I Can't Stand Seeing Women Cry
Yeah. Good thing. Even at this pace, it didn't feel like a problem anymore.
I kept running while checking my body's condition. Even after ramping up the speed, it felt effortless without any fatigue—in fact, the more I ran, the more power surged through me. I'd figured my stamina would be trash now that I was back in this body, but maybe there was some kind of compensation. Still, it couldn't compare to when I was Targon, but it was decent enough.
Meanwhile, I glanced sideways at Harin running alongside me. At first, I'd worried if I could keep up when she suddenly bolted, but it seemed she'd been adjusting her pace for me. Thanks to that, I'd gotten used to this speed now. Maybe I should suggest picking it up more.
"We can go faster."
"Huff...! What...? F-Faster...?"
"Yeah. No need to hold back for me anymore. I'll keep up somehow, so run all out."
"Y-You...! Don't underestimate me...!"
Right after hearing me, Harin cranked up her speed. So she had been going easy on me until now. I immediately caught up and ran with her. The faster pace wrapped my body in cool wind, feeling downright refreshing. It reminded me of dashing across the fields with the warriors—made me feel good. Back then, I could've run all day like this.
"W-Wait a sec...! How long are you gonna keep this up...?! Stop already!"
"Hm?"
I halted at Harin's sudden voice from behind. It was a shame. I'd just started feeling the burn.
But shoving aside my deep regret, I turned back—and couldn't help but be startled. The gap between Harin and me was way bigger than I'd thought.
Wasn't she right beside me? When did I pull so far ahead?
And seeing her panting hard, I finally realized I'd misjudged something.
Harin barely caught her breath and approached me. She glared at me with a hint of frustration and asked,
"Huff...! Even if I'm the weakest in the tiger clan, I'm not so pathetic I'd lose a race to a human...! You're not human at all, are you? Or maybe you've got beastkin blood somewhere."
"No, I'm human. Pureblood, too. Doubt me? Check for yourself."
"...Whatever. That's not the point. So? Spill it. Who the hell are you really?"
"I'm Kang Sihoo."
"Not that!"
I nearly jumped. Why yell all of a sudden? My name that bad?
"Don't play dumb. I already have a pretty good idea who you are."
She spoke like she knew my secret. My identity, huh. Did she figure out I'm a guy? If so, this was bad. She'd think I was some pervert pretending to be a girl to hang with them. What now? Confess I'm a man and apologize before it's too late? But if she—and Yuna and Maria—ended up despising me? Horrifying just to think about.
If I'd known it'd come to this, I should've come clean first. Too late for regrets now; time gone couldn't be undone. In the end, I resigned myself cleanly and waited for her to continue.
Convinced she was right, Harin shouted at me.
"See?! Out with it. Who sent you? Mom? Or the lion clan? They gonna force me into marriage after all?!"
"...Huh?"
"Don't 'huh' me! Quit pretending and talk!"
"Sorry, but I really have no idea what you're saying. Mom? Lion clan? The only beastkin I've seen here are you and your friends."
"What...? Then...?"
For a moment, Harin and I just stared at each other blankly. Looked like we needed a talk to clear up the misunderstanding.
"Um..."
"Sorry, can you leave me alone for a bit? Too embarrassed to show my face right now..."
"...Got it."
Thankfully, the two cleared up their misunderstandings through conversation. But the wave of shame that followed was all on Harin.
Embarrassing, embarrassing, embarrassing, so freaking embarrassing—!! I acted like I'd figured it all out! Even grabbed his collar! How am I supposed to face him now—?!
A storm of shame and guilt kept her from lifting her head. Naturally, this became a black history she'd kick off the blankets over every time she remembered. But we shouldn't forget Sihoo was the one hurt most—wrongly suspected and even grabbed by the collar.
Finally mustering the courage to look up, Harin spoke to Sihoo with genuine sincerity.
"S-Sorry. I totally misread you. Y-You just have such a great build, I thought you were sent to drag me home... Shouldn't have grabbed your collar at least... Really sorry!"
"It's fine. Misunderstanding cleared—that's what matters."
"N-No. Can't leave it like this; bothers me. N-Not as compensation or anything, but if you ever need help, call me anytime. Especially anything heavy—I'm good at that!"
"Hm. I'd gladly take the help. Harin, if you need mine, say the word anytime."
"Ah... Yeah. Anyway, sorry again."
"One apology's enough. Lift your head."
"S-Sorry... I mean, got it."
Thanks to Sihoo accepting it right away, the mood lightened up. Beyond cool, his magnanimity awed her a bit—like facing a towering mountain. Human or not, he was no ordinary guy, that much was clear.
This time, Sihoo spoke first.
"With baggage like that, no wonder you're on edge. Especially family stuff."
"...Thanks for understanding. Truth is, I didn't wanna suspect people like this. Guess constant harassment made me oversensitive."
His empathy eased her heart a little; she expressed her thanks. But she couldn't help self-mocking for doubting others because of her clan's torment.
Harin was a direct descendant of the Kwon family, leaders among tiger beastkin. Famous even to other races, they clung to ancient traditions to preserve their line. But that meant heavy conservatism and isolation—family orders were absolute. Even marriages were political arrangements, prioritizing clan over individual.
"Clan doesn't care much about me. Treated me like a discarded kid. Then suddenly, they set a marriage and told me to come home and prepare. So I ignored it. Precious as men are, you think I'd marry someone I don't want and don't even know?"
"That's when the pressure started?"
"...Yeah. At first, just tailing me. Later, showed up at my job, messing with it. Even tried getting me fired behind my back."
Still pissed her off thinking about it. The anxiety of not knowing when they'd disrupt her life next, the helplessness of taking it lying down—it was driving her mad.
"But odd. Arranged marriages usually go to the heir, right?"
"Ha! Me inherit? Wouldn't take it if they begged. Heir's already set anyway. Direct line marries only other tigers, too. What they want is my name wiped from the clan."
"I see. Marry me off to another race, erase me like I never existed."
Erasing even the fact she was kin—brutally cruel. Why did family shun her so viciously?
The reason spilled from her own mouth soon enough.
"Fuck, who chooses to be born like this...?! They had me, so why bitch at me now...?!"
"Haa...! Just keep treating me like a non-kid like always...! Why now...? If this spreads to my other friends, I...! I-I didn't ask to be born a half-breed...!"
Half-breed. A curse shadowing her from birth to death.
True tiger beastkin boasted yellow fur and black stripes—symbols of pride. The yellower the sheen, the more stripes, the stronger they believed. Harin's reality was the polar opposite: snow-white fur, no stripes.
Just for her fur color, she'd endured endless discrimination and scorn. When she became adult and was basically kicked out to "independence," she'd felt relieved. Vowed never to see them again, moved far from the clan.
But why? Why torment her so relentlessly? Was being born in this world such a grave sin?
Endless despair twisted into self-loathing, enveloping her—
Then a low, rock-solid voice pierced her ear.
"I'll protect you."
"...Huh?"
"Won't let your clan take you. I'll stand guard. So don't cry."
I hate seeing women cry.