episode_0377

“Ms. Ban Harin.” “Understood.” “Please find Ms. Kang Nari and head to the place I mentioned. As quickly as possible.” “Yes, Eunha. What’s the matter?”

The outstretched fingertips from within the mirror couldn’t reach Yang Soa, who was drowning in sorrow.

So, she decided to voice it instead.

Yang Soa had parted ways with Eunha. After a brief moment, Eunha returned to Ban Harin’s house and asked for help.

“What?” “If you flip your answer backward, it still makes sense. Isn’t that amusing?” “…What.” “My apologies.” “I’ll leave it to you. You’re the only person I can think of right now, Ms. Ban Harin.” “……! Say that again, please.” “Huh…? Sure, whatever…”

Rustle—

She explained the church’s location and what needed to be done. Ban Harin carefully tucked away the recorder she had pulled out and left the house without a sound.

…When had she even taken out the recorder?

“……Now then…”

Eunha, watching Ban Harin’s retreating figure from inside the mirror, gently massaged her throbbing head as she thought of the trembling cotton candy-like creature left alone.

…….

Drip… drip…

The reason Eunha had chosen Kang Nari to remove Yang Soa’s “metal horns”: Without her [Component Replacement] skill, removing the “metal horns” embedded in her head would have been unthinkable.

Screeeech—!! (Grr… Huff…!)

She had tried pulling them out herself.

After leaving Yang Soa, before heading to Ban Harin’s house. Eunha, in the form of “Yang Soa,” attempted to extract her own horns. Yank—! Tug—!

Everything required trial and error.

Since she couldn’t leave the mirror and mere imagination had its limits, she tried to find a way that would cause Yang Soa the least pain.

Squelch!

The conclusion?

Forcing them out or cutting only the protruding parts wouldn’t work. (Hrrgh…!! No… This isn’t working. I need to call someone.)

Clank!

After finally managing to rip out one of the horns, Eunha writhed on the floor for quite some time.

Blood flooded the mirror’s interior, her vision whited out from pain, and her limbs convulsed as if shocked by electricity.

Had it not been for Yang Soa’s body, she wouldn’t have been able to pull them out barehanded.

Spitting out a molar shattered from biting down too hard, she groped at her own head.

The horns embedded in Yang Soa’s skull…

To put it simply, it felt like yanking out a massive screw lodged in her lower molars without anesthesia.

The bone-deep neuralgia persisted long after the horn was removed.

…….

“Ah… sleepy…… Well, at least it feels like a giant blackhead’s been pulled… kinda refreshing…”

Thud.

Finishing her brief recollection, Eunha gazed around the now-empty house before collapsing onto the floor.

Her head felt light.

She had forced herself to endure, but resisting sleep any longer was impossible.

“I’ll be back soon… Hang in there…”

She was glad Ban Harin was here.

Rubbing her half-lidded eyes drowsily, she smiled faintly… before drifting into slumber.

……. …….

“Wow… You’re really fluffy.” “Don’t touch. Only I can hug her.”

And so, at that moment—

In Euncheongu, shrouded in darkness, Kang Nari, the debt-collecting youngest daughter of the [Cheongryong Family], poked the pink-haired fluffball cradled in Ban Harin’s arms with an intrigued gleam in her eyes.

Initially, she had been confused.

She had just finished her shift at the café and was working out at [Euncheon Park] as usual… when Ban Harin suddenly appeared out of nowhere and dragged her away.

(Shh. Don’t move. It’s no fun if you do.) (Hmph…! Hnn…) (Not like you were ever fun to begin with, Ms. Kang Nari. Move if you want.) (Excuse me? You crazy b— Hmph…!)

Caught off guard by Ban Harin’s unexpected attack from behind, Kang Nari stiffened.

And just like that, she was carried like luggage—

Hurried along by the exhausted-looking ‘Mouse’ using her [Speed Control] skill, Kang Nari soon found herself at the church located at the edge of Euncheongu.

“Meow…”

Stretching her sore body after being lugged around like a sack, Kang Nari assessed the woman cradled in Ban Harin’s arms.

Soft, fluffy pink hair cascaded down to her thighs, and jet-black metallic horns peeked out from atop her head like obsidian. She had either lost her clothes somewhere or deliberately covered her pale skin with her own hair… Was she slightly taller than Eunha?

‘…Big.’

Small, yet big.

About half Eunha’s size.

Ban Harin envied the way she could squeezeYang Soa tightly into her lap.

Kang Nari, habitually clenching and unclenching her empty hands, glanced around.

Vroom…

The evening air, now devoid of sunset, hummed with the sound of cars heading home.

A crisp autumn night.

Like any other, a perfect night for a stroll.

