Chapter 20

The mention of a “fashion show” excited Han Arin the most.

Judging by her reaction, it seemed she’d merely been waiting for this moment to dress me up in various outfits.

As soon as the fashion show began, she called someone, saying, “Can you bring over some of Hae-un’s clothes?” and immediately started making big plans.

“…No matter how I think about it, I feel so embarrassed.”

The thought of spinning around in cute or pretty clothes in front of everyone filled me with shame.

Of course, during the process, they’d probably shower me with compliments like how everything looked great on me, which wouldn’t make me feel entirely bad…

But still, embarrassment was embarrassment.

Just as I was about to say I couldn’t do it due to overwhelming shyness…

SWISH SWISH

My tail began wagging furiously from side to side, loudly signaling, “I’m happy!”

Han Arin and Seorin grinned at this and added with delight:

“Hae-un was looking forward to it too, huh? Alright, I’ll dress you up beautifully.”

“Kyaa! Hae-un is just too cute! Don’t worry, I’ll find the perfect outfit for you today—just trust me!”

It felt like when Master Spirit crushed my lair, leaving me overwhelmed with flustered confusion. My whole body trembled uncontrollably.

Then, Chae-a, who had been sleeping, suddenly stood up, straightened her back proudly, and announced:

“Chae-a is here too!”

Her hair was wildly tousled like a lion’s mane after waking up, but despite that, she smiled brightly and continued:

“Chae-a is amazing!”

What exactly was amazing about her? I couldn’t quite understand the mind of toddlers, so while gently smoothing out her messy hair, I noticed…

Chae-a enjoyed my touch and hugged me tightly, rubbing her face against mine.

“Contractor Joa…”

While petting her, I told her something:

“Chae-a.”

“Un?”

“Call me Haeuni, not Contractor.”

At this, Chae-a’s eyes sparkled, and she nodded enthusiastically. It seemed she had secretly wanted to call me by name all along. Finding her adorable, I chuckled and ruffled her hair.

With renewed energy, she raised her hands again and declared:

“Hae-en is amazing!”

Though I wasn’t sure what exactly was amazing, seeing Chae-a’s happiness made me smile too. As we both raised our hands together, I noticed others watching us warmly.

Just then, someone knocked on the door.

“The professor brought it.”

“Oh, thank you.”

“Not at all, this is nothing.”

I stared dumbfounded at the massive box carried in by a student—half the size of an adult male. It was clearly packed with countless outfits.

Panicking, I scanned the room for an escape route but found none.

“None… there’s no way out…”

Resigning myself to fate, I stood still as Seorin pulled out a shark pajama set she had bought earlier.

“Shall we try this one first?”

Realizing there was no avoiding my destiny, I reluctantly nodded.

*

[Nya~ Soooo cute!!!!!!!!!]

[Hunter32Years – That animal pajama is super cute ^^ I want to buy it for my kids.]

[WhyIHunt – This broadcast is the first time I’ve ever felt healed just by watching. Kawaii!]

What was originally meant to be a private fashion show among those in the hospital room turned into a live stream thanks to Han Arin’s insistence that “this shouldn’t be limited to us.”

As I fidgeted nervously under the rising chat messages, wrapped in the shark tail of my pajamas, a donation popped up.

[UniversityGraduateSeeking has sent 1,000,000 won! – Test]

Stunned by the unreal amount, I rubbed my eyes, thinking I must be hallucinating. But no matter how many times I blinked, the message stayed: 1,000,000 won.

Han Arin, observing my stunned expression, whispered smugly:

“It seems donations are going well now. Time to step things up properly.”

“Properly…? Wasn’t 1 million already proper?”

Feeling my financial sense unravel, I crouched down and nibbled on my tail before shaking my head violently to regain focus.

“I didn’t hear that…”

Living beyond your means can only lead to trouble. Deciding to live within my abilities, I covered my ears with my hands.

“Thousand…”

A faint whisper of “thousand” reached my ears, but I dismissed it as a mistake. Regardless of the amount, I resolved to return the money later and focused on staring downward.

Chae-a tilted her head curiously, looking up at me.

