Emergency (1)
What kind of thoughts would go through your head if you saw a muscular woman towering way over you?
Scary, thrilling, or maybe just Wh-what the hell is this…?
However.
From my perspective, Ha-rang just looked cute. Not some deep, rational attraction... more like a little sister who wouldn't pick a fight with you.
Her tiger ears and tail were adorable. And despite her feisty personality, she had this shy side to her.
She was like a cat that couldn't quite express her feelings properly.
I'd agonized endlessly over how to act when I saw her.
Still, my greeting came out the same as always…
“Ah, h-hello…”
“Yoo-seong oppa.”
“Y-Yeah. Long time no see.”
Her appearance hadn't changed much at all. Aside from the newfound poise that came with experience?
But I'd changed a lot. Back at the academy, I didn't stammer like this—I was lively, active even, or so I remember.
Now that I'd turned into a total shut-in… seeing Ha-rang after all this time just made me embarrassed.
“...Should we move somewhere else?”
“Y-Yeah, sure?”
This spot felt awkward. More and more people were starting to recognize her—Kwak Ha-rang—than me.
She nodded and started walking with familiar ease.
“Let's go to that place.”
“...Okay.”
That place. The one spot that came to mind from our academy days, just her and me.
We headed to the library. She led the way, her tiger tail swishing playfully, and I followed, staring blankly at it.
The library was huge.
Behind a particular bookshelf, there was this cozy nook decked out like a café, complete with a sofa.
It was enclosed on three sides, making it feel all snug and private.
We'd sit side by side there, chatting away.
Memories flooded back unbidden. Along with a growing wave of embarrassment.
“L-Long time no see…”
“Y-Yeah. Twenty years, right…?”
Embarrassing. I had no idea why. Was it just the thrill of reconnecting with someone from so long ago?
I couldn't sit still. My toes had to fidget at least.
Ha-rang's tail swished too, and she spoke up first.
“You've changed a bit, oppa…”
“Th-that's…”
“It's been twenty years. Makes sense, huh?”
“Sorry…”
“Why apologize? That's not like you, oppa.”
“I've been cooped up at home for over twenty years…”
A brief silence. Not a small stretch of time. The years we'd been apart were at least eight times longer than the days we knew each other.
“I thought you'd forgotten.”
“You said we should pretend it never happened.”
“S-sorry…”
“It's fine. You didn't contact any of the other sisters, right?”
“No…”
Our eyes met. Her black eyes seemed like they could swallow me whole.
“You're... the same as ever.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Your face hasn't changed…”
“And you're still cute, oppa.”
“D-don't say that...!!”
Her eyes went wide.
We were sitting side by side on the sofa.
She stared at me intently, then scooted a little closer.
“You have changed, oppa.”
“Wh-what are you talking about…”
Don't come closer. Please… I pleaded desperately in my head.
Back at the academy, her vibe was more cat than tiger.
But now, that intense presence closing in, the warmth inching nearer—it made my heart pound harder.
“Twenty years ago, you used to tease me.”
“……”
“Always approaching so innocently, messing with me…”
She drew even closer. Close enough that barely a finger could fit between us. Her breath felt scorching hot before she finally stopped.
“I d-don't know…”
“It's the opposite of back then. I was the shy one…”
She wasn't talking about her general personality.
At the academy, she was outgoing. Except around guys.
True story. That's why I'd teased her a bit mischievously.
A total man-hater social butterfly. She'd freeze up and tremble if I got too close—it was cute, so I'd mess with her now and then.
But what was this now?
“Uh, ugh…”
“So cute.”
“Hnnngh...!!”
My breath caught. She stared openly, and every compliment about me as a guy made my body twitch.
An empty space. No one would come looking.
I'm not an idiot. I wasn't lacking common sense.
I knew full well that anything could happen in this cramped nook, and no one would bat an eye.
That's why my body shook even more.
Like a herbivore facing a predator. Instinct whispered over my emotions.
You're in danger like this. Get out now.
“Just kidding.”
“Hngh.”
“Pfft, haha, kyahahaha!!”
She clapped and burst out laughing. Only then did the stifling air clear.
