Chapter 61

The moment I saw the Kamangis, my tail started wagging like crazy with joy.

I don’t know if it’s because it’s been such a long time since I’ve seen them or if it’s because I confirmed that the Kamangis are doing well.

Anyway, as I gleefully shine my eyes in happiness, the Kamangis come down to greet us.

“Over here!”

I was so excited that my tongue got all twisted.

At this point, I’m not really embarrassed by such a minor slip-up, so I didn’t feel much, but…

Realizing that people around me were staring intently, I became slightly flustered and started fidgeting. That’s when the Kamangis came over and showed their affection by clinging onto me.

“Kamangi Sound!”

“Kamangi Muff!”

While fondly petting the Kamangis and telling them how happy I am to see them again…

Seorin arrives late and sees me, then lets out an enthusiastic cheer.

“Hae-un! Could it be you came here just for your sister? Oh my goodness, I’m getting emotional! What can I do?”

Then she pulls both me and Chae-a into a tight hug and starts rubbing her cheeks against ours uncontrollably.

During this process, Chae-a seems delighted and bursts into giggles, while I also start laughing happily.

Suddenly, Seorin picks us up and, with a somewhat serious expression, says:

“This won’t do! Today, I must kidnap Hae-un and Chae-a and make up for all the time we couldn’t get our fix of Hae-un and Chae-a… Ack!”

Just as Seorin was going on about nonsense…

Han Arin, who was standing behind, probably thought enough was enough. Using magic, she gently lowered us back down, then poked Seorin’s cheek and said:

“The kids might get scared.”

Seorin wasn’t trying to scare us; she was just being overly enthusiastic in greeting us.

Quickly regaining her composure, she apologizes to us.

When I smile at her to show it’s fine, Seorin sighs in relief and continues talking.

“Did you guys miss me while I was gone? I had such a tough time without you.”

If you only hear this sentence, it sounds like we’ve been separated for several days.

But in reality, it hasn’t even been a full day since we last met, so there wasn’t much reason for hardship…

“I missed you so much.”

Maybe because my body is still fragile, I’ve become excessively sensitive to partings.

So, I honestly reveal my true feelings while blushing.

Seorin finds my expression unbearably cute and starts laughing foolishly before picking me up like a stuffed doll.

Chae-a looks at us with a shocked expression and exclaims:

“It’s broken…”

She must be so shocked that her speech is slurred almost as much as mine.

I glance to the side and notice what caused her reaction—my sandwich has fallen apart.

“…”

Because of the excitement from the arrival of the Kamangis and Seorin, I forgot I was holding the sandwich, leading to this disaster.

As I blankly stare at the squished sandwich, Seorin pets my head, picks it up, and says:

“Don’t worry too much. Actually, I prefer my sandwiches squished.”

Even so, I shake my head and tell her I’ll make a new one, but Seorin ignores me completely.

She quickly tears off the wrapper and takes a big bite of the sandwich.

“I don’t know who made this, but it’s delicious! Did Hae-un and Chae-a make it?”

At this question, Chae-a nods with a cheerful laugh and pulls some flower petals from her pocket to offer.

“Here, add these!”

“Huh?”

“It tastes better when you sprinkle them on top.”

With a proud look, Chae-a explains how to eat it and stares at Seorin with sparkling eyes.

Seorin, feeling a bit awkward under that gaze, looks at the counselor teacher and me for help.

After some hesitation, I grab Chae-a’s hand and try to persuade Seorin not to eat the petals.

“When will you give the Kamangis their share?”

Hearing this, Chae-a glances at the Kamangis and smiles brightly before saying:

“Okay!”

With that, Chae-a pulls all the flower petals from her pocket and offers them to the Kamangis.

The Kamangis let out a confused “Moo?” sound before bursting into laughter and scurrying away.

“Ack!”

Chae-a watches them go with a dejected expression, then begins gathering the petals back into her pocket.

Seeing this scene, I wonder what kind of magical pocket Chae-a has and stand there dumbfounded.

Meanwhile, the counselor teacher approaches with a tray and announces to the nearby hunters:

“Please take one each. These sandwiches were made by Hae-un and Chae-a.”

