Genes Can't Be Fooled #3

Soul Society's rival company, Heaven Company's crown prince L. Junior. He was picking up trash scattered here and there around Cariclo Academy.

"That jerk's picking up trash!"

"What's he gonna do with all that trash?"

"He's definitely up to something evil! Run away!"

The Cariclo Academy students feared and avoided L. Junior like that. It was enough to make even me want to steer ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠clear. But instead, I approached the evil crown prince.

"L student, I've gotten permission from the principal to take charge of you. Let me educate this problem child of yours perfectly in two days. So, first off, how about reading this book and writing a book report?"

The must-read for the chairman's secretarial staff. An incredibly boring book. At least, that's what I thought. About 1,200 pages, too. Make him read that and write a report? No way a problem child could stomach it.

The people around us snickered.

"Making that evil demon write a book report?"

"As long as he doesn't bash someone over the head with that thick book— What?"

"H-He’s reading the book!?"

At that moment, L. Junior sat on a bench, opened the book, and began reading it calmly. Everyone was stunned by the sight.

"Manager Jo! You have a natural talent for education too!"

"Th-This is just a coincidence! A coincidence!"

Yeah, coincidence. After about 10 pages, he'd get sleepy and pissed off. I figured.

"Then, read it all by the end of today and write the report. If the content's shoddy or you're late, there'll be punishment. Very painful punishment."

Punishment. Rebels like him wouldn't like that. He'd definitely rebel. Then problems would arise. Perfect.

Muhahaha! I inwardly cheered as I left the scene.

That evening, staying in a borrowed dorm room, I received a 60-page book report. At the end, there was even a thank-you note.

"...Perfect. You couldn't write a report this detailed without reading every single one of those 1,200 pages meticulously. How? How is this possible?"

He's the son of the devil! He shouldn't be this diligent!

I wanted to tear my hair out and scream.

"Fine, maybe reading boring books is his hobby."

His true nature is that of an evil fiend. I'll prove it. And with the trouble he causes, I'll get fired too!

The next day, as soon as dawn broke, I found L. Junior and said,

"Today, we'll spend time meditating, reflecting on and contemplating ourselves. From 9 a.m. until lunch at noon. In this blazing sun, sit cross-legged and don't twitch a single eyebrow."

"Yes, teacher."

The boy who looked like a wicked demon sat cross-legged in the scorching sunlight amid boiling lava and began meditating without a flicker. Sweat poured down, but he didn't move a finger, just as I'd ordered.

"Manager Jo, you’ve got L. Junior frozen in place!"

"Even that scary L. Junior can't move against the evil Manager Jo!"

An hour passed. Two hours. Now I was starting to get anxious.

Educator Cariclo. Lately, she felt boredom and helplessness toward her job. The students under her care were declining in quality day by day. Even the training budget from headquarters was shrinking, making the academy's situation worse by the day.

These problem children from Soul Society are beyond even me. Manager Jo, no matter how great you are, you can't handle this.

Cariclo lit a cigarette and gazed out the window. Then she spotted something astonishing.

L. Junior meditating in the blazing sun. And next to him, Jo watching with a serious expression, not leaving his side.

Wearing a suit in this sweltering heat, between the bubbling lava?

Suddenly, her husband Chiron came to mind.

—Cariclo, if we treat students with sincerity, they'll treat us the same. If we put in the effort, they'll match it.

Chiron was sincere to a foolish degree with his students. Cariclo loved that about him. She loved how she herself was becoming more passionate alongside him.

I thought there was no other fool like him in the world.

Cariclo felt a small, feeble flame flickering quietly inside her. Tiny and pathetic compared to its former blaze, but not extinguished. Its name was passion.

"Tch, I was just about to retire and live off my pension."

"Manager Jo! Ever since you came, the academy's atmosphere has completely changed! Even Principal Cariclo, who was slacking off like a wage thief, has rolled up her sleeves and grabbed the chalk again!"

"……."

"Students who barely showed up for class—over 70% are now sitting at their desks! And this all happened in just two days! You're amazing, Manager Jo!"

"……."

"It's all thanks to you clamping down on that problem child L. Junior and educating ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠him properly. Once the ringleader L. straightened out, the others followed!"

"Problem child... Was that guy really a problem child?"

"Pardon?"

