Chapter 45
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: Marshmallow?
-----------------------------------------------------------------
After my sessions with Lee Seo-ryeong and Seol Yu-wol wrapped up...
I immediately contacted the association.
Now it seemed fine to resume the guild house calls that had been on hold.
Seol Yu-wol's case was settled for the time being.
The association acknowledged it and said they'd send over the next guild list right away.
My personal counseling office had no bookings for the afternoon.
I'd only opened it up for the afternoon... but no one signed up.
Even if I did open in the afternoon, I doubted many clients would show.
"......"
Yeah, let's take today off.
That's what I decided.
Of course, resting didn't mean rolling around in bed.
I still had prep for tomorrow's sessions and needed to review the list and pick guilds once it arrived.
Though it was probably Haetae Guild...
I headed straight home.
That was the best rest I could manage.
The next day, early in the morning.
While the city was still shrouded in cool dawn light, the oven in my counseling office was already radiating warm heat.
- Whirr. Tap, tap.
The nutty butter and sweet sugar blended like cream, with fresh eggs stirred in on top.
Today, I was making s'mores cookies.
A dessert where whole marshmallows are hidden inside rich chocolate chip dough and baked.
The cookie dough in the oven began to puff up slowly, letting out a satisfying sound.
Soon, the office filled with the aroma of chocolate.
I took the cookies out, set them on a cooling rack, and aired out the room.
Too strong a scent wasn't ideal.
This wasn't a bakery, after all.
Feeling the air freshen, I brewed coffee from the machine.
I hoped these cookies would serve as a small comfort to today's clients.
It was time to start counseling.
And...
That was my last coherent thought.
"Next client, please..."
I finished the diagnostic report for the client who'd just left and mechanically pressed the intercom.
A C-rank tanker hunter fretting over guild transfers.
An Otherworlder hunter struggling to adapt to local culture and homesick for their world.
And even an Otherworlder A-rank hunter stressed by romantic entanglements within the guild.
"In the world I came from and the world she came from... polygamy was the norm."
"I see."
"So, even knowing I have a wife, she insists it doesn't matter and demands to become my official second wife..."
"Pardon...?"
This world's laws basically acknowledged cultural differences.
So the nation had decided to legally recognize customs from other countries if desired.
Criminal reconciliation systems... same-sex marriage... monogamy to polygyny or polyandry.
In short, Otherworlders could marry multiple partners if they wished.
"But I don't want that...! Even if my world was like that, I'm so happy with my current wife now, and my relationship with her is just a fleeting passion..."
The last one threw me for a loop, but anyway, a stream of clients came and went through the office door.
I downed cold coffee while peering into their minds, analyzing, and prescribing treatments.
Finally, the last morning session ended.
The problem was... lunch hour had just barely started.
"Gotta eat."
I rubbed my stiff back and stood.
But my eyes landed on the stack of papers piled on one corner of the desk.
Records from just this morning's clients.
I had to organize them before my memory faded.
"...Fine."
I let out a long sigh.
And sank back deep into the chair I'd just vacated.
Looks like lunch was off the table today.
I was wrestling with the mountain of paperwork, skipping lunch entirely, when hunger started to fade into the background.
- Knock knock.
Someone timidly rapped on the counseling office door.
I looked up.
This was lunchtime—my break.
I stood and headed to the door.
No matter the client, I'd politely ask them to come back in the afternoon.
- Creak.
"Sorry, but it's lunchtime right now..."
I opened the door to find someone I never expected.
And something unexpected too.
"Luna...?"
She stood with her head bowed, staring at her shoe tips.
At my voice, she startled and peeked up.
"Ah...! Mr. Counselor..."
"What brings you here at this hour?"
I smiled and asked her purpose.
But then I noticed the white coat awkwardly hidden behind her.
"...Huh?"
Wasn't that mine?
It looked familiar.
"Ah... um... it's not anything big, but..."
Realizing she couldn't hide it anymore, Luna squeezed her eyes shut and thrust the coat forward.
"I'm sorry!"
She bit her tongue mid-word, mangling the pronunciation.
I dazedly took the coat—it smelled amazing.
My name, Yoo Seon-woo, was neatly embroidered on it.
"Uh..."
How did this end up with Luna...?
The coat I'd thought was lost was with her.
I gave a wry smile and looked at her.
"Come inside first."
I ushered her into the office and closed the door.
The moment I turned back to face her...
"Whoa."
- Pop!
With a clear, upbeat sound, a pair of long, snow-white rabbit ears sprang up straight atop her head.
The second the door shut and we were alone, she'd dropped her transformation spell.
I didn't bat an eye and headed to the kitchenette.
"Thought I'd lost it. Glad it's safe."
I really had.
Couldn't remember where I'd dropped it, so I'd given up.
I poured tea into a cup, acting casual as I spoke to her.
