Chapter 42: The Quest for Charisma

The sound of Raxy Bora’s footsteps approached steadily.

As I pondered how best to startle her, my heart pounded, awakening a primal instinct.

‘Oh.’

My instinct was mistaking this for a hunt.

I clenched my fists tightly. ‘No.’

This wasn’t a hunt. I couldn’t risk hurting Raxy Bora. ‘Don’t act like a beast.’

Usually, it was challenging to suppress these urges,

but I had to control myself when someone’s safety was at stake especially someone as important as Raxy Bora.

‘This is just a prank, like any other harmless game between people.’

“Raxy!” I raised my hands, jumping out in front of her.

“Aah!” She gasped and fell backward, lightly hitting the floor with a thud.

“Raxy, are you okay?”

“Oh! Harang, it’s you!”

“Yes, it’s me. Did I scare you?”

“Yes! For a second, I thought I was about to be pounced on by a real tiger!”

Really? Was it that convincing? A sense of pride rose within me as I smiled.

“Don’t be too scared—it’s just me.”

“Hehe, lucky for me!”

Raxy smiled, reaching out to stand up.

I extended my hand to help, but my grip wasn’t strong enough, and instead, I found myself pulled toward her.

“Huh?”

As I blinked in her embrace, she patted my back reassuringly.

“Harang, Jinhyang unnie is looking for you.”

“Really? The boss?”

“Yeah, she mentioned needing some help with her computer.”

Jinhyang was a bit lost when it came to computers, so she might need to ask me something.

“Okay, I’ll go see her.”

I patted Raxy’s back in return, saying, “See you later!”

“Come back soon!”

With Raxy and Yoon Bora waving goodbye, I picked up the ink from the table and went to Jinhyang’s room.

After a quick knock, I entered, and she pointed to the chair by her desk.

“Sit here for a minute.”

I placed the ink on her desk and looked up at her from the chair.

“Do you need help with something?”

“Yeah, but first—what was your IQ again?”

“One hundred fifty,” I answered, deadpan.

“…Let’s be serious.”

Maybe I’d overdone it.

“Probably around one thirty, give or take.”

“Really? Higher than I thought.”

“I told you, I’m smart.”

Why didn’t people believe me? I couldn’t understand.

With a slight frown, I looked at Jinhyang as she pointed to the computer screen.

“Well, then, want to try this?”

Following her gesture, I saw an IQ test site open on the monitor.

“Huh?”

After staring at the screen for a long moment, I looked back at her.

“Are you doubting me?”

“It’s not that. You’ve changed so much, I just thought maybe your IQ has too.”

“Well…”

She wasn’t wrong.

So many things about me had changed—my tastes, habits, everything.

I had to consider the possibility that my intelligence might have changed, too.

‘Actually, I do feel like I’ve gotten sharper lately.’

I’d noticed improvements in my reflexes and mental acuity. “Sure, I’ll give it a try.”

I placed my hand on the mouse and began the IQ test.

Click. I selected the triangle.

Click. I picked the largest number.

‘This is way too easy.’

The test took about twenty minutes, and I was confident I’d achieved a personal best.

“All done.”

I clicked to finish and looked at Jinhyang, feeling proud. But she didn’t look at me she was focused entirely on the monitor.

‘Just how well did I do?’

Following her gaze, I looked at the screen and was stunned. The score wasn’t something I’d want to brag about.

“Are you sure your IQ was in the 130s?”

“Yes! That’s the truth…”

Why was my IQ reading so low? I rubbed my eyes and looked again, but it was still far below my usual level.

‘What’s going on?’

I couldn’t understand it. I felt sharper than ever, even if my tastes had changed a bit.

‘…Though people did mention I didn’t seem very bright at times.’

Some even hinted that I acted foolishly.

Maybe I’d been doing dumb things without even realizing it.

“Boss, do I really come across as that clueless?”

Jinhyang tapped her fingers on the desk. “Don’t worry too much. It’ll get better over time.”

“I’ve never heard of intelligence improving with age…”

“Normally, it doesn’t. But you’re not exactly normal. Do you know how old your body actually is?”

“Um… Twenty-four?”

She shook her head. “No, I’m talking about the age of your body itself.”

