Chapter 29 : Now at Our School (1)

“Hoshino, have you been okay all this time?”

“Uh, Moooommmmm-!!”

The Okami family’s territory was completely restored.

At the same time, as if by some coincidence, Lord Makoto also woke up.

The head of the family who had always been lying in the hospital room as if dead.

Perhaps Hoshino was so overjoyed that her mother had woken up.

Miss Hoshino immediately ran to the hospital bed and hugged Lord Makoto tightly.

As a servant, it was a heartwarming sight to behold.

At the same time, unbelievable news was heard.

“Hoshino, you… are going to school?”

“Yep! It felt weird to send Janghun alone, so I decided to go too!”

My daughter, who was once a complete shut-in!

Going to a place bustling with kids her age on her own!

Thumbs up.

While hugging Hoshino, Lord Makoto secretly gave me a thumbs up from behind her back.

‘Well done, Janghun.’

‘No, my lord.’

We finished our conversation with just lip movements.

And since the school enrollment papers were already submitted…

“Uhm, Miss, then how about the bus…?”

“No. If we take that, other girls besides us would be on it too, right?”

“Well, that is true, but…”

“We’re taking our car, just like always! Forever and ever!”

The next day.

Back to our usual routine, we dressed in our school uniforms and got into the limousine at the Okami estate.

Even in her uniform, just like her usual princess outfits, Miss Hoshino looked as cute as a perfectly crafted fox doll.

“Miss.”

“Yes?”

“You look great in your uniform.”

“?! R-Really? …Hehe. Should I wear it more often then?”

“I would love for you to wear it every time you go to school.”

“Hehehe… Alright, if Janghun says so, then I will!”

Since everyone else would be wearing uniforms, she’d definitely stand out in a kimono.

While gently persuading her, we headed safely to Almighty Elementary School in City C…

Rumble, rumble.

“Huh?”

…or at least that’s what I thought.

Until I saw Miss Hoshino start to tremble like a vibrating alert as more and more kids her age gathered around.

“M-Miss?! Are you alright?”

“Y-Yes! I-I-I-I’m f-fine…!”

Wait, I thought she’d be okay since she defeated that sword monster?

Or maybe she was already a shut-in even before she became withdrawn, so this stage is still too much for her?

“Miss Hoshino. If it’s too hard, you can just observe from the car today.”

I told her out of concern.

You can’t force shy kids into situations like this.

If you just throw them into a crowd to make them socialize quickly, they might even have a panic attack.

When she fought Carmilla before, she was probably so consumed by anger that she didn’t notice her surroundings.

In this state, I figured…

“It’s impossible,” was the conclusion my mind was about to reach.

“I… want to go to school.”

Miss Hoshino held my hand tightly with both of hers, as if asking me to lead her.

“All the other kids go to school normally.”

“Miss…”

“But as the next head of the Okami family… I can’t give up here!”

Her breathing was still rough.

But her golden eyes looked at me more clearly than ever.

“Miss… You’re amazing!”

“Yeah!”

“I’ll support you all the way!”

“Yeah!!”

A shut-in trying to change on her own.

Indeed, social anxiety was a big disadvantage in hero work too.

In the original story, Hoshino reached the S-rank level purely by skill but always led a lonely, exhausting life because her social skills were near zero.

But as long as I’m by her side, the story of Kaiju Frontline will never go that way.

Because as her loyal servant, I’ll support her no matter what.

“Shall we go in together, Miss?”

“Yes, let’s go!”

Hand in hand, Miss Hoshino and I walked into the classroom, hearts pounding.

And then she saw it.

Before the students who warmly welcomed her…

“Janghun! Please accept this!”

Carmilla suddenly thrust a gift box at me as soon as we walked through the door.

Her surprise ‘gift strategy,’ that is.

“…What the hell…”

“Huh? Who are you…?”

“Miss! You shouldn’t use bad language!”

After meeting her real mother with the help of the kaiju uncle, Carmilla completely changed.

Maybe because I took down the root of all evil, the radioactive monster, she was becoming kinder and kinder.

“I’m sorry for attacking you when we first met.”

“Huh? Oh… It’s okay. I get it.”

“No! Even if you forgive me, I can’t forgive myself!”

I was at a loss for words.

