The Worst Villain is Actually a Cute Girl

Chapter 12: Let’s Find Out What Kind of Place This Is (3)

How would the children see me?

A small frame, similar to that of a young child.

I might look like a child or a dwarf, but the issue is that I’m dressed in ragged clothes with my face tightly covered by a hood and a mask.

I exude an air of suspicion, so it wouldn’t be strange if the children mistook me for someone shady.

Naturally, encountering a suspicious person brings uneasiness or a sense of foreboding, and those feelings subtly invoke fear in people.

Of course, street thugs wouldn’t be scared of someone like me.

Instead, they’d see me as an easy target, a pushover, a so-called weakling.

Like beasts spotting a tasty prey, they’d have set their sights on me.

But children are different.

That’s because children are inherently weak beings.

Well, with some exceptions.

In any case, it’s only natural for them to be wary of suspicious people.

Sometimes, they’re even terrified.

Again, with some exceptions.

‘At least those kids don’t seem to be exceptions. Still, aren’t they being a bit too cautious? Oh, right, wasn’t there news about a bad incident happening? Then I guess this reaction makes sense.’

At least I’d already met Lena, the girl who had been singing earlier. But unlike then, I was now hiding my face.

In this heavy silence, I needed to convey that I wasn’t a harmful person.

But how?

I couldn’t speak.

‘Should I act in a way that shows I’m not suspicious?’

As I pondered how to proceed and moved closer to the children, they cautiously stepped back.

I took one step forward.

They took one step back.

‘Their sharp gazes are no joke. Are they all trying to decide whether to tackle me together or figure out how to escape?’

A simple solution would be to remove my hood and mask and show my face. But I didn’t want to do that.

Thinking of a better way while taking another step forward—

“Stop!”

Zap!

…What was that just now?

For a moment, Lena’s shout made my body freeze.

It felt like her words controlled my actions against my will. She didn’t seem to notice, though.

“Who are you?”

Starting with Lena, the other children began to ask questions like, “What’s your identity?” and “Where did you come from?”

This wasn’t good.

“…”

As expected, my silence only heightened their wariness.

This was bad.

Then, an idea suddenly struck me.

I wasn’t sure if it would work, but I had to try.

I quickly took out the notebook I had and scribbled something with my pen.

[Orphanage. Me. You. Friend. Not scary. No misunderstanding.]

I tore out the page and held it out.

Approaching frightened kids recklessly would only make things worse, so this was probably a better approach.

The brave boy at the front cautiously stepped forward and snatched the paper before quickly retreating to the others.

Together, they began to read it.

The kids tilted their heads in confusion.

They didn’t understand at all. It felt like I’d only made the situation worse.

As I inwardly screamed at the unfolding crisis, a timid blue-haired girl clutching a book looked at me and quietly asked.

“Are you… the new family… that Unnie brought?”

Unnie? What nonsense is she talking about?

At first, I didn’t understand her words, but I quickly realized she was referring to Red.

I had come here alone, but for now, easing the children’s suspicions was my priority, so I nodded.

Their eyes softened slightly. But it wasn’t enough.

“How can we believe you?”

“Yeah, exactly.”

I needed something to prove that I was telling the truth.

Just then, one of the girls widened her eyes and pointed at my pen.

“Oh, that! It’s the teacher’s pen!”

This? It was something I borrowed from Rene. So, by ‘teacher,’ do they mean Rene?

I held out the pen.

One child quickly grabbed it, and they all started inspecting it together.

After a moment, the children’s wariness completely melted away.

The tension that had filled the air until just a moment ago dissipated entirely.

Their eyes were now brimming with curiosity. Some of them even sparkled with excitement.

Suddenly, I felt chills run down my spine.

‘What’s with these kids? They were scared of me just a moment ago.’

The children swarmed toward me like a storm.

Their curiosity seemed endless as they huddled close and bombarded me with questions.

“What’s your name?”

“Why are you covering your face?”

“Why don’t you talk?”

Don’t touch my hood.

Don’t pull off my mask.

Stop it, you little rascals!

Ahhh, save me. Help—!

As I was surrounded by the children and starting to suffocate, a strange sound interrupted.

Beep, beep, beep—it sounded like some kind of alarm.

At the sound, the children froze in place.

Then, with bright smiles, they all dashed toward the entrance I’d come through.

I think I overheard them saying something about snack time.

Anyway, phew.

‘I’m saved….’

Sprawled out on the floor, I stared blankly at the ceiling.

Just as I was catching my breath, a shadow loomed over me.

“Hey, are you okay?”

It was Lena, who was still there. She held out her hand to me.

I grabbed her hand and struggled to my feet.

‘I should’ve just waited inside.’

As I dusted myself off, that thought crossed my mind.

But it was already in the past.

*

Back at the orphanage.

The room Lena led me to was filled with children sitting around a circular table.

The sound of their cheerful chatter filled the space.

They all seemed excited at the thought of having snacks.

‘I can relate to that feeling.’

Eating something delicious always makes you happy.

I think it’s one of the few truly joyous moments in this world.

