Chapter 85

When Chae-a said she got kicked out, Han Arin looked extremely flustered before shaking her head rapidly and began to explain.

“N-no, it’s not that you were kicked out! It’s just… they said you can stay somewhere else. Which means… we’ve found an even better place to move into!”

Despite her explanation, Chae-a still wore a gloomy expression as she continued speaking.

“Like when Beaver-nim’s house got wrecked, they said it was because they needed to build a better one…”

“A-ah, but that’s different!”

At a loss for words, Han Arin fidgeted awkwardly before finally deciding something had to be done. She gently took Chae-a’s hand and spoke softly.

“Anyway! Let’s go check out the new place. I picked out a really cute one, so I’m sure you’ll love it.”

With that, Han Arin lifted Chae-a up like a kitten and asked,

“Shall we go?”

To which the three of us nodded in unison.

*

Before heading to check out the new place, we were led by Han Arin to freshen up and then shared a meal together. Watching Chae-a and Yuna become instantly squeaky clean made me giggle.

Yuna, however, tilted her head curiously while hugging my tail.

“Haeuni, why are you laughing?”

Not understanding why I was giggling, I shook my head lightly to indicate it was nothing and turned to look at Han Arin. Her worried expression seemed tied to the mana circulation technique she’d discovered earlier.

I sat quietly on the bed with a “meow” to avoid interrupting her thoughts. After sighing deeply, Han Arin finally addressed us.

“Alright, shall we go?”

It seemed things weren’t going well for her. Wanting to help if I could, I asked if everything was alright.

“Huh? Oh, it’s fine. I’m just trying to figure out this part of the mana flow I don’t understand yet… Don’t worry about it. By the way, did you guys worry about Hae-un-sshi?”

Caught off guard by the sudden topic change, I blinked repeatedly. Han Arin chuckled at my reaction and reassured me.

“Don’t worry, it’ll work out. Just give me some more time to think about it.”

Relieved, I began preparing to leave.

*

The Hunter Association is primarily designed for “adults,” meaning everything inside is built to adult standards.

Because of this, most of the dormitories within the association, though pretty, weren’t suitable for our needs. Han Arin explained she chose a place that was decent but could be remodeled to fit our lifestyle.

“Look here, there’s a power switch down below. There’s also an extra sink positioned lower, and…”

Were these newly installed just for us? Everything gleamed white and sparkled.

Touched by all the effort, I didn’t know what to say until Han Arin smiled warmly and explained further.

“And besides, Seorin and I will take turns living here too. So don’t worry too much about being left alone without adults around, okay?”

“Understood!”

“Also, check this out—there’s a whole section stocked with snacks…”

Seeing this reminded me of the maze playroom Han Arin had built for us earlier. Thinking it might be similar to this accommodation, I watched as Chae-a tilted her head in curiosity and asked Han Arin a question.

“Teacher is gone…? Where’d Odi go?”

She began searching everywhere with a puzzled look. After pondering for a moment, Han Arin gave a slightly awkward smile and replied.

“That counselor teacher… um…”

Unable to bring herself to say they would no longer meet, Han Arin hesitated before continuing with a forced smile.

“I’ll ask the teacher for you, okay?”

“Really?!”

“Yeah, really.”

Chae-a, clearly grateful, quickly hugged Han Arin tightly. Watching her recent increase in affectionate behavior, I thought it was fortunate. Meanwhile, Yuna, observing from behind, whispered to me.

“I like it here. It’s pretty. And big roars are used too.”

“Big roars?”

Yuna pointed to a dinosaur character sticker on the wall.

“It’s ‘Kraang.’ So cute.”

Her enthusiasm was evident with every word. To express my gratitude for her explanation, I affectionately petted her head. At that moment, Han Arin, holding Chae-a in her arms, asked us.

“Do you like it?”

How could we not?

Still, financial concerns lingered in my mind regarding rent and deposit, so I crossed my arms and asked.

“How much does it cost to live here?”

“Huh?”

Han Arin blinked in surprise before shaking her head frantically.

“No, no need for money. Dorms within the association are provided free of charge to hunters.”

Hearing it was free, I tilted my head in confusion. While I knew the association offered good benefits, completely free housing still seemed odd.

“Isn’t there usually at least a small fee?”

Wondering if I had misunderstood, I glanced at Han Arin, who picked me up and gestured around the room before speaking calmly.

“If you ever need or want anything, just let me know, okay?”

Feeling I’d already received far too much, I quickly shook my head. Seeing this, Han Arin looked somewhat disappointed.

“I wanted to give more… Is that not okay?”

Unable to cruelly refuse such kindness, I slowly nodded. After all, Han Arin was my benefactor and someone very important to me.

Just as I nodded again, a strange sound came from afar.

[Tiny tiny catch catch~]

Recognizing the sound, I realized Chae-a and Yuna had turned on the TV. Walking into the living room with Han Arin, we saw them both staring blankly at the screen.

Their adorable expressions made me giggle as I watched. Suddenly, Chae-a snapped back to reality and ran over to me, attempting to describe something.

“Jogi… They’re as cute as ants…!”

“Huh?”

“So bug-like!”

While someone unfamiliar with Chae-a might think she was insulting, in her world, “bug-like” was actually high praise. Curious about what she meant, I glanced at the TV.

[Sparkle sparkle~]

On-screen, adorable characters were twerking.

“…”

What was this?

Confused, I blinked repeatedly. Then Yuna ran over and shared her opinion.

“Haeuni thinks it’s super cute. Small and wiggly.”

“Hmm?”

“Do you understand?”

Processing her words left me momentarily dazed. Behind me, Han Arin laughed brightly.

“You like it, huh? I figured you would, so I brought related gifts.”

With that, Han Arin retrieved a gift box from the desk, smiling widely. As I stared at her, I noticed the bottom of the box had been chewed through like a mouse had gotten to it.

Why was it chewed like that? Wondering, I observed as Han Arin opened the box with great anticipation.

“Ta-da! The rare dolls I worked hard to procure… Ah?”

Instead of dolls, three Kamangi popped out of the box. Had they eaten the dolls inside? Their mouths were covered in Somtul as they bounced energetically.

“!”

Chae-a, looking confident as always, grinned before casually wandering outside and disappearing.

“The Kamangi are gone.”

Watching this, Chae-a matter-of-factly announced the situation while blinking innocently. Then she clasped her hands politely and thanked us.

“Thank you very much!”

Though unclear exactly what she was thanking for, it likely pertained to the Kamangi. Han Arin, hearing the gratitude, regained her composure and gave an awkward smile.

“Y-yeah.”

Given how deflated Han Arin seemed, the dolls must have been quite rare and difficult to obtain. Feeling guilty for not properly managing the Kamangi, I hugged my tail and nervously checked her mood. Suddenly, Han Arin clapped her hands and made a suggestion.

“Oh right! Since we moved, how about some jjajangmyeon? It’s tradition to eat after moving.”

Upon hearing “jjajangmyeon,” my tail unconsciously wagged. Jjajangmyeon was one of my favorite foods, so I swallowed audibly while gazing up at Han Arin. Nearby, Chae-a tilted her head curiously and asked.

“What’s jjajangmyeon?”

Pausing briefly, Han Arin described its appearance.

“Um… It’s a black dish that shines due to the oil and has a gooey texture.”

“… Gooey like Kamangi?”

After listening to Han Arin’s description, Chae-a stared intently at the Kamangi lounging on the sofa. With a serious expression, she shook her head and tried to persuade Han Arin.

“I’m not hungry.”

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