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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: The Yeoksam-dong Parents' Association
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A few days later.
Whenever they had a spare moment, the parents of Gangnam's Yeoksam-dong district were busy discussing the ‘kindergarten of the hour.’
“You've all heard of the Snow White Kindergarten, right?”
“Of course. Everyone's been buzzing about that place lately.”
Even in the Gangnam area, famous for its intensely competitive mothers, the Snow White Kindergarten was counted among the top-tier, prestigious preschools.
It offered a diverse range of educational activities, from English classes taught by a renowned native-speaking teacher to arts and physical education.
But a few days ago.
Just before the new semester was set to begin, the Snow White Kindergarten closed its doors, citing renovations and expansion as the reason…
“According to the rumors I’ve gathered through the grapevine, they’re replacing all the interior and exterior materials with eco-friendly ones.”
“I heard they’re planning to build a zoo, an aquarium, and even a theme park on the grounds…”
“My husband, who works in banking, said that the Market's 'Private Bank' acquired it.”
Just then, a middle-aged woman who had been quietly listening to the conversation while sipping her coffee spoke up, a gentle smile playing on her lips.
“You can think of it as an unprecedented, ultra-luxurious educational institution being established right here in our Yeoksam-dong.”
The moment she spoke, the gazes of all the parents gathered there focused on her, seated at the head of the table.
“Madam President, have you heard anything in particular?”
She was the president of the Yeoksam-dong Parents' Association for Infants and Toddlers.
*Nod.*
The president, Im Mi-yeon, nodded once and replied elegantly.
“This is a secret, but my husband's construction company was actually hired to handle part of the 'Snow White Kindergarten' construction.”
She then added again.
“I’m telling you this as a special privilege for the members of our Yeoksam-dong Parents' Association, but a highly skilled Dwarven architect is in charge of the design.”
At her words, the parents who had been listening intently to Im Mi-yeon let out a collective gasp of admiration. “Wow…”
The Dwarves who had immigrated to Earth from another world never did anything halfway.
That was also why Dwarves had come to virtually monopolize the handicrafts field, which required a high degree of manual skill.
“And just as the rumors say, the client who commissioned the construction is the ‘General Manager’ of the Market’s largest private bank…”
Her voice trailing off, she added.
“Not only are they planning to drastically expand the subjects taught to the children, but the teachers will also be specialists in their respective fields.”
A wave of murmurs, high and low, swept through the room for a moment.
One parent let out a deep sigh and added in a low voice.
“I wish I could send my child to Snow White Kindergarten, but it’ll surely take at least a few years to complete…”
Just then, Im Mi-yeon raised her index finger stiffly, wagged it from side to side a couple of times, and answered firmly, “No hope!” before speaking again.
“My husband said it’ll take less than a month to complete.”
“How…”
“The client is a secret society of wealthy individuals, isn’t it?”
She retorted in a somewhat overbearing tone, swirling the glass in her hand as she added.
“According to the request, they didn’t care how much the construction cost, as long as it was finished before the new semester starts.”
At those words, the parents began to murmur, expressing various concerns.
“Still, is it really okay to put up a building that quickly…?”
“If something goes wrong, it could lead to shoddy construction…”
Im Mi-yeon, who had been listening silently to the conversation, once again wagged her stiffly raised index finger and replied.
“Noh, noh, no ploblem.”
Once again, all eyes in the room focused on Im Mi-yeon for a moment.
“The construction workers are all from ‘other races,’ so you can put those worries to rest.”
“Don’t tell me....”
“Ogres, Trolls, Orcs… their wages may be quite high, but they’re non-human workers who get the job done right.”
If what she said was true, a safe and sturdy kindergarten could be completed before the fast-approaching new semester began.
“As expected from a secret society of the wealthy, they’re on a different level…”
“They said the scale of their funds is completely different from existing banks…”
Of course, this method of construction had never been technically impossible.
The only reason various construction companies didn’t use this method was purely due to the cost.
It might drastically shorten the schedule, but the expenses would be astronomical.
“In any case, they’ll be starting admissions soon, so it would be wise to keep a close eye on it.”
At her words, all the parents nodded in unison.
“But what do you think the tuition will be?”
After a moment of thought, Im Mi-yeon muttered, “This is a real secret…” and held up all five fingers of her hand.
“Five million…?”
The parents seemed stirred by her words for a moment.
“Of course, extracurricular activity fees are separate.”
But recalling the earlier conversation, it wasn’t long before they all nodded as if it were perfectly understandable, and one by one, they began to chime in with their opinions.
“If you think of it as an investment in your child’s bright and happy future, the tuition doesn’t seem excessive for the scale of the facility, does it?”
“I agree.”
“When you add up the miscellaneous private education costs to what I was paying for the English daycare my child used to attend, the amount seems about the same.”
These were, after all, parents from an affluent village who already spent anywhere from two to three million won, to as much as five to six million won a month on their children’s education.
So, for them at least, it didn’t seem like a particularly burdensome amount.
Just then, Im Mi-yeon, who had been tapping the table with a “tok, tok,” opened her mouth cautiously, as if greatly displeased.
