episode_0361

This is the world inside a mirror. A village without a single comfortable place to sit. …… We faced each other as if reflected in a mirror. Identical twins. But upon closer inspection, so much was different. Personality. Talent. Popularity. Like a mirror’s reversed reflection, Only our outward appearances clumsily matched.

“I got scolded by my parents for hitting my little sister. I’m so upset.”

One day, a school friend said that. Words spoken to a friend slumped over their desk, sniffling. ‘You’ and ‘I’ responded in order like this:

“I see.” “Why did you do that?”

Was this the natural outcome? The friend preferred ‘you’. And I— Lingering behind the ‘kind you’— Was the ‘cold, stupid one’.

“If only I could be like my sister’s class…” “The older sister is first place, but the younger one is dead last.”

Twin sisters. Opposite at the core. I fell behind in everything. Personality, athletics, talent… Everything. Even the order we were born in.

“It’s okay. You can do it. I’ll help you.” “…No thanks. Focus on your own stuff.”

Someone once said— That in life, you don’t need to compare yourself to others. You just have to do your best.

But what if someone who looked exactly like you— Was better at everything than you? What if you had to live your whole life beside that person?

Then… What was I even supposed to do? Why was I even born? I didn’t understand anything.

“……It’s okay.”

But ‘you’ were kind to everyone. Unlike me, who had no place to belong, You opened your heart even to a sister who only complained, generously offering your own spot.

“Did you know? With twins, the one born later is actually the older sister.” “……” “So… if you’ll allow me…”

Was it because I pitied you? ‘You’— When we were alone, Would sometimes call me the older sister.

‘……Me? The older sister?’

The twin who had everything. The twin without a place in the world. What if our positions had been reversed? If that had been my place— Would I have been happy?

I was jealous. ……

Stagger!

“Ah…!”

That was why. One day, while descending the stairs at school— Watching ‘you’ suddenly lose balance from dizziness, Tumbling down the steps— I laughed without thinking.

‘You’ just stretched out your hand toward me with empty eyes. …… ……

Snatch!

And then— I grabbed ‘your’ falling hand. Because if ‘you’, who had everything, disappeared— Then ‘I’ would truly have nothing left.

Not jealousy. Not resentment. Because I was just a clumsy ‘me’. Because I’d lived only watching ‘you’.

“……Sis… your hand…” “Still. You’re just as clumsy.”

Thud!

I caught ‘you’ as you fell. My wrist got hurt. Hearing the commotion, friends crowded around and stared at us.

“Older sister? Did the younger one cause trouble again?” “The older sister caught the younger one when she fell.” “Why bother catching an idiot like that? Now the older sister’s hurt.”

There was no place here for ‘me’. Even if we looked the same, ‘I’ couldn’t become ‘you’.

I decided to give up.

“……Let’s go, little sis.” “Wai…”

Hiding my swollen wrist, I led ‘you’, who stared at me emptily, away from the scene. …… ……

This is the world inside a mirror. A village where mirror-perfect twins live.

“Sis… Hey, want to play a little prank together?” “What prank?”

That night— After returning home, ‘you’ spoke to ‘me’ while I was bathing. Your skin was soft as you approached, saying we hadn’t bathed together in so long.

“We’re twins… Let’s swap roles.” “……” “Tomorrow, you’ll be me, and I’ll be you.”

In the end— ‘You’ were trying to take even my place. ……

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

October 4. 5:00 PM.

Rabbit’s Café.

“Oooooh…!”

Eunha let out an impressed breath as she gazed at the cabinet mirror. Reflected in it was the face of Bana Harin, a regular customer. An eyepatch covering the ‘right eye’, a black suit, And a ‘cross-shaped hairpin’ securing her bangs. Apart from the left-right reversal like a mirror and the ever-present smile at the corner of her mouth— It was unmistakably Bana Harin.

“My body feels light.”

