Does My Tail Cause Trouble?
Han Yeoreum and Sophia's faces darkened. They looked like people who'd overheard something they shouldn't have. It was because I'd mumbled about my past in my sleep.
"...Gyeowol, did someone really bury you in the ground?"
Han Yeoreum's voice was gentle but cautious. But since I didn't know the details myself, I couldn't give a clear answer. It would've been weird to say my first memory in this life was being underground. For now, I'd play it off like I didn't know.
"I... I don't really know."
"You don't know either, Gyeowol?"
"Yeah. Maybe I was just playing in the dirt...?"
Playing in the dirt. It was a euphemism. I didn't know if someone had put me there or if I'd gone in myself. Personally, I figured the odds were highest that I'd possessed a dead body. But that raised a question: who had buried the original me?
It was definitely deep in the woods.
Not even a proper grave—just some corpse dumped in the depths of a forest where no one would look. It sure felt like body abandonment. If someone had buried me, they probably hadn't been on good terms with the original owner. Maybe it was a blessing that my body had transformed into a beastkin. No one would recognize me now.
"Hmm... Are you okay, Gyeowol?"
"Yes. I'm fine."
"...Got it. If you ever get the chance, you have to tell your big sis, okay?"
"Y-Yeah..."
Did she think I was hiding something? I really didn't know, so I couldn't say. Feeling flustered, I scratched my cheek, and Han Yeoreum glanced at Sophia. They exchanged a silent signal with their eyes, then nodded carefully.
"Um, I've rested, so can I go back to work now?"
"Gyeowol, it's nine at night."
"...But I slept and now I'm full of energy."
I had to do something when I felt this restless. I fidgeted, watching her reaction, until she forcibly tucked me back into bed.
"Sophia found you a part-time job this time, so let's ease up on the money worries a bit."
"Oh, a job? But Sophia's waist and legs aren't doing so great, right?"
Wasn't her body too frail for part-time work? I looked up at her worriedly.
"It's fine. I'll pick something that won't strain me."
"Really...?"
"Yes."
"......"
Sophia would definitely do it to help with our living expenses. As someone living with her, it was hard to refuse her desire to contribute. It wasn't unconditional aid—it was about living together and helping each other.
"Sophia wants you to lighten your load too, so rest up today, got it?"
"Y-Yeah..."
Right. Ignoring the people who worried about me would be the real nuisance. For today, I'd set aside all my worries and sleep soundly.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Me, Sophia, and Levi Nas were riding in Han Yeoreum's car, heading somewhere.
"Wow! Wow!"
Levi Nas, in the back seat, kicked her feet back and forth. She wasn't kicking the front seat, but her shoe heels were dirtying the seat cushion where I sat. It was innocent kid behavior, but this time, I decided to correct her.
"Levi Nas. No stepping on the seats with your shoes."
"Why not?"
"It dirties the car. Do you know how expensive this car is?"
"H-How much?"
How much was it? I turned to Han Yeoreum, who was driving—a signal asking her to tell us the price.
"It's a super expensive car."
"Gasp...!"
Shocked at how pricey it was, Levi Nas straightened her back and neatly placed her hands on her knees, mimicking my proper posture.
"Hmm... You two don't need to be that stiff."
"I-It's fine. This is a really expensive car."
I'd even prepared a clean towel to wipe down my seat later. I had no idea where we were going.
"...Yeah, Gyeowol hasn't ridden in cars much yet, so I get the lingering tension."
"Y-Yeah..."
I'd ridden in them tons in my previous life. It felt unfair, but I couldn't argue. In this world, I'd only been in a car a handful of times, just like she said. Since she told me to relax, I loosened up a bit and let my upright tail rest comfortably on the seat. I'd been holding it stiff to avoid shedding fur.
Sophia, who'd been quietly gazing out the window, spoke up then.
"Yeoreum, where are we headed, anyway?"
"Hehe, to teach Gyeowol about luxury."
"To Gyeowol?"
"Yeah. Yesterday, she asked if I could show her how to spend a ton of money."
Oh. She meant that thing I'd asked for yesterday. I'd only asked just in case, but she was actually doing it. I looked up at Han Yeoreum with eyes full of admiration. My tail, resting on the seat, started swishing on its own.
