She was no different from a beast

Chapter 31

—–CROW—– 

Oh dear, this isn’t right…

With the final exams over, I was planning to dedicate myself to the “Flattering the Teacher” project, which I’d been putting off due to various events.  But then…

“Yuna, what exactly… happened yesterday?”

I was in the middle of getting my lunch when the teacher suddenly rushed into the classroom, took me to the sixth-grade teachers’ office on the third floor of the annex building, and asked me this.

In front of me were the teachers, and Big Buzz-cut, fidgeting nervously and glancing at me.

‘Did he actually tell them?’

If so, he’s a truly terrifying individual, beyond my expectations, regardless of his pride.

To casually tell the adults about how he peed and pooped his pants and got spectacularly rejected…

I’d rather bite my tongue off and die.

“W-well…”

“Ms. Narae, you’re scaring the child by asking like that. You should tell her why she’s here first.”

“Ah, s-sorry!  Yuna?  This morning, some students came to the teachers and said that you threw that boy and beat him up badly at the snack bar in front of school. Is that… true?”

“?! I-I threw him, but I didn’t beat him up!!”

“Wow, so she admits to throwing him?”

“Oh my. I thought it was just a rumor among the children. It’s true?”

No! Who said that?! A-and!! Why does it sound like the story has been twisted to make it seem like *I* was the aggressor?

For a moment, I considered correcting the rumor, but then I’d have to explain about chasing him with a wooden stick, intending to beat him up.  So, I kept my mouth shut.

Even if he provoked me, the moment I threatened him with a weapon, *I* became the one in the wrong.

No hitting, but physical threats?  Then the one making the threats is at fault.

“W-well, you see.  Yesterday, after the exams, I was going home, and that b-boy suddenly grabbed me and said he’d buy me something delicious.”

“…?”

“Huh?  Uh?”

“Even though that boy is a troublemaker, to a first-grader… wow.”

I didn’t lie. A hand is part of the body. He grabbed my body (hand), blocked my way, and told me to be quiet because he’d buy me tteokbokki.

It’s a dirty and underhanded tactic, but what could I do?  I had to protect myself.

Call me a liar or whatever.  It’s better to twist the truth slightly and be a confident liar than to tell the whole story, get punished, and worry my pregnant mom.

I spoke in a slightly frightened voice, looking down and fidgeting with my hands on my lap, glancing at the teachers. Everyone was surprised.

Of course, Buzz-cut, who had confessed and gotten thoroughly rejected, was also gaping, wondering what I was talking about… Well, what do you expect?

“N-no! I-I really only held her hand!  She was ignoring me, so I tried to stop her… Ouch!!”

Buzz-cut tried to correct me as soon as he realized how my words sounded, but…why would you say it like *that*?

He ended up getting hit by a teacher for opening his mouth.

Hey, hey, don’t worry.  I have a conscience.  I won’t completely destroy your pride, so just be quiet.

…Probably.

“H-he said he’d buy me tteokbokki…and he’s the one I tutor at the Taekwondo dojang, so I trusted him and followed him. B-but after I ate the tteokbokki, he threatened me, saying I had to be his girlfriend!”

“What?  No.  Ha. Why would he do that to a girl five years younger than him?  I’m speechless.”

The other teachers sighed and frowned at the dejected Buzz-cut. My homeroom teacher looked at me with a complicated expression and then carefully spoke.

“D-did you throw him because of that?”

“Yes. There were other people around, and also, um…”

Wait, teacher? If you say it like that, it sounds like I threw him just because of a confession.

But it’s true.

At the time, I instinctively threw him, not because of his extortion or anything, but because of his creepy and horrifying confession, “We’re dating starting today, hehe.”

But I can’t say that.

I need a more…plausible reason. Hmm.

“H-he looked scary and ugly, and the hand he grabbed me with was all sweaty and smelly.”

“???”

“*Pfft!*”

“N-no, teacher. You shouldn’t laugh now… *Snicker!*”

If I said, “I tried to teach him a lesson because I was disgusted by him acting like a tough guy,” it would be a valid reason, but it would also completely ruin his reputation.

He’s already under suspicion of sexual harassment, and now he’s being outed as a delinquent in front of the adults?

The teachers probably already knew about his delinquent behavior, but it’s different hearing it openly in a situation like this.

Okay, time to wrap this up.

It doesn’t seem like they’re planning to punish or expel us.

“We made up…and he promised to be a good boy from now on, so I’m okay!  I told him I’d teach him a lesson if he ever did that again because he’s ugly!”

