Chapter 155
Chapter 155
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 155
Chapter Title: School Opening and Class Assignment
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The kids had become third graders.
Having aged, they had also shot up in height.
Maybe because they were dragons, their horns and tails had grown quite long too.
I munched on some snacks while touching Hwa-ryeon's horn and asked.
"Where do your horns and tails grow to, anyway?"
"Hmph!"
Shoo-!
Hwa-ryeon swatted away my hand that was touching her horn and replied.
"Of course they'll grow more! And mine are gonna get huge! They're the symbol of the strong!"
Poke poke.
She said that and started jabbing my chest with her horn.
The tip was sharp, so it stung quite a bit.
"Keep poking and I'll have you for deer antler velvet."
"What's that!?"
"It's a thing. A herbal medicine made by cutting off horns."
Flinch.
Hwa-ryeon recoiled in surprise at my words.
"M-my horn is precious! Touch it and I'll bite you! Raaargh!"
Hwa-ryeon threatening me to protect her horn from my hand.
Still, I'd gotten one piece of info.
'The size of their horns is a dragon's pride.'
Men's pride is decided by size too.
Not much difference.
Anyway.
As they aged, the kids' horns and tails grew too.
Unlike humans, dragons had two extra growing parts.
Su-ryeon spoke of the phenomenon like it was the most natural thing.
"It's as obvious as the fact that the Earth is flat. Dragons are superior to humans, so of course they have more growing parts."
"?"
Something's off.
"Su-ryeon."
"Yeah, Dad."
"Why is the Earth being flat a fact?"
"Because it just is."
Swish.
Su-ryeon shoved her A-Pad in my face and showed me an X-Tube video.
-The Reason the Earth is Flat! NASA is Hiding the Secrets of the Universe!?
Anyone could see it was a conspiracy theory.
A third-grader deep into conspiracy theories.
Su-ryeon looked at me with zero doubt.
"The internet is telling the truth, Dad. The Earth is flat. Until I see it with my own eyes, I won't accept that it's round."
"...Yeah, could be."
"Kekeke... This world is covered in lies..."
How far would Su-ryeon's chuunibyou grow?
It hadn't improved with age.
Seemed like a chronic condition.
"Su-ryeon, don't blame me later for not stopping you."
"Hmm, I think I'm perfectly normal right now. No regrets coming."
"Yeah..."
Enjoy it while it lasts, Su-ryeon.
Don't kick the blanket later over your dark history.
I was scared how far that chuunibyou would grow.
'But Cho-ryeon has changed the least.'
Swish.
I turned my head to look at Cho-ryeon.
She was lying on the floor, playing nicely with Mang-mung-i.
"How did Mang-mung-i get so cute!? Who does he take after!?"
"Mang mang-!"
"What? He takes after me? As expected of Mang-mung-i!"
The two were always on great terms.
In a good way, Cho-ryeon had grown steadily unchanged.
In a bad way, her body hadn't grown at all.
'Is it because she only eats veggies? Why isn't she growing?'
Compared to Hwa-ryeon and Su-ryeon.
Cho-ryeon's body was stuck in place.
She stayed at the bottom of the class height rankings, rumor had it she always sat in the front row.
"...Is it the vegetarian diet? Should I trick her into eating meat?"
As I pondered forcing Cho-ryeon off her veggie diet.
Su-ryeon, fiddling with her A-Pad next to me, spoke up.
"Won't work, Dad. She's already built a protein system."
"What does that mean?"
"She doesn't need meat. She gets protein through photosynthesis."
Su-ryeon, who knew the most about dragons.
She began explaining coolly but kindly.
"Green Dragons can convert nutrients using mana in their bodies. Veggies or photosynthesis give them plenty of protein."
"Wait, then why isn't Cho-ryeon growing? That doesn't make sense."
"Nothing in this world doesn't make sense, Dad."
Su-ryeon pointed firmly at Cho-ryeon.
"That's just Yi Cho-ryeon not growing. A dragon that short? Her growth plates are hopeless."
Growth plates hopeless.
I looked at Cho-ryeon, born with tiny growth plates.
Oblivious, she played with Mang-mung-i.
"Poor Cho-ryeon... What to do..."
"It's fine, Dad. Being small is good for survival."
I could already see Cho-ryeon's future.
I approached the pitiful Cho-ryeon and said.
"Cho-ryeon."
"Yes, Father! What is it?"
"...Fighting."
That was all I could say to Cho-ryeon.