“Did you really just stay home? Your old personality's totally dead, our oppa.”
“D-don't tease…”
“Aww, so cute. Is this why you used to mess with me, oppa?”
“……”
“Sorry. No more teasing. Cut me some slack?”
Kuhihi. She laughed like a little devil.
Lucky me, I guess. The mood had shifted to something much lighter than before.
“Honestly, things have been tough lately. Dealing with the family elders and guild master duties—you have no idea how much there is to handle.”
“Sounds rough…”
“Yeah. Gotta stay all stiff and formal. Even my academy friends are under me or in similar spots now.”
“……”
Puha-!
Ha-rang let out a big, relieved breath.
“Felt like we went back twenty years for a sec.”
“……”
“Though the roles are kinda swapped now?”
“S-sorry…”
“How'd you even get out of the house?”
“Sorry…”
“Ugh, stop apologizing already.”
Like I had a choice? She could crush me with one finger, and here she was toying with me.
Anyway. We'd gotten close again at breakneck speed.
“I got divorced.”
“...Divorced?”
Sudden confession. I already knew—I'd seen it on the news recently.
Still, not knowing the details, I kept my mouth shut.
“Just... it was bound to happen. We've been living apart for fifteen years, at least.”
“I-I see…”
“Feel bad for my daughter, though. Pretty much let her run wild.”
“……”
“Wasn't a great mom myself, so I didn't expect a great dad either.”
Her mention of a daughter had me nodding. The girl who'd moved in next door came to mind.
“Kwak Da-eun…”
“You knew?”
“Y-yeah, she m-moved in... even passed out rice cakes…”
At the mention of her daughter, Ha-rang shifted. From beside me to right in front.
She was so tall, looking up made my neck hurt.
Just as I let out an awed whoa,
Her body slowly lowered.
More precisely, she dropped to one knee to meet my eyes.
Her voice grew low. Ha-rang's black eyes glared at me. Eerie chills ran down my spine. I shifted back instinctively. It was a corner.
Her face filled my view.
Sharp features. Objectively strong and beautiful woman.
The scar on her cheek didn't look grotesque—it was like tiger stripes, as if she'd been born with them.
And.
“What did you say to my daughter?”
The tiger growled. One arm blocked my escape.
Pro term: wall slam.
Right side: wall. Left: her right hand sealing it off.
No way out.
“H-Ha-rang? I-I'm sca—hngh.”
My eyes squeezed shut. Her face closed in. Like she was going to kiss me, her red lips brushed past my face, hovering by my ear.
“I asked you a question.”
“Ah, ah, hnnngh…”
The feral tiger's voice traveled through my ear.
—Stroke, stroke.
“It's okay. Tell me.”
“Hnnngh, th-that's…”
Eyes clenched shut. Nothing visible. Still, I felt a hand gently stroking my hair.
Affectionately. Like soothing a child.
Petting my head, she whispered firmly yet kindly. Terrifying, but gentle.
The touch on my scalp made my body tremble now and then.
Her hot breath dissipating against my ear pulled my toes taut like tiptoes, then relaxed.
And when a word or two whispered through, my feet curled involuntarily, soles pressing together.
“D-don't, stop… H-Ha-rang…”
“So cute…”
“……”
“Kidding again!”
“Ah…?”
I cautiously opened my eyes. Ha-rang, who'd pinned me, petted me, whispered to me—pulled back.
Her gaze looking down was tender, full of mischief.
“Payback. Remember? You used to pet my head and tease me. Even asked if you could touch my ears.”
“……”
“Oh, with my daughter, it wasn't just casual. Family education? Our household tradition. Moms are supposed to be a bit scary and stern.”
Her tongue stuck out playfully like a bleh. To me, it looked like she was craving something.
“D-didn't say much…”
“Hmm... really?”
“Yeah…”
“Not even that I confessed to you?”
“Uh, ah, y-yeah. Of course…”
“Really? I was serious, though.”
“……”
The silence was terrifying. So quiet and awkward, dead air.
Like hallucinations whispering in my ear.
What kind? You know.
...Maybe I should just eat him. The predator's murmur.