Chapter 50: A Sweet Mission

A Moment of Rest and Resolve

“Haa…”

I lay sprawled out on the break room sofa, utterly drained.

My body felt like it had lost all strength, leaving me unable to move. The only parts of me still twitching were my tail and ears, trembling as if they were cramping.

“Harang, are you sure you’re okay?”

Raxy Bora asked with evident concern, but I didn’t have the energy to respond. The most I could manage was wagging my tail weakly to signal I was fine. Though even that betrayed my exhaustion as it quivered uncontrollably.

“Unnie, is Harang really okay?”

“She’s just worn out, that’s all,” Jinhyang replied, reassuring her.

Raxy Bora nodded, seeming to understand. She picked me up with ease, her movements gentle.

Normally, I would’ve wrapped myself around her in return, but even that was too much for me. My limbs dangled limply, and I rested my head against her shoulder.

Feeling slightly guilty, I brushed her supporting hand lightly with my tail. She always seemed to like my tail, so maybe this would make her feel better.

“Haa…”

I closed my eyes, tempted to drift into a nap. It was the perfect moment to surrender to rest.

But there were still tasks I needed to accomplish—like buying a gift for Yoon Bora and reserving a cake. I had no idea how long it would take to prepare, so I couldn’t afford to waste any more time.

‘I have to move… somehow.’

I couldn’t rely on the twins for help since the whole point was to prepare a surprise for them. The only person I could turn to was Jinhyang.

Gathering the last of my strength, I reached out toward her and mumbled weakly, “Boss, carry me…”

Even my voice betrayed me, slurring like a sleepy child. My outstretched arm soon lost its energy and flopped back down.

My eyelids grew heavy, threatening to shut completely as I fought off sleep.

“What’s this? You’re actually asking me to hold you first?”

The reason was simple—I needed her help to sneak out and buy the cake.

I couldn’t risk saying that out loud, though. “I like you, boss,” I murmured instead, trying to keep my intentions hidden.

“Oh, really?”

Jinhyang seemed surprised for a moment but quickly regained her composure. Without further questioning, she scooped me up into her arms.

Resting my head against her shoulder, I heard Raxy Bora’s flustered voice behind me.

“H-Harang, what about me? Don’t you like me?”

“I like you too, Bora. But I’ve got stuff to do,” I replied, words jumbled with embarrassment.

I felt like a babbling toddler, my speech clumsy and fragmented. Still, I had a lot to say.

“Boss, let’s go outside.”

“Where to?”

“Out. But Yoon Bora and Raxy Bora can’t come.”

Blushing, I kept my explanation short and to the point.

Jinhyang seemed to pick up on my intent and didn’t press further. She turned to Raxy Bora and said, “Raxy Bora, can you watch her stream for me? I need to take care of something.”

“Sure, I can do that. But where are you going with Harang?”

Shh.

I gently tapped Jinhyang’s back with my tail to signal her to keep quiet.

“Something to do with her registration,” Jinhyang answered smoothly.

“Ah, I see.”

Registration? What was she talking about? I didn’t understand, but Raxy Bora seemed to accept the explanation, so I let it slide.

“Yoon Bora, you said you had plans, right?”

Jinhyang turned to Yoon Bora next.

“Yes, I’ll be heading out soon,” Yoon Bora replied with a nod.

Her hands held two fist-sized clumps of fur.

‘When did she gather that much?’

A sudden worry crept in—what if my ears were completely bare now?

I tried to lift my hand to feel them, but it wouldn’t obey. In the end, I nudged my ear against Jinhyang’s cheek instead.

That was enough to confirm their condition.

“They’re still fluffy,” I murmured in relief.

“It tickles,” Jinhyang grumbled, gently brushing me away.

“Sorry,” I mumbled.

“So, where are we headed first?”

“We need to reserve a cake,” I said, pointing in the direction of the bakery.

As Jinhyang carried me out, I couldn’t help but notice the many eyes following us.

‘Is it because Jinhyang’s famous?’

From the outside, I must’ve looked like a clingy child throwing a tantrum.

But for me, she was just a convenient mode of transportation.

Flustered by the attention, I quickly buried my face into her arms.

“If I cover my face, no one will recognize me.”