Not getting it, she tilted her head.
"Yees? What does that mean, Father?"
"...Nothing."
"Nothing!? What do you mean! Explain quick!"
Cho-ryeon shook me wildly, demanding an explanation.
Still, I couldn't say a word.
'Can't destroy a kid's future...'
You can't shatter a child's dreams early.
I didn't want to crush Cho-ryeon's hope with facts.
"What does it mean, Father! I need an explanation! Explain!!"
"..."
I just kept my mouth shut.
Like Cho-ryeon's growth plates.
"Fatherrr!!"
***
Third grade.
Third grade is an important time for elementary kids.
It's the end of the lower years.
And the step up to fourth grade, the start of upper years.
"We're in the same class again!"
"Yeah. Kinda disappointing."
"I'm happy to be with my sisters!"
The dragon sisters were assigned to the same class in third grade too.
They confidently entered their assigned class.
Slide-!
"I'm here, humans! All kneel!"
Hwa-ryeon shouted loudly the moment she appeared.
A debut that drew tons of aggro.
The boys' eyes turned to Hwa-ryeon.
"Whoa, Yi Hwa-ryeon! Nice!"
"Lucky same class! With Yi Hwa-ryeon, soccer's no worry!"
In elementary school, hierarchy is mostly decided by soccer.
Grades don't matter much; it's who plays best that sets the class pecking order.
Not that there's much hierarchy, really.
"Hmph, no worries with me around! My minions!"
"Great Hwa-ryeon! Great Hwa-ryeon!"
Stomp stomp.
Hwa-ryeon ran around the playground and got friendly with kids from other classes.
Her straightforward personality drew lots of followers.
So she adapted quick to the new class with familiar faces.
"Yi Hwa-ryeon! Help with basketball later too! Class 3 has all the good players!"
"Hmph, doesn't matter how good they are! I'll beat 'em all!"
Shrug.
Hwa-ryeon puffed her shoulders proudly in front of the kids.
Then the classroom door opened, and a boy entered.
Slide-!
The boy saw Hwa-ryeon leading the crowd and widened his eyes in surprise.
"Yi Hwa-ryeon...?"
"Oh, Kim Si-hu! Long time!"
Beam.
Not same class in second grade, Kim Si-hu.
Hwa-ryeon beamed at him.
Then approached right away.
"I'm kinda hungry! Cream bun, please!"
"Huh...? We just reunited after so long, shouldn't we—"
"Get my bun now!! You're my minion!!"
"Y-yeah! Be right back!!"
Zoom-!
Kim Si-hu dashed to the school store with superhuman speed for an elementary kid.
Hwa-ryeon smiled in satisfaction.
"Nice having a good minion who buys bread in this class!"
Pleased her bread shuttle minion was back.
Hwa-ryeon chatted with her guy friends.
"My seat's here, huh."
Su-ryeon headed to her assigned spot on the board.
"Hmm..."
Stare.
Su-ryeon frowned at her seat.
"Not a window seat."
Not window.
Of all places, smack in the center.
"Hmm..."
No helping it.
Su-ryeon went straight to the blackboard.
And started erasing the name with the eraser.
Scribble scribble.
"I choose my own seat."
Totally bold.
A curious girl approached and asked.
"That's what the teacher wrote... You can't erase it, right...?"
"Wait."
"Huh?"
"You know me?"
Stare.
Su-ryeon glared coldly at the girl who spoke to her.
The icy eyes made the girl's eyes water.
"You friends with me?"
"N-no, not that..."
"Then don't interfere. No problem if you keep quiet."
Scribble scribble.
Su-ryeon snapped and fixed the board, snagging her dream window seat.
Plop.
Su-ryeon sat by the window, gazing out like she had zero interest in the class.
'This is my spot. A lone wolf. That's me. Kekeke.'
She looked dreamy, like some unknowable kid.
But inside, full of delusions, Su-ryeon.
And Cho-ryeon.
"We're same class again!! So happy!!"
She got class with her close friend again.
Cho-ryeon lightly chatted with friends she hadn't seen over break.
About what happened during vacation.
"I played with Mang-mung-i! And debated Earth stuff! Earth's been feeling sick lately! Dunno why!"
Cho-ryeon delved into deep Earth updates.
Her friends thought 'same as ever' and listened quietly.
Like that, with familiar kids and new ones.
The dragon sisters started their new class.
Third grade, on the cusp of upper years.
Clueless about the exciting things to come.