She was no different from a beast

Chapter 14

—–CROW—– 

“…Do I really have to go?”

“Of course! You’ll be going to the same school as Yuri.”

“It’s such a hassle…”

My age: eight years old. *Wahhh!*

Ugh!  So frustrating! I have to learn addition and subtraction at this age?!

‘Honestly, I could ace the elementary school equivalency exam.’

My body might be that of an eight-year-old, but my mind holds the knowledge of a college graduate – a self-proclaimed elite, with a 4.1 GPA, from a national university, no less.

An elite who enjoyed life, covered living expenses with a part-time job, and paid tuition with scholarships!

My only loan was about 10 million won from the scholarship foundation for living expenses, which I paid off within six months of getting a job. A super-elite!

And yet, I have to go to school to learn basic arithmetic.

*Sigh*…

“It’s so boring… I want to die…”

*Thwack!*

“Ow!”

A soft, watery fist – a knuckle sandwich – landed squarely on my head.

Maybe the durability of my skull is thanks to Mom’s constant hammering.

“Honestly… Yuna, do you hate going to school?”

“Hmm.”

Frankly, I wonder if there’s even a point.

These days, taking the equivalency exam would make people think, ‘Did the kid do something wrong? Or is there something wrong with them that they can’t attend school?’ But by the time I’m in my 20s, it’ll be the ultimate cost-effective route.

For MZ generation obsessed with speed, efficiency, and convenience, the equivalency exam will be considered superior to graduating school.

But do I hate going?  Not really.

I just don’t see the need and find it bothersome. But there are experiences you can only have at school.

Plus, as a second-time student… I might have even more fun than in my past life.

“I don’t hate it.”

“Right? I want to see Yuna making lots of friends and doing well in her studies.”

…?

‘Wait. Studies?’

What comes to mind when you think of studying? Exams! That’s right. There are exams.

I used to be excited and yet dread exams in my past life.

But now?

As Han Yuna, the gifted gorani who’s mastered arithmetic?!

“Mom, promise me one thing!”

“Okay. What is it?”

“If I do really, really well in my studies and get first place in class, you’ll grant me a wish!”

This is… amazing!

A wish for every exam! Two wishes a year!

Suddenly, I wanted to go to school.

I wanted to skip and hum all the way to school… but Mom insisted I take the bus, at least on the first day, so I wouldn’t stand out too much.

Ugh. The bus is convenient, but it runs so infrequently.

Luckily, the bus arrived as soon as I reached the stop, so I smoothly arrived at the elementary school.

Ulleung Elementary School.

What kind of name is that? But then again, it’s one of the few elementary schools on this island, so it’s kind of a big deal.

Using the island’s name instead of a regional name… it seems more prestigious and established than other schools.

It’s like how even prestigious universities in Seoul pale in comparison to Seoul National University.

I got off the bus, shouldered my backpack, and walked through the school gates with light, cheerful steps.  My first school in this life…

“Oh.”

It’s a classic, old-fashioned elementary school!

No fancy, colorful buildings like in 2024. Just a simple, unadorned main building and annex, painted white.

A statue of Admiral Yi Sun-sin, a staple in every elementary school.

A playground with gravel and sand, a jungle gym, a slide, horizontal bars, and soccer goals at both ends.

But it’s huge.

It was the largest building I’d ever seen as Han Yuna, so I let out a short gasp of admiration.  Inside, other first-graders, like me, were looking around, holding their parents’ hands.

At first, Mom was worried.  “Yuna, should I come with you? Are you sure you’ll be okay?”  But who am I?  A seasoned veteran, a first-grader with prior experience!

I have to show her I can not only survive but conquer this challenging school life without her.

I pulled out the入学式 schedule from my pocket and scanned it…  Hmm. I had to be at the auditorium by 10:00.

According to the map at the entrance, the auditorium was on the fourth floor.

I climbed the stairs… Oh.  Here it is.

