Ch.28Chapter 28. Mother······

The door flew open with a bang.

The noisy classroom immediately fell silent, and the children’s gazes focused on one spot.

On a tall girl with silver hair who exuded a mysterious aura.

Cuss took a step forward after scanning the children…

“Ah.”

She stopped abruptly, feeling caught on something.

Looking back, she saw her large backpack was stuck in the doorframe.

Eventually, Cuss had to turn her body sideways to barely squeeze inside.

Some children couldn’t help but giggle at the sight.

-On the first day, sit wherever you want

That’s what was written on the blackboard.

After looking around the classroom, Cuss soon found who she was looking for.

A small, cute girl with blonde hair.

Her name was Alice, right?

Cuss immediately approached Alice.

“Huh? What’s this?”

A slender boy was sitting next to Alice.

When Cuss’s shadow fell over him, he turned his head and raised his eyebrows.

“Move.”

“No. Why should I?”

“I want the seat next to Alice.”

“So what? I sat here first. Go somewhere else.”

A question arose in Cuss’s mind.

The blackboard clearly said to sit wherever you want.

But what should happen when two people want the same seat?

Cuss’s solution was simple.

Make him want a different seat.

“Whaaa? What! Whyyyyy!”

Cuss grabbed the boy by the scruff of his neck, lifted him up, and tossed him backward.

Given the difference in their size, it didn’t require much effort.

She felt a certain thrill in using the same technique that Jinsoo always used on her.

Ignoring the boy who was staring with wide eyes in disbelief, Cuss sat down in the empty seat.

She didn’t forget to sit “elegantly” as Jinsoo had taught her, pressing the back of her skirt against her thighs.

“You! What do you think you’re doing!”

“…”

The boy stood up with a flushed face.

Oh, this wasn’t right.

Cuss was slightly taken aback.

Wasn’t it normal to become intimidated when faced with such overwhelming physical superiority?

At least that’s how I feel when facing Jinsoo.

“That’s my seat!”

“Not anymore.”

“I sat there first!”

“…”

He still wanted this seat, it seemed.

Cuss thought about beating him up thoroughly to make him want a different seat.

But remembering Jinsoo’s advice to get along well with the other children, she came up with another solution.

“How about we let Alice decide?”

“Huh? Me?”

“Hmph! Fine! Let’s do that!”

The opponent agreed.

Thinking everything was going according to plan, Cuss grinned and put her arm around Alice’s shoulders.

“Alice.”

“Y-yes? Yes?”

“Who would you like to sit here? Choose your answer carefully.”

“C-Cuss. I think I’d prefer Cuss next to me…”

At this reluctant answer, a smile spread across Cuss’s face.

Alice couldn’t bring herself to look directly at Cuss and could only avert her gaze.

The boy, seemingly unable to accept the result, stood there stammering until—

“Alright! Class is about to begin! Everyone please take your seats!”

“I-I’ll get my revenge! You won’t get away with this! Cuss!”

As the homeroom teacher entered through the door, the boy sat down at another desk, fuming.

He kept looking back at Cuss throughout the class, but she paid him no mind.

“Alice. You haven’t told anyone about that, have you?”

“Ah, n-no…”

Cuss pulled her arm tighter, bringing Alice’s face close to hers.

Unable to avoid eye contact any longer, Alice could only nod while trembling.

She silently renewed her vow to never tell anyone about seeing Cuss’s black drawers.

“Today for our first class, we’ll spend time getting to know each other. Let’s go around and introduce ourselves.”

Finally, the first class—Alice felt both nervous and excited.

She was a bit jittery.

But Cuss beside her was still sitting with an indifferent expression.

‘Wow… She’s so mature. Like a big sister.’

She must have gone through such trivial first-day classes many times before.

Alice’s eyes gleamed with admiration.

Although her parents had warned her this morning to stay away from Cuss, she had long forgotten that advice.

“My name is Alice Tales. I like egg tarts and books. Please take care of me.”

“Woooow.”

“I’m Tom Prime. You all know my father, right? Snyder Prime. He was a senator until three years ago. He’s running for governor next year, so I hope your parents make the right choice.”

“Wooooow…”

After the introduction from the boy who had sat next to Alice earlier, applause erupted.

The boy sat back down with a smug smile, as if accustomed to such reactions.

What an irritating kid.

Alice thought this while looking at the boy named Tom.

If Cuss hadn’t taken the seat, she would have had to listen to Tom’s self-promotion the entire time.

“I’m Cuss.”

Finally, it was Cuss’s turn, and she pushed back her chair to stand.

Though she wore flat sneakers, her imposing height made her seem as if she was standing on a step or two.

Everyone held their breath, focusing on the giant who stood proudly with her chest out.

“I am human. I like cold noodles and television. My father… Jinsoo worked in space until three years ago. I hope you make good choices.”

“Cold noodles?”

“What are cold noodles?”

“Space? Was he a high-ranking space force officer?”

“An astronaut, maybe?”

“What does she mean by ‘make good choices’?!”

The classroom immediately erupted into noise after her introduction.

