Chapter 45

Chapter 45

Open Class (3)

Our first encounter was at a venue I found through a flyer…

Actually, it wasn’t really an encounter.

I was just one of the thousands in the audience, and she was the star on stage.

“Is your hatred truly genuine?”

Yes, back then, she wasn’t looking at me.

She was looking at the whole, not the individual.

Those eyes were taking in everyone present, aiming to embrace it all.

“If your hatred is genuine, are you prepared to abandon everything you’ve achieved for it?”

It was a cliché statement.

Coming from someone advocating for evil, it would naturally lack credibility.

“If so, do not fear. Even if the world denies you, I will affirm you. Even if the world casts you out, I will gather you in my hands.”

Despite that, I…

And we couldn’t take our eyes off her for even a moment.

“I swear to remember you and be with you for eternity, no matter what hardships and adversities await.”

Because we instinctively understood.

That the being looking down at us was not lying.

We felt the sincerity in the power behind those words, and were drawn to follow her.

“No one here today would have been without expectations.”

That voice that had touched our hearts back then…

Was now being expressed through the vocal cords of a young girl.

“Even those whose parents are still here must feel ashamed to have this stage ruined like this.”

Of course, even if the charisma was evident, it’s just in her gaze.

While it might draw attention to her youthful and small frame, it wouldn’t be enough to lead and overwhelm everyone.

“But didn’t you all prepare so much for today?”

Yet, she wasn’t discouraged.

As if proving that her power wasn’t just something created by her followers.

“If what comes out of your mouth now is tears instead of the fruits of your efforts, you will surely regret this moment for a long time.”

Yes, her essence hadn’t changed from back then.

The only difference was that she stood on the same level as everyone else instead of above them.

“But still, we did all this to show mom and dad…”

Was this equality creating resistance?

As a girl spoke in a voice that seemed on the verge of tears, the mood around the nearby children also began to darken.

“Yeah, what’s the use if mom isn’t here?”

“It’s all been for nothing now…”

The current silence was just delaying the inevitable chaos.

“Look over there.”

But Boss firmly rejected that and pointed her finger off the stage.

Towards the tripod boldly set up in the audience.

“…A camera?”

Yes, a camera.

The footage captured by it would later be sent to the parents, becoming a cherished memory.

“Although time once passed cannot be brought back, there are means to preserve such moments as memories. Do you want this moment, which will become a memory, to be filled with tears?”

Just because the audience disappeared didn’t mean the effort was wasted.

If this moment could be preserved, it would still hold meaning.

Even if the present is ruined, in the future…

“…I don’t care about that.”

But these were children.

To them, who hadn’t lived long, the importance of reminiscing about the past wasn’t a concept they could grasp.

“What does the future matter? Dad broke his promise to me again.”

“And my mom always comes home injured.”

“My dad too. When he rushes out like that, he ends up in the hospital for a long time.”

“What if he gets seriously hurt again?”

“I want to go see dad.”

Betrayal, worry, and the fear that they might not return…

These emotions began to spill from the children’s mouths one by one, and soon, the murmurs swirled into a storm of anxiety.

As the delayed chaos began to emerge again…

“It will be fine.”

Despite that.

“Do not worry. They will surely return safely.”

She continued to reassure the young and innocent boys and girls.

“It won’t be fine! If dad gets hurt again…”

“Semi.”

Boss called out to the girl who was shouting in frustration.

Yes, she called the girl by her name. She remembered the name of the girl standing in front of her.

An individual among the crowd that surrounded her.

Unlike when I listened to her speech…

“Do you not trust me?”

But that made it clearer.

The eyes meeting hers up close would clearly reflect the girl standing in front of her.

Just like the days I spent immersed in her daily life.

“What?”

“I asked if you do not trust me, standing before you.”

“…”

“…Well, it’s the same for them.”

Did the girl read trust from that silence?

Boss turned away from the girl, smiling with satisfaction, and began to direct her gaze around once more.

“Just as we trust each other, they must also trust those beside them. Even tasks that would normally be impossible can be accomplished by relying on each other.”

Her words carried weight.

Not just a facade, but a conviction.

She claimed that trusting and supporting each other, and sharing responsibilities, was a privilege heroes had that villains did not.

“So there is no need to be afraid. Nothing has changed. We just need to perform the stage as we originally planned.”

Yes, she was someone who had faced and competed with justice more than anyone.

She had tried to understand them even while competing with them, so she was confident her words were not wrong.

Even if they were clumsy and urgent, they would never break despite disappointing those they must protect.

The followers of the group that had defeated her would not despair over this.

“Let’s not just make this a memory, but celebrate their glorious victory.”

With those words, Boss finished speaking and turned her gaze around once more.

No one dared to speak. They were just staring at her.

Not only the children but the teacher and the few parents remaining.

Of course, words from a mere seven-year-old child might be dismissed as empty rhetoric.

But what did it matter if they were dismissed?

The chaos that should have occurred was completely subdued by her presence.

“Nella.”

In the silence that followed, she called the name of her friend.