Seeing Carmilla beat herself up like that made me feel proud to see that she had developed a sense of shame.

“But what’s this?”

I hesitantly took the gift box.

Inside was a security buzzer painted entirely in pure gold.

“It’s a security buzzer!”

“A… security buzzer?”

“Yes! No matter how tough you are, you’re still a boy, right? I figured your bold personality might get you into trouble someday!”

“Oh… I see.”

Wow.

I didn’t expect this.

At first, I felt embarrassed since I’m actually 37 years old inside, and I thought about refusing.

But when I realized it was made of pure gold, I couldn’t help but accept it.

‘How much could this be worth when I become an adult and sell it?’

Along with the 100kg gold toad, this gold security buzzer…

If I clear all the storylines of Kaiju Frontline, my future won’t just be bright—it’ll be dazzling.

A rainbow-colored life, so to speak.

I was laughing to myself, happily chatting with Carmilla, when…

Buzzzzzz.

The Almighty Elementary School didn’t have assigned seating, just like regular universities.

So, I ended up sitting next to Carmilla.

And right between us, Miss Hoshino was glaring at us, clearly displeased, as she watched us laugh together.

“…If you gave the gift, then look away already, won’t you?”

“Miss, no matter how you look at it, that’s a bit much for someone you just met…”

“Hmph! A friend? What kind of friend pulls out their friend’s teeth?”

“Flinch!”

I mean, they were just baby teeth that were going to fall out anyway, right?

Even though she herself had forgiven it, the young lady kept poking at Carmilla’s dark past and PTSD like it didn’t matter.

“Well, at least you didn’t give her any food.”

“…? Why not?”

“Because thanks to ‘someone,’ our Jang-hoon lost his teeth and can’t even chew properly right now.”

“Flinch, flinch!”

Uh… It’s not that bad, though?

But just as I was about to protest, I caught sight of the beast’s pupils staring at me, and my mouth shut on its own.

“Whimper…”

Still, it felt too cruel to stay quiet when Carmilla had even prepared a present.

“Miss, if you think about it, didn’t you also pull out a few of Carmilla’s teeth?”

“?! Th-that was…!”

“And you pulled out quite a lot too, so let’s just call it even.”

“Jang-hoon…! If… if you say so, then thank you!”

Maybe this would finally turn Carmilla into a good kid.

Since they were both from hero families, I thought it would be nice for Hoshino to have a friend like Carmilla.

That’s why I tried to naturally bring them closer, getting in between them whenever I could.

“Sniff… Sob…”

“Miss?!”

But now, Hoshino looked… sad?

“You… What’s with you, Kang Jang-hoon? Why are you taking her side…?”

“Her… her side? I just thought it’d be nice if you two got along…”

“Ugh, you don’t… like her, do you?”

“!!”

Wait, how did it turn into that?

Someone might get the wrong idea hearing that, and I couldn’t help but sigh.

And then—

Grab.

Huh? What’s she doing now?

“…Interesting.”

“Carmilla?”

“Huh?! Oh, um… You feel warm… just like that man I knew…”

Well, of course she would.

Because I am that man.

But could she really sense my monster aura even in my human form?

If so, this was dangerous.

My identity could be exposed.

Luckily—

“Looks like I have a talent for recognizing ‘handsome guys’!”

Carmilla was surprisingly dense in areas like this, so I managed to dodge the bullet… or not.

Smack! Smack!

“Hey! Get your hands off my servant!”

“W-what’s wrong with just touching him a little?”

The two of them started bickering over me.

It was only the first semester of their first year.

But I could already see the turbulent future ahead, and it definitely wasn’t just my imagination.

And just as I predicted—

“To think someone so ‘incredible’ would volunteer to be a student-teacher at our school. It’s an honor.”

“Hehe. Oh, it’s nothing. I just got excited and came over, that’s all.”

“…Excuse me?”

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

An S-class hero had appeared as a student-teacher in Class 1-A, where the three of us were.

Yoon Ha-eun, who was tracking the traces of the Horned Masked Monster, had arrived.

“Teacher? Um, is your subject sex education?”

“Actually, since Ms. Yoon Ha-eun is just a student-teacher, she doesn’t have an assigned subject.”

“…Oh, I see…”

She looked disappointed…