Loan Sharks Repelled, S-Rank Offer Delivered

I grabbed the door handle and yanked it open. Creak- "Jiha Lee, you fucking bitch, I clearly told you to pay up by this month..." A fat guy with tattoos covering both arms glared down at me, spitting curses.

Fuck. I'd totally forgotten. About those shady loan sharks I'd borrowed from to cover my hospital bills.

"Bro, what's up? Something wrong...?" A guy who looked like his buddy stepped out from behind the fat one, and our eyes met. He eyed me up and down, tilting his head. "Who...?"

Right then, I knew for sure. They don't recognize me. Come to think of it, not just my gender—my whole face had changed. If I played this right...

"What?" I shot back with deliberate irritation in my voice.

"...Isn't this Jiha Lee's place?"

They really don't know. Well, duh—different gender, different height. No way they'd guess.

"Nope." I cut him off without hesitation.

The loan sharks hesitated. This was my chance. Time to drive the nail in.

"Someone else came by earlier asking the same thing. You guys keep hitting the wrong house."

"...Oh, yeah?"

Their expressions shifted in an instant. Suspicion mixed with annoyance.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Fuck, did we really get the wrong place?"

"...Anyway, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠there's another house to check. We can hunt down that Jiha fucker later—let's head there."

They figured I was still in their grasp anyway. They shot me a suspicious side-eye but didn't apologize—just turned and headed off.

Yeah, get lost. Far away from my sight.

I watched them go, then shut the door. Those damn ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠loan sharks. Charging exactly the legal max of 20% interest like the cowards they are, but still hounding people nonstop. I'm seriously moving because of these assholes.

I had enough mana stones now, and mass-production recipes were coming together. Besides, there was no non-awakened male Jiha Lee in this world anymore. Good luck finding me.

"Anyway. Alright, both of you—front and center."

I stepped away from the door and called the two slimes over. No more interruptions now.

I was just about to use Emotion on them when—

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Another knock from the door. What the hell now?!

Were those loan sharks back? I gestured for the slimes to hide inside, then approached the door and gripped the handle. Can't you assholes leave me alone for once?

Irritated, I flung it open. Creak-

"Who is it?"

"......"

What the fuck? Who the hell...?

It wasn't the loan sharks. A woman in a suit I didn't recognize stood there.

"...Who might you be?"

"......"

Say something, lady! She just stared at me blankly, no response. I wondered if she was someone I knew, but nope—no conversation, not even crossed paths before.

That's when—

"Fuck, this is the place!"

The loan sharks were back, as expected.

"You—who are you? Where's that Jiha fucker?"

Oh for fuck's sake. They brushed past the woman like she was nothing and grabbed the door.

"I said I don't know!"

"Bullshit! This is his place!"

Crazy bastards trying to barge in? I desperately blocked the loan sharks from entering.

"Just—let us in! You're hiding him, aren't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you?!"

No, I'm not—so fuck off! The place was a mess inside. Who knew what chaos they'd cause? Plus, with Blackie and Whitey there, it'd lead to even more headaches later.

I blocked them harder. Then—

"...What are you?"

The woman, pushed aside by the sharks, approached cautiously. And—

Thud- "Guhk-!"

She snuck up quietly and slammed her fist into the fat boss loan shark's gut in a flash.

"You fucking bitch...!"

She punched so casually, then stared blankly. The sharks charged at her, pride wounded.

But—

Whoosh-

The atmosphere shifted in an instant. An invisible pressure emanated from the woman.

"Wh-what the...?"

Even the sharks sensed it and stepped back. Smart move. Golden energy—probably mana—now coiled around her arm.

"...Boss, let's just go. Using mana in Engwha Guild territory? She's no ordinary person."

"...Fuck!"

They spat on the ground and fled the building like it was on fire. No more time-wasting.

Whoa... that was fucking delicious.

Watching it unfold, I regretted not having popcorn. Still hit the spot.

Cute girl like that, trying to mess with her? Perfect end for scummy loan sharks.

I reached to close the door after the show—

Grab-

Fuck, please no.

Someone caught the closing door. Obvious who.

"Hey, wanna have a little chat?"

Chat? Let's do emotions instead, kids. "Nah, I don't believe in ancestor spirits."

"No—wait, just a sec, really quick!"

I said no—let go! She kept grabbing me as I tried to retreat inside. What the hell did she want to talk about?

I eyed her warily, gaze drifting to the kitchen knife. Then—

Whoosh-! "What?!"

She yanked me toward her hard. Her arm glowed with that golden mana again. Honestly... scary as shit. One grab on my head with that arm, and boom—gone?

The pressure was immense. I shrank back in fear, and she shoved her phone in my face.

"You wrote this post, right?"

"...Huh?"

What? I glanced at the screen.

...Butter cake?

It was a gallery post—with the photo of the King Slime Butter Cake I'd made and uploaded.

But why show it to me? And why assume it's me?

Puzzled, I deflected. "Why are you doing this? I'm still a minor..."

"......"

That should've done it. Let go already, you weirdo... I hammed up the pitiful look.

"...Boss, you here to harass her?"

Someone opened the outer door and stepped in. Black hair in an idaepal style, suit—sounded like her colleague from how he spoke.

"No, I'm sure it's her, but I don't know how to explain..."

"Sorry..."

Whoosh- She let go at his word.

I darted behind the door, peeking at them. If they wanted me dead, they'd have done it already. Something was up. And they didn't seem bad.

"Sorry about that. Our boss learned social skills from comics. That's us."

The man approached politely with two business cards.

...Myeongwol Appraisal Office, A-Rank Team Leader Kang Taejun? And... S-Rank?

What the fuck? So this Kang Taejun guy was A-Rank, and that wilted seaweed-looking woman slumped over there was S-Rank hunter Han Sio?

Ah, my head... I clutched it in a headache.

"So why'd you come find me? Like I said, I'm just a minor..."

"No need to hide it. She's a genius at tracking people, appearances aside."

Okay, and? I gave him a so what look, and Taejun waved reassuringly, calling the S-Rank—Sio, whatever—over.

"Boss, how long you gonna stand there? Want me to explain everything?"

"No..."

Sio shook her head and approached me. She bowed slightly, like an apology for earlier, and spoke.

"Uh, sorry about before. Got a bit ahead of myself."

Sio took a deep breath, eyes on me with strange sincerity. Then she said it.

"Wanna work with me?"

"...Huh?"

Work? Suddenly? What kind?

I looked baffled, and she continued. "That photo you posted. It's no ordinary thing."

With that, she grabbed my arm and zoomed in on the photo.

"Wh-what about it."

I stared, like what the hell are you doing, when—

Slither-

Golden mana seeped from her arm, crawling up like a snake and into my eyes.

Something appeared. In the photo, above the butter cake—bluish, fluffy smoke-like wisps.

"See it? That smoke-looking stuff. That's why I tracked you down."

"But... what if I didn't make that photo?"

She shook her head at my question, smiling. With that smile, golden mana seeped into the phone. A thin thread appeared, stretching from the phone to my wrist.

"I'm an expert in this field."

No escaping now.

"Fine, then why me?"

I went bold, owning it. Her lips curved up slowly.