Chapter 48: Trust, Gifts, and Tail-Tingling Moments

Yoon Bora was in the middle of a conversation with Kim Eunhyuk when she received a message from Harang.

[Help me. I’m scared.]

“Huh?”

Yoon Bora’s heart pounded as she read the message, alarmed by the thought that Harang might be in danger.

[Harang, where are you?]

[Here, at the bubble area, but there’s a monster.]

‘Bubble area? That must be the Hunter Experience Zone.’

She immediately thought of the bubble event that was ongoing and realized it must have caught Harang’s attention, given his love for bubbles. However, the mention of a “monster” puzzled her.

One thing was certain—Harang wasn’t safe.

“Eunhyuk oppa, I need to go somewhere for a moment. Actually, could you come with me?”

“Of course.”

Together, they rushed to the Hunter Experience Zone, only to find Jinhyang already there.

‘What is…?’

Harang was cowering behind Jinhyang, pressing his face into her back. His ears drooped low, trembling slightly, while his tail wrapped tightly around Jinhyang’s leg.

“…!”

Yoon Bora was about to call out to Jinhyang, but Jinhyang raised her index finger in a silencing gesture.

Yoon Bora understood the signal immediately.

‘Okay.’

She kept her mouth shut and observed as Jinhyang pointed to a specific location.

‘The pillar.’

There appeared to be nothing near the pillar, but Yoon Bora deduced that someone might be hiding behind it.

Despite the lack of any detectable presence, she guessed it could be an assassin with stealth capabilities.

‘An invisibility skill, perhaps.’

Assassins typically lacked high attack power, but their ability to conceal themselves made them lethal, especially against unsuspecting civilians. If not handled properly, it could endanger the tower’s visitors.

Just as Yoon Bora contemplated the best approach, a loud noise erupted.

Boom!

The ground vibrated lightly, startling everyone in the building.

“What… was that? An earthquake?”

The startled visitors crouched down instinctively, but Yoon Bora spotted something incredible—Kim Eunhyuk, who had disappeared moments ago, had already restrained the hidden figure behind the pillar.

‘When did he get there?!’

It was a feat that left Yoon Bora in awe of his skills.

Meanwhile, Harang began tugging Jinhyang backward, his arms wrapped protectively around her waist.

“Why are you pulling me? It’s over, isn’t it?”

Jinhyang glanced down at Harang, who had buried his face into her back.

“The smell of blood is too strong. I don’t want to get closer.”

“Blood?”

At Harang’s words, Jinhyang sniffed the air but couldn’t detect anything unusual.

Despite a Hunter’s enhanced senses, they paled compared to Harang’s, who had beastly traits.

“Did you figure that out just by the smell?”

“Yes. It’s awful, isn’t it?”

Harang pressed his face further into Jinhyang’s back.

Jinhyang sighed, understanding his behavior. The smell must have been overwhelming, and he sought both physical protection and relief from the stench.

With Harang clinging tightly to her, Jinhyang stepped back cautiously, turning her attention to Yoon Bora.

“Bora, can you take care of it?”

“Yes.”

At Jinhyang’s request, Yoon Bora moved toward the pillar.

Kim Eunhyuk stood there, restraining a man covered entirely in black—a textbook example of an assassin.

“The suspect used air-drop gear,” Kim Eunhyuk noted.

“Air-drop gear?” Yoon Bora asked.

“Yes, likely descended from the roof. He didn’t come through the main entrance, or I would have noticed.”

“I see…”

She nodded, piecing the situation together. The entrance being under tight surveillance made rooftop entry the only viable option.

After Harang’s previous incident in the dungeon, the security around the first floor had been significantly strengthened.

‘But I didn’t even consider the rooftop as a weak point.’

Yoon Bora made a mental note to enhance security measures on the rooftop as well.

While she was deep in thought, Kim Eunhyuk spoke up.

“There are too many eyes here. We should move elsewhere.”

“Ah, you’re right.”

She nodded, quickly scanning their surroundings.

Since the assassin had been hiding in a blind spot, none of the other visitors had noticed him. It was a small relief in an otherwise tense situation.

With that, Yoon Bora and Kim Eunhyuk discreetly left the area, leaving Jinhyang to escort Harang to her office.

Even after they reached the office, Harang’s heart was racing, and his breathing was heavy.

“Why are you just standing there? Sit anywhere you like,” Jinhyang said, waving her hand dismissively.

“Yes, ma’am.”

Harang quickly rushed to sit down, choosing Jinhyang’s personal chair without hesitation.

“…That’s my chair, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is.”

He had instinctively chosen her chair because it was saturated with her scent.

“Are you trying to usurp my authority now?”

Although Jinhyang frowned, Harang could tell she was joking.

“I just sat here because your scent is all over it.”

“Why does my scent…?”

Jinhyang’s gaze shifted left and right, clearly flustered.

“I wanted to use your scent to block out the smell of blood.”

“Is that so?”

Her frown gradually softened at Harang’s response.

“Should I sit somewhere else?”

“Yes.”

Her tone was firm.

Harang pouted in disappointment but got up from the chair. Before he could sit elsewhere, Jinhyang lifted him and placed him on her lap.

“Huh?”

He tilted his head to look up at her, his ears brushing against her lips.

She didn’t seem to mind.

“If you want to block the smell, isn’t the source better than the chair?”

Her lips lightly grazed his ear as she spoke, causing a ticklish sensation.

“Yes, it’s much better this way,” Harang replied, playfully twitching his ears against her lips.

