Frills, Photos, and the Fox's Gaze

The issue of not having any clothes that fit me was resolved more simply and quickly than I'd imagined.

Kim Arin personally went to a nearby clothing store and came back with boxes full of kids' clothes just like mine.

Yeah, boxes full.

"Try them on. One by one."

A sweater with a cute bear print.

Suspenders with a dainty design.

A frilly dress.

And a bunch of other stuff little girls would wear.

At least I wouldn't run out of clothes to wear anytime soon.

They were all just devastatingly adorable outfits guaranteed to murder the soul of manly Lee Jiwoo.

"Are you trying to kill me?"

"……?"

Kim Arin had probably just bought clothes that seemed suitable for a little girl.

Forget the price tag—that was secondary. She'd zeroed in on stuff that would straight-up assassinate the heart of manly Lee Jiwoo.

A plain T-shirt and shorts would've been fine.

Or a hoodie. A zip-up hoodie.

Something unisex like that.

"You used to love stuff like this, Unnie."

"Th-that was when I was little…!"

Kim Arin must've picked out things similar to what girl Lee Jiwoo wore as a kid.

But that was girl Lee Jiwoo's childhood.

Manly Lee Jiwoo had never worn anything this embarrassingly cutesy, not even once as a kid.

Even if it had been girl Lee Jiwoo, she probably wouldn't have wanted outfits this childish. No matter how girly the outside looked, the inside was an undisputed adult.

An adult in their right mind wearing this kawaii overload? The soul just dies….

"…Just try them on for now. They'll suit you."

Of course they'd suit me!

How could cute clothes not suit a cute girl…!

"If they don't fit, I'll get you something else."

"…………."

But I had no choice.

Right now, I was a penniless S-rank beggar hunter.

Until the reward from yesterday's dungeon clear hit my account, Kim Arin was the boss, and I was the underling.

If she brought back burlap sacks, I'd have to gratefully accept them. That was my reality.

"Hold on, Unnie."

"Huh…?"

"Don't want fur getting on them, so undo the transformation."

"Oh."

And so, I even released the transformation and changed clothes.

In front of Kim Arin, who was watching with eyes that seemed a little expectant.

Into something utterly terrifying that would completely erase my masculinity.

"I… I'm dying…."

In the end, after putting on the dainty outfits, something vital inside me crumbled away.

Was this what they called self-loathing?

For some reason, it felt like something irreversible had happened—my hands were trembling on their own.

Becoming a cute girl was one thing; wearing clothes only a cute girl would wear was a whole different level.

Soon my brain would glitch out, and I'd start doing stuff I never would before, without a second thought.

Flirting with anyone and everyone, making cutesy faces for no reason….

"Ugh… my life is over…."

In a foreboding premonition on multiple levels, I zoned out for a moment.

But I didn't know yet.

That something even worse was still waiting.

-Rustle.

"This box… it's underwear…. …Unnie, try them on yourself and tell me the size."

"…………."

Peering into the abyss packed at the bottom of the box, I turned to stone right then and there.

After that, for the sake of my own dignity, I somehow erased the memory.

I didn't want to remember that the underwear had cute bears on it too.

"…Here. Hoodies and T-shirts."

Kim Arin made another trip to the nearby store and handed me the unisex clothes I'd asked for.

I quickly changed before the cutesy bear sweater virus could infect my brain any further.

Or at least, I tried to.

"Hold on, Unnie."

"Yeah?"

"Um, that…."

Kim Arin was hemming and hawing in a way that wasn't like her at all, so I tilted my head.

And then, slowly raised toward me—a phone camera.

"Can I… take a picture? …You're so cute."

This was the first time I'd seen Kim Arin make such a desperate face.

Even back when she begged for my strawberry milk as a kid, it wasn't this intense.

Still, she'd bought me spam lunch boxes this ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠morning and clothes now.

A photo was a small price to pay. Especially since she'd be getting a cut of my dungeon clear rewards later as hassle pay.

-Click.

-Click click.

"……Hmph."

Having snagged my photo too, Kim Arin looked satisfied for a moment.

Was it that great?

Well, even I had to admit I looked cute.

Violently so—the kind of face that could easily claim top spot as gallery lord on Helji Gallery.

I still wasn't used to it, though.

It'd only been two days since awakening, after all.

"Unnie."

"Don't even ask me to strike a pose."

"No, not that…. …Do you ever want to go back to how you were?"

"Huh?"

Kim Arin was asking if I missed my old self, so I shook my head.

I didn't even know what girl Lee Jiwoo looked like that well.

All I had was one ID photo.

Sorry to girl Lee Jiwoo, but honestly, this form was prettier and cuter.

Did I really need to revert? No guarantee my skills would stick around.

I'd lived my whole life unawakened and finally got powers—couldn't lose that.

"Not really right now…?"

"…Got it."

Kim Arin fell silent at my answer.

Her face looked like she was pondering something.

But I still had questions.

Now that I could hunter like her too.

"Kim Arin."

"…Yeah?"

"This is my bottom price. Better snag me cheap before it goes up."

I was roundabout-asking her to get me hired as a hunter.

Soon, every guild in Korea—hell, maybe the world—would be sending love calls.

Letting her reserve S-rank me early? Classic insider's chance.

"The gate that opened yesterday was S-rank, right? You said so."

"…And?"

