Chapter 55: The Zoo Train Trick

The next morning.

After showering and preparing for work,

I noticed an unusual scene everyone seemed to be dragging their feet.

Jinhyang was casually reading a book,

while Raxy Bora and Yoon Bora were immersed in a video game.

“What are you all doing? We need to leave for work!”

Standing before them with my hands on my hips, I tried to snap them out of it.

At this rate, we were going to be late.

“Yoon Bora, hurry up and get ready. And Raxy, you need to start prepping for your stream.”

“Ugh…”

Raxy Bora groaned, sliding under the couch cushions like a lazy cat unwilling to move.

“Can’t we just take the day off today? I really want to go somewhere fun with everyone.”

Raxy Bora turned to Jinhyang with pleading eyes.

“Raxy, you just had a break not too long ago. Be patient for a little while longer,” I answered on Raxy’s behalf.

“Harang, don’t you want to take a day off?”

“Nope. I’m a responsible adult, after all.”

Being an adult meant working hard. Besides, I genuinely enjoyed my job, so it wasn’t a burden for me.

“Harang, you’re amazing.”

“Of course, I am.”

Reaching out, I patted Raxy Bora’s head with the poise of a grown-up.

As I continued the gesture, she let out a disappointed sigh.

“Man, I wanted to go to the zoo with you, Harang.”

“The zoo?”

“Yeah. You love tigers, don’t you? I thought we could go see one together.”

“T-Tigers?”

A terrifying creature buried deep in my subconscious.

The zoo would be the only place I could safely observe such a beast in person.

“Harang, wouldn’t you like to see a tiger?”

“Yes. I’d love to see a tiger.”

“Then you’ll take the day off, right?”

“Yes. Let’s take the day off.”

If it was for a tiger, there was no other option.

Nodding firmly at Raxy Bora, I heard her whisper softly into my ear.

“Harang, if you want to see a tiger, you’ll need to convince Jinhyang unnie first. Can you do it?”

“Me? I have to do it?”

“Yes. You want to see a tiger, don’t you?”

“I do. I really want to see one.”

“Then we have no choice but to persuade her.”

“Alright. I got it.”

Resolutely, I turned to face Jinhyang.

“Boss.”

“No.”

Before I could even finish my sentence, Jinhyang shot me down with a curt reply, her gaze never leaving her book.

“Raxy, she said no.”

“Ugh…”

“I feel the same way.”

I was so close to seeing a tiger. The disappointment was palpable.

“Tigers…”

Slumping onto the couch beside Raxy Bora, I pouted.

Seeing this, Yoon Bora walked over, her gaming session temporarily paused.

“Harang, why not try using your secret weapon on unnie?”

“What secret weapon?”

“You know, the ‘unnie’ card!”

“That…”

It was true that calling her “unnie” had worked wonders for me in the past.

However, I wasn’t sure it had the power to grant a day off from work.

‘This probably won’t work.’

No boss, especially one as strict as Jinhyang, would ever grant a day off just because someone called them “unnie.”

‘Still, there’s no harm in trying.’

Taking a deep breath, I turned toward Jinhyang again,

preparing to deliver the line that might just do the trick: Unnie, let’s go to the zoo.

But strangely, the words wouldn’t come out.

Something unknown seemed to be holding me back, as if an invisible force were restraining me.

‘Huh?’

Looking down at my hands in confusion, I felt a strange, warm sensation spreading throughout my body.

It was peculiar yet oddly natural, like blood coursing through my veins.

The strange warmth continued to course through me,

offering what felt like instructions a mysterious guide on how to convince Jinhyang to take us to the zoo.

I wasn’t sure what it was, but it didn’t seem threatening.

Deciding to follow its lead, I shifted to Jinhyang’s side and gently rested my head on her shoulder.

As I quietly gazed up at her, the warmth seemed to radiate toward my face, almost taking control.

‘01 24…?’

My expression changed against my will.

My eyes curved into crescent moons, exuding vulnerability, while a faint, melancholic smile settled on my lips.

It was a look that combined sorrow with charm soft and captivating.

Though I couldn’t see myself, I felt certain my expression was flawless, devoid of pretense.

“Unnie, I really want to go to the zoo…!” I said, my voice carrying a delicate plea.

As soon as the words left my lips, the warmth within me drained out rapidly.

Strangely, part of it seemed to flow into Jinhyang, whose cheeks instantly flushed red.

She bolted upright, her gaze locking onto me.

“Did you know what you were doing just now?”

“W-What do you mean?”

Her intense stare made the mysterious warmth vanish, as though it had never existed.

My behavior reverted to its usual state.

“You just used magic on me.”

“I used magic?”

“…Unconsciously, it seems.”

Her murmured words left me bewildered.

Glancing down at my hands, I tried to process what she had said.

‘Magic?’

Could that warmth I’d felt really have been magic?

