Enter the Wild Girl
He opened his eyes.
The ceiling came into view.
He stared blankly at it for a moment before slowly pushing himself up.
His head spun. He could feel the toll of sleeping for two days straight in every fiber of his body.
His limbs felt heavy, his neck was stiff, and he could barely keep his eyes open.
But before any of that, one specific thought flashed through his mind.
Appearance Enhancement.
Minjun bolted upright.
He dashed to the bathroom.
He stood before the mirror.
Silence.
"..."
It worked.
His eyes had changed.
They were deep and mesmerizing. Depending on the angle of the light, their color seemed to shift. Like a dark, unfathomable lake—the kind of eyes that drew you in the longer you stared.
His facial structure had sharpened. His jawline was as clean and defined as if carved by a master sculptor's chisel, and the bridge of his nose rose with a cold, arrogant slope. His lips were on the thinner side, and when firmly shut, they exuded an icy, aloof aura.
His skin was so clear it bordered on pale. A cool light seemed to settle over his flawless, blemish-free complexion.
His shoulders had broadened, and his neckline was long and elegant. His entire silhouette had transformed.
It didn't look like plastic surgery. There was none of that artificial stiffness.
It felt more like a rough gemstone that had been so exquisitely polished that the hidden treasure within was finally revealed.
Minjun stared at his face in the mirror for a long time.
He felt a laugh bubbling up.
But at that exact moment—
Growl—
His stomach let out a thunderous rumble. It felt completely hollow.
It was a level of hunger he had never experienced before in his entire life.
It made sense, considering he had starved for two days straight.
Minjun tore his eyes away from the mirror. First, he had to survive.
He grabbed his phone.
He opened his mobile banking app.
Checked his balance.
20,000 won.
"..."
It was his entire net worth.
After dumping everything into his Appearance Enhancement, this was all he had left.
Minjun stared up at the ceiling for a moment.
I'm starving. I have no money. I guess the convenience store is my only option.
He quickly washed his face, grabbed a hoodie, and threw it on.
He stood in front of the door.
Grabbing the doorknob,
he pulled it open—
At that very moment,
a foreign scent brushed past the tip of his nose.
A woman's perfume.
And an incredibly sophisticated, expensive one at that.
It was a scent that didn't belong in a neighborhood like this—something you'd expect to smell in Gangnam or Apgujeong.
Minjun paused.
He looked around.
There was nothing there.
The hallway was dead silent.
No different from usual.
I must have imagined it.
He headed down the stairs.
He pulled out his phone and called Jungwoo.
"Hey, you crazy bastard. You alive?"
"Yeah. Just woke up."
"I seriously thought you died over the last two days. Why did you ghost my texts?"
"Sorry. I was just sleeping. I guess I overexerted myself lately."
"Sleeping for two days straight? Are you really okay?"
"Seriously. Why would I lie to you? It's not like you're my girlfriend."
"True... Sigh, you fucking Snorlax. So, did you win any cash? Is my money safe?"
"What? Ah, fuck off. I told you I don't gamble, teach. Look, I'm starving. I'm hanging up. I'll call you back after I eat."
Hanging up on Jungwoo, Minjun walked into the local Convenience Store.
"...!"
The moment she heard the doorknob turn,
her body moved faster than her thoughts.
She darted behind the corner of the stairwell.
She pressed her back flat against the wall.
She held her breath.
Her heart hammered so loudly she could hear it in her ears.
Footsteps echoed.
Slow. Casual.
The sound of someone walking down the stairs.
Harin closed her eyes.
The footsteps gradually faded into the distance.
Only then did Harin let out her breath.
"Haa... haa..."
Her knees shook.
Sliding down the wall, she slowly sank to the floor.
The concrete floor of the stairwell was freezing, but she didn't even have the strength to stand.
She just barely managed to breathe.
A moment later,
a voice drifted in from outside the building.
Low and languid.
"Yeah. Just woke up."
"Sorry. I was just sleeping. I guess I overexerted myself lately."
"Why would I lie to you? It's not like you're my girlfriend."
Harin froze on the spot.
That voice.
The voice she had listened to hundreds of times on his streams.
The voice that had been looping in her head for the past two days.
He's alive.
He was just sleeping.
He wasn't mad at me.
The remaining strength drained completely from her legs.
She slumped all the way down to the floor against the wall.
She felt like she might cry.
But no tears came.
Instead, a laugh escaped her lips first.
It was a silent, breathless laugh.
All of this agony, all of this panic, had been over someone who was simply taking a nap.
Yet, she didn't resent him. Not even a little.
She was just incredibly grateful. She even felt a wave of pure happiness.
Because Haru is okay. Because he doesn't hate me.
Haru's voice grew distant.
Silence returned.
Harin slowly pushed herself up.
Her legs were still trembling.
She barely managed to stand by leaning against the wall.
She had already achieved her goal.
All she had to do now was go home. Everything would return to normal.
Yet, before she knew it, her feet were already trailing after Haru.
It was far too late to worry about guilt.
She had already crossed the line, and a faint, simmering madness flickered in her eyes once more.
She wanted to know more about Haru. Not the streamer on her screen, but his real-life self that nobody else knew. Right now, she could find out.
Harin stealthily stalked behind Haru.
Haru entered the Convenience Store. Harin adjusted her mask and cap before following him inside.
The automatic doors slid open.
The characteristically cool, stale air of the convenience store brushed against her face.
