A Warm Hug and the Shadow of the Big Bad Wolf
A little time passed, and the goblin blood and flesh that had been warming my body vanished completely without a trace. But the spaghetti that had been tormenting me since the restaurant? Not so much.
...Pathetic.
"Mijeong hunter... no, little Mijeong. Do you get it now? You absolutely can't clear a gate alone."
"......"
"If you'd come to a gate by yourself and had to fight like this every time—"
"......Hic."
Tears are flowing. This is too much. What the hell is this body? Is this some kind of joke? I'd barely compensated for my way lower attack power from my past life with speed and spins, and now the flesh smell from monsters that disappear in 2-3 minutes means I collapse after taking down just three goblins in real combat?
...No. This is even after catching three in an incredibly short time. If the fight drags on, does that mean I might start dry-heaving mid-battle?
"Guh... hngh...."
"Little Mijeong? Hold on. Don't cry, first—"
What EX? What Little Lamb? I'm just a little kid now. If I can't even fight with this tiny body, what the hell can I do? It's the same as back then... no, worse! I don't even know my job, so I have no idea how to level up!!
...In the end, I'm just worthless trash with no growth or combat skills. Legs? Don't make me laugh. My stamina's plummeted. I get so tired running home from the hills that I pass out. Just sprinting one bus stop leaves me panting!!
No matter how fast or tough I am, it's meaningless like this. But hunting's the only way for me to make money. Who's gonna hire a kid like this anywhere else?
"Hng... kuh... u, ah...."
My hands and feet are shaking. When did I ever ask for something like this? I did. But it said it'd give me another chance!!! It said it'd make everything come true, and I was so happy. It even gave me the voice I wanted most, so I was really grateful.
"Hic... haa... haa...."
"Hold on, calm down a bit—"
Then just give me that and be done with it. An angelic voice? Bullshit. I know I got scammed. In the end, all I can summon are hellish demon bastards that look shitty just from the ingredients—what angel?
"Mi■ je■ ong!"
I can barely hear Yumina unnie's words. I tried to think positively. I held back because good kids aren't supposed to have bad thoughts. But what the hell am I supposed to do?
For the past three years—except on my parents' death anniversaries—I've fought goblins every single day. And this is the result? I finally thought I could achieve something.... But like this, even with a voice... I'm still just that helpless kid from back then.
...If that's the case, maybe I should've...
Little Lamb (EX) deactivated—
Squeeze. Yumina unnie pulled me into a hug.
"......Uwaaang?"
"Little Mijeong. Calm down."
"N-no, it's not that, yang... hic, I..."
"...Sorry. I was worried about you, but I just ended up making you cry."
No, it's not because of what Yumina unnie said. It's just... me....
Squeeze. But before I could say more, Yumina unnie hugged me even tighter. Her body kept pressing against mine....
So warm. Warmer than when I was covered in goblin blood earlier. Is a person's body supposed to be this warm?
...Oh, right. It's been eight years since I hugged someone else...
......
Once I calmed down a bit, Yumina unnie let me go. Now we're just sitting in a corner of the cave. She's next to me with her legs stretched out, and I'm all curled up.
"Feeling a little better?"
"...Yeah."
"That's a relief, little Mijeong."
"......"
"......"
It's awkward. We talked so easily while shopping earlier, like it was natural. Now I don't even know what to say. I have a voice now, but...
I dunno. I'm just a super sulky poopyhead.
"Little Mijeong."
"...Yeah."
"Um... well..."
"?"
Yumina unnie called me, I said yeah, but nothing came back. I look up, and she's staring at me too. Her mouth's opening and closing like a fish, but no words come out. Did all the words she had before entering the gate escape?
...Or is Yumina unnie actually a goldfish?
"Did I make you uncomfortable by hugging you out of nowhere?"
"Uwing?"
The goldfish mouth turned back into Yumina unnie and spoke.
"I'm not good with words. I don't really know how to comfort a crying kid...."
"...Yesterday you told me to stop crying right away, yang."
"Back then, I knew why little Mijeong was crying."
"So you don't know this time, yang?"
"Was it really because of my nagging after all?"
"...Meeeng~"
Heehee. Nope, not that. Even a national-power-level super awesome hunter like Yumina unnie doesn't know everything!
Right. Come to think of it, she didn't know what shungtongtong was either! Yumina unnie might be a little dumb. But I'm not dumb...
......Huh? Then maybe she doesn't know my true identity and isn't hanging around because of that. So why'd she come with me today?
"Yumina unnie's squeeze hug felt super awesome, yang!"
"...I'm really glad to hear that."
