"Ugh, I really don’t want to go outside... Aaaah!"

"Come on, let’s go. The weather’s so nice."

"The only ones who enjoy this kind of weather are reptiles!"

"You know me so well."

Harmony was reluctantly trying to cling to the cool, air-conditioned interior of the hotel, like a sticky rice cake left in a warm place, instead of heading back out into the hot, humid air.

Wrapping my tail loosely around her waist and shoulder like a crossbody bag, I easily pulled her along. My tail could support over 300 kilograms, so dragging a single adult was no problem.

Though the weather forecast couldn’t be fully trusted, it seemed that the heavy rain was still some time away. The sky was still overcast, and the air was thick with humidity.

We walked, each holding an umbrella, but with no particular destination in mind. I hadn’t planned anything specific; at most, I’d thought about visiting a shooting range. The hotel was surrounded by high-end department stores, and that was about it.

If nothing else came to mind, we could always go there.

The sound of cars passing over the wet pavement echoed off the walls, creating a continuous reverberation.

"I was originally thinking of taking you to the MCN I’m with, but it’s a bit far, and we didn’t get permission to visit, so that plan fell through. Is there anywhere you want to go?"

"The shooting range…?"

"That’s such a fitting suggestion for someone like you. But the department store right in front of us… you’re probably not interested in that."

"Unfortunately, I have to get my clothes custom-made, but maybe we could check out some tops."

"If we really can’t think of anything else, then let’s go to the shooting range. I’ve been curious about what real guns are like."

I had just said it casually, but she seemed to take it seriously, which caught me a little off guard.

It was a good thing that Dark Zone had become a common enough concept in this world. Otherwise, people might have given us strange looks. But when I glanced at Harmony, she seemed to be seriously considering my suggestion.

If I didn’t say anything else, we’d probably end up there naturally. But that wouldn’t be a bad thing either.

Although the weather was still hot, the absence of direct sunlight made it bearable to walk around. The only downside was that it felt like walking through an aquarium due to the intense humidity, but chatting as we strolled kept it from being too bothersome.

Being in Seoul, there was no shortage of things to see.

Sandwich shops, mala tang restaurants, cafes popping up every minute as we walked—remnants of the colonial era. Buildings and roads appeared as soon as we emerged from the alleyways, and occasionally, there were artisanal bakeries. Hospitals were scattered here and there.

It was like looking at the same building blocks but assembled differently.

A little further down was Namsan, and further up were Gyeongbokgung and Jongmyo, though both were quite a walk. The weather and temperature weren’t ideal for Harmony.

Just in case, I searched for a nearby live-fire shooting range. Of course, I didn’t take out my phone; I used Icarus Gear instead. A hologram visible only to me began popping up directions.

The nearest range was roughly within a 400-meter radius. Close enough.

As I was about to tell her this, Harmony suddenly stopped walking.

Despite her stopping, the difference in weight and strength caused her to be dragged along the ground.

"Ahhh! Wait a minute! Hold on! I stopped, why are you dragging me?"

"Oh, I didn’t realize... Did you see something interesting?"

"Yes, look at that!"

**[Experience a Variety of Exotic Animals! Welcome to Healing With Pets Café! Cute raccoons, cats, prairie dogs, guinea pigs, fennec foxes, ferrets, amphibians and reptiles, meerkats, and more adorable animals are waiting for you!]

[※ Free entry for Awakened! // This event can only be used once!]**

...Could I even go in there?

"Ahh, hey! Don’t climb on my head! You’ll ruin my volume!"

"…."

"Hmph, you’re lucky you’re cute. Wow, you’re really chubby."

"You’re really enjoying yourself, aren’t you?"

"...Uh…."

Harmony, sipping her drink with a raccoon nestled in her arms, spoke with a complex mix of emotions on her face.

"...Why aren’t any of the animals coming near you, Yujin?"

"You’re teasing me, aren’t you?"

"Oh, sorry."

How should I put it?

The animals’ attitudes toward us were completely different. If Harmony was just another café guest, I was more like an apex predator that had suddenly shown up.

As soon as I entered, the animals inside started running around in a frenzy, causing the caretakers to rush over and explain that this had never happened before, even when other Awakened had visited.

But thankfully, it didn’t take long for the animals to calm down. My personal guess was that they went from thinking, "We’re gonna get eaten!" to "…Oh, we’re not getting eaten."

Thankfully, the situation de-escalated. If it hadn’t, we might have been kicked out. Now, some of the dogs and cats were cautiously approaching me with curiosity, so it seemed like things were going to be okay.

"Coochie-coo."

"...Pfft."

"Harmony, here’s a treat."

"...I’m not one of the café’s animals, you know?"

"Yes, yes. Give me your hand."

Chuck.

Even so, she playfully placed her fist on my outstretched palm.

