75F – The Shamefully Accurate Bust Measurement
Let's go grab some pork cutlets. At a cafe on the first floor of a Maru Group-affiliated hotel, Yoo Ji-na and Cheon So-hee were deep in conversation about Yu I-kwon, whom they'd left alone in the room.
"I'd say roughly C-rank to B-rank."
"Really? Just that much?"
"Ranks aren't just about combat prowess—you can bump them up by showcasing your personal abilities. Ji-na, Inventory is way rarer than you think. Which brings me to this: how about bringing your little sister into our guild?"
"No way. I'm not letting her get involved in something this dangerous."
"I get that you're worried since she just came back after so long, but aren't you being a bit too overprotective? She's an awakener, after all."
"So what? Her 'combat aptitude' is completely zero. And what the hell is up with that weird magic...?"
"That's how all support mages are. That's why dealers play such a key role in raids."
Support mages—true to their name, they wield magic that aids allies. On the Mana Type Classification Chart used by the Hunter Management Bureau to assess awakeners' aptitudes, they fall squarely in the vague central zone. They primarily apply beneficial effects—buffs—to allies and detrimental ones—debuffs—to enemies. Beyond that, they can cast highly practical spells like Teleport for instantaneous long-distance travel or Inventory for storing and retrieving large quantities of items in subspatial pockets. But as the saying goes, jack-of-all-trades, master of none. Their versatility comes at the cost of undefined mana forms, leaving them severely lacking in the compression and projection needed for direct combat. In the hunter world, support mages are seen as 'useful but fragile wizards.'
And Yu I-kwon was one such support mage.
Pushing aside Cheon So-hee's talent scouting, Yoo Ji-na cut straight to the chase.
"So you're saying we should just hide my sister away somewhere in the guild?"
Thirsty from her one-sided pitch, Cheon So-hee downed more than half her coffee before she could respond.
"Yeah. If she's not the type to wander off somewhere, like you said, why not lend her a guild dorm? We keep her under the radar until things quiet down—that's my take."
"True, with her personality, hand her a gaming PC and she'd hole up for two or three years straight..."
Yoo Ji-na sighed, already picturing her sister glued to a screen in some dark room.
"I don't even know if that's a blessing or a curse..."
"But what other options do we have? I'd love to stick an A-rank hunter by her side, but you know we don't have the manpower."
"Yeah... thanks anyway, even just for saying it."
Deep down, Yoo Ji-na wanted to stay by her sister Yu I-kwon's side herself. But as an S-rank hunter, she had too many duties. Even these past couple of days of freedom were a rare break—and an unauthorized one at that, born from ditching a raid. If she couldn't be there in person, the next best thing was keeping her in plain sight. But that felt too selfish.
All she could feel was guilt that her own reckless six-year rampage had dragged her sister into this mess. And now, under the guise of protection, she was scheming to lock her away in a guild building. Yoo Ji-na didn't want to meddle in her sister's life anymore. Hadn't a similar choice in the past led to her going missing? She couldn't let history repeat.
Isn't there another way?
While Yoo Ji-na agonized, Cheon So-hee breathed a sigh of relief, thinking the discussion was wrapping up. That's when an elderly gentleman approached their table, plate of sliced cakes in hand, offering a greeting.
"It's been a while, Miss So-hee. I hope you've been well."
"Oh? Manager... no, you're the general manager now, right?"
"Yes, indeed. Thanks to the chairman and you, miss, this old man has a fine position even in his later years. I was planning to retire to the countryside and farm, but heh heh."
"...The way you say that, it sounds like our family is keeping you from retiring."
"Haha! Busted?"
The man—the general manager of their hotel—laughed heartily, set down his plate of cakes, and continued.
"Glad to see you're doing well."
"Well? Hardly. Guild business has me swamped, and Grandpa keeps pushing me to take over... Sigh. I don't have enough bodies for it all."
"Seeing how capably you're handling the guild beyond expectations must have convinced the chairman. Well, I'll head back up now."
"Already? You just got here."
"Yes, I came down just to say hello after hearing you were here, Miss So-hee. Enjoy your time, both of you."
The general manager gave a light bow and departed. Cheon So-hee returned a smile and a simple wave.
"He used to work for Maru Group?"
"Yeah, he's been Grandpa's right-hand man since I was little. He was set to retire four years ago, but he was too good—they had to keep him. Grandpa said he was too valuable to waste in the sticks."
"The sticks...?"