Watching the meaningless speculations, Tom’s face reddened.

He couldn’t accept that her introduction received a bigger response than his.

“She… she’s nothing special…!”

At that moment, Tom decided.

To humiliate this oversized girl.

***

“Tsk…”

Tom, was it?

The boy’s face was a mess.

“Cuss’s father. Here…”

The homeroom teacher cautiously handed over a tablet.

The video playing seemed to be from a CCTV installed in the hallway.

It showed the boy, Cuss, and the girl Cuss had thrown yesterday.

There was no audio, but anyone could tell they were arguing.

The boy was pointing fingers, and the girl next to Cuss was leaning forward, saying something intensely.

Then suddenly…

“Ah.”

Cuss’s uppercut came crashing down.

Her fist buried itself in the boy’s stomach, causing him to stagger back a few steps before collapsing.

Not missing the opportunity, Cuss mounted him, pinned his arms with her calves, and began raining down punches on his face.

I don’t remember teaching her that technique.

Did she learn it from watching wrestling on TV?

The video ended there.

Honestly, there was nothing to say.

Regardless of the circumstances, Cuss was clearly in the wrong.

If this had been a school in the slums, I might have brushed it off with an “Oh well! Kids fight sometimes!” attitude…

The problem was that the boy’s father was a former senator and a gubernatorial candidate.

“Cuss. Why did you do it?”

“He used insulting language toward me first.”

“Sigh…”

I asked for a reason, at least.

Yes, the other party probably did something wrong first.

But no matter what was said, Cuss should have restrained herself.

“I’m truly sorry. My child made a mistake.”

“…”

I grabbed Cuss’s shoulders to face the other parents and made her bow her head.

The boy’s mother, looking displeased, spoke up.

“A mistake? You call this a mistake? Pinning down a child and repeatedly punching them is just a mistake?”

“I’m deeply sorry. Cuss, did you apologize to him directly?”

“…”

“Say it quickly. Say you’re sorry.”

“I’m sorry…”

If she had refused here, it would have been truly chilling.

Whether she understood my feelings or realized the gravity of the situation, Cuss apologized with her head bowed low.

“Ha. Is ‘sorry’ enough? What guarantee do we have this won’t happen again?”

“I’ll make sure to educate her properly so this never happens again—”

“So you didn’t educate her beforehand? That she shouldn’t hit classmates? This is why parents these days…”

Soon the arrows of blame were aimed at me.

“I hear you’re raising her alone? When you’re at work, there’s no one to look after her. That’s why she’s turning out like this.”

“…”

“I can’t let my child be in the same class. Even if she is a girl, having such a large autistic child…”

“Autistic?”

“She seems autistic to me. Her speech is awkward. She doesn’t understand things well. Looking at her age and being in first grade, isn’t she autistic?”

“…”

“Oh my. You didn’t know? Actually, you must have noticed it already. Take this opportunity to visit a psychiatric hospital. If she’s diagnosed with autism, you’ll get government support.”

“…”

Holding Cuss’s hand tightly, I couldn’t say anything.

Cuss, not fully understanding the situation, looked up at me as if I seemed unfamiliar to her.

“I can’t let my child be in such a dangerous class…”

“Would you please be quiet?”

“Ah, yes dear.”

“I haven’t introduced myself yet. I’m Snyder Prime.”

“Jinsoo Kim.”

The man who had been listening quietly stepped forward, unfolding his arms.

Though his face appeared gentle, his massive frame exuded intimidation.

“Mr. Kim. Let’s resolve this peacefully. I don’t want to escalate this matter.”

“Yes…”

“So let’s end this cleanly by having Cuss withdraw from school.”

“What?”

“I’ll forget about any medical expenses or other claims. Think about the other children in this class. How frightening must it be for them to have someone much larger than them throwing punches recklessly?”

“…”

“Mistakes happen. I don’t want parents to be at odds, calling in the vice principal or principal over one mistake between children. Let’s be adults and end this cleanly.”

It was a sweet offer.

If I withdraw Cuss from school, the matter won’t escalate, and they won’t claim medical expenses.

There was no other option.

Except to accept.

“…”

But even when I opened my mouth, I couldn’t find my voice.

I couldn’t bring myself to say I accepted.

I wondered what Cuss would learn from seeing me like this.

Probably just helplessness.

They think of those medical expenses as pocket change, yet we have to grovel because of it.

Due to my lack of education, we’re trapped in their game, being manipulated.

Learning only powerlessness, Cuss would lose her opportunity to study.

She would repeat the history of inadequate adults like me.

“I… I…”

Thinking this way, words failed me.

But there was no other option.

Perhaps it was wrong from the start to try to educate Cuss.

Just as I was about to speak, making such pathetic rationalizations—

BANG!

“She will NOT withdraw!”

“…?!”

A sharp voice came from behind.

Surprised, I turned around to see Juliane standing there.

What? What is this woman doing here?

“And who are you?”

“I’m going to be… Cuss’s mother!”

I stood with my mouth agape, unable to continue.

Has this woman lost her mind?