I was starting to notice something off. The supposed ultimate problem child L. Junior obeyed every ridiculous task I gave him with a "Yes." And he executed it flawlessly, then said things like, "Meditating cleared my mind. Thank you," or "Writing the reflection made me realize how many mistakes I've made. Thank you." Never forgetting to express gratitude.

Is he trolling me? Mocking me? At this point, doubts were creeping in.

Maybe... L. Junior wasn't a problem child from the start.

I picked up the chairman's book.

This passage. It struck me as anything but ordinary.

"Innate. Acquired. L."

From what I knew, L. Junior's father L had fallen from grace to become Heaven Company's CEO, but he was originally a highly promising angel. Falling was an acquired trait. Therefore, what L. Junior inherited was the innately promising angel side—

"No! That can't be! It can't!"

Nooooo!

Despair. Overwhelming anguish. I went to L. Junior, who was picking up trash.

"L student."

"Yes, teacher."

"I heard you committed a grave offense against your father and were sent here to study as punishment. If it's not too rude, could you tell me what it was? Please be honest."

"Well... I broke the rules. Our Heaven Company generates power from the screams of sinners. But seeing them burning and screaming in the hot flames, I felt sorry for them, so..."

L. Junior said he'd lowered the temperature of the boiling hell hot tub to around 37 degrees. Roughly the temp of a pleasant bath.

—Oh, the water's nice today?

—All the fatigue from punishments is melting away!

—I prefer the lava-boiling side, but this is nice sometimes!

Without screams from hell's sinners, power output dropped. All of Heaven Company's systems shut down. A massive incident.

If there's an angel in hell, yeah, he'd do that. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Looks more evil than anyone, but inside, kinder than anyone. Damn it.

This kid dared fool me? No, I jumped to conclusions on my own. Could I blame him for that? I get fooled the same way all the time and eat the consequences.

"Um, teacher."

"What?"

"No one's ever taught me with such passion before. It was only two days, but I'll never forget this experience."

"……."

"I hope the kids who haven't returned to class yet get to feel this too. Lately, some weird people have been approaching us, and my friends are worried..."

"Weird people?"

"They told us to drive out the teachers and become the true owners of the school. Weird, right? The real owner is the founder, Principal Cariclo. It's a private academy..."

Inciting students to overthrow the academy? Who are these people?

Hedone, listening beside me, scowled.

"Definitely Tartarus villains! Cariclo Academy kids are problem children who won't listen to a word, but their talent is real raw gems! They're luring the kids to turn them evil!"

Hedone clenched her fist.

"Finally found it! Found them! The lead to my ticket back to Happy World! Where are those weirdos? I'll go beat some sense into them!"

"Hedone, 'beat some sense'? Aren't you jumping the gun? We should investigate more."

Why am I getting anxious? Hedone! Just stay put! Please!

"Our family motto is: Strike first, deal with consequences later! Mom and Dad's blood flows half and half in me! It'll work out somehow!"

Before I could stop her, the chick-shaped little powerhouse Hedone charged out.

That night.

"I knew it'd turn out ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠like this!"

What the hell is going on? Nothing goes my way?

But in a way, it was good. Problem solved, so I could escape this Cariclo Academy. I didn't want to stay one more day in a place that kept piling merits on me.

Wonder if Lady Melinoë's meditation is wrapping up soon?

As I packed my bags thinking that, knock knock knock. Someone rapped on the dorm door. I opened it to find Hedone holding a beer can with cold vapor trailing down.

"Heading back tomorrow, right? Thanks to you, Manager Jo, I racked up merits too and can return to Happy World! How about a drink to celebrate? My treat!"

Hedone drinking? I wanted to say go home now, but...

"Beer, huh..."

"Just pulled it from an ice bath—super cold!"

This Cariclo Academy was sweltering. Built on an island in the middle of a boiling lava river, and with budget cuts, they couldn't even run the AC freely. Soaked in sweat, a bone-chilling cold beer? Too tempting to refuse.

"Step aside quick. A woman in the guys' dorm hallway isn't good for the kids' education if caught!"

But ignoring my wishes, Hedone pushed in. Small as she was, her strength was insane—no stopping her. No wonder she single-handedly wiped out the Tartarus infiltrators.

"Just one can. Finish it and leave. Unmarried man and woman drinking in the same room getting out would be bad for the kids' education, like you said."

What could go wrong? It's just Hedone.