episode_0399

Once upon a time.

Long, long ago.

A tale from a fairy tale of some time.

…….

There lived a witch.

A terrifying witch.

A person who could topple nations with just a single word.

But the world was full of strange people.

One day,

The witch fell in love and bore a child.

“……Who are you?”

From the day you descended into this world,

And the faint sound of a tiny heartbeat first echoed.

The witch began to see strange beings.

Terrifying entities from another world.

Lumps of resentment, piercing through flesh, taking form.

Among them, the largest and darkest monster approached the witch and said:

『Mother, may we slit your belly and take away our star?』

A voice mimicking human weeping.

Trembling in fear, the witch answered honestly.

“Please, spare my child.”

The monster drew closer.

Why was it…?

The monster gently stroked the witch’s belly.

『……Very well. If we take the star now, it would be too small—we’d lose it.』

Leaving behind incomprehensible words,

The monster departed.

…….

Years later.

The mother sat in a rocking chair.

Cradling her newborn, she read a fairy tale.

A beloved child.

Once again, a dark beast approached and spoke.

『Mother, may we cut off your arms and take our star?』

Again, the witch answered honestly.

“Very well. If that is my child’s happiness.”

Why was it…?

The beast gently touched the newborn’s cheek with cold fingers.

『…….』

Without another word, the dark beast vanished.

…….

And so,

Time passed.

The infant became a girl.

One day, as the witch watched the radiant girl,

She finally asked the beast a question.

“Why didn’t you take my child from me? You have sharp fangs, massive claws…”

Then the beast replied:

『Because Mother guards her child.』

『Had you shown even a flicker of fear, had you looked away just once, I would have taken it.』

The beast spoke.

Mimicking human speech.

“……I simply cannot lie.”

『That is what saved you.』

And so, oh sinful witch,

Oh child burdened with inherited resentment,

Our hatreds mirror each other—

Let us make a pact.

“……Very well.”

Sweet words.

A whisper.

And so,

As all fairy-tale witches do,

The witch sold her soul to the devil.

『■’s child, surrounded by beloved ones, ■■■ ■■ ■■■■.』

How splendid, how splendid.

…….

…….

Bang—!!

Late afternoon.

A gunshot echoes through the apartment hallway.

The once-still air turns cold as ice,

A sharpness like icicles grazing past her cheek.

“Haa… haa…”

On her way home from the café, Eunha opens the front door only to reflexively draw her pistol at the sight of ‘Mother’ standing there.

“Are you all right?”

“Uh… yes. Thank you…”

Coming to her senses, Eunha stares blankly at the gun in her hand.

Click—

Light spills from the wide-open unit #904.

The darkened ceiling reflects the shimmering ‘Derringer’ in her grip.

Only because Ban Harin had swiftly grabbed her wrist and forced it upward—

Otherwise, the bullet would’ve pierced Eunha’s skull, freeing her from this world.

(Although even if she had died, she’d just greet [The Black Figure] and return…)

Still, it’d be troublesome for others to see her head burst like a watermelon.

Eunha was a woman of principle, never careless about exposing herself to others.

“Are you having strange thoughts again?”

“Nope.”

“Lower your clothes. ‘Fly’ got startled and flipped them up.”

“It won’t wear out even if someone sees—”

“Eunha.”

A firmer tone than usual.

Eunha obediently pulls down her box tee and averts her gaze.

Drip. Drip.

Blood trickles down her cheek.

A hand wipes it away.

“…….”

Even if Ban Harin hadn’t redirected the muzzle… Eunha would’ve been fine.

“It’s okay, little one.”

Someone grabbed the barrel,

Intercepting the bullet with their own body.

Swish—

A hand with a circular hole wipes the blood from Eunha’s cheek.

“……[Beast]?”

A beast resembling a human.

Eunha murmurs as she recognizes the woman before her.

…….

…….

An eerie presence from next door, #903—occasionally knocking on the walls.

The ‘Mother’ who greeted Eunha at the door was that very entity.