“Meow… sheep…”

Perhaps startled by the passing cars, Yang Soa curled up like a hedgehog and frantically clutched the “mirror.”

The reflection showed her own face.

Not someone else—hers, with the same expression.

An ordinary mirror.

She turned her head.

The sound of car engines reached her ears.

The neon signs and streetlights pushed back the darkness.

A world without terrifying monsters.

An ordinary world.

Rustle—

Expressionlessly, Ban Harin swept her fingers over her face before abruptly scooping up the trembling pink hedgehog.

“It’s fine. That debt collector here will keep you safe.” “Excuse me?” “Let’s relocate for now.”

An anomaly approaching those who have opened their eyes.

The dark night.

And so, Ban Harin, provoking Kang Nari at every turn—

ensuring Kang Nari remained aware of her—began to walk.

…….

Thud—

Their destination turned out to be Ban Harin’s house.

Striding into the living room, Ban Harin seated the cotton-candy-like Yang Soa on the sofa.

Meanwhile, Kang Nari, briefed on the task ahead, pulled out a bottle of ‘potion’ from her pocket.

“Since it seems urgent, I’ll keep it short. Using my [Component Replacement] skill, I’ll swap Yang Soa’s ‘horn’ with pure potio… no, [Eungang Potion]. That works, right?” “Correct.”

Fluff…

Buried in her pink hair, Yang Soa averted her gaze.

She still seemed awkward around anyone other than Eunha.

“Meow…”

Plop…

Kang Nari’s hand drew closer.

Yang Soa sank deeper into her fluffy hair, burying herself.

Squelch…

Soon, nothing but the sharp metallic horns protruding from her head remained visible, hidden beneath the voluminous locks.

Like a pill bug.

‘Pure Potion’ in hand, Kang Nari chuckled lightly before touching the ‘metal horn.’

“You really do look soft… But who is she? A friend of yours? Tiny but super mature.” “An A-Rank Hunter who came to kill me.” “Excuse me?!”

A startled yelp.

Curled up, Yang Soa strained her ears to listen from within her hair.

“Eunha picked her up.” “Ohhh~. Well then.”

But the surprise was short-lived.

Nodding in understanding at the ensuing explanation, Kang Nari seemed oddly at ease.

Had she let her guard down?

Unable to withstand her curiosity, Yang Soa peeked out from her hair—

only for Kang Nari, sensing her thoughts, to wave her hands dismissively.

“If Eunha introduced her, she must be a good person.” “……?” “She picked up a basement-dwelling debt collector and a rock-headed humanoid and turned them into functional people, after all.”

Fluff…

The debt collector said this with a happy face.

Could it be called the scent of humanity?

“…….”

Eunha’s acquaintances… really were good people.

Yang Soa slipped out of her hair and sat properly on the sofa.

Blushing faintly, Kang Nari quietly removed her outerwear and draped it over Yang Soa.

“Ahem… Then let’s begin. The potion has pain-relieving properties, but it might still hurt.”

Crackle.

While the two conversed, Ban Harin activated [Observation] to assess Yang Soa’s ‘metal horn.’

Based on her estimate, Kang Nari prepared her [Component Replacement] skill.

“…….” “It’ll be fine.”

And so, the procedure began.

Swallowing the sound of her pounding heart,

Yang Soa tilted her head toward Kang Nari’s approaching hand.

Finally, the object that had tormented her for so long—

The horn would be removed.

She had never imagined this.

Could it really be done?

“Counting to three. One, two…!”

A warm hand touched the horn.

Fluff…

Squeezing her eyes shut, Yang Soa clasped her hands together in prayer toward the ‘mirror.’

……. …….

Clank—!

The crisp sound of cold metal hitting the floor resonated refreshingly.

…….

“…….” “Wow… What the hell is this…?”

There was no pain.

Only an exhilarating sensation unlike anything she’d felt before.

“…….”

The hazy fog obscuring her vision cleared.

The creeping drowsiness receded, replaced by clarity.

Fluff…

Relaxing her tightly clasped hands, Yang Soa lifted her eyelids.

“…….”

Kang Nari stood frozen, staring blankly at the ‘metal horn’ in her grasp.

Ban Harin watched her with an impassive expression.

And reflected in the old ‘mirror’—

A dazed woman’s face.

“…….”

She looked at Kang Nari.

The object placed on the table caught her eye.

Squelch… Grind…

A harpoon-like contraption studded with backward-facing barbs—designed to make forced removal impossible—

even now, freed from her skull, it twitched faintly.

The ‘safety device’ that had suppressed Yang Soa.

A symbol of the guilt she bore toward her precious family.

