The next morning.
All of us had gathered in the backyard to chop firewood.
Lately, the weather had been warm enough that we didn’t really need to stock up on firewood, but splitting logs had become part of my morning routine, and habits were hard to break.
As a result, chopping wood had somehow become a standard morning task at the orphanage.
I was busy swinging my axe when I decided to check on how the others were doing.
“Is everyone doing alright?”
I turned my head to take a look—only to see complete and utter chaos.
First, there was Harp.
She had no intention of using the axe properly.
Instead, she placed the axe neatly to the side and traced a faintly glowing magical circle with her fingertips.
Tiny energy orbs emerged from the spell and lightly tapped the logs—cleanly splitting them in two without a single wasted motion.
“Harp! Isn’t that cheating?”
Hearing my shout, Harp turned her head and answered calmly.
“Using energy efficiently is also a method. This way, there’s no unnecessary waste, and the logs are split cleanly.”
“That’s just lazy! You should at least be holding an axe!”
Harp chuckled softly and dismissed the spell, but by then, she had already stacked an entire mountain of perfectly cut logs.
Next up was Sua.
She was gripping the axe with both hands and lifting it as high as she could.
Her stance was awkward, but her enthusiasm was undeniable.
“Alright! Time to really chop some wood!”
However, she put way too much force into her swing, and when she brought the axe down, she didn’t just split the log—she completely shattered the wooden platform beneath it.
CRASH!
The loud impact echoed through the backyard.
“Wow! Teacher! I did it! The log’s totally smashed!”
I sighed and yelled.
“Sua, that just means you destroyed the platform too! You need to control your strength!”
And finally, there was Liel.
She was struggling just to lift the axe with both hands.
It was clear that she found it heavy, but she refused to give up and was doing her best to swing it properly.
“Uh… Uhh…! Here I go!”
Liel struggled to lift the axe, but she lost her balance and ended up falling backward.
“Kyah!”
She tripped over the firewood pile and landed on the ground with a thud.
I quickly rushed over and helped her up.
“Liel, are you okay? You’re not hurt, right?”
Liel’s eyes welled up with tears, but she nodded.
“Y-Yes… But this is way harder than I thought.”
I chuckled and patted her head.
“Axe-swinging is always the hardest when you’re just starting out. You’ll get the hang of it little by little.”
The backyard was a chaotic mess, but despite that, everyone seemed to be enjoying the morning routine in their own way.
I sighed and lifted my axe again.
“Alright, let’s push through a little more. Just ten more minutes, and we’re done!”
Ten minutes later, the kids gradually finished up their work.
“Phew… finally done!”
I put down my axe and wiped the sweat off my forehead.
A neatly stacked pile of firewood stood in the backyard, and everyone was drenched in sweat.
Well, except for Harp and Sua.
Harp had taken the easy route with magic, and Sua had broken the platform so badly that she couldn’t use the axe anymore, so she had given up early.
“Good job, everyone. You all worked hard today.”
Hearing that, Liel wiped her sweat and smiled brightly.
“It was tough, but now that we’re done, I feel really proud.”
“Me too. I’d say today’s work was pretty much perfect.”
Liel and Harp exchanged smiles.
Sua, waving her hand, shouted.
“Alright, that’s enough work! It’s break time now!”
“Breaks are nice and all, but we should probably fix the platform first.”
We made our way back to the orphanage’s front entrance.
That’s when I noticed a small envelope sitting in front of the door.
“A letter?”
I picked up the envelope and examined it.
“Who could this be for?”
Looking closer, I saw Sua’s name written on it.
“Sua, I think this is for you.”
I handed it to her, and she tilted her head in confusion as she accepted the envelope.
“A letter for me? Who would send me something like this?”
She carefully opened the envelope and pulled out the paper inside.
At first, she read with a curious expression.
But as her eyes followed the words, her face gradually hardened.
“Sua, what’s wrong?”
Liel asked in a concerned voice.
But Sua didn’t respond. She just stood there, gripping the letter, her expression frozen.
Her eyes were filled with anxiety and bewilderment.
“Sua, are you okay? What does it say?”
I stepped closer, and Sua bit her lip before looking up at me.