...Should I just ask? Feels like she'd tell me if I did now. I never even thought to ask before. Now I can just ask whatever I'm curious about...
No, earlier I asked about her clothes and weapons. So... maybe I was just scared.
"Hey, yang."
"Yes, go ahead."
"Why'd Yumina unnie go shopping with me today and come to the gate, yang?"
But I'm not scared anymore. For real.
"...You seemed so worried, I couldn't help it."
"Uwing? Why, yang?"
"I don't just worry about kids because they're kids. I grew up hunting in gates from a young age too."
"Really, yang?"
"Yes. Though I was a bit older than you are now, little Mijeong."
Yumina unnie stroked my head.
"But back then, I had reliable adults around me. Even if I messed up, they could protect me."
"...Jealous, yang."
"It's not something to be jealous of—it's just how it should be, little Mijeong."
"Uwing?"
"Kids are meant to grow up under someone's care."
"......"
No, they're not.
"But for some reason, little Mijeong doesn't seem to have that care."
"......"
"So I was worried about you."
No way.
"...Isn't it just 'cause Mijeong's pretty, yang?"
"You're adorable, little Mijeong, but I'd have helped even if you weren't."
"No way, yang."
"? Why do you think that?"
"Because..."
No. I can't say more. If I do, Mijeong will disappear and Ryu Migun will come out.
...Gotta lie again...
"No need to say it if you don't want to, little Mijeong."
"......?"
"Tell me whenever you feel like it."
"...Even if I can say it now, yang?"
"If it's a lie, it's better not to say it."
"...Even if it takes a long time, yang?"
"Then I'll wait until then."
Ah...
...Someone saying they'll wait for me. It feels so good that I almost went "hiing" again!!
But Yumina unnie, who'd been staring at me, suddenly added one more thing. Hmph!
"I even waited for little Mijeong to finish her spaghetti."
"Meeeng?! So... I really was super slow eating, yang?"
"...A little, little Mijeong."
"Uwing! Too mean, yang! So the zap! and the big sigh earlier were 'cause I was slow!!"
"Ah, no, that was really—"
"It was a lie, yang! I'm feeling super guilty now!!"
"!? You really... use that."
Uwing. She ruined the mood. Is this mountain a dirt one or a glass one? Whatever. I'm sulking again.
...Maybe I'll cheer up if she hugs me.
"...Little Mijeong. Just remember one thing."
Yumina unnie held out both hands to me.
"Whether you eat slowly, lie, or hide something."
Squeeze.
"I'll always be on your side."
Yumina unnie hugged me again. So warm. My body... and my heart.
...Over these past three days, talking to people for the first time. I've heard so many nice things. But this from Yumina unnie feels like the best.
"Meeeng~!"
Clack clack. Hop hop!
We're heading out of the gate together with Yumina unnie. This time I'm not leading— we're holding hands!
...Honestly, after resting a bit, I could probably fight again. But something tells me today's good enough. I still have some money left. And Yumina unnie said if I want, she'll introduce me to a reliable private guild!
Then I can fight with other people too! I still don't know my level-up conditions. But once I get used to the smell, I can fight like before!
And if I'm off-duty, she'll go hunting with me like today! We talked about all sorts of other stuff too.
...Like normal people do.
"Meeeng~"
"I'm glad your mood's improved so much."
...I still haven't told her my secret. Yumina unnie's definitely a good person. But... I need a bit more time. And she said she'd wait!
Exiting 'Goblin Den'.
Whoooong—
The sun was setting as we stepped outside. This is obviously the same spot we entered from. Hwasung outskirts.
Whoooong— Whoooong—
...So it should look exactly like before we went in. Then why... is there a gate open right under my feet?
Whoooong—
I glanced at Yumina unnie right beside me. She hasn't noticed yet.
...Calm down. Whatever it is, gates only activate if you think about entering—
—Huh?
—???
"Huh, it's me. Success. It activated properly."
...
"Yeah. I confirmed the face. A-rank hunter, Yumina. Unmistakable."
...
"Even the wielder of the Golden Eye has to go defenseless for a moment right after exiting a gate."
...
"...Lucky break. Why would an A-rank hunter enter a laxly monitored E-rank gate? Fine by me, though."
...
"Don't worry. That woman's a sniper, right? How's she gonna take us down alone in that tight space? Ah, not alone."
...
"What? There was a kid with her who got dragged in too."
...
"Nah, just a real kid. Had little sheep horns on her head, though."
...
"...Yeah, kinda pitiful. Of all things, a sheep. And what's in there is what sheep fear most—"
"—the Big Bad Wolf."