He felt it was only fair to retaliate since she had tickled him.

However, Jinhyang remained unfazed, not even attempting to avoid it.

‘Not even a reaction…’

Feeling slightly deflated, Harang shook his head vigorously, hoping his hair and ears would bother her.

Still, she didn’t budge.

‘She’s no fun,’ he thought, giving up.

A long silence followed. It seemed Jinhyang was giving him time to calm down.

After about ten minutes, she finally spoke.

“Are you feeling better now?”

“Yes, I’m okay now.”

Harang swung his legs back and forth, lightly tapping her shins.

“Do you want to rest a bit more?”

“No, I want to keep working.”

He didn’t want to appear weak by taking a break over something like this.

With renewed determination, Harang jumped off her lap and hurried toward the door.

“Wait.”

Jinhyang’s voice stopped him in his tracks.

“Why?”

“Did you know Yoon Bora and Raxy’s birthday is this Saturday?”

He blinked in surprise. He hadn’t known at all.

Noticing his reaction, Jinhyang pulled a card out of her wallet.

“Here’s my card. Go buy them some presents and a cake.”

“Um… No, thanks.”

His refusal caught Jinhyang off guard, and her eyes widened in surprise.

“Aren’t you on good terms with Yoon Bora and Raxy? Don’t you want to buy them gifts?”

“It’s not that. I want to buy them with my own money.”

Harang tapped on his tablet confidently as he responded.

The money I earned through streaming had piled up nicely.

“That’s not bad.”

“Right?”

Jinhyang nodded and tucked the card back into her wallet.

“Alright, but if anything feels dangerous, send me a message like before. If you’re scared, it’s okay to run far away. Just don’t get hurt.”

“Got it. But I won’t get hurt—I’m quick on my feet.”

“I know. That’s why I trust you to handle it.”

“Wow!”

Hearing her say she trusted me made my heart race.

On top of masking the smell of blood and buying gifts for Yoon Bora and Raxy Bora, earning Jinhyang’s trust was like hitting the jackpot three times in a row. My tail swayed cheerfully without me realizing it.

Leaving Jinhyang’s office, I headed downstairs.

[What happened earlier, sis?]
[Jinhyang turned off the stream as soon as she showed up.]

“Sorry, something came up.”

I couldn’t exactly tell them it was because of a terrifying monster—it might tarnish the tower’s reputation. I had to make something up.

[Too bad we didn’t get to see the bubbles.]
[I was planning to pass away from happiness after watching.]

“Sorry, I’ll show you next time for sure.”

I could technically go live again, but picking out gifts for the twins came first.

[What are you up to now?]

“I’m just shopping…”

I stopped mid-reply, realizing I couldn’t reveal I was buying presents. Yoon Bora or Raxy Bora might be watching the stream.

“Just running some errands.”

[What are you buying?]

“Toys.”

I decided on a stuffed toy for Raxy Bora’s gift, something soft she could touch for extended periods.

[Imagine a cat hugging a stuffed toy, everyone.]
[I think I’d die from a heart attack if I saw that.]
[I’m already dying just imagining it.]
[Thud.]

“Do you all hate it that much?” I muttered, clicking my tongue in amusement as I entered a toy store.

The sight inside surprised me. Stuffed toys were pricier than I had expected.

‘Still, it’s a gift.’

It wasn’t for me—it was for Raxy Bora. There was no need to skimp.

‘I should find something with a similar texture to me.’

Raxy Bora seemed especially fond of my ears and tail.

‘Let’s look around.’

I wandered through the store, comparing the texture of my ears and tail to various toys.

Squish-squish—

I touched my own ear, then the ear of a stuffed animal.

Squish-squish—

I stroked my tail, then felt the rounded tail of a bear plush.

I searched high and low, but nothing matched perfectly.

‘Weird.’

Some toys had similar textures, but they all felt like something was missing—just a small but crucial difference.

“Hmm…”

What was it? As I racked my brain, the answer suddenly dawned on me.

The difference was life.

Stuffed toys lacked the liveliness of a living being.

‘Don’t tell me I won’t find one…’

Anxiously fidgeting, I sensed someone approaching from behind.

“Excuse me… Manager?”

“Yes?”

Turning around, I saw a store employee wearing a blue apron—a shy-looking young girl.

“Are you looking for something specific?”

Something specific. If anyone knew, it had to be the store staff.

“Uh, could you… touch my ear for a second?”

I tilted my head toward her as I asked.

“W-what?”

Her face flushed as she stammered, hesitating to reach out. Her hand moved back and forth, clearly unsure.

‘What do I do…?’

I didn’t want to force her, but I couldn’t let Raxy Bora go without the perfect gift.

“I’m sorry, but could you please? It’s really important,” I said, putting on my best manager face.

“A-alright!”

Reluctantly, she reached out and gently squished my ear. Her cheeks turned an even deeper shade of red.

‘I’m sorry.’

She probably hated this, but for Raxy Bora’s gift, I could endure a bit of guilt.

“Now, could you try touching my tail?”

“Y-yes!”

She nodded tightly, eyes shut as if bracing herself.

I offered my tail, and she cautiously started stroking it. She even jiggled it a little, making the attached bell chime softly.

Her flustered expression suggested she was reaching her limit, so I decided to stop there.

“Do you have any stuffed toys with a texture like this in the store?”

I looked at her with a hopeful smile.

“No, we don’t.”

Her answer was so firm it left me momentarily speechless.

She was far too decisive.