Harin slipped into the aisles.
She grabbed a random item from the shelf.
She didn't even know what it was.
Minjun was standing in front of the beverage fridge.
A hoodie, slippers, and a completely casual back profile.
His neck was long, and his shoulders were broad.
Harin stared at his back from behind the display rack.
Since he was wearing a hoodie, she couldn't see his face clearly.
Just a little more.
If I get just a little closer, I'll be able to see.
Harin crept slowly along the aisle.
One step.
Two steps.
Minjun closed the fridge door and turned around.
At that exact moment,
Harin froze.
She forgot how to breathe.
She saw his face.
His eyes were deep and mesmerizing. Though he was only staring blankly ahead, they were the kind of eyes that drew you in the longer you looked. His jawline was as sharp as if carved by a chisel. His skin was so clear it bordered on pale, practically glowing under the harsh fluorescent lights of the convenience store.
He was handsome.
Incredibly so.
He resembled his virtual avatar.
He wasn't a perfect match, but...
the aura was identical.
Harin stared at his face from behind the shelf.
Her heart plummeted.
And then, it beat again with a violent thud.
She wouldn't have cared if he was ugly.
She would have loved him no matter what he looked like. Even if he were the ugliest man on earth, she could never hate him.
Because he was the one who gave her a reason to live.
But...
on top of everything, he was breathtakingly handsome.
Harin stood frozen, unable to move for a long while.
Just then,
"Oh my god... Wait, are you an idol by any chance?"
a voice called out from the counter.
Harin turned her head.
The night-shift part-timer.
A girl who looked to be around twenty.
She was wearing a crop top and dolphin shorts—an outfit that was a far cry from decent for a late-night convenience store worker. There was a tattoo on the pale skin exposed just above her belly button, and another on her wrist. She also had two piercings in her ear.
Her eyes were sharp, and her lips were thick and painted red.
In short, she had the face of a bar girl.
But the way she was looking at Minjun...
Harin saw that look.
It was like a fox. The way her narrow, upturned eyes swept over Minjun was incredibly blatant, with no attempt to hide her intentions. She was sizing him up from head to toe. It was a sly, lustful gaze that clearly wanted something.
Instantly, Harin's chest tightened, making it hard to breathe.
A bad premonition. A sickening feeling.
"...No, I'm not," Minjun replied indifferently.
But the part-timer only began to push harder.
"Really? I swear I've seen you somewhere. Then are you a model, Oppa? An influencer?"
Oppa? She doesn't even know him.
Harin wanted to rip that cheap red lipstick right off her sly, babbling mouth.
"No."
"Aww, really? Oppa, do you live around here by any chance?"
As she spoke, the part-timer leaned forward over the counter.
Her vulgarly exposed cleavage was pushed out even more provocatively.
A flash of murderous intent flickered in Harin's eyes as she glared at the part-timer, who was acting like a cheap whore.
"Yes."
"Oh my god, really? I live nearby too! I have a studio apartment just down the street. What about you, Oppa?"
"That is close. I live in the villa right next door."
"Wow, no way! Oppa, since we're practically neighbors, could I get your number? I don't really have any friends around here, so I've been so bored. And I absolutely love drinking, too."
The girl kept emphasizing that she lived alone, brushing the back of her hand against Minjun's as she pretended to scan his items. Harin, unable to watch any longer, stepped up directly behind him in line, but the girl didn't even care. She scanned the items at a snail's pace, doing everything she could to lock eyes with Minjun and keep flirting.
"I need chopsticks."
"I'll give them to you if you give me your number. Please, Oppa? Pretty please?"
"Sigh... Give me your phone."
Minjun let out a brief sigh, took her phone, and punched in his number.
As the girl took her phone back, her fingers lingered on Minjun's hand for an extra beat.
"Thanks, Oppa. Make sure to text me."
She gave Minjun a sultry look, her eyes curving into a seductive smile.
"The chopsticks," Minjun said flatly.
"Oh, right."
Even so, the girl kept grinning as she slipped the chopsticks into his plastic bag.
Minjun grabbed the bag and turned around.
The automatic doors opened.
He walked out.
Harin stared at his departing back.
Then, she looked at the part-timer, who was already tapping away busily on her phone.
Probably texting the number she had just saved.
The corners of her mouth were still curled upward.
Harin looked down at the item in her hand.
She had never intended to buy anything in the first place.
She had just grabbed it at random.
She set it down on the counter.
The automatic doors opened.
She walked out.
The crisp dawn air hit her face.
Minjun was already disappearing down the far end of the alley.
Harin stood frozen in place.
Something felt wrong deep inside her chest.
She had confirmed that Haru was alive.
She had heard his voice.
She had even seen his face.
That breathtakingly handsome face.
But...
The way that foxy part-timer had touched his hand when taking the phone.
The smug smile on her face as she saved his number.
The images refused to leave her head. It was driving her absolutely insane.
Harin glanced back. The part-timer was still giggling at her phone.
A crop top. Dolphin shorts. Tattoos.
A vulgar body. The face of a bar girl.
What's so great about a girl like her?
I...
I love him so much more.
I can treat him so much better.
Her chest burned, as if someone had poured gasoline over her heart and lit a match.
Burning her feelings down to black, charred ash.
And from those ashes, something entirely new was beginning to bloom.
...I can't let it end like this. I can't... I can't just be a fan anymore. Never...