Chapter 11
Chapter 11
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Silver Waves and Giraffe Blunders
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Ah, damn. That one scratches a bit.
A bunch of sweaty dudebros yapping about how the Saintess is their wife or how they never had a shot—it sparked a little flame war, and I felt like I got my ass handed to me for a second.
She's a woman, that's a fact, so I got pushed back hard on that front.
Fighting dirty with facts? Isn't that a collapse of Gallery honor? Where's the righteous fabrication and noble incitement?
Sighing, I pulled up my hood and stepped out of the house.
My journey to the dragon. Destination: the art academy.
"Dal, you stay inside, okay?"
The sea otter spirit swimming through the air didn't quite match my social status(?), so I was pondering what to do.
I checked if it could be dismissed like regular spirits, and sure enough, Dal curled her tiny fingers into an OK sign and leaped into me.
The moment she touched my body, she melted away transparently, and when I called her back, she burst out with her signature dopey expression.
Problem solved, I stepped outside, and the street vibe felt different. Noticeably brighter.
'Silver hair over there, silver hair there too, silver hair here.'
Ah, that one's just a grandma.
Anyway, the whole world was overflowing with women who'd bleached and dyed their hair silver. Was this what Lee Jae-hoon meant?
I slyly slipped off my hood amid the silver tide.
My silver hair cascaded softly, and I basked in the sunlight for the first time in ages.
'Haa—yeah, this is what living like a human feels like.'
Even running to the convenience store out front, I'd always crammed on a hood and hat—how exhausting.
I'd felt down like a wanted criminal. Got wanted for other reasons, though.
Freed by the silver hair trend, I hummed a cheerful tune as I walked.
Tap tap.
Then someone lightly tapped my shoulder from behind.
No way... caught already?
"Um..."
"Not it!"
I whipped around with a denial, and a black-haired woman blinked in surprise, eyes wide.
"Pardon?"
"Ah... why'd you call me?"
"I-I was wondering where you got your hair done! It looks so perfectly dyed...! I want to go there too!"
"Oh, uh? The dye—ah!"
Saying "This isn't dyed, it's natural" would spell trouble, so I vaguely named the barber shop I'd gone to before becoming this body.
She jotted it down, bowed excitedly, and bounced off. Ah, but that place was a barbershop, right...?
"...Well, they might do silver dye well enough."
No clue if they'd take her, though.
"Hmm-hmm-hmm~"
Feeling refreshed, I opened the door to the art academy, and sure enough, plenty of students sported silver hair.
The power of fashion... Thanks to it, I blended right in as just another trend-following girl.
"Roha, you're here? Turns out you're trend-sensitive after all. Everyone's going nuts over hair right now. My daughter's throwing a huge fit too—whew."
The director, fresh from another class, started venting about the recent silver hair boom and her daughter's tantrums.
"Oh, right, there's a new student joining today's class. Same enrollment date as you, so it'd be great if you two hit it off like classmates."
"Classmates...?"
I had no plans to stick around the academy long-term.
Especially since my Artist class made my skills skyrocket—I was nearing the level I wanted already.
What if someone else despaired seeing my talent?
They might hit a wall facing my versatility.
Ah, this sinful life of mine.
Grabbing a sketchbook with such thoughts, I entered the classroom and saw Cheon I-ryeong turning around, her red hair waving like ocean swells.
"...?"
"Oh, what a coincidence?"
"Liar..."
Cheon I-ryeong smiled brightly.
That bewitching eye-smile screamed she'd targeted me and tracked me here.
'Should I switch academies...'
Something told me she'd dig up my trail through Lee Jae-hoon anyway.
Hard to cut her off decisively when I owed her so much already.
"Fate brought us together like this. You like drawing?"
"Yeah, sorta... necessity too."
"Aspiring painter? I drew quite a bit as a kid myself."
"Oh, really?"
That was unexpected.
Her strong impression suggested more action over artsy stuff.
As we chatted, the director came in and placed a giraffe model on the center table.
"You two are already getting along? Today we're doing still life. Roha, you've passed basics, and I-ryeong here says she draws some, so show us what you've got?"
