The Fox Goes Into Naru's Bag
It felt as though a storm had finally passed.
I still hadn't properly made her my subordinate, and yet Yerin had ended up throwing her out of the house. I had no idea what she'd said to make Yerin so angry, but I didn't feel particularly attached either way.
"Haa... Still, I think we'll have to take Naru to the Association soon. I'm a little worried."
"The Association?"
"Yeah. We have to report to a place called the Association that Naru has Awakened."
"Report? Am I going to jail?!"
"Ahaha, not that kind of report. It means telling the country that Naru has Awakened."
"Ahh."
Come to think of it, I'd known about that before. While I was wondering why I'd forgotten, I got the feeling that something about me had changed lately.
This was definitely...
I've gotten insanely smart!!
It was something I'd forgotten, yet the moment I heard it, it came right back to me. That proved I was smarter now!
As expected of me — a clever and strong fox!!
I was starting to scare even myself a little, but a fox destined for future success didn't flinch. She only charged forward.
While I was wagging my tail and lost in that fantasy, Yerin was talking to Subin with a serious look on her face.
"But what do we do..."
"What's wrong?"
"Naru is really wary of things. There'll definitely be a lot of people at the Association, and Naru's going to have a hard time."
"True... After this incident she's getting even more attention. Not just the Association — the press is watching her too."
"Reporters might catch the scent and show up."
"I've already got a mountain of emails from reporters. And on the way here I saw some of them pretending not to, circling near the house. Association people seemed to be holding them back, but I don't know how long that'll last."
"Association people?"
For some reason, Yerin seemed to dislike the Association.
"Yerin, do you hate the Association?"
"...!"
At my question she looked a little flustered, then gave a bitter smile.
"A long time ago, the Association did something really wrong to my sister."
"What kind of wrong?"
"Th-that's... more importantly, Naru, there's something important I need to talk about."
"Something important? Don't tell me it's Kakaoto..."
"Hold on, you can't say that because of copyright. And it's Castella."
"Right, that!"
"Unfortunately, it's not about Castella."
"Hing..."
When she said it was important, I'd naturally assumed it was cloud bread. Slightly disappointing.
"Naru, we have to go somewhere with a lot of people. Will you be okay?"
"Somewhere with a lot of people?"
"Yeah. We have to go to the Association, and there are a lot of people there. I'm worried you might get scared."
"What are you talking about! Why would I be scared!"
I could claim to be the bravest fox in the world. Worrying that I might be scared was the kind of thing that would make Boss laugh if he walked by.
...I miss Boss.
Talking about Boss made me suddenly miss his warmth, but I was a solitary fox! Swallowing the longing and racing toward tomorrow! Cool!!
"What on earth is Naru thinking about?"
"I don't really know, but looking at that wagging tail, she seems to like something."
"Anyway, there's nothing I'm scared of!"
Right. I had no fear, so even if there were a lot of people, I wouldn't care.
Even before, at a school full of people...
At school...
...
"Ah, the tail that was wagging stopped."
"Looks like a bad memory came up."
"Places with lots of people... I mean, it's not scary at all, but... how do I put this..."
It absolutely wasn't that I was scared, but places with lots of people were full of danger. Going somewhere like that carelessly was risky, so it would be better not to go...
"Do we really have to go?"
"If we want to make an identity for Naru, we have to."
"I don't need a bride or anything..."
"Not a bride — an identity."
"Right, that."
"Anyway, with an identity, when Naru gets sick she can go to the hospital and get treatment, and later she can enter the Tower and work as an Awoken."
"The Tower?!"
The word "Tower" hit me like a lightning bolt.
I'd forgotten, but I had Awakened and could enter the Tower. And if I made money there I could succeed — I had no idea why I'd forgotten something so important.
With that thought, I pulled up my status window for the first time in a while.
Name: Naru
Gender: Female
Class: Fox (F)
Skills:
• Danger Sense (C)
• Fluffy Tail (F)
"Keh keh keh."
I laughed wickedly, once again proving I was the strongest fox.
After all, my rank was F!
The F of Fox!
In other words, even my rank acknowledged that I was a fox — the strongest fox!!
...
For some reason, when I'd first seen the status window I'd been really disappointed, but now it didn't matter at all.
Right now I was temporarily in Yerin's territory, but once I entered the Tower and started making money, I could properly claim my own domain!
...
Was "claim" the right word?
Anyway!