“Not likely… But, fine,” Jinhyang said, sighing as if to give up on explaining further.

Whatever she meant didn’t matter. I was just glad my plan was working.

It was both comfortable and discreet—a win-win.

Satisfied with my ingenuity, my tail wagged happily behind me.

“This way,” I directed.

“Alright.”

We arrived at the bakery shortly after.

As Jinhyang pushed the door open, the chime of a small bell echoed from above.

‘Oh.’

The sound of the bell was surprisingly loud. However, it wasn’t as clear and cheerful as the sound of my bell.

“Boss, hold on a second.”

I tapped Jinhyang’s shoulder to stop her.

“Why?”

“I have something to do,” I replied, reaching out toward the door. Unfortunately, my arm wasn’t long enough to reach it.

Watching me struggle, Jinhyang silently walked closer to the door, allowing me to grab the handle.

“Nice.”

The cool touch of the aluminum handle felt refreshing.

I pushed the door back and forth, making the bell ring with each motion. Ding ding.

The bell’s sound reverberated throughout the bakery.

‘It’s alright.’

Still, it wasn’t as charming as mine.

I wagged my tail to compare the sounds.

Ding ding.

First the door, then my tail. I alternated between the two, even shaking them simultaneously.

No matter how I listened, my bell clearly had the upper hand.

“Pfft.”

Victory was mine.

Suppressing a grin, I noticed Jinhyang glancing up at the bell and then at the one attached to my tail.

“What are you doing?”

“I was just comparing my bell to the one on the door.”

“Really?”

“Yes, and I won.”

I basked in the glow of my triumph, giggling softly.

But my celebration was cut short when I sensed someone’s presence behind the door.

“Chairman…!”

“Huh?”

I turned to see a man wearing a baker’s hat standing behind us. It seemed my antics with the bell had drawn the attention of the bakery staff.

“The manager is here too…!”

“The manager isn’t here,” I corrected him, burying my face into Jinhyang’s chest.

After all, I didn’t want anyone laughing at the absurdity of the so-called “manager” being cradled in Jinhyang’s arms.

“…?”

The baker looked puzzled.

“She’s just playing around. Don’t take it too seriously,” Jinhyang said casually, brushing it off.

I chimed in, my voice muffled against her shoulder. “We’re here to order a cake. A birthday cake.”

Although my voice sounded muted, it was loud enough for the baker to hear.

“You mean a custom cake?”

“Yes, custom-made. Preferably with whipped cream.”

“In that case, would you like to look through our catalog?”

The baker handed something over. Curious, I tilted my head to peek at it.

‘A catalog?’

I quickly grabbed it.

“Hold me steady, please,” I asked.

“Got it.”

With Jinhyang’s firm support, I opened the catalog.

It was straightforward—sizes, flavors, decorations, and color options for personalized cakes.

I skimmed through it, then looked up at Jinhyang.

“What should we get?”

“It’s your purchase. You decide.”

“Hmm, fair enough.”

Her words made sense, so I took it upon myself to make the choices.

For the cake size, I picked one suitable for four people.

The base? Whipped cream.

For decorations, I chose star- and heart-shaped chocolates, and even added a little snowman candy.

“All done!”

“If that’s settled, would you like to add a message as well?”

The baker handed me a small round card and a pen.

‘What should I write?’

After a moment of thought, I decided to keep it simple.

[Yoon Bora, Raxy Bora, happy birthday! From Harang.]

The card still felt a bit empty, so I decided to fill the gaps with things I liked.

[Churros]
[Bells]
[Fish]

I even drew small, detailed illustrations beside each word, making them almost indistinguishable from real-life objects.

“Phew.”

The cake, now complete with decorations and a personalized message, brought a smile to my face.

“You might need to work on your handwriting,” Jinhyang remarked.

“Huh?”

Did I make a mistake?

I rotated the card in every direction, but I couldn’t find any errors.

“Where’s the mistake?”

“Hmm.”

Jinhyang didn’t elaborate, leaving me confused.

‘Hmph.’

Annoyed, I glanced at her exposed shoulder and thought about biting it. But I remembered how painful my bites could be.

Instead, I gently pressed my lips against it, as if to mimic a bite without actually doing it.