Chapter 17
Chapter 17
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: No Other Beast Like Her
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"Uh. Um. Oh, hey. Yuna."
"Hey! What's up, Yuri!"
Ever heard of "Nolto"?
The five-day school week... no, wait. Before commuting to school, it's a shorthand only those in the know use, an ancient term from back in the day that folks from that era trot out nostalgically nowadays!
Playful Saturday.
Back then, they had this system where you'd go to school on the first and third Saturdays for morning classes, and get the second and fourth ones off.
Anyway, as March drew to a close, the flower-viewing chill finally retreated, and warm, gentle sunlight bathed the island softly. Chirping birdsong breathed life into every corner that had been frozen stiff all winter.
Fresh green sprouts pushed up from the damp soil, and a faint spring scent wafted on the breeze.
Well, mornings were still a bit nippy.
Unlike summer, with no tourist crowds clogging the streets, the quiet uphill road ended at a cheerful black bob-cut girl with a puppy-like innocent face, waving hello.
Cherry blossoms just starting to bloom scattered around, forming a carpet of white petals that she tiptoed across daintily before scampering over on her short legs.
"...No way you walked here?"
"Nah? I ran!"
"I-I thought you'd take the bus!"
Oh, that's what she meant? Come on~ Buses only come every forty minutes or more! How could anyone rely on that?
Forty minutes is plenty of time to sprint here on all fours!
No matter how comfy buses are, I just can't vibe with the insane schedules in this rural island village.
These days, I even run to school, so yeah, that's that.
"Phew, anyone else and I'd call bullshit, but with you, Yuna? Totally believable."
"That's why I ran~ So? What're we gonna do for fun?"
The sweet, well-behaved Yuri asked if I was free this Saturday first—basically a date invite from her.
Of course I've got nothing but time!
Lately, Mom's been eyeing me weirdly whenever I head straight home after school and stay in on weekends, like she's thinking, 'Is my daughter a total friendless loser?' It was getting awkward.
"Um, so... hey! Could you maybe help me with studying?"
"???"
Wait, what? Out of nowhere?
I tilted my head.
Squandering a weekend as sweet as honey and as fleeting as that first leave from the army... on studying?
Is this something a snot-nosed nine-year-old should even say?
"You know I'm in first grade, right?"
"Y-yeah. But you seem like you'd be great at it. Last year on the mainland, you knew everything."
Hmm~ Can't argue with that.
Man, hate to brag, but you won't find an elementary kid more awesome than me on all of Ulleungdo.
With my super-elite reincarnate perks, this Han Yuna is a genius limited to elementary level—ain't no school problem I can't crush~ Probably?
"But why study?"
"Midterms next month... First in the whole school is a stretch, but I wanna crack top ten."
Mom said she'd buy me a phone if I do!
"Ooh."
A phone, huh. Nice.
But in this era, that means a feature phone, right?
You know, the evil little things where one wrong button sends your bill through the roof from accidental internet.
Whoa. Giving something that terrifying to a kid not even ten yet.
I've used smartphones before, so feature phones don't impress me, but for Yuri? She must really want one.
"Studying for a phone?"
"Y-yeah......"
Honest girl.
I love it!
Studying is something you really, really, truly hate doing, no exceptions.
Grown-ups who graduated kid life regret not studying harder back then, but try it now and they quit 'cause it sucks. Case closed.
If they really regretted it, they'd grind even late in life, but nah.
Humans with normal brains can't get excited or pleasure from studying, kid or adult.
It's all headaches, boredom, frustration, annoyance—negative crap and pain. Who'd enjoy that?
"Alright! You got it! I'll teach you everything step by step!"
"R-really?"
"Yup! But studying well doesn't happen overnight, so how about we meet every Saturday?"
"Yeah! Thanks, Yuna! Heehee."
No need to thank me.
I get to dodge Mom's worried stares too, so of course I'd play along!
Studying sucks when you're doing it, but teaching? Might not be frustrating, just fun.
Why, you ask?