“This is insane… Who would do something like this…?” “…….”

The ‘safety device’ she had only ever seen through a mirror—

now lay bare before her eyes.

Squelch… Grind…

Whether its grotesqueness killed her appetite or not, Kang Nari hastily covered her mouth and removed the ‘metal horn.’

How could something like this be implanted in a person’s head?

Had she yanked it out recklessly, the backward-facing barbs would have shredded her brain.

Would chunks of flesh—or brain matter—have come tearing out with it?

‘Ugh… But then again, anyone with eyes could tell this thing wasn’t normal. No sane person would try pulling it out barehanded. If anyone did, they’d have to be a complete monster…’

Anyone trying to remove this would either die or end up disabled instantly. No one in their right mind would dare touch it.

With that reassuring thought, Kang Nari pocketed the ‘metal horn’ and the now-empty potion bottle.

“…….”

Swish…

Meanwhile, Yang Soa hesitantly reached up with trembling fingers.

Following Ban Harin’s impassive gaze.

Squelch…

Her fingertips brushed against it.

A horn.

Not the sharp, cold metal—

But one that curled inward, much like how she herself curled up when scared.

Her real horn.

“……Sheep…”

Gazing up at the night sky from the sofa,

she no longer felt pain.

No drowsiness.

No sorrow.

“Meow…”

How could she describe this feeling?

What should she call the tickling in her chest?

Absentmindedly stroking her ‘real horn,’ Yang Soa stared at the old ‘mirror.’

It didn’t hurt.

Her head felt light.

……So this was how it felt to exist without pain.

“Are there any discomforts?” “…….”

Ban Harin, having used [Observation], posed the question.

Deeming no further issues present, she quietly approached Yang Soa and opened her arms.

Kang Nari, too, hurriedly stepped forward and spread her arms wide.

An invitation to embrace freely.

“…….”

She didn’t understand.

The ‘metal horn’ that had tormented her was gone… yet she couldn’t smile.

Her vision blurred again,

and Ban Harin’s face twisted unnaturally.

Drip… drip…

Why was this happening?

She didn’t know.

“……Meow…”

Was it sorrow?

Had the thorny path she’d walked thus far hurt too much?

Even now, faced with a gentle dirt road, did she lack the courage to step forward?

Was that it?

She didn’t know.

“Meow! Meow!”

Fluff…

And so, Yang Soa—

snugly nestled between Ban Harin and Kang Nari—

burst into sorrowful sobs.

“Ack— Oww… These horns keep poking my face… Ouch…” “I should buy some tennis balls.”

Amidst the playful bickering of the two,

Yang Soa cried messily, like a child.

No more pain.

Neither in her head nor her heart.

『…….』

The mirror reflecting the trio smiled drowsily.

……. …….

“By the way, Ms. Yang Soa.” “……Sheep?”

Time flows fastest when it’s gentle.

Around the time the thoroughly drained ‘Mouse’ grumbled her way back to work,

Ban Harin patted the woman in her lap and spoke softly.

Yang Soa, who had been absently scratching Ban Harin’s ribs with her round horns, looked up with puffy eyes.

“Just a thought… If, say, by tomorrow, [Rare Hunter Protection-Eradication Squad] Team 4 were to disappear… would you consider transferring to our team?” “……?” “We’re shorthanded, you see…”

A rather bold employment proposal.

Cradled in Ban Harin’s arms while Kang Nari combed her fluffy hair, Yang Soa pursed her lips.

If Team 4 vanished by tomorrow…

Did that mean Ban Harin planned to fight the ‘Team Leader’?

“Join us, and we’ll even share Eunha’s squishy privileges with you.” “……! Yes…! Please…!”

Fluff! Fluff!

Eyes sparkling, Yang Soa answered immediately.

After all, she had to face the ‘Team Leader’ eventually.

She needed to hear her grandmother’s story.

Overjoyed, her wool-like hair puffed up—prompting Kang Nari, who had been diligently brushing it, to drop the comb in dismay.

“Ah…” “What are you doing?” “All my hard work… gone in an instant…” “Ms. Kang Nari, you always pick the most futile tasks, don’t you?”

Never missing a chance to needle Kang Nari, Ban Harin’s taunting resumed.

An attempt, perhaps, to ease the lingering awkwardness for Yang Soa.

Predictably, Kang Nari snapped back, and soon the two bickered in earnest.

“…….”

Sandwiched between them, Yang Soa’s eyes sparkled.

They seemed so close.

Could she, someday, snuggle up to Eunha like that too?

