BXBX NOVEL Chapter 86 - A Reluctant Choice (2)
Chapter 86: A Reluctant Choice (2)
It felt like someone had poured cold water over my head.
The fog that had seemed to fill my mind cleared. What was I talking about? What did I just say?
I’d said too much. I hadn’t intended to reveal this much. Were there any discrepancies with what I’d said before? Damn it, damn it, damn…
“I’m asking, how do you know that, Teacher?”
Once again, it felt like cold water was splashed over my head.
I slowly turned my head to look at Kang Tae-woo.
His face bore the traces of last night’s struggles. Even when he found out about the orphanage attack, he didn’t look this bad. Pale complexion. Sunken eyes. Trembling hands.
I looked out the window. It’s summer, so the sky is bright, but it’s still early. It’s not the time for a kid who just fell asleep at dawn to be up and wandering around.
“Teacher!!!”
Kang Tae-woo screamed, his face ghostly pale. I was worried he might collapse from the strain.
I glanced down at my empty cup with regret. I should’ve savored it more. Drinking another cup of coffee, especially one that spikes my blood sugar this early, didn’t seem like a healthy choice.
Is it ridiculous to care about health when you’re a Hunter? Still, there’s no harm in being mindful of it.
“Uh, Tae-woo? About that…”
Lee Mi-seon suddenly stood up and cautiously approached Kang Tae-woo.
Let’s see if Lee Mi-seon can handle this.
“So, you see, the thing is…”
It didn’t seem promising.
“So, um… Teacher Woo…”
Lee Mi-seon kept glancing at me, silently pleading for me to step in and fix the situation.
I ignored her gaze and searched the kitchen again. The coffee mix I drank. The beans. The grinder. Frying pan. Pot. Fruit tea. Black tea.
Ah, of course, there it is. I pulled out a can of hot chocolate from the back of the cupboard. There was still boiled water left, so I grabbed a new cup and added the hot chocolate.
…Is hot chocolate in the early morning too much of an American vibe?
Whatever. Drinking something warm and sweet will help lift his spirits. Even just holding it might provide some comfort.
The hot chocolate was ready in no time. Kang Tae-woo was glaring coldly at the two adults, while Lee Mi-seon was flustered, unsure what to do.
I sighed and gestured for Kang Tae-woo to come over. Unsurprisingly, he didn’t move. Arrogant brat.
I hadn’t really expected him to come, so I just walked over and shoved the hot chocolate cup into his hands.
He gave me an incredulous look but didn’t throw the cup away.
“Sit.”
“……”
Kang Tae-woo stared blankly at me.
“Sit.”
I firmly grabbed his shoulder and guided him to a seat at the kitchen island. I pulled up a chair and sat across from him. Lee Mi-seon, who had been fidgeting nervously, quietly stood behind Kang Tae-woo, trying her best to stay out of his line of sight.
I’d had my coffee too early. Now was the time I really needed it.
I spoke to Kang Tae-woo, who was still staring at me intently.
“Drink.”
“……”
“I said, drink.”
Still keeping his eyes fixed on me, Kang Tae-woo slowly lifted the cup. He took a sip of the hot chocolate, swallowed.
He wrinkled his brow slightly, probably finding it sweeter than expected. That’s not my concern.
What matters now is that Kang Tae-woo is listening to me. Look at that rebellious face. But the only thing he’s expressing dissatisfaction with is his expression.
He obediently sat in the chair when I guided him, and he drank the hot chocolate when I told him to.
That’s what’s important.
Even though he’s in shock, he’s listening to me. It’s proof that he trusts me. Or maybe that I’m the only one he has left.
Either way, this is something that will end easily as long as I say the right things.
Kang Tae-woo is far more manageable compared to Park Seo-hyun or Oh Hyun-wook.
Park Seo-hyun, raised by a strict grandfather, craved praise, while Oh Hyun-wook, who had been deceived into a fraudulent contract, had a strong sense of pride but low self-esteem. So, I showered Park Seo-hyun with compliments, while I scratched at Oh Hyun-wook’s pride. I thought I was tailoring their education accordingly.
