I Became a Cub in the Elven Kingdom - Chapter 15

Chapter 15 – Jingjing the Top Student

Shu Li had previously mentioned that “Jingjing” was the Chinese pronunciation, translated to “Kumandi” in Elven.

Therefore, when Angele shouted “Jingjing,” he was actually calling out “Kumandi.”

And the black-haired young Fairy was indeed named Kumandi.

When his name was called out in such a childish, high-pitched voice by the little cub, ten-year-old Kumandi remained expressionless.

The Fairy sitting next to him nudged him with a grin. “Hey, Kumandi, the little guy’s calling your name. Aren’t you going to respond?”

Kumandi glanced at the doorway before lowering his head to continue eating fruit. “We’re not acquainted.”

His aloof demeanor was commonplace among the other young Fairies.

Fairies came in all temperaments—some lively, others reserved. Kumandi belonged to the latter category; in fact, his reserve bordered on indifference.

He showed no interest in things that didn’t capture his attention, but when something did pique his curiosity, he would focus intently, pursuing it tirelessly.

Currently, he had no interest in the three little cubs—not even when the silver-haired cub loudly called out his name.

His indifference greatly displeased the little cubs.

The simple-minded Angele couldn’t understand. Shouldn’t one politely respond when called by name? Why was this black-haired Fairy ignoring them?

Another cub might have cowered and retreated, but Angele, for the sake of his “boss,” resolutely stood his ground.

Just as he was about to demand an explanation, a red blur flashed past him.

Decio had moved faster, his cicada-wing-like wings vibrating rapidly as he zipped to the long table where Kumandi sat. His dumpling-like face was taut as he demanded, “Kumandi, why aren’t you responding?”

His eyes widened like two brilliant golden orbs, and his curly red hair flared like a dazzling flame.

When the red-haired cub confronted him, Kumandi was holding a fork with a small, green fruit impaled on its tines.

The other young fairies couldn’t help but chuckle at the amusing scene.

Shu Li, still frozen in his “Er Kang Hand” pose, watched helplessly as Reddy charged forward to “defend his honor.”

Mis… misunderstanding of epic proportions!

Angele, outmaneuvered by Decio, puffed out his cheeks and flew after them, determined not to be left behind. “Sperien said he misses Kuma—”

Shu Li clamped a hand over Angele’s mouth, offering the black-haired young fairy a polite yet mortified smile.

If Whitey had finished his sentence, the misunderstanding would have snowballed, growing larger and larger until Shu Li couldn’t clear his name even if he jumped into the Yellow River.

“I… I’m sorry…” Shu Li stammered, his tongue twisting in panic, “Mis… misunderstanding…”

Ahhh, my clumsy tongue! Why does my mouth fail me at the crucial moment?!

His stammering only made him look more guilty.

Decio, oblivious to Shu Li’s predicament, saw his struggle and gallantly stepped in to help.

“Sperien said he misses Kumandi!” he declared in a booming voice that echoed through the hall.

Game Over!

Shu Li froze, the game over notification ringing endlessly in his ears.

Just end it all already! I’m so tired!

Even Kumandi, known for his cold demeanor, couldn’t help but stare strangely at the three cubs.

The golden-haired cub wearing a flower crown looked so stunned his face might crack.

That must be Sperien, right?

The Fairy Cub blessed by the King.

His Elven is indeed mediocre, his pronunciation clumsy.

Pfft—

After an awkward silence, a few good-natured chuckles rippled through the dining hall. The companion seated to Kumandi’s left nearly slid under the table from laughing so hard.

Kumandi shot him a cold glance, and the companion immediately clapped a hand over his mouth, his shoulders shaking violently as he struggled to suppress his laughter.

At the long table where the cubs were seated, the chubby Budno jabbed forcefully at the fruit on his plate, his lips pursed into a pout, his face radiating displeasure.

Shu Li, after a moment of stunned silence, finally snapped out of his daze. Under the intense gazes of so many eyes, he wished he could dig a hole in the ground and disappear. His cheeks and ears burned crimson, like fiery sunset clouds.

Noticing the golden-haired cub’s distress, Kumandi blinked his mesmerizing violet eyes, his demeanor softening slightly.

“You… what did you want from me?”

“No! That’s not it!” Shu Li denied vehemently, shaking his head like a rattle drum. His mind raced, desperately searching for a way to explain himself.

Suddenly, his gaze landed on the fork in Kumandi’s hand. An idea struck him. He released Whitey, whom he had nearly suffocated, pointed at the green fruit on the fork, and summoned the greatest linguistic talent of his life.

