Arang Goes Out to Play
In the Gerang Guild's conference room, the man seated at the head of the table rested his chin on his hand, staring intently at the large screen in front of him.
The screen clearly displayed a photo of Baek Arang flashing a cute smile.
"So that little squirt is the treasure that Cha Eunwol's been hiding away so carefully, huh."
His heavy voice echoed through the room.
The woman standing beside him, who appeared to be his secretary, swiped through her tablet and continued her calm report.
"Yes. However, our investigation suggests she's not officially registered with the Baekya Guild. Recently, she's been seen entering and exiting the Cheonroe Guild headquarters and has been confirmed to have direct contact with Cheon Yura."
At those words, the man's eyebrows twitched.
Cha Eunwol and Cheon Yura... that arrogant pair hovering around this kid...
His interest was piqued.
"So, have you figured out what kind of ability that little blood clot has?"
"For now, we've confirmed one thing through our intelligence network."
The secretary glanced cautiously at the man before carefully opening her mouth.
"It's a fatigue reduction and recovery buff."
"What...?"
The man's massive upper body, which had been slouched lazily in the chair, shot upright.
"Is that for real? That puny kid can handle a fatigue reduction buff?"
"Yes. We've cross-verified it. It's certain."
At the secretary's confident words, the man once again fixed his gaze on the photo of Baek Arang on the screen.
A chilling light flickered in his thick, beast-like eyes gleaming with greed.
...If I can use that kid right, I could achieve explosive growth in no time.
Hunters' bodies could be healed with potions and skills, but the fatigue that built up in body and mind was something no one could endure forever.
But if he had that kid... he could shove hunters into the tower like machines and rack up massive growth in a short time.
"Hahahaha...!!!"
Cha Eunwol, you bitch, you've found something fun.
A booming laugh escaped the man's lips. He licked his lips and muttered lowly.
"Looks like a tasty little morsel."
……
"Yaaawwwn~..."
I rolled around on the fluffy bed, letting out a big yawn.
Maybe it was because I'd baked bread and eaten a full meal, but I felt all drowsy and perfect for a deep sleep right now.
I should... move soon. This place is nice and all, but no sunlight comes in.
I wanted to bask in the sun and doze off lazily... Should I ask Kim Hyunah to find me a new place?
Honestly, I don't know much about real estate, and looking for one sounds like a hassle.
Bzzz— bzzz—
My phone buzzed noisily by my head.
I picked it up to check who it was—Cha Eunwol, the guild leader.
"Helllooo~"
[Did I wake you? Your voice sounds all sleepy.]
"Yeeah... a little drowsy, but I'm okay. What's up?"
[We finished conquering up to the target floor in the tower, so I called to see if you wanna go hang out. You free today, right?]
Go out and play?
I didn't have anything else going on anyway.
"Perfect timing, I was just rolling around with nothing to do. Is Kim Hyunah coming too?"
[Of course... Hey! I'm your guild leader...!]
No sooner had I finished speaking than a commotion erupted from the other end of the line.
[Of course I'm coming too.]
"...Did you just hit the guild leader?"
[As if.]
I couldn't help but chuckle at Kim Hyunah's voice as she snatched the phone.
I could faintly hear the guild leader grumbling over the phone.
"Should I come over there? I'll get ready and head out."
[No, stay put at home.]
"Huh? Why?"
[Just stay home. We'll come pick you up ourselves. And don't open the door for anyone until we get there, no matter who knocks. Got it? We'll be quick, so behave.]
Click— click—
I tilted my head at the abruptly ended call.
Is something going on nearby?
It was a bit suspicious, but no need for me to go out, so whatever.
Just as the guild leader said, I lay obediently on the bed, swishing my tail as I waited for the two of them.
Knock knock knock.
A short while later, a familiar knock sounded.
"Arang, your big sisters are here."
I checked the intercom and saw Cha Eunwol the guild leader and Kim Hyunah's faces before finally flinging the front door wide open.
"Alright, you're the king today, Arang, so pick whatever you want. Anywhere you wanna go?"
Cha Eunwol the guild leader plopped down on the sofa in my living room, flashing a relaxed smile as she asked.
Kim Hyunah was watching me with sparkling eyes from the side, waiting for my answer.
