Exploring Unfamiliar Seoul
"U-Um, maybe it would be better if I accompanied you as a guide..."
"Oh, please. I told you, I'm really fine."
Declining the driver's offer once again, Ari stepped out of the car.
Perhaps wanting to get some fresh air, the driver also got out of the vehicle.
He was sweating bullets the entire time, after all.
He had looked so hot that his handkerchief was completely soaked.
She didn't think the weather was quite that warm, but everyone's constitution was different.
"Should I come back here when it's time to go?"
"Y-Yes! Please don't worry about me and have a wonderful time."
Nodding, Ari turned her attention away from the driver and scanned her surroundings.
Densely packed buildings. Signs indicating what kind of businesses they housed. And cars parked here and there.
It was a landscape both unfamiliar and deeply familiar.
And it was incredibly peaceful.
Deep down, she finally felt the reality of having returned to Earth.
Thump, thump.
Feeling her heart flutter, she began to stroll down the street.
Should I grab something to eat first?
Perhaps because the time was a bit awkward or because she had gotten off in a quiet area, the streets of Seoul were relatively empty.
Only a few people could be seen here and there, with none of the usual bustling atmosphere.
She actually preferred it this way.
She wasn't fond of overly crowded places.
Moderation was always best.
After walking for a while.
She spotted a sign standing in front of a restaurant along the way.
Ah, a baekban restaurant!
She had been thinking of getting some hot soup and rice, but this wasn't a bad option either. It screamed traditional Korean home-style food.
Shall I fill my stomach here today?
Tinkle, tinkle.
She walked inside and took a seat at a suitable table.
As she looked over the menu, the sound of the bell chiming brushed past her ears again.
Ignoring it, she focused on choosing her meal.
The Country Baekban Feast? This looks tempting.
Just as her mind was made up, the owner approached.
Ari ordered in a cheerful voice.
"I'd like the Country Baekban Feast, please!"
"Oh dear, what to do? That menu requires a minimum of two orders."
"Oh..."
Clang—!
A bell tolled in her head.
To think she would run into such a barrier to entry!
Belatedly, the memory surfaced. The fact that restaurants like this existed.
Maybe I should have brought Jihyun with me...
Tsk. No, it's too early to regret.
Unpredictable situations like this were the true charm of an unplanned trip.
Just as she was staring at the menu again, trying to figure out a solution.
She heard footsteps approaching.
"Mom, hold on a second."
Rustle, rustle.
"Excuse me, customer?"
"Yes?"
As the older woman headed into the kitchen, the owner of the footsteps spoke to her. It was a young woman with a friendly impression.
"Since the restaurant is quiet right now, we can make an exception and take a single order for the feast. How does that sound?"
"Ah, yes! Thank you, I'd love that."
"I'll have it out for you shortly."
With that, the young woman followed her mother into the kitchen.
Is she the owner's daughter?
She certainly knew how to run a business. Her customer service was excellent.
Belatedly, the thought occurred to her that she could have just ordered two portions and left the leftovers, but she quickly dismissed it.
You shouldn't waste food. Though there are occasional exceptions.
What a righteous mindset. She felt quite proud of herself.
Soon, the food was laid out before her.
"This is on the house."
"Wow. Thank you!"
Thanks to the thoughtful daughter, she even got to enjoy the taste of fried dumplings for the first time in ages.
She happily stuffed herself, and by the time she left the restaurant, she hadn't seen the older woman again.
Now that her daughter was here, she must have gone back to focusing entirely on the kitchen.
Now, shall I start exploring the city in earnest?
With that thought, she lightheartedly set off, her legs moving in a brisk, cheerful stride.
The Hunter Management Bureau's control room.
Dozens of screens were spread out in a grid across the massive monitor mounted on the wall.
Occasionally, a specific screen would enlarge, focusing intently on a single individual.
It was the real-time feed from the field agents' body cams.
"Uh, the Boss is leaving the cafe."
"Agents, cover the perimeter immediately!"
"Move, move, move! Blend in as natural passersby!"
Shouts echoed endlessly through the room.
In response, the dozens of screens shifted rapidly.
They could not afford a single mistake.
Although the Boss, Ari, was currently wandering around with a bright, innocent expression, there was no telling when or how she might suddenly snap.
Those who remembered the sight of Kang Chulwoong being crushed into a pulp shuddered involuntarily at the mere thought.
Preventing Ari from going outside was impossible.
Therefore, the next best option was to take measures to ensure no accidents occurred.
That was the reason for the scene unfolding now.
"She has entered an arcade!"
"Stay focused! We don't know when or where her wrath might be triggered!"
