Namyeon’s Bare Smile
A young man stood at the front door, proudly opening it while completely naked. A petite girl—Jeon Chayeon herself—scanned him from head to toe, then let out a light whistle.
“Insane bastard.”
“Here, clothes.”
Namyeon tossed the paper bag in his right hand inside without hesitation and strode into the room.
“I prepared a bunch of underwear sizes just in case, but you look like you don’t need any of them.”
He spoke in a languid voice and fixed his gaze on Chayeon’s chest.
A-cup or maybe even smaller.
“Very petite.”
“You really are quite something yourself.”
Namyeon had no hesitation throwing out lewd remarks right in front of a completely naked girl he had just met.
<>
“That’s just how he is.”
In his eyes this was the first time they had met, yet he acted as if he had known her forever. In truth they had been best friends since childhood, but from Chayeon’s perspective it still felt surreal. Namyeon was simply taking it all in stride, exactly as she had expected.
She gave up trying to overthink and opened the paper bag at once.
Inside lay a girl’s school uniform in soft beige.
“What the hell is this? You want me to wear a girl’s school uniform right now?”
“It was rushed. That’s all I could get.”
“Where the hell did you even find a school uniform, you crazy bastard?”
“Don’t worry about the small details.”
Namyeon flashed a carefree grin.
This guy had genuine taste in fashion. If she had known, she would have ordered something more specific.
“You’re gonna make me wear panties that are basically baby clothes too?”
Underneath the uniform was a frilly pink pair decorated with cute anime characters. Anyone could see they were for children.
A wave of disgust washed over her, but there was no way she could wear a school uniform skirt without underwear. She swallowed her pride and started dressing.
She had never worn a girl’s uniform before and fumbled with the buttons, but Namyeon helped her and it was over in minutes.
It was surprisingly comfortable. The only odd part was how empty she felt down there.
“Fuck… what the hell am I—”
“Miss Chayeon, you look stunning.”
“Shut up, you bastard.”
She cut his playful remark off cleanly.
“So what happened exactly? You suddenly turned into a girl—did you think I was watching some secret cam? This is real?”
“Do you really think it’s that easy to believe I’m Jeon Chayeon?”
Chayeon stared at him with disbelief.
According to his words, if this had been some kind of hidden camera, it would have been far more plausible. The fact that she was truly Chayeon somewhere deep inside made it even weirder.
“I didn’t believe it at first. Thought it was bullshit. But the moment the door opened and I saw your face… I knew. Ah, that’s Chayeon.”
What kind of face had that been?
The explanation made no sense, yet because he had believed her so easily, it was actually easier to talk about now.
Chayeon recounted everything that had happened the previous day.
She had finished her workout, come home, showered, felt a sharp pain, and collapsed.
When she woke up she was a girl, and a voice telling her she was a spirit had spoken inside her head.
To return to being a man she had to kill the White Nine-tailed Fox.
Namyeon nodded along, then whistled when she finished.
“What a fun situation.”
“Fun? What the hell are you talking about.”
“So the thing inside you is the Black Nine-tailed Fox, right? Can I hear his voice too?”
She hesitated. A voice answered from inside her.
<>
“Impossible.”
“Shame. So it might be all in your head after all.”
Namyeon dropped onto the bed with a thud.
“Head? Look at my condition right now.”
“I saw it with my own eyes, so I believe you.”
Namyeon’s eyes, previously hazy, cleared. He stood up and walked toward her.
Standing this close, he was a full head taller.
His right hand gently stroked her soft left cheek.
“Becoming a girl may be real, but the voice you hear in your head… well, it could be some kind of psychological defense mechanism.”
The hand slid down from her cheek and tilted her chin up.
“Either way, I don’t care—”
“Insane bastard.”
Thud—
“Ow!”
Chayeon kicked his shin with all her strength.
Pain blurred her vision. Namyeon doubled over, clutching his leg and rolling across the floor.
“Even that much is too much? Oh, are you on your period?”
“Keep talking and I’ll kick you again.”
Namyeon pressed his shin, silent and expressionless.
“Even if it’s bullshit, that theory has some logic.”
<>
“We’ll see.”
The answer would come when they visited Jindal Academy today.
If the Black Nine-tailed Fox was nothing but a hallucination, then Jindal Academy itself might not even exist.