The first three floors had hallways with classrooms, teachers’ offices, restrooms, and so on. The fourth floor only had a hallway on one side, with restrooms and a computer lab.

On the other side were two large doors, presumably the entrance to the auditorium. Teachers were sitting in front of them.

“Is this the auditorium?”

“Oh my. Yes it is~ What’s your name, student? Where are your parents?”

“Han Yuna! I came alone today!”

“…?”

First impressions are important, right?

The entrance ceremony is my stage to show the teachers and classmates what kind of kid I am.

Hehehe. I’ll make a first impression they won’t expect from a typical first-grader.

‘…What is this?’

“Hi! I’m Han Yuna! If you want to be my friend… uh, let’s see~ Teacher! Can I borrow some chalk?”

“Yes, go ahead.”

A peculiar child who came to the entrance ceremony alone.

The other children were excited, yet awkward and scared, looking at each other nervously. I smiled, watching the child who seemed completely at ease.

When I first saw her at the auditorium entrance, I was worried.

All the other children came with their parents, but Yuna came alone.

Is there something wrong at home?

What if she feels left out seeing the other children with their parents?

Am I going to have a problem child on my very first year as a homeroom teacher?

Filled with worry and anxiety, I couldn’t take my eyes off Yuna, who, unlike the other children, was calm, pretty, and well-behaved.

But seeing her smile, talk to the boy next to her without hesitation, and quickly become friends… I felt relieved.

Phew.  She’s not a problem child at all.

She came alone?  Her parents must trust her enough to let her come by herself.

Her actions, speech, and vocabulary were remarkable for an eight-year-old.

The other children shyly mumbled their names, glancing at me and their classmates, then scurried back to their seats.

But Yuna smiled brightly, introduced herself in a clear, strong voice with perfect pronunciation.

I nodded, impressed by her ability to lighten the awkward atmosphere, and handed her a new piece of chalk…

*Crack.*

“?”

‘…What was that?’

“If you want to be my friend, you have to be at least this strong! Got it?!”

What am I seeing?  Huh?

Can chalk crumble just by squeezing it?

The white chalk crumbled into pieces and powder in her small, white hand.

The atmosphere in the room suddenly turned cold.

I’d seen boys break chalk in half for fun in college, but never like this, crushing it in their hand.

“Huh? Why aren’t you answering? Why are you so quiet? Everyone, clap for me~ Clap.”

“*Hiccup!*”

“M-Mom…”

‘Ah.’

Now I understand why Yuna came to the entrance ceremony alone.

Her parents trusted her.

‘They trusted that no one would dare to mess with her.’

Even I, as an adult, would be intimidated to fight Yuna.

She was smiling, and her voice was cheerful, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was an underlying force in her last word, “Clap.”

“Y-Yuna?  The other children are scared, so you shouldn’t do things like that, okay~?”

“?? Huh? Really? But… if they’re too weak, I might send them to the hospital with a single poke…”

What are you talking about, Yuna?

Breaking out in a cold sweat at her incomprehensible words, I somehow managed to get her to sit down. The boy next to her was trembling, glancing at her nervously.

Oh no, this is bad.  I can’t ruin the atmosphere on the first day!

“Huh?  Why are you shaking~? Do you have a cold? You look pale.”

“N-No… I-I’m okay…”

Should I intervene or not?

Jeongwoo, Yuna’s partner, was pale and clearly intimidated, learning at the tender age of eight to be wary of someone stronger than him.

Yuna put her arm around Jeongwoo’s shoulders, leaned closer, and placed the back of her hand on his forehead, looking genuinely concerned.  She even pulled out a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped his sweat.

“Your name is… Jeongwoo, right? Jeongwoo, your friend Yuna hates liars! Now, tell me honestly what’s bothering you!”

Yuna, who would be honest after that?

Saying that to a scared child…

“Y-You’re scary! Stay away from me! Waaaaah!”

Oh no. This is a disaster.

It’s only the first day.

My first time as a homeroom teacher… and I have a feeling something went terribly wrong.

—–CROW—–