“If I had to point out one drawback, it's that they plan to fill half the spots with children from low-income families and provide them with a ‘free education’.”
At her words, a stir once again rose among the parents for a moment.
“To think that our precious children will be sharing the same space with kids from families like that, it’s just…”
“But we can’t just give up on an education at an unprecedented, ultra-luxurious institution…”
“Shouldn’t our Yeoksam-dong Parents' Association take the lead and organize a boycott?”
Just then, Im Mi-yeon’s gaze fell upon two young women and a little girl of about three or four, sitting at a table not far away.
“Oh, terrible…”
Muttering under her breath, Im Mi-yeon continued in a sarcastic tone.
“Oh, noh, I don't understan…”
“What's wrong?”
“Just look at that child's clothes.”
Im Mi-yeon then added in a hushed, whisper-like voice.
“There isn’t a single designer brand mixed in, is there?”
“Oh my, you’re right.”
“Would you want to dress your child in such shabby clothes?”
At that, one of the young women with the child began to glare at the parents' association's table, her brow deeply furrowed…
But Im Mi-yeon paid no mind to the accusatory stare, continuing to speak her mind eloquently.
“I can guarantee you, they’re commoners who scraped together loans to無理ly move into Yeoksam-dong. You can tell just by looking at them, can’t you?”
“Yes, definitely…”
“It’s wonderful that our Yeoksam-dong was ranked the number one safest city, but it’s truly dreadful that commoners keep crawling their way in.”
The reason Yeoksam-dong and the rest of the Gangnam area were considered the safest in the country was all thanks to the ‘famous Hunters.’
Most of the major guilds were concentrated in the Gangnam area, and as a result, the famous Hunters also settled down near their workplaces.
“I bet it’s low-income children like that who will be attending through the privilege of free education…”
The subjects of the parents' association's gossip were…
“Sigh.”
Lee Su-bin and Iriel.
And…
Seol-i.
“I was hoping for some quality time, just us girls, but it looks like some strange women are going to ruin the mood…”
As Lee Su-bin cut off the edge of a cake with her fork, Iriel’s eyes flashed as she replied in a grave tone.
“Your Highness, if you give the order, I shall punish them severely.”
“Punish them?”
“According to imperial law, insulting a member of the royal family is punishable by death…”
At Iriel’s words, Lee Su-bin waved her hands dismissively and replied.
“No, absolutely not!”
Then, she met Seol-i’s eyes and asked gently.
“Seol-i, should we take the rest home to eat?”
Today was, in fact, the day Kang-jun and the family were finally moving into their villa in Yeoksam-dong.
They had stepped out to stay out of the way while the movers carried in the luggage.
“No, Seol-i wanna eat more now!”
“Really…?”
“Uh-huh, I’m gonna eat it all before we go home!”
Then she pointed to a macaron with her finger and asked.
“Auntie, what’s this called?”
“It’s a snack called a macaron.”
“Is this called a mack-a-yong?”
“No, try saying it again.”
Finishing her sentence, Lee Su-bin enunciated clearly.
“Ma. Ca. Ron.”
Seol-i swallowed hard and tried to repeat it.
“Mack! A! Yong!”
“Ma. Ca. Ron.”
“Mack! A! Yong!”
Watching her, Lee Su-bin gently stroked Seol-i’s hair and added.
“Hmm, it seems like it might be a bit of a difficult word for our Seol-i to pronounce just yet…”
As Seol-i was munching away deliciously on the macaron, her eyes suddenly widened as if she had remembered something she’d forgotten.
“Oh, right…”
She then hurriedly stuffed the macaron she was eating into her pocket.
“Seol-i, what are you doing putting food you were eating in your pocket!”
“I almost forgot I have to share with Papa…”
She then patted her chest and sighed in relief.
“Phew, it was so yummy, Seol-i almost ate it all by herself…”
Just then, a jeering voice came from a distance again.
“Ew, so dirty…”
The sudden unwelcome guest was none other than Im Mi-yeon.
At her words, Lee Su-bin also started to glare…
“Perhaps it’s because she’s from a low-income family, but don’t you think her education in table manners seems a bit lacking?”
Finally unable to take it anymore, Lee Su-bin looked at her and said.
“Hey!”
At that, Im Mi-yeon glanced left and right, then asked with a gentle smile on her face.
“Um, were you perhaps calling me?”
Lee Su-bin immediately stood up from her seat and said.
“I’ve been trying to ignore it, but aren’t you going too far?”
“Why?”
“You’ve been bad-mouthing us from behind this whole time!”
At that, Im Mi-yeon brazenly shook her head from side to side a few times and replied curtly.
“I wasn’t talking about you.”
“But you’ve clearly been…”
“Noh, you must have a persecution complex?”
Lee Su-bin was at a loss for words, muttering in disbelief, “Haa, really…”
“Well now, I can’t listen to this…”
A burly, bald-headed man who had been sitting at a distant table stood up and said.
“Apologize immediately.”
At that, Im Mi-yeon fell silent, simply staring at the man who had suddenly intervened.