"Somewhere I wanna go?"
Hmm... nothing specific came to mind right away.
I stroked my chin thoughtfully for a moment, then perked up my ears as an idea hit me.
"Oh! I heard there's a new raccoon cafe around here. I wanna check that out."
I'd spotted a flyer while walking by recently, and the raccoons looked super cute.
"Raccoon cafe? The one with animals?"
"Yeah! Doesn't that sound fun?"
The guild leader nodded readily at my words.
"Sounds good. If Arang wants to go, we go now."
"Hyunah. Rent out the whole place."
"Yes, handling it right away."
Kim Hyunah whipped out her smartphone without a moment's hesitation and started tapping away with practiced ease.
...I gotta try something like that sometime.
Looks so cool...
I watched her on the phone and mentally added it to my bucket list.
……
We arrived at the raccoon cafe in the guild leader's car.
The moment we stepped out, a middle-aged man who looked like the owner, wearing an apron, rushed over and bowed deeply.
"Welcome! It's an infinite honor that you've chosen our cafe!"
His smile was so wide it seemed like it might loop around to the back of his head. I tugged at Kim Hyunah's sleeve and whispered.
"Um... how much did you pay to rent it out?"
"Three million for clearing the afternoon slot entirely."
"Ahh..."
Three million won.
Hmm... three mil for an afternoon raccoon cafe rental... that's six of my loaves...
Am I weird? A few hundred thousand would've been plenty... Oh well. At least it's boosting the economy.
I nodded, convinced by the owner's attitude—like he was about to kowtow to us at any moment.
If I were the owner, I'd polish their shoes too.
We entered the cafe under the owner's escort.
The interior was spacious and pleasant, with a massive cat tower and wooden structures in the center.
Nice facilities too.
Thanks to the rental, there wasn't a single other customer, making the raccoon scent hang thicker in the air somehow.
As we scanned the place, staff approached and briefly explained the rules.
"Our babies are curious, so they might rummage in your pockets—please store valuables in the lockers. And don't force them into your arms if they bite; it might hurt."
While we listened to the staff, about a dozen raccoons who'd been peeking at us from hiding suddenly fixed their gazes on me all at once, like they'd planned it.
......? Why are they all staring just at me...?
"Huh?"
Shuffle. Shuffle.
The chubby raccoons waddled toward me on their short legs, sneaking closer.
They ignored Cha Eunwol the guild leader and Kim Hyunah entirely, crowding only around me.
"W-What's this? Why are they acting like this?"
I tried to back away in panic, but my feet were already surrounded by furry blobs.
"Chit!"
"Churrr!"
"...?"
The raccoons rubbed their cheeks against my legs, fiddled with my shoelaces, and even grabbed my pant legs, wriggling to climb up.
"Um, excuse me! What's wrong with them?!"
"Haha, looks like they really like you? We've never seen them do this before."
"They don't even come to us easily..."
The weight of a raccoon that had climbed straight to my shoulder and nuzzled my nape made me stagger.
"Hey, you pig! You're heavy!"
I don't know how much snacks they'd scarfed, but their bellies were hefty, too much for my frail frame.
...The texture's surprisingly nice, though.
I instinctively reached out and gently stroked the back of the plump one in my arms.
"Grrr..."
"Good boy... stay still now."
The moment my hand touched it, the raccoon in my arms let out a grrr like I did and slowly closed its eyes.
"Hmph, they are kinda cute..."
I poked at its belly carefully and glanced at the raccoons around me staring blankly.
They stretched their short front paws toward me, as if begging to be next, competing to look adorable.
"Pfft... haha, our Arang's popular with the raccoons too."
"...I'll take some photos. Please stay still, Arang."
Cha Eunwol the guild leader burst out laughing at me trapped and immobile amid the raccoons, while Kim Hyunah pulled out her smartphone to snap pictures.
……
The two who'd been laughing picked up raccoons near me one by one, petting their heads, giving treats, and playing with them.
"Sit! Paw!"
"Chuu?"
Before I knew it, I was fully in sync with the raccoons.
When I held out a treat and gave a command, the clever one plopped its tiny paw on my palm. Tell it to lie down, and it flopped right over.
"Aww, good job!"
"Chit!"
I buried my face in its belly.
So soft for real...
