What the

What the

 

“It’s my first time seeing pizza. It looks exactly like the sun.”

Yuna’s first impression of pizza was that it looked exactly like the sun in the sky.

Indeed, as Yuna said, the shape and color were so similar that it looked alike at a glance.

As I nodded in agreement, Seo-rin, trying to hold back her laughter, vigorously patted both Yuna’s and my head at the same time.

“I see, it does look like the sun. Oh, what should I do, you kids are so cute? I really want to bite you because you’re so adorable, really.”

The moment Seo-rin said she wanted to bite, Yuna froze for a second.

Then she fidgeted and stood in front of me, acting as if to protect me from Seo-rin, and said.

“I don’t want to. Yuna and Ha-eun don’t taste good.”

Though she looks calm, I notice her fingertips trembling, revealing that this situation is actually quite frightening for her.

I tried to calm Yuna down to let her know that Seo-rin’s words were just a joke.

But Yuna seemed fixated on the idea that she needed to protect me from Seo-rin, and continued to block her.

“It’s a joke, just a joke. Yuna, try some pizza. It’s your sister’s favorite, and you’ll probably like it too.”

Seo-rin, realizing her joke had gone too far, tried to quickly smooth things over.

But seeing Yuna’s firm refusal, she looked at me with a flustered expression, seemingly realizing the gravity of the situation.

As I was pondering what to do about Seo-rin’s predicament.

I noticed Chae-a, who was drooling slightly beside us, staring blankly at the pizza, then looking at us with a goofy smile, waiting patiently while eyeing the pizza.

‘She seems to really want to eat it.’

It looked like she was waiting for us and couldn’t eat the pizza yet.

Feeling the need to quickly calm Yuna down, I tried to pick her up and tell her it was okay.

“……”

But maybe because I was too weak.

Even lifting her slightly was a struggle.

When I hugged Yuna from behind, she seemed a bit surprised, her eyes widening, but then she smiled faintly and started patting my head vigorously.

“Ha-eun hugged me.”

She seems to have mistaken my attempt to lift her for a hug.

I was about to say that wasn’t the case, but when I noticed the fierce aura emanating from Yuna had disappeared, I kept my mouth shut.

Whatever happened, I had achieved my intended goal.

Anyway, thinking the situation was resolved, I was about to suggest we start eating the pizza.

Ha-eun, before that, Yuna clings to my side and starts asking me various questions in a triumphant voice.

“Do you want to hug your sister like that? Yuna likes Ha-eun too, so you can hug me as much as you want. You know that, right?”

“… Yeah.”

“Good girl.”

Yuna pats my head again and smiles brightly.

Seeing Yuna’s behavior, I hesitate for a moment, then nod my head a few times as if giving up, and calmly turn my gaze away.

*

One way or another, we ended up eating the pizza that Seo-rin had cut for us.

Seo-rin seemed to feel sorry for playing a trick on Yuna, so she gave her an extra slice of pizza and winked at her, but.

“… I hate you.”

Yuna turned her face away abruptly and just stuffed her mouth full of pizza.

As I was watching this and trying to read the situation.

Chae-a, who was next to me, smiled brightly and gave her review of the pizza.

“It’s like a delicious bouncy ball…!”

Bouncy ball?

As I blinked my eyes at this completely unexpected comment.

Chae-a explained why she called it a bouncy ball.

“Look at this? It’s all bouncy!”

She showed how the cheese wouldn’t break easily and kept wobbling.

Then she lifted her face up and shook her head vigorously from side to side.

As I was staring at her, thinking she looked like a puppy, Seo-rin cut the cheese for Chae-a and said to her.

“I’ll cut it for you, sis. If it’s too long, just tell me, okay?”

Chae-a mumbles and nods her head quickly.

I think she looks a lot like a hamster, maybe because she’s wearing squirrel pajamas, and I’m giggling.

Yuna, who was next to me, wipes the sauce off my mouth with a wet wipe and says to me.

“There’s some here.”

I wonder when it got there.

I’m feeling embarrassed, thinking that it probably got smeared when I was trying to put the pizza in my mouth since it was bigger than my face.

Yuna, on the other hand, seems to like it and starts wagging her tail from side to side.

‘It’s embarrassing, but it’s nice that it’s peaceful.’

Thinking that I wish this peace would continue, I smile brightly and look at Seo-rin.

* * *

About an hour after eating pizza.

I noticed many adults, including Han A-rin, walking down the hallway with tired faces.

As soon as I saw this, I felt strangely happy to see Han A-rin, so I wagged my tail quickly and ran towards her.

“Ha-eun…!”

I see Han A-rin’s extremely happy expression.

I’m making eye contact with Han A-rin and smiling brightly, when a hunter next to her jokingly says.

“What’s this? Is it okay for a baby to be wandering around at night like this?”

Hearing the playful voice, I look to the side.

I can feel a slightly mischievous-looking woman holding a bag of potato chips and staring at me.