He was the 6th ranked S-class Hunter in the country. Go Du-yeol, the Iron Man. Im Mi-yeon spoke again.
“H-Hunter Go Du-yeol…?”
Go Du-yeol immediately replied.
“If you don’t want to apologize, then get lost right now.”
Im Mi-yeon muttered, “Oh my god!” and began to protest.
“Y-You’re a Hunter!”
“So?”
“If you threaten a civilian…”
At that, Go Du-yeol scowled deeply and replied.
“You seem to have the wrong idea. I’ve never once thought of myself as a Hunter.”
“Pardon?”
“I am merely a righteous man who cannot stand injustice, and a lone beast of prey.”
Finishing his words, Go Du-yeol clenched his bowling ball-sized fist and added in a chilling tone.
“A man should, of course, protect a weak woman, but if that woman is a scoundrel like you, my fists do not discriminate based on gender.”
In short, it seemed he meant that if she didn’t immediately apologize to the child and her parent or leave the cafe, he would beat her to a pulp.
Terrified, Im Mi-yeon even let out a “hic!” as she hiccuped, hastily grabbing her handbag and speaking to the other members.
“L-Let’s just dismiss today’s parents' association meeting. Being a Hunter isn’t some high and mighty title. I think it would be best if we publicize this incident on our cafe forum…”
Just as Im Mi-yeon and the other members of the parents' association were about to file out of the cafe.
*Thwack!*
Im Mi-yeon, who had collided with a man entering the cafe, fell backward, landing ungracefully on her bottom.
“Aaaargh! I’m angryyy-!”
Kang-jun, who had bumped into Im Mi-yeon, scratched the back of his head and muttered under his breath.
“A foreigner, perhaps…”
He then added.
“I am sorry.”
“What the, seriously!”
“So she was Korean.”
As Im Mi-yeon glared at him, Kang-jun muttered softly.
“I thought her English pronunciation was a bit off…”
“What did you say?”
“Ah, I didn’t think you’d hear that. My apologies.”
Just as Im Mi-yeon and the parents' association were about to rush out of the cafe.
“Su-bin, it looks like most of the unpacking is done…”
Kang-jun and Go Du-yeol’s gazes met in mid-air for a moment…
As if on cue, the two men muttered at the same time.
“My brother, Gwak Du-pal-!”
“That idiot from back then-?”
Go Du-yeol was just about to rush forward to embrace Kang-jun.
“Papaaa—!”
Seol-i shot up from her seat and waddled straight over to Kang-jun…
She fed him the macaron she had been clutching tightly in her hand.
“Seol-i saved some for Papa.”
She then added again.
“This is a mack-a-yong.”
At that, Kang-jun, as if unable to contain his emotions, began to munch on the macaron, his eyes glistening.
“Seol-i is a good girl, right?”
“A very good girl…”
“You’re thankful for Seol-i, right?”
“Very thankful…”
Answering Seol-i’s consecutive questions, Kang-jun suddenly muttered, “Huh?” and began to pick dust out of his mouth.
“Huh? Why is there so much dust…”
Moreover, the surface was sticky and melted, as if it had been held tightly in a hand.
“Why is it so melted…”
Just then, Iriel spoke up in a cautious tone.
“My Lord, forgive my presumption, but I suspect it is because Her Highness the Princess kept the 'mack-a-yong' in her pocket…”
At her words, Kang-jun’s incessantly moving jaw suddenly came to a complete halt…
“Hurry up and eat it!”
“Okay…”
“Isn’t it yummy?”
“Yeah…”
He had no choice but to start diligently chewing and swallowing again.
At that, Seol-i giggled and repeated something she had heard before.
“Aigoo, is it yummy?”
“Yeah…”
“Aigoo, eat up now.”
*Well, what does it matter.*
*She likes it, and that’s enough.*
*She’s unbelievably cute.*
“So cute…”
Just then, Go Du-yeol, who was standing beside him, also nodded and replied.
“Truly cute, so very cute…”
He then muttered again.
“I never knew my one and only sworn brother, Du-pal, had such an adorable daughter…”
He then crouched down in front of Seol-i and said.
“Actually, I’m your sworn father.”
“Sworn father?”
“A second father, you could say…”
At his words, Seol-i tilted her head and offered a greeting.
“Hellooo…”
Go Du-yeol nodded his head and replied again.
“If anyone ever bullies you or gives you a hard time, make sure you come and tell me.”
“Okay…”
“And if you ever find yourself in danger, I will protect you even at the cost of my own life, so do not worry…”
Lee Su-bin, who had been looking bewildered the whole time, turned to look at Kang-jun with wide eyes…
“Haa.”
Kang-jun let out a sigh and asked in a sharp tone.
“Why are you my daughter’s sworn father?”
“Because we are sworn brothers…”
“Why on earth are we sworn brothers?”
“Du-pal, have you forgotten that day!”
Sensing that it would be impossible to reason with him, Kang-jun swept his hair back and replied.
“Let’s talk outside for a moment.”
Kang-jun then grabbed Go Du-yeol by the scruff of his neck and dragged him out of the cafe.