I looked up slightly and smiled. The sixth-grade teachers beamed, while my homeroom teacher flinched and forced a wry smile.

She’d witnessed my feats of strength and my dodgeball massacre, so my words probably didn’t sound very heartwarming to her.

Well, it’s true.

The sight of a large boy groveling and begging a small girl in a pee-and-poop-stained alleyway, sobbing and wiping his tears and snot, was more bizarre than heartwarming.

“Excuse me.”

“I-I didn’t tell them! Really! Why would I tell them?!”

“Informal language?”

“…Yes.”

I know that, you idiot.

My homeroom teacher told me everything as soon as I entered the teachers’ office.

Thankfully, he’s as proud as I expected.  Phew.

Since we made up and no one got hurt, we were just given a warning. I finally left the teachers’ office after the fifth period started.

“If you ever show me that creepy face again, I’ll…”

“*Gasp!*”

Seriously, if I weren’t someone with a strong stomach, I would have thrown up the tteokbokki right there.

It was that horrifying… Ugh, I might never be able to eat tteokbokki again.

If you’re going to use that line on a girl, at least take care of yourself, right?

“If you’re going to confess, lose some weight, don’t cut your hair like a weed, and learn some manners.”

“?? T-then will you accept?”

“Me? Why would I?”

Is he crazy? Why would I date a boy?

Okay, fine, let’s say we date.

“Can you handle me?”

“…”

I’ll twist your nipples or smash your head if you do anything bad, and I have a huge appetite… The moment you come near me, you’ll be too scared to even squeak.

“I’ll hit you if you hold my hand. I’ll hit you if you show me that ugly face again.  I’ll hit you if you make another ridiculous confession.”

Buzz-cut’s face paled, and he gulped with every word I said.

And lastly…

“I already have a boyfriend.”

“Huh?”

I used what Jeongwoo had said to me this morning.

“I’m dating Jeongwoo. So don’t hit on someone else’s girlfriend.  And don’t mess with Jeongwoo either.”

He’s a fake boyfriend, but if you mess with Jeongwoo, my closest friend in class, I’ll…

You’ll regret it.

Who knows?  He might think something ridiculous like, “How dare he date the girl I liked!  Grrr, I can’t stand this!”

“Then I’ll be going home~  Ugh, seriously, what was that?  I didn’t even get to eat… Ah, I should tell the teacher I’m hungry.”

I turned back and ran to the first-grade teachers’ office. I ate three cups of ramen and two hot bars that my homeroom teacher gave me from her drawer, drank some cider, and finally left the school.

“Did it go well?”

“Eek! You scared me!”

Jeongwoo was leaning against the gate, as if he’d been waiting for me.

“Why aren’t you at the Taekwondo dojang yet? It’s already 1:30!”

Lunch break is from 12:10, so…wow, he’s been here for over an hour?

“They said I don’t have to go to the abacus academy anymore.  And my Taekwondo class is at 4.”

“Oh, really?  Even so, weren’t you bored? Why were you just standing outside?”

“I was comforting Yuri noona until 30 minutes ago.  She was really worried when she heard you were called to the teachers’ office.”

“Really?  It was nothing to worry about.  Yuri’s so~  People might think I’m her girlfriend or something.”

“You are a girl.”

“…”

W-well, that’s true.

I’m a girl, since I’m 8 years old.

Hmm. Even though I’ve lived twice, it feels a bit strange to hear that from a genuinely innocent 8-year-old.

I just smiled, unable to retort. Jeongwoo sighed and handed me a black plastic bag.

Huh? What’s this?

“I bought it from the snack bar. You must be hungry since you didn’t eat lunch.”

“Oh.”

Jeongwoo, you’re quite thoughtful.

But the timing is a little off.

“Hehe. I just ate ramen and cider in the teachers’ office.”

“…You can’t be satisfied with just ramen.”

“I ate three cups of ramen and two hot bars!”

“So you’re not going to eat this?”

Of course, I’m going to eat it!  Three cups of ramen are just enough to stave off hunger! And noodles digest quickly, so I’ll get hungry again!

I quickly took the bag from Jeongwoo, worried he might change his mind.

It was quite heavy, filled with various snacks besides tteokbokki, and I couldn’t help but smile.

Wow! Does he get a lot of allowance?  To buy this much as a first-grader!

I feel a little guilty eating this all by myself.

“Want to eat it together in the classroom? I’ll get some cider from the teachers’ office!”

“Sure. If the teacher allows it.”

Perhaps thanks to Jeongwoo’s thoughtfulness, I started liking tteokbokki again, despite the unpleasant experience with Buzz-cut.

—–CROW—– 

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