A Spicy Surprise with Hana Rin and Do-hee
Watching Do-hee look quite puzzled, Do-hyun explained.
“It’s a *han’gukpa*.”
“Eh?”
Having understood in one word, Do-hee glanced worriedly at Hana-rin and asked.
“Eh? Then she probably can’t handle spicy food?”
At those words, this time it wasn’t Hana-rin who shook her head, but Do-hyun, looking utterly bewildered.
“No, she eats it just fine. Turns out Korean blood runs deep— she devours the Cheongyang red peppers like she’s biting into ordinary green peppers.”
“……That’s not much.”
Seeing Do-hyun’s words make Hana-rin feel a bit embarrassed, Do-hee nodded in satisfaction.
With that level of spice tolerance, she figured she could handle *tteokbokki* without any problem.
“Then let’s head there for *tteokbokki* as planned!”
“Sure.”
“Hmm…”
Seeing Do-hee do it again, Do-hyun couldn’t help but feel a little displeased inside, but since Hana-rin was trying it for the first time, he nodded.
He thought of how Do-hee had always begged him to order *tteokbokki* when they were at home. It was a bit tiring, but since they’d already come out, he decided to just go along with it.
With Hana-rin and Do-hee now walking alongside him,
he could feel eyes on them, prickling like needles.
Do-hyun wasn’t exactly ugly, but with Hana-rin and Ji Yu-chan around, people always stared. Today, without Yu-chan, everyone seemed to be staring at him like, “What is this guy doing with such a stunning beauty?”
After walking for a while, Do-hyun noticed the stares were bothering him too. He turned to Hana-rin.
“Hana-rin, how about casting *injeo jeohae* on us?”
“Eh? Really?”
“Yeah. They’re really staring.”
“Oh, that’s right. I didn’t think about it at all.”
As the conversation flowed, Do-hee tilted her head at what they were saying, but Do-hyun didn’t answer. Instead, he cast the *injeo jeohae* spell on himself and Do-hee.
Unlike the transformation spell, this one lowered the awareness of those around them.
It minimized the attention and recognition, making people feel something was there but not clearly visible.
When Do-hyun cast the spell on Do-hee, she sensed it and blinked in genuine amazement.
Of course she would.
Seeing something but not really perceiving it was incredibly surprising.
Watching Do-hee marvel at the spell, Hana-rin explained.
“It’s a magic that lowers the awareness of those around us.”
“Whoa, this is possible too?”
“That’s why it’s magic.”
Hana-rin spoke enthusiastically about magic, looking proud, and Do-hee suddenly looked at her with “Wow!”
Thinking it was admiration for magic, Hana-rin let it pass, but it wasn’t.
‘I thought she was cold and aloof, but she’s not.’
Hana-rin looked cold on the surface, so Do-hee had expected that. Yet she found her warm and quite adorable, which was a surprise.
Then she turned to Do-hyun and thought the same thing again.
‘How can our Hana-rin be in a party with someone like this?’
Even though they’d only just met, she already called him “our Hana-rin,” and she looked at Do-hyun with utter confusion.
Even seeing Hana-rin, who looked like an outstanding hunter, he was her brother, and yet Do-hyun was at that level?
As she pondered, the joke Do-hyun had mentioned earlier came to mind.
He’d said something about being the greatest hunter, and she wondered if it had been half-true.
‘What? Is my brother really that amazing?’
Do-hee’s opinion of Do-hyun kept rising, but he was unaware of any of it as he simply led them toward an instant *tteokbokki* shop.
From Do-hee’s perspective, who had known Do-hyun since childhood, it still didn’t make sense, but she could feel that something had changed in him.
His broad shoulders and the muscles that even clothes couldn’t hide.
Especially since she went to high school, she knew best.
‘When did his body get like this?’
She felt a bit flustered, but just as she thought that, they arrived at the shop, and Do-hyun spoke to Hana-rin and Do-hee.
“Looks like this is the one.”
“Oh? Just looking at the sign makes it look delicious.”
“Huh? Really? What’s up with you, oppa?”
“I looked it up, and the reviews are the best.”
Do-hyun said that and slightly weakened the *injeo jeohae* spell before entering the shop, and Hana-rin did the same.
A bell chimed as the door opened, and a staff member greeted them.
“Welcome. You’re three?”
“Yes, three of us.”
“Sit wherever you like. When you decide on the menu, just check and let me know.”
Guided kindly by the staff, Do-hyun found a seat, and Do-hee sat next to him. Hana-rin sat across from them.
Do-hee, as usual, pulled out her chopsticks, and just as Do-hyun reached for the water cup the staff had brought, Hana-rin quickly grabbed it first.
“I’ll do it.”
“Eh? Okay, then.”
Do-hyun said it casually, and Do-hee saw it and smiled mysteriously before setting out her plate along with chopsticks and a spoon.
