HKWM | Chapter 30

The school Noah attends here feels more like a daycare than a school on Earth, but it does have its own system. Each class has a homeroom teacher, and there are regular parent-teacher meetings, which are part of that system.

However, the meeting I was summoned for today seemed far from the regular ones. The main reason was that I hadn’t been notified in advance.

“…Looks like Noah might have caused some trouble?”

“Hmm, could it be because our young master is too exceptional to live with such low-level humans?”

I brushed off Phoras’s words lightly and sent back the messenger who had delivered the news. Honestly, I wasn’t that surprised. As Phoras said, Noah is a special kid, so I had anticipated that something like this might happen someday.

“I’ll go check it out.”

“Are you planning to get rid of the school?”

“What do you even think of me?”

“Well, you’re none other than Wrath, one of the great seven names, Sonailon.”

Watching Phoras answer so nonchalantly, I swallowed a sigh. Yeah, I asked a pointless question…

Without further ado, I headed straight to the school. When I reached the classroom, a man who seemed to be the homeroom teacher was waiting. In my haste, questions burst out of my mouth before greetings.

“Is the other kid dead?”

“…What? What do you mean by that…?”

Seeing the teacher’s shocked expression brought me back to my senses. Thankfully, it didn’t seem to be that serious a situation.

“It was just a simple fight. Why would you think someone died?”

“Ah, my words slipped.”

“Oh, I see. You must have been quite surprised. Please, have a seat.”

It seemed like I was the one who should have been surprised. He handed me a cup of tea and cautiously began to speak.

“First, you might have heard, but Noah is doing very well in school. He’s not only kind and smart but also follows the lessons well and gets along with the other kids. He’s so well-mannered that the other children seem to look up to him quite a bit.”

“That’s good to hear.”

The gist of what followed was this: Philip, a boy in the same class as Noah, was jealous of Noah and had been picking on him. Apparently, Philip was the protagonist of the story from a few days ago at the restaurant run by Jimmy’s father.

Philip, who had joined the school mid-term, had always been resentful of Noah for monopolizing popularity with his good looks. He would pick fights, but since they were just childish quarrels, they weren’t threatening, so Noah had always ignored him.

The problem was that, frustrated by not getting any reaction from Noah, Philip eventually resorted to harsh words.

“Harsh words?”

“…Well, that’s…”

Seeing the teacher hesitate, it was obvious.

“Did he call him an orphan?”

“……”

“Did he insult me too?”

The teacher’s face turned pale. Both must have been correct. Given how he was reluctant to elaborate, it was clear the insults were pretty nasty.

I let out a deep sigh. The irritation was overwhelming. So, this little brat had been tormenting our kid…

Even if Noah wasn’t bothered by it, that didn’t mean it wasn’t harassment. Where did this kid learn such bad behavior…!

The teacher, sensing my discomfort, waved his hands in distress.

“Luckily, thanks to Noah’s maturity, the fight didn’t escalate. We know there was no malice from Noah, but Philip is a child with many issues…”

Most of what followed was an apology for Philip, which I didn’t pay much attention to. Whatever. I’m a selfish, biased demon, and to me, our kid comes first.

Creak-

Then, the classroom door opened, and Noah entered, looking somewhat downcast. I jumped up from my seat to check him for any injuries. I knew he’d be fine, but I couldn’t help worrying.

“No injuries, right?”

“…No.”

His voice was smaller than usual, which irked me even more. How dare he crush our kid’s spirit…?

“I’ll go check on Philip. His parents haven’t arrived yet…”

Once the teacher left, I made Noah sit down.

“Noah, what did the teacher say to you?”

“He understands why I did what I did, but he thinks I should be more patient next time. Violence is bad, after all.”

Noah looked puzzled.

“But I thought I was patient enough. If I hadn’t been, he would’ve been dead.”

Yeah, I know. That’s why I asked if the other kid was dead the moment I saw the teacher. From Noah’s perspective, just letting that snot-nosed kid live was already being lenient. Plus, according to the teacher, Philip wasn’t badly hurt.

“I thought if I just let it go, he’d do it again…”

Ultimately, Noah’s action against Philip was less about emotional revenge and more about rationally suppressing him.

Noah, gauging my reaction, whispered softly.

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For making you come because of my mistake.”

Well, if Noah were an ordinary kid, I might have questioned his aggression, but I was rather proud that Noah, who was used to violence and killing, had shown this much restraint. Whether my judgment was right or wrong, I had no intention of scolding him.

“That’s how everyone lives. Even adults don’t know what’s right or wrong, and even I, a great demon, am not sure. So, people often act on their own and then regret it.”

“…Do you too, Jin?”

“Of course.”

There’s no one who can pick the right choice at every crossroads. If there were, we wouldn’t have the word ‘mistake.’ Since everyone lives through numerous trials and errors, I didn’t see today’s incident as a big deal.

“You did well enough. Just remember what the teacher said about not using violence next time. That’s how you adjust.”

“…Okay.”

While we were talking, the teacher returned, awkwardly smiling as he mentioned Philip’s parents still hadn’t arrived. Since I had no intention of waiting, I stood up.

“Teacher, while we can’t say Noah isn’t responsible for today’s incident, you won’t deny that Philip started it, right?”

“What? Oh, yes.”

“When his parents come, please relay my message exactly. If they want to make an issue out of today’s event, they are welcome to do so. However, they should be prepared for ‘adults’ to take responsibility for future incidents.”

My firm words made the teacher’s face turn pale. Even though I wasn’t angry, and no demonic aura or intimidation was present, his reaction suggested he was quite timid, so I softened my tone a bit.

“Please remind them that ‘the adult’ here has overlooked Philip’s behavior towards Noah until now. I would appreciate it if you could convey that message.”

“Yes, I will do that.”

“Then we’ll be going.”

I left the school with Noah. As he quietly followed me, he seemed to realize from my expression that my words were just a threat and asked in confusion.

“Jin, was it okay to say that?”

“Why?”

“It was my fault, though.”

Of course. I scoffed proudly.

“Unlike you, I’m a demon, so I can do what I want. And what I want to do, regardless of right or wrong, is to always take your side.”

“…My side? Even if I’m wrong?”

“Yes.”

Who cares who’s at fault? Above all, Noah had done enough. He got scolded by the teacher, recognized his mistake, and even apologized to me for it.

‘Isn’t it okay to be a bit lenient at this point?’

I know it’s hypocritical, but what does it matter? I’m a demon, after all.

As I strutted, Noah, who had been hanging his head and touching his cheek, asked again in a voice so small it would have been inaudible if I were a normal human.

“What if I do something really bad?”

Well, considering the day we first met, could there be anything worse than that? But whatever it might be, my answer would be the same.

“I’d scold you for doing wrong, but deep down, I’d keep looking for reasons why you had to do it, and try to rationalize it to lessen your fault?”

“…Even if it’s a very bad thing?”

“If everyone else left because of a huge mistake, I’d still be there. Besides, no matter how big the crime, compared to what demons do, it would be cute.”

“What if I do something as bad as what demons do?”

Finally, I stopped walking and looked down at Noah. His face was hidden as he kept his head down, but I knew what he was getting at.

Smiling secretly, I squeezed his hand.

“Even if it’s a really, really big mistake, it’s the same. But I’d have to scold you and lecture you. The future of those who commit sins is predictable. From someone who wants you to live well, seeing you choose the thorny path over the easy one would be heartbreaking.”

“…Then, can I ask just one more thing?”

“What is it?”

“If I do something very wrong to you, not someone else… what would you do?”