Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Beast Girls Are All the Same
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"M-Mom..."
"What's wrong... No, my girl. Why do you look so glum?"
What do I do? How do I even explain this?
Mom, who was gazing at me with her usual warm smile, starts fidgeting with her hands and glancing around nervously. She tilts her head, her face full of worry as she approaches me.
She kneels down to meet my eyes and pats my back.
"Did something bad happen at school? Did someone bully you? Come on, Yuna. Tell your mom all about it."
W-Well... It is something bad, but it wasn't bullying or anything... um...
"Did someone hit you?! Are you hurt anywhere?"
No way, Mom. I'm not the type to go around getting beat up.
If anything, I was the one who hit someone... and I hit them way too hard...
Ugh, forget it!!
I racked my brain trying to figure out how to say it without getting yelled at or hit too much, but in the end, I squeezed my eyes shut tight and decided to just be honest. I opened my mouth.
"I-I... I didn't know... and I slammed my f-friend... as hard as I could!!"
"?!!!"
Mom jumps in shock.
Ugh, yeah, I get it. It must be a huge shock to her.
Even though I've got a record of throwing down with wild mountain beasts that wandered in from the mainland to sort out the pecking order, I've never hit a person. What parent wouldn't be stunned to hear their daughter beat up a school friend...?
"D-Did... that friend survive...?"
"...Mom?"
What kind of talk is that, Mother?
I mean, sure, right before it happened, I snapped back to my senses and eased up just before slamming her down, adjusting so she'd get hurt as little as possible. But hearing you say that?
I joke around all the time like, "One flick from me and you'd be done for, you know?" But hearing it from someone else hits different. It's way more shocking than I thought.
Somehow... it feels like Mom betrayed me?
"W-What do we do? D-Did they mention a funeral home or something? I should go apologize right now...!!"
"...She's not dead. The nurse said it was just bruises."
"Oh."
Even if it was just bruises, it wasn't like there were big purple welts or anything. Just a bit red and swollen.
The kid must not have been slacking in taekwondo class. She instinctively rolled with the fall.
If she'd landed flat on her back, it could've been bad, but she twisted her body mid-air and landed on her side.
I stared at Mom with cold eyes, and she cleared her throat awkwardly, realizing it wasn't something to say to her eight-year-old daughter.
"I-It is fortunate, but Yuna, you can't hit your friends. Did you get in a fight with her?"
"...No."
"So you just hit her out of nowhere?"
"......Yes. Technically, I threw her over my shoulder."
"?? Threw her... over your shoulder?"
"Yeah. I grabbed the back of her neck as she tried to run and went like this!!"
I roughly reenacted the moment with my body, and Mom pressed her fingers into her forehead with a sigh.
Yeah, throwing someone over your shoulder is definitely more shocking than a punch to the face or gut.
"You didn't hit her for no reason, right?"
"......No."
Mom spoke in a calm voice, trying not to get angry, so I told her everything that happened at lunch.
I'd finished my tray but was still hungry, so I mixed the leftovers with the sesame oil and gochujang I'd snuck from home and made bibimbap. That's when my desk mate Jeongu called me a pig.
I got mad without thinking, bent my spoon in half, and threw Jeongu over my shoulder.
I took him—who couldn't even stand properly—to the nurse's office. Luckily, nothing was wrong. We apologized to each other, but the teacher said to call our parents. That's the whole story.
Mom listened to the end, her expression a complicated mix, and held back her words.
H-Honestly, Jeongu was wrong first, righ—no, wait. I was the one who resorted to violence, so I'm more at fault.
Ugh, seriously. Why can't I admit my mistakes even after living a whole life in my past one?
No matter who started it, if I have any fault, I should own up and apologize.
Plus, back when I was a guy, if someone said that, I wouldn't get mad—I'd play along like, "Oink! Oink oink!! Woof woof! I'm a piggy!!" matching their energy.
In my past life, that's how I'd goof around as a kid and make friends.
......I should apologize.
"S-Sorry, Mom."
"......"
Jeongu and I already apologized to each other, but my carelessness dragged Mom into this, so I owed her one too.
And tomorrow, I have to apologize to Jeongu's parents, and the teacher... Ugh, I've totally wrecked my image. For real.
"...Let's go to school together tomorrow, okay?"
"......Yes."