Since Harmony had been successfully tamed, I tore up the chicken breast (shrimp-flavored) we bought at the entrance and wiggled my fingers to attract the raccoon that had started climbing my tail.

"Wow, you brought it over with your tail."

"If you were going to adapt this quickly, why did you make such a fuss about being scared…?"

"Right?"

Cradling a raccoon in my arms, I wrapped my tail around the handle of a cat toy and shook it enthusiastically. The animals, which had been wary at first, now ran around excitedly.

Before long, my tail became a popular toy for the nearby animals, attracting other customers and even the caretakers, who came to watch this unusual scene.

A cat had stealthily climbed up my tail and was now engaging in a playful territorial battle with the raccoon on my thigh. Meanwhile, Harmony, who had a cat rubbing its face against her leg while holding another in her arms, was playing along.

"Oh, no! Don’t mess with my phone! Guys, let’s take a picture! Come on!"

"Don’t climb on the table."

One Ragdoll tried to jump onto the table from a nearby empty chair. Since there was a glass of drink on the table, I gently stopped it with my tail and lowered it back to the ground.

Just then, I heard the click of a camera. Of course, I had already given my okay when someone asked to take a picture, so it didn’t bother me.

As the cat, now on the ground, meowed in mild protest, I realized that I had finished my drink, which was part of the tour package. Since I couldn’t carry it with me, I made sure to finish it.

As the staff came to collect the empty glasses, Harmony, now surrounded by more than a couple of animals, spoke up.

"Ugh, I feel like I’m going to be covered in fur when I get home."

"Me too."

"Are you done with your drink? They say there are reptiles and foxes upstairs. Thanks to you, Yujin, now I want to see the snakes."

"Then let’s go. Just so you know, I don’t know how to bond with snakes. Got it?"

"Oh, I was just about to ask… Ah! Sorry! Don’t take my shoes!"

I had taken her canvas shoes with my tail. I thought about tossing them in the air and catching them again, but decided against it since this wasn’t home and we were in a public place.

After helping her put her shoes back on, I stood up. The caretakers, who had been waiting for us, skillfully guided us to the second floor with a series of practiced gestures and comments.

The snakes were resting inside glass cases. There weren’t many species, but they began to move slightly as they sensed our presence. While I was casually observing them, I made eye contact with a ball python.

How should I describe it?

It felt like its eyes were asking, "Why are you over there?"

"...I just had a thought pop into my head. Can I say it?"

"Depending on what it is, our next destination might be either home or the police station."

"Hing… The laws around Awakened are so scary…."

"Exactly."

There wasn’t much else to see with the snakes, so we moved on to the fennec foxes.

Their ears were huge, and they were incredibly fast. Not to mention, they weren’t alone—there were several puppies playing together, creating quite a spectacle.

As expected, within minutes, the furballs began playing with my tail. Meanwhile, Harmony, now holding one of the foxes, was generously distributing treats to the others.

If there was one thing I learned here, it was that the fennec fox’s cry was quite unique.

The third floor, which we were guided to afterward, wasn’t much different.

Considering we had come here on a whim, it was surprisingly mentally refreshing, and thankfully, no incidents occurred due to my unusual body.

Then again, when will I ever fully understand the secrets of this body?

It still seemed like a distant goal.

"Whew, that was fun… What did you think, Yujin?"

"It was my first time being so close to so many animals. I’d say they were all very friendly."

"Right? I’ve never seen animals approach people so easily like that. The cat my parents have throws a tantrum every time it sees me."

"That’s probably its way of showing affection…."

The only animals I’d seen before were the remnants of pets left roaming the ruins of big cities… or the deer that suddenly wandered onto main roads. Other than that, there were the military dogs used by enemy special forces.

Those dogs wore bulletproof vests, so they were hard to forget.

It was now almost 4 p.m. We left the buffet around mid-afternoon, and we’d been at the animal café for a little over an hour.

Time flies. The only thing left on my schedule after meeting with Harmony was the temporary coaching job, which was set for 8 p.m.

I was trying to figure out how to balance time between the fitness club and dinner when Harmony spoke up.

"...I’ve been thinking seriously, how about we go to the shooting range next?"

"Are you really going?"

"Hehe, I’ve been getting interested in this stuff lately because of Dark Zone. Even if you shoot a lot in the game, it’s really different from shooting in real life, right?"

"You’re full of surprises."

And then a brief assessment.

"If we had gone to the shooting range first and then the animal café, the gunpowder smell might have kept all the animals away. But it’s funny how things worked out."

"Now that you mention it, you’re right. We stumbled upon a great sequence of events."

"Exactly. I’ll pay this time. This is my area of expertise."

"The way you say that kind of reminds me of that movie with Keanu Reeves where he plays a killer and shoots everyone. Do you know it?"

"Oh, that one."

And so, with that casual conversation, our second destination was decided.

The shooting range.

It was time to experience something different from the mental healing that animals provide—a bit of trigger happiness.