“I meant that—the Kuku Fruit! They misheard me, they misunderstood! I’m sorry for causing… causing…”

Damn it! How do you say “trouble” in Elven?

Shu Li broke into a cold sweat, his small mouth opening and closing, but the correct word remained elusive.

“Trouble?” Kumandi asked.

“Yes, yes, yes!” Shu Li nodded vigorously.

Kumandi slowly ate the fruit on his fork, unconcerned. “It’s alright,” he said.

It was normal for cubs to have trouble speaking clearly when they were just learning Elven.

Seeing that Kumandi had accepted his apology, Shu Li’s inner alarm bells quieted, and he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Decio and Angele, however, looked utterly bewildered.

“Sperien, did you say you wanted Kuku Fruit?” Angele asked, scratching his pointed ear in confusion.

“But I heard you say Kumandi,” Decio frowned.

Shu Li sternly corrected them, “It was Kuku Fruit! I’m hungry and want Kuku Fruit. You misheard!”

Fortunately, the black-haired Fairy had Kuku Fruit on his fork, and even more fortunately, the pronunciation of “Kuku Fruit” and “Kumandi” was similar.

Decio and Angele couldn’t help but recall the scene in the classroom, finally realizing their misunderstanding.

The reason Sperien had been listlessly slumped over his desk was because he was hungry, and it was hunger that made him say he wanted Kuku Fruit.

Decio, a Little Fairy who took responsibility for his actions, lowered his head and apologized to Kumandi, “I’m sorry!”

Angele also looked at Kumandi sheepishly. “It’s all my fault for mishearing—”

“It’s my fault, I haven’t learned Elven well enough,” Shu Li said, taking the blame upon himself.

The three cubs eagerly apologized, their sincerity evident. Kumandi, a Fairy with a kind heart, couldn’t possibly hold a grudge against them.

Older Fairies were always forgiving toward their young.

Being ten years older than the trio, Kumandi naturally forgave their unintentional mistake without hesitation. He picked up the plate of Kuku Fruit from the table and offered it to the blond cub. “Eat up!”

Shu Li stared blankly at the green fruit on the plate, then quickly waved his hands. “N-no, thank you—”

Seeing his refusal, Kumandi didn’t press the matter. He set the plate back on the table and reached into his storage pouch, pulling out a thick notebook.

“These are my notes from when I first learned Elven. Take them home and study them.”

Shu Li was overwhelmed by this unexpected kindness, staring at the dark-haired young Fairy in a daze.

Noticing the cub’s hesitation, Kumandi simply pressed the notebook into his arms.

Shu Li fumbled to catch the slightly yellowed notebook, carefully opening it. His eyes glistened with tears as he saw page after page filled with tadpole-like Elven script.

This was clearly the notebook of a top student, filled with detailed notes, diagrams, and explanations—a true blessing for beginners.

Shu Li closed the notebook, nearly bursting into tears.

A top student’s notes… and I can’t understand a single word!

This is such a waste!

Sniffling, Shu Li calmed himself and whispered, “Thank you.”

Kumandi noticed the tears in his eyes and assumed he was touched. “No need to thank me. If you have any questions later, feel free to ask anytime.”

Cubs are so innocent and adorable.

Clutching the notebook tightly, Shu Li flew with Reddy and Whitey to the cubs’ long table, under the benevolent gazes of the older Fairy youths.

Adult Fairies were always present in the dining hall to supervise the cubs. They had observed the entire exchange but refrained from intervening, trusting that the older youths wouldn’t mistreat the younger ones.

As expected, the situation had unfolded pleasantly, with both sides behaving admirably.

Once the three cubs were seated, the adult Fairies brought them a lavish meal, giving Shu Li an extra plate of Kuku Fruit.

Staring at the heaping plate of fresh, green fruit, Shu Li’s heart swelled with mixed emotions.

The Kuku Fruit was delicious, but there was simply too much of it.

As if his plate wasn’t already overflowing, the cubs at his table began offering him their own fruits.

“Sperien, you love Kuku Fruit! Take all of mine!”

“I have some too! Four of them!”

“I have three!”

Budno stared at the single Kuku Fruit on his plate, his inner turmoil raging. Finally, he gritted his teeth and decided to give it away.

He pushed the plate toward Shu Li, awkwardly saying, “Here—”

Shu Li nearly drowned in Kuku Fruit. He hurriedly declined each offer, but when he saw the little chubby boy’s reluctant expression, his eyes lit up. He speared the fruit with his fork and popped it into his mouth in one bite.

