Tiger Witch Charm School

"So, let's summarize."

Molrangkau skimmed over what she'd jotted down, confirming as she spoke. "Hura seems drawn to mature, adult-like qualities, so we need to show him the most grown-up side possible—make him rely on you."

"Mm-hmm. Exactly."

Vesta nodded.

"As part of that, use polite honorifics in everything to highlight that maturity while making it feel unfamiliar enough to make him see you in a new light?"

"Right. Luckily, Hura's way weaker than you right now. Treat him with respect, look after him in every little way."

"Mm... that's tough."

Molrangkau muttered, furrowing her brow.

Vesta smirked, lifting one corner of her mouth in amusement. "What's so hard about it? We've just finished the theory portion."

"...Pardon?"

Molrangkau stared at Vesta with wide eyes.

"That was the theory lesson. Now comes practical training."

"......!"

Molrangkau's head jerked back in shock.

"What are you dawdling for? Time's short. Who knows when Hura'll come back."

She hadn't even fully grasped the theory yet, and now straight to practice? Despair washed over Molrangkau as she flailed inwardly, but Geum Taeyang approached.

"Molrangkau-nim."

"......"

"Cat Molrangkau-nim."

"What did you say?"

Molrangkau snapped her head up, glaring at him with blazing eyes. "I'm not some mere cat."

"Then... what are you?"

"A tiger."

"Pardon? I didn't catch that."

"I'm! A tiger!"

"Your voice is too quiet. An ant shedding would make more noise."

"I'm a tiger among tigers! Mountain hero!!"

"Louder! So loud the whole world hears! Who are you?!"

"I'm! Tiger Molrangkau!!"

"How does a tiger roar?"

"Rawr!!!"

"Good."

Geum Taeyang stepped back with a satisfied smile, and in an instant, Molrangkau was pumped up, huffing as she turned to Vesta.

"Who am I? A tiger."

Vesta smiled slyly at Molrangkau, who was muttering self-affirmations. "Ready for the lesson?"

"Rawr!"

"Excellent. Follow along closely."

The practical training began immediately.

"Try laughing like me. Ohohohot!"

"O... hohot!"

"Too stiff. You'd think you were one of Ptah's machines."

"......"

"Like your moniker, the Red Witch. Seductive smiles everywhere, always brimming with leisure, sometimes aloof. Honorifics aren't all the same. Elegant enough to make casual speech feel rustic. Let your words trail off lightly. Cover your mouth lightly with your fingertips when you laugh. Now, try. Heung~"

"H-heung..."

"Not bad for a first try. A nasal hum now and then is nice too. Don't stomp around like a mountain bumpkin. Glide elegantly, aloofly. Like a cat. Like you're dancing."

Thud!

"Oof!"

"Get up! No time for whining!"

"Y-yes, ma'am!"

"Next, the smile. Bewitching like a fox spirit under moonlight, slightly hazy. Watch closely. Heung~"

"Uh... do I have to make that sound?"

"The sound doesn't matter. Focus on the eyes. Heung~ Like this, curve the outer corners slyly. And lift the corners of your mouth just a bit. Try."

"Heung~"

"No, too high. Lower."

"Heung~"

"Occasionally brush your hair behind your ear, showing a glimpse. Like this."

"Like so?"

"Exactly. You do that well. Let's get you in something fancier too. And..."

Meanwhile, Tteoksoon-i dozed off in the back row, as the "From Friend to Lover: Save Under a New Name" seminar advanced to the advanced course.

* * *

The kitchen was a whirlwind of noise.

Grandma, Mom, Aunt, and even Dad and Uncle were all pitching in for dinner prep. Grandma, Mom, and Aunt handled the cooking, while Dad and Uncle managed the rest—serving platters, fetching side dishes, setting out spoons and chopsticks.

We grandchildren were banned from the kitchen, so we couldn't help even if we wanted to.

But today, the two dads were unusually enthusiastic.

"Mother-in-law, where does this go?"

"Oh, I'll take that. Haha, watch your back."

"......"

I clicked my tongue at their transparent act. Breaking that one window had led to all this hassle. Their insides were probably burning black by now. And it wouldn't stop until they got home.

"...They're trying so hard."

Still, since the intact jars around the house were their fault entirely, I couldn't pity them too much.

I leaned back on the living room sofa. Grandma wouldn't let us leave without at least two meals, so after lunch, we'd have to stay for dinner too. Birthday greetings and all.

I glanced around at what everyone else was doing. Eunhui sat blankly ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠on Grandpa's lap, staring at the TV. It was a cartoon with a bespectacled penguin—pretty popular with kids, apparently. Otherwise, hyper Eunhui wouldn't sit still like that. She was glued to it, practically sucked into the screen.

Grandpa toyed with his statue-still granddaughter, fiddling with her tiny hands, yanking her soft rice-cake cheeks, messing with her hair to pioneer new S/S women's hairstyles.

Thud thud thud. I turned at the running sounds—Sera and Eunbi were racing excitedly around the spacious living room.

"Eunbi-ya! Sis'll read you a book!"

"Nooo!"

Sera chased Eunbi with a book in hand. Eunbi fled, letting out tiny wails that weren't quite screams.

As I watched, my eye caught Eunbi's bag in the corner.

"Eunbi-ya! Can I check your bag?"

"Waaahhh..."

"Thanks!"

Perfect, I was bored. I rummaged through it eagerly. Inside were several thick books. No wonder it was so heavy.

"...What's this?"

I pulled them out one by one, muttering. What Is Death?, God Is Dead, The Birth of Tragedy, Beyond Good and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Evil/Genealogy of Morals, Tao Te Ching, etc. Totally mismatched with her cute, cartoon-character kids' backpack.