Ah, well… I’m not sure if it worked with Park Seo-hyun, but sometimes it’s better to just go with the flow.
“……”
“Keep drinking.”
“……”
Compared to those two, Kang Tae-woo is easier to understand. It’s partly because I already knew him, and partly—though I hate to admit it—because Kang Tae-woo and I share a lot of similarities.
A mature child who doesn’t show much emotion.
The difference between us is that if I was pushed, I would come out barking and snapping, but Kang Tae-woo is the type to just be pushed further without resistance. In the Research Lab, his personality would’ve been much more advantageous for survival. I, on the other hand, acted like that because I had something to rely on.
How many years did Kang Tae-woo spend in the Research Lab? A personality developed in that environment doesn’t change easily. Kang Tae-woo is a model student, the kind who listens well to adults. Even though he thinks I deceived him, look at how obediently he drinks the hot chocolate just because I told him to.
“You asked how I knew, right?”
“……”
“Well, I know because I deceived you.”
“Teacher Woo!!”
Behind Kang Tae-woo, Lee Mi-seon mouthed my name, waving her arms frantically. She was so animated that, if not for Kang Tae-woo, I would’ve smacked her.
I ignored Lee Mi-seon.
Kang Tae-woo may seem mature, but he’s a child who doesn’t easily get manipulated.
What does that imply?
It means that, despite appearances, he’s stubborn and independent. Don’t be fooled by his calm exterior. What did he say to me before he graduated? Something like, “You should tell the Director what he wants to hear, right?”
He’s much more cunning than he looks.
And speaking from the perspective of someone who went through an even more cunning childhood, half-hearted deception will get you caught. It’s better to be somewhat honest to build trust.
“I know this might sound bad, but… rather than deceiving you, it be more accurate to say I just didn’t tell you?”
“Isn’t that the same thing?”
“Is it?”
Lee Mi-seon’s expression was priceless, like she was about to faint. I gave her a chance. She should’ve handled it better instead of dumping it all back on me.
“Ah, but it’s true that I brought you here to protect you.”
And like all children, he likes being treated as an adult. Kang Tae-woo is no exception.
In other words, the response strategy is simple.
Treat him as a mature, independent individual, be reasonably honest, but still hide certain things and coax him into cooperating. Not that there’s much to gain from his cooperation anyway.
“It’s true that someone was targeting the orphanage. And what I hid was…”
I continued to refer to myself as “Teacher.”
After all, it’s important to remind him that I’m his teacher. A Hunter investigating a case would be too intimidating and formal.
“……”
I paused for a moment.
I needed to choose my words carefully here. This was a critical point. What I said now would determine how I approached educating Kang Tae-woo moving forward.
What should I say?
That I know the orphanage is connected to Ark? That I know he’s from the Research Lab?
“What did you hide?”
As the silence dragged on, Kang Tae-woo couldn’t wait any longer and asked. Thanks to the hot chocolate, he seemed somewhat calmer now.
…If I’m going to do this, might as well make it shocking. I had already hinted at this to Lee Mi-seon earlier.
“That your teacher escaped from the Ark.”
* * *
Morning had come.
Not only had the sky brightened, but the clock confirmed it was undeniably morning.
Choi Jin-woo and Han Eun-young had been brought over by the Daseon Hunters. Well, I guess calling them Daseon Hunters might be a stretch, but as long as they carry Daseon’s business cards, it should be fine to refer to them that way.
“What? A training camp?”
Of course, no one believed Hong Seok-young’s nonsense. At least Yoo Hye-eun pretended to listen, but Yoo Ji-eun didn’t even bother with that.
Yoo Ji-eun openly frowned.
“What kind of training camp starts by waking up sleeping people and bringing them here?”
“Ji-eun, you weren’t even asleep.”
“Unnie, that’s just a figure of speech! You don’t have to be so literal!”
Hong Seok-young nodded at Yoo Ji-eun’s words.
“Mm, that’s how it is.”
