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Chapter 46
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“Workout clothes… workout clothes, huh.”
After taking public transportation back home,
I had dinner with Si-yoon as usual and then sat down on the sofa.
While absentmindedly watching the TV that Si-yoon had turned on,
My mind was filled with other thoughts.
The students I saw at the training field wearing workout clothes during practice.
Wouldn’t it be convenient for me to get one too, for dungeon explorations or something?
Unlike other hunters who carry functional combat gear, I just wear comfortable clothes.
If it were an important battle, I’d wear my nun’s habit anyway.
Compared to cotton pants or jeans, leggings must be much more comfortable, right?
The material is different, so they’re probably more elastic and breathable too.
…Though I’ve never worn anything that tight-fitting, let alone leggings.
It’s outerwear, not underwear, but the thought of actually wearing it feels a bit embarrassing.
“Hmm…”
I rested my elbow on the armrest of the sofa and rubbed my upper lip.
Lost in thought as I fiddled with my lips,
Si-yoon, sitting beside me, suddenly spoke up.
“Unni, are you worried about something?”
“Huh? Oh.”
“It’s like your mind is somewhere else.”
“Was it that obvious?”
When I looked at her, puzzled, Si-yoon chuckled softly and answered.
“Don’t you know your own habits? Every time you’re thinking about something, you always mess with your cheeks or lips.”
“Really? …Oh, now that you mention it, I guess I do.”
I belatedly pulled my fingers away from my face.
Sure enough, I had been doing it.
“If it’s something you want to talk about, I’m all ears!”
“Hmm, it’s nothing big…”
I gave Si-yoon a simple explanation.
About what the female students at the training field were wearing.
“Ah, that’s it? That’s nothing!”
“I told you it wasn’t a big deal from the start.”
“When I first wore leggings, I thought, ‘Hmm, isn’t this kind of… embarrassing?’ you know?”
“Yeah, yeah.”
“But now, I don’t think about it at all! Once you try it on, you’ll realize it’s just unnecessary worrying.”
“Really…?”
When Si-yoon, who’s also a girl, said it like that, it sounded convincing.
“Is it actually comfortable to wear?”
“Well… you’ll know once you try it. It is comfortable. And there’s another advantage too.”
“Oh? What’s that?”
Another advantage?
Curiosity piqued, I looked at her slightly parted lips.
After intentionally pausing for a moment, my younger sister spoke.
“They’re versatile! You can wear them not only for workouts but also for just hanging out or even when you’re not exercising.”
“Whoa…”
Now that I thought about it again, even outside the academy, I’d seen people wearing them while walking around the streets.
“Wait here for a second.”
Suddenly, Si-yoon jumped up.
She walked briskly to her wardrobe and started rummaging through her clothes.
“Found it!”
Holding a few articles of clothing, Si-yoon turned to look at me.
They were the same kind of clothes those students had been wearing earlier.
“These are from when I used to work out.”
“Used to?”
“…I don’t go out much these days.”
Well, it’s not like I can criticize—Si-yoon doesn’t go out much either.
I nodded in understanding.
“It’s just because I’m busy, okay!”
“…I didn’t even say anything.”
Despite my protesting gaze, she didn’t buy it.
With her lips pouting slightly, she handed the clothes to me.
“You were curious, right? Try them on!”
“W-wait a minute!”
I was about to decline since I hadn’t even decided yet.
But Si-yoon forcefully shoved the clothes into my hands.
And just like that, I ended up holding them.
“I just remembered I have something to do, so I’ll be in my room!”
She disappeared in an instant.
“…Hmm.”
That didn’t look like someone who had work to do.
With a deep sigh, I looked down at the clothes in my hands.
A loose-fitting T-shirt and leggings.
The clean, laundered scent tickled my nose.
…It’s not even a crop top that only comes up to the waist—it’s loose-fitting.
Should I just try it on? It’s not like anyone else will see me in the house.
It’s just me admiring it by myself, right?
I glanced at the door to Si-yoon’s room.
She had gone in so blatantly; there’s no way she’d sneak out to surprise me, right?
After making up my mind, I carefully changed into the clothes.
Since returning to Earth, this was only the second time I’d borrowed clothes from my younger sister.
I hadn’t borrowed anything since the first day.
It struck me how much things had changed since then.
Not just our genders, but even our heights—Si-yoon was now taller than me.
Once I finished changing, I stood in front of the mirror.
The soft feel of the T-shirt and the elastic sensation of the leggings felt both unfamiliar and comfortable.
Though it was loose-fitting, the shirt wasn’t that big, so it felt a bit tight around the chest.
The shape got a little distorted too.
Still… it’s better than I expected.
The gentle compression of the leggings wasn’t bad either.
I alternated lifting and lowering my legs.
I stretched the fabric of the leggings.
Adjusting the shirt around my chest, I twisted my waist.
Finally, I lifted one leg straight up to form an “I” shape.
…I don’t know why, but the thought crossed my mind, so I just did it.
I figured it might work, and it did.
In the full-length mirror, I saw the silhouette of a woman with her leg stretched straight upward.
Maybe it was the pose, but my reflection looked both familiar and a little strange.
