FVN Chapter 196
Chapter 196
Crunch, crunch—
The carrots Levinas grew always tasted amazing. Even someone who disliked carrots would probably enjoy them.
“These are homegrown carrots. They’re really delicious.”
“Wow, then I’ll give it a try!”
Kim Ah-young opened her mouth wide, making an "ah" sound. Was she asking to be fed? Just as I moved to place a carrot in her mouth, someone grabbed my wrist, stopping me.
“Ah-young, you can’t do that.”
“W-what do you mean?”
“You shouldn’t take food from a kid.”
“N-no, Gyeoul was offering it to me...”
The two girls began a tug-of-war for reasons I couldn’t understand. Startled, Levinas quickly pulled a fresh carrot from her bag and rushed over.
“H-here’s a new carrot! You can eat this one!”
“Tch...”
Clicking her tongue, Kim Ah-young accepted the new carrot from Levinas. Crunch. She took a bite, and her eyes widened.
“Wow, this is really good!”
“Good? A carrot?”
“Yeah. It doesn’t taste like an ordinary carrot at all!”
“Is it that good?”
The students began passing around the carrot, each taking a bite. Crunching away, they all let out exclamations of surprise.
“Whoa.”
“This doesn’t even taste like a carrot!”
Perhaps because they were students, their reactions were dramatic. Their loud praises visibly boosted Levinas’s spirits.
“Hehe. This carrot was grown by Levinas!”
“Wow, that’s incredible!”
Clap, clap, clap—
Kim Ah-young clapped lightly and rummaged through her eco bag. She pulled out some drawing paper and canvas paints.
“Since you gave me a carrot, here’s a gift for you.”
“Painting supplies!”
Levinas hopped off the platform and onto my lap. Saebyeok, who had been napping while curled up on the desk, shifted slightly to make room. Just enough space to set down the drawing paper.
“Can I draw with this?”
“Of course, as much as you like.”
Getting Kim Ah-young’s permission, Levinas grabbed a paintbrush.
Swish, swish—
She began coloring the blank paper with her unique palette.
“Ah-young, what about your class today?”
“I’ll just get scolded. What else can I do?”
Scolded? Don’t tell me she handed over her art class materials to Levinas. I looked up at Kim Ah-young in confusion just as the classroom door slid open.
Clatter—
A middle-aged man wearing glasses entered. Judging by his age, he was probably the art teacher.
“What’s all this commotion?”
“Teacher, there are kids here!”
“Kids...?”
The art teacher’s eyes met mine, his eyebrows twitching slightly.
“What are you all doing here?”
“Uh, we’re here for a... field trip.”
I thought the guild had informed the school in advance, but it seemed not all the teachers were aware.
“Hey, kid, sorry, but we’re about to start class.”
“S-sorry... We’ll leave...”
I picked up Saebyeok and cradled her in my arms. I also tapped Levinas on the shoulder, signaling her to get up. As we moved to leave, voices of protest erupted around us.
The largest girl in the group slapped the frail student hard enough to snap her head to the side.
“Gasp!”
Levinas flinched, startled, as Saebyeok quickly covered her eyes. Meanwhile, the bully and her group laughed carelessly, as if nothing had happened.
“Hey, let’s go smoke.”
“Got any cigarettes? I’m out.”
“I’ll lend you one. Pay me back later.”
They tormented someone and then casually moved on, laughing amongst themselves. If they’d stayed to hurt her more, I would’ve intervened, but since they were leaving, there was little else I could do.
“Yoon Chae-rin, come to our classroom after school.”
“O-okay...”
The girl, apparently named Yoon Chae-rin, nodded repeatedly, not resisting at all. Seemingly satisfied with her compliance, the bully tapped her head lightly before walking away.
“School is scary...”
Levinas’s body trembled visibly. Her grip loosened, and the carrot she’d been holding dropped to the ground, rolling onto a discarded snack bag.
Rustle.
The soft noise made Yoon Chae-rin jump and glance in our direction. Seeing us frozen in place, her shoulders slumped as she lowered her head.
“...Sorry you had to see that.”
Her voice was dejected, her figure pitiful. Levinas, moved by her plight, grabbed another carrot—a fresh one—and ran toward her.
“Here, eat this! It’s a carrot that gives you energy!”
“...”
Yoon Chae-rin didn’t reach for the carrot. Knowing what it felt like to be in her shoes, I hesitated, unsure of what to say or do.
“Uh, um...”
Should I try to comfort her? Offer tangible help? As I wavered, taking a step toward her, a voice interrupted me.
“Hey, have you seen my phone?”
The large girl who had slapped Yoon Chae-rin earlier was now walking toward us.
***
Jung Young-ho was an art teacher at Dawnbreak High School, often referred to as rigid and old-fashioned.
After finishing the performance evaluation for his students, he finally retrieved the envelope the child had handed him earlier.
“What could this be?”
Curious about its contents, he resisted the urge to open it until after the students had completed their evaluations. Only then did he carefully tear open the paper envelope.
“...Scholarship?”
Inside was a notice about a support fund provided by the Dawnbreak Guild. The amount? A staggering one billion won. Of course, it wasn’t a lump sum, but the fact that it was a grant was enough to leave anyone speechless.
“What in the world...”
A billion won warranted a formal ceremony, even a plaque of gratitude. And yet, the child had just casually left it behind and walked away.
Jung Young-ho quickly got to his feet, determined to find the kids who might still be on campus.
As he reached the parking lot, he spotted Kim Ah-young, one of his students from the art evaluation, running toward him in a panic.
“Teacher! Something terrible happened! Over there!”
“Over there? What happened?”
“It’s the beastkin kids! Gyeoul and the others! Hurry!”
Following the urgency in her voice, Jung Young-ho ran after Kim Ah-young. When they arrived, the sight before him was shocking.
A student was extorting money from the three young beastkin children.
“T-this is all I have...”
Gyeoul extended her small hands forward. In her palms were two 1,000-won bills and a few coins.
“This is insane,” Jung Young-ho muttered, clutching the notice in his hand so tightly it crumpled.
He knew exactly why the Dawnbreak Guild had sent such a significant amount.
"Treat the kids well."
That’s what the message behind the scholarship clearly implied. It was a warning: under no circumstances should anyone mess with these children.
Schools were often filled with students who didn’t yet understand the weight of their actions or the dangers of the world. That was precisely why the guild had sent such a large sum as both a gesture and a deterrent.
And if that warning was ignored?
“...They’re doomed,” Jung Young-ho thought grimly.
He trudged toward the scene, gripping the crumpled notice tightly. He could only hope the consequences would stop at losing his job. A faint sense of dread loomed as he approached.