“Teacher… this is weird. I don’t understand what it’s saying, but… it feels really unsettling.”
She handed me the letter.
I took it and carefully examined the contents, trying to understand what had made her so uneasy.
The paper was stained with blood in several places.
It was as if the stains had been left on purpose, partially obscuring the writing.
I frowned and focused on the cleaner sections of the page.
“What the hell is this?”
Between the bloodstains, I could barely make out two clear words.
“Hero.”
“Coming soon.”
As I stared at the letter, a storm of uneasy emotions swirled inside me.
“Sua, this letter…”
I trailed off.
I wanted to say something reassuring, but when I saw Sua’s trembling hands and anxious face, I couldn’t find the right words.
“‘Hero’… They’re calling me, aren’t they?”
Sua mumbled quietly, shaking her head.
“Who would send such a creepy letter…?”
Liel cautiously stepped forward and asked.
“Could it be a prank? Maybe someone from the village is trying to mess with you…”
But I shook my head.
“No, this is too strange to be a prank. Sending a bloodstained letter… That means someone intended for this to be disturbing.”
Harp also stepped closer, examining the letter with a calm but serious expression.
“Leaving only the words ‘Hero’ and ‘Coming soon’… It feels like they’re deliberately trying to make Sua anxious. This doesn’t seem like a simple joke.”
Sua clutched onto my sleeve with a worried expression.
“There’s really nothing going on, right? I never bullied anyone or made enemies… What if the orphanage is in danger because of me…?”
I gently held her hand and spoke firmly.
“Sua, don’t worry. No matter what happens, I’ll protect you. And the orphanage will too. That goes both ways, right? You are a hero.”
“…Yeah. I am the great hero.”
“You’re not that great, though.”
“Harp, what did you just say?!”
“I didn’t say anything.”
Either way, my words seemed to calm Sua down a little.
She nodded, but her face was still filled with uncertainty.
“I’ll hold onto this letter. I’ll take a closer look at it later and let you know if I find any clues.”
I carefully folded the letter and tucked it into my pocket.
“And for now, let’s not dwell on it too much. Let’s go about our day as usual. As long as we’re together, we can handle anything.”
The children all nodded, but the atmosphere remained heavy.
I had no idea what the sender’s true intentions were, but I didn’t want to add to the kids’ unease.
Right now, the best thing I could do was reassure them.
“Alright, let’s all go inside and take a break. And Sua, don’t overthink this too much, okay?”
I smiled gently.
Sua gave a small “Okay” and lowered her head.
Time passed, and soon it was lunchtime.
Normally, the orphanage’s dining table would be filled with chatter and laughter, but today, it was strangely quiet.
Sua, in particular, looked noticeably weighed down by something.
“Sua, come on, let’s eat. It’s your favorite—ABC soup.”
I scooped some soup into her bowl and placed it in front of her.
But she just sat there, holding her spoon, staring blankly at the bowl.
“Sua, what’s wrong? Are you still thinking about the letter?”
Liel asked with concern.
Sua nodded slightly and murmured in a small voice.
“Yeah… I can’t stop thinking about it. I don’t know who sent it or why… It just keeps circling in my head.”
Harp put down his spoon and spoke in a calm but serious tone.
“Sua, don’t let it get to you too much. There’s a good chance it was just meant to scare you.”
It was rare for Harp to offer words of comfort, but even that didn’t seem to ease Sua’s worry.
She slowly lifted her spoon and took a bite of the stew.
She mumbled quietly.
“…What if they’re trying to harm the orphanage or you, teacher? I’m the Hero. Maybe they’re planning to take everyone hostage and demand something from me.”
Her words left everyone momentarily speechless.
“No.”
I looked straight at Sua and continued.
“Sua, look at me.”
“…Okay.”
“Repeat after me. ‘I am…’”
Sua blinked in confusion.
“…I am…?”
“Woong.”
“…Woong?”
I smiled at her.
Sua looked completely baffled, as if she had no idea what I was talking about.
Then, after a brief pause, realization finally dawned on her face.
She burst into laughter.
“Oh! Right! I am Woong!”
“Exactly.”
“We’re all Woong!”
We are Woong.
Mighty, fearless Woongs who could handle anything.
There was no need to worry about the future.