Lately, she’s been wondering if the [Black Book] even mattered… but maybe it didn’t.

The [Beast] next door seemed different from other entities—even if it acted out, as long as it was only toward her, it was fine.

Thinking this, Eunha allowed herself to be led obediently into the living room by [Beast] and Ban Harin.

“……You are [Beast], right?”

“How do I look?”

“Doesn’t suit you.”

Smack!

A holed palm strikes her chest.

Ouch.

Is this how all mothers are?

“……Getting slapped by a holey hand just feels weird.”

“What nonsense.”

Crash—

“Ow! Why’d you pull?!”

“I ensured it wouldn’t feel weird.”

“It hurts, pull gently!”

“…Shouldn’t you ask me to stop?”

“Hungry? Wait a bit.”

Amidst the chaotic bickering between Eunha and Ban Harin,

‘Mother’ smiles warmly and heads to the kitchen.

Whack! Whack!

Eunha, who had been pounding Ban Harin’s sides, glances at ‘that thing’s’ retreating figure.

Honestly, she was stunned.

The first time encountering the [Beast].

Draped in a pristine white apron,

Her raven-black hair neatly braided over one shoulder.

The curve of her smiling lips, her chest larger than her head…

The resemblance to Eunha herself—

And to that woman from her memories.

Like wearing someone else’s skin.

( Slip through the iron bars and run far, far away. )

( Kill us, leave all resentment behind here. )

Just now, the moment she first saw ‘it,’

Her hand moved on its own.

Her mind flooded with thoughts of needing to kill it.

They say words have power.

So she opened her luggage, drew the gun,

Aimed it at ‘its’ heart—

One trigger pull would end it.

“…….”

But in the end,

Because a beast cannot become a human mother.

Because the ‘woman’ before her was ultimately someone else—

Click.

Freed from some ‘suggestion,’

Eunha pointed the barrel at her own head.

Bang—.

Thus, the current situation.

“…….”

[Beast] and Ban Harin remain silent.

Without questioning why Eunha drew the gun,

They quietly guide her to the living room.

“Ban Harin, why were you leaving my place?”

“I was invited.”

“I don’t remember inviting you.”

Eunha glares while wiping blood from her cheek.

On the plush sofa, the two sit side by side.

Baby Pumpkin Bumble shivers in Eunha’s arms.

Tap. Tap.

Her palm gripping the massive chest feels insignificant.

Seems the loud gunshot startled the baby.

With a stifled chuckle, Eunha pats Baby’s back.

Her chest tickles.

So this is maternal instinct.

Rustle—

She turns her head.

Ban Harin, sitting beside her, looks enviously at ‘Fly’ with an odd expression.

“People really don’t listen. I told you not to come to the apartment.”

“Says the one who… Never mind. I was worried. I knew you wouldn’t die.”

“…….”

“I joined Mother for a meal and talked a little. Nothing dangerous.”

Ban Harin rubs her bloated stomach, lifting a spoon as proof.

So she got caught by [Beast] after pointlessly coming here…

No wonder she vanished in the afternoon.

‘Well… If Bangul-yi showed up with lunch saying, ‘Mommy made this for me!’ I’d have stormed in too… But Ban Harin dies for real once.’

Why did she act like she had a ‘next life’?

No idea.

So many thoughts.

Eunha thinks positively.

A trivial incident.

An entity and a human barging into the landlord’s home,

Sharing a meal and conversation,

Before welcoming the homeowner back in the evening.

Is this normal?

“……I won’t worry about Ban Harin anymore.”

Her head hurts.

As Eunha stops thinking, Ban Harin observes her with exaggerated shrugs.

“Eunha. As always, let me say—you really can’t lie.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Despite the exaggerated gestures, her face remains blank—only laughter escapes.

Eunha forces a laugh, rubbing her throbbing temples.

…….

( As clumsy with lies as ever. )

( Clumsy? Me? I’m not that bad at lying. )

( H-How do you know? You’re always smiling, Eunha. )

( It’s obvious. It’s all over your face. )

Words she’s heard since long ago.

