Chapter 1

*

Prologue

The protagonist has entered a modern setting where they chew everything up in a Hunter, power-abuse, and “soda-something” novel.

“I thought being possessed by now was something I could take with the attitude of ‘what must come will come.'”

The problem is that I’ve been reincarnated into the body of a girl around 3 or 4 years old.

An even bigger problem is that I’ve become the protagonist’s favorite character.

“Hmm? Is this bad? Or maybe it’s good?”

I wasn’t sure, so I thought while nibbling on my tail.

* * * * *

Chapter 1

… When I came to, the first thing I saw was a prison cell covered in mold and blood.

At first, I thought it might be some hidden camera prank by friends.

But then I realized I didn’t have any close friends, making this just another pointless guess.

“… So what is this? Kidnapping? Or a dream?”

It couldn’t be kidnapping because I had no memory of being kidnapped.

And it couldn’t be a dream because it felt too vivid.

As I felt the cold coursing through my body, I realized this was reality.

“Didn’t I tell you to move faster?”

From an ambiguous distance—too far to be close, yet too close to be far—I heard the harsh voice of a man mixed with someone’s groans.

The sound sent shivers down my spine, but I forced myself to look over and saw a shocking scene.

“… Slap?”

A towering man was striking the face of a teenage girl.

In that moment of confusion, I instinctively reached out to stop him.

However, my short arms, tiny fingers, and babyish voice made me hesitate.

“Why?”

I looked around in panic, realizing all these descriptions weren’t about someone else—they were about me.

“What the—”

Through nearby metal, I caught a glimpse of myself.

Pale white hair tinged with a faint blue glow, and bright blue eyes stared back at me.

Even from the blurry reflection, it was clear I looked like a child no older than three or four.

“…?”

Cognitive dissonance made me wave my hands aimlessly.

What was going on? A realistic nightmare? Or… what exactly?

Just as I was about to lose focus, another unpleasant thud sounded nearby.

Seeing the giant man about to kick the girl, I shouted desperately.

“Stop it!”

Due to the urgency, my pronunciation was muffled, ending with a lisp.

Though embarrassed by drawing everyone’s attention, I quickly ran toward the girl as the large man muttered.

“Have they all gone insane?”

His tone treated people like objects, devoid of any compassion.

Despite the chills running down my spine, I stood firm because if I backed down, the girl would surely die.

“…”

My legs trembled so much I could barely stand.

I spread them wide to keep balance, fearing I’d fall if anyone nudged me.

The man sneered at me, then without hesitation, knocked me over.

As I fell, fear and helplessness overwhelmed me.

Never having experienced anything like this, I couldn’t say anything and shook uncontrollably until the girl I tried to save pulled me into her arms, trembling herself.

Her shaking was so intense it made my own body quiver in response.

Though I wanted to fight back, this child’s body wouldn’t obey me—it only trembled harder.

“Hiccup… Please… Stop… Please.”

Her crying only seemed to irritate him more.

Showing no human emotion, he prepared to unleash more violence until…

[Warning! All personnel, please gather immediately in the lobby on the first floor!]

The siren stopped his actions.

“We’ll settle this later.”

Unable to ignore the warning, he spat and left.

Relieved we were still alive, I felt a sticky sense of relief as the girl holding me apologized through tears.

“Sorry… I’m sorry.”

Hearing her words, I turned slightly to comfort her when I noticed…

“… The protagonist?”

The main character from the illustration I saw before falling asleep—the protagonist of the novel, Seorin.

While it could’ve been coincidence, her appearance was too similar, even the mole by her eye matching perfectly.

Startled, I blinked repeatedly as she hugged me again, trembling.

“Hiccup… Does it hurt? Are you okay?”

To be honest, I wasn’t okay at all—it was the worst situation ever—but since there was nothing I could do about it, I tried to say I was fine.

“Fine…”

Again, my lisped speech slipped out, making me feel even more embarrassed.

Pain coursed through my body, and heat flushed my face as I closed my eyes tightly, feeling nauseous.

Realizing I was lying, the girl hugged me tighter, unsure what to do.

* * *

After Seorin (presumably) fell asleep, I stood in front of the metal I’d seen earlier, tilting my head.

