Chapter 45
Chapter 45
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: The Girls Earning Their Keep (6)
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‘W-what do I do!?’
Jang Hana felt like she was going insane.
Of all people, that asshole had to approach Mirni.
She'd already been regretting the investment she'd received from him lately and thinking of giving it back, but now that regret was set in stone.
‘Once this is over, I'll spit every penny of that investment back at him, just—!’
Jang Hana's face was a mess of anger and frustration. The whole situation was humiliating and mortifying.
Especially the part where he was mouthing off to Mirni—it burned her cheeks with shame bordering on pathetic.
‘Did that bastard eat his age out of his ass? He sexually harasses someone and instead of apologizing profusely, where does he get off...!’
He thought Mirni didn't speak Chinese?
If that was his excuse, then he was a real fucking moron and scum.
Not the joking kind of scum, but genuine trash!
‘If worse comes to worst...!’
She was seriously considering dragging him out by force when—!
Nyaaang!
“...Huh?”
……A cat's meow echoed from somewhere.
“Hey, do you guys keep a cat in this studio or something?”
“What are you talking about? Who'd keep a cat in a place like this, out in the mountains?”
“Right? But where'd that sound come from...?”
A plaintive yet crystal-clear meow, like jade beads rolling.
Everyone in the studio started searching for the cat.
It was strange.
Stray cats were common enough, so why was everyone suddenly looking for one? Were they all cat moms or cat dads or something?
No, that wasn't it. Some even had cat allergies and hated cats, while others preferred dogs with firm tastes.
Yet they all unconsciously hunted for the cat.
As if possessed by a ghost!
However...
“----.”
The one truly possessed by a ghost was none other than Feng Daren.
His pupils suddenly dilated, drool spilling from his fool-like mouth, and then...
“...I-I'll be going now... K-keep up the good work with the shoot...”
“A-ah... Sure...”
...He abruptly left the studio. Jang Hana was about to feel something off about this bizarre turn when—
Nyaaang!
……The cat's throat-rumbling meow rang out again, and she forgot all about the weirdness.
‘Eh, if it's good, it's good!’
As if her mind had suddenly simplified.
And she wasn't the only one who'd become so simple.
‘Everyone’ had.
“P-P-President...? What's with the sudden vibe in here? And why'd that scumbag act like that?”
Kang Gamchan, baffled beyond bewilderment into sheer astonishment before this inexplicable phenomenon, questioned Yuseong. Yuseong brushed it off as no big deal.
“Nothing weird, so don't worry about it. It's common.”
“C-Common?”
“Yeah, at least for that girl, it's common.”
“...??”
It had to be incomprehensible.
Just moments ago, people had been merely friendly toward Mirni, but now they were fanatical supporters, throwing themselves into the shoot with fervor. Even the elders teared up at her glance.
Something...
A scene scary enough to chill the spine!
‘Haven't seen it in a while, but what a shitty magic.’
Only Yuseong and Alicia knew the cause of this bizarre phenomenon.
The cherry-blossom-pink mana enveloping Mirni's body.
The mana flickered like wind, blanketing the entire studio.
Pheromone.
Mirni's near-omnipotent mana.
Known for its versatility and over a thousand uses depending on application—the wondrous ability that got a mere 16-year-old girl picked as the Hero Party's scout.
Even she hadn't unlocked all its powers yet...
Truly a miraculous mana.
It was named Pheromone for a simple reason.
Anyone touched by its waves became slaves to it, like honeybees or worker ants obeying their queen.
Some said if she weren't in the Hero Party, she could've toppled nations with it.
A bit overblown, sure, but her mana was that dangerous and impressive.
“They say if you could harness Mirni, you could even sway royal succession.”
“Doesn't last a full day anyway. Humans overreacted.”
“That's the problem with that one day. ━Especially since without mana resistance, it can leave permanent damage.”
“...Hm.”
A power any ruler would dream of—the 11th poison in Mirni's arsenal.
Even Yuseong couldn't take it lightly.
‘Good thing my mana resistance is strong, or else...’
Yuseong's mana thunder had anti-magic properties, excelling against mental effects with superior resistance and repulsion.
But resistance aside, the unease lingered. Yuseong found the cherry-blossom waves dispersing like mist deeply uncomfortable.
‘Poisonous. Real poisonous.’
It might smell sweet and achingly alluring to others, but to Yuseong, it just made him want to plug his nose.
As if even he might succumb.
Once the shoot wrapped, Mirni declared proudly.
“That guy's never sleeping easy again. He'll dream his worst nightmares every night, uwahuhu!”
“That's awful.”