She stroked my head, speaking in her usual kind, warm way, but her voice trembled ever so slightly. I hung my head and answered weakly.
For the first time since being born as Han Yuna... my heart hurt so, so much.
Because for the first time... it felt like Mom was disappointed in me.
......
'Did I... hide my anger okay?'
I forced a smile, soothed her not to worry, tucked her in, and now I'm sipping wine I don't even usually touch for massages.
My usually sweet, bright girl... When she said she hit a friend, my heart nearly stopped.
I tell people it's because she's healthy, but I know Yuna's strength is way beyond other kids her age.
So at first, I planned to scold her harshly.
No matter what the friend said, striking first is a bad, dangerous habit.
...And while I was at it, I figured I'd say something about the gochujang and sesame oil that vanished during the day no matter where I looked.
I was agonizing over how to scold her—how to correct her without hurting her too much—when my daughter knelt first and apologized in a dejected voice.
Seeing my always energetic girl pale and watching my reaction, I couldn't bring myself to yell.
'Is this right?'
Still, she needs discipline.
But I hate seeing Yuna so down...
"Huh? What's up, honey? Is it some special day? Why are you drinking when you never do? Setting the mood without me?"
"It's not that, bro... Yuna got into a scuffle with a friend at school."
"Whew~ That's kids for ya. They grow up roughhousing like that..."
"Yuna said she hit her friend."
"......Where's the funeral home? Should I start the car?"
I let out a wry chuckle at my brother's stunned words as he came out to the living room after his shower.
That's exactly what I said at first when Yuna told me.
I relayed Yuna's story to him as he sat down, looking serious and urging me to spill the details.
My brother listened quietly...
"Whoa, our girl is so mature!"
"......Huh? Bro, what do you mean? She hit her friend. She could've gotten seriously hurt if things went wrong."
"Think about it. If our Yuna threw a classmate for real... Ugh, gives me chills just imagining it. The school would've called before she even told us."
Yuna doesn't want her friends hurt, so she held back.
"Plus, they made up, and she apologized to you first? That's tough to do. Back when I was a kid, I'd cry my eyes out getting the switch from Mom and still never admit I was wrong."
I wanna praise our Yuna, honestly.
Lots of adults still hide their faults desperately, but at least our girl owns up and apologizes honestly. She's a good kid.
"If it happens again, sure, give her a stern talking-to. But for this? I don't think she deserves punishment."
"...Hmm."
Listening to him, it did make sense.
Even at Yuna's age... no, even older, I hated apologizing first plenty of times.
Admitting fault felt like losing, hurt my pride, made me feel like the sole criminal.
Yuna endured that pain to accept her mistake and apologize to her friend and me.
......Do I even have the right to scold her?
"Phew. But that friend... Jeongu, right? Tough kid. Even if Yuna held back, walking around fine after taking a hit from her? I'd tap out in three seconds against our girl."
"...Honestly, I was worried her friend might be badly hurt too."
"Heh, fair. Anyway, don't put too much pressure on Yuna over this. Kids fight sometimes, that's life. Everyone messes up at first. I'll come to school with you tomorrow too. Whatever."
"Got it. Thanks, bro. Want a glass?"
Yeah. I won't say anything to Yuna about this.
Her mistake is ultimately our fault as parents. Tomorrow at school, Bro and I will apologize to her friend's parents ourselves.
......Or so I thought.
Slap!!
"You little punk!! How dare you call a pretty girl a pig?! A pig?!"
"Aaaah!! Mom! Th-that's why I apologized!"
......?
"Aigoo, we're so sorry. Our boy is still young and immature. He needs a good thrashing—break an arm or leg or two to knock some sense into him!"
"N-No, we're the sorry ones. We've spoiled our daughter rotten..."
"Nonsense! I heard from my boy yesterday—he started it! If my husband said that to me, I'd smash him with the golf club at home!"
"......"
W-Wait, is this for real?
Yuna's friend's mom says this with a hearty laugh, then looks at our daughter.
"You're Yuna, right?"
"Y-Yes. I'm sorry, ma'am..."
"Yeah, you should be. How can a girl be so soft-hearted? Next time my brat says something like that, beat his ass black and blue. Make him sorry he ever opened his mouth. Got it?"
"......"
I really need to tell her not to hit her friends anymore...
I'll give her a firm talking-to when she gets home after school.