Upon hearing this, everyone lights up with excitement, rushes over, and grabs the sandwiches.

It seems they were all very hungry, so I’m glad we made them and start giggling.

However, the hunters clutch their sandwiches and suddenly pull out their wallets.

“Here, payment for the sandwiches.”

They shove bills into my pocket haphazardly and run off before I can protest.

I call after them, insisting it’s okay and holding the money, but no matter how fast I run, I can’t catch up.

Eventually, I give up and slump to the ground.

‘This feels so wrong…’

Looking at the numerous bills stuffed into my pocket, I decide I should return them.

Thinking to ask Han Arin for help in returning the money…

“Hmm? It’s fine, it’s fine. Hunters have a habit of giving money for cute things.”

I blink in confusion as Han Arin chuckles mischievously and explains the somewhat cruel truth.

“Since hunting is a 3D job, hunters tend to be less favored in the marriage market. That’s why there are so many unmarried men and women…”

Mid-sentence, realizing this topic isn’t suitable for me, she trails off and closes her mouth.

Then, with an awkward smile, she concludes:

“So uncles and aunts tend to like kids. Therefore, Hae-un, don’t feel too burdened and accept the allowance from these uncles and aunts.”

While processing this information, the counselor teacher approaches me, chuckles softly, and suggests a solution:

“If you feel bad accepting the money, why not use it to treat the uncles and aunts to something nice later? They’d be happy with that.”

Hearing this, I reluctantly nod, thinking it’s the best course of action.

Now it’s too late to return the money anyway.

Feeling a bit deflated, I trudge back to where I was before when Seorin asks me something.

“Hae-un, would you like to go out somewhere tomorrow?”

At the mention of going out, my curiosity is sparked, and my tail starts wagging faster.

There’s no particular reason—it’s just that since coming to this world, I’ve only been to the lab and the association.

‘Well, technically, I’ve also been to some shops near the association.’

But those places are practically still within the association area.

So, the idea of going out to play is incredibly appealing.

I forget to calm my rapidly wagging tail and urgently ask Seorin:

“Really? Where?”

At my reaction, Han Arin and the counselor teacher nearby let out a small sigh and exchange tense expressions.

“Hae-un must have wanted to go outside badly, even though she didn’t show it.”

“Yes. We thought she was fine because she seemed so cheerful… Sigh, my mistake.”

They exchange self-reproachful words.

I want to tell them there’s no need to blame themselves, but…

Before I can say anything, Seorin picks me up and heads toward the association entrance.

While pondering how to clear up this misunderstanding…

Seorin points outside and tells me:

“Over there is an amusement park, and over there is a giant bathhouse. Ah, and that way is the library.”

The mention of a giant bathhouse catches my interest.

I blink, wondering how big it must be for Seorin to describe it as “giant.”

She notices my curiosity, smiles softly, and continues:

“We probably won’t be able to visit everywhere tomorrow, but we can stop by a couple of places. Tomorrow, we’ll go wherever Hae-un wants to go.”

At this, I start to nod but pause, remembering a concern.

“There are still bad people around, right? Won’t it be dangerous?”

In response to my question, Seorin strikes a pose emphasizing her muscles (though nothing changes) and proudly declares:

“Don’t worry. No matter what happens, I’ll protect you.”

Knowing Seorin is the protagonist of this world, I trust her claim wholeheartedly.

Still, I worry about causing trouble, but…

The counselor teacher and Han Arin wave their hands urgently and reassure me:

“Don’t worry, Hae-un. The teachers said the hunters have caught all the bad people, so it’s safe now.”

“I’ll come along too, so there’s no need to worry too much.”

Just as I’m starting to feel reassured…

Chae-a, holding Han Arin’s hand below, confidently tells me:

“That’s right! Chae-a will protect Hae-un, so it’s fine. Chae-a is amazing, so this will work!”

“Kamangi Sound!”

Though it’s touching that everyone wants to protect me…

I can’t help but feel that maybe I should be protecting Chae-a instead.

Embarrassed yet grateful for everyone’s kindness, I bury my face in my tail and mutter “Thank you.”

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