She had thought about taking a break for Harin, who had been resting at home for days. She just wanted to help with her work. And then—her appearance changed.

Was this the ability of a grotesque?

Eunha touched her face for a long moment. Then, she slowly looked down at her body. Was the strangest sight seeing her own feet? Her body kept tilting back from the unfamiliar center of gravity. Her eye level was slightly higher, her limbs longer—a body fit for modeling. Beneath the black suit, she could feel toned, lean muscles. Was a body without excess fat this light? For Eunha, whose body lacked fat but not firmness, this lightness was utterly foreign.

Rustle… rustle…

Curious, she removed the eyepatch hiding her ‘right eye’—only to discover writhing eyeballs beneath and promptly put it back.

Eunha, who had been patting her firm thighs, bounced in place experimentally.

Comfortable. Stable.

Humans can jump this comfortably, huh?

“Oooooh…!”

She twisted her body left and right. Comfortable. Stable.

She turned—nothing bumped into her. She didn’t even need to adjust her balance. So this is what a proper body feels like.

Eunha stared at the mirror with satisfaction.

‘This is nice…’

The only uncomfortable thing was the undergarments hugging her chest inside the shirt. The unfamiliar garment was stifling. No need to wear these even if I return to my original body, she decided with a frown.

Finishing her self-inspection, ‘Harin’ turned back to the mirror.

“Disposable Mirror. Is this your doing?”

She spoke to the mirror. No answer returned. ……

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 6. Long baths may harm your health. – Bathing aids fatigue recovery and blood circulation. – However, baths exceeding 30 minutes should be avoided. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Eunha felt something was off. The grotesque reflected in the mirror. Yet, its rules weren’t tied to ‘mirrors’.

‘Now that I think about it… Disposable Mirror appears in all kinds of mirrors, not just bathroom ones.’

Why baths? Why mirrors? What grudge was behind this?

She still didn’t know.

“Disposable Mirror.”

Still no answer. Only ‘Harin’s’ smiling face stared back.

Scratching her neck awkwardly, Eunha mindlessly closed the cabinet.

Squeak—!!

In that instant, the cabinet crumpled like clay under her grip.

Startled, Eunha staggered back and looked down at her palm.

It was ‘Harin’s’ hand. The complete opposite of someone’s soft fists—a palm calloused and rough.

“……”

Creak! Grind!

She reached toward the crumpled cabinet. Testing it, she pressed hard—the cabinet groaned and dented further like putty.

“So this is what a Hunter’s like…”

Now she understood. Her nickname ‘Soft Fist’ wasn’t just for show.

Hop!

Then, hearing the noise, Eunbyeol rushed into the lounge.

“Eunha unnie! What was that sou—”

And then—the rabbit girl saw it. Eunha’s cabinet, crumpled like dough under a palm, And ‘Harin’ standing frozen, staring at her with that languid little smile.

“……”

Flick…? Flick…?

Eunbyeol’s snow-white rabbit ears perked like question marks—

Twitch!

Then, as if grasping the situation, she beamed and stepped inside.

“Aigoo, Harin unnie! Even if you love Eunha unnie so much, you can’t just open her cabinet like this again!”

“Huh? Wha—”

“Trying to swap her shirts with new ones this time?”

“Wha—”

Smack smack!

Her voice brimming with mischief, Eunbyeol padded over and tapped ‘Harin’s’ chest.

Hug!

Then, with her short arms, she pulled ‘Harin’ close, burying her face into the firm stomach and exhaling.

‘Was I found out immediately?’

A headache formed—how could she explain this?

Eunha quietly wrapped her arms around the girl clinging to her.

Twitch!

At that, the rabbit’s ears shot upright, then drooped limp with contentment.

“Haa…”

“……Byeol-ah?”

“The bread’s gone from the bread bin…”

A faint mutter. For some reason, it irked her.

Creaaak.

She grabbed the twitching ears in both hands and tugged.

