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With a haughty attitude, Hong Yu-ri, who had just startled everyone, placed her hands on her hips. Maintaining her earlier confidence, she said,

“Hey, follow me.”

—In the direction where I wasn’t. Even her nose was a bit red. Looking over in disbelief, I saw Baek So-yul was giving an awkward smile. Can’t say I blame her. Hong Yu-ri was sporting sunglasses that looked like they were painted black with meteor magic.

“……”

Only after Baek So-yul signaled did Hong Yu-ri turn towards me. Maybe even she felt embarrassed because her face was flushed. The initial bravado had vanished, and swallowing hard, Hong Yu-ri spoke again.

“Follow me…”

Just then, as if she was grateful for being able to evade the crowd, Fairy tapped Hong Yu-ri on the shoulder. It was like a pat on the back for a job well done… but that simple act caused Hong Yu-ri to let out a strange high-pitched scream, shaking like a leaf. Finally, with a sigh, Baek So-yul spoke up.

“I have something to say, could you follow us?”

I nodded at those words. Even though Hong Yu-ri had startled everyone, there were still people outside. As if it had never happened, Hong Yu-ri let go of Baek So-yul’s sleeve and removed her sunglasses. She rubbed her reddened eyes, desperately trying to hide them. Putting on a brave face in front of others… it evoked a strange feeling in me.

I felt a tiny impulse to tease her— I shook my head. I wasn’t Kang Tae-ho after all.

We ascended to the sixth floor, where her personal room was. Nodding at Baek So-yul’s invitation to enter, I could already tell she had consumed an elixir just from the scent that hit me as I walked in. Fairy displayed curiosity about this new environment. Given her previous encounters with Hong Yu-ri, it wouldn’t be strange if she held a grudge… but it seemed she didn’t care at all. Just as I looked around for a moment, Hong Yu-ri took a deep breath, as if resolved, removed her sunglasses, and shattered them, scattering the fragments across the floor.

“I’m only saying this once.”

Her voice still trembled. Was it from anger? Or perhaps another reason? I had no way to read her thoughts, but if she intended to cause trouble, she wouldn’t have brought me all the way to her room. Baek So-yul wouldn’t have assisted either. This felt a bit sudden, but I had a hint of what was going on. Her flushed face, trembling hands, and the declaration of not repeating herself. As if I would believe that.

‘The infamous Hong Yu-ri?’

The embodiment of ego. Stubborn and headstrong Hong Yu-ri was really going to apologize? That was harder to believe than Kang Tae-jun bowing his head. Eventually, Hong Yu-ri turned around, and when I looked up at her, I saw tears welling at the corners of her fiercely shut eyes. Unbelievable, but it seemed genuine, and before I knew it, my mouth was agape.

“S-s-s…!”

As she lifted her trembling eyelids, Hong Yu-ri opened her eyes. Even though her gaze was upward and I was out of sight, it was probably her limit right now.

I’d never expected her to apologize… but it didn’t end there. Hong Yu-ri tilted her head down, allowing her gaze to finally land on me. At that moment, my reflection appeared in her dilated pupils, her expression morphing into one that looked like she was about to cry.

‘I feel like I’ve cried a lifetime already…’

In retrospect, it was her own doing. Her scarlet eyes darted around, losing focus. When Baek So-yul’s hand touched her shoulder, Hong Yu-ri flinched and looked back at me. With a deathly pale complexion, she quivered her lips.

“…S-s-sorry…!”

“Kyu-woo…?”

As the three of us observed, Hong Yu-ri clenched her fists tightly. Ultimately, the color in her eyes deepened, and tears began to stream down her cheeks. It was proof that her emotions had overwhelmed her. Stifling her sobs and gnawing on her lips, Hong Yu-ri finally gathered her courage.

“I hope you accept it….”

With her gripping the hem of her clothes nervously and her eyes squeezed shut, I sighed internally. How hard must it have been for her to apologize with that fiery temper? Even scared to speak. How many times had she shown her embarrassing and humiliating side? How much effort did it take for her to spit those words out? The past few days, she had shown a pitiful side.

—I glanced at Fairy, but she seemed unfazed. Rather, she circled around Hong Yu-ri, as if to ask what was going on, and I nodded in agreement. Of course, claiming that all emotional burdens had been released would be a lie. The animosity between us was pretty tangled up. Perhaps she didn’t even know that she had once tried to kill me at the Waterside Park.

But there was no need to bring it up. Not all built-up emotions and tangled animosities had to resolve through revenge. Can’t we rebuild our relationship from here? If I help Hong Yu-ri overcome her phobia and enable her to hunt again, I, too, would be able to receive help at the Square.

“—Understood.”

Hong Yu-ri, who had been fidgeting nervously, ended up collapsing, her legs giving way. That must have been her limit. Baek So-yul affectionately patted Hong Yu-ri’s head while crying and laughing, and I felt the same way. Surely, her apology would be a turning point. From here on out, we could build a proper relationship— Just as I thought that, Hong Yu-ri tilted backward and fell.

“Ah.”

…That was a mistake. I retracted my extended tentacle and scratched by my ear. For some reason, Baek So-yul’s piercing gaze felt sharp.