Nella, who belatedly came to her senses, trembled.

As always, Boss gently whispered to her.

“Can you lead the choir?”

“Ah, yes!”

Nella, who had been wavering, regained her composure and took her position at the front once more.

The children’s gazes shifted from Boss to Nella.

As their focus shifted to the class representative, Nella’s shoulders visibly slumped under the weight of their attention.

But she didn’t falter.

Even if she felt overwhelmed, she had someone beside her who assured her that what she was doing was not wrong.

“Forget the pain of giving birth~♬”

As she began singing the first line of the prepared song, the other children followed suit, singing in unison.

The lyrics expressed the love a child has for their parents.

I didn’t know where it originated.

It was just one of the many lost cultures after the Great Cataclysm that had been passed down to this academy, becoming a tradition.

“How mundane~”

As I listened quietly to the song, someone beside me smirked, looking amused.

It was Bruce Lee, the elderly man with a comical beard, who had created Isri.

“Truly mundane~ To make such a mundane outcome after ruining the much-anticipated performance, your daughter has remarkable leadership.”

“Ah, no. You flatter her.”

“Of course, the way she speaks makes it seem like she’s heavily influenced by cartoons…”

“…Haha.”

I let his words slide with an awkward smile.

Yes, it was fortunate he understood it that way.

“But Dr. Lee, aren’t you affiliated with the Association? I thought you’d follow the heroes…”

“Hoho, why would a non-combatant like me go to the scene?”

Though I tried changing the subject just in case, Bruce Lee responded without suspicion.

His gaze remained fixed on the small girl on stage.

“I participated in this open class to observe Isri. Why would I take my eyes off her now?”

Indeed, it was easy to forget because of his playful nature, but he was a prominent figure in engineering.

Naturally, he would be more interested in his masterpiece than fieldwork.

He looked up at the stage with admiration.

“But I didn’t expect this outcome. The Isri I know would have insisted on following the heroes… I didn’t expect her to stay with the children without causing any trouble.”

Yes, he specialized in creating equipment to support heroes.

Naturally, the artificial human was also a ‘weapon’ made to assist heroes.

Yet, she chose to stay here rather than join the villains’ eradication because she was confident the task would be handled without her.

Because she resonated with Boss’s opinion that there was no need to worry and that they would return safely.

“Can someone so different still fit in so well?”

His contemplative gaze began to deepen as he looked at the stage.

Was it just my imagination that his words felt significant?

“Yes, really…”

No, she wasn’t human either.

Yet, despite that, this moment didn’t feel unsettling.

“It’s fortunate they all seem to fit in well.”

The transcendent being who had finished her speech and joined them.

At this moment, she was just one of the girls singing.

While it showed she had fully integrated into society, a warm feeling still lingered in my chest.

Knowing that this tranquility was her doing.

Moreover…

Realizing that spreading this awareness to the world was my mission.

***

Although it was a bit chaotic, the performance ended without issues, and the class proceeded smoothly.

As expected, the parents returned safely after handling the situation.

It seemed the bank robber was quite a notorious villain, but even he couldn’t stand a chance against dozens of heroes.

No matter how strong, no one can beat overwhelming numbers.

Anyway, the parents returned safely to the class and observed their children during the lessons.

Yes, it ended with satisfactory results until the final parent-teacher consultation.

“Dad!”

“Yes, my girl. Did you wait well?”

The consultation was nearing its end.

James emerged from the infirmary, where the consultation was held, smiling brightly as he embraced his daughter, Nella, who had been waiting outside.

“Did the consultation go well?”

“Yes, the teacher seems to be paying a lot of attention to Nella, so I felt relieved.”

James patted Nella in his arms.

The relief on his face showed his satisfaction with the consultation.

“We have things to do after school, so we’ll take our leave. Mr. Bread, I hope your consultation goes well too.”

“Ah, yes. Take care.”

Then James left the school with Nella.

At that moment, I heard a voice from the half-open door of the infirmary.

“Mr. Bread, please come in.”

“Ah, yes.”

Finally, it was my turn.

What could happen in a parent-teacher consultation?

“I’ll be back soon, so wait in the classroom…”

I tried to relax, but suddenly, I felt something tugging at my sleeve.

Boss was holding onto my sleeve.

With her head down, her hand trembling slightly.

“Boss?”

“…No, it’s nothing.”

After a moment, Boss let go of my sleeve.

Then she looked up at me and gave a faint smile.

Her face showed signs of worry.

In stark contrast to the mature demeanor she had shown earlier with the children.

“Please return safely, my father.”

“Ah, yes.”

Why did she look like that?

Unfortunately, since the consultation was about to start, I couldn’t ask her and just entered the infirmary.

“Nice to meet you. So, you’re Mr. Ginger Bread, Moa’s guardian, correct?”

“Yes, nice to meet you, Mr. Panzer.”

I was greeted by a man in a white coat with a kind expression.

Though he seemed friendly, I couldn’t get Boss’s words out of my mind.

‘Good luck.’

Why would she leave such a warning for a simple parent-teacher consultation?

End of Chapter