“What do you mean, ‘that’s how it is’! I have to go to school! I need to get my diploma!!”
Yoo Ji-eun shouted quite desperately. Last time, she had skipped school and came to Pilot High School to hang out, and now she was talking about getting her diploma… Ah, is it because of that conversation we had about her only having a middle school education? I should’ve explained it better back then.
“Don’t worry, we’ve already informed the school. And even if you miss a few days, you’ll still be able to graduate.”
Yoo Ji-eun pouted her lips.
“…Then, can I learn how to become a Hunter here?”
“Hm?”
“There’s nothing to do here, and I’m not just supposed to sit around, right? There’s nothing fun here! No one to hang out with!”
“Hm…”
“So you’re just going to call us here and tell us to sit still?”
Yoo Ji-eun glared fiercely. When she narrowed her eyes like that, I could see the grown-up Yoo Ji-eun overlapping. But the chubby cheeks brought me back to reality.
Hong Seok-young subtly avoided Yoo Ji-eun’s eyes.
“Teacher Woo will take care of you.”
“…What?”
“Really?”
“No. Wait a minute.”
Ji-eun is your disciple! Why are you dumping her on me!!
“Wow! I’ll work hard! Thank you!!”
But seeing those sparkling eyes, I couldn’t bring myself to say anything.
As I stood there speechless, Hong Seok-young grinned unpleasantly beside me.
Damn… I can’t exactly tell him teach his student himself.
Yoo Ji-eun is going to enroll at Pilot High School in half a year anyway. Whether she starts training now or in six months, it’s all the same. While Hong Seok-young was in the hospital, I was mostly giving theoretical lessons in the classroom anyway…
Tsk.
I’ll watch over her for now and then pass her back to Hong Seok-young. No matter what, I can’t steal old man’s… well, she’s not his first student, but she’s his favorite pupil.
I scratched my head and sighed. Yoo Ji-eun smiled brightly, probably taking that as a form of permission.
“Alright, everyone, disband. Let’s eat first.”
Hong Seok-young clapped his hands twice and said.
“Eat, rest, and then come back here at 10 in your gym clothes. Got it?”
“Yes!”
The kids scattered in perfect order. Yoo Ji-eun shot me a smirk before being dragged off by her sister. Choi Jin-woo and Han Eun-young, who had only just arrived this morning and weren’t fully aware of the situation yet, seemed unconcerned. Meanwhile, Park Seo-hyun and Oh Hyun-wook hesitated briefly before carefully approaching after the others had left.
“Uh, Teacher. Seung-yeon isn’t here….”
“Seung-yeon and Tae-woo had something to take care of. They’ll be back later today or tomorrow.”
“But they were both here yesterday?”
Hong Seok-young didn’t deny it.
“Mm. It’s a personal matter, so it’s not something I can explain. But there’s nothing to worry about.”
“…Are they okay?”
“I said they’re fine. Now go eat.”
Park Seo-hyun and Oh Hyun-wook exchanged dubious glances between me and Hong Seok-young before reluctantly moving off.
I waited until the kids were completely out of sight before I spoke.
“So, is Seung-yeon alright? He seemed pretty shaken.”
“Well, when Hunter Lee says he’s fine, who am I to say otherwise?”
“That’s true.”
Hong Seok-young, looking stiff, stretched out his arms and twisted his waist back and forth.
“What about Kang Tae-woo?”
“I put him back to sleep after what happened at dawn.”
“Is he still sleeping?”
“He woke up a while ago. I told him to wash up and wait in the conference room.”
“Hmm… Isn’t the conference room a bit too formal? He’s still a minor, after all. Maybe somewhere with a softer atmosphere…”
“It was his own request. What else could I do?”
I thought back to Kang Tae-woo, the way he looked at dawn.
The more I explained, the more resolute his gaze became.
His slightly trembling body gradually calmed. And then, the words he said after I finished were even more surprising.
‘Then, Teacher.’
‘Hmm?’
‘If I provide information, what can you offer me in return?’
See? I told you he was cunning too.
*****
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