's how it went, Boss."
"Hmph, is that so!?"
Crack—!
Hwaryeon snapped the pencil in her hand.
Her face flushed with rage, she declared.
"They dare steal my cream bun?! I absolutely won't forgive them!!"
Hwaryeon had no intention of forgiving them.
***
After class ended, during break.
Hwaryeon shot up from her seat the moment the bell rang.
Scrape—
"Cream bun thieves! I won't forgive you!"
Her underlings rushed over at the sight.
"Boss! Should we come too?! Just give the order!"
"No, I don't need you guys! This is my fight! The boss has to handle it herself!"
It was a job for the boss.
With that, Hwaryeon bolted toward the rooftop.
Her underlings, hearing this, were secretly moved.
"T-The boss is protecting us…! She's going alone…!!"
"Even so, the boss was thinking of us…! Damn… Boss…!!"
Hwaryeon's underlings wept in感動.
Min-gu, who had attended kindergarten with her for three years, shook his head at the scene.
"She just went alone 'cause she wants to eat the cream bun quick…"
He knew Hwaryeon well from their three years together.
She just wanted the cream bun, that was all.
"My creeeam buuun!"
Hwaryeon climbed the stairs to reclaim her cream bun.
She forcefully shoved open the rooftop door and confronted the cream bun thieves.
"Oh, you came, first-grade champ."
"You guys! Give me back my cream bun!"
"Such an arrogant brat. Looks like you need some education."
The upperclassmen approached with hands in their pockets.
They loomed over Hwaryeon, pressuring her.
"Heard you first-graders have been getting mouthy lately? Strutting around too much."
"Give me my cream bun!"
"You're the first-grade champ, right? We'd prefer if you handled your own before we educate you."
"Where's my cream bun! I'm hungry!"
"By the way, you first-graders have a blue-haired one, right?"
"Blue hair?"
Were they talking about Soo-ryeon?
At the mention of Soo-ryeon, Hwaryeon stopped searching for the cream bun.
She switched to alert mode.
"Why Soo-ryeon?"
"Oh, we checked the PC bang CCTV. She kept hitting our computers' power buttons."
"Well, that can happen once or twice!"
"Every time we left our seats at the PC bang. Over ten times, easy."
"…"
Soo-ryeon did hold grudges hard.
Her plans to mess with people were pretty devious too.
Hwaryeon secretly pitied the upperclassmen who'd become targets.
"So what! What do you want with me!"
"Bring that blue-haired one to the rooftop."
"What?!"
"We'll educate her ourselves."
Crack crack—
The upperclassmen cracked their knuckles, warming up for the lesson.
At that sight, Hwaryeon racked her little brain hard.
'If I wake up sleeping Soo-ryeon and drag her here… she'll get mad at me for dragging her into this crap… and then start some sinister revenge on me too…'
Her grudges were the worst!
Soo-ryeon was such a hassle!
So Hwaryeon turned her gaze to the upperclassmen.
'These guys seem fine with grudges! Plus, they stole my cream bun!'
Whoosh—!
Hwaryeon whipped her gaze back to the upperclassmen.
"Hey! You guys! Where'd you put my cream bun!"
"Cream bun? Obviously we already ate—"
"No forgiveness! Dragon Low Kick!!"
Swoooosh—
Hwaryeon flew into the air and unleashed a low kick at the upperclassmen.
Screams echoed across the rooftop instantly.
"Arrrgh—!!"
"Ow, it hurts—!!"
"Eeeeek—!!"
"This is revenge for my cream bun! Dragon knuckle flick—!!"
It was the moment the mere first-grade champ took on the fifth-grade delinquent crew.
***
I arrived at the faculty office.
And witnessed three students whose faces had turned into pandas.
'I didn't hear Pu Bao was back in Korea.'
Of course, Hwaryeon was unscathed and full of energy.
I asked Hwaryeon, who looked full of grievances.
From what I gathered, she was claiming self-defense.
"They stole my cream bun first! Cream bun thieves! And they tried to mess with Soo-ryeon!"
"Hmm, you did great—"
I started to pat her head for doing well, but.
The pandas' parents were watching, so I held back.
Just then, the vice principal I'd seen at the entrance ceremony came out and began speaking.
"Hwaryeon's parents seem to be here too, so I'll explain. Something unfortunate happened at our Future Elementary School today. Three students got hurt as a result."
"Right, this is school violence! Look at my son's face! This is serious!"
Parents shielding their son.
Hwaryeon sneered at them.
"Fifth-graders got beat by a first-grader! Their own fault!"
"Ahem, what goes around comes around, Hwaryeon."
"Same difference!"
Hwaryeon lacked knowledge but was bold.
I sided with her judgment too.
'You can hide behind parents, but cigarette stink doesn't lie.'
They were clearly low-quality kids.
Seemed they'd used their age as a weapon to target my daughters.
I had no intention of letting that slide.
"If you really think you did nothing wrong, why don't you explain."
"W-What kind of attitude is that?!"
"Three fifth-graders lured one first-grader to the rooftop and extorted her favorite cream bun. And you're saying it's my daughter's fault? If so, let's take it all the way."
Chill—
I responded colder than ever.
They had a duty to protect their kids, but so did I.
And I believed my daughter was innocent.
No reason to back down.
"Let's take it all the way. See who wins."
"…"
Maybe the atmosphere got too heated.
"Ahem."
The vice principal cleared his throat and stepped in to mediate.
"I don't think there's reason to take this all the way."
"Vice principal! What do you mean—"
"Violence is wrong, yes. But isn't it clear whose fault this is?"
"T-That's…"
"Better to settle it with a simple apology. For the kids' futures."
The opposing parents fell silent at the vice principal's words.
Then they approached their panda-fied kids and said.
"…Go apologize and be done with it."
"M-Mom! I got hit here!"
"Shut it! Apologize quick and end it! You'll get it from Dad when we get home!"
"D-Don't tell Dad! S-Sorry!"
Even delinquent elementary kids who smoked.
Dads must be scary.
The pandas stood, mumbling apologies to Hwaryeon.
"S-Sorry…"
"Sorry for stealing the cream bun…"
"Sis is sorry…"
Bow—
The pandas bowed their heads.
Hwaryeon crossed her arms and declared.
"Fine! Since you admitted your mistake! I'll let it slide special!"
"Hwaryeon."
"Huh?"
"You apologize too. You hit them too hard."
"W-What!?"
Hwaryeon shot me a look screaming, 'Why should I apologize?'
I stared back at her seriously.
"Uuugh!!"
She knew I wouldn't let it go easy.
Hwaryeon sighed deeply and said.
"I'm sorry for being too strong!"
"That's not it."
"…Hmph, sorry for hitting too hard! Happy now, Dad!?"
"Yeah, good job."
Pat pat—
I stroked Hwaryeon's head.
She made a somewhat satisfied face.
'Glad it worked out well.'
Good thing Hwaryeon used her fists "justly(?)."
School violence was serious, so I was relieved it resolved smoothly.
"Class will be noisy today anyway, so let's head home early. Hwaryeon."
"Yay! Dad, take me to the burger place!"
"Want to grab burgers on the way."
"Yeah! Burgers! Upgraded cream buns!"
With that, I took Hwaryeon's hand and left through the school gate.
No other students around—just Hwaryeon and me, hand in hand on the way home.
"Coming out of school alone feels great, Dad!"
Hand in hand with her beaming smile.
I simply headed to the burger joint.