"What happened?"
Luna sat slowly and began to speak.
I slid water in front of her and waited patiently.
"Last time, when I returned the key, I brought that potted plant too..."
"Yeah, you did. It was great—the office atmosphere improved a ton."
The little lavender pot she'd brought still perfumed the windowsill nicely. I'd been meaning to thank her.
"Then... when I was watering it, I accidentally spilled water on your coat..."
Ah, got it.
I finally pieced it together.
"I felt so bad, I took it to wash..."
I nodded with a smile.
"I see."
I hung the returned coat on the rack.
"I had a spare, so it was fine. Thanks for cleaning it so nicely."
As I hung it, a sweet scent wafted to my nose.
I leaned in and sniffed.
"Eek?!"
A near-scream erupted from behind me.
"Strawberry?"
I turned, genuinely impressed.
"...Smells amazing. Strawberry fabric softener?"
Honestly, I was shocked.
I didn't particularly like strawberry scents, and artificial softener smells usually turned me off.
But this was fresh, natural—like biting into real strawberries.
Made me want to take a bite.
Maybe ask where she got it.
"Stra... strawberry...? You can smell it...?"
Luna's face flushed beet red as she whimpered back.
"Yeah, it's strong but natural—really refreshing."
I meant it as pure praise, but her red eyes started shaking.
"Str... strong...? Oh no..."
I sniffed again.
Still great.
A faint vanilla undertone too, maybe.
Hard to pinpoint.
"Mind if I ask where you got it...?"
"N... not for sale! Probably... not..."
"Oh, too bad."
I'd have tried another scent.
Then Luna hesitantly spoke up.
"Y... yeah, but... I could do your laundry sometimes...?"
"No need. I'm good."
I smiled and shook my head.
The scent was nice, but handing laundry to a client?
That'd burden her and violate my ethics.
Awkward silence settled after my refusal.
I smoothly shifted to the potted plant, thanking her profusely.
Said macarons were too much as thanks.
She waved it off.
During our small talk...
She looked up resolutely.
"Mr. Counselor... so, um... could I buy you lunch today?"
"Ah... lunch..."
I hesitated.
Tough call.
My schedule was packed, but...
Counselors should avoid private meals with clients.
Some papers allowed it for pure therapeutic purposes, but I didn't favor that.
If Luna had fully shed her burdens and wasn't a client anymore, it'd be different.
But she'd need to show her true self outside too, not just in here.
She was still a wounded rabbit, just a bit healed.
I pondered, then pointed to the desk papers quietly.
"I'm truly sorry, but private meals with clients go against my professional ethics. If you no longer need my counseling, that'd be another story..."
"N-no! Absolutely not!"
Luna replied urgently.
She was quick on the uptake and got my refusal instantly.
"What to do... you came all this way."
She shook her head vigorously.
"No, Mr. Counselor. I was too forward."
Despite her words, her perked ears drooped sadly.
I pitied her disappointment.
Ah.
I couldn't buy her lunch, but I could offer small comfort now.
I grabbed a s'mores cookie from the cooling rack.
Popped it in the preheated oven to warm.
Put the heated cookie in a small bag and placed it in the droopy rabbit's hand.
"S'mores cookie."
I smiled softly.
"Please forgive me with this today."
Luna's eyes widened at the cookie.
Luna left the office and headed back to the Union Guild building.
She hadn't achieved her goal.
But she'd been too shortsighted.
Never considered a counselor couldn't casually dine with clients.
"Ack..."
Recalling the office scene, her face burned red.
She hadn't imagined it.
That super-strong fabric softener from the internet would erase her traces from his clothes.
So the scent should've been gone...
But he'd sniffed the coat.
And said it smelled deliciously like strawberries.
The softener was citrus-scented. Not that.
"......"
Which meant... her scent.
In the Beastkin world, liking a female Beastkin's pheromone scent meant... their compatibility was... extremely...
"...... Eek!"
Luna jumped mid-street without realizing.
Rabbit leap.
She shook her head, trying to cool her flushed cheeks.
Impure thoughts. He's just the counselor.
"Whew..."
With a cooler head, she recalled the paperwork mountain on his desk.
No time for meals, let alone lunch.
"Hm..."
She spotted a sandwich shop across the street.
"Should I...?"
A brief hesitation.
"Yeah."
She nodded and headed there.
On the way, she opened the s'mores cookie bag he'd given her.
"Hot hot..."
She carefully split it in half.
- Stretchhh...
Then the hidden white marshmallow inside melted from the heat, dangling like a sticky, translucent string.
"......"
Luna's red eyes went blank.
White... long-dangling, liquid-like marshmallow.
Entranced, she brought the tip to her tongue tip.
"...Sweet."
Too sweet.
The dizzying sweetness made her head spin for a moment.