Chapter 26
Chapter 26
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: No Such Thing as a Beastly Woman
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"Here. A gift."
"Huh? Suddenly?"
After sharing a warm family meal with Mom and Dad, I headed to school, and there was Jeongu, who'd arrived early. He casually pulled a prettily wrapped small gift box from his bag and handed it to me.
What’s this? Why’s this kid giving me a gift?
We’d gotten a bit close, sure… but were we close enough for something this intimate?
As I tilted my head, staring back and forth between the gift box in my hand and Jeongu in confusion… he just shrugged his shoulders and spoke up.
"Mom told me to give you this starting last week. To celebrate your birthday, and also… uh, she saw it in some drama she watches. A bribe? Yeah, a bribe. To keep helping me with studying."
"Pfft! A bribe? Seriously?"
I couldn’t help but burst out laughing at the grown-up word coming from the mouth of this eight-year-old baby. I never saw that coming.
‘Is this what Dad was talking about?’
Tsk. It’s a bit iffy, but Jeongu does act more mature than other kids his age when he hangs out with me.
Ever since he started learning from me alongside Yuri and I gave him piggyback rides, he’s stopped crying or showing weakness… Yeah, it’s like he’s become a kid who thinks a little deeper now?
Compared to the other little brats in our class, he’s super mature.
Normal eight-year-olds are too busy bickering—“You’re wrong! I’m right! Waaah!”—to do much else.
They put themselves first, wear their emotions on their sleeves… It’s that age with barely any life experience under their belts.
They rely on adults but don’t realize it, only seeking them out when needed, otherwise acting like little tyrants.
It’s a time when they learn from and mimic the people around them, especially adults, to build and shape their sense of self.
…
‘No way… Did he turn out like this because of me?’
Whoa. I didn’t mean to, but hanging out with this super-elite kid genius Han Yuna as his desk mate and seeing me on weekends must’ve rubbed off on him naturally?
I ended up helping not just with academics but proper character development too! I’m amazing!
"A bribe? Come on. Even if you hadn’t said anything, I was planning to keep helping you study. Thanks, though. But how’d you know it’s my birthday? I never told you."
"Mom heard it from your aunt."
"Ah, got it."
Makes sense. The two moms chat pretty often.
Still, I should give something back since I got a gift.
Gift-giving’s all about give and take, right?
Soon, I’ll drop by Jeongu’s aunt’s place and carefully suggest, ‘While helping Jeongu study, mind if I throw in some personality education with a side of physics?’
Auntie would be thrilled, Jeongu would get motivated for school… It’s perfect—no one gets hurt(?). The ideal world.
"Oh, and the Dojang Master asked if you have time this week."
"?? Me? Out of nowhere?"
No way. Why him? Is he still trying to scout me?
I firmly turned him down—said I wasn’t serious about learning seriously and the distance was an issue. Does he look all mild but actually super persistent?
This is tricky. I’m interested, but soon I’ll have to look after my sibling growing in Mom’s belly, plus teach Yuri and Jeongu… Finding time for taekwondo won’t be easy.
And come winter, I’ll be busy hauling briquettes, helping with kimchi-making, patching elders’ roofs for pocket money… Super packed schedule.
"Final exams are in June. He asked if you could come by occasionally to help with studying."
"Ah, got it."
Yeah, spring’s winding down, summer’s kicking off— it’s May now.
I checked the school calendar before; weirdly, they finish tests early and do field trips, picnics, school trips before break.
Makes sense for teachers and kids alike.
Better to wrap up tests quick and roam freely without stressing over studies.
"Then let’s go today. It’s not hard—just help out a bit. But you okay with that? You’re worse at studying than me."
"…Ever since you taught me, schoolwork’s gotten too easy. Classes are boring now."
"Oh, really."
Makes sense. He’s not a genius, but not dumb either, so with some spanks on the butt and head-flicks mixed in, he soaked it all up.
That’s why I taught him double-digit arithmetic and second-grade stuff with Yuri.
Honestly, half was just to tease him… But he’d review at home, and next day, he knew it better than Yuri.
"Still better than falling behind everyone else."
"Yeah, true."
This’ll all help later! Heck, it’s helping now.
Bitter medicine’s good for you— that’s why midterms went great after the grind, and classes aren’t tough anymore, right?
‘…Makes me a bit greedy.’
Yuri’s all enthusiasm no substance, but Jeongu feels like an effort type… Makes me wanna teach him properly for real.
Maybe cover all elementary math before first grade ends?
Whatever. If not, oh well—but if he masters it all, life gets way easier.
I’ll bring it up casually later.
"Hello! Dojang Master!"
"Yuna~ Long time no see! Haha! Been well?"
"Yep! But Jeongu said you needed help studying… What exactly do you need?"
Right after school, Jeongu and I rushed to the taekwondo dojang.
Sitting primly in the Master’s office, beaming but tilting my head curiously as I asked carefully.
I’d readily agreed to help Jeongu, but to outsiders, even a super-elite genius kid like me is just an eight-year-old who studies a tad better than average.
They’ve set up a study space in the back where the Master’s wife runs a cram school… But what does he need from me?
If it’s just teaching Yuri and Jeongu like last time, fine—but he wouldn’t ask my schedule for something that minor.
That time was Yuri’s personal request, not from the Master or his wife.
"Hmm~ Well, see… Could you come once a week to… help the kids study?"
"Jeongu and Yuri? Sure, I planned to."
Psh. That’s nothing. I’d do it anyway. Just meet weekends briefly—not a big time sink.
Yuri’s grades would tank without me, after all.
"No, no. Helping them’s great, but… the kids studying at the taekwondo place."
"……?"
Huh? Those kids? Me? Uh. Um. …Why?
As I blinked silently, the Master gave a wry, apologetic smile and explained.
Long story short: Jeongu and Yuri’s parents bragged to adults about their kids getting tutor-like help from a friend and landing top-10 school ranks.
Other parents lit up, hunted down the mysterious super-elite teacher Han Yuna, and ended up begging the Master with extra cash.
‘Is this for real?’
Paying for tutoring from a kid…?
Sure, in this capitalist era of private education frenzy, but which parent shells out for a regular eight-year-old?
Yuna doesn’t know, but parents aren’t that naive or dumb.
They heard the rumors, got intrigued, but carefully checked out this Yuna kid.
Visited school, asked her homeroom teacher about her; observed her post-piggyback incident mellowing out.
Results?
The rookie teacher, overwhelmed by parents, gushed nonstop praise for Yuna like a macro.
The now-mellow Yuna laughed nicely with Jeongu and Yuri, stayed calm beyond her peers—looked like a real adult!
Unbelievable poise for an elementary kid, teacher’s rave reviews, her own top-of-school grades, Yuri and Jeongu’s jumps… Plus standout looks!!
‘Perfect—have her tutor my kid and befriend Yuna too!’ Complex motives like that.
Pretty, capable friends are rarer than gold in life.
Bonus if grades rise… Real goal: Connect their kid with the flawless model student Yuna everyone envies.
A tad materialistic, buying friendship with cash—but in capitalism, money fixes most things!
"Um. Master, sorry, but I’m not close with the other kids and have zero teaching experience…"
"Oh, really? Wife said to give you all the money they paid each time… Guess we refund them."
"…I’ve got none, but experience is experience! I’ll come weekly and do my best!"
Ugh. Money changes everything. Well played, Master.
Time to go all out with a spectacular show! What!
Money’s for taking when offered.