“Blue-haired debt collector, whose locks undulate like stock market charts. Busy raking in cash with [Eungang Potion], yet still neglecting the debts owed to Eunha?” “T-That money was earned with Eunha’s help…! I’ll repay my debts with my café salary, so mind your own business!” “Seems a shame to discard the ‘heiress debt collector’ persona so soon.” “Ugh, you’re impossible!”

Thud—

Just then—

Amid Ban Harin and Kang Nari’s heated squabble—

The entrance door creaked open as someone stepped inside.

“…….”

First visible through the slowly parting door—

chest larger than her own head.

Soon after, the weary face of a woman draped in an oversized boxy tee came into view.

Dragging a black suitcase behind her—

Eunha, but not quite.

Her aura was different.

“Sheep…!”

Yang Soa sprang up brightly upon seeing her.

“Debt…!”

Kang Nari yelped, stumbling backward.

Of all times for Eunha to show up…

Hopefully, she hadn’t heard—

“…….”

Expressionlessly rising, Ban Harin faced ‘Eunha’ with empty eyes.

Screeech…

The sudden arrival of Eunha—no, the ‘mirror anomaly’ borrowing Eunha’s form.

“……Move aside.” “Understood.”

Without hesitation, Ban Harin turned away, scooping up Kang Nari like luggage and stepping outside.

“Wait, Ban Harin!” “Thank you for your assistance. Since the task is complete, I’ll escort you home.” “You’re leaving me behind with those squishables?! You greedy b—”

Slam.

The door shut.

Leaving only Eunha and Yang Soa.

Fluff… Squirm…

The hushed atmosphere grew stiflingly cold.

Facing Eunha, Yang Soa timidly approached ‘her.’

Eunha.

The person who had helped her.

Someone precious.

“…Eunha unni…” “…….”

A pause.

But soon, no matter how close she got, Yang Soa couldn’t sense the warmth she sought.

Halting two steps away, she froze.

Fluff.

Her thigh-length hair curling protectively around her, Yang Soa peered up at ‘Eunha.’

“……Someone else…?” “Yeah.”

Someone else.

Not the real Eunha.

A fake wearing her face.

“…….”

Why had this imposter come here?

The silent figure clicked her tongue irritably and rubbed her nape.

“………Tch. Hey.” “……?” “Take it.”

‘Eunha’ scoffed before—

reaching into her cleavage and carelessly tossing out a ash-gray ‘hairband’ the same color as Yang Soa’s horns.

Plop…

An ‘X-shaped’ hairband—perhaps what some called a cat-ear headband?

It landed snugly in Yang Soa’s fluffy hair.

“……?” “Keep it. Since it hurt like hell, might as well let the weakling have a souvenir.” “Why… this…?” “If I were the weakling, this is what I’d do.” “……Sheep…?” “Tch. Can’t even speak?” “Meow…” “You’re just as pathetic.”

Poke.

Prodding Yang Soa’s forehead, ‘Eunha’ smirked.

Her corpse-like chill sent shivers down Yang Soa’s spine, making her retreat hastily.

Not human.

Something dangerous—like the ‘things’ from the church.

Screeech…

After briefly eyeing Yang Soa’s fluff, ‘it’ turned away without hesitation.

“Tch… Can’t hug you in the weakling’s place…” “……?” “Hey. Tiny weakling. Wait two days. After that, you can grope or suck her dry all you want.”

Slam—

With those cryptic words, the door closed.

Left alone in someone else’s living room,

Yang Soa absently fiddled with her fluffy locks before picking up the ‘X-shaped hairband.’

Warm.

Had where it was stored made this inevitable?

‘……Not… a bad person?’

A fake wearing Eunha’s face.

A mass of dark resentment.

Yet no malice radiated from it.

Screeech…

Listening to the fading sound of suitcase wheels, Yang Soa pondered.

…….

Seated before the mirror, she reflected.

A noisy, chaotic day.

But from now on—painless days.

A gift from Eunha.

‘Two days later…… Until then, I’ll meet the ‘Team Leader’… and settle everything…’

What she had to do.

Once it was over, could she see Eunha again?

Reunite with the person who had given her light?

‘Eunha unni… When we meet again, I’ll hug you tight, nuzzle your squishiness…’

She couldn’t wait.

Discarding the burdens of the past, she’d step forward unshackled.

Embrace a new beginning.

Plop…

The past no longer haunted her.

The heavy weights pressing on her shoulders fell away one by one.

[Rare Hunter Protection-Eradication Squad] Team 4, A-Rank Hunter.

Seated before the mirror, Yang Soa clasped her hands in prayer.

Now, no ‘safety devices’ remained.

“Meow… sheep…”

Before the mirror, the neatly placed ‘X-shaped hairband.’

Praying for tomorrow to come swiftly,

Yang Soa closed her eyes.