Eunha is strangely bad at lying.

No clue why.

She’s always been caught and teased by Eunbyeong or Ban Harin.

“Haa… Whatever. Just don’t get hurt.”

Eunha, who vowed never to worry again,

Heaves a sigh and pats Ban Harin’s shoulder.

“Thank you.”

Meaningless chatter.

Ban Harin’s voice, heard at home after so long.

A warm scent seeps into the bloodstained living room.

……Even this,

Maybe it’s fine sometimes.

“If only the world were full of people like Eunha.”

“Haha, a world where no one can lie… Would be a disaster.”

Clatter—

As the conversation ends, [Beast] returns from the kitchen with dinner.

Salad and some tofu.

A meatless table—for someone’s sake.

Ban Harin’s eyebrow twitches,

As [Beast] watches Eunha with a gentle smile.

“…….”

Eunha stares at the table.

A brief hesitation.

Swish—

Retrieving her newly issued C-rank Hunter license from her pocket,

Someone’s dream flashes in her mind.

( ‘I want to eat meat every day! Not chopped up but whole chunks!’ )

A wish from long ago,

From a childhood too young.

“……[Beast].”

“What is it, little one?”

“Today… I want to eat meat.”

A dream for the future.

Eunha smiles faintly.

Swish—

Placing her ‘Hunter license’ aside on the couch.

“……Very well.”

What emotion laced that voice?

[Beast] returns to the kitchen.

Soon, the strange sound of slicing meat,

The aroma of cooking fills the room.

Clatter—

Returning with a thick slab of meat on a plate—

Crudely charred, as if mimicking human cooking.

It couldn’t even be called a dish.

“Wow… I’ll enjoy it.”

With practiced cheer, Eunha bites into the massive chunk.

Gulp… Gag—

Chewing, grinding,

Suppressing the rising nausea—

……Gulp.

After prolonged torment,

She swallows.

“………It’s… delicious.”

Dreams…

Aren’t all that.

…….

…….

‘Eunha…’

Time passes.

As the peaceful evening deepens, Ban Harin watches Eunha with an unreadable gaze.

“Want more?”

“Cough… Thanks…”

Eunha struggles through the charred slab while ‘Mother’ gazes fondly.

A seemingly warm scene—yet beneath lurks the stifling stench of blood.

Ban Harin activates [Observation], scrutinizing the ‘woman’ across from her.

An entity steeped in dark resentment.

Its core—utterly hollow.

But its shell… its skin,

Belonged to a real human.

Her skill reveals—

Genetically, it resembled Eunha’s own kin.

“…….”

Eunha’s family died long ago.

This was just a monster draped in her dead mother’s skin.

A resentment so grotesquely heavy—

Why play the role of Eunha’s mother?

Ban Harin couldn’t fathom it.

( ‘Kill the rabbit.’ )

Tales upon tales.

Complex narratives.

Ban Harin ponders silently.

Stories of beasts mimicking humans always existed.

How did they end?

Like the tiger mimicking a mother only to fall into a sorghum field,

Like the wolf in the grandmother’s red cloak slain by the hunter—

What awaited this beast’s tale?

……Knowing Eunha,

She’d probably cradle even such a monster in her arms.

A futile thought.

Ban Harin stops dwelling.

After all, she’ll simply follow Eunha’s trail.

For now, she watches—

As Eunha, holding her C-rank Hunter license,

Stubbornly chews meat with joy,

In her home, visited after so long,

With a smile.

Ban Harin silently guards Eunha’s side.

Ding-dong~

Then—

Someone rings the doorbell.

Late-night guest—[The Crimson Lady]?

Gagging, Eunha bolts upright and rushes to the door.

Creak—

“Who is it?”

『Long time no see.』

The door opens.

A lolita-dressed girl lifts her skirt coyly in greeting.

[The Bug Princess].

Now a person who’s found where she belongs.

