Pink Laces and Watching Eyes
The store was two blocks from the university district.
Lechelle Lingerie.
The sign was pink. Through the glass door, I could see mannequins dressed in lacy things. The thought of having to wear that stuff already had my whole body shrinking in on itself.
Lee Seojin stopped beside me and said,
"Here it is."
Her tone was just a touch stiffer than usual. She'd probably scouted it out ahead of time. It was pretty clean, tucked away in an alley, not too crowded. Consideration on her part? Did civil servants go this far?
...Probably not in her job description.
"Thanks. But."
I looked down at Heukgu cradled in my arms. He looked up at me. Tail swish.
"You can't come in here."
There was a sticker on the glass door. No pets allowed. A dog silhouette with a red slash through it.
Heukgu eyed the sticker.
...Not sure if he could read it or not.
"Wait out here just a sec. I'll be right back."
I set him down on the ground.
Heukgu gazed up at me. Tail froze mid-swing. Don't go, his eyes pleaded.
"Promise it'll be quick. For real."
Heukgu stared at me for about three seconds.
Then—thump.
He flopped down on the sidewalk block in front of the store. Front paws stretched out, chin resting on them. The perfect "I'll wait" pose.
"...Good boy, Heukgu."
His tail gave one resigned wag. Half acceptance, half obedience.
Kong-i, clutching the hem of my pants, peered down at him. I couldn't see her expression through the sunglasses, but her head was tilted—clearly intrigued.
"Kong-i, let's head inside."
She nodded, small hand still gripping my pant leg.
Lee Seojin let out a breath of relief as she watched Heukgu settle onto the ground.
Of course, the real problem started now.
Leaving a Calamity-grade anomaly alone outside the store. Right in the middle of this street. No leash or anything. Not that a leash would matter.
She quickly mapped out the surroundings in her mind.
Alpha in the east alley. Bravo on the rooftop to the west. Charlie inside the store. About a dozen civilian pedestrians within a 200-meter radius. Three vehicles. One bicycle.
If the black dog rampaged, 200 meters would vanish in an instant.
But based on the patterns so far, the black dog would wait if Ha Yujin said "be right back." It had at the one-room, and at the convenience store. The issue was how long its idea of "right back" lasted.
The convenience store trip had been five minutes. This was a lingerie shop. Factor in trying things on, and it was at least twenty.
Twenty minutes.
Abandoning a Calamity-grade on the street for twenty minutes.
Lee Seojin's stomach churned.
Then—
"Whoa, a doggy!"
Voices rang out.
Three high school girls had spotted Heukgu and were approaching. Uniforms on—heading home from school, probably.
Lee Seojin's back stiffened.
"Isn't he super cute?"
"Like a raincloud color. What's his name?"
"Owner must be nearby. He's just chilling alone."
One girl reached out toward Heukgu's head.
Lee Seojin shot her hand forward to yank the girl back.
But then—the black dog froze.
He lifted his head. Stared at the approaching hand.
One second.
Two seconds.
Then, the stranger's hand touched his head.
The black dog didn't move.
No tail wag. But no growl, no bared teeth either. He just kept his chin on his paws, letting her pet him.
"Whoa, he's so chill."
"Kinda indifferent though? No tail wag."
"Maybe he's the aloof type."
The girls giggled as they stroked him, even scratching behind his ears.
Heukgu half-closed his eyes. Unclear if it meant he wasn't annoyed or just didn't care.
Lee Seojin slowly withdrew her hand from inside her coat.
She exhaled. Long and quiet as possible.
"......"
A Calamity-grade anomaly getting its ears scratched by high schoolers. Aloof type, huh. Yeah, the aloof type that could wipe out this whole street in a heartbeat.
The girls pulled out their phones for photos.
Lee Seojin brought her lips to the communicator.
"Alpha. Three civilians in contact with the Calamity-grade. No hostility so far. Photos confirmed. Monitor SNS later."
"Alpha, copy."
The girls waved "See ya~" and left.
Heukgu watched them go for a moment, then rested his chin back on his paws.
The inside of the store was a world of pink and beige.
Lingerie hung along the walls. Bras, panties, slips, camisoles. Things I'd never even heard of, sorted by color. So much lace. Why was there so much lace? Someone explain the practical point of it.
"Welcome~"
The clerk approached.