Just then, one of the screens zoomed in, showing Ari standing in front of an arcade machine.
Several people quietly swallowed their groans.
"A punch machine?"
"Surely she won't demolish the entire building trying to play that, right?"
"Control your strength! Control your strength!"
Fervent cries of encouragement followed.
Unfortunately, it was support that would never reach the person in question.
On the screen, Ari was repeatedly clenching and unclenching her fist.
Dozens of personnel gathered in the control room swallowed hard.
At that moment of peak tension.
Ari's arm moved.
"..."
Tap.
She lightly tapped the padded target of the punch machine with her fist. She didn't put any strength into it at all.
The corners of Ari's mouth curved upward into a faint smile.
This brings back memories.
She remembered when she, a guy who had practically built a wall between himself and any form of exercise, had tried this with friends.
She had been so excited when her score turned out unexpectedly high.
Not long after, her wrists and arms had throbbed with muscle pain, forcing her to secretly massage them so her friends wouldn't notice.
After that, she had tried to do at least a minimal amount of exercise...
...Only to die in a park fire.
The sheer absurdity of it made a chuckle escape her lips.
When I get back, I should ask where that guy Na Beomin lives. With that thought, she looked around the arcade.
Time had certainly passed; there were quite a few machines she had never seen before.
Especially among them.
It seems like claw machines have multiplied.
An entire section of the arcade was dedicated to them.
"..."
Should I give it a try?
She didn't have a hobby of collecting plushies, but it seemed like it would be purely fun.
She was looking around, debating which machine to try.
Just then, her eyes locked with a decent-looking man who was walking into the building.
He began walking toward her as if she had been his target from the very beginning.
"Hey! We were supposed to meet up, where the hell are you wandering off to?"
A muscular man who had followed him in slung an arm around his shoulder and dragged him away.
It seemed the decent-looking man was a social butterfly who had just come to meet his friend.
For a brief moment, Han Jihyun's face flashed in her mind.
"Hmph."
Letting out a soft hum.
She quickly chose a machine and operated the claw.
Surprisingly, she succeeded on her very first try!
For some reason, a certain phrase crossed her mind.
"Lucky me."
Having gotten a taste of success, she was satisfied. Winning any more would just leave her with extra baggage, so she left the arcade.
She placed the plushie into the crossbody bag she had brought along. It wasn't very large, so it fit perfectly inside.
Perhaps because it was a commemorative item she had won herself.
She gently stroked the plushie's fur for no particular reason before zipping the bag shut.
I'll use it to decorate the nightstand next to my bed!
"Hum~ hum~ hum~"
A strangely buoyant mood took over, and a hum naturally escaped her lips.
Then, she realized a passing pedestrian was staring at her.
Oops. Right.
She was no longer in a space all to herself.
Embarrassed by her habitual behavior, she smiled awkwardly and quickened her pace.
By the time the staring pedestrian was out of sight.
She discovered a colorful, eye-catching shop.
A women's clothing boutique.
"..."
Pass for now.
She needed to get used to it eventually, but it didn't have to be today, right?
As she passed that shop, the next one that caught her eye was a women's lingerie store.
Instinctively, she looked down at her slightly protruding chest.
The breasts hidden beneath her shirt.
Since the fantasy world didn't have bras, she was currently wearing a simple cloth chest wrap underneath.
I do need to buy some of these, but...
It felt a bit embarrassing to just walk right in.
After all, anything with the word "first" attached to it made one hesitate to start.
She passed the shop, adding that thought as a self-justification.
However, whether she had taken a wrong turn or because she had become overly conscious of it, her eyes kept drifting.
Without fail, only shops targeted at women entered her field of vision.
Eventually, she stopped in her tracks, crossed her arms beneath her chest, and began to ponder deeply.
Why on earth did the feeling of embarrassment arise in the first place?
Was it not because of the gaze of others?
She was conscious of not only the other customers but also the store employees. That was why she cared. In that case!
Wouldn't the problem be solved if she just walked in after completely erasing her presence?
...I might be a genius.
She immediately turned around and began retracing her steps.
Once she reached the vicinity of the colorful shops.
"Right!"
Using the now-familiar...
...perfect Presence Concealment, she slipped inside the shop.
And then.
"W-What?!"
"The B-Boss! Boss Ari has suddenly disappeared!"
The agents who had been covertly monitoring her fell into a panic.
Naturally, the control room watching the situation in real-time was thrown into utter chaos. The atmosphere turned as grim as a funeral home, and wails of despair erupted.
"Search the area immediately!"
"Hunters, start detecting mana! Hurry!"
It was absolute pandemonium.