Eunbyeol giggled and squirmed free from ‘Harin’s’ embrace.

“Hehe… Feeling okay?”

“……Ah, yeah. I’m fi— No, I’m alright. Ms. Eunbyeol.”

Eunha—now ‘Harin’-ized—fumbled to adjust. If questioned, she had no excuse or composure to explain. Late as it was, she fixed her expression and mimicked Harin’s speech as best she could.

“Thanks to you, the Eunha unnie I love so much was worried sick! She’s been looking troubled lately too…”

“My apologies. I’ll be more careful.”

“Promise? The Eunha unnie I love soooo much—the one I love most in the world—was worried, you know?”

Black as tar, her eyes reflected no light.

Eunbyeol’s pitch-black pupils, devoid of focus, locked onto ‘Eunha’. Her sunny smile carried a teasing warmth.

Twitch. Twitch.

‘Harin’ maintained a blank face—though her lips kept twitching upward.

Eunbyeol’s ears flicked left and right, pleased.

“Go to [Euncheon Park].”

“The… park?”

“After the café, Harin unnie always goes there with Kang Nari. Behind Eunha unnie’s back.”

Was that all she wanted to say?

Promising to fix the broken cabinet herself, Eunbyeol twirled and hopped out of the lounge.

Alone again, ‘Harin’ exhaled, loosening a few buttons of her suit like she couldn’t breathe.

“……Well. All’s well that ends well?”

She chose to think positively.

This changed appearance—the grotesque’s ability. No clue when it’d revert. No idea how.

So… why not live as Harin for a day?

( Go to [Euncheon Park]. ) ( After the café, she always goes there with Kang Nari. Behind Eunha unnie’s back. )

Enjoying her light body, stepping in for the resting Harin— She’d just take a short walk at [Euncheon Park], then return.

‘Hang in there. Even our Byeol was fooled.’

Who knows?

Maybe the grotesques from the [Black Book] would mistake her for Harin and approach.

“Mmm-hmm~”

Her worries were brief. It’ll work out. What could go wrong in one day?

Rustle~ rustle~

And so, ‘Harin’—with a content smile—left the café for [Euncheon Park]. …… ……

“……Was that Eunha do-ryeo just now?” “Yep.”

A while after Eunha left—

Kim Sarang, diligently wiping tables, glared at the ‘Harin’ who just exited and spoke. Her eyes brimmed with curiosity.

Though the face was Harin’s, and the famously large chest was missing— Every languid smile and soft gesture was unmistakably Eunha.

Beast-like intuition.

At the beastly girl’s question, Eunbyeol—cradling ‘Eunha’s carrier’ by the counter—nodded.

Eunha’s carrier. Left behind on purpose for her impersonation? So like her—soft in body and heart.

“Hmm… Body-swapping arts? To master such a niche skill—truly, the scabbard of a master.” “Yeah.” “Aren’t you curious, guild master? How Eunha do-ryeo learned such a…” “It’s none of our business.”

Twitch!

Setting the carrier down gently, the rabbit girl looked at Sarang.

“……Guild master figured it out immediately.” “Fakes are obvious at a glance.”

The café owner—

A rabbit girl who treasured Eunha.

Within her tar-black eyes lurked unspoken emotions.

Flinch.

Without realizing, Sarang touched the sword at her waist.

“I just… want Eunha unnie to smile when she looks at me.”

She remembered—

Earlier, hearing the noise and opening the lounge door— ‘Eunha’ had worn an unmistakably troubled expression.

Even if their appearances matched, ‘Eunha’ could never be ‘Harin’.

But she didn’t want to trouble her. That was all.

“And… this might be the only chance for Eunha unnie to learn about Harin.” “Huh?” “Harin unnie’s a liar. She’d never tell Eunha unnie anything that might hurt her.” “Mmm… Understood. I have no idea what you mean.”

Nodding, Sarang sheathed her sword.