A strange feeling bubbled up, and I let out a chuckle.
“…Yeah, it’s nice. Pass!”
I lowered my leg back down and nodded in satisfaction.
I had already promised Ji-a that I would take things slowly and improve.
Starting with this outfit as the first step doesn’t seem like a bad idea.
The me in the mirror smiled brightly.
I gazed at that reflection for a moment before turning around.
I approached Si-yoon’s door and knocked.
Knock, knock—
Immediately, as if she had been waiting by the door, it swung open.
“…How is it? Do you think it looks okay?”
“Hm.”
Si-yoon scanned me from head to toe.
“It suits you well! But.”
“But?”
Right after the compliment, Si-yoon’s expression turned sour.
She muttered in a dissatisfied voice, almost under her breath.
“You know… what even is a chest?”
“Well… I don’t know…?”
I responded blankly to her hollow question.
…That phrase, I feel like I’ve heard it somewhere before?
Hmm, must be my imagination—it’s a phrase commonly seen on the internet, after all.
“So, it doesn’t look strange, right? I’m still a bit self-conscious….”
“…No. If anything, it suits you so well it’s a problem.”
Suddenly, I found myself sitting on the living room sofa with a deflated-looking Si-yoon.
We browsed online shopping malls together on my laptop, picking out new clothes to buy.
Si-yoon introduced me to all sorts of new terms—things like one-mile wear and athleisure looks.
Words I’d never even heard of until now.
There were quite a variety of styles too, from leggings that emphasized the hips to skirt leggings.
I awkwardly rubbed my thighs, trying to remember all the sudden flood of clothing terms.
The texture of the leggings felt oddly addictive.
Anyway, I ended up ordering a few things, but I’m not sure if I’ll need to buy more later.
Wouldn’t it be enough to just wear the few I’ve gotten used to?
That was the kind of day it was.
***
The next day, in the afternoon.
I was in the living room, watching a live stream by Momobin on TV, while staring at my laptop on the table.
How can I teach Areum effectively?
Part of me wanted to push her like a lion throwing its cub off a cliff.
But I worried that treating her so harshly might traumatize someone like Areum.
Ah, wasn’t that lion story a myth? Well, anyway.
I’m thinking of other methods to approach this.
“Hmm…”
Should I just show her some dazzling, impressive displays?
I could, but that feels more like showing off than actually teaching, and it doesn’t seem particularly effective.
Should I throw her into a group of goblins, stacked with physical enhancements and buffs?
No, that’s just the same as my first thought.
I guess taking it step by step and teaching her thoroughly is the way to go.
Maybe I could ask her what she’s learned in her recent courses and give her some advanced lessons myself.
From what I saw of Eun-byul’s books in the library, the E-rank curriculum is really basic.
Hmm, yeah. This seems like the most straightforward approach.
The basics will be covered in the academy’s courses, so I’ll handle the advanced lessons.
There’s no rush for Areum’s growth, after all.
While I still need to think about the finer details, I’ve finally got a framework.
I’ll raise our Areum into a competent supporter who can hold her own! Heh heh….
“Stretch—!”
I spread my arms wide and stretched.
I glanced at Momobin’s stream, which was playing in the background like ambient noise.
Today’s game was a platformer.
It was a simple action-adventure game where players defeated enemies, collected items and equipment, and progressed.
The tight time limits made players anxious and prone to mistakes.
The more I watched, the more I thought it was a well-made game.
《Ahhh….》
– ?????????
– Did they just die there?
– What a noob hack
– Dead again? Dead again? Dead again?
– LOL LOL LOL
As soon as Momobin’s character died, the chat exploded.
I joined in on the fun.
– Just dodge well and aim properly, lol
I typed a sentence I’d seen somewhere before.
It quickly got buried in the flood of messages, but that didn’t matter.
The joy comes from sharing the experience together, after all.
《If it’s so frustrating, try playing it yourself! Dodging and aiming may sound easy, but it’s not!》
– LOL LOL LOL
– Nope, not trying it
– For real, lolol
– LOL
Unable to recover from the frustration, Momobin shouted back.
…You know, maybe I should try it for myself.
Momobin usually speaks gently and prettily, but whenever she plays ruthless games, she ends up losing her mind like this.
I wondered how I’d fare if I tried it out myself.
I searched online for the game Momobin was playing.
It only cost a few thousand won.
Even though I hadn’t played games in a while, I still had an old account.
After going through the recovery process, I bought and installed the game.
Since the file size was small, the installation didn’t take long.
《Alright, watch closely. This time, I’ll clear it.》
Listening to Momobin’s determined voice, I started playing too.
I’d already learned the basics from the stream, so all I had to do was experience it myself.
I got completely immersed and played for about an hour or two.
It had been a while since I last gamed, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
Afterward, as I lightly rotated my wrists to loosen the muscles,
“Oh, right.”
An important plan popped into my head.
At the same time, I thought of a way to use my time more efficiently.
Though it was a bit sudden, it was the perfect chance to start Areum’s advanced training.
I left the laptop and picked up my smartphone.
It was time to contact Jang Han-soo, the section chief at the Hunter Management Bureau.
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