I suddenly wondered what kind of snacks the orphanage would serve.

When thinking about the orphanage’s budget, the kind of desserts I usually eat likely wouldn’t appear here.

The snacks I buy are so expensive that they drain my wallet.

Of course, the shop run by the Dogman Shopkeeper is an exception.

‘Now that I think about it, they said they make the snacks themselves.’

Handmade snacks, huh…

It piqued my interest even more.

“Hey, come over here and sit with us.”

Lena gestured for me to sit next to her.

I pointed at myself with my finger.

Me?

That was the meaning behind the gesture.

This time, Lena understood right away and nodded.

The other children chimed in, urging me to sit down.

‘I’m fine just watching, though….’

I wasn’t a part of the orphanage, so I felt it wasn’t right to join in.

But refusing too much didn’t seem polite either, so I reluctantly sat beside Lena.

‘As long as I don’t eat, it should be fine.’

At that moment, the timid blue-haired girl looked at me and spoke.

“Is it… okay not to take that off…?”

I nodded.

As expected, the kids started firing questions at me.

Thinking of what to say, I suddenly grew tired of it and crossed my arms into an X shape.

It was a firm declaration that I wouldn’t take it off.

Seeing my resolute stance, the kids seemed to get the message and stopped asking.

It felt like they were tactfully giving me space, assuming I had my reasons.

However, their curiosity about me remained, and they kept asking other questions.

I was wondering how to respond when—

Creak.

The door opened, and Rene walked into the room.

The children let out excited cheers.

Rene was holding a large plate. It was covered with a silver lid, so I couldn’t see what was on it.

She set the plate down on the table.

What kind of snack would it be?

My anticipation grew.

As I thought that, the atmosphere in the room changed.

‘What…? Why did it suddenly get so quiet?’

The once noisy room became silent.

A tense air filled the space.

The children were eyeing each other, gauging the situation.

Even Lena, who had been laughing moments ago, now had a serious expression.

Overwhelmed by the uneasy atmosphere, I unconsciously swallowed dryly.

‘I’ve felt something like this before.’

Oh, I remember.

It felt similar to meetings between rival organizations, where everyone schemed to gain an advantage while keeping each other in check.

I never thought I’d experience something like this during snack time.

“It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for. Today’s snack is… drumroll, please…”

Rene made sound effects with her mouth as she slowly lifted the silver lid.

I felt nervous for no reason.

And then, the snack was revealed.

‘Oh.’

Cute little buns shaped like various animals.

Rabbits, tigers, turtles, sheep, dragons—they were incredibly diverse and in generous quantities.

There were seven children in total.

‘With this, there should be no need to fight….’

The sound of something slicing through the air made me realize how naive I’d been.

As soon as the children lunged, they began fighting over their desired buns with their small, determined hands.

The children’s hands were fast and precise.

Even if they grabbed what they wanted, they’d lose it in an instant if they let their guard down, and they scrambled to reclaim it.

“That one’s mine! I already claimed it!”

“Whoever grabs it first wins!”

“The tiger one is mine! No one else can have it!”

“This chocolate one is… no! Why’d you take it?!”

Eek.

Even organizations don’t fight like this.

I hadn’t planned to eat anything, but witnessing the battle unfolding before me was terrifying enough to make me retreat.

My instincts blared alarms, warning me that I’d die if I got caught up in this.

I had to survive.

Crouching low, I crawled to a safe-looking corner to avoid being swept up in the chaos.

‘I’ll be safe here.’

Shaking, I silently wished for the war to end soon.

Thud.

Something curved through the air and landed squarely in my hand.

A mouse-shaped bun.

‘Gasp…!’

A chill ran through my body as I trembled.

When I cautiously looked up, the children were staring at me—or rather, at the bun in my hand.

Their gazes were like those of predators targeting their prey.

I was in immense danger.

In a desperate bid to save my life, I tried to throw the bun far away, but the predators moved far faster.

‘Aagh, save me…!’

It truly was a hellish experience.

*

“Teacher, is this person our new family too?”

Exhausted from the snack war, I was resting when a boy pointed at me and asked.

Rene’s expression turned complicated at the boy’s question.

“No, she’s just here to check out what this place is like.”

The children looked surprised at Rene’s response.

Naturally, they flocked toward me.

“But you told us you were our new family!”

“Was that a lie?”

The children, realizing I had lied, pressed me relentlessly.

Already tired, their unyielding questioning only drained me further.

As I pondered how to calm them down, a good idea struck me.

[Red. Waiting.]

“For Unnie?”

I nodded at the girl’s question.

It wasn’t exactly a lie, after all.

Of course, the kids asked why, and each time, I showed them the notes I wrote.

The kids exchanged glances, their expressions turning strange.

When I tilted my head in confusion, Lena spoke up.

“Unnie comes late. You might have to wait a long time.”

Waiting a long time would be a bit troublesome.

Traveling back and forth between the base and here was annoying too.

Fine. I made my decision.

I’d just wait.

I had plenty of time to spare anyway.

How long could it possibly take?

A week?

Contrary to my expectations, a month passed.