Eh? It's Already Today?
“Eh? Already today?”
Ji Sein, munching on snacks while sitting side by side with Seoya watching TV, alternated glances at Lee Gayeon and Baek Yena emerging from their rooms in impeccably neat outfits.
Lee Gayeon had her hair tied up in her usual single ponytail, but the black suit gave her an even more composed air. Baek Yena, unusually, wore no accessories—just a crisp navy suit with her hair neatly arranged.
“Where you guys going?”
They clearly weren't dressed for a dungeon raid; those suits looked uncomfortable as hell. They were dressed like they were headed to some big important event.
“Live broadcast interview. Guess that's today.”
Ji Sein answered Seoya's question. Lee Gayeon and Baek Yena looked too busy to even respond to Seoya.
“Why a live interview?”
“Transparent Hunter.”
“Oh.”
“Those two were there, and they insisted the Transparent Hunter exists—but the person never showed up! They had to do a proper interview beyond just the newspapers at some point.”
So, they were still cleaning up the mess from when Seoya had slaughtered all those monsters before.
“It'll be on TV later. I'll show you then!”
Ji Sein sounded bright and carefree, as if she wasn't worried at all. Her consistent energy calmed Seoya's mind, and she waved to Lee Gayeon and Baek Yena.
“Have a good trip.”
“We'll handle dinner, brushing teeth, locking up... if you can trust that Ji Sein.”
“Baby, text sis if you want anything when I come back.”
“Yeah, see you.”
Lee Gayeon and Baek Yena kept fretting and adding more instructions.
“Too many snacks and you won't eat dinner properly. So just a little snacking. And don't nap too late or you won't sleep at night—nap before 4 p.m.”
“Eww, look at those nails. I'll trim 'em when I get back.”
“Just go already.”
“Ah, it's time now!”
At Ji Sein's quiet exclamation, Seoya jolted awake from dozing on the sofa.
The TV channel switched, showing Lee Gayeon and Baek Yena awkwardly seated in chairs flanking a man who looked like an important figure in the center. Flashes kept popping in front of them—probably reporters—and microphones occasionally poked into the frame.
Seoya stared blankly at the screen and asked, “Who's that guy in the middle?”
“Oh, the Dungeon Safety Bureau chief.”
“Dungeon Safety Bureau?”
“Dungeon Management Special Countermeasures Safety Bureau or something? Full name's a mouthful—no one remembers it.”
“Aha.”
Soon the interview began. Reporters raised hands, and the chief pointed to them one by one.
Lee Gayeon responded in her usual calm demeanor.
“She lies so well...” Seoya muttered.
Lying had always been hard for Seoya. Their unflinching faces and watching it all live on TV felt surreal to her.
Baek Yena, who had been silent, spoke with a cold, inscrutable expression instead of her usual irritation.
Seoya stared quietly at the TV. Baek Yena looked so rational and mature right now—it felt strangely unfamiliar.
They admitted it was impossible for Earth's humans without outright saying the monster-slayer wasn't an Earth human or even human at all. To keep people chasing ghosts, they deliberately invoked the urban legend of "rank 0."
It wouldn't prove the Transparent Hunter's existence, but diverting attention achieved their original goal: creating a fictional entity to shift suspicion from the CCTV figures.
“Kyaa, as expected of Gayeon sis. Her crisis management is leveling up daily!”
Ji Sein clapped lightly with a casual cheer.
“Yeah... true.”
Seoya nodded in agreement. If Lee Gayeon saw this, she'd clutch her neck and say her skills only seemed better because they caused fewer messes.
“Baby, you good?”
“Yeah.”
Baek Yena greeted Seoya affectionately. But Seoya's full attention was on the fish-shaped bun bag in her hand.
Baek Yena handed it over, and Seoya pulled one out, shoving the head-first into her mouth and chewing.
“Too many snacks means no dinner appetite—just one.”
Lee Gayeon, who said that, neatly arranged the shoes in the entryway before heading to her room. The dark circles under her eyes looked darker than before.
“No way! You know I only eat custard buns—how could you buy red bean?!”
Ignoring Ji Sein's usual protest as always, Baek Yena plopped down next to Seoya, who was watching TV on the sofa.
“Been watching TV all this time?”
“Yeah.”
...Come to think of it, too much TV isn't good.
Baek Yena pondered seriously in her own way.
“Baby, you reading books lately?”
“Finished all the ones at home.”
“...Better build a library nearby.”
She'd been hesitant when buying books initially, but apparently not enough. Seoya read fast.
Reading's key to education, and no decent library nearby? Unacceptable.
“Hey, Baek Yena! Can I change the channel?”
“We're watching baby docs, you immature punk.”
Baek Yena glared at Ji Sein scheming to escape documentary hell, but her neat interview makeup made the stare harmless.
Baek Yena tossed Ji Sein the book on the table: Emotional Experiences for Your Nine-Year-Old.
“Read it! Memorize!”
“Read it to death already! Gimme something else!”
Lately, a parenting book craze had swept the house. It started with Park Haejun seriously pondering Seoya's memory loss and growth, sending one book.
First, I read twenty parenting books. For now, this seems most helpful at her stage.
Nine Years Old Now: The Perfect Time to Boost Thinking Skills!
After hearing Seoya had no memories before age eight, everyone was doing their best—in their own ways. The problem was how "their own" it truly was.
“My baby, hold on—sis'll peel an apple for you~.”
Baek Yena gripped a knife to the apple, grunting to carve a bunny shape. Her motions looked more stabby than peely, but she was trying.
“Whoa~ Princess, check this out~?”
Peering at her laptop, Ji Sein exclaimed in awe and turned the screen to Seoya. It showed a toy: 'Turning Mechanic Transformation Car Assembly Set!'
“Don't need it.”
“Dog Robot Assembly Set?”
“Don't need that either.”
Unfortunately, nothing Ji Sein had asked about so far was something Seoya wanted. Even if Seoya were a real kid, transforming car kits weren't her thing.
Caught between her two doting sisters, Seoya finally raised the white flag and clutched her head.
Was I not supposed to say I have no memories before eight?
Now they saw her as even younger, treating her like a total baby. And it wasn't just these two.
Lee Gayeon subtly brought career manga books and asked about dreams. Park Haejun insisted on logic puzzles for this age and sent workbooks. They were obsessed with kid education.
Of course, the biggest issue was these two right in front of her.
“Sisters... what's wrong with you guys...?”
Seoya gazed at her overprotective sisters with moist eyes.
Where the hell did this overprotection hell even start?
Baek Yena and Ji Sein exchanged looks, unable to answer.
Truth be told, this overprotectiveness had its own context...