The Numbers Unit
Seowoo couldn't sleep at all.
How long had it been since he had spent the night with his eyes wide open like this?
Recalling the events of yesterday, he got out of bed.
The sight of Acid declaring the residence as her own and the shadow knight silently exuding intimidation.
In the wake of their passing like a tidal wave, only Seowoo remained, his mind in disarray.
Yet, he had even said he would become a vassal...
"I must have gone crazy."
Having barely survived one crisis, the real beginning was yet to come.
Even if his unusual constitution had been exposed, as long as the 'vampire transformation' wasn't revealed, there were still holes to exploit.
Because of this, he had received excessive trust and faith...
Well, what could he do?
He was simply grateful to be able to live through today.
"Ugh...
Letting out a sigh that sounded like an old man, he glared at the pathetic front door.
"How did it become this way, cleaner than me."
The door, crumpled like paper, had been magically repaired neatly.
Surprisingly, the oiling was even better than before, so the familiar metallic sound was no longer heard.
Setting aside these trivial joys or worries about the future, the immediate issue was where he had to go today.
The fact that Acid had told him before leaving the residence yesterday was both an excuse for his visit and a belated briefing.
"Here, take this."
"What is this?"
"This is the information on the children you will be in charge of. If the news that I came to find you for personal reasons reaches Lucia's ears, it will be troublesome."
"Ah, but the children?"
"Yes, you remember the role of nanny I mentioned? That's it. Take care of the children from the research institute's direct disposal unit 'Numbers'. It was your task to care for the mental aspect."
"Ah...
So, that's why you said 'nanny'."
Recalling the short conversation, Seowoo entered the bathroom.
He floated a tablet with floating magic and turned the first page containing the Numbers information.
When he turned the page, water flowed down his hair in multiple streams.
"There aren't many members. Hmm...
Two people...
Although the headcount seems small, taking care of kids is no easy task.
Even raising one child I gave birth to is difficult, yet there are two?
A future that will give him a headache is clearly in sight.
While absorbing the information with various thoughts, the shower ended quickly.
While drying his hair, when he turned the last page, a paragraph caught his eye.
[PROJECT APPROVAL EXAMINATION COMMENT: Especially when considering emotional and educational aspects, Yoon Seowoo, an assistant from an orphanage background like the Numbers children, is deemed suitable.]
"Ha! These bastards...
A smirk appeared on his face at the ridiculous words.
He had long since lost the urge to snap at such provocation.
Seowoo put on his white coat and left the residence.
Seowoo opened the door to the assigned classroom.
Two desks were scattered in the spacious classroom, filling it emptily.
A cold gaze fixed on him.
Short pastel pink hair.
Gold eyes that seemed to have lost their light.
A slender body that looked like a student.
Matching the tablet's profile.
"Hello? You're 'Lize', right? Where did the other two go, leaving you alone?"
Seowoo had promised not to let his guard down, so he approached with a gentle tone first.
Perfect adult icebreaker for starting a good relationship.
From the girl's expression, the first words seemed perfect for building a good relationship.
"What? This ugly-looking guy?"
Lize, called the girl, sat on the desk with an arrogant chin lift.
Moreover, with her legs crossed, the part where underwear was visible under the skirt looked even more annoying.
A bit flustered, but he responded calmly without showing it.
"Haha...
I must have misheard."
"No? I heard it correctly? And if you call me that one more time, I'll split your head in half."
"...
Seowoo was at a loss for words.
Although he knew only the numbering, the arrogant attitude was abnormal.
Just the wariness and ominous killing intent felt from a few words was enough to realize it was a unit for disposal that only killed.
However, it wasn't only her who had gone through the trial of the blood bath.
The level of the trial of the blood bath they had gone through was different.
"Then, how should I call you?"
"My question should be answered first."
"Do I have to take swear words as questions too?"
They exchanged words without any compromise.
After about 30 seconds of silent eye contact.
Seowoo sighed first.
"Haa, I'm the care-taking teacher for you guys."
It was an adult's job to yield to these damn kids.
But he had no intention of yielding.
He would only give the appropriate respect.
"What? Teacher? Aren't you tired?"
Lize, called the girl, jumped down from the desk.
"This is the fifth time I've seen it...
Do you have a lot of confidence?"
Confident?
It was an adult's situation to be scolded if necessary.
Still, compared to Lucia or Acid, the Numbers looked like newborns.
"Enough, tell me your name."
"...
Lize."
"The name is pretty. I'm Seowoo. Call me appropriately. Preferably 'teacher'."
Surprisingly, her straightforward response made Seowoo's tension ease a little.
Seeing the three in unity on the blackboard, desk, it vaguely felt like perfume.
"Then, where are the other two?"
Seowoo sat on Lize's adjacent desk with a plop and naturally guided the conversation.
"I don't know."
She scanned Seowoo from head to toe with the thought 'Who is this guy?' and turned her head away, answering bluntly.
"Aren't you from the same unit?"
"If we're from the same unit, do I have to know everything? She disappears somewhere after training. It's only me who comes to this classroom."
"...
So, that's how it is."
The situation was understood.
It had been tangled as usual, and the higher-ups had said to resolve it.
Perhaps it was better to go one by one rather than taking two at once.
"Good, thanks for telling me about Lize."
"What? I didn't do it to hear such words! "
Lize's face turned red with embarrassment at the word "thanks", and she stuttered.
There must have been instructions for the Numbers to move to this classroom after work.
Among them, Lize who was obedient to the system was likely the only one here.
Lize was not a bad kid by nature, just showing a prickly attitude due to bad experiences.
Instead of being interested in such kids first, it would be natural to approach from the other side.
