After the principal quickly walked off, Amakusa Reiji smiled faintly from inside the director’s office.
["He’s pretty sensitive. Most wouldn’t even notice my presence."]
["There must be a reason he made it all the way to principal, then."]
["That’s an interesting perspective. It’s hindsight, but I suppose I agree to so extent. That General Naeba really was capable."]
The man spoke lightly of the South African dictator whose death he’d orchestrated.
["Well, the rest were garbage. How badly must he have raised his son for the kid to beg to kill his own father?"]
Amakusa Reiji.
Unlike the S-Rank crafter Amakusa Kazuki, Reiji was a figure infamous in the shadows—a designer of covert and criminal operations.
The most exceptional executioner in the world grinned as though he found it all thoroughly amusing.
Han Roun narrowed his eyes.
["Thanks to you, I had one less thing to do."]
Han Roun had also been planning to eliminate General Naeba, who had been conducting experints on children in his country.
["Hmm. Everything leads back to inevitability."]
["Inevitability..."]
It had been through General Naeba that Reiji and Han Roun crossed paths. That connection had led to Reiji’s recruitnt into Gnosis. Looking back, maybe all of it really had been inevitable.
Han Roun drifted into thought, then glanced toward the door and asked,
["Does the principal bother you?"]
["Not at all. The sensitive ones are more fun."]
["Let say this again, Amakusa-san—don’t ss with our principal. More importantly, did you abandon the job you were hired for? I thought you’d be swamped because of that up-and-coming crafter who appeared out of nowhere."]
["Mm, I should be—but I’m rather free."]
["That’s unexpected."]
["In this world overflowing with information, it’s bizarre that I can’t dig up anything on a public figure. It’s like soone deliberately erased it. I’ve given up—completely."]
Reiji raised both hands in mock surrender, cracking a joke.
For soone regarded as one of the most powerful figures in the underworld, for Amakusa Reiji to express sothing like that—it was practically a gesture of respect.
And Han Roun had a good idea who could’ve made Reiji raise both hands like that.
["Then it must be Jurim’s doing."]
He smiled proudly, dimples blooming on both cheeks.
["Hmmm."]
Reiji propped up his chin and studied him with interest.
Whenever Han Roun spoke about On Jurim, there was always a faint tenderness. Reiji found that endlessly entertaining.
["For Jurim-kun to get personally involved, this new crafter must really be sothing. He’s not the type to concern himself with other people."]
["Mmm, yeah. That’s true. So, what do you plan to do?"]
["I’m going to visit soone who might know sothing. And conveniently, she’s in Korea. What luck."]
["Ah..."]
Han Roun nodded as if he knew exactly who “she” referred to.
Reiji, wearing a vague smile, lifted his teacup and savored the aroma.
["This tea’s delightful. I think I’ll enjoy it fully before making any moves. No harm in taking it slow, right?"]
["So long as you don’t cause too much trouble, do as you like."]
["Of course, of course."]
Amakusa Reiji chuckled softly and tapped his teacup with a finger as if to say all he planned to enjoy was tea.
***
It was sports day season at Yustitia International School.
Though the event wasn’t much different from those at other schools, one thing stood out—due to the school’s elite and compact student body, every single student participated.
From kindergarten to high school, all the students were split into Blue Team and Red Team, and total points would determine the winner.
The winning team would receive VIP tickets to the Asian Gas and ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) a brand-new tablet PC for every mber.
After the full explanation was delivered to the Chick Class in the kindergarten division...
“There’ll be lots of events where you’ll need a partner, so everyone, choose your partner and tell your teacher. Okay?”
“Yes!!”
The excited children all shouted back in unison.
But for so reason, Woojoo looked totally downcast.
So when Guru asked what she thought was an obvious question—
“Woojoo-ya, you gonna be Gwuu’s pawtner, wight?”
“Huh?”
—she got a vague reply.