Until now, Yoo Ji-na had insisted her sister needed to stay within arm's reach to fend off unpredictable enemies. But the only ones who truly knew Yu I-kwon's identity were herself, a handful at the Hunter Management Bureau, and Cheon So-hee. The Bureau might not be fully trustworthy, but they wouldn't hunt her down personally. All they had to do was not reveal that the transformed Yu I-kwon was Yoo Ji-na's sister. And if they sent her somewhere remote to dodge any potential trackers?
A spark of inspiration hit Yoo Ji-na. While she'd been lost in thought, Cheon So-hee had already devoured half the sliced cake. Yoo Ji-na laid out her new plan.
# 75F. The shamefully precise measurement of my bust size.
The incident began 15 hours earlier. To get me some clothes, So-hee unnie had brought in a professional stylist late at night to take my measurements. And when the stylist announced my bust size, I was floored.
"So-hee unnie! No way! How am I an F-cup?!"
There was no concept of 'bras' in Triia. Naturally, there was no standard way to measure bust sizes, so I'd never had a precise read on mine. But I was dead certain it was G-cup territory after 180+ years. Why? Because my chest was bigger than that actress from 'that' video I'd seen back when I was a guy. Her official profile listed F-cup. Japan sizes run a size smaller than Korea anyway, so effectively G-cup. I'd been watching rural hentai for over five years—no way I'd misjudge that!
"...It's 75F."
So-hee unnie's face soured. She fiddled with the chest of her dress shirt, maybe finding it a bit snug, and eyed me.
After wrapping up her talk with unnie and getting comfy with casual speech, I'd thought we were hitting it off—had my sudden outburst pissed her off? But I was too indignant to back down.
"No... that's impossible! How is this F-cup?!"
"Sometimes with a slim waist like yours, it looks bigger than it is—people get it wrong."
"That doesn't make sense... Me, just F-cup? No way it's that small...!"
"You soft cow! F-cup is big—what are you whining about?!"
Fine, the size was accurate, so I wore it. But my pride as a woman wouldn't allow it.
*Slurp*—The coffee tasted even more bitter than usual. Should've gone for iced tea?
I'd grabbed breakfast early at the hotel and was now riding in a sleek black van—the kind they call a celebrity car—headed somewhere. Next to me sat a blonde in sunglasses: unnie in disguise. Her popularity had exceeded my expectations yesterday; without the getup, we couldn't have stepped out like this.
"Hey, unnie, where are we off to so early again? We got the clothes sorted, right?"
Unnie, who'd been staring out the window, turned, brushing her golden hair behind her ear.
"We were supposed to visit the memorial park where Mom and Dad are, but with the atmosphere being what it is, it'll have to wait till things settle. First up, we handle that."
"What is it? Something quick?"
"Depends. If you cooperate well, maybe done in a year? Just sleep for now. It's a long way."
"I just had coffee—I'm wide awake..."
"Sleep anyway. Nap now, and I'll buy you pork cutlets later."
"I'm not a kid. And that sounds suspiciously like moms tricking their sons for circumcision—kinda unsettling."
No chance of getting snipped since there's nothing to snip... Wait, more importantly, I'm not sleepy!!
"I-kwon... I-kwon... Wake up. We're here."
Someone shook my shoulder awake. Whoa, I actually slept? No clue how long, but my body felt heavy and languid.
Confirming I was up, unnie patted my arm to usher me out. In my daze, I fumbled the door open and staggered out on wobbly legs. Fresh air hit me as my half-closed eyes adjusted.
*Coo-coo, coo-coo*—*coo-coo, coo-coo*—*coo-coo, coo-coo*.
The coos of wild doves and some mystery bird. Sounds I'd grown sick of during military service, but damn good for the soul. Already fuzzy-headed, the natural chorus and crisp air made it feel like a dream. If not for the occasional car engines...
"I-kwon, better late than never: thanks for coming back."
"...Huh? Sud...den...?"
Still out of it, I mumbled a half-asleep reply.
"No door code set—do it as soon as you go in."
"...Mm."
"They say it's fully stocked, but if anything's missing, call So-hee, not me."
"...Mm."
"Basic toiletries and clothes are in the carrier, but more outfits later from So-hee. Got it?"
"...Huh?"
"See you next time."
*Rattle*—*click*! *Vroom——*
Unnie's words ended, the door slammed, and the engine revved. The sound faded into silence, leaving me in pure nature.
Ahh, bliss...
My eyes cleared, revealing unfamiliar sights: rice paddies, mountains, and a two-story modern house that clashed with it all. Why the hell was I here?
"Unnie, why...?"
No unnie, no van—just my lonely carrier beside me.
"...Huh?"