A woman, a bit younger than Lee Seojin. Short hair, apron. Name tag read Kang Hana. Her smile was bright, but... forced, somehow.
"Here for a sizing?"
"Uh, yeah. How'd you know...?"
"...Ah, first time getting measured, right? No worries, I'll take it slow."
Did she just brush off what I said? Her voice was clear, though. Familiarly clear. Like Lee Seojin's. Professional clarity, maybe.
...Do lingerie clerks get training? Voice tone classes or something?
The clerk guided me deeper into the store, chattering explanations.
"We specialize in no-wire stuff here. For first-timers, I recommend soft cups."
No-wire. Soft cups. I got the words, but not the image.
She pulled something off a rack to show me.
"Like this type. Padding inside, super comfy, no wire marks."
"Ah......"
I touched it. Soft. Not like the stiff things I'd seen on TV back when I was a guy.
"Shall we measure first?"
"Yeah, please."
She pulled out a measuring tape. Her movements were just a tad awkward. She fumbled grabbing the coiled end.
Whoosh.
It rolled across the floor.
"Oh, sorry!"
Her ears turned red as she picked it up.
Newbie, probably. Happens to everyone.
"It's fine, take your time."
Here I was reassuring the clerk. The situation was kinda funny.
Kong-i let go of my pant leg at some point—rare for her. I turned and saw her standing in front of a mannequin, staring up through her pink sunglasses. The mannequin wore a white lace bra. At Kong-i's height, waist-level was eye-level, but she was craning her neck way back.
"Kong-i, no touching."
She turned. Her mouth pouted under the sunglasses. Dissatisfied.
But only for a moment. Then she toddled back and grabbed my pant leg again.
Good girl.
The clerk prepped the tape and led me to the fitting rooms.
"This way. Measure inside, try a few on."
The fitting area was at the back. Three curtained booths with mirrors.
"Kong-i, sit here a sec."
I sat her on the chair by the fitting rooms. She pushed up her sunglasses and looked up at me.
"Be right back."
She nodded.
Lee Seojin watched from the entrance. Her eyes tense for some reason. Worried I'd pick the wrong size?
"I'll be out soon~"
I called to her too, then drew the curtain.
Swish.
The clerk waited inside.
"O-okay, measurement first. Just take off your top."
"Sure."
I stripped off my top. The girl in the mirror did too. Ten days in, and it still didn't feel real.
The clerk held up the tape. No drop this time. Good.
"Underbust first. Breathe normally."
The tape wrapped under my ribs.
The curtain closed.
Lee Seojin exhaled. Ha Yujin had vanished into the fitting room. The clerk's voice came through: "Just take off your top." Everyday sounds.
Kong-i sat on the chair by the fitting room, sunglasses pushed up, legs dangling. The seat was high; her feet didn't touch the floor.
Lee Seojin stood near the entrance, scanning outside. Through the glass, Heukgu lay prone. Unmoving. Eyes half-closed.
Good. Stable.
Just hold for twenty minutes like this.
But then—
A chill ran up her spine.
She felt it. Heavy air. The kind that resisted going into your lungs.
Her A-rank hunter senses prickled.
Mana density shifting.
Her eyes flicked to the detector on her wrist.
Numbers climbing. 0.2. 0.3. No stop. 0.4.
She grabbed the communicator.
"Crow. Mana spike. At 0.4, rising. Check."
"Bravo, checking... Breached 0.5. Still climbing."
Lee Seojin's jaw tightened. Pinpoint the cause. The black dog? Ha Yujin had been out of sight less than thirty seconds. At the convenience store, levels rose right after separation too. Maybe the dog got anxious then.
She looked at Heukgu.
Through the glass. Same prone pose. Paws out, chin down.
Nothing odd on the surface. Ha Yujin gone, so maybe guarding the outside.
Except—his eyes were open.
And the direction of his gaze. Not toward the store. Not at the fitting room where Ha Yujin vanished.
Somewhere else.
Lee Seojin's eyes shifted back inside.
Kong-i.
Her dangling legs had stopped. Head turned behind the sunglasses.
Toward the glass door.
No—beyond it.
Same direction as Heukgu.
The two anomalies' gazes aligned on the same spot.
Lee Seojin's heart skipped a beat faster.
She followed their line of sight.
The store's glass door. Beyond, the sidewalk. Alley end.
A distorted something stood there.