My body’s age?

“How old is it, then?”

“It’s young. Barely formed.”

“So…”

I gulped, watching her closely.

“Your mind and body aren’t quite in sync yet, so you’re not able to use your intelligence to its fullest.”

“Oh.”

That explained the lower IQ. The realization left me dumbfounded.

“Don’t worry. You might even become smarter than before.”

“Really?”

“Yes, you’re still growing. Keep challenging your brain, and it’ll improve.”

“If that’s true, I can handle being called a fool for now.”

Of course, I’d try to avoid doing anything outright foolish.

‘But the problem is, I don’t even know what counts as foolish behavior right now.’

I’d need some time to figure this out.

“Hmm…”

Sitting on the sofa, I thought it over.

What kinds of things would be considered silly?

‘Do others see my tiger pajamas as silly?’

No, that couldn’t be it. Both Yoon Bora and Raxy Bora had said I looked like a real, intimidating tiger. Raxy had even been startled and fallen over.

‘Maybe it’s my habit of clinging to people?’

Probably not, either. My sisters and even Jinhyang often hugged me first.

Perhaps it was simply that I used to avoid people out of ignorance of human interactions.

Being close to people brought me peace and even happiness.

‘I really don’t get it. Could it be my way of talking?’

But I’d never thought my tone was odd.

If anything, my speech was a bit rough, influenced by my old masculine formality and wild instincts.

It might come across as fierce, but not foolish.

‘What am I missing here?’

There had to be something people saw as foolish, but I couldn’t figure it out on my own. Maybe I needed help.

“Raxy, hey, Raxy!”

I shook Raxy’s shoulder where she sat on the sofa.

“What’s up?”

“Can you help me with something?”

Raxy tilted her head curiously. “What kind of help?”

“I want to become a smarter person, starting today.”

“Eh? But Harang, you’re already smart! You run errands well, and you don’t get lost!”

“That’s true, but…”

The intelligence I sought wasn’t just practical. I wanted the maturity that made someone dependable.

“Oh, so a smart person wants to get even smarter? Harang, you’re so ambitious,” she giggled, pinching my ear lightly.

“Well, yes, but I lack that adult charisma.”

“Are you kidding? Just look at what you’re wearing! You’re totally charismatic.”

I glanced down at my tiger-print pajamas. They were fierce but not exactly charismatic.

“That’s not what I meant, Raxy.”

“Oh…?”

Her confused look suggested she didn’t quite get it.

Perhaps her playful nature made it hard for her to understand the maturity I wanted. I’d have to explain.

“Raxy, what I’m aiming for is something like the boss’s style.”

“Unnie?” she asked, referring to Jinhyang.

“Yeah. She’s intimidating but also mature and dependable. I don’t have that.”

Raxy seemed to realize something and nodded. “Oh, so Harang admires Jinhyang?”

“Admire? I just don’t want to seem foolish…”

Maybe it was admiration, after all.

“Harang, let’s practice then!”

“Practice? For what?”

“Practice being like Jinhyang.”

“…Hm.”

It was true that if I observed her closely, I might manage to imitate a bit of her adult demeanor.

“Why don’t you try acting like her first?”

“Alright.”

Imitating Jinhyang? I could do that; I’d seen her enough times.

Without hesitation, I gently grabbed Raxy’s cheeks and stretched them.

“Harang, what…?”

“Raxy, are you talking back to me?”

Raxy’s eyes widened, her pupils trembling as if she were genuinely scared.

“Even on weekends, you’ve got errands to run! You know that, don’t you?!”

“H-Harang…”

“Quiet down, or do you want a scolding?”

I furrowed my brow, recreating Jinhyang’s usual expression.

‘Perfect. I look exactly like her.’

Anyone might think I was possessed by Jinhyang herself.

Worried that Raxy would misunderstand, I relaxed my expression and chuckled.

“Scary, right? Don’t worry, it’s just an act, Raxy.”

“Uh… yeah…”

Raxy replied awkwardly, her gaze shifting behind me.

‘Hm?’

I naturally turned around to see what had caught her attention.

“What are you doing…?”

There stood Jinhyang, arms crossed, wearing a thoroughly unimpressed expression.