Nothing serious—just checking my condition properly after not getting a good look before.

“What is this?”

I stretched my soft cheek sideways, squinted, then sighed, letting it go.

If only I’d been reborn as a man—or even a teenager or young adult—it would’ve been less jarring.

But becoming such a small child was hard to adjust to.

So I stared at myself for a while, then glanced down at my bruised side where the man had hit me.

“And yet, the wounds are healing really fast.”

Though I still felt some pain, the purple bruises had completely faded back to their original color, indicating the surface had healed.

As I wondered about this abnormal recovery rate, I noticed something strange on my head.

“Horns?”

Small, cute white horns.

They looked more like large white candies than actual horns, but they were definitely attached and tangible.

“Ugh…”

Was this body not human?

Uncertain about the identity of this child, I pondered while Seorin (presumably) woke up, rubbing her eyes and approaching me.

“What are you doing?”

I wanted to say I was checking my body, but that might make her think I was still in pain, so I lied.

“Taking a walk…”

“A walk here? You’re still hurt, aren’t you?”

She’s too perceptive.

When she reached out to check my wound, I instinctively stepped back, then quickly thought of a way to change the subject.

“Name… What’s your name?”

Though outwardly I should use honorifics, I hesitated because…

‘I’m an adult inside here.’

So I used casual language instead.

Unbothered, she introduced herself.

“Oh… I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Seorin.”

Hearing “Seorin” confirmed my suspicions.

Pushing aside other thoughts for now—like whether this world was from the novel—I focused on the present.

“…”

Seorin quietly observed me.

She seemed curious about my name, so I gave her my somewhat androgynous one.

“Yu Hae-un.”

Though often mistaken as a girl’s name, it’s technically a boy’s name. Not that I’ve met many boys with a similar name.

Regardless, after sharing my name, Seorin began petting my hair enthusiastically while talking.

“Hae-un? Such a cute name. How old are you, Hae-un?”

My vision blurred as my hair got tousled.

I tried to stop her by reaching out, but my short arms failed to reach her hand, flailing uselessly in the air.

“Sorry, sorry. I unconsciously started petting you because you’re so cute. Did you dislike it?”

While not entirely unpleasant, it was odd being petted by someone younger.

I considered saying I disliked it, but seeing her smiling face afterward made me hesitate.

“…Not really.”

“Good?”

Though I meant it wasn’t particularly enjoyable either, she interpreted it positively and extended her hand again.

Feeling like this would continue all day, I tried to swat her hand away, but…

Flailing around.

My short arms couldn’t reach hers.

“…”

I instinctively stuck out my lips, quickly covering my mouth to hide it.

Before possessing this body, I never made such facial mistakes, but now as a child, my emotions showed easily.

‘Even so, I shouldn’t be making these kinds of mistakes.’

I decided to practice stern expressions rigorously and closed my eyes tightly.

Then Seorin picked me up, heading back to our original spot while speaking.

“Thank you for saving me earlier. If it weren’t for you, Hae-un, I would’ve definitely died.”

That’s not true.

In the original story, the sirens saved her, leaving her injured but alive.

‘Besides, this is a munchkin hunter novel centered around Seorin.’

While dangerous situations arise occasionally, death isn’t an option. After all, it’s a happy-ending novel.

Thus, “if it weren’t for you” wasn’t accurate.

This led me to reconsider my earlier questions.

“So who am I?”

Too strange to be an ordinary extra—with horns and rapid healing—but I don’t remember seeing this character in the novel.

‘And though it feels weird to say…’

Considering how ridiculously cute—not just cute, but globally astonishing, Seorin-trembling, and Hae-un-shocking levels of cuteness—I doubted this body belonged to an ordinary extra.

“… I don’t know.”

I gently pushed Seorin’s hand off my cheeks and hopped down to the ground.

“In any case, this world revolves around Seorin’s happiness.”

Getting along with Seorin seems like the best course of action.

Of course, I won’t rely on her one-sidedly.

Aiming for a mutually beneficial relationship where I can help Seorin, I resolved myself when…

“Aah! Where are you going?”

Seorin picked me up again, starting to pet me wildly.

Feeling like her personal plush toy, I swayed back and forth in her arms.

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