If he were a decent, positive guy normally, maybe, but he reeked of greed plastered all over.
The greediest humans fear the most—that's human nature.
He'd probably shiver through nightmares nightly till the day he died, never sleeping soundly.
‘Is that decent?’
Surviving sexual harassment of Mirni of all people was heavenly luck already—a fitting punishment.
“Ah! Pink Kitty!”
Jang Hana, already at max affection for Mirni, now approached with eyes dripping pure love.
“You were amazing today! I'd love to work with you again!!”
“Don't you have another shoot tomorrow? Something about outdoor filming...?”
“Oh, that... It's probably getting canceled.”
“Why?”
“The fine dust and yellow dust are so bad lately. Sucks, but shooting photos in this haze...”
They'd planned a spring goddess concept, but with skies this murky, nothing would turn out right.
No matter how advanced cameras and editing were, they couldn't beat nature's raw aura yet.
Jang Hana left, still mulling her regrets and reluctant to drop that overflowing affection. Yuseong's group headed straight to the waffle shop.
“I-Incredible! Crispiness down, but so soft and moist like bread! The human who made this is a genius!”
“Quit making a fuss and just eat. You're embarrassing... Wow! This is seriously amazing~!”
Alicia, face still stiff, demolished one waffle in seconds and ordered two more. Kang Gamchan gawked, wondering how it all fit in her frame.
“Elves and beastfolk have metabolisms worlds apart from humans. They bulk muscle over fat—there, said it.”
“W-what kinda cheat body is that?!”
“Life's unfair, man.”
“Still... Ah!”
Seeing Mirni smile with her eyes while nibbling a waffle, Kang Gamchan thought life's unfairness was a blessing!
If life were fair for everyone, beauties like her wouldn't exist!
Beaming with pure love, he grinned for entirely different reasons.
‘This guy's done for...’
The sad part? Mirni didn't even see Kang Gamchan as a man or friend.
More like a servant or stranger.
Which made sense.
‘She barely remembers faces of war comrades she rolled with—fat chance she'd remember him.’
He'd bet on it.
If Kang Gamchan vanished for a month—no, two—she'd erase him from memory.
Cruel fact all around. Yuseong just wished this dumb male would snap out of it soon.
‘Not like my words would help.’
Guys crazy for a girl never listen to reason.
“Hey, Luke, I've been wondering...”
“...What now?”
“Why's the sky in this country always so hazy? Is there a reason?”
“Why you care?”
“It's disappointing, and thinking about it, I don't think I've ever seen a clear day here.”
“......”
Painful words for any Korean listening.
“...Remember that Chinese guy earlier?”
“Yeah.”
“His country's deliberately sending dust over.”
“Pfft! Good one! How could humans do that? No conscience!”
“......”
“......Not a joke?”
“Wish it was.”
“......”
“To think they'd commit such vile acts... Hard to believe.”
Sylvia clicked her tongue hearing the day's stories.
The incompetent king aside, why did anyone with power always commit such cruel, filthy acts so openly?
Were all rulers inherently vile...?
“This country isn't as carefree as it seems. I thought it was all peace and quiet...”
“Nations are like that. Anyway, what's important now is my shoot. It's too much that this dust is ruining it!”
“...Mirni, since when do you love shoots so much?”
“I still do my jobs thoroughly. If I don't wrap up clean, it bugs me all day...!”
As a thief, Mirni had OCD tendencies.
Imperfect finishes felt like a thorn lodged in her throat, pricking endlessly—hated that!
“So what do you want me to do...?”
Sylvia looked troubled at Mirni's grumbling complaint.
Why vent to her, powerless as she was?
Then.
“You could talk to her and fix it. Just ask as a favor.”
“......Why me specifically? Mirni could do it herself.”
“T-that's kinda... awkward.”
Mirni balked, feeling it weird and off-putting. Sylvia frowned—why push on her what she couldn't do?
But.
‘If I solve this, Luke might be pleased...’
Her trust with him had plummeted through the floor lately.
Stepping up for his homeland now—wouldn't he appreciate it?
Reasonable enough. Sylvia approached the one Mirni hesitated with.
“......Luxy.”
“What?”
“You busy right now?”
“Busy.”
“......”
“......Guess I got time to listen. Stop glaring.”
“I wasn't glaring. Thanks for hearing me out anyway. It's about this, Luxy—you've recovered some magic by now, right?”
“Hm... No chances to test, so not sure.”
“Then how about doing one thing for rehab?”
“...?”
“Just simple cleaning. Cleaning.”
The only odd part being the target wasn't a house or yard, but the sky.