Training (1)

When I stated my intention to attend the conference, the director adamantly refused, saying it was “absolutely not allowed”.

That he could not guarantee my safety,

And I might encounter grave peril by recklessly going to Seoul, so I should just wait here.

Naturally,

I paid no heed to the director’s words.

I had already resolved to journey to Seoul, after all.

How could I pass up sightseeing in Seoul?

When I threatened that if he did not take me, I would sneak along regardless, the director sighed and said:

“Very well, do as you wish. But there is one condition.”

“Let’s hear it.”

“No matter what happens, you must not use yogi in Seoul. Absolutely not.”

According to the director, Seoul was historically a yokai-free sanctuary that had never once been infiltrated by yokai.

Using yogi in such a place would undoubtedly cause a national uproar, hence his earnest request for me to abstain.

“That’s easy enough. I just need to maintain my spiritual beast state.”

“…Easy to say. But how do you intend to control your charm? Do you have a plan?”

“Ah.”

“Ms. Miho, your charm is more potent than you realize. What will you do if men constantly approach and address you as you walk by?”

“Um…”

I was rendered speechless.

Well now,

How should I handle that?

Should I firmly reject them with ‘No’, ‘I cannot’, ‘Please do not’?

Or purchase a ring and lie that I am married?

It was the way of the realm to avoid married women, was it not?

If I claimed to have a child, would they leave me be?

“…”

Yet that was unlikely.

As the director said, the power of my charm was potent beyond imagination –

Understandable, since it had evolved for the purpose of absorbing the vitality of human males.

To facilitate effective vitality absorption, it inevitably rendered me alluring to men.

Of course,

It was an ability entirely unnecessary for me.

Seeing my silence, the director let out a sigh and said:

“We depart for Seoul tomorrow. Find a countermeasure for your charm by today and report back to me, Ms. Miho.”

“A, and if I cannot find a countermeasure…?”

“Then you will have to remain here. This is something I cannot budge on.”

“…”

The director’s words were reasonable, so I agreed.

Psh, no problem.

If I undergo rigorous training today, I will find a solution.

As I always have.

In that vein,

I addressed the two observing the situation:

“Please train me.”

For today,

Let’s have a proper mutt training session.

…Of course, the ‘mutt’ in question was me.

---

In truth,

If I were simply attending the conference, there would be no need for training at all.

I could just obediently enter a pet carrier and have a black cloth draped over it to conceal my appearance from civilians.

However,

Since this was my first Seoul outing in so long, I absolutely did not want to be confined in a carrier the entire time.

I wanted to visit a PC bang,

Go to a noraebang,

Dine at famous restaurants.

Since I was going, I wished to thoroughly enjoy everything before returning.

Needless to say, roaming Seoul in an unshapeshifted state was impossible.

Just the appearance of a white fox in the city center would cause a public stir, let alone if it had seven tails –

Anyone would identify that as a yokai.

While shapeshifting did not make the tails disappear, claiming it was cosplay and carrying a bag could provide some plausible deniability to an extent.

This method had worked when I previously visited Busan – claiming cosplay was accepted without issue.

Even when on the train,

Had I not barked while gnawing dog treats and wagging my tails,

I likely could have passed it off to Ho Joon too.

Yes,

That was the issue.

More pressing than my charm was another matter requiring resolution:

Instinct.

To avoid being discovered by people, I absolutely needed to train in suppressing my instincts.

Come to think of it, the reason Ho Joon had recognized my true nature was entirely due to those very instincts.

If I had eaten beef jerky instead of dog treats,

And made human moans rather than barks, he would not have realized.

In that sense,

Training Regimen #1:

Mastering Instincts.

Lee Ha-neul was in charge of this first training.

Lee Ha-neul and I headed to the front yard of the Yokai Extermination Office, where staff members – male and female alike – gathered to observe our training session,

Even munching on popcorn.

…It was somewhat embarrassing, but if I did not train properly now, I would likely face even greater humiliation in Seoul.

Lee Ha-neul seemed equally burdened by their gazes, as she scratched her head and said:

“I did say I would help train you… but how should we go about it?”

“Have you ever owned a dog before?”

“Yes, I have.”

“Then just think of training me like training a dog.”

Not self-deprecation, but

Having fully unleashed my instincts, I was quite literally a beast,

So dog training methods would likely prove rather effective.

Convinced by my words, Lee Ha-neul soon procured a dog leash from somewhere…

Huh?