She has something like tattoos and looks really scary, so I’m feeling scared and shrinking back, but Han A-rin glares at her and sighs.

“Don’t do that, Ha-eun is scared.”

To be honest, given her appearance, I thought she would brush off that kind of teasing without much reaction.

Unexpectedly, it seemed to have a psychological impact as she made a very hurt expression while talking to Han A-rin.

“S-scared? Really…?”

Seeing that reaction, my fear disappeared and I felt a strange sense of familiarity(?).

Maybe because of that, I felt a growing desire to be nice to her, so I gathered a bit of courage and waved to the scary-looking woman while saying.

“H-hello there.”

The moment I greeted her, her expression visibly brightened and she smiled cheerfully.

As I stared blankly at the shark-like teeth visible in her mouth, thinking that such teeth actually exist in reality.

She waved at me and introduced herself.

“I’m Seong Na-yeon. I have healing abilities just like you, Ha-eun.”

My eyes widened at the mention of healing abilities.

After all, I’ve wanted to ask about healing abilities all this time, but since people with healing abilities are so rare.

I never had the chance to ask various questions.

‘And somehow I feel a sense of familiarity!’

It’s like meeting someone from your neighborhood while on a trip, I suppose?

While thinking that I’m feeling an unusually strong sense of familiarity for no apparent reason, I was wagging my tail vigorously.

Seong Na-yeon smiled at me, then gently poked my hand and said.

“Hey! If you have any questions, feel free to come ask me anytime. I might not tell others, but I’ll tell you anything, Ha-eun!”

“Thank you!”

“Yes, that’s right!”

She seems to be a really nice person.

I’m looking at Seong Na-yeon with sparkling eyes, and seeing my gaze, Na-yeon hesitates for a moment before making a request.

“Um, in that sense, can I ask for one thing?”

Wondering what it could be, I tilt my head, and Na-yeon points at my tail while clearing her throat.

“Can I touch your tail just once?”

At those words, I tried to turn around to look at my tail.

But because the tail moved to the opposite side, I can’t see it well.

Realizing this, I think I might be able to see it if I turn a bit more, so I keep spinning clockwise, when Na-yeon falls to the floor and starts coughing.

“…?”

I’m confused, wondering what’s wrong.

Na-yeon waves her hand as if it’s nothing and says.

“Ah, it’s nothing.”

If that’s the case, then that’s good.

I nod and briefly play a game of tag with my tail again, and after an intense psychological battle(?), I succeed in catching my tail.

The tail, seemingly upset about losing to me, trembles a bit in rebellion.

But since the loser’s opinion doesn’t matter, I smile and hold out my tail to Na-yeon.

“Here it is.”

“Huh?”

Na-yeon, perhaps not believing I would actually let her touch my tail, looks at me with a very surprised expression.

Then, she carefully reaches out and gently strokes my tail.

‘Something feels ticklish.’

While I was feeling a bit embarrassed thinking the sensation was strange.

Han A-rin, who was next to me, hurriedly picked me up and pushed Seong Na-yeon away, saying.

“Sorry, but only I can touch Ha-eun’s tail.”

“…?”

As I was dangling in confusion.

Seong Na-yeon looked at Han A-rin and smiled meaningfully, replying briefly.

“I’ve already touched it, so what are you going to do?”

“You!”

I don’t really understand why they’re fighting.

As I was blankly being held by Han A-rin, lost in thought, Chae-a and Yuna, who had arrived late, looked up at me and said.

“We found Ha-eun!”

It seems they were looking for me.

As I was waving to Chae-a and Yuna who came to find me, Han A-rin speaks to Seong Na-yeon in a resentful voice.

“I’ll never forget this.”

“What can I do? I’m going to remember it for the rest of my life.”

“Fine, live with that memory for the rest of your life. I’m going to touch Ha-eun’s tail now.”

Feeling that they would continue to fight if this went on, I hesitantly tried to stop their argument.

“You, you shouldn’t fight.”

At my words, the two stopped fighting as if it had been rehearsed.

Then they smiled forcedly and spoke to me.

“F-fought? Ha-eun unnie never fought. Well, you can only fight someone who’s on your level, right?”

“Level? Hey, pock… Why don’t you check your pocket? I have some potato chips in mine.”

Seong Na-yeon, seemingly not wanting to curse in front of me, quickly changes her words and smiles awkwardly.

I decide to pretend I didn’t notice for Na-yeon’s sake, but while I’m watching this…

Chae-a, who was below, heard this and pointed to her own pocket with a very sparkling expression, saying:

“Chae-a also has food in pocket!”

At the mention of food, all the adults’ attention turns to Chae-a.

Well, when you put food in your pocket, the inside is bound to be filled with chaos and alien life forms (or maybe not).

Realizing this fact, the Spirit User Uncle nearby thought for a moment and then said to Han A-rin:

“We should probably check Chae-a’s pocket, right?”