Flipping one open made my head spin from the dense text.

...Does she even know what these mean?

She might ask me to read later. Bored with nothing else, I cracked one open and read carefully.

"Hmm."

Surprisingly engaging. Lost in the book trance for a while, thoughts of Pangwol suddenly surfaced.

"...Hope it went well."

I wasn't worried since I couldn't imagine Molrangkau or Beda losing, but I was a bit curious.

"Oh, and the reward."

I'd cleared the quest before Sap Gisa barged in. High difficulty—wonder what it'd give this time.

Who was Vesta's friend she'd introduce? Friend of the original Red Witch—not ordinary. And that rare ingredient money couldn't buy?

Thoughts bubbled up like soap suds when Sera called.

"Hey, Hura-ya."

"Hm?"

The floating bubbles popped with a pffft.

Sera lay sprawled on the floor again like a defeated soldier. Eunbi was nowhere in sight—hidden somewhere.

"Video's up. Check it out."

"Video?"

"Told you earlier. Pangwol Emo Jjomo posted it. Already live."

Sera giggled.

"Oh, yeah?"

I pulled out my phone and opened the Pangwol Emo Jjomo channel.

"......?"

I froze at the top thumbnail. Sera burst out laughing at my face.

"...Do I look like the villain?"

"Hahahahaha!"

"And I'm grinning like this?"

"Ahahahak! S-stop, it's too funny! Pffihihihi!"

"......"

I just watched without another word. Caught angles I hadn't seen, so it was pretty gripping. Tteokbokki-dan held off Sapjaru-dan despite numbers, Jeil Hura and Jay Hura endured surprisingly well against Sap Gisa.

When I recognized Pangwol Emo Jjomo on-screen, a little heart popped out.

Then the three high-rankers clashed—blockbuster movie level. Sap Gisa was insanely tough and tenacious, staggering from Molrangkau and Beda's blows like he'd never rise, yet popping up like a weed. Laughing like a maniac each time.

Even hits that screamed "that's the end" barely fazed his zombie vitality.

Sap Gisa landed one brutal counter for every ten he took. Had to admire that ferocity. Like a rusted but unbreakable blade.

...I'd tried fighting that monster. Dizzying just thinking about it. One slip and game over.

Realized how lucky I was.

Thank you. Thank you.

Praying to some nameless god, I heard Sera snickering from the floor.

"What?"

"Nah, just. Everyone's gotten stronger."

Sera said ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠without looking away.

"Molrangkau especially. Some change of heart?"

"That obvious?"

"Yup. Used to be even. Top 10 stays stable 'cause they keep powering up."

Curiosity struck. "If you fought Molrangkau now, who wins?"

"Dunno. Gotta try."

"Wasn't it even before?"

"Yeah, but I was a bit stronger."

"Now?"

"Now... hmm, not sure. Could lose if she plays it right?"

"Ooh..."

"But fix Ptah-nim's robot and I crush 'em all. Cheon-gong's a chump. You know."

"Nyeh nyeh~ Sure you would~"

Sera's icy glare shot like a laser.

"Hey. Get over here."

Whoosh! The breathless chase began anew.

Caught and shrimp-folded, Grandpa called.

"Seraya, Hura-ya."

"Yes?"

"Gack..."

"Come out a sec."

"Yes!"

Sera answered quick, releasing me. I pounded the floor in frustration.

"Argh... so unfair...!"

"No whining. C'mon."

Sera poked me and followed Grandpa out the front door.

As she left, hidden Eunbi emerged, patting my shoulder sympathetically.

"...Eunbi-ya."

"Yeah."

"I was letting her win."

"...Yeah."

Eunbi's eyes filled with pity.

* * *

"I made the call."

In the narrow alley between house and shed, chilly wind whistling, Grandpa's private nook—he looked at me and got straight to it.

"Call?"

"Yeah. Know a guy doing well lately. Hura, okay if I give him your number?"

"Sure."

"Figured, already did."

"...Good call."

Grandpa stuck out his hand abruptly.

"Lemme see your hands."

"My hands?"

"Yeah."

I placed both on his pot-lid palm. He fiddled, examined intently, then grinned and nodded.

"You've been working hard."

"Ah..."

"Not a spot without calluses. Tough going."

He patted my shoulder a few times.

"......"

I froze like a puppet with cut strings, a toy with dead batteries.

It hit sudden, unexpected. That casual line stirred something deep in my chest.

"Ah..."

Something unfamiliar plopped from my eyes.

Honestly, tough times happened. Early days, cocky with no clue, pouring all time into cooking with no results. Wanted to quit chef dreams altogether.

Not every moment joyful. Hard, painful ones too.

But each time, gripped knife silently, steadied heart through cooking. Alone.

Chop chop chop. Knife on board echoed hollow in empty home.

All alone.

Learning from Gordon. In-game, Dahyun cheered tirelessly. Reality? Always solo.

After work, dragged to empty one-room, habit-greeted "I'm home~".

Still, knife steadied heart, cooked. Alone.

Chop chop chop. Echoed empty in silent home.

All alone.

Cut hand? Ointment, bandage, grunt through self-aid. Swallowed sorrow like cold potion, back to knife habit. Alone.

Chop chop chop. Echoed lonely in quiet home.

All alone.

Those moments buried in my heart's corner. Nothing to brag, not proud.

Never dreamed that warm pot-lid hand would dig them out, recognize ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the effort in those bitter memories.

"Ah..."

Tears flowed after so long, ones I'd held back who-knows-when.