"Think ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠how capable a hunter I am for solo-clearing an S-rank dungeon like that."

In truth, it was Fenrion's power, not mine—but even that was borrowed via my skill.

Plus, Assimilation was a growth skill, so I'd only get stronger.

Who knew what it'd be like fully evolved into the S-rank Manifestation later.

Right now, only 10 minutes of use, followed by crushing fatigue.

But still cleared an S-rank? Total cheat character.

"Come on~ S-rank hunters don't drop every day. Buy now and get a free hidden boss photo!"

"…Unnie."

"Yes, customer? What's your budget—"

"Minor hunters are illegal."

My world crumbled.

"I-I'm an adult, you know that."

"Your status window said 11 years old."

"D-did I say that?"

"Hunter Association checks come out. …Hiding your age won't work, Unnie."

Anyone could see I was a minor anyway.

Who'd take someone not even high school age into a dungeon?

Another world-shattering fact from Kim Arin, dropped casually. Was this what a broken heart felt like?

This time, I nearly burst into tears for real.

"…There are exceptions."

"!"

"Like you said, S-ranks are rare."

Normal ranks, no—but S-ranks? Even minors were prime talent.

Guilds would want to scoop them up before adulthood. Kim Arin explained.

Yeah, couldn't waste talent like me.

"But."

"But?"

"No more like yesterday. If you pull risky stunts again, I'll…."

"…What'll you do? I'm invincible."

"…Confiscate your computer."

"I won't act up again, ever."

"Promise. Now."

With two S-rank skills awakened, hunting was inevitable.

But as a minor, only trainee hunter status.

She'd make damn sure kid me didn't see the front lines, Kim Arin said firmly.

"So, does that mean I'm joining your guild now?"

"…Not yet."

"What."

"I haven't seen it. Your skills."

She wanted to confirm with her own eyes if I had true S-rank combat power.

If I didn't meet her standards, no guild scout, no rank test—everything on hold. Chilling words.

"Kuh, Assimilation!"

"Come at me!"

"…Hunters fighting each other is illegal too."

"Weren't you gonna fight me…?"

"Never said that."

Huh? Wasn't this the part where new S-rank gets beat down and looted usually?

As I made a puzzled face, Kim Arin named a dungeon gate.

"Haeinsa Gate."

"Isn't that a temple? Oh, fight the monks there?"

"…Hunters only fight monsters. Never people."

From Kim Arin's briefly complicated gaze came orders to pack up.

We were heading to Haeinsa right now.

My hunter skills would be tested there.

"Haeinsa is E-rank, so no danger ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of getting hurt…. …I'll be right beside you."

"Huh, aren't you busy?"

"……Took vacation."

She said it while ignoring her phone buzzing nonstop.

I knew it was a lie.

"Anyway, we're leaving now."

"Y-yeah."

As long as I could become a hunter, I didn't care—I happily followed Kim Arin.

If it meant raking in hunter cash, what couldn't I do?

"Hah, huff…."

Correction.

Climbing the mountain was tough.

Even with Assimilation active, it drained stamina hard.

Me, whose only outings were convenience store shifts? Time for a talking-to. Bad Jiwoo.

"But seriously, is Haeinsa… this deep in?"

"The temple's down there. Dungeon's in the mountain."

"Oh."

Come to think of it, we were headed to the dungeon gate, not the temple.

"Haeinsa Dungeon" didn't mean it was right next to the real Haeinsa.

"Ah, you've arrived. Hunter Kim Arin. And…."

"Lee Jiwoo."

"Trainee Hunter Lee Jiwoo. This way, then."

Finally reaching the gate, a guild staffer was waiting.

Apparently, her guild kept sending people to manage this gate.

"E-rank gate—popular ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠with trainees. Monsters are weak, don't attack first."

"Aha."

Now I got why Kim Arin brought me here.

Probably toss me at weak mobs and say "fight."

Sigh, total letdown if so.

I cleared an S-rank yesterday.

E-rank? Boring enough to die.

"…Let's go in, Unnie."

"Buy me pizza after. Cheese crust, full toppings."

"……Got it."

"Yesss."

Thinking an E-rank test would wrap quick, I stepped into the gate.

Kim Arin walked silently beside me.

For the first 5 seconds inside.

-Crackle, zzt-zzzt.

"Huh?"

A message window with unknown meaning.

Almost simultaneously, my body floated into the air.

"──! Un, ni────!!"

Kim Arin reached out with a desperate expression, but before that, the scenery around me shifted entirely.

Not the quiet mountain dungeon anymore—a folk village of some sort.

"Wh…. Where is this?"

I looked around, but no signs of people.

Definitely inside a dungeon, but no monsters in sight.

What the hell happened?

Mulling my mutterings, I started walking between the quiet hanok houses.

"Arin? Kim Arin…? Where'd she go?"

-Ahem.

"Can't find you, little cuckoo~."

"……Huh?"

Something just… behind me?

"…Child."

A soft, clear voice came from right behind me.

Slowly turning, I saw pink tails.

"What brings you here?"

Amid the red warning windows filling my view, someone in red hanbok spoke to me.

And in that moment, I realized.

That the one gazing intently at me was another hidden boss.

Which meant….

"Child, what brings you he—"

"Just one photo, please!"

"…Pardon?"

Another cheat key for the novel.

Jackpot.