“You said you’re heading to Jindal Academy? An academy where people like us gather.”
Namyeon asked, and Chayeon nodded wordlessly.
With a casual “Heuk-cha-” Namyeon stood up.
“No wasting time. Let’s go.”
He stepped out as he had entered.
Chayeon stared after him, dazed.
“What? You’re not coming?”
“…Where am I going?”
“Where else? To Jindal Academy, you said.”
“You’re going too?”
“Of course.”
Namyeon smiled the cool, captivating smile women loved.
Chayeon felt nothing.
“Why are you going?”
“I can’t leave my cute little Chayeon all alone. Besides, someone has to protect you… I mean, I won’t.”
Namyeon’s expression made him quickly retract the words.
“If I have to give a reason, it’s curiosity. Suddenly becoming a girl out of nowhere? Fascinating. And as a friend I’m worried about you too. After all, you’re a girl now.”
He had been lighthearted ever since they met, but he had clearly been worried underneath.
Chayeon knew that kind of thoughtfulness was one of the reasons he was popular with everyone, young and old.
“…Fine. It’ll be less boring together. But you don’t have classes, right?”
“Classes?”
Namyeon pulled out his phone and showed her the screen.
The wallpaper of his elite university’s mobile app was visible.
“I applied for a leave of absence the moment I heard you. This looks way more interesting.”
“You’re such a weirdo.”
Consideration? What consideration.
He was just being a free spirit.
***
“Lead the way.”
<>
They stepped outside into the summer air, still pleasantly warm.
“Don’t dilly-dally, you leech. So where exactly is Jindal?”
The place the Black Nine-tailed Fox had described lay far out in the countryside.
“What? Why on earth is this cult hiding in a place like this?”
A name Chayeon had never heard before.
She had assumed it was somewhere in Seoul or Gyeonggi, but apparently not.
“Transportation is going to be a pain too.”
<>
“Why?”
<>
“Useless.”
Since she had no car, they took public transport.
They headed to the nearest train station.
From KaKaoMap, they needed to take a train to Daejeon, then two buses.
“Earlier you said you’d heard of that place a lot. Isn’t it the headquarters of some J cult?”
Namyeon mused aloud.
“Cult?”
“I read it in a news article or something. Don’t remember exactly.”
She was about to dismiss it, but the Black Nine-tailed Fox interrupted.
<>
“Eh?”
Chayeon furrowed her brows and spoke loudly.
“Why are you shouting?”
“That place is a cult.”
<>
The Black Nine-tailed Fox protested in an aggrieved tone, but to Chayeon it was all the same.
“Whii~ Maybe this is just another cult trying to brainwash me?”
“Unlikely. I just heard it too. Do we even have permission to go inside?”
The more they learned, the more suspicious it felt.
“We’ll find out when we get there.”
The KTX ride was surprisingly quick.
The problem came after that.
Buses were spaced far apart and the journey itself took forever.
When they finally reached the destination and waited for the J cult’s private bus, the sun was already high in the sky.
“Goddamn it.”
Even though they had simply taken a car, her body felt a little tired.
The place looked like an earthly paradise.
Walking beside the babbling stream, she thought this was exactly how paradise should look.
“Such filthy money.”
“It’s a famous cult, and it’s better not to speak so loudly.”
Namyeon smiled wryly as he whispered.
Suddenly Chayeon stopped in her tracks.
“Hm? What is it?”
“I saw someone I know. Must have been a mistake.”
She tried to move on, but the Black Nine-tailed Fox stopped her.
<>
Following his instructions, a gentle, sloping path appeared.
Chayeon walked silently toward it, and Namyeon followed.
After a few minutes the road opened to a traditional building.
Inside, a wooden desk stood with a woman in hanbok waiting.
“Welcome. What brings you here today?”
<>
“We received a divine spirit.”
Was it okay to say it so openly? Chayeon hesitated, but when she repeated the Black Nine-tailed Fox’s words, the woman seemed momentarily startled.
“Understood. Please wait a moment.”
She turned and disappeared behind the desk.
Faint voices drifted from inside.
Someone was on the phone.
A moment later the woman returned with the same polite smile.
“I will guide you. This way, please.”
They followed her up the stairs.
The corridor beyond was short. They walked quietly down it.
<>
‘You know this place very well.’
<>
A spirit with no trustworthy corner at all.