“Thank you, Butto,” he mumbled between bites.

Budno stared blankly at his now-empty plate.

Sperien rejected everyone else’s fruit, but ate mine. Why?

And his name isn’t Butto! It’s Budno!

After a long moment, Budno snapped out of his daze and was about to correct Sperien’s pronunciation when he saw Sperien scoop five Kuku Fruits from his own plate and place them on Budno’s.

“Want some?” Shu Li asked with a grin, noticing the little chubby boy’s wide-eyed stare.

Budno never refused food, nodding without hesitation. “Eat!”

Shu Li pushed the plate back toward him.

Budno’s heart fluttered as he gazed at the five plump, jade-green Kuku Fruits on his plate.

Any fairy willing to share food with me is a true friend!

He resolved to never contradict Sperien again.

That midday meal left Shu Li stuffed. His little belly bulged like a round ball, but since he was still a cub, a bit of extra weight didn’t matter.

Fairy cubs needed afternoon naps.

After lunch, Shu Li grabbed the Top Student’s notebook, burped contentedly, and wobbled back to his hut.

It was still early, and he couldn’t fall asleep yet, so he sat at his desk and dove into his studies.

First, he copied the ten Elven script characters from Siet’s new teachings. Then, using the Chinese phonetic transcriptions, he read them aloud.

If talent is lacking, diligence will compensate.

Sure enough, after reviewing them a dozen times, he finally mastered reading and writing them.

“Phew—”

Yawning, Shu Li took the notebook Kumandi had given him to bed. He flipped through it slowly, not caring if he understood everything. Just basking in the Top Student’s aura would surely lead to academic success.

The handwriting on the first page was a bit childish, with visible corrections. But as he flipped through the pages, the script grew cleaner and more refined.

The Top Student wasn’t just good at writing; his drawing skills were also exceptional.

In their early stages of learning Elven script, cubs used the “object-recognition method,” associating each character with a real-world object.

Today, Siet had taught ten new characters, each represented by an actual item. To avoid forgetting them, Shu Li had drawn his own illustrations.

However, his drawings were cartoonish and overly cute, bordering on unrealistic. In contrast, the Top Student’s notebook contained realistic sketches, each one lifelike and instantly recognizable.

Shu Li flipped through five pages in quick succession, his eyelids growing heavier with each turn. Sleepiness washed over his mind.

Thump.

He could no longer stay awake and collapsed face-down onto the notebook, falling asleep instantly.

In his dream, a swarm of tadpoles swam back and forth, desperately searching for their frog mother.

Shu Li woke to the sound of clear, melodious birdsong. Groggily opening his eyes, he realized he had fallen asleep face-down on the notebook.

He yawned, sat up on his knees, and then—noticed a suspicious wet patch on the notebook.

Huh?

Could that be… his drool?

“Oh no!”

He hastily pulled the blanket over the notebook, pressing it down to absorb the moisture.

This was terrible! He had accidentally gotten the Top Student’s notebook wet.

After blotting it with the blanket for a while, the notebook finally dried, though a faint stain remained. It was barely noticeable unless you looked closely.

Shu Li wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead.

Tap, tap, tap—

A rhythmic tapping came from the window. Shu Li closed his notebook, flew over to the window, and pulled back the curtain to find Siph, the yellow sparrow, staring back at him with her large head.

Siph was the dedicated biological alarm clock for waking up the cubs.

“Chirp—” Siph urged the cubs to hurry to their afternoon classes.

Shu Li quickly gathered his pens and notebooks from the table, stuffing them into his waist pouch. The Top Student’s notebook was too thick to fit, so he had to leave it at home.

Twenty-five sleepy-eyed Fairy Cubs stumbled toward school, roused by Siph’s clear birdcall.

Passing adult Fairies chuckled at the wobbly flight of the cubs, reassuring them, “Don’t rush. It’s music class this afternoon. Being late won’t matter.”

“That’s right, it won’t matter,” Chris, the mischievous prankster, chimed in deliberately. “Lia will just make you memorize a few extra poems as punishment.”

The mention of punishment instantly banished the cubs’ drowsiness, and their tiny wings fluttered even faster.

Once the cubs had flown off, an adult Fairy slapped Chris on the back. “Go gather thornberry fruits from the forest!”

“Awwwww~” Chris wailed dramatically, then vanished in a flash before the Fairy could strike again, making a hasty escape.