"Yes."
"Yes."
We answered in unison and gripped our pencils.
This sparked a weird rivalry.
The giraffe drawing session ended first with Cheon I-ryeong setting down her colored pencils.
'Already?'
I wasn't even finished, and she was pro-level?
A vague sense of defeat made me rush my finish, then I looked over—the director was gaping at Cheon I-ryeong's work.
'Just how bad is it?'
To shock the director.
I jumped up and circled behind her.
"Huh?"
"Didn't I-ryeong say she drew 'some'?"
"Hm... been a while, so it didn't go well? Hands aren't warmed up?"
No, even after ages off, come on... The only giraffe-like things were the long neck and yellow color.
She'd completed a work too embarrassing for daylight, then shrugged innocently.
"Isn't this pretty good?"
"Absolutely not."
"No way."
The director and I shook our heads as one, and Cheon I-ryeong pouted sulkily.
Then, children's chatter echoed from outside.
The director opened the door and told the instructor leading them.
"You'll need to take one more, Teacher Kim."
"Huh? Who?"
"I-ryeong?"
"...Me?"
"Yes. Go do line drills first."
"Me with the little kids? No, I have my pride..."
"Now."
At the director's firm tone, Cheon I-ryeong tried protesting more but shot one aggrieved glare and trailed the kids to the beginner class.
'Serves you right for stalking me here.'
Her efforts to keep contact were admirable, but the result? Your giraffe drawing was worse than a non-giraffe giraffe drawing.
"Sorry, Roha. Held you up a bit."
"No worries. When can we draw dragons? Western-style if possible."
"Roha loves fantasy, huh. Planning a dragon webtoon?"
I'm planning a dragon-riding reality.
"Eh, all sorts of stuff."
I brushed it off, and the director clapped like she'd had a great idea.
"Roha, want to try drawing volunteering? We do sessions at the orphanage sometimes. Teach basics, check kids' work— their imaginations are wild, tons of fun pieces."
"Drawing volunteer?"
"Yeah. Might spark inspiration for you too. Service plus ideas."
"Hm... I'll think about it. Let me know the schedule."
"Sure. Mull it over."
Drawing volunteer... Sounded decent like she said. Creation depends on imagination's reach, so kids' minds might yield something.
And pure children's dreams might outshine jaded adults' boxed-in fantasies.
Once the schedule dropped, I'd reconsider, and continued practice.
Class ended, and I bumped into a drained-looking Cheon I-ryeong amid the kids pouring out.
"Pfft, fun times?"
"...Humiliating..."
Her devastated face nearly cracked me up; I bit my lip to hold it in.
Her methods were clumsy, but she was top-tier S-rank hunter.
Guild master of a massive guild, going all-in to recruit little old me—no room to tease.
"Coffee?"
"Yes!!!"
I tossed it out seeing her slump, but her booming reply startled me.
Sigh, good ol' me's gotta look after her.
She came all this way to see me... And I'd nail down no-guild-thanks for now.
Her signature red hair and stunning face would stir entertainment buzz even without hunter interest.
Her keep-popping-up was trouble.
"Private café nearby. There?"
"Yes, let's."
Cheon I-ryeong's private café was hunter-only.
Today's hunters outshone celebrities in fame, drawing civilian stares.
These spots dodged eyes and respected privacy among hunters.
Not registered yet, I'd been curious but barred—nice chance to peek.
Beep—
Every phone blared a warning in unison.
Residents within 2km of marked point: EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY.
S-Rank Gate Detected—EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY.
'Gate emergency evacuation alert!'
The eerie tone blared nonstop, the map glowing red with the gate. Our spot teetered right on the edge.
S-rank here? First time in Seoul...
Cheon I-ryeong stared at her phone regretfully, then smiled wryly.
"...Sorry, gotta go. Coffee next time."
"To the gate...?"
"Have to. It's my job. Roha, get out of the zone quick."
With that, she hopped into a waiting sedan and sped off. Probably assembling a raid party now.
'...This feels off.'
Korea's had one S-rank before.
It broke, swallowing all of Dangjin in Chungnam, turning it to wasteland.