“Let’s start with putting this on…”

“…I’ll have to decline that part.”

“Why? It’s so important to put a leash on dogs.”

“I’m not going to bite anyone!”

“You did bite Ho Joon.”

“Th, that was just because that debauched fool was being obnoxious… Ah, nevermind, absolutely no dog leash!”

“Tch.”

Why did she seem so disappointed?

Putting a leash on an intellectual like me was simply ludicrous.

Soon after, the instinct suppression training began.

“Now, Miho. Paw.”

“…”

“Give me your paw. If not your paw, your tail is fine too. Ah, let’s try that? Miho, do a trick! Do a trick!”

“Over here.”

“A trick! Paw! Foot! Tail!”

“…Ms. Ha-neul. Don’t fool around.”

“C, caught me! Ehehe… Sorry.”

Nevermind.

We hadn’t even started yet.

This was just literal mutt training, not instinct training.

The training I meant was about

Suppressing the instincts of a canine beast, specifically.

For example:

“Miho, fetch!”

Yes,

Like that.

When Lee Ha-neul tossed a baseball, I moved ‘instinctively’.

I’m not entirely sure why, but

When she threw the ball, I simply felt compelled to fetch it.

“Huff huff huff. I fetched it.”

“…Then you failed.”

“Ah.”

Upon Lee Ha-neul’s words, I finally realized my actions.

First,

I had walked on all fours,

Despite shapeshifting as an upright human.

That alone was a training failure to start.

I had even fetched the baseball with my mouth.

Why not use my hands?

No, my ‘hands’ were actually paws, without any proper hands.

Of course I had to use my mouth.

Feeling an indescribable sense of shame, I spoke in a small voice:

“…Again.”

“U, um… Miho, fetch!”

“Huff huff huff huff.”

Once more, I acted ‘instinctively’,

But it was only after throwing the baseball some ten or twenty times that I could finally suppress my instincts.

Lee Ha-neul observed me with a conflicted look and said:

“This is tougher than I thought… Your condition is really quite serious, isn’t it?”

“…I suppose so.”

“We, well, let’s stay positive! At least the training seems to be working to some degree.”

“…”

Yes,

The training was progressing, but

From my perspective of having to resist my instincts, it was torturous.

I was going mad with the urge to fetch that baseball.

“Next, we’ll practice resisting food.”

Rustle rustle.

Lee Ha-neul then began taking something out of her pocket –

Dog treats.

“Okay, I’ll place them on my palm like this, so don’t eat them, just wait…”

“Huff huff, woof, woof, woof!”

Slurp slurp.

Slurp slurp slurp.

“I said don’t eat them! Wait, just wait…”

Lick lick.

Lick lick.

“Ah, that tickles! Stop licking me and eat the treats!”

Lick lick lick.

After eagerly devouring the treats from Lee Ha-neul’s palm, I continued licking her palm several more times before regaining my senses.

“…”

“…”

Lee Ha-neul and I briefly stared at each other in silence.

It seemed we had both realized then –

This training would be arduous.

---

At present, Lee Ha-neul was feeling quite perplexed.

The more she trained Miho,

The more cognitive dissonance she experienced over how to treat her –

As a human,

Or as a beast? She was growing increasingly confused.

‘Her outward appearance is undoubtedly human, yet her every action is that of…’

A beast.

A dog, specifically.

The sight of a stunningly beautiful woman with breasts several times larger than her own, crawling about on all fours and panting…

Even for Lee Ha-neul as a fellow woman, it was an unsettlingly lewd scene.

‘Was it because she was a vitality-absorbing fox yokai?’

Each of Miho’s actions seemed unnaturally lascivious.

She had not felt that way even when Miho had three…no, six tails.

Likely, this was all due to that accursed ‘Charm’ ability, Lee Ha-neul thought.

With each training session, Miho showed gradual improvement.

When Lee Ha-neul placed treats on her palm and commanded “Wait!”,

Miho would drool profusely, but no longer lick her hand outright.

This alone was remarkable progress, yet

It still felt quite awkward to call Miho ‘human’.

The conclusion:

To suppress Miho’s instincts,

A handler…no,

Someone needed to constantly stay by her side.

“…”

“What is it?”

“No, you’re just really doglike all of a sudden.”

“Is that a compliment?”

“Of course not.”

In all seriousness,

Lee Ha-neul began to consider that putting an actual dog leash on Miho might be preferable after all.