“Chae-a wants to play with Hae-en… yes!”

She seemed to enjoy using polite speech learned from training sessions. With her hands clasped together, she repeatedly asked, “Yes please?”

Encouraged by her cuteness, I stood up.

“Yeah. Let’s play?”

Excited by the invitation, Chae-a bounced happily. Seeing her in squirrel pajamas made me want to pet her head.

Beside us, Master Spirit watched with a warm smile.

“You’re building a good rapport with Chae-a. You’re doing well.”

“Yes!”

Surprisingly, my pronunciation came out perfectly this time. Feeling proud, I giggled until Seorin, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly gazed intently at me.

Unable to contain herself any longer, she embraced me and asked:

“Do you like the pajamas, Hae-en? Is anything uncomfortable or do you want any adjustments?”

Thanks to the loose sizing, the pajamas were slightly baggy but still comfortable considering their purpose. Nodding, I reassured her.

Satisfied, Seorin smiled and began fondling my tail.

“In that case, give me a kiss to thank your sister, will you?”

Startled, I quickly hid behind Chae-a as Seorin pretended to cry and waved her hand at me.

“Hae-en~”

Pretending not to notice, I turned away. Then, a question appeared in the chat.

[Suspicious Viewer – Miss Hae-un, aren’t you planning to rebuild your lair anytime soon?]

Hearing “lair,” my tail wagged happily. Despite its previous collapse, I remembered the immense satisfaction of constructing it. Maybe rebuilding wouldn’t be so bad after all.

[Suspicious Viewer – If you do decide to build, perhaps this time we should aim for something more substantial.]

What exactly did “substantial” mean?

Intrigued, I stared at the chat as Suspicious Viewer elaborated.

[Suspicious Viewer – Last time, the materials used were easily breakable. This time, consider using stronger materials like wood, stone, or even concrete—anything durable.]

“Nyamu?”

[Suspicious Viewer – Yes, wood is fine, stone is fine, concrete is fine. As long as it’s not easily breakable, anything goes.]

It was excellent advice, but there was one major issue—cost. Not only were these materials expensive, but physically, I struggled to lift even small wooden planks.

“Blankets were heavy too…”

Though straining might allow me to carry wooden planks, I would undoubtedly tire out quickly. Stroking Chae-a’s head while pondering solutions, I eventually decided to ask Suspicious Viewer directly.

“Too heavy to lift.”

(Too heavy to carry.)

This remark elicited prolonged laughter from Suspicious Viewer.

[Suspicious Viewer – Hahaha don’t worry. There are plenty of people who can help you, like Master Spirit or similar individuals.]

At this, Master Spirit chuckled nearby, seemingly feeling guilty about his past involvement in destroying my lair.

“I was planning to help anyway, teacher.”

[Suspicious Viewer – Fortunately. Then, Miss Hae-un, feel free to ask Master Spirit to carry whatever you need without hesitation.]

After reading this, I bowed deeply to express my gratitude to Suspicious Viewer, then did the same to Master Spirit. In response, he laughed heartily, pulled out his wallet, and said:

“Since I received a bow, I must give pocket money.”

Startled, I quickly shook my head. I couldn’t understand why Association members kept trying to give me money. However…

“Adults giving pocket money is normal. Say thank you and accept it.”

Before I could refuse, Master Spirit slipped the money into the head of my shark pajamas. Trying to reach it, I waved my arms frantically but…

“…Can’t reach.”

Being too short, no matter how much I flailed, I couldn’t touch the money. Watching this, Chae-a found it amusing and began waving her own arms around.

“…”

Seeing her antics made me feel deflated. Pouting, I realized how childish my behavior was becoming. Determined to maintain at least some dignity despite my baby-sized body, I resolved to act more mature moving forward.

Just then…

“Ta-da! Hae-en, do you want some jelly?”

Seorin dangled a red bear-shaped jelly in front of me, teasing me. Smiling confidently at her antics, I tried to respond maturely—but before I knew it, I had already bitten into the jelly she offered.

“Ack.”

Tasting the delicious strawberry jelly, I felt both satisfied and frustrated. Pulling my tail close, I lay down on the floor.

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