“Oh— What brings you here so late?”

『…….』

“Huh?”

Standing motionless, [The Bug Princess] shields her eyes with a parasol as always.

What? Here to complain about the noise?

Click-clack—

Baby ‘Fly,’ nestled in Eunha’s arms, wriggles excitedly.

“…What?”

“There’s that thing you always do. Go on.”

That thing…

Eunha obediently sinks to one knee.

Whoosh—

Wham!

Kicked midway by [The Bug Princess], Eunha stumbles back, clutching her chest.

Not this again.

『Have you forgotten my rules?』

“Ah… Is this praise? Want me to praise you?”

『…….』

“Wow, just say so… Cute, just like ‘Fly.’”

Crunch!

Her frail wrist snaps like a twig in the girl’s grip.

A sigh echoes from behind—or was it her imagination?

“Gaaah—!”

『……Congratulations on your Hunter exam. You worked hard this time too.』

Yet even as she speaks,

[The Bug Princess] praises while gripping the broken wrist.

『Thank you for caring for ‘Fly.’ You bring smiles to my subjects.』

“……?”

『I like that about you. Warm and soft—pleasant to hold.』

Praise flows.

Again and again.

Like revisiting ancient grudges,

[The Bug Princess] showers Eunha with stacked compliments.

“…One praise per da—”

『Hmph. Since you spoke, that counts as one. Anyway, I’m here for ‘Fly.’ My business is done—farewell.』

Zoom—

She snatches ‘Fly’ from Eunha’s arms.

Click-clack—

Having been pampered by Grandma at #905 into a plump pumpkin bumblebee,

‘Fly,’ now wary of #903’s Beast Grandma, complies without resistance.

Skitter.

Hiding her flushed face fully behind her lace parasol,

[The Bug Princess] flees back home,

‘Fly’ waving energetically in tow.

Slam—

The door shuts.

Eunha blinks, smiling.

If she was gonna leave anyway, why break my wrist?

Ding-dong~

The bell rings again.

Eunha opens the door.

『Congrats, friend.』

Squeak. Squeak.

The [Doll Girl] from downstairs

Pats Eunha’s ample chest peeking through the door crack,

Then drags a ‘rabbit doll’ borrowed from next door back home.

A bizarre entity waving alongside the plump ‘rabbit doll’ in celebration.

What’s the occasion?

Awkwardly smiling, Eunha shuts the door.

Ding-dong~

Again, the bell.

She Opens it.

『Hoho…』

“Security Uncle? …Why are you holding a hand warmer? Is the guard room’s heating broken?”

『Just passing by after hearing noise. Congratulations on passing the exam, miss.』

The guard, shivering more than usual,

Walks away with a kind smile into the dark hallway.

Creak.

Door shut.

Eunha touches her strangely pounding chest.

‘What? I hadn’t even told the apartment folks I got my C-rank license… Why’s everyone congratulating me?’

Did I cause too much chaos last time?

Preemptive congratulations before I could stir trouble?

Who knows.

“…….”

Hand still on her chest.

Large and soft.

( When ■■ grows up healthy someday… Become a great Hunter everyone admires. )

Thump. Thump.

Why…?

More than the C-rank promotion,

More than grudgingly eating meat,

More than being praised unprompted—

This feeling strikes deeper.

( Become a Hunter who helps those in need… Live loved by many, to make up for this failure of a mother’s love. )

A strange feeling.

Not unpleasant.

For a moment, Eunha holds this heartbeat inside.

“…….”

She turns.

In the living room, an entity and a human watch her.

A home once filled with blood.

Where even breathing felt suffocating.

Yet now… just a little,

It feels like home.

“…….”

Eunha lowers her lips.

Erasing her perpetual smile,

Replacing it with a natural one.

A tiny change.

“Sweetheart. Come eat.”

“……Coming.”

Only now has Eunha truly returned home.

With light steps, she joins the living room.

Skitter—

An afternoon like any other.

Thus ends the first day of C-rank Hunter Eunha.