I'd forgiven Yerin for stealing my ten thousand won with cloud bread, but now I could earn ten thousand won again.
"The Tower!! I want to go into the Tower!!"
"The Tower is too dangerous, Naru."
"I'm the strongest fox!! No need to worry!!"
"Haa... Anyway, to enter the Tower you have to go to the Association."
"Ugh..."
They said the Association had a lot of people. Just imagining countless people staring at me made the fur all over my body stand on end — sca... no, not scary, just hard.
"Ah, then how about this?"
Just then, Subin seemed to have a good idea and pulled out something square to show a picture.
In the picture, some big dog was inside a place that looked like a prison.
"It's the cage Injeolmi used. How about we hide Naru in here and go?"
"Unnie, Naru is a person, no matter what."
"That's true, but with this, Naru could get to the Association safely, right?"
"Thinking about it, Naru is definitely cute... that's not important, but I feel like Naru would cry and beg to be let out..."
"I didn't do anything wrong! I don't want to go to jail!!"
I thumped the floor with my tail, making it clear I didn't want to go into a place like that either.
Yerin looked at me, thinking deeply, then seemed to get a good idea. She stood up and headed somewhere.
"Ah, right. Then how about this?"
What Yerin brought back was a small bag.
"A bag?"
"If it's little Naru, she could fit in here, right?"
Yerin set the bag down in front of me, and I instinctively started sniffing and exploring the bag right in front of my nose.
When I peeked inside, the dark, narrow space instinctively felt safe and comfortable.
"Hmm..."
I circled the bag, sniffing diligently and investigating, then carefully climbed inside.
"!!!"
Th-this!
Just dark enough, just narrow enough that there was pressure on my body, yet it didn't feel stuffy at all, and it was just soft enough to be comfortable.
How should I put it — it felt like climbing into a bed made exactly for my body!
"Cu... cute!!"
"Photo!! We have to take a photo of this!!"
When I smiled in satisfaction, Yerin and Subin outside got noisy.
"Okay! I'll make this my temporary territory!"
"Alright, if Naru likes it, I'll give you the bag. And with this, can you go to the Association?"
My instincts told me the inside of the bag was safe. Here, no matter how many people there were, I was certain I'd be safe.
"Yeah, here is fine!"
"Then I'll try putting it on."
Yerin carefully lifted the bag and put it on. I felt a slight floating sensation, but it wasn't a big problem.
"Naru, how is it?"
"Not bad!"
"Then shall we head straight to the Association? And on the way, we'll buy proper clothes and shoes too."
"...But I don't have any money?"
At the mention of buying clothes and shoes, I spoke up in a fluster.
The only one won I had, I'd left with Boss, so right now I was completely penniless.
Then maybe...
"Are we going straight into the Tower to make money?!"
I stuck only my face out of the bag, full of hope about entering the Tower, but Yerin shook her head with a bitter smile.
"That's not it. The Tower later... when Naru becomes an adult, let's go in then."
"I'm already an adult!"
Click— click—
Subin kept circling around with that square thing that made weird noises.
"Anyway, today Unnie will buy everything, so Naru doesn't have to worry about a thing!"
"Are you buying a house too?!"
"Ah... no, houses are too expensive..."
"Kaeng..."
"Anyway! Shall we head straight to the Association!"
"Then I'll head back to my place."
"Subin isn't coming?"
"I'm not an Awoken, so even if I go to the Association, entry is restricted. Have a good trip, Naru."
"I'll win and come back!!"
"We're not going to fight, though. Ah, and when you buy clothes, make sure you call me too! Absolutely!!"
"Got it, Unnie."
"Hehe, I'll have to think about what clothes to put on Naru in the meantime."
Something about the way Subin was smiling suspiciously and almost drooling felt off, but right now I was inside a safe bag, so it was fine.
"Alright, then it's off to the Tower!"
And so, together with Yerin, I set out for the Tower to become rich.
"No, we're not going to the Tower, Naru."
"How can that be!!"
Like that, Yerin and I left the house, and outside...
"I've been waiting for you. Please get in."
"...Why are you here?"
Kim Seoyeon, my candidate subordinate, had a car waiting and was standing there.
"To escort Lady Naru to the Association, of course."
"How did you know we were going to the Association and wait for us?"
"I intended to wait until you left, of course."
"This is the first time I've gotten chills like this..."
"Thank you for the compliment."
"That wasn't a compliment!"