Everything was set, and when the menu paper was handed over, Do-hyun slid it across to Do-hee.
He and Hana-rin didn’t know much about instant *tteokbokki*, so only the *tteokbokki* killer, Do-hee, had to handle the menu.
Do-hee naturally took the paper and checked the items. Then she told Do-hyun,
“Order a lot.”
“Huh?”
“Hunters eat a lot, so you should order plenty.”
Do-hee nodded, remembering how much Do-hyun had eaten when he visited home recently. Then, upon hearing the word “hunter,” she glanced at Hana-rin.
Seeing her much smaller frame than her own, she felt a bit embarrassed and Hana-rin’s ears turned slightly red.
“Eh?”
“Hem hem.”
“Order a lot.”
“Ah, okay.”
As if confirming, Do-hyun spoke, and Do-hee, showing her appetite after a while, added everything she wanted to eat.
She ordered three servings of instant *tteokbokki* for three people, added side dishes, and called the staff over.
“Here’s the order.”
“Yes, coming right up.”
The staff saw the paper and looked surprised, glancing at their table and asking,
“You’re… three?”
Do-hyun quickly stepped in, looking puzzled.
“Yes, I eat a lot.”
“Aha, I see. Someone who enjoys eating shows?”
“I’ll bring it right away.”
The staff left, and Hana-rin’s ears turned red with embarrassment, but she held her head high.
Do-hyun hadn’t thought much of it, but Do-hee said excitedly,
“This is the first time I’ve ever ordered this many menu items except for a group outing!”
“Is that so?”
“Let’s eat a lot.”
Looking at the blunt Do-hyun and the kind Hana-rin, Do-hee wondered how they could be such a contrasting party despite being siblings.
Conversely, Hana-rin thought the same while watching Do-hee.
‘They really are siblings.’
Even though the thought was pretty bad, it was true.
Do-hyun wasn’t ugly either, but Do-hee was quite pretty, so it was hard to tell at first. Yet the way they acted and spoke was very similar, so Hana-rin figured it out.
Since Hana-rin was an only child, seeing those familiar traits in the siblings made her a bit envious.
‘If they had siblings, it would feel like this.’
“So how did the two of you end up in the same party?”
“Fuup!”
A sudden question made Hana-rin startle, and she accidentally spit water, but she quickly manipulated her mana and cast basic water magic to stop it.
She gathered the spilled water in an instant and wiped it with a napkin, and Do-hee’s eyes widened like saucers at the display of magic.
She had seen the *injeo jeohae* spell earlier, but this gravity-defying magic was too much to ignore.
Do-hyun looked at the startled Hana-rin and tilted his head, then casually explained,
“We just followed the party assignment from the Association.”
“Th-that’s right.”
Hana-rin couldn’t keep her eyes steady, and Do-hee tilted her head curiously, but when she learned they were both from the Hunter Association, she let it go.
Hana-rin felt a bit embarrassed because she had personally begged to join Do-hyun’s party, but that fact was still unknown to everyone, so she remained silent.
As they chatted about various things, a huge pot of freshly made instant *tteokbokki* arrived, filled with toppings and bubbling invitingly.
Do-hyun, who hadn’t been hungry before, started salivating.
“Whoa, the visual is pretty appetizing, right?”
“I know, right? We found a good place.”
“It looks delicious.”
Hana-rin watched expectantly too, and the staff told them,
“Just let it simmer a bit longer until the noodles are ready. Enjoy.”
“Thank you.”
“Thank you.”
“Thanks.”
All three thanked the staff and waited for the noodles to cook, and soon the side dishes arrived along with the noodles.
From fried items and tuna mayo rice balls to various snacks, the full plate made Hana-rin’s mouth water.
She hadn’t expected it to be this substantial, and it made her even more excited.
As the food was served, they all started eating, and Hana-rin munched on the still-bubbling *tteokbokki*, her eyes widening.
“Mmm!”
Even though it was her first time, she found it delicious and ate carefully. Do-hee, the *tteokbokki* expert, also tried it, her eyes wide as she said,
“This is really a great place! We should come again next time.”
“It’s good.”
Do-hyun ate with satisfaction, and Hana-rin ate happily too.
Their meeting was purely coincidental, but the three of them enjoyed it thoroughly, chatting as they had a satisfying meal.
Hana-rin had been a bit awkward at first, but thanks to the natural chemistry between Do-hyun and Do-hee, she quickly adapted and became close.
It was impressive how fast.
“Hana-rin, I’ll call you later!”
“Okay, see you next time!”
They exchanged numbers and made plans to meet again, then parted ways.
“……?”
Do-hyun watched them go and wondered if women really became friends so quickly. He was similar too, so he didn’t think much of it as he headed home.
On his first *sonax* in a while.