This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 9

I never thought that the connections made during kindergarten would last a lifetime.

That stuff only happens in novels, after all.

No matter how inseparable friends might be, separation is inevitable one day.

I’ve already gone through that countless times in my first life.

But this… this isn’t right.

Not like this, not so suddenly.

Alright, I’ll accept it.

Good things are good, I’ll accept that… but look at Bora’s expression.

What part of that face looks like someone who should be celebrated?

Is she holding back an explosion of happiness, tightly suppressing it like that?

‘That can’t be, right?’

At just seven years old, friends made in kindergarten and with parents are literally everything to them.

And then it just gets flipped like this?

If I were in Bora’s shoes, simply imagining how she must feel made my stomach twist.

It was even harder to swallow because I understood why she suddenly had to leave.

Surely, it’s because of some adult circumstances.

As the teacher occasionally shows, this “Talent” thing is incredibly powerful.

But can one handle awakened talent as freely as if they were born with it?

Of course not, and education to deal with awakened talent is essential, not optional.

Considering that among the many talents, some can cause severe harm to others if misused makes this even more necessary.

So, could that education take place in a normal kindergarten like the one we attend now?

Absolutely not.

So, Bora would have to change kindergartens.

Every single one of those points made sense, which made it all the more frustrating for me.

I wasn’t the only one shocked by Bora’s sudden transfer that felt like a bolt from the blue.

Yoonseo, sitting a little distance from me, had a face enveloped in shock.

Her expression was like someone who had been severely backstabbed by a supposed best friend, someone she thought she knew better than anyone after fiercely competing with for so long.

Well… it makes sense for her to react that way.

After sitting between us and arguing over me for the past few weeks, mutual affection had surely been built up like a savings plan.

But then, suddenly, one side ups and leaves…

If she doesn’t feel shock at that news, isn’t that more abnormal?

And besides, Yoonseo and Bora are only seven, right?

Any kind of separation would feel painful, but at their age, it’s bound to be even more shocking.

‘I hope it doesn’t hit her too hard…’

It seems I wasn’t the only one growing fond of Yoonseo.

Since she must have gotten a bit attached to me, I’d seen her as a cute but annoying brat, but now, I genuinely worried about both of them.

“Well then…”

Could this really be a farewell?

Just a quick goodbye and they leave?

If that’s true, I’d be irritated beyond a mere sense of emptiness and bitterness.

Even if I get irritated, nothing would dramatically change, but that’s how I felt.

Fortunately, the ones handling this situation seemed not to lack a sense of kindness.

Reacting to the teacher’s carefully spoken voice, Bora briefly exchanged looks with the teacher, then unstrapped her bag and gently set it down on the floor.

Of course, her expression was still glum.

Her lips pursed tight.

Yet, perhaps she thought she had to do something, as she plunged her hand into the bag and pulled something out.

It was letters wrapped in a purple-tinted envelope, just like her name.

Perhaps she planned to convey the thoughts she hadn’t expressed in the rush of everything happening.

It’s not like she’s done anything wrong; she’s just moving on to something good, yet they didn’t even give her a chance to say goodbye to her friends. Was it really necessary to rush like this? I lamented internally as my turn approached.

“Um… here…”

As Bora extended a letter envelope that looked different from what she had given others, I was at a loss for words.

It felt like someone had glued my mouth shut.

That’s how hard it was to speak.

So, all I could do was chew on my tightly pressed lips and nod my head.

Because of that, even when I went back to my spot, I was just chewing on my poor lips.

Maybe sensing that it was her turn, Yoonseo, who had been sitting next to me, cautiously stood up.

From her expression, it seemed she hadn’t yet gotten over the shock.

But that expression didn’t linger long.

“Eh? Why are you getting up?”

The moment Yoonseo stood, Bora’s voice slipped out.

As if Yoonseo hadn’t prepared a letter at all.

‘Wait a second…’

It didn’t seem like an act…?

The evidence was clear: Bora’s hands, which had just moments ago been piled high with envelopes, were now completely empty, revealing the floor below.

‘No way, are they seriously engaging in some kind of competition even on her last day?’

Just as I thought we had gotten a bit closer, was that just my illusion?

Could this be the savage world of girls, known for its intensity?

Being faced with an unbelievable situation like this made my head feel hot with nonsense thoughts.

If I felt this way as an outsider, how must Yoonseo feel?

Bora’s comment that implied there were no letters made Yoonseo burst out, declaring she didn’t need any of that and then began to dig into the ground as if trying to bury herself alive.

Was the mere fact that everyone else received letters while she didn’t so painful and worrisome for her?

With Bora handing me a letter right there, she probably wanted to look at it but couldn’t because of the atmosphere.

How could she?

If Satan took my place, even he wouldn’t dare act like that.

‘I really need to calm her down…’

It felt like something bad could happen if I didn’t do something about Yoonseo.

Either her fingers would wear away from nervously fidgeting or the director herself would create a hole in the floor, it seemed.

Maybe both could happen.

If we were outside, would Yoonseo be desperately digging toward the center of the Earth right now?

The problem was, I couldn’t think of any way to calm her down.

The situation was pretty awkward indeed.

But carelessly trying anything would be risky; asking someone who’s sulking, “Hey, are you sulking?” is pretty much taboo.

What happens if I break that taboo?

‘That’s when hell starts…’

The situation dragged on to the point where I couldn’t do anything, and before I knew it, I was getting off the bus that had stopped in front of my house.

‘Oh no…’

If I let this pass without doing at least something, tomorrow would surely double down on the spiciness…

How can I be so sure?

Because I’ve already been through a similar case once.

So, I absolutely needed to change the tides here—

‘What do I do…?’

While pondering, I grabbed my mom’s hand, who was chatting away with the teacher, and suddenly called out to Yoonseo, who was about to leave holding my dad’s hand.

“Yoonseo…!”

I got no response.

Instead, Yoonseo, who had been looking forward, turned to me as if questioning what was going on.

“About the letter Bora gave… do you want to read it together?”

To be honest… after saying that, I realized I messed up.

What kind of weirdo am I, pressing a hurt person as if there’s anything good about it?

‘Wow… this is a total mess…’

Now that it’s come to this, I had to confront Yoonseo’s wrath head-on and pay for my reckless behavior—

‘…Huh?’

Despite being non-existent, curiosity, which is known to be so powerful that it could kill cats, reached out a hand of salvation to me.

Had curiosity overcome anger, annoyance, and sorrow?

With a thoughtful face, Yoonseo made a sound of contemplation and started tugging her dad’s hand toward herself.

“Eh? Yoonseo, why?”

“Dad, can I go over to Dogun’s house to play?”

“Uh, huh? That would need to be checked with Dogun’s mom, right?”

In that instant, Yoonseo shifted her target.

And our dear mom, who absolutely adores cute things, was helplessly defeated by Yoonseo’s determined onslaught.

“You’re always welcome to visit, Yoonseo!”

So, just like last time, the table was filled with a plate of cookies, and I ended up sitting with Yoonseo.

However, this time the seating arrangement was a bit different.

Previously, we had sat facing each other across the table, but today… we were shoulder to shoulder.

What caused this distance?

“…Aren’t you going to look at the letter?”

“I’ll look, I will.”

If things are like this, I have to look—

“Um, Yoonseo?”

“Hm?”

“It’s a bit hot, can you maybe sit just a bit further away…?”

Is that a no?

“I don’t think it’s that hot.”

Doesn’t seem like it.