“Um? Why?! You dun wanna?!”
“It’s just...”
As Woojoo hesitated to answer, Guru’s face began to pale.
Guru grasped both of Woojoo’s hands tightly and asked with a face full of teary sparkle.
“Nooo way... awe you gonna pick a diffewent fwiend instead of Gwuu?!”
Woojoo awkwardly turned his head aside.
Seeing that, Guru’s mouth dropped open in shock.
Dun-dun—!
To think that Woojoo might have a best friend who wasn’t her.
It felt like a dark cloud had settled over her chest.
“Gwuu’s head ish goin’ aww dizzy...”
Guru’s pupils began trembling uncontrollably, and Woojoo hurried to calm her down.
“No! No! It’s not that! Uh! I just... I’ve got filming, so I don’t think I can participate with you.”
“...Fiwming?”
Guru, who had been staggering, perked her head up again.
“Uh, yeah. I’ve got filming. So I can’t.”
“Ah, dat’s it? It’s otay! Gwuu wiww do aww da wowk! You can co aftew fiwming’s done.”
“That’s! ...No.”
“Whuu?”
“You’re an Awakened, Guru. It’ll be better if you do it with soone else.”
“But Gwuu’s F-Wank...”
Guru glanced around with her big eyes.
Sensing that she was being careful not to let the other kids hear, Woojoo nodded along.
“Yeah, but even if you’re F-Rank... I bet there’s a line of kids who wanna team up with you.”
“...”
'Woojoo, what’s goin’ on? Sothin’ feews weird.'
Guru hesitated, unsure how to convince him, and Woojoo lowered his gaze and fiddled with his phone.
“...I gotta take this. My dad’s calling!”
“Whuu? Oway...”
Woojoo quickly got up and darted out of the classroom.
“Huuuummm.”
Guru lazily stared at Woojoo’s retreating figure as he left to make the call.
***
Woojoo went to a quiet corner of the kindergarten building and leaned against the wall.
On the phone screen, his dad’s face appeared.
—Woojoo, why didn’t you tell there was a sports day?!
“How do you even know that?!”
—Kindergarten apps are really sothing these days. I get all the alerts now.
“Oh...”
He rembered helping his dad install the KidsNote app when he asked about it recently.
He regretted it now.
Woojoo sighed, and then the one question he didn’t want to hear ca up.
—What ti should I co to the sports day?
...Knew it. This is why he hated this stuff.
“You don’t have to co.”
—Oh, co on. You said I could say what I wanted to say, didn’t you?
“I an it. I don’t even like sports day. I’m just gonna hang out with a friend instead. I might get hurt—it’ll ss with filming...”
—There you go again, worrying about filming. Who’s the friend? Guru?
“No. It’s a different friend.”
—Who? Who’s the other friend?
“A fwiend you dun know! I gotta go now, class is startin’.”
—Wait, Woojoo! Then let’s talk more later, okay?
“Fine... Are you coming ho tonight?”
—Of course. Gotta hurry back to see my son’s face.
“Mm... Bye.”
Woojoo shoved the phone into his pocket and let out a deep sigh.
His dad sounded disappointed when he told him not to co.
'And Gwuu too...'
Woojoo ssed up his hair, thinking of Guru hesitating earlier.
Everything just felt like a total ss.
anwhile, hidden nearby, Guru had been secretly listening to Woojoo’s call. She sat squatting on the floor, hands tightly clasped together.
She was so hurt her chest stung and her lips puffed out in a pout.
'Woojoo don’t wuv Gwuu no mowe.'
He got a new fwiend?
“Hiiing...”
As the sulky little girl sat there, a soft wing approached and gently patted her head in comfort.
Guru hugged phi tight and rubbed her chubby cheek against him.
“phiiii...”
'If only phi was a hooman...'
“Biiiii...”
For so reason, phisto let out a sorrowful cry.
At that mont, her backpack began to squirm.
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