Though I didn’t fully understand it, the realization that I might possess magic brought a wagging smile to my face.

Magic was the hallmark of a Hunter.

“Hehe.”

My quiet laughter drew Jinhyang’s attention. She placed a hand atop my head and sighed.

“Alright. We’ll go to the zoo today. But you have to promise me something.”

“What kind of promise?”

“Don’t use that magic recklessly on people. I’ll teach you how to control it later.”

That seemed easy enough.

“Okay! I’ll use it responsibly.”

Satisfied with my response, she gave me a rare smile and patted my head.

It felt like I’d said exactly what she wanted to hear.

“Good. Then get ready to leave.”

“Yes!”

I mentally prepared a checklist: a hat, snacks, and if possible a treat for the tiger.

I wanted to introduce them to the wonders of churu.

As I got up to prepare for our outing, Raxy Bora called out to me.

“Harang!”

“Yeah?”

“Victory!”

Raising her arms high, Raxy Bora cheered enthusiastically. I instinctively mirrored her action.

“Victory!”

Soon, we were parking in the zoo’s lot and heading toward the entrance.

“Hehe.”

Excitement bubbled within me, my steps light and bouncy. Raxy Bora, holding my hand, shook it playfully.

“Harang.”

“Yeah?”

“Did you know you have to take off your shoes to ride the zoo train here?”

“O-Of course I knew that!”

I hadn’t known.

Feigning confidence, I quickly looked away with a little huff, unwilling to admit my ignorance.

“Wow, you really knew? That’s impressive.”

“Yeah, I’m impressive.”

Her compliment lifted my spirits once more.

Hand in hand, we reached the ticket counter, where Yoon Bora was buying tickets for everyone.

While we waited, Raxy Bora leaned over and began poking my cheek.

“Why are you poking me?”

The words came out slurred as my cheek was squeezed.

“Harang, did you know we can get a couple’s discount? Want to be my couple?”

Raxy Bora said with a grin full of mischief.

‘Discount?’

I wasn’t keen on cheating to get a discount, but the idea of being a “couple” was a bit confusing.

After all, there was no official certificate proving we were one.

But, as she suggested, it didn’t hurt to get the discount.

“Okay, Raxy Bora, let’s be a couple,” I said with a mischievous smile.

“Uh, really?”

Raxy Bora looked surprised by my response.

She was the one who suggested it first, so I couldn’t understand why she was acting like that.

“Isn’t it good to pay less?”

“Well, yeah, but…”

Just then, Jinhyang stepped forward, blocking my path.

“Are you two trying to lie to get a discount?”

“If we act like a real couple, it’s not a lie, right?”

My reply earned a playful smile from Jinhyang.

“Not allowed?”

“Nope.”

Reluctantly, I gave up on the discount.

We put on our wristband tickets and waited for the train to the zoo.

While waiting, I recalled Raxy Bora’s earlier comment about needing to take off our shoes before getting on the train.

I quickly glanced down at their footwear.

Jinhyang wore heels.

Yoon Bora had boots.

Raxy Bora had light sandals.

And I had long boots covered in straps.

‘I’m probably going to be the hardest to take off.’

If I waited until the train arrived, I’d delay everyone, so I had no choice but to take them off now.

“Yoon Bora.”

“Yeah?”

“Could you carry me for a moment?”

Without a word, Yoon Bora picked me up. We ended up in an embrace.

‘This way, I can’t take off my shoes.’

Since my legs were longer than my torso, I couldn’t reach my shoes without bending down.

I needed to change our position to get the shoes off.

“Can you turn me around?”

“Like this?”

Yoon Bora rotated my body and lifted me under my chest.

‘This should work.’

This way, I could easily remove my boots without worrying about dirtying my socks.

“Yoon Bora, hold me tightly so I don’t fall, okay?”

“Got it.”

I stretched out my hands and started undoing the straps.

Soon, I had one boot off, then the other. I giggled as I held them in my hands.

Yoon Bora turned me around and gave me another tight hug.

“Harang, why did you take off your shoes?”

“Don’t you know?”

“Huh? Know what?”

Yoon Bora tilted her head in confusion, and I realized I had to explain it to her so she wouldn’t feel embarrassed later.

“At the zoo train, you have to take off your shoes. My boots were hard to get off, so I did it ahead of time.”

“Wait, huh?”

Yoon Bora stared at me as if she couldn’t understand. She furrowed her brows, clearly puzzled.

“Harang, those people are still wearing their shoes.”

“Huh?”

I followed her gaze and saw that the train was indeed approaching, with passengers inside still wearing their shoes.

“Wait a minute!”

I looked at Raxy Bora in a panic, but she was whistling and staring off into the distance, pretending not to notice.

The whistling wasn’t very loud, but her playfulness was crystal clear.

“O…!”

It was only then that I realized I had been tricked by Raxy Bora.

There was no need to take off my shoes at all.