"I have no intention of playing the teacher role here. I'm not a particularly great person who can teach anything. Instead, if needed, I can at least be a conversation partner. From tomorrow, I'll stay here for about 3 hours a day."
Seowoo quickly said what he had to say and took out the research journal from his bag.
"What? What suddenly!"
His action of showing no interest in him was unbelievable.
Why?
Those who had called him teacher before had tried to win her favor and not make mistakes, hadn't they?
Of course, he was a bit flustered, but there was no reason to show interest in what he was doing.
It was her pride, and it was a small rebellion she could do.
And exactly 2 hours later.
That resolve broke.
"...
"...
"...
"...
"Teacher?"
"Did you call?"
"Haa...
Yes."
Seowoo turned his head after hearing the polite words at the end of his stubborn resistance.
Two hours until her patience ran out...
He felt that she had held up well for her.
On the contrary, Lize's expression showed she was shaken by his unyielding attitude.
She wanted to talk, but it was a pity to give up now.
"What are you doing?"
"Work."
A one-word answer without any sociability, she glared.
Whether glaring or not, the sound of scratching continued to echo.
"What work?"
"Why? Curious?"
Seowoo stopped his working hand and looked at Lize.
"No? Well...
It's not like that...
"
"Really? Then, no choice."
"Ah! I want to know! I want to know!"
Seowoo, who was about to resume work with Lize's honest but twisted movements.
Lize grabbed him.
It was a playful force, but the strength was unbelievable, and his expression slightly furrowed.
"...
Are you okay?"
"Eh, suddenly grabbing made me startled. Compared to the director, your strength isn't anything, so it's fine."
It would be good to instill some guilt or caution from now on.
He endured it to the extent he could bear.
Seowoo habitually ruffled her hair like comforting the orphanage siblings.
At the moment he was about to hurriedly pull his hand away in a startle.
He saw Lize's face brighten with worry.
Somewhere, it seemed to have lost its light.
A spark of light appeared in her gold eyes.
"Hehe...
What? You can make such a face?"
What was funny?
Seowoo felt warmth from Lize's softened smile.
"What? Is there something to thank you for?! Why are you laughing so annoyingly?"
"...
Just, because I miss it."
Because it's been a while since he faced kids?
Seowoo unconsciously overlapped the orphanage siblings he had called hyung or oppa with Lize.
"What are you asking?"
"Yes."
Children are always beings that crave attention.
A bit clumsy.
Emotional.
Pure.
Even though he was living a life stained with fatigue now, he thought he hoped to be saved like the kids someday.
He couldn't do much, but perhaps he could be a strength for as long as he could reach out.
Seowoo flicked his finger towards Lize as if to tell her to come closer.
"Secret."
"Ugh, enough. It's wrong to be curious about this guy even for a moment."
Lize made a very displeased expression and showed her disappointment.
Of course, he had no intention of easily letting go of her who had shown interest first.
Seowoo had thrown the bait, and Lize had bitten it.
"Then, how about talking about something else? Let me see...
Before I came to Nectar?"
Anyone who had been captured here would feel homesick for the human world.
Especially those with mental defects close to infant regression and affection deprivation, the longing and loneliness would be even deeper.
"...
Telling me about what happened in the human world?"
"Yes. If you want, I can tell you about after coming to Nectar too."
"Good, tell me everything!"
"In return, if I listen to all of it, will you grant me one request? It's not that difficult for Lize."
"Well, if it's that, it's fine."
After all, if he just talked and ran away, it would end, so what was the big deal with the request?
Lize nodded cheerfully, thinking she would suck the sweet part and run away.
But there was something she was overlooking.
Adults are always at the top of the kids' heads.
"Did you hear that? It is so. Balor-nim."
"Hmm, I heard it clearly."
"What, what is this!"
Lize swung her arm in reflex at the sudden appearance.
The attack carried unhesitating killing intent at a speed beyond human limits.
"Thud!"
"A welcoming guest as a rough little girl, huh."
"Let go of this!"
Unlike Seowoo, who didn't react to Lize's attack at all, Balor easily twisted her arm and pinned her down.
Seeing Seowoo nod, he released her arm.
Seeing Lize stomp her foot at Balor, he felt a bit sorry, but asking Acid for escort before coming here had clearly been a wise move.
"It seems you can return to the shadow."
"I will do so."
"Thank you for your consideration."
Seowoo bowed his head as he watched Balor return to the shadow like ink.
Although it seemed Balor would remain nearby for conversation, the request had ended here, so he returned to Acid.
After all, it was enough to show that he had such a ruthless side.
"...
Is your arm okay?"
Having given her a light scolding, it was time for the carrot.
"No need for unnecessary worry. Anyway, it will all recover...
"
Lize found it hard to respond to the worried Seowoo with a cold attitude, so her answer didn't feel sharp.
"The next schedule has quite some time left...
If it's okay, shall we go out to the street? It's better than talking in this gloomy classroom, isn't it?"
"Outside the research institute...
Really?"
Seowoo had heard the sweet talk, but it was different in meaning.
'If you listen to the teacher well, I'll ask the superiors if I can go out once. Okay? Got it?'
'If you listen to my words well, I'll consider getting permission to go out.'
It was a word he had heard to the point of boredom, and even after hearing it several times, his heart was moved.
In fact, he knew it was impossible...
"A, of course, it's under the premise that I accompany you, right? How about it?"
This time, the guy who called himself teacher didn't deviate from expectations and threw the bait.
Look at that face full of reality.
The face that smiles foolishly despite being handsome.
He didn't ask for big things from her, and he didn't desperately try to get even one compliment from the superior.
How could he be pulled by such an untrustworthy human?
As always.
Reaching out knowing it would be a rotten string.
"...
Alright."
Even if it was just a hollow dream.