"Let's start with lunch. This buffet is the most expensive one in the country."
"The most...?!"
"Yep. Even though it's a buffet, the food is super fresh and fancy."
"Wow..."
With my income, even a regular buffet was a stretch, but Han Yeoreum was taking us to the priciest one. I couldn't even fathom her wealth. I stared up at her for a while, then tentatively folded my fingers one by one.
Even if I skip eating, I want Levi Nas and Sophia to have some.
Levi Nas could do the kids' price, but Sophia... no way she'd pass for a child, right? Worry already gnawed at me. As I fidgeted with my fingers...
We arrived at a massive building that looked like a department store.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Even though it was a weekday lunchtime, the buffet was packed. Sophia, Levi Nas, and I sat in our chairs, just staring at Han Yeoreum.
"First time at a buffet for everyone, right?"
"Yeah! Levi Nas's first time!"
"...I've heard of them, but never been."
"M-Me too..."
Han Yeoreum grinned contentedly and picked up a nearby plate. She demonstratively tonged some food onto it for us to see.
"At a buffet, you just grab whatever you want, as much as you want."
"Gasp! For real?! We can eat anything here?!"
Levi Nas's eyes spun as she surveyed the buffet. So much food—she was agonizing over what to try first.
"Anything, any amount. The price is the same no matter what."
"Then Levi Nas will eat till her belly bursts?!"
"...Eat too much and your stomach will hurt, so just what you can handle."
"Got it!"
Levi Nas stomped her feet excitedly, then started slowly wandering the buffet. Thanks to my training about not running in public places.
I watched her back wistfully for a moment, then trailed after Han Yeoreum as she filled her plate. I wanted to see what kind of food a rich person like her went for.
"...Gyeowol, nothing you want to eat? You can fill it up like big sis here."
"I-I'm broke, so I'll just watch..."
A nearby lady filling her plate flinched at my words. Her wide eyes looked down at me disdainfully, clearly annoyed that a ragamuffin like me was in such a fancy place.
"M-Money?"
"Yes. But I can cover Sophia and Levi Nas somehow. If I skip a meal a day..."
Clang! My ears perked at the sudden sound. Looking over, the lady who'd flinched had dropped her tongs on the floor.
"Of course big sis is paying today."
Han Yeoreum glanced at the lady as she said it, almost like she was gauging her reaction.
"No, you don't have to..."
"Psh, you asked first, Gyeowol. Can't back out now."
"I did?"
When had I ever asked her to buy me a buffet? I looked up at her in surprise.
"You wanted to see big sis splash cash. I've got so much money, I treat everyone around me."
"Oh...?"
"You asked for it first, right? If you say no now, big sis will get sulky."
"Y-Yeah..."
Something felt off, but her words weren't wrong. I'd been the one to ask her to show me how to spend money. I'd repay her later— for today, I'd just enjoy the food.
There's so much...
Was it just my enhanced sense of smell? Just sniffing the aromas made my tail swish wildly—faster than usual.
"Hmm... Gyeowol, fur might get in the food, so can you hold back your tail a bit?"
"Ah, yes."
True. This was a restaurant. One piled high with food. To avoid being a nuisance, I had to stop the swishing. The problem? It wasn't something I could control with willpower. It was my body part, but it moved on its own, which annoyed me.
"The tail won't stop."
"If you hold it with your hands... you can't plate food, huh?"
"Yes."
I grabbed my tail with both hands. That stopped it, but now I had no hands for a plate.
"Then big sis will hold your tail from behind—you plate the food."
"Okay. Come with me."
With her help, I managed to fill a plate. Of course, she needed to plate her own food too, so we had to shuffle awkwardly twice over.
Sorry about this.
How could I fix this tail thing? Pondering, I turned to Han Yeoreum, who was holding it from behind. She should've found the double trips inconvenient, but she just smiled brightly.
"Um."
"Yeah?"
"Is there no way to get rid of this tail?"
"...What?"
Her smile froze solid. It was a look of genuine fear.
"...You don't like having a tail, Gyeowol?"
"Not really like or dislike."
"Then why...?"
"It sheds fur, and having someone hold it back like this feels like a nuisance to others."
Was there something weird about what I said? Han Yeoreum clamped her mouth shut. Strangely, everyone around us went completely quiet too.