And so, peace returned to the café. Preparations began to quietly close for the day.

After the promotion exam—days of tranquility. May Eunha, too, find peace.

Ding~♪

Then—Guild Master Kim Hayang entered to pick up her part-timer.

“Welcome, Your Highness!” “Mm. More importantly, Sarang. I saw Eunha-ssi on the way.” “Yeah?” “Her chest was gone. Did she run out of milk coffee today?”

Hayang, eyes firmly shut, approached the counter. Maybe to order.

“Mm…”

She looked up at the café menu—

“……?”

And frowned.

Kim Hayang was stunned.

“What happened, Your Highness?” “I can’t see.” “Open your eyes.” “……Ah.”

She opened them.

The menu was visible.

Good.

…… ……

“Mmm-hmm~”

5:10 PM. On the way to [Euncheon Park].

A light body lifting a heavy heart—this turning-afternoon felt weightless.

Eunha—no, ‘Harin’—walked with the setting autumn sun at her back.

Hopping along the sidewalk, Carefully crossing streets while glancing left and right, She headed for the park.

Occasionally, passersby gave her fleeting glances, but compared to usual commutes, the stares halved.

“Hi~” “SQUEEAK!!”

Waving at a passing puppy, she startled the poor thing into flattening on the ground.

Did it see a ghost?

Apologizing hastily, ‘Harin’ moved on.

Oddly, Eunha was in high spirits today. Just the lightness of her body lifted her mood.

‘This is nice… Can I change into someone else too?’

Swish~ swish~

How long had she walked toward [Euncheon Park]?

Poof~

Suddenly—

A woman hidden around the corner fluffed her cotton-candy pink hair and stepped out.

Under the fading light, her obsidian horns gleamed. Half-lidded sleepy eyes fixed on ‘Harin’.

“……Senior Harin… Long time…” “Senior…?”

Was that the meaning?

Stopping, ‘Harin’ studied the puff-ball ‘pink sheep’.

So Harin knew people outside the café too.

The thought real Harin would’ve clutched her chest in pain over crossed her mind briefly.

‘For now… I gotta act like Harin.’

Someone typically expressionless despite erratic tendencies— Short, clipped responses should minimize risk of exposure.

‘Field Mouse’ aside—this was Harin’s colleague.

‘Harin’ forced her lips down into neutrality.

“……Can I help you?” “Work stuff… Our team leader said? Starting now, we’re handling Senior’s assignments…”

Poof… poof…

Hair fluffy as lamb’s wool, reaching her thighs—slightly taller than Eunbyeol.

She led ‘Harin’ into a secluded alley, then bowed.

“It’s work… So I’ll introduce myself properly, Senior… [Rare Hunter Protection-Elimination Division] Team 4 member… A-Rank Hunter ‘Yang Soa’.” “Rare Hunter…” “Came ‘cause I gotta tell Senior something…”

Poof…

Rubbing her sleepy eyes, Yang Soa tilted her head at ‘Harin’s’ twitching lips. Her obsidian horns scraped the alley’s lamppost lazily like she might doze off any second. ……

“Our team leader found out… That [Everblade Faction] folks are getting close with the ‘Rare Hunter’ Senior’s in charge of…” “……” “Senior knows too…… If a ‘Rare Hunter’ leaves the association’s reach… We kill them. Or we die.”

A task started with light intentions.

Harin—unseen for days.

Eunha—in ‘Harin’s’ form.

“……Is that so?”

Listening to Soa’s sudden revelation, She realized—

October’s peace was over.

“Yaaawn… I just… wanna sleep… ‘New director’ says we gotta kill Senior.” “……Let’s walk and talk.” “Huh?… Okay… You’ll die for me if I tell you…?” “Depends.”

Her head spun.

Maintaining Harin’s usual languid smile, ‘Harin’ walked toward [Euncheon Park] with the puff-ball Yang Soa.