'Cause tutoring from roe deer's heir, Han Yuna, is gonna be a bit... intense!
"Yuri, we studying at your place?"
"Huh? Oh...... No! Could we do it at my academy?"
Oing? No way!!
'Academy at her age?'
Scary!
What kind of study-obsessed family sends a second-grader to cram school?!
They say kids who ace tests are the ones whose parents ship 'em to academies, but at this age, paying attention in class should be enough for good grades.
Nine years old—you should prioritize health and friends over books. Send 'em to the playground, not cram school!
I, on my second life, couldn't wrap my head around this suffocating private ed frenzy and just shut up.
Hmm. Got plenty to say, but...
'Can't butt into their family stuff.'
If she really hates it later, I'll tip her off: "Just tell 'em you hate studying and wanna quit."
I kinda got why our Yuri turned into that fragile, teary city girl.
Yuri's academy wasn't some brutal cram hell with skull-cracking tutors.
Taekwondo.
Korea's best bang-for-buck private ed—adored by parents with kids!
Some dojos even throw in study help if you pay the taekwondo fees!
They drive you home, and during breaks, your instructor in crisp white dobok picks you up?!
For safety-worried parents, it's the ultimate trust-and-drop spot. Kids make friends too!
Builds health, burns energy, teaches studies, plus pick-up service! And under 100,000 won a month?!
Oh em gee! Must-do!
At a popular taekwondo dojo where parents flock...
Today, a beast girl sprinted in from the countryside.
"Okay, Yuri? What do you call this number?"
I wrote '7826' on the whiteboard, and Yuri, who'd been groaning, piped up cautiously.
"Seven... thousand eight hundred twenty-six......?"
"Ooh...... Yuri! Wanna take ten calf smacks? Or ten push-ups?"
"I-it's wrong?!"
"Yup. Wrong."
Man, "seven thousand eight hundred twenty-six"? What even is that.
Still, explain the mistake first, right?
I'd gotten permission from the Dojang Master and borrowed a 1,000-won bill as a prop. Held it out to her.
"Yuri, how much is this?"
"One thousand won!"
"Seven of 'em?"
"Seven thousand won!"
"See? Not 'seven-teen hundred'."
"Ah."
"Grow up saying 'seventy hundred won of tteokbokki, please~' to aunties and uncles, and they'll point and call you shortchanged. Don't want that, right?"
"Y-yeah......!!"
"Then push-up position. Down on one, up on two~"
She's no dummy—examples click fast. Fun to teach.
I hopped on the desk, smiling sweetly. She groaned but obeyed, dropping down.
Alright, next kid?
"Jeongu, you finish the problems I gave?"
"Huh? Oh, it's been less than ten minutes?"
"Psh~ Simple subtractions, and ten minutes? You wanna drop too, Jeongu?"
"......"
I knew he did taekwondo, but same dojo as Yuri? Never guessed!
But seriously. Finger-counting twenty subtractions shouldn't take ten minutes—five tops!
Halfway through the carefully hand-written problems... and mostly wrong on the test sheet. He grins brightly.
"Jeongu."
"B-but! I've never learned this stuff, how'm I s'posed to..."
"Jeongu."
"...I'll drop."
Good boy.
One more word, and I'd snap the pencil in front of him like magic~
Jeongu drops next to friendly Yuri.
Bad brain, sharp instincts.
But how bad to mess up this many simple subtractions?
Sighing at his test paper.
I didn't give multiplication or division.
Just addition and subtraction from our school lessons.
Tsk. He wasn't sleeping next to me. Just plain dumb?
Not friends yet, but desk mate means a bit more attention than others.
Can't even get this right.
1. 7286 - 865 + 962 = ?
'Heh heh.'
What? Problem? Numbers big, sure, but just add and subtract.
Calmly step-by-step, totally solvable, right?
Eh? Harder than Yuri's? Nah, just your imagination.
Yup. Imagination.
Definitely not revenge for calling me a monster last time.
I'm not the grudge-holding type.