***

“……!”

Hong Yu-ri sat up in bed. Already in her room. On the bed. What a pleasant smell— immediately making my appetite spike. While trying to guess what was in the bubbling pot, Baek So-yul handed her a cup filled with water.

“Are you awake?”

“Yeah, but…”

Hong Yu-ri downed the cup quickly, returning it to Baek So-yul, who wore a knowing smile. After a moment of confusion, when Hong Yu-ri recalled and gasped, she covered her face with her palms.

“Ah. Damn…”

She had apologized… it felt like a good idea, but now it seemed embarrassing upon reflection. The growling of her stomach now clearly indicated that some time had passed. Hong Yu-ri sat down at the table, and Baek So-yul nodded knowingly.

“Good job.”

With her chopsticks in hand, Hong Yu-ri nodded. She finally managed to meet my eyes head-on…! I was overwhelmed with a swell of emotion at that fact.

“――.”

Thinking about Alpha still made my heart race, but I was getting a bit used to it. I could gradually overcome it moving forward. I had confidence now. While scooping hot stew with my chopsticks,

“Vice Team Leader~!”

Suddenly, the door burst open, snapping everyone out of their moment. Hong Yu-ri, who had been choking, turned around with a distorted face, and there stood Euna, awkwardly smiling.

“Oh… you were eating?”

Seeing her scratching the back of her head, looking dazed, I felt my irritation dissipate. Hong Yu-ri sighed and spoke.

“Aren’t you lacking manners? Knock before you come in. Also—”

She seemed to have had a brief moment of disbelief, but Hong Yu-ri didn’t take anyone else’s thoughts into consideration.

“I came to tell you everything is ready…”

“Got it. I’ll see you tomorrow, so scram.”

“…Okay.”

With a dejected expression, Euna scurried away but paused to tilt her head.

“But… you changed clothes?”

“Anyway, see you tomorrow~!”

She reacted as if surprised. As soon as Euna disappeared, Hong Yu-ri’s face changed from crimson to a gradient red, and she started yelling.

***

“—How noisy.”

Kang Tae-jun sighed as he put down his pen. Naturally, the walls and floors were soundproof. Even if someone yelled at the top of their lungs, it shouldn’t be heard, but his hearing was the issue.

“…Hmph.”

Unlike the wolf, who could use skills to control its hearing, he picked up on all sorts of noise while doing nothing. Maybe small sounds would be okay, but if they shouted like that… Kang Tae-jun shook his head and looked at the wolf.

“…I heard you were talking to Hong Yu-ri?”

Upon hearing that, the wolf nodded casually.

“It sounds like the talk went well, I’m glad… But can’t you keep it down?”

Only then did the wolf turn its head, and as both the wolf and the fairy instinctively tilted their heads while licking ice cream, Kang Tae-jun couldn’t help but chuckle.

Dirt on their mouths. Who could think of Marang looking at them now? They seemed to have fully adapted in such a short time. If their conversation went so well, how about trying to get them to spend more time together? After all, if she couldn’t overcome her phobia, she wouldn’t be able to use her skills as a hunter.

Knowing Kang Tae-jun’s serious contemplation, the wolf licked its ice cream once more. Starting with Euna’s coffee, the wolf was diving into a long-awaited feast. Since everything he had eaten after being reincarnated tasted horrible, he had given up, but this place was different.

“Kyu-woo!”

Thus, the wolf and the fairy enjoyed their banquet together.

***

“…So, you think it’s fine to be alone?”

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah~ I’m fine.”

“You haven’t been out of the dungeon for long…”

To Eun-ah, who was worried, Euna shook her head.

“This time, it’s not all that dangerous, so don’t worry about it~”

“…Sure. Be careful out there.”

Euna nodded. In just two days— just two days later, she would have to go back into the dungeon. Though it couldn’t compare to Neverland, it was still a dungeon. It was impossible not to feel anxious, but she tried to maintain her composure while finishing her meal.

Euna ruffled her tangled hair on the bed.

It has been a busy day in many respects. Not only was she told to prepare for another dungeon right after returning, but…

“Alpha…”

The fact that Alpha was in the clan was the most surprising of all. From meeting the First Lady in the morning to being summoned by the clan leader, and suddenly running into Alpha…

“……”

She lay there blankly, gazing at the featureless ceiling. Really, they met again. And she had also drunk an elixir… even though it wasn’t just for her. Feeling her increased magic power, Euna raised her hand and opened and closed her fist.

Suddenly, that image popped into her mind. Out of nowhere, asking her to buy coffee made no sense, but the way he drank it so delightfully… it was a sight she would never get to see again, like a puppy lapping at coffee.

“That was cute.”

Calling him Marang now, but the image engraved in her mind was still that of a slime or a puppy. The similar magic he claimed originated from her, and his surprisingly deep voice… it made her feel all tingly, and even though she tried to fall asleep, somehow she couldn’t get to sleep. Would she be able to see him again when she went to work tomorrow? Euna didn